I am frightened of Dr Jacobs George, the president of the Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor (Cassa).
He wants the government not only to fine (heavily, it seems) those caught smoking in public places, but to consider whipping the offenders.
malaysiakini has reported his letter to this effect.
Additionally he has appeal to our beloved (his very own words of adulation - ugh, jelak saja) Prime Minister to take the anti-smoking drive to 'new heights' (whatever that means) by only selecting non-smoking candidates for the next general election.
Now, KTemoc has a very strong record of anti-smoking too since my BolehTalk blogging days – in fact I lost my blogging virginity ;-) with an anti-smoking posting at BolehTalk.
But this man is scary (knia see wah lah), far more terrifying than KTemoc at his worst.
Fining or even jailing someone for defiantly smoking in a no-smoking public area is as far as I want to and am prepared to go, but to whip or cane such a naughty person ... ?
Brother, that’s an unmitigated inhumane action and a violation of human rights.
And being against smoking doesn’t mean you have the right to demand that all candidates for parliament or the state assemblies should be non-smokers. Again, that’s a violation of human rights.
So long as those politicians don’t smoke in public non-smoking areas, why demand that they comply with your life style or beliefs.
What next, ... that they be of the Christian or Islamic or ‘X’ faith?
BTW, I am not at all impressed by his addressing the PM as “our beloved PM” – I know it’s bodek-land but for crying out loud, the PM’s a politician elected by us to represent/serve us - no more no less. The PM's not the Yang Di Pertuan Agong.
Surely there must be a limit to such excessive sycophantic expressions. In fact I find this far more important than taking an anti-smoking stand because it has to do with our political atitude and why we have been stuck in a no-win political rut with our collective feudalistic caste-ass-whipped tok ampu mindset.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Anything for dear old Israel
Now we know that the Iraqi War and the general arrogant and dodgy behavior of the USA (eg. Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, extraordinary rendition, My Lai-ish conduct of its troops, malicious/vindictive attacks on Sunni enclaves in Iraq such as Falluja, war crimes in Afghanistan) had stemmed from its Republican Party neocon Administration.
The only decent bloke in the Bush Administration was Colin Powell, who as Secretary of State then, was sabotaged every which way by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the Wolfowitz-Feith-other-Zionists clique.
Powell continues to be the voice of conscience and notwithstanding the fact he has left the Administration, has recently called for the immediate closure of the draconian Guantanamo Bay for the militarykangaroo courts commissions to be scrapped. He said that those dodgy institutions were un-American, and harming the reputation of the US justice system.
He declared that all inmates from the military prison in Cuba into the US justice system (which will mean that at least they would be entitled to legal representation, which they currently aren’t).
He lamented: "We have shaken the belief the world had in the American justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open. It's caused far more damage than anything we get from it."
Powell said "some authoritarian figures "were using Guantanamo to "hide their own misdeeds".
Meanwhile, former Democrat US senator Joseph Lieberman, supposedly on the other side of the political fence but a known Democrat warmonger (he was tossed out of the Democratic Party but stood as an independent and won, and now represents Connecticut as such) wants the USA to seriously consider a military strike against Iran because of Tehran's alleged involvement with Iraqi insurgents.
He said: "I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq."
During the war, Lieberman has consistently supported the Bush Administration, and unsurprisingly, has been reputed to be the only Democrat trusted by George Bush. He even received a hug from the President.
He said that much of the action could probably be done by air, the shock and awe formula. However, having suggested that, he said he would leave the strategy to the generals in charge.
Incidentally Liberman had called himself an orthodox Jew though many orthodox Jews scoffed at his at-times lack of orthodox observations, like voting in Congress during the Sabbath and not wearing a yarmulke.
But like most neocon American Zionists he obviously sees Iran as a perpetual threat to Israel (rather than to American troops in Iraq, which may well be a case of happy coincidence).
Afterall, another neocon Zionist, a dear friend of you-know-who [look, I didn’t mention the name of the Malaysian connection, OK? ;-)] had been insistent and instrumental in the US bombing Iraq for 9/11, an act that could rather be more correctly traced to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. And that’s because Iraq which had nothing to do with 9/11 was a threat to Israel.
Anything for dear Israel, even with American lives (already more than 3500 in Iraq).
The only decent bloke in the Bush Administration was Colin Powell, who as Secretary of State then, was sabotaged every which way by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the Wolfowitz-Feith-other-Zionists clique.
Powell continues to be the voice of conscience and notwithstanding the fact he has left the Administration, has recently called for the immediate closure of the draconian Guantanamo Bay for the military
He declared that all inmates from the military prison in Cuba into the US justice system (which will mean that at least they would be entitled to legal representation, which they currently aren’t).
He lamented: "We have shaken the belief the world had in the American justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open. It's caused far more damage than anything we get from it."
Powell said "some authoritarian figures "were using Guantanamo to "hide their own misdeeds".
Meanwhile, former Democrat US senator Joseph Lieberman, supposedly on the other side of the political fence but a known Democrat warmonger (he was tossed out of the Democratic Party but stood as an independent and won, and now represents Connecticut as such) wants the USA to seriously consider a military strike against Iran because of Tehran's alleged involvement with Iraqi insurgents.
He said: "I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq."
During the war, Lieberman has consistently supported the Bush Administration, and unsurprisingly, has been reputed to be the only Democrat trusted by George Bush. He even received a hug from the President.
He said that much of the action could probably be done by air, the shock and awe formula. However, having suggested that, he said he would leave the strategy to the generals in charge.
Incidentally Liberman had called himself an orthodox Jew though many orthodox Jews scoffed at his at-times lack of orthodox observations, like voting in Congress during the Sabbath and not wearing a yarmulke.
But like most neocon American Zionists he obviously sees Iran as a perpetual threat to Israel (rather than to American troops in Iraq, which may well be a case of happy coincidence).
Afterall, another neocon Zionist, a dear friend of you-know-who [look, I didn’t mention the name of the Malaysian connection, OK? ;-)] had been insistent and instrumental in the US bombing Iraq for 9/11, an act that could rather be more correctly traced to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. And that’s because Iraq which had nothing to do with 9/11 was a threat to Israel.
Anything for dear Israel, even with American lives (already more than 3500 in Iraq).
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
PKR meltdown - the Anwar Ibrahim factor?
I have said it before and I say it now, that PKR is becoming unstuck - see my earlier post The Rise & Fall & Fall of ........ .
The party, or rather the KeADILan component of it, that was formed to fight for Anwar Ibrahim’s release from incarceration, is being gradually but surely destroyed, and by none other than its very raison d’etre, Anwar Ibrahim.
Ijok was when the Indian members realized that the so-called multi-ethnic party wanted to continue playing the ethnic card it had done in Lunas, Kedah – failing of course to heed Dr Muzzaffar’s analysis that in Lunas it had won because the Chinese had been convinced to punish the MCA-BN. See my earlier post Ijok Indians racially marginalised by PKR?
Then Anwar Ibrahim was not around. But in Ijok, with Anwar Ibrahim campaigning, the Chinese were once again reminded of his past records and unfavourable policies against the interests of the Chinese community.
So it was hardly surprising that it lost not only Ijok but the mainstay of its Indian bloc. Anwar Ibrahim’s good buddy, Nallakaruppan left with a huff and a puff because, according to him, Anwar instructed him not to contest the party's VP position. Well, that's Anwar's style of democracy, I suppose. For background, see also PKR's Sepoy Mutiny?
Predictably the PKR devotees lambasted Nalla for being greedy, self-centred, poor performing, etc as if anyone had expected those PKR diehards to bemoan his departure.
But Nalla's acrimonous leaving has cast serious questions about Anwar Ibrahim's commitment to the PKR's claim to multi-ethnic policies and proclivities.
And it’s not just the Indians because prior to PKR’s recent party polls, the by-now-former PKR Youth secretary SD Johari had also accused then-party-advisor-now-de-facto-leader Anwar Ibrahim of meddling with party polls.
Johari who had received the highest number of nominations was so disgusted with Anwar Ibrahim’s meddling that he withdrew completely from not only the party polls but party activities as well, to concentrate on teh work of Ezam’s NGO.
Usually, most PKR members, especially those of the younger set, have a fanatical devotion to Anwar to the extent of displaying virtual kamikazi take-no-prisoner behaviour towards any critics of Anwar or PKR. I had called those who conducted their defence of Anwar Ibrahim on their web with their merciless mangling mauling plus vile vitriolic venom cyber-jihadists.
Therefore for a bloke like Johari to shift from feral devotion to frustrated despising of Anwar must have said something about the once-iconic Anwar Ibrahim.
His Teflon coating has worn off and some of his own people are now to get him, especially more so when he proclaimed himself as de facto leader without so much as some semblance of democratic process or even 'face' for his poor wife, the de jure leader of the party.
From hypocritical democracy to arrogant de facto leadership – a coup d’etat within a captive community, where all likely opposition had left out of disgust through betrayal or frustration from meddling.
And that’s only the beginning because malaysiakini has reported that a crisis for the PKR looms in Kedah.
As I have said, the man who’s gradually but surely destroying the party is Anwar Ibrahim himself, this time through his alleged preference for high-profile and wealthy individuals.
malaysiakini reported that its Baling branch, which had some 1,000 members, was dissolved last week. Nine other branches in the state are expected to do the same soon. PKR Baling chief Radzi Md Lazim accused the top leaders (there seems to be only one) have allegedly sidelined those at the divisional level who have been part of the struggle since the party’s inception in 1999.
He stated: “We object the attitude of the top leaders, including party advisor Anwar Ibrahim and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who have not cared about the divisions for a long time.”
Maybe he didn’t know Anwar Ibrahim has declared himselfdictat... de facto leader?
Radzi said this did not happen when Anwar was in prison, but things changed when he was released and made party advisor.
“Corporate people were brought into the party one after another. These people never go to the ground and the grassroots feel sidelined. A glaring example is Anwar choosing Khalid Ibrahim, a corporate heavyweight close to him, to contest in the Ijok by-election.”
Radzi said he had tried in vain to meet Anwar numerous times to explain to him the situation on the ground. But he said Anwar was just “too busy and had no time” to discuss the matter.
I am not sure how true this story is, but I heard from a PKR person that during the wedding of Anwar's daughter, his most ardent supporters, people who took to the streets for him and were bashed by the police for their devotion, and who had remained faithful to him throughout his incarceration, had to remain and take their meals outside his house under tents while invited BN (UMNO) leaders, the so-called enemies, were received like guests of honour into his palatial mansion.
If this story from a PKR member is true, then I am not surprised. As Radzi Md Lazim said “... Anwar Ibrahim and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ... have not cared about the divisions for a long time.”
The party, or rather the KeADILan component of it, that was formed to fight for Anwar Ibrahim’s release from incarceration, is being gradually but surely destroyed, and by none other than its very raison d’etre, Anwar Ibrahim.
Ijok was when the Indian members realized that the so-called multi-ethnic party wanted to continue playing the ethnic card it had done in Lunas, Kedah – failing of course to heed Dr Muzzaffar’s analysis that in Lunas it had won because the Chinese had been convinced to punish the MCA-BN. See my earlier post Ijok Indians racially marginalised by PKR?
Then Anwar Ibrahim was not around. But in Ijok, with Anwar Ibrahim campaigning, the Chinese were once again reminded of his past records and unfavourable policies against the interests of the Chinese community.
So it was hardly surprising that it lost not only Ijok but the mainstay of its Indian bloc. Anwar Ibrahim’s good buddy, Nallakaruppan left with a huff and a puff because, according to him, Anwar instructed him not to contest the party's VP position. Well, that's Anwar's style of democracy, I suppose. For background, see also PKR's Sepoy Mutiny?
Predictably the PKR devotees lambasted Nalla for being greedy, self-centred, poor performing, etc as if anyone had expected those PKR diehards to bemoan his departure.
But Nalla's acrimonous leaving has cast serious questions about Anwar Ibrahim's commitment to the PKR's claim to multi-ethnic policies and proclivities.
And it’s not just the Indians because prior to PKR’s recent party polls, the by-now-former PKR Youth secretary SD Johari had also accused then-party-advisor-now-de-facto-leader Anwar Ibrahim of meddling with party polls.
Johari who had received the highest number of nominations was so disgusted with Anwar Ibrahim’s meddling that he withdrew completely from not only the party polls but party activities as well, to concentrate on teh work of Ezam’s NGO.
Usually, most PKR members, especially those of the younger set, have a fanatical devotion to Anwar to the extent of displaying virtual kamikazi take-no-prisoner behaviour towards any critics of Anwar or PKR. I had called those who conducted their defence of Anwar Ibrahim on their web with their merciless mangling mauling plus vile vitriolic venom cyber-jihadists.
Therefore for a bloke like Johari to shift from feral devotion to frustrated despising of Anwar must have said something about the once-iconic Anwar Ibrahim.
His Teflon coating has worn off and some of his own people are now to get him, especially more so when he proclaimed himself as de facto leader without so much as some semblance of democratic process or even 'face' for his poor wife, the de jure leader of the party.
From hypocritical democracy to arrogant de facto leadership – a coup d’etat within a captive community, where all likely opposition had left out of disgust through betrayal or frustration from meddling.
And that’s only the beginning because malaysiakini has reported that a crisis for the PKR looms in Kedah.
As I have said, the man who’s gradually but surely destroying the party is Anwar Ibrahim himself, this time through his alleged preference for high-profile and wealthy individuals.
malaysiakini reported that its Baling branch, which had some 1,000 members, was dissolved last week. Nine other branches in the state are expected to do the same soon. PKR Baling chief Radzi Md Lazim accused the top leaders (there seems to be only one) have allegedly sidelined those at the divisional level who have been part of the struggle since the party’s inception in 1999.
