Kreative Kaos with headlines

kaytee having a bit of (chaotic) fun with news headlines:

(1) Star Online - Council defers fatwa on yoga ...

... until its meditation on topic has been completed.


(2) Malaysiakini - Protest against anti-tomboy fatwa ...

... by ISA, the Independent S......s Association, who cried "Don't deprive us of our preference."


(3) Malaysiakini - Court frees ISA detainee Raja Petra ...

... and detains Raja Pundee who's too free with ISA.


(4) Star Online - Raja Petra surprised at being freed by High Court ...

... after everyone in PKR has been saying, especially recently, that the judiciary is corrupt and toeing the government's line.


(5) Malaysiakini letter - Bangsa Malaysia gets a push with Obama's win ...

... off the cliff?


(6) Star Online - MCA wants more young people to join party's Youth wing ...

... which is a revolutionary new MCA policy as hitherto membership had been restricted to only much older and very very mature age men.


(7) Malaysiakini letter - Obama wouldn't have made it in Malaysia ...

... is utter nonsense when it's well known that Obama has an Indonesian background (where with a blue IC, and Bob's Bapak's your uncle).


(8) Malaysiakini - Feudalism: The son also rises ...

... could well be either a new or hitherto unheard of Middle-Eastern religion.


(9) Sydney Morning Herald - Palin denounces her critics as cowardly ...

... for cruelly but anonymously saying she did not know Africa was a continent, and not a country ... because she had once hunted moose in that coun... continent.


(10) Sydney Morning Herald - Iraq demands date for US withdrawal ...

... but Bush said "I rather the US stays on than allow young American sweeties to date strange Middle-Eastern men with names like O .. er .. sama."

US Presidential Elections - Looking at the loser

Finally and hopefully we see the last of those neocons – read Malaysiakini Obama chalks up historic win.

Congratulations to Barack Obama for being elected as the 44th President of the USA and the first black American to be Head of State of the most powerful nation on earth, a post which should never have gone into the hands of low brow moronic George W Bush.

Can you imagine that it was just slightly more than 50 years ago (Malaysia's age) that Rose Parks, an African American woman, was taken off to jail for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. Today a black man is the President of that country!

I came across Obama’s name when my good mate, Dean Johns wrote of him in a Malaysiakini column some years ago, telling us he’s the man to look out for. If not for the fact that I had (always) eagerly awaited Dean’s weekly column, I would be none the wiser as to who the hell was this man with the strange name of Barack Obama.

Congratulations are thus in order too for Dean Johns for his foresight and aspiration for such a man to take over the reins of a nation which was once admired but under Bush-Cheney, feared and detested.

Dean wrote in his column again (article sent to Malaysiakini on eve of the US presidential election) on Obama titled Barracking for Obama.

The most descriptive paragraph in Dean’s column was “And the proposition that the dumb-as-dirt George Bush and his creepy VP Dick Cheney should be succeeded by the hopelessly hawkish ‘war hero’ McCain and the lipstick dipstick Sarah Palin is simply outrageous.”

I agree with Dean on almost every word save that part where he lambasted John McCain. Dean may disagree with me but that’s the strength of my friendship with Dean that we can agree to disagree without degenerating into a Bush-ite “Either you’re with us or against us”, or the equally acrimonious anwaristas’ cry of “You BN balls licker” (wakakaka).

Take it from me, the least hawkish person in any government as a rule would be the military man who has seen/experienced blood in combat (operative phrase being 'in combat') – example, Colin Powell!

I am convinced that John McCain is of the same mold.

While like Dean I had ‘barracked’ for Obama, I have been so bloody annoyed, out of a sense of fair play and outrage at the under-the-belt sniping at John McCain by another Malaysiakini columnist, W Scott Thompson, that I wrote a letter to Malaysiakini yesterday – and which I doubt would now be published as the events in the USA election may have rendered it slightly obsolete.

But let me present here what I had sent to Malaysiakini:

Dear Editor,

I am appalled by (Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy) Professor Emeritus W Scott Thompson attack on John McCain in his article 'Landslide' published by Malaysiakini.

While I share Professor Thompson's preference for Barack Obama as the future US President, his under-the-belt criticism of McCain has been most deplorable and smacked of the grubby style of the Swift Boats Veterans for Truth.

Thompson should be ashamed of himself for writing sneeringly of McCain as "a 'national hero' who supposedly had earned the presidency for five years squatting in a Vietnamese jail (heroism defined as endurance rather than courageous choice)."

If McCain was a war hero, it would not be because he was a POW, though he demonstrated his discipline and inner strength as a naval officer during his wartime incarceration. It would have to be his unstinting service to his country as a naval pilot who was prepared to conduct air operations 23 times (before being shot down) over North Vietnam, at that time one of the most heavily defended airspace in the world.

McCain was and is unlike President Bush and Vice-President Cheney, two of the most belligerent American leaders ever seen, but who both successfully avoided* the Vietnam War.