He stated: “We object the attitude of the top leaders, including party advisor Anwar Ibrahim and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who have not cared about the divisions for a long time.”
Maybe he didn’t know Anwar Ibrahim has declared himself
Radzi said this did not happen when Anwar was in prison, but things changed when he was released and made party advisor.
“Corporate people were brought into the party one after another. These people never go to the ground and the grassroots feel sidelined. A glaring example is Anwar choosing Khalid Ibrahim, a corporate heavyweight close to him, to contest in the Ijok by-election.”
Radzi said he had tried in vain to meet Anwar numerous times to explain to him the situation on the ground. But he said Anwar was just “too busy and had no time” to discuss the matter.
I am not sure how true this story is, but I heard from a PKR person that during the wedding of Anwar's daughter, his most ardent supporters, people who took to the streets for him and were bashed by the police for their devotion, and who had remained faithful to him throughout his incarceration, had to remain and take their meals outside his house under tents while invited BN (UMNO) leaders, the so-called enemies, were received like guests of honour into his palatial mansion.
If this story from a PKR member is true, then I am not surprised. As Radzi Md Lazim said “... Anwar Ibrahim and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ... have not cared about the divisions for a long time.”
No snowflake but lots of pearls .....
I knew I posted DAP - where sex romp is like snowflakes in hell yesterday morning. So when I saw the same title under RPK’s name in the blog corner of malaysiakini last night, where he had in turn placed my posting in the blog corner of his Malaysia-Today I felt a wee strange though not entirely surprised as RPK had published some of my postings before.
Still, it’s a delightful honour he picked my posting for his selection of what bloggers around Malaysia have been writing about.
So I decided to hop across from malaysiakini to RPK’s blog to see what comments my post had elicited as M-Today is known to have free range, fierce and feral visitors. Yes, RPK has a no-holds-barred blog which I admire in many ways.
But mate, let me tell you there weren’t any snowflakes there but plenty of hell for poor KTemoc ;-)
... which reminds me of what one of my pals told me some time ago, that people who visit blogs to comment should have not only an 18-years old age indicated on their MyKad but also the ‘can read’ and ‘can comprehend’ status, perhaps in the place where their MyKad currently state they belong to the Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc religion.
Some, nay, most of the comments cannot be reproduced here as they would be too ferocious or even indelicate for sweeties who may visit my blog (I am eternally hopeful).
BUT BUt But but ..... yes but I have to partly accept the blame as my buddies had warned me before that some people just don’t understand satire. Once I even had a bloke who condemned me for 'my views' in one of my Dodgee Dimsum’s letters ;-) well, what more can I say.
Even the title of my post on the DAP, '... where sex romp is like snowflakes in hell’ has been already a giveaway, yet yeT yET YET ..... hahhahhhahahahahahahaahahahaaaaaaaaaa
I don’t suppose those rather feral visitors to M-Today would understand what a ‘back handed compliment’ (to the DAP) means if they couldn’t a satire?
Let’s recapture what I had written in my last few paragraphs to see what had driven them over the wall. I had posted:
I heard one special guest to the DAP strategic planning workshop in Cameron highlands had entreated the DAP leaders to 'lighten up' a wee bit, to smile a little, even to take up some sports, like say, tennis or horse-riding, or maybe read Shakespeare because there's lots of humour in Shakespeare - stuff like 'Brutus, Brutus, wherefore art thou' ;-) and 'Et tu, Romeo' - imagine the Grand Ole Man saying that, or would he be saying instead: "Out, damn'd spot! out, I say"?
Then there is of course that famous Shakespearean advice in his Henry VI: 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.'
Yes, I think the DAP leaders should take up his advice, though not on the last quotation of 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all'. That's reserved for a special someone.
Now, if those angry comments were made by PKR devotees I can understand that, but disappointingly, I suspect some were by DAP members or supporters.
But truly the prize for the day (or was it night) goes to one person who commented in response to my concluding paragraph of “And I suppose Lim KS or Lim GE would refuse the suggestion to travel in a chauffeured Mercedes, apart from the likelihood they won't have the money to buy such an expensive limousine.”
Well, obviously he didn’t understand my double entendre, because he wrote:
“KTemoc, I did not know u had such small brains. Yeah Lim KS and son do not have the money to buy expensive cars and u know why?
Because they did not steal the nation's money and opportunity and enrich their children - until Forbes takes notice.
You must be a pariah or at least born for one”
As to what i would say about his social demotion of me to being a Harijan or Dalit for the double entendre is that, he has proven my point about a DAP member (or perhaps an ardent supporter) being serious and without humour - hahahhahahhaahhaaaahhahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa what did I tell you hahahahahahhahaaaaaaaa
All I can do is to is to implore upon RPK to explain to his visitors what a satire, back handed compliment and double entendre mean, but I seriously (hahaha that 'serious' word again) doubt he would oblige hahhahahahahaahahaaaahahahahahhaaaa - well, at least please please, to save me from being all in stitches hahahahahahahahhaahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Maybe I may have to lean on Lim KS and Lim GE to help – but, would it have to be submitted in triplicates without any typos? hhahahahahahhahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Hmmm, I suppose having their MyKad indicate ‘can read’ and ‘can comprehend’ would be far more difficult than poor Lina Joy changing her religious status from Muslim to Christian.
Still, it’s a delightful honour he picked my posting for his selection of what bloggers around Malaysia have been writing about.
So I decided to hop across from malaysiakini to RPK’s blog to see what comments my post had elicited as M-Today is known to have free range, fierce and feral visitors. Yes, RPK has a no-holds-barred blog which I admire in many ways.
But mate, let me tell you there weren’t any snowflakes there but plenty of hell for poor KTemoc ;-)
... which reminds me of what one of my pals told me some time ago, that people who visit blogs to comment should have not only an 18-years old age indicated on their MyKad but also the ‘can read’ and ‘can comprehend’ status, perhaps in the place where their MyKad currently state they belong to the Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc religion.
Some, nay, most of the comments cannot be reproduced here as they would be too ferocious or even indelicate for sweeties who may visit my blog (I am eternally hopeful).
BUT BUt But but ..... yes but I have to partly accept the blame as my buddies had warned me before that some people just don’t understand satire. Once I even had a bloke who condemned me for 'my views' in one of my Dodgee Dimsum’s letters ;-) well, what more can I say.
Even the title of my post on the DAP, '... where sex romp is like snowflakes in hell’ has been already a giveaway, yet yeT yET YET ..... hahhahhhahahahahahahaahahahaaaaaaaaaa
I don’t suppose those rather feral visitors to M-Today would understand what a ‘back handed compliment’ (to the DAP) means if they couldn’t a satire?
Let’s recapture what I had written in my last few paragraphs to see what had driven them over the wall. I had posted:
I heard one special guest to the DAP strategic planning workshop in Cameron highlands had entreated the DAP leaders to 'lighten up' a wee bit, to smile a little, even to take up some sports, like say, tennis or horse-riding, or maybe read Shakespeare because there's lots of humour in Shakespeare - stuff like 'Brutus, Brutus, wherefore art thou' ;-) and 'Et tu, Romeo' - imagine the Grand Ole Man saying that, or would he be saying instead: "Out, damn'd spot! out, I say"?
Then there is of course that famous Shakespearean advice in his Henry VI: 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.'
Yes, I think the DAP leaders should take up his advice, though not on the last quotation of 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all'. That's reserved for a special someone.
Now, if those angry comments were made by PKR devotees I can understand that, but disappointingly, I suspect some were by DAP members or supporters.
But truly the prize for the day (or was it night) goes to one person who commented in response to my concluding paragraph of “And I suppose Lim KS or Lim GE would refuse the suggestion to travel in a chauffeured Mercedes, apart from the likelihood they won't have the money to buy such an expensive limousine.”
Well, obviously he didn’t understand my double entendre, because he wrote:
“KTemoc, I did not know u had such small brains. Yeah Lim KS and son do not have the money to buy expensive cars and u know why?
Because they did not steal the nation's money and opportunity and enrich their children - until Forbes takes notice.
You must be a pariah or at least born for one”
As to what i would say about his social demotion of me to being a Harijan or Dalit for the double entendre is that, he has proven my point about a DAP member (or perhaps an ardent supporter) being serious and without humour - hahahhahahhaahhaaaahhahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa what did I tell you hahahahahahhahaaaaaaaa
All I can do is to is to implore upon RPK to explain to his visitors what a satire, back handed compliment and double entendre mean, but I seriously (hahaha that 'serious' word again) doubt he would oblige hahhahahahahaahahaaaahahahahahhaaaa - well, at least please please, to save me from being all in stitches hahahahahahahahhaahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Maybe I may have to lean on Lim KS and Lim GE to help – but, would it have to be submitted in triplicates without any typos? hhahahahahahhahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Hmmm, I suppose having their MyKad indicate ‘can read’ and ‘can comprehend’ would be far more difficult than poor Lina Joy changing her religious status from Muslim to Christian.
Monday, June 11, 2007
DAP - where sex romp is like snowflakes in hell
Someone has been very naughty ;-) but strangely, malaysiakini didn't report this, though the Star Online has.
It seems that someone had doctored photographs showing several Perak DAP leaders as if they were engaged in sexual acts. Obviously the pornographic photos were mischievously achieved by superimposing the faces of DAP leaders like Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah MP), Ngeh Koo Ham (Sitiawan MLA), Nga Kor Ming (Pantai Remis MLA) and Keong Meng Sing (Menglembu MLA) on those of actual tiger men and/or tigress women.
That person also sent those dodgy photos to the Chinese press which are well known for their proclivity towards reporting and publishing juicy scandals. However, as I don't read Chinese newspapers myself, it's still not known whether they did publish the pornographic images.
Needless to say, DAP members have not been at all impressed by the dodgy artistic creativity.
Let's leave out the more detailed description of the photos and the DAP's call to the police to trace the trouble maker (who, because the DAP has been the victim, is not expected to move with lightning speed).
Frankly, if anyone had asked, I would have told him/her that DAP members (at least those real dedicated ones) won't indulge in such salacious acts. They aren't the people with that kind of attitude or inclination.
I even suspect that one of the criteria for joining the DAP, or more exactly, to become a DAP leader, would be for one to be completely serious, minus humour, or the sort of easy humour that you and I would normally possess.
When one is without humour, it would usually be more likely that one would be a prude as well - characteristics that may well resemble those of early fundamentalist Protestant values.
As I had once remarked when the DAP 'retreated' recently to Cameron Highlands for their strategic planning (for the next general election) they were unlikely to be playing mahjong or pa' kau. Yes, they are like that.
I imagine everyone there was dead serious, and the only thrill or excitement they might have been driven to would probably be, just as a KTemoc imagined example ;-), when they discovered a missing comma on the text of the distributed agenda.
Again I am imagining of course - but probably one member would secretly think of that typo: "Scandalous, how could such an error occur. Oh dear, I can't wait to tell my wife this juicy bit."
Another would, I suppose, valiantly restrain his smirk but daringly pontificate silently to himself: "Good lord, what the world has become. I must speak to the Secretary General immediately after this, or shall I call for a motion for censure against the party's typist for such an unmitigated error."
No doubt he agonised long over that decision (to censure the typist) ;-)
And undoubtedly, the party top leaders would be squirming, red faced, at such an unthinkable drastic mistake.
Yeah, hardly the type to be indulging in blissful grunts, moans and various yoga-ish postures.
I know I shouldn't but I just wonder (rather wildly, I admit - KTemoc has a vivid imagination) how such people, well, those who are married ones of course, would approach their spouses for matrimonial conjugation?
Applications submitted in triplicates with at least 3 days notice? With no typos please!
I heard one special guest to the DAP strategic planning workshop in Cameron highlands had entreated the DAP leaders to 'lighten up' a wee bit, to smile a little, even to take up some sports, like say, tennis or horse-riding, or maybe read Shakespeare because there's lots of humour in Shakespeare - stuff like 'Brutus, Brutus, wherefore art thou' ;-) and 'Et tu, Romeo' - imagine the Grand Ole Man saying that, or would he be saying instead: "Out, damn'd spot! out, I say"?
Then there is of course that famous Shakespearean advice in his Henry VI: 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.'
Yes, I think the DAP leaders should take up his advice, though not on the last quotation of 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all'. That's reserved for a special someone.
And I suppose Lim KS or Lim GE would refuse the suggestion to travel in a chauffeured Mercedes, apart from the likelihood they won't have the money to buy such an expensive limousine.
It seems that someone had doctored photographs showing several Perak DAP leaders as if they were engaged in sexual acts. Obviously the pornographic photos were mischievously achieved by superimposing the faces of DAP leaders like Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah MP), Ngeh Koo Ham (Sitiawan MLA), Nga Kor Ming (Pantai Remis MLA) and Keong Meng Sing (Menglembu MLA) on those of actual tiger men and/or tigress women.
That person also sent those dodgy photos to the Chinese press which are well known for their proclivity towards reporting and publishing juicy scandals. However, as I don't read Chinese newspapers myself, it's still not known whether they did publish the pornographic images.
Needless to say, DAP members have not been at all impressed by the dodgy artistic creativity.
Let's leave out the more detailed description of the photos and the DAP's call to the police to trace the trouble maker (who, because the DAP has been the victim, is not expected to move with lightning speed).
Frankly, if anyone had asked, I would have told him/her that DAP members (at least those real dedicated ones) won't indulge in such salacious acts. They aren't the people with that kind of attitude or inclination.
I even suspect that one of the criteria for joining the DAP, or more exactly, to become a DAP leader, would be for one to be completely serious, minus humour, or the sort of easy humour that you and I would normally possess.
When one is without humour, it would usually be more likely that one would be a prude as well - characteristics that may well resemble those of early fundamentalist Protestant values.
As I had once remarked when the DAP 'retreated' recently to Cameron Highlands for their strategic planning (for the next general election) they were unlikely to be playing mahjong or pa' kau. Yes, they are like that.
I imagine everyone there was dead serious, and the only thrill or excitement they might have been driven to would probably be, just as a KTemoc imagined example ;-), when they discovered a missing comma on the text of the distributed agenda.
Again I am imagining of course - but probably one member would secretly think of that typo: "Scandalous, how could such an error occur. Oh dear, I can't wait to tell my wife this juicy bit."
Another would, I suppose, valiantly restrain his smirk but daringly pontificate silently to himself: "Good lord, what the world has become. I must speak to the Secretary General immediately after this, or shall I call for a motion for censure against the party's typist for such an unmitigated error."
No doubt he agonised long over that decision (to censure the typist) ;-)
And undoubtedly, the party top leaders would be squirming, red faced, at such an unthinkable drastic mistake.
Yeah, hardly the type to be indulging in blissful grunts, moans and various yoga-ish postures.
I know I shouldn't but I just wonder (rather wildly, I admit - KTemoc has a vivid imagination) how such people, well, those who are married ones of course, would approach their spouses for matrimonial conjugation?
Applications submitted in triplicates with at least 3 days notice? With no typos please!
I heard one special guest to the DAP strategic planning workshop in Cameron highlands had entreated the DAP leaders to 'lighten up' a wee bit, to smile a little, even to take up some sports, like say, tennis or horse-riding, or maybe read Shakespeare because there's lots of humour in Shakespeare - stuff like 'Brutus, Brutus, wherefore art thou' ;-) and 'Et tu, Romeo' - imagine the Grand Ole Man saying that, or would he be saying instead: "Out, damn'd spot! out, I say"?
Then there is of course that famous Shakespearean advice in his Henry VI: 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.'
Yes, I think the DAP leaders should take up his advice, though not on the last quotation of 'Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all'. That's reserved for a special someone.
And I suppose Lim KS or Lim GE would refuse the suggestion to travel in a chauffeured Mercedes, apart from the likelihood they won't have the money to buy such an expensive limousine.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Appreciation - a letter to the minister
Dodgee Ikli-Iklan
22, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Kepada:
Yang Berhormat
Datuk Phor Bok-Kor-Lee
Pejabat Perdana Menteri
Datuk,
I refer to the wise directive issued by Yang Berbahagia, Mohd Sidek Hassan the Chief Secretary to the Government, for ministries and government departments to refrain from placing newspaper advertisements thanking VIPs and dignitaries for attending or launching their events
He mentioned succinctly in the circular dated June 7, that the money used for placing such advertisements could be better used for other more beneficial purposes. Absolutely!
It was most fortunate I chanced across that brilliant announcement in an article by that insidious subversive online news portal called malaysiakini which I assure you I do not read at all.
It was one of my shop assistants who informed me of the news item. No doubt she was skiving from her duties to surf the Internet, again. It is unfortunate that malaysiakini has been giving indirect encouragement by way of online example to those bloggers who are in reality wannabe journalists but lack both competency and responsibility like our mainstream journalists.
Besides, we know that 80% of those bloggers are unemployed females who are subjected to leaking … confidential off-the-record information. Totally untrustworthy.
Anyway, in writing in to congratulate Yang Amat Berhormat, our beloved Perdana Menteri, on the occasion of his joyous union as well as for his directive to ministries not to waste public monies in such advertising, I hope you will allow me the temerity to express my heartfelt support for the government’s belief that such matters (of advertising felicitations, compliments or appreciation) be left to the private sector.
Ours is a wonderful conservative society with devotion to traditional core values where the ordinary rakyat and even penghulu’s, perwira’s and pro Barisan Nasional captains of industry need to regularly reaffirm their show of fealty. They can do this without imposing on the public coffers.
In that, it is a brilliant stroke that mainstream media and the private sector accommodate such patriotic and loyal expressions.
Now Datuk, some may have reservation about public show of affiliations through overt advertisements in mainstream media because of perceived conflict of interest in securing government contracts. I lament the terrible spoilsport attitude of the opposition parties in denying appreciative contractors and captains of industry the freedom of expression, to show their admiration for our esteem leaders.
Be that as it may, I congratulate Yang Amat Berhormat, the Perdana Menteri for his policies of firmly devolving such public announcement of appreciations to the private sector.
May I take this opportunity to also advise that my new company Dodgee Ikli-Iklan will be publishing a new magazine for private circulation amongst ministries and industries, away from the eyes of the hoi polloi including the opposition parties.
The new magazine will allow expressions of appreciations and other equally free expressions to be advertised without the opposition parties making mountains out of molehills over issues like silly conflict of interests. We all know that ‘interest’ is ‘interest’ – what a ridiculous suggestion to say that ‘interests’ can conflict.
The new magazine will be titled 'AmpooLah', a succinct play of the words ‘ample land’ to demonstrate our love of this wonderful generous country of ours, with the suffix ‘H’ being the eighth letter of the alphabet portending an auspicious outcome for all, industry as well as the government.
Malaysia Bodekleh!
Yang benar
Dodgee Dimsum
p/s apart from the magazine, my other company Dodgee Doorknock also does singing telegrams where felicitations, appreciation and apologies may be delivered right at the door of the intended recipient by a suitable singer – male, female, young or old, of any ethnic origin including pan-Asian, in traditional or modern tunes.
The preference lies with the user of this service. We sing in five languages – BahasaMelayu Malaysia, Chinese Mandarin, Chinese Cantonese, Tamil, and English but if sufficient notice is provided (at least 7 days) we can also arrange for singing telegrams to be in Punjabi, Telegu, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Kelantan Melayu, Javanese, Thai, Kadazan, Hakka, Teochew, and Hokkien (Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Taiwanese or Singapore style, though the last one sounds terribly harsh and guttural, as to be expected).
We are currently exploring important 'foreign' languages like Japanese, American English, Indian English and New Zealand English too.
This form of appreciative expression will be very private and confidential with no paper trail at all.
22, Jalan Bodek
Taman Kamunting
Pulau Pinang
Kepada:
Yang Berhormat
Datuk Phor Bok-Kor-Lee
Pejabat Perdana Menteri
Datuk,
I refer to the wise directive issued by Yang Berbahagia, Mohd Sidek Hassan the Chief Secretary to the Government, for ministries and government departments to refrain from placing newspaper advertisements thanking VIPs and dignitaries for attending or launching their events
He mentioned succinctly in the circular dated June 7, that the money used for placing such advertisements could be better used for other more beneficial purposes. Absolutely!
It was most fortunate I chanced across that brilliant announcement in an article by that insidious subversive online news portal called malaysiakini which I assure you I do not read at all.
It was one of my shop assistants who informed me of the news item. No doubt she was skiving from her duties to surf the Internet, again. It is unfortunate that malaysiakini has been giving indirect encouragement by way of online example to those bloggers who are in reality wannabe journalists but lack both competency and responsibility like our mainstream journalists.
Besides, we know that 80% of those bloggers are unemployed females who are subjected to leaking … confidential off-the-record information. Totally untrustworthy.
Anyway, in writing in to congratulate Yang Amat Berhormat, our beloved Perdana Menteri, on the occasion of his joyous union as well as for his directive to ministries not to waste public monies in such advertising, I hope you will allow me the temerity to express my heartfelt support for the government’s belief that such matters (of advertising felicitations, compliments or appreciation) be left to the private sector.
Ours is a wonderful conservative society with devotion to traditional core values where the ordinary rakyat and even penghulu’s, perwira’s and pro Barisan Nasional captains of industry need to regularly reaffirm their show of fealty. They can do this without imposing on the public coffers.
In that, it is a brilliant stroke that mainstream media and the private sector accommodate such patriotic and loyal expressions.
Now Datuk, some may have reservation about public show of affiliations through overt advertisements in mainstream media because of perceived conflict of interest in securing government contracts. I lament the terrible spoilsport attitude of the opposition parties in denying appreciative contractors and captains of industry the freedom of expression, to show their admiration for our esteem leaders.
Be that as it may, I congratulate Yang Amat Berhormat, the Perdana Menteri for his policies of firmly devolving such public announcement of appreciations to the private sector.
May I take this opportunity to also advise that my new company Dodgee Ikli-Iklan will be publishing a new magazine for private circulation amongst ministries and industries, away from the eyes of the hoi polloi including the opposition parties.
The new magazine will allow expressions of appreciations and other equally free expressions to be advertised without the opposition parties making mountains out of molehills over issues like silly conflict of interests. We all know that ‘interest’ is ‘interest’ – what a ridiculous suggestion to say that ‘interests’ can conflict.
The new magazine will be titled 'AmpooLah', a succinct play of the words ‘ample land’ to demonstrate our love of this wonderful generous country of ours, with the suffix ‘H’ being the eighth letter of the alphabet portending an auspicious outcome for all, industry as well as the government.
Malaysia Bo
Yang benar
Dodgee Dimsum
p/s apart from the magazine, my other company Dodgee Doorknock also does singing telegrams where felicitations, appreciation and apologies may be delivered right at the door of the intended recipient by a suitable singer – male, female, young or old, of any ethnic origin including pan-Asian, in traditional or modern tunes.
The preference lies with the user of this service. We sing in five languages – Bahasa
We are currently exploring important 'foreign' languages like Japanese, American English, Indian English and New Zealand English too.
This form of appreciative expression will be very private and confidential with no paper trail at all.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Can a Chinese stoop so low?
If there is one place that churns the stomach of Chinese (particularly mainland Chinese) it’s the Yasukuni war shrine in Japan, where 2.5 million war dead, including soldiers from Taiwan and Korea who were drafted in to Japan's military during WWII, repose in post-war honour.
The Chinese are still upset, not so much by ordinary Japanese visiting the shrine to honour their war dead, but by Japanese political leaders or prominent personalities going there, as such high profile visits demonstrate a glorification of 14 Class A (the worst kind) Japanese war criminals.
The Chinese continue to harbour bitter resentment against the Japanese war crimes against its citizens during World War II, where the Nipponese atrocities of unspeakable horror was crystallised in Nanking (today Nanjing).
A weekend of mankind’s greatest evil occurred there, seeing several hundreds of thousands of Nanking-ites massacred and raped (the last even seeing Japanese soldiers using their bayonets).
One difference between the Jewish Holocaust and the Rape of Nanking was that the former was conducted in frightening Teutonic clinical and systematic horror, whilst the latter was an orgy of savagery and barbarism. Another was the duration and the numbers massacred.
The third, evident post-war, is that the Jews are more competent in making sure that the world remembers and never ever forgets, and even to the extent of exploiting the Holocaust to Israel’s benefit, whilst the Chinese are at times ignored, especially during former Japanese PM Koizumi’s tenure where he deliberately disregarded Chinese feelings by visiting the shrine repetitively.
Of course virtually everyone knew that Koizumi made those visits because of pressure from his own party’s powerful rightwing, which is still recalcitrant about its evil past and an economically powerful Japan to gloss over that or even better, make their shameful history disappear.
Related post: Koizumi & Bush - Captives of King-Makers
Through this powerful king-maker faction of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan has been sneaking revisionist books into its schools where once that would have been unthinkable and indeed unspeakable.
That would be like Germany gradually ameliorating its Nazi past and saying the Wehrmarcht was just ‘advancing’ into the rest of Europe, and the Holocaust was a mere ‘incident’ – euphemisms used by the Japs in their revisionist books.
This was what Wiki said of some Japanese rightwing attitude towards the Nanking massacre:
In addition to the number of victims, some Japanese critics have even disputed whether the atrocity ever happened. While the Japanese government has acknowledged such an incident did occur, extremists have presented a case starting with the Imperial Japanese Army's claims at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East that the death toll was military in nature and that no such civilian atrocities ever occurred. However, an overwhelming amount of evidence contradicts this. The existence of such an atrocity has been repeatedly confirmed by statements of Westerners at the Tribunal and eyewitnesses, and by photographic and archaeological evidence.
The Jews’ ability to make every European cringe in shame at the Holocaust has been/is helped by European conscience (and Jewish lobbies and watchdogs against anti-Semitic revival).
'European conscience' – doesn’t this indirectly speaks badly of the Japanese lack of or reluctance to make full amends for its historical evil – which has been why I deem Japan still unsuitable for entry into the UN Security Council as a permanent member, unless it is willing to bring closure to an evil chapter of its dark past.
Related post: Japan – a study in moral recalcitrancy
It also shows that the western world, whilst ultra careful about offending the Jews, are rather apathetic about the eastern version of the Holocaust. Incidentally, unlike other countries, I believe Israel has never ever made any official criticism against the Japanese for the Nanjing massacre.
Related post: World lesson for China & Korea
Senior members of my family who had experienced Japanese wartime atrocities in Malaya and Singapore also spoke of the non-Japanese soldiers who were (if at all possible) far more brutal than the Japanese. The Japanese army had Korean and Taiwanese conscripts as the two states were then Japanese colonies.
The one they spoke of in disgust and with hatred were the Koreans – they were really nasty.
The brother of Taiwan former President Lee Teng-hui was such a non-Japanese conscript in the Japanese wartime army. He perished in the war and as with other war dead, is honoured in Yasukuni.
That was the reason given by President Lee when he made the highly provocative visit to the detested shrine.
Lee obviously has ignored (either unwittingly or deliberately) his high profile status as a former president of Taiwan and a prominent Chinese leader. Thus, in making that visit, he has made Chinese all over the world roll their eyes in either horror or disgust. They just cannot believe a Chinese would do that.
But his visit is likely to anger China.