* Note not sent in letter - Cheny took 5 'deferments' from the Vietnam draft, yet he has been the most bellicose belligerent hawk in the Bush administration - earning him the dubious title of chickenhawk, a title used to criticize a politician, bureaucrat, or commentator who strongly supports a war or other military action, but has never personally been in a war, especially if that person actively avoided military service when of draft age.

We also need to note that McCain refused a North Vietnamese offer of early release in 1968, because it would mean him leaving before other prisoners who had been held longer. Such had been his sense of honour, sense of fairness and duty to his comrades that he was prepared to remain in the horrible POW camp for another 5 years before he was released in 1973 after the Paris Peace Accords.

But regardless of whether one wishes to remember McCain's duty to his country in war or his courageous endurance in the infamous 'Hanoi Hilton', Professor Thompson should hang his head in shame for employing the politically-motivated dismissive word 'supposedly', and for attempting to diminish McCain's war service by a pathetic hair-splitting re-definition of the 'heroism' attributed to the Republican presidential candidate.

Then, being the academic snob he must be, he contrasted McCain's Annapolis achievements (the US naval academy) against Obama's Harvard background. To borrow a leaf out of Thompson's book, that's like comparing the finest tempered steel against a fluffy quill.

But to be fair to Obama in the steel versus quill model, can there be a comparison between two vastly different items, each of relevant use in specific scenarios. Yes, it's like saying apples are superior to oranges!

One must remember that Republican John McCain defended Democrat John Kerry during the Swift Boats Veterans for Truth [SBVT] smear campaign through advertisements against the Democrat presidential candidate. McCain stated: "I condemn the [SBVT] ad. It is dishonest and dishonorable. I think it is very, very wrong."

Recently, McCain defended his presidential candidate rival Obama when a white Republican supporter alluded to the alleged Obama's questionable foreign allegiance. McCain chopped that bigoted suggestion down and spoke of Obama as a decent American citizen.

Professor Thompson should take note that while McCain might not have run the Harvard Law Review, he has time and time again demonstrated the finest example of his Annapolis training, that of honour (decency) and duty!

kayteemoc

Apology to Vijay Kumar Murugavell

First, let me get this off my chest ;-)

I owe Vijay Kumar Murugavell an unreserved apology for an unwarranted chewing up of him for what was after all his satirical letter to Malaysiakini on the topic of the Eurocopter EC725 helicopter, which I had posted as the 3rd part of Billions - Anwar Ibrahim - Heli-bullsh*t.

I am not going to give bullsh*t excuses other than I should have read his letter more carefully than I did. I admit I zoomed in on just the few paragraphs of what I saw as nonsensical aircraft performances, and shot off from the hips, now realizing I shot my bloody foot instead when I lambasted poor Vijay – sorry mate!

Mind you, his “…flat screen TV's not to mention radar warning receivers, 20mm cannons, rocket launchers and machine-guns” weren’t too far off track as that’s what a Combat SAR heli would have – the flat screen TV being the ‘glass cockpit’ that pilots and aircraft engineers would be well familiar with.

I cannot deny I saw the ‘rear view mirrors’ which unfortunately I dismissed disdainfully as a description by a bloody ‘landlubber’ attempting to discuss nautical issues (the aircraft being a nautical craft of the air).

Okay folks, the laughs on poor red-faced kaytee, especially more so when I am a satirist myself, having written the following:

The Yum-Cha Chronicles:
(1) Apology - A letter to the minister
(2) Bloggers - A letter to the ministry
(3) Drama queens & kings wanted
(4) May 13 Book - a letter to the minister
(5) Appreciation - a letter to the minister
(6) Goblok to Golek - a letter to the minister
(7) MGR-ish makeover - a letter to a minister
(8) Bahasa Mělayu - a letter to Yang Běrhormat
(9) 'Convincibility' - A letter to Yang Amat Berhormat

The Bigfoot Chronicles:
(1) Encounter of the Furred Kind!
(2) Big Foot, Mak Yong & Bridges
(3) Parliament's Hantu - Ghost Buster Rejected!
(4) Bigfoot's Kow-Tim-Yee!

The KTemoc Carl Grimm* Children's and Household Tales:
(1) A Malaysian Fairy Tale - Princess & The Frog
(2) A Malaysian Fairy Tale (2) - Rumpelstiltskin

The Buah Cherry Tree Dialogues:
(1) Beneath the buah cherry tree
(2) Beneath the buah cherry tree (2)
(3) Beneath the buah cherry tree (3)
(4) Beneath the buah cherry tree (4)
(5) Beneath the buah cherry tree (5)
(6) Beneath the buah cherry tree (6)
(7) Beneath the buah cherry tree (7)

As a manja sweetie taught me, just ‘un’-do what you shouldn’t do, therefore I:

(i) Un-criticize Vijay (through this full page apology)
(ii) Un-carpet bomb Malaysiakini (wakakaka)

Hey man, it’s good to eat humble pie once in a while – pass the bloody tomato sauce please - wakakakakakakakakakkakakaka!