The problem with Lee is that his anti-Mainland-ism is so acute that many Chinese do not believe his words that he was merely making a private visit to honour his late brother. They reckon he wanted to poke his fingers into China’s nose.
In fact Beijing has come out to accuse Lee of making that provocative visit to push for Taiwanese independence, and undermine China-Japan relations.
But at the end of the day, one wonders how Lee could stoop so low, for this Chinese to make a visit to the most detestable site for Chinese, the Yasukuni shrine.
Pity his sickening act won't be published in malaysiakini so that Chinese Malaysians can read about it and tell their dads and mums about Lee's blasphemous desecration of the memory for the victims of Nanjing.
Friday, June 08, 2007
The alif to yaa of Malaysian ethnic schism!
Last year I blogged on Malaysians Split over Palestine & Lebanon, where I attempted to group Malaysians into their various political views and affiliations.
When I came to one group of non-Malays, which I arbitrarily named as Group C(iii) I mentioned my worries about this group, Group C(iii), which was the exact opposite of Group B(i). The latter group was those Malays who are not only staunchly Muslim but would automatically support other Muslim groups, regardless.
Anyway, back to Group C(iii) – these people worked on the principle of ‘the enemies of my enemies .....’. I described their likely worldview as follows:
(1) they feel discriminated by the intrinsically racist Malaysian New Economic Policy
(2) thus they don’t like Malays (having skipped one node of dislike by jumping from UMNO straight to the general Malays)
(3) Malays being Muslims, therefore they don’t like Muslims
From that three (or 4) steps of grievance, I mentioned they would invariably dislike Arabs, whom they believe all to be Muslims, which was why in an earlier posting Malaysian Troops for Lebanon? Some Views! I drew attention to one Major (Rtd) Swami who wrote in to malaysiakini stating:
“Throughout my military career, I have noticed that most Malay officers tend to side with the Arabs and most non-Malay officers tend to sympathise with the Israelis.”
And I commented that I do agree with him on this. That posting on our troop moving into Lebanon also presented my views as to the why's and wherefore's, rather than his simplified but staunch Christian anti-communist pro-Israel arguments.
Anyway, continuing from there – we may safely assume that they, Group C(iii), wouldn’t like Arabic language (aiya, associated only with Quran reading) and thus Arabic script.
From there, we can perhaps understand a little why there has a flurry of letters sent to malaysiakini criticising our Embassy for using the Jawi script instead of Romanised letters to signpost the Malaysian building.
The argument had stemmed from the basis of Bahasa Malaysia being the official Malaysian language, which was recently designated by the cabinet as the correct term for our national language. Therefore some (you know who) argued that the Jawi script shouldn’t be used as it’s associated with Bahasa Melayu. They want the ‘Kedutaan Besar Malaysia’ sign to be in Romanised letters.
I reckon malaysiakini letter-writer Darren provided the missive which best exemplifies what I had termed as “the enemy of my enemy …..” attitude, but in its mirror image of “the friend of my enemy ..…”.
He had written (relevant extract):
However, the issue remains as to why is the signage at the embassy not written in Romanised Bahasa Malaysia, which is the form of the written Bahasa Malaysia taught to all citizens in our schools? Why write in Jawi alone and allow citizens not conversant in Jawi to feel excluded?
Nora Ahmad, on the other hand, bemoans the lack of integration amongst Malaysians of different backgrounds and speaks of the non-Malays' aversion towards anything Malay or Islamic. While what Nora describes is true, surely it makes one think why this situation has befallen us.
I think the latest instalment of events that causes this scenario, in the form of the Lina Joy decision, can explain the situation. If Nora were living in a country where Chinese are the majority and the majority had put in place a series of devices that cause disadvantage to her due to her race and her religion, wouldn't she have at least some aversion towards things Chinese and whatever religion this hypothetical Chinese majority nation subscribes to?
Actually I study Jawi (very slowly by myself through an instructional book) and appreciate the beauty of the Arabic-derived script, but obviously many of my fellow non-Malays don’t share my views, in fact far from it.
When I came to one group of non-Malays, which I arbitrarily named as Group C(iii) I mentioned my worries about this group, Group C(iii), which was the exact opposite of Group B(i). The latter group was those Malays who are not only staunchly Muslim but would automatically support other Muslim groups, regardless.
Anyway, back to Group C(iii) – these people worked on the principle of ‘the enemies of my enemies .....’. I described their likely worldview as follows:
(1) they feel discriminated by the intrinsically racist Malaysian New Economic Policy
(2) thus they don’t like Malays (having skipped one node of dislike by jumping from UMNO straight to the general Malays)
(3) Malays being Muslims, therefore they don’t like Muslims
From that three (or 4) steps of grievance, I mentioned they would invariably dislike Arabs, whom they believe all to be Muslims, which was why in an earlier posting Malaysian Troops for Lebanon? Some Views! I drew attention to one Major (Rtd) Swami who wrote in to malaysiakini stating:
“Throughout my military career, I have noticed that most Malay officers tend to side with the Arabs and most non-Malay officers tend to sympathise with the Israelis.”
And I commented that I do agree with him on this. That posting on our troop moving into Lebanon also presented my views as to the why's and wherefore's, rather than his simplified but staunch Christian anti-communist pro-Israel arguments.
Anyway, continuing from there – we may safely assume that they, Group C(iii), wouldn’t like Arabic language (aiya, associated only with Quran reading) and thus Arabic script.
From there, we can perhaps understand a little why there has a flurry of letters sent to malaysiakini criticising our Embassy for using the Jawi script instead of Romanised letters to signpost the Malaysian building.
The argument had stemmed from the basis of Bahasa Malaysia being the official Malaysian language, which was recently designated by the cabinet as the correct term for our national language. Therefore some (you know who) argued that the Jawi script shouldn’t be used as it’s associated with Bahasa Melayu. They want the ‘Kedutaan Besar Malaysia’ sign to be in Romanised letters.
I reckon malaysiakini letter-writer Darren provided the missive which best exemplifies what I had termed as “the enemy of my enemy …..” attitude, but in its mirror image of “the friend of my enemy ..…”.
He had written (relevant extract):
However, the issue remains as to why is the signage at the embassy not written in Romanised Bahasa Malaysia, which is the form of the written Bahasa Malaysia taught to all citizens in our schools? Why write in Jawi alone and allow citizens not conversant in Jawi to feel excluded?
Nora Ahmad, on the other hand, bemoans the lack of integration amongst Malaysians of different backgrounds and speaks of the non-Malays' aversion towards anything Malay or Islamic. While what Nora describes is true, surely it makes one think why this situation has befallen us.
I think the latest instalment of events that causes this scenario, in the form of the Lina Joy decision, can explain the situation. If Nora were living in a country where Chinese are the majority and the majority had put in place a series of devices that cause disadvantage to her due to her race and her religion, wouldn't she have at least some aversion towards things Chinese and whatever religion this hypothetical Chinese majority nation subscribes to?
Actually I study Jawi (very slowly by myself through an instructional book) and appreciate the beauty of the Arabic-derived script, but obviously many of my fellow non-Malays don’t share my views, in fact far from it.
Lina Joy - both sides should re-examine themselves
Here’s an interesting letter about the Lina Joy case to malaysiakini by Abu Mubarak. I have produced relevant extracts for your perusal:
The response from some readers with regards to the Lina Joy case are not in proportion with the real issue dealt with by the Federal Court. Lina Joy is no longer a Muslim and no one disputes that. But then the Federal Court was never asked to ascertain what religion Joy is professing.
In fact, it is beyond Federal Court jurisdiction to ascertain what religion a person is professing. The Federal Court also did not prevent Lina from practising another religion.
It simply said that Joy must abide by NRD procedures when she wants to change information on her identity card.
The Syariah court is the only court recognised by the constitution to be competent in deciding whether or not a person professes the Islamic faith. If a Muslim has no problem going to the civil courts, why can’t it be so for non-Muslims to go to the Syariah courts. In a multiracial and multi- religious society like us, reciprocation is not something we could afford to overlook.
KTemoc comments: additionally there has been great beat ups about the 2-1 decision as “evident” that all has not been judgementally kosher. The reality is court cases all around the western world, including in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, etc have had such spilt decision by the bench when sitting in 3’s or 5’s or even more, without the world of justice coming to an end.
That’s why there is such a thing as “dissenting views”. If people believe some of the judges were biased, then I have to warn them that that accusation could go either way. As I have often stated, in such cases one can’t cherry pick.
When Joy applied to change her name and delete the word ‘Islam’ from her identity card, it was also a matter of administration rather than an issue of faith. The requirement to provide proper documents for changing information on one’s identity card should be deemed as a normal administrative practice. In Joy’s case, she needs to obtain judgement from the Syariah courts with regards to her religious status.
Does Joy believe that her religious beliefs would be polluted simply by going to the Syariah courts? If not, what is it actually preventing her from seeking clarification from the relevant authority - which is the Syariah court - with regards to her religious status?
I think justice would be better served if Joy abides by normal procedures when dealing with administrative matters like this, just like others would too. I know a person who converted from Hindu to Islam and her request to the NRD to include the word ‘Islam’ on her MyKad was rejected because she failed to produce the relevant documents about her conversion to Islam.
Note: Abu Mubarak also provided an example of his personal experience in the USA where he and wife had to go to a church administrative officer in order to secure administrative assistance for a non-religious issue.
KTemoc comments: I agree with author’s views and arguments.
However having said that, and leaving aside the "interests" of certain sectors in (either gleefully or sincerely) propelling the Lina Joy case into polemical controversy, the Islamic authority including the syariah courts have been unfortunately tainted in many ways by people like the Mufti of Perak.
So while I support Lina Joy seeking justice and an official solution to her religious status, the Muslim community in turn must also play its vigilant part to enhance and protect the perception of reason and justice of its legal institutions.
When unmitigated clowns like the Mufti of Perak make idiotic remarks or spread seditious lies they must be immediately censured, prosecuted or sacked. It’s no different to the sacking of civil personalities in authority or defrocking of Christian/Buddhist priests or monk.
The recent blind protection of the Mufti of Perak by PAS was a most regrettable action. The perpetrator of evil was allowed to get away scot-free whilst those who sought justice were humiliated.
PAS should be ashamed for unwittingly bringing disrepute unto the sanctity of Islam and its institutions through its blind parochialism. The UMNO-led government should be equally ashamed of remaining silent when PAS went on a polemical rampage.
While I urge the non-Muslims to allow Lina Joy to proceed to a solution via the only avenue left, I also urge the Muslim community to be less blindly defensive and examine their conscience towards Allah (swt) by allowing a nasty person like the Mufti of Perak to continue in his role of “providing best advice” on Islam to the Sultan of Perak and the Muslim community.
More importantly if Muslims want non-Muslims to respect their beliefs and institutions, they must be vigilant in protecting Islam's good name BUT not its bad representation, like the malicious evil action of the Perak Mufti.
The response from some readers with regards to the Lina Joy case are not in proportion with the real issue dealt with by the Federal Court. Lina Joy is no longer a Muslim and no one disputes that. But then the Federal Court was never asked to ascertain what religion Joy is professing.
In fact, it is beyond Federal Court jurisdiction to ascertain what religion a person is professing. The Federal Court also did not prevent Lina from practising another religion.
It simply said that Joy must abide by NRD procedures when she wants to change information on her identity card.
The Syariah court is the only court recognised by the constitution to be competent in deciding whether or not a person professes the Islamic faith. If a Muslim has no problem going to the civil courts, why can’t it be so for non-Muslims to go to the Syariah courts. In a multiracial and multi- religious society like us, reciprocation is not something we could afford to overlook.
KTemoc comments: additionally there has been great beat ups about the 2-1 decision as “evident” that all has not been judgementally kosher. The reality is court cases all around the western world, including in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, etc have had such spilt decision by the bench when sitting in 3’s or 5’s or even more, without the world of justice coming to an end.
That’s why there is such a thing as “dissenting views”. If people believe some of the judges were biased, then I have to warn them that that accusation could go either way. As I have often stated, in such cases one can’t cherry pick.
When Joy applied to change her name and delete the word ‘Islam’ from her identity card, it was also a matter of administration rather than an issue of faith. The requirement to provide proper documents for changing information on one’s identity card should be deemed as a normal administrative practice. In Joy’s case, she needs to obtain judgement from the Syariah courts with regards to her religious status.
Does Joy believe that her religious beliefs would be polluted simply by going to the Syariah courts? If not, what is it actually preventing her from seeking clarification from the relevant authority - which is the Syariah court - with regards to her religious status?
I think justice would be better served if Joy abides by normal procedures when dealing with administrative matters like this, just like others would too. I know a person who converted from Hindu to Islam and her request to the NRD to include the word ‘Islam’ on her MyKad was rejected because she failed to produce the relevant documents about her conversion to Islam.
Note: Abu Mubarak also provided an example of his personal experience in the USA where he and wife had to go to a church administrative officer in order to secure administrative assistance for a non-religious issue.
KTemoc comments: I agree with author’s views and arguments.
However having said that, and leaving aside the "interests" of certain sectors in (either gleefully or sincerely) propelling the Lina Joy case into polemical controversy, the Islamic authority including the syariah courts have been unfortunately tainted in many ways by people like the Mufti of Perak.
So while I support Lina Joy seeking justice and an official solution to her religious status, the Muslim community in turn must also play its vigilant part to enhance and protect the perception of reason and justice of its legal institutions.
When unmitigated clowns like the Mufti of Perak make idiotic remarks or spread seditious lies they must be immediately censured, prosecuted or sacked. It’s no different to the sacking of civil personalities in authority or defrocking of Christian/Buddhist priests or monk.
The recent blind protection of the Mufti of Perak by PAS was a most regrettable action. The perpetrator of evil was allowed to get away scot-free whilst those who sought justice were humiliated.
PAS should be ashamed for unwittingly bringing disrepute unto the sanctity of Islam and its institutions through its blind parochialism. The UMNO-led government should be equally ashamed of remaining silent when PAS went on a polemical rampage.
While I urge the non-Muslims to allow Lina Joy to proceed to a solution via the only avenue left, I also urge the Muslim community to be less blindly defensive and examine their conscience towards Allah (swt) by allowing a nasty person like the Mufti of Perak to continue in his role of “providing best advice” on Islam to the Sultan of Perak and the Muslim community.
More importantly if Muslims want non-Muslims to respect their beliefs and institutions, they must be vigilant in protecting Islam's good name BUT not its bad representation, like the malicious evil action of the Perak Mufti.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Giving Lina Joy a chance
Letters on the Lina Joy case continue to pour in to malaysiakini at a ratio of (my rough guess) 85% against the federal court’s ruling, for Lina to seek a ruling (or permission) from the syariah court to be declared officially as no longer a Muslim.
I am not sure how that’s going to help Lina – as I said in a previous posting, City Hall’s not going to cave in to such polemics.
… unless of course, such polemics, posturing and politicking are meant to serve purposes other than for Lina’s interests.
While I admire Lim Guan Eng for his dedication as an opposition leader I don’t agree at all with his remarks that that ruling will divide Malaysian society even more – how?
Malaysians or even Malayans have Muslims and non-Muslims in our society, and we all know that Muslims live their religious lives just as before where it’s hard for Muslims to leave their religion.
Yes, in recent times there may be some wannabe Arabs but that’s no different from Malaysian Christians having western names and wearing western styled clothing.
Let’s not beat an already dead horse, for if we continue to do so, the situation becomes even worse for Lina. Many Muslims believe, and I don’t blame them, that it’s all part of a plot to undermine their faith. It doesn’t help Lina if they, including members of the syariah court, start to develop a siege mentality.
For s start, our constitution has the conflicting articles – 11, 121(1) and 121(1)(a), etc – which one do we use? Can we just cherry pick as they suit our arguments? Let’s sort this one out first before we can really talk with real consistency and direction.
But until then, let’s give Lina her only avenue left. As malaysiakini reader P Dev Anand Pillai said in the last two paragraphs of his letter:
It can be well said that Malaysia is a unique place where one can see that bringing up children in households that practice different religions is very common. Trouble only starts when the child is grown and begins to adapt in the adult world where questions will be asked. We cannot be proud of the case of Lina Joy for we are going to see many more such cases and we must be ready to give them solutions and remedies for their predicaments.
If the Syariah courts are the forum, then they must be prepared to allow non-Muslims to be represented in their courts and welcome them without any form of prejudice because they are of different faiths. Therefore, if it has been decided that the Syariah courts are the forum to get justice, then let’s see if justice is served
Yes, let’s give Lina a chance with the syariah court instead of many now presumptuously closing that avenue with predictions of woe and death sentences. One cannot but get the feeling that those who have been vehemently criticizing the court’s ruling are actually delighted that the Lina Joy case has provided them with the ammunition to bash Islam and the Muslims.
I am not sure how that’s going to help Lina – as I said in a previous posting, City Hall’s not going to cave in to such polemics.
… unless of course, such polemics, posturing and politicking are meant to serve purposes other than for Lina’s interests.
While I admire Lim Guan Eng for his dedication as an opposition leader I don’t agree at all with his remarks that that ruling will divide Malaysian society even more – how?
Malaysians or even Malayans have Muslims and non-Muslims in our society, and we all know that Muslims live their religious lives just as before where it’s hard for Muslims to leave their religion.
Yes, in recent times there may be some wannabe Arabs but that’s no different from Malaysian Christians having western names and wearing western styled clothing.
Let’s not beat an already dead horse, for if we continue to do so, the situation becomes even worse for Lina. Many Muslims believe, and I don’t blame them, that it’s all part of a plot to undermine their faith. It doesn’t help Lina if they, including members of the syariah court, start to develop a siege mentality.
For s start, our constitution has the conflicting articles – 11, 121(1) and 121(1)(a), etc – which one do we use? Can we just cherry pick as they suit our arguments? Let’s sort this one out first before we can really talk with real consistency and direction.
But until then, let’s give Lina her only avenue left. As malaysiakini reader P Dev Anand Pillai said in the last two paragraphs of his letter:
It can be well said that Malaysia is a unique place where one can see that bringing up children in households that practice different religions is very common. Trouble only starts when the child is grown and begins to adapt in the adult world where questions will be asked. We cannot be proud of the case of Lina Joy for we are going to see many more such cases and we must be ready to give them solutions and remedies for their predicaments.
If the Syariah courts are the forum, then they must be prepared to allow non-Muslims to be represented in their courts and welcome them without any form of prejudice because they are of different faiths. Therefore, if it has been decided that the Syariah courts are the forum to get justice, then let’s see if justice is served
Yes, let’s give Lina a chance with the syariah court instead of many now presumptuously closing that avenue with predictions of woe and death sentences. One cannot but get the feeling that those who have been vehemently criticizing the court’s ruling are actually delighted that the Lina Joy case has provided them with the ammunition to bash Islam and the Muslims.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
How sweet is it (2)
In May last year I posted Cheney's time is nigh!.
It was about the insidious Cheney mob who exposed Valerie Plame as a CIA agent to the world – yes, the Bush Administration dobbed its own secret agent, because of politics.
I wrote that US prosecutors in the Valerie Plame case were getting closer to the top of the Bush Administration.
As a quick refresher, the Valerie Plame case is an official investigation into the criminal revelations of the name of a CIA operative to the press.
Valerie Plame was the CIA agent. Her husband is Joseph Wilson, a former US Ambassador and a Bush administration critic who went to Africa on a fact finding mission that proved Bush was a liar when the latter claimed Saddam Hussein tried to buy uranium from Niger. Someone (or more) in the Bush Administration was believed to have revealed his wife’s name to the press as an act of spite.
Then the ABC network reported that US prosecutors had Vice President Cheney in sight. It said:
The prosecutor in the CIA leak case said more than six months ago that he was not alleging any criminal acts by Vice President Dick Cheney regarding the leak of agency operative Valerie Plames identity.
Today, the prosecutor is leaving the door open to the possibility that the vice presidents now-indicted former chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, was acting at his boss' behest when Libby allegedly leaked information about Plame to reporters.
A new court filing presents handwritten notes of Cheney. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald is using them to assert that the vice president and Libby, working together, were focusing much attention on Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a Bush administration critic.
Cheney’s notes ask whether Plame had sent Wilson on a "junket" to Africa. Subsequently, Plames supposed role in her husband’s trip to Africa allegedly was leaked to the media by both Libby and by presidential adviser Karl Rove.
Cheney's notes on the margins of Wilson's opinion column in The New York Times on July 6, 2003, reflect "the contemporaneous reaction of the vice president," Fitzgerald said in the court filing late Friday.
Dick Cheney is known to have evaded the Vietnam War draft though the use of college and marriage deferments (5 times, it seems), but for all his notable absence from serving his country in a war, he has been the most bellicose member of the Bush Administration in sending young Americans to die in a faraway land, for the interests of a foreign country.
Besides Anwar Ibrahim’s good friend, Paul Wolfowitz, I would deem him also as the man most guilty of causing the deaths of several thousands of Iraqi innocents.
Cheney even had the thick skin and shameless gall to preach to Americans a few months ago that the USA must ‘have the stomach’ to tough the war out – this from a man who avoided the Vietnam War, not one or twice, but five times.
He was also the former president of Halliburton, the company that has profited most from the war in Iraq through untendered contracts.
Well, today, the case is certainly getting closer to him as his former chief of staff, Lewis Libby, has been sentenced to 30 months in jail and fined $US250,000 after being found by a federal jury guilty of lying about his role in disclosing the identity of a former CIA agent, Valerie Plame.
Unfortunately his lies had prevented the prosecutor from learning the full truth about the administration campaign to discredit Wilson.
The investigator said he believed Cheney was one of the first people to tell Libby about Plame. Indeed Libby testified that Cheney and he might have talked about sharing information about Plame with reporters.
And this is the best part - Libby presented the court with character references from key White House figures including former super neo-con UN ambassador John Bolton and another neo-con former Defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.
Hahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahaaaaaa – who the hell would believe those two neo-cons.
He would have done better getting his parents to testify for his character.
Related:
How sweet is it (1).
It was about the insidious Cheney mob who exposed Valerie Plame as a CIA agent to the world – yes, the Bush Administration dobbed its own secret agent, because of politics.
I wrote that US prosecutors in the Valerie Plame case were getting closer to the top of the Bush Administration.
As a quick refresher, the Valerie Plame case is an official investigation into the criminal revelations of the name of a CIA operative to the press.
Valerie Plame was the CIA agent. Her husband is Joseph Wilson, a former US Ambassador and a Bush administration critic who went to Africa on a fact finding mission that proved Bush was a liar when the latter claimed Saddam Hussein tried to buy uranium from Niger. Someone (or more) in the Bush Administration was believed to have revealed his wife’s name to the press as an act of spite.
Then the ABC network reported that US prosecutors had Vice President Cheney in sight. It said:
The prosecutor in the CIA leak case said more than six months ago that he was not alleging any criminal acts by Vice President Dick Cheney regarding the leak of agency operative Valerie Plames identity.
Today, the prosecutor is leaving the door open to the possibility that the vice presidents now-indicted former chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, was acting at his boss' behest when Libby allegedly leaked information about Plame to reporters.
A new court filing presents handwritten notes of Cheney. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald is using them to assert that the vice president and Libby, working together, were focusing much attention on Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a Bush administration critic.
Cheney’s notes ask whether Plame had sent Wilson on a "junket" to Africa. Subsequently, Plames supposed role in her husband’s trip to Africa allegedly was leaked to the media by both Libby and by presidential adviser Karl Rove.
Cheney's notes on the margins of Wilson's opinion column in The New York Times on July 6, 2003, reflect "the contemporaneous reaction of the vice president," Fitzgerald said in the court filing late Friday.
Dick Cheney is known to have evaded the Vietnam War draft though the use of college and marriage deferments (5 times, it seems), but for all his notable absence from serving his country in a war, he has been the most bellicose member of the Bush Administration in sending young Americans to die in a faraway land, for the interests of a foreign country.
Besides Anwar Ibrahim’s good friend, Paul Wolfowitz, I would deem him also as the man most guilty of causing the deaths of several thousands of Iraqi innocents.
Cheney even had the thick skin and shameless gall to preach to Americans a few months ago that the USA must ‘have the stomach’ to tough the war out – this from a man who avoided the Vietnam War, not one or twice, but five times.
He was also the former president of Halliburton, the company that has profited most from the war in Iraq through untendered contracts.
Well, today, the case is certainly getting closer to him as his former chief of staff, Lewis Libby, has been sentenced to 30 months in jail and fined $US250,000 after being found by a federal jury guilty of lying about his role in disclosing the identity of a former CIA agent, Valerie Plame.
Unfortunately his lies had prevented the prosecutor from learning the full truth about the administration campaign to discredit Wilson.
The investigator said he believed Cheney was one of the first people to tell Libby about Plame. Indeed Libby testified that Cheney and he might have talked about sharing information about Plame with reporters.
And this is the best part - Libby presented the court with character references from key White House figures including former super neo-con UN ambassador John Bolton and another neo-con former Defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.
Hahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahaaaaaa – who the hell would believe those two neo-cons.
He would have done better getting his parents to testify for his character.
Related:
How sweet is it (1).
Should postal voting be abolished?
According to a malaysiakini report, Bersih, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, wants the Electoral Commission (EC) to do away with postal voting.
Bersih is supported by 64 NGOs, civil society groups and opposition parties.
Having said that, that is to do away with postal voting, it then stated that the EC should allow polling agents of contesting parties to monitor the entire (postal voting) process. I am a bit confused here.
Bersih said army and police personnel should be allowed to vote in polling centres like other voters. Of course, Bersih is assuming that none would be on essential duties on voting day.
Hmmm, what about the navy, air force, firemen, ambulance and hospital staff? Yes, there are certain members of the voting public who may not be able to leave their posts (duties) even for voting.
Ah, it becomes clear now why Bersih didn’t include those sailors ;-)
It provided the example of the disappearing 5,000 ballots in Lumut where the largest TLDM (navy) base is. Bersih said that occurred over four consecutive elections since 1990.
Hmmm, did those naval ‘artillery’ from nowhere sank the opposition candidate?
Bersih said: “Should the EC, security forces and others object to the abolition, they must articulate their rationale publicly or suggest ways to overcome the problems associated with this process.”
Again, that word 'abolish' (postal votes) - I'm a bit disturbed by it (the abolishment of postal voting) per se as well as the inconsistency of Bersih's declaration, because 'abolishing' the process means no one, regardless of their presence on or before voting day, could vote, so why then demand at the same time for polling agents of contesting parties to monitor the entire (postal voting) process?
I think calling for the abolishment of postal voting is a wee too drastic and undemocratic, as that will surely disfranchise those citizens on essential duties.
However, I support greater scrutiny and accountability, where opposition representatives may inspect the bona fides or credibility of the postal votes. I suppose one way (admittedly simplistic - am not a polling expert) would be to tally the total number of registered voters, like making sure a 45,000 eligible constituency doesn't end up with 89,000 cast ballots ;-)
But then, our world’s famous EC also has that amazing ability to make one citizen’s vote equivalent to five of another, and vice versa. I was told that in some constituencies, it could be as shockingly many as 20 to 1 – the example provided was the new Putra Jaya constituency versus some constituency which had more than 100,000 voters. Would this example be true?
It’s called gerrymandering. So it’s little wonder the opposition and some NGOs are fed up with the supposedly independent commission. Independent or 'in dependence'?
And it’s not only gerrymandering that’s worrying the opposition. For example, in 2001 after an election court nullified the election results for Likas, Sabah on the grounds that its electoral roll was illegal and contained phantom voters (David Copperfield, eat your heart out), an amendment to the Election Act the following year removed all legal avenues for parties to challenge the roll’s credibility or the election results based on a flawed electoral roll.
What unbelievable mind numbing bull had that been? It’s so brazenly and shamelessly admitting to the sorry deceitful use of phantom voters, and bulldozing power to prevent scrutiny and democratic challenges of a questionable voting process.
Bersih declared: “To ensure all legitimate voters and only legitimate voters can vote in the elections, EC must advise against any decision by the government to hold the elections before the electoral roll is satisfactorily cleaned up and updated.”
Amen to that, though like God, the EC is unlikely to directly respond or even answer our prayers. However, unlike God, it doesn’t work in mysterious ways – it’s so bloody predictable.
Bersih is supported by 64 NGOs, civil society groups and opposition parties.
Having said that, that is to do away with postal voting, it then stated that the EC should allow polling agents of contesting parties to monitor the entire (postal voting) process. I am a bit confused here.
Bersih said army and police personnel should be allowed to vote in polling centres like other voters. Of course, Bersih is assuming that none would be on essential duties on voting day.
Hmmm, what about the navy, air force, firemen, ambulance and hospital staff? Yes, there are certain members of the voting public who may not be able to leave their posts (duties) even for voting.
Ah, it becomes clear now why Bersih didn’t include those sailors ;-)
It provided the example of the disappearing 5,000 ballots in Lumut where the largest TLDM (navy) base is. Bersih said that occurred over four consecutive elections since 1990.
Hmmm, did those naval ‘artillery’ from nowhere sank the opposition candidate?
Bersih said: “Should the EC, security forces and others object to the abolition, they must articulate their rationale publicly or suggest ways to overcome the problems associated with this process.”
Again, that word 'abolish' (postal votes) - I'm a bit disturbed by it (the abolishment of postal voting) per se as well as the inconsistency of Bersih's declaration, because 'abolishing' the process means no one, regardless of their presence on or before voting day, could vote, so why then demand at the same time for polling agents of contesting parties to monitor the entire (postal voting) process?
I think calling for the abolishment of postal voting is a wee too drastic and undemocratic, as that will surely disfranchise those citizens on essential duties.
However, I support greater scrutiny and accountability, where opposition representatives may inspect the bona fides or credibility of the postal votes. I suppose one way (admittedly simplistic - am not a polling expert) would be to tally the total number of registered voters, like making sure a 45,000 eligible constituency doesn't end up with 89,000 cast ballots ;-)
But then, our world’s famous EC also has that amazing ability to make one citizen’s vote equivalent to five of another, and vice versa. I was told that in some constituencies, it could be as shockingly many as 20 to 1 – the example provided was the new Putra Jaya constituency versus some constituency which had more than 100,000 voters. Would this example be true?
It’s called gerrymandering. So it’s little wonder the opposition and some NGOs are fed up with the supposedly independent commission. Independent or 'in dependence'?
And it’s not only gerrymandering that’s worrying the opposition. For example, in 2001 after an election court nullified the election results for Likas, Sabah on the grounds that its electoral roll was illegal and contained phantom voters (David Copperfield, eat your heart out), an amendment to the Election Act the following year removed all legal avenues for parties to challenge the roll’s credibility or the election results based on a flawed electoral roll.
What unbelievable mind numbing bull had that been? It’s so brazenly and shamelessly admitting to the sorry deceitful use of phantom voters, and bulldozing power to prevent scrutiny and democratic challenges of a questionable voting process.
Bersih declared: “To ensure all legitimate voters and only legitimate voters can vote in the elections, EC must advise against any decision by the government to hold the elections before the electoral roll is satisfactorily cleaned up and updated.”
Amen to that, though like God, the EC is unlikely to directly respond or even answer our prayers. However, unlike God, it doesn’t work in mysterious ways – it’s so bloody predictable.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Lina Joy & the 'cane toad' phenomena
This is not the sort of story that malaysiakini would carry but it needs to be told within the context of the Lina Joy saga. The controversial Muslim-turned-Christian court appeal has been reported in malaysiakini recently.
Because religion is such an emotional issue, the federal court’s ruling has been either praised or condemned, depending on the person’s personal religious affiliations, views, and values.
But the more important issue for Muslims is a story that could be related to it.
I would liken the story I am about to tell to the ‘cane toad debacle’ of Australia.
About 70 years ago, Australian authority decided to import the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, a large terrestrial native to Central and South America, as a pest control against the cane beetle. The adult beetles eat the leaves of sugar cane but greater damage is the done by their larvae hatching underground and eating the roots of the sugar cane.
The toad was supposed to eat up and hopefully control, if not eliminate the cane beetle and its larvae. It became known as the ‘cane toad’.
102 of the cane toads were imported from Hawaii; 70 years later there are 200 millions of them. The toads have frightening appetites and are considered as a significant pest now, destroying many native animals. They are so poisonous that nothing can kill them. And their high reproductivity has been a terrifying reality for Australians.
So, an imported item to control pests has become a pest itself.
Some years ago, or more accurately many years ago, there was a rumour that the Chinese in Malaysia had become the majority ethnic group - perhaps a function of their reproductive capacity in this bountiful land.
Apparently the true demographic statistics were never released. The story told of the strategy to encourage mass illegal immigrants from Indonesia (by at least 1 million) to restore the ethnic ratio to its original split.
I am not sure whether the (closed one eye to) illegal migrants in Sabah were part of that strategy, or an independent initiative by a certain former chief minister to enhance his personal powers.
Like the cane toad the migrants were ‘imported’ to control an undesirable imbalance which could (frighteningly for those in power then) tipped the balance of political power.
And also like the cane toad, the control element became a new problem, for crime and the Christian religion came along with them – mind you, not that these two imported elements are inter-related. See my previous posting Malaysian Muslims under siege?
It would be virtually impossible for Indians, Chinese or the white men to penetrate the local Muslim community and convert the Malays into Christians. But a Christian ‘Malay’ would be a different kettle of fish.
An Indonesian could and would easily become a Malaysian Malay – and there were rumours that many were in possession of the correct IC within days of entry into our country. And we know that some Indonesians are Christians.
They also would marry into the local community. I was informed that such an example was the marriage of a well-known Malay actress/singer (resident of or in Singapore) to an Indon actor who was a Christian. The actress was threatened with violence (acid would be thrown into her face, etc) until the husband decided to convert to mollify the opposition and thus protect her.
Voila, the local Muslim community faced and faces a humongous problem where none existed before.
Of course I can’t say that Lina Joy was converted by a once-Indon-now-Malay Christian. But there would be some such cases.
Like the cane toad, how does one eliminate or control the solution-turned-problem? Indeed a poisonous, indestructive and highly reproductive one too!
Well, in Australia, a scientist found out that the only possible solution would be to take advantage of the cane toad’s cannibalistic behavior. The toad eats up its young by the dozens. But even then, that proposed (and futuristic) solution would only halt the spread and increase of the toad population.
Try translating that cannabalistic solution ridiculously to the local 'cane toad phenomena', and we can see the ever growing problem for the Muslim community.
Because religion is such an emotional issue, the federal court’s ruling has been either praised or condemned, depending on the person’s personal religious affiliations, views, and values.
But the more important issue for Muslims is a story that could be related to it.
I would liken the story I am about to tell to the ‘cane toad debacle’ of Australia.
About 70 years ago, Australian authority decided to import the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, a large terrestrial native to Central and South America, as a pest control against the cane beetle. The adult beetles eat the leaves of sugar cane but greater damage is the done by their larvae hatching underground and eating the roots of the sugar cane.
The toad was supposed to eat up and hopefully control, if not eliminate the cane beetle and its larvae. It became known as the ‘cane toad’.
102 of the cane toads were imported from Hawaii; 70 years later there are 200 millions of them. The toads have frightening appetites and are considered as a significant pest now, destroying many native animals. They are so poisonous that nothing can kill them. And their high reproductivity has been a terrifying reality for Australians.
So, an imported item to control pests has become a pest itself.
Some years ago, or more accurately many years ago, there was a rumour that the Chinese in Malaysia had become the majority ethnic group - perhaps a function of their reproductive capacity in this bountiful land.
Apparently the true demographic statistics were never released. The story told of the strategy to encourage mass illegal immigrants from Indonesia (by at least 1 million) to restore the ethnic ratio to its original split.
I am not sure whether the (closed one eye to) illegal migrants in Sabah were part of that strategy, or an independent initiative by a certain former chief minister to enhance his personal powers.
Like the cane toad the migrants were ‘imported’ to control an undesirable imbalance which could (frighteningly for those in power then) tipped the balance of political power.
And also like the cane toad, the control element became a new problem, for crime and the Christian religion came along with them – mind you, not that these two imported elements are inter-related. See my previous posting Malaysian Muslims under siege?
It would be virtually impossible for Indians, Chinese or the white men to penetrate the local Muslim community and convert the Malays into Christians. But a Christian ‘Malay’ would be a different kettle of fish.
An Indonesian could and would easily become a Malaysian Malay – and there were rumours that many were in possession of the correct IC within days of entry into our country. And we know that some Indonesians are Christians.
They also would marry into the local community. I was informed that such an example was the marriage of a well-known Malay actress/singer (resident of or in Singapore) to an Indon actor who was a Christian. The actress was threatened with violence (acid would be thrown into her face, etc) until the husband decided to convert to mollify the opposition and thus protect her.
Voila, the local Muslim community faced and faces a humongous problem where none existed before.
Of course I can’t say that Lina Joy was converted by a once-Indon-now-Malay Christian. But there would be some such cases.
Like the cane toad, how does one eliminate or control the solution-turned-problem? Indeed a poisonous, indestructive and highly reproductive one too!
Well, in Australia, a scientist found out that the only possible solution would be to take advantage of the cane toad’s cannibalistic behavior. The toad eats up its young by the dozens. But even then, that proposed (and futuristic) solution would only halt the spread and increase of the toad population.
Try translating that cannabalistic solution ridiculously to the local 'cane toad phenomena', and we can see the ever growing problem for the Muslim community.
Lots of maybe's
Yesterday, 04 June malaysiakini reported the world’s greatest de facto leader firmed up his views on the Lina Joy case a bit more after a wishy washy tap dancing statement 2 days earlier.
Maybe he read my post De facto dancing (around)? ;-) which incidentally I based on a malaysiakini report that was published on 02 June.
Or, maybe he had a change of mind - yes I know, in a mere 2 days?
Maybe he thinks it might be wiser to come out with a stronger support of the Syariah Court, because in the end, his core supporters and his hope-for constituency would be the Muslims.
Maybe he is reminded that his PKR Indians have, are and will be deserting his temporary flagship SS PKR in droves. Maybe that might also send a signal to the Chinese in PKR, who were grossing underrepresented in the recent party polls.
Maybe the Muslim Malays will be all he would have.
Maybe the DAP will be less accommodating to him after, according to Lim Guan Eng, his about-turn on their agreed formula for seat allocations between PKR and DAP.
Maybe he has realized that Permatang Pauh (regardless of whether he will be eligible to stand as its candidate come the next general election, or not) will be lost.
Maybe the DAP, despite Lim Kit Siang’s wish for him to be de facto ;-) leader of the combined opposition, may not afterall sacrifice a safe Chinese-dominated seat for him to enter parliament – as I had earlier predicted (in this case, am happy to be proved wrong).
Maybe he realized that PKR is a sinking ship, and PAS may be the only platform left for him to enter parliament and make sufficient noise for UMNO to sit up and take notice of him.
Maybe he realized that the Chinese saying of a man with each foot on a different boat may be perilous as the boats move apart in different directions, as political boats are wont to do.
But I like an Anwar Ibrahim ;-) (see, I am not biased) with firm commitment better, though he kind of spoilt it by these two conflicting statements, as reported by malaysiakini in the same news report:
(1) He pointed out that the situation has been further aggravated by government’s decision to stop any form of discourse on interfaith issues.
(2) Anwar urged the public to exercise restraint in speech and action in matters relating to these issues as well as other matters that have the potential to stir up communal tension.
What can you say – vintage Anwar is vintage Anwar!
BTW, would de facto leader of a party that had a supposedly democratically elected leader mean that his current assumed leadership role is akin to that of a Dictator? If so, add this new ‘D’ to the list of The 8 D's of DSAI.
Maybe he read my post De facto dancing (around)? ;-) which incidentally I based on a malaysiakini report that was published on 02 June.
Or, maybe he had a change of mind - yes I know, in a mere 2 days?
Maybe he thinks it might be wiser to come out with a stronger support of the Syariah Court, because in the end, his core supporters and his hope-for constituency would be the Muslims.
Maybe he is reminded that his PKR Indians have, are and will be deserting his temporary flagship SS PKR in droves. Maybe that might also send a signal to the Chinese in PKR, who were grossing underrepresented in the recent party polls.
Maybe the Muslim Malays will be all he would have.
Maybe the DAP will be less accommodating to him after, according to Lim Guan Eng, his about-turn on their agreed formula for seat allocations between PKR and DAP.
Maybe he has realized that Permatang Pauh (regardless of whether he will be eligible to stand as its candidate come the next general election, or not) will be lost.
Maybe the DAP, despite Lim Kit Siang’s wish for him to be de facto ;-) leader of the combined opposition, may not afterall sacrifice a safe Chinese-dominated seat for him to enter parliament – as I had earlier predicted (in this case, am happy to be proved wrong).
Maybe he realized that PKR is a sinking ship, and PAS may be the only platform left for him to enter parliament and make sufficient noise for UMNO to sit up and take notice of him.
Maybe he realized that the Chinese saying of a man with each foot on a different boat may be perilous as the boats move apart in different directions, as political boats are wont to do.
But I like an Anwar Ibrahim ;-) (see, I am not biased) with firm commitment better, though he kind of spoilt it by these two conflicting statements, as reported by malaysiakini in the same news report:
(1) He pointed out that the situation has been further aggravated by government’s decision to stop any form of discourse on interfaith issues.
(2) Anwar urged the public to exercise restraint in speech and action in matters relating to these issues as well as other matters that have the potential to stir up communal tension.
What can you say – vintage Anwar is vintage Anwar!
BTW, would de facto leader of a party that had a supposedly democratically elected leader mean that his current assumed leadership role is akin to that of a Dictator? If so, add this new ‘D’ to the list of The 8 D's of DSAI.
Monday, June 04, 2007
The Anwar style of campaigning
Last year in May I blogged on the world’s most famous de facto leader campaigning in Sarawak. He was then only party advisor.
There in the land of the hornbills, he warned his former BN colleagues not to think they can get away with personal attacks on him. He said at a party fund-raising dinner that he has the ammo to launch a counter-attack.
He then gave one of his world’s famous (or infamous) juicy examples of naughty and confidential gossip, alleging that someone in PBB had once told him, when he was the DPM, that he (that ‘someone’) was eager to see Anwar replaced Dr Mahathir as PM.
... blah blah blah ...
But as with his gossip of the confidential to attract the crowd into listening eagerly for more, he teased them as only he could, asking whether they would like to know the identity of that person, and then when they naturally said they would, alas, he would back off.
Anyway, as a good (and loyal) DPM then, what did he do?
Yes, what did he do about a Sarawakian minister making those treacherous remarks about a PM who was also his party leader and mentor?
Shouldn’t Anwar have straightaway reprimanded that person for talking unethically behind his top leader’s back, and having done so, shouldn't he have consigned that matter to the scrap heap as a closed file. It's too low level to even remember it, let alone bring it up again.
Alternatively Anwar should have informed the PM and the Sarawak CM about the display of treacherous disloyalty.
Well, tell me, what did Anwar do then? Nothing!
Instead he threatened to dip into the cesspool of Machiavellian history for a handful of sh*t to hurl at a political opponent
Then in the Ijok by-election he thrilled the Chinese crowd with another of his teasers, that time about an alleged Najib Razak’s involvement with the Altantunya case.
He resorted to his leitmotiv of “do you want to know more”, and when the crowd (of course) answered in the affirmative, he evaded the completing of the salacious story by his ‘man man’ (slowly slowly) all knowing phase.
Well, I dare him to complete it, that is if he knows.
Then a few days ago in Kelantan, what did he do?
Well, according to malaysiakini, he blessed us with sexy information that 40,000 Thais will be moving into Kelantan to pose as phantom voters. He claimed he was told by an UMNO insider.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa
Now it would seem the pattern or tactics of de de-facto leader appears to be gossipy stuff, but with no proof whatsoever.
An irate PKR acolyte has just shown his ire at me for criticizing de world’s greatest political reformer in my previous posting De-factor Dancing (around)? – well, I have news for him/her - I am not a devoted Anwar Ibrahim acolyte in blind adoration of Malaysia’s so-acclaimed political messiah. I do have a few problems with Anwar Ibrahim’s style of campaigning (examples above) that’s so devoid of meaningful policy.
There in the land of the hornbills, he warned his former BN colleagues not to think they can get away with personal attacks on him. He said at a party fund-raising dinner that he has the ammo to launch a counter-attack.
He then gave one of his world’s famous (or infamous) juicy examples of naughty and confidential gossip, alleging that someone in PBB had once told him, when he was the DPM, that he (that ‘someone’) was eager to see Anwar replaced Dr Mahathir as PM.
... blah blah blah ...
But as with his gossip of the confidential to attract the crowd into listening eagerly for more, he teased them as only he could, asking whether they would like to know the identity of that person, and then when they naturally said they would, alas, he would back off.
Anyway, as a good (and loyal) DPM then, what did he do?
Yes, what did he do about a Sarawakian minister making those treacherous remarks about a PM who was also his party leader and mentor?
Shouldn’t Anwar have straightaway reprimanded that person for talking unethically behind his top leader’s back, and having done so, shouldn't he have consigned that matter to the scrap heap as a closed file. It's too low level to even remember it, let alone bring it up again.
Alternatively Anwar should have informed the PM and the Sarawak CM about the display of treacherous disloyalty.
Well, tell me, what did Anwar do then? Nothing!
Instead he threatened to dip into the cesspool of Machiavellian history for a handful of sh*t to hurl at a political opponent
Then in the Ijok by-election he thrilled the Chinese crowd with another of his teasers, that time about an alleged Najib Razak’s involvement with the Altantunya case.
He resorted to his leitmotiv of “do you want to know more”, and when the crowd (of course) answered in the affirmative, he evaded the completing of the salacious story by his ‘man man’ (slowly slowly) all knowing phase.
Well, I dare him to complete it, that is if he knows.
Then a few days ago in Kelantan, what did he do?
Well, according to malaysiakini, he blessed us with sexy information that 40,000 Thais will be moving into Kelantan to pose as phantom voters. He claimed he was told by an UMNO insider.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa
Now it would seem the pattern or tactics of de de-facto leader appears to be gossipy stuff, but with no proof whatsoever.
An irate PKR acolyte has just shown his ire at me for criticizing de world’s greatest political reformer in my previous posting De-factor Dancing (around)? – well, I have news for him/her - I am not a devoted Anwar Ibrahim acolyte in blind adoration of Malaysia’s so-acclaimed political messiah. I do have a few problems with Anwar Ibrahim’s style of campaigning (examples above) that’s so devoid of meaningful policy.
De-facto Dancing (around)?
malaysiakini reported de world’s greatest political reformer, now turned world’s greatest de-facto leader of a party that had a recent party election which was more notable for several withdrawals (allegedly instructed, pressured or designed) than the voting of its members. Those who withdrew included de world’s greatest drama king who undoubtedly was inspired by de world’s greatest writer of English literature, William Shakespeare - aha, caught you all on de last one ;-)
Anyway as malaysiakini stated, a certain de-facto leader pontificated on de case of poor Lina Joy.
Incidentally, where was the de-jure leader, who won the party’s presidency through withdrawals? Practising de ‘elegant silence’ or making de cake and de tea in de kitchen?
OK, back on track – so what did de world’s greatest-in-everything de-facto leader say?
Basically nothing other than motherhood statements, for example:
(1) ... further discussion is needed on the Federal Constitution’s role in safeguarding freedom of religion.
Reporter (thinks ‘ya, eruditely revealing ... yawn’); OK, and sir, what’s your take on the court’s ruling on Lina Joy’s application?
(2) ... non-Muslims should be assured by the authorities that their rights are guaranteed.
Reporter: Datuk Seri does that mean you are critical of the court’s 2-1 judgement for Lina Joy to go to the Syariah Court?
(3) ... expressed support for the Syariah court system
Reporter: Er ... well, in that case you agree with the court’s ruling?
(4) ... “The government must show political will and leadership to address this issue, and not sweep it under the carpet. Otherwise, it will spell greater discord and distrust among our fellow citizens.”
Reporter: But ... what’s your personal opinion on the court’s instruction to Lina Joy?
(5) ... it was crucial to preserve the spirit of the Constitution through “dialogue, discussion and deliberation.”
Reporter (exasperated ‘god, can’t I get something concrete from him’): Sir sir, what about your .....
(6) ... authorities must strengthen the public confidence in the Syariah Courts, and assure Muslims that there is no attempt to “belittle the importance of the existing system.”
[now, why didn’t we think of that!]
(7) ... “As for the non-Muslims, they must be assured that the fundamental guarantees enshrined in the Constitution is protected.”
[yawwwwwnnnn]
(8) ... “In essence, while we should preserve the current procedure via the Syariah Court with regards to cases of freedom of conscience, there should be no recrimination involved.”
[wonder what’s on TV tonight?]
(9) ... “After all, freedom of conscience is one of the key elements of the higher objectives of the Syariah, the Maqasid Syariah.”
[which reminds me I better visit Uncle in hospital this weekend - incidentally, what about his own conscience in those alleged meddling in party polls?]
(10) ... unresolved debate over freedom of religion “points to the failure of the government to achieve a broad consensus over the issue.”
[just can’t help spamming, can he?]
(11) ... “This issue has been allowed to drag into an exceedingly protracted and rancorous debate due to the incompetence of our leaders. The solution does not lie with the judiciary as it is not regarded as independent and credible.”
Reporter (waking up): Aha, so the court was not wrong .. does that mean, sir ......
(12) ... “Yet, the government has also decided to stop any form of religious discussion and dialogue that can address these issues. We call on the government to allow reasonable and responsible dialogue to take place to explore our common values while acknowledging our differences.”
[yawwwnnn, god, another of those meaningless ... er ... which reminds me I must pick up Kamala from dancing class tonight]
(13) ... “While I understand that such a topic can inspire polarising passions among members of society, I would like to congratulate everyone for maintaining the calm and peaceful attitude following the announcement of the judgment, and hope that they continue to do so.”
[good for a few votes from both sides, I suppose, but am heading home – wasted trip]
So what do we make of de pontifications of De-facto leader? What was his opinion of de Civil Court’s ruling? Why bring in de Syariah Court which is yet to play a part?
Remember my posting The 8-D’s of DSAI?
Just add one more D to de list – D for dancing around (like tap dancing) de subject.
Anyway as malaysiakini stated, a certain de-facto leader pontificated on de case of poor Lina Joy.
Incidentally, where was the de-jure leader, who won the party’s presidency through withdrawals? Practising de ‘elegant silence’ or making de cake and de tea in de kitchen?
OK, back on track – so what did de world’s greatest-in-everything de-facto leader say?
Basically nothing other than motherhood statements, for example:
(1) ... further discussion is needed on the Federal Constitution’s role in safeguarding freedom of religion.
Reporter (thinks ‘ya, eruditely revealing ... yawn’); OK, and sir, what’s your take on the court’s ruling on Lina Joy’s application?
(2) ... non-Muslims should be assured by the authorities that their rights are guaranteed.
Reporter: Datuk Seri does that mean you are critical of the court’s 2-1 judgement for Lina Joy to go to the Syariah Court?
(3) ... expressed support for the Syariah court system
Reporter: Er ... well, in that case you agree with the court’s ruling?
(4) ... “The government must show political will and leadership to address this issue, and not sweep it under the carpet. Otherwise, it will spell greater discord and distrust among our fellow citizens.”
Reporter: But ... what’s your personal opinion on the court’s instruction to Lina Joy?
(5) ... it was crucial to preserve the spirit of the Constitution through “dialogue, discussion and deliberation.”
Reporter (exasperated ‘god, can’t I get something concrete from him’): Sir sir, what about your .....
(6) ... authorities must strengthen the public confidence in the Syariah Courts, and assure Muslims that there is no attempt to “belittle the importance of the existing system.”
[now, why didn’t we think of that!]
(7) ... “As for the non-Muslims, they must be assured that the fundamental guarantees enshrined in the Constitution is protected.”
[yawwwwwnnnn]
(8) ... “In essence, while we should preserve the current procedure via the Syariah Court with regards to cases of freedom of conscience, there should be no recrimination involved.”
[wonder what’s on TV tonight?]
(9) ... “After all, freedom of conscience is one of the key elements of the higher objectives of the Syariah, the Maqasid Syariah.”
[which reminds me I better visit Uncle in hospital this weekend - incidentally, what about his own conscience in those alleged meddling in party polls?]
(10) ... unresolved debate over freedom of religion “points to the failure of the government to achieve a broad consensus over the issue.”
[just can’t help spamming, can he?]
(11) ... “This issue has been allowed to drag into an exceedingly protracted and rancorous debate due to the incompetence of our leaders. The solution does not lie with the judiciary as it is not regarded as independent and credible.”
Reporter (waking up): Aha, so the court was not wrong .. does that mean, sir ......
(12) ... “Yet, the government has also decided to stop any form of religious discussion and dialogue that can address these issues. We call on the government to allow reasonable and responsible dialogue to take place to explore our common values while acknowledging our differences.”
[yawwwnnn, god, another of those meaningless ... er ... which reminds me I must pick up Kamala from dancing class tonight]
(13) ... “While I understand that such a topic can inspire polarising passions among members of society, I would like to congratulate everyone for maintaining the calm and peaceful attitude following the announcement of the judgment, and hope that they continue to do so.”
[good for a few votes from both sides, I suppose, but am heading home – wasted trip]
So what do we make of de pontifications of De-facto leader? What was his opinion of de Civil Court’s ruling? Why bring in de Syariah Court which is yet to play a part?
Remember my posting The 8-D’s of DSAI?
Just add one more D to de list – D for dancing around (like tap dancing) de subject.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
A Rotten Day
‘Twas really a rotten day
When all things went wrong
And you needed lots of hugs
A comforting word of love
Rank, name, serial number
The guard barked at me
So I trotted down to the bar
For some chilled chardonney
Something to warm you by
Till your blues were gone
Bartender said, we’re closed
Please come back tomorrow
Then you searched for a friend
To speak to a familiar face
Enjoy an amicable word or two
Perhaps a whiskey or beer
Sorry mate, not in right now
Am on a hot, really hot date
When you couldn't get someone
To share your day’s burden with
You turned to old faithful, your dog
Always waiting for you at home
But it’s full moon, he’s on the prowl
He has his own life too, grrrrowl
When all things went wrong
And you needed lots of hugs
A comforting word of love
Rank, name, serial number
The guard barked at me
So I trotted down to the bar
For some chilled chardonney
Something to warm you by
Till your blues were gone
Bartender said, we’re closed
Please come back tomorrow
Then you searched for a friend
To speak to a familiar face
Enjoy an amicable word or two
Perhaps a whiskey or beer
Sorry mate, not in right now
Am on a hot, really hot date
When you couldn't get someone
To share your day’s burden with
You turned to old faithful, your dog
Always waiting for you at home
But it’s full moon, he’s on the prowl
He has his own life too, grrrrowl
Saturday, June 02, 2007
The pen, not the gun
Let’s leave aside the copious coverage of the Lina Joy's sad saga by malaysiakini for a while to look at a Star Online article.
Alison Weir was a former American freelance journalist who is now executive director of non-profit organisation called If Americans Knew, an organisation that provides Americans with unbiased information on Palestine.
Her organisation analyses media coverage of the conflict to ensure Americans are not subjected to only lop-sided news coverage on the Israel-Palestine conflict, which have generally shown the Palestinians in a bad light.
She related her personal experiences, saying that previously she had only skimmed through headlines on the Israel-Palestine conflict with “with little interest or knowledge on the subject.”
However, when the Middle-Eastern conflict became worse, she thought that she really bought to look into it a bit more, even working hard beyond her office hours to do so, and found to her disgust “that it was perhaps the most covered-up story”.
What she was saying was what we already knew, that Israeli aggressions, brutalities and human rights violations were glossed over or even omitted, whilst the Palestinian violence (and let’s be frank, there were Palestinian violence) were grossly emphasized.
Now, why isn't KTemoc surprised!
She said: “When I was there (Gaza strip and West Bank in 2001), I discovered that while the American news agencies were reporting on the deaths of Israelis, they were covering up deaths of many Palestinians.”
“For example, the cover up of Palestinian child deaths was 14 times greater and they got away with biased terminologies.”
As one Australian friend of mine wrote recently: "The news reported 2 Israelis killed by Palestinians but not the 50 Palestinians killed in the same incident by Israelis. The Israeli reprisal of 50 for 2 has been in the same manner as what the Nazis did to European resistance groups."
(and may KT add, that's apart from the evil of punishing the Palestinian families of suspected insurgents by demolishing their houses completely)
I remarked to my friend that the Israelis have learnt well from their Nazi oppressors to the extent that they are now the Nazis of the Middle East.
Back to Weir - she's in Malaysia to deliver a talk titled Deadly Distortion: American News Coverage of Israel-Palestine and its Effect on the Alleged “Clash of Civilisations”.
She said that since American taxpayers were spending over US$10 million a day on Israel, she believed Americans should be provided with a truer and accurate picture of what was happening there.
Basically she was alluding to the fact that good information provides for good decision making, which hitherto has been denied to American taxpayers because of dodgy news report.
President Carter's recently released book Palestine, Peace not Apartheid which criticises the Israeli State for behaving like the draconian former white supremacist Afrikaan country, has the same informative aim, directed at Americans.
Pubisher Weekly reviewed his book with this summary:
He explains that Israel has never complied with U.N. Resolution 242 and others; has never lived up to its agreements made over the years in Washington, Oslo and elsewhere; continues to grab land through settlements and placement of a wall well within Palestinian territory; and still imprisons thousands of Palestinian men, women and children.
While pointing out many murderous and counterproductive moves of Arafat and various Palestinian groups, he pointedly lays the blame for the current situation at the door of the Israelis and their Washington backers, with special venom for Bush and Rice, who have been mute on the subject for six years—even during the invasion of Lebanon. Many will dispute his facts and counter his views, but Carter maintains that if we really want to understand and promote change in this region, we must know both sides of the story.
And what did Zionist Jews and pro-Israeli neo-cons do when Jimmy Carter published his book? Did they rush out to fire automatic weapons in the air or burn caricatures of Carter. No, they wrote in or delivered presentations to criticise him, with the criticisms ranging from redneck accusations of him being a Jew-hater to highly intellectual discourses. On the amazon.com site advertising his book, there were 602 comments (of course with some supporting him).
Incidentally, here’s a titbit to demonstrated the much praised Israeli democracy and free speech society - in 2002, Weir was incarcerated by the Israeli government and (subsequently, I suppose) also denied entrance.
Most of us know that the Israelis have been far cleverer than the Arabs – for example, they are effective in manipulating if not owning (some of) the media outlets. Even think-tanks like MEMRI exist to paint a constant evil picture of the Palestinians. Mind you, they do it in a very clever way – they would release extracts of actual news but which focus only on the bad aspects of the Palestinians.
It's called brain-washing, and it has been very effective. If you aren't an already biased and outraged Muslim, you would have to be fairly strong to resist that barrage of anti-Palestinian and pro-Israeli propaganda.
Their lobby groups are far more powerful and effective than the virtually non-existent Arab lobby groups (except for those which serve the interests of the royal fat cats of some Arab nations).
I believe the Arabs, in particular the Palestinians, could do less with firing their automatic weapons into the air (or jumping and shouting like a violent mob) and ‘fight’ their struggle more with the pen (through the media). al Jazeera has been a good but only initial step.
I heard that Dr Mahathir had tried to develop such a media outlet for independent news with an unbiased Asian perspective, though I was told his pioneering efforts only resulted in large bills from people who should have been in war-torn Iraq to report but instead were ensconced in luxurious Jordanian hotels.
Yes, the world's struggles would be better and more effectively fought with the pen. And it's not just this blogger ;-) saying that, for didn’t Bulwer-Lytton wrote in 1839 in his play ‘Richelieu’:
Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Alison Weir was a former American freelance journalist who is now executive director of non-profit organisation called If Americans Knew, an organisation that provides Americans with unbiased information on Palestine.
Her organisation analyses media coverage of the conflict to ensure Americans are not subjected to only lop-sided news coverage on the Israel-Palestine conflict, which have generally shown the Palestinians in a bad light.
She related her personal experiences, saying that previously she had only skimmed through headlines on the Israel-Palestine conflict with “with little interest or knowledge on the subject.”
However, when the Middle-Eastern conflict became worse, she thought that she really bought to look into it a bit more, even working hard beyond her office hours to do so, and found to her disgust “that it was perhaps the most covered-up story”.
What she was saying was what we already knew, that Israeli aggressions, brutalities and human rights violations were glossed over or even omitted, whilst the Palestinian violence (and let’s be frank, there were Palestinian violence) were grossly emphasized.
Now, why isn't KTemoc surprised!
She said: “When I was there (Gaza strip and West Bank in 2001), I discovered that while the American news agencies were reporting on the deaths of Israelis, they were covering up deaths of many Palestinians.”
“For example, the cover up of Palestinian child deaths was 14 times greater and they got away with biased terminologies.”
As one Australian friend of mine wrote recently: "The news reported 2 Israelis killed by Palestinians but not the 50 Palestinians killed in the same incident by Israelis. The Israeli reprisal of 50 for 2 has been in the same manner as what the Nazis did to European resistance groups."
(and may KT add, that's apart from the evil of punishing the Palestinian families of suspected insurgents by demolishing their houses completely)
I remarked to my friend that the Israelis have learnt well from their Nazi oppressors to the extent that they are now the Nazis of the Middle East.
Back to Weir - she's in Malaysia to deliver a talk titled Deadly Distortion: American News Coverage of Israel-Palestine and its Effect on the Alleged “Clash of Civilisations”.
She said that since American taxpayers were spending over US$10 million a day on Israel, she believed Americans should be provided with a truer and accurate picture of what was happening there.
Basically she was alluding to the fact that good information provides for good decision making, which hitherto has been denied to American taxpayers because of dodgy news report.
President Carter's recently released book Palestine, Peace not Apartheid which criticises the Israeli State for behaving like the draconian former white supremacist Afrikaan country, has the same informative aim, directed at Americans.
Pubisher Weekly reviewed his book with this summary:
He explains that Israel has never complied with U.N. Resolution 242 and others; has never lived up to its agreements made over the years in Washington, Oslo and elsewhere; continues to grab land through settlements and placement of a wall well within Palestinian territory; and still imprisons thousands of Palestinian men, women and children.
While pointing out many murderous and counterproductive moves of Arafat and various Palestinian groups, he pointedly lays the blame for the current situation at the door of the Israelis and their Washington backers, with special venom for Bush and Rice, who have been mute on the subject for six years—even during the invasion of Lebanon. Many will dispute his facts and counter his views, but Carter maintains that if we really want to understand and promote change in this region, we must know both sides of the story.
And what did Zionist Jews and pro-Israeli neo-cons do when Jimmy Carter published his book? Did they rush out to fire automatic weapons in the air or burn caricatures of Carter. No, they wrote in or delivered presentations to criticise him, with the criticisms ranging from redneck accusations of him being a Jew-hater to highly intellectual discourses. On the amazon.com site advertising his book, there were 602 comments (of course with some supporting him).
Incidentally, here’s a titbit to demonstrated the much praised Israeli democracy and free speech society - in 2002, Weir was incarcerated by the Israeli government and (subsequently, I suppose) also denied entrance.
Most of us know that the Israelis have been far cleverer than the Arabs – for example, they are effective in manipulating if not owning (some of) the media outlets. Even think-tanks like MEMRI exist to paint a constant evil picture of the Palestinians. Mind you, they do it in a very clever way – they would release extracts of actual news but which focus only on the bad aspects of the Palestinians.
It's called brain-washing, and it has been very effective. If you aren't an already biased and outraged Muslim, you would have to be fairly strong to resist that barrage of anti-Palestinian and pro-Israeli propaganda.
Their lobby groups are far more powerful and effective than the virtually non-existent Arab lobby groups (except for those which serve the interests of the royal fat cats of some Arab nations).
I believe the Arabs, in particular the Palestinians, could do less with firing their automatic weapons into the air (or jumping and shouting like a violent mob) and ‘fight’ their struggle more with the pen (through the media). al Jazeera has been a good but only initial step.
I heard that Dr Mahathir had tried to develop such a media outlet for independent news with an unbiased Asian perspective, though I was told his pioneering efforts only resulted in large bills from people who should have been in war-torn Iraq to report but instead were ensconced in luxurious Jordanian hotels.
Yes, the world's struggles would be better and more effectively fought with the pen. And it's not just this blogger ;-) saying that, for didn’t Bulwer-Lytton wrote in 1839 in his play ‘Richelieu’:
Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Lina Joy - Victim of religion or Votive offering to religion?
From the letters to malaysiakini criticising the Federal Court’s ruling against the wish of a converted Christian to have her IC amended to reflect her religious belief, I sense the matter is escalating into even more confrontational and acrimonious arguments.
I fear the effect will see greater harm than good achieved for Lina Joy.
Let’s remember she wants her IC changed to say that she isn’t a Muslim. That should be the objective, not legal wranglings post-court-judgement.
As sure as my mother’s eyes are brown, neither the Federal Court or the government will ever listen to nor give in to the finer points of legality, constitutional laws or the historical incorrectness of Article 121(1)(A). Besides such constitutional matters could be debated forever without reaching any agreement.
Again I ask – are we trying to help her or are we launching into Hyde Park-ish verbal acrobatics?
If we want to help her get what she wants, then the pompous polemical pontifications aren’t going to be of any use, but instead could be detrimental to her struggles.
This is Malaysia, and City Hall doesn’t cave in to intellectual logic or humanitarian morality. So let’s play the game according to local rules.
We should consider very carefully what will do her more good and with the desired outcome: thus, should it be legality or leniency?
Sometimes, the way things are going, with the attempts to oil the hinges of the constitutional stable doors after the horse has already bolted (let alone close it), I do wonder whether she was not only a victim but also a votive offering – to the high altar of proving a point.
I worry her personal aims have been subordinated to other aims. I fear she has been unnecessarily turned into a cause célèbre who is feared/hated by conservative Muslims. How would that help her win sympathy and leniency from the Syariah Court?
Maybe her aim doesn’t matter; yes, maybe we should fight valiantly for correct interpretation of constitutional laws to the last drop of her Christian blood.
I fear the effect will see greater harm than good achieved for Lina Joy.
Let’s remember she wants her IC changed to say that she isn’t a Muslim. That should be the objective, not legal wranglings post-court-judgement.
As sure as my mother’s eyes are brown, neither the Federal Court or the government will ever listen to nor give in to the finer points of legality, constitutional laws or the historical incorrectness of Article 121(1)(A). Besides such constitutional matters could be debated forever without reaching any agreement.
Again I ask – are we trying to help her or are we launching into Hyde Park-ish verbal acrobatics?
If we want to help her get what she wants, then the pompous polemical pontifications aren’t going to be of any use, but instead could be detrimental to her struggles.
This is Malaysia, and City Hall doesn’t cave in to intellectual logic or humanitarian morality. So let’s play the game according to local rules.
We should consider very carefully what will do her more good and with the desired outcome: thus, should it be legality or leniency?
Sometimes, the way things are going, with the attempts to oil the hinges of the constitutional stable doors after the horse has already bolted (let alone close it), I do wonder whether she was not only a victim but also a votive offering – to the high altar of proving a point.
I worry her personal aims have been subordinated to other aims. I fear she has been unnecessarily turned into a cause célèbre who is feared/hated by conservative Muslims. How would that help her win sympathy and leniency from the Syariah Court?
Maybe her aim doesn’t matter; yes, maybe we should fight valiantly for correct interpretation of constitutional laws to the last drop of her Christian blood.
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