Racial signs against road signs?

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet

- W Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

In its article Malay NGO sues Penang over signboards, Malaysiakini tells us that Gabungan Graduan Melayu Muda (GGMM) or Young Malay Graduates Federation is a newly-formed Malay graduates non-government organisation (NGO).

Today GGMM’s launched its first action by filing a suit seeking a High Court injunction against both the state government and the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) from erecting multi-lingual signboards for heritage-listed thoroughfares in old Georgetown.

In its suit GGMM claimed that the Penang State government in implementing the list of Penang heritage names on road signboards, has violated Article 152 of the federal constitution, which upholds the official status of Bahasa Malaysia.

Malaysiakini photo

When I look at the above example of what has been done by Penang, I don’t see any evidence of our national language Bahasa Malaysia being replaced or even relegated to an inferior position by non-Malay road signs, so do wonder how GGMM could allege Article 152 has been violated.

It’s a shame that young graduates would indulge in such ethnocentric posturing rather than promote better relationship among the various ethnic groups.

Billions - Anwar Ibrahim - Heli-bullsh*t

Billion RM f*-up

Good bloke, our Tony Pua. He has put the spotlight on a couple of monumental (taxpayers funded) disasters.

Malaysiakini reported in Khazanah 'must explain' RM5bil loss that Tony wants some accountability from the Finance Ministry and government investment arm Khazanah Nasional regarding their involvement in Silterra Malaysia Sdd Bhd, a semiconductor wafer manufacturer.

Silterra posted a loss of RM1 billion last year. Did you guys get that?

It was 1 BILLION (not 'million') ringgit loss.

On top of that, Tony said that in the last 15 years or so (since 1994) Khazanah Nasional has dumped into Silterra an alleged Godzilla loss of RM5.17 billion – yes, BILLIONS.

And Pua went on to probe into the RM5 billion shoring up of Valuecap.

May I use a common expression of the African American to describe my astonishment at the magnitude of money gone to the winds?

Motherfucker!

Yes, which motherfucker has allowed the motherfucker loss to reach such Mount Meru* proportions?

* in Hindu mythology Mount Meru is 80,000 yojanas high, where 1 yojana is equal to approximately 13 km – where the hell is my Casio hand calculator!


Anwar Ibrahim

In the Star Online, my favourite pinup boy (some say kaytee indulges in sticking pins into voodoo dolls wakakaka) ;-) dear Anwar Ibrahim attacked the ketuanan Melayu ideology. He said that racial supremacy concept benefits and enriches only a small group of Malays, and was unacceptable.

Anwar went on to say that the larger community, Malays and Bumiputeras as well as Indians and Chinese should be helped, and not just a small elite group.

Good on you, Datuk Seri. You are on the right track as Opposition Leader - whether people agree with you or not is another story, but at least there's no more bullsh*tting 916.

Now there's still one small thing you can do to improve your image as a serious political reformer. I would like you to sort out that Kulim Wonder, A.S.A.P! Thank you.


When silence is golden

I refer to a letter to Malaysiakini titled Spinning around with the chopper deal submitted by Mr Vijay Kumar Murugavell.

He wrote about the Eurocopter deal where the following are extracts of his letter which I want to comment on:

Never mind that these helicopters were not workhorses but long range tactical copters.

Vijay, our elders have told us that sometimes it’s best to shut up and let people think you may be a fool rather than open your mouth and let them know you are one!

For a start, please explain what you mean by ‘workhorse’ and its difference with ‘long range tactical helicopters’?

Then he continued to enlighten us with his 'brilliance' on defence issues like:

Who knows, while transporting military personnel if war breaks out, there then would be no need to call for backup. After all, our country is vast and it would take forever for the Sukhoi jets to come to the rescue. So a copter can take on any threats head-on and independently.

I wonder what he meant by ‘when war breaks out, there would be no need to call for backup’?

And re ‘the vastness of our country’, did he mean that a Eurocopter can reach the troubled spot faster than a Sukhoi jet?

And what would the helicopter do then? Or, what can the helicopter do that a Sukhoi jet can't on reaching the troubled spot across the vastness of our country?

Wow, ‘so a copter can take on any threats head-on and independently’?

What was it that I said about our elders’ advice?

Then to ensure he bedazzled us with his grasp of international military affairs, he wrote:

We could also take advantage of its [he was talking about the Eurocopter EC725] long range capabilities and offer the Australians back-up support to patrol their coastline.

I hope the Australian Defence Minister or military brass don't read his recommendation, when Malaysiakini would then be guilty of murder for making them die from laughter ...

... However, one thing we may be sure about has been Vijay’s outlandish ability to tembak saja.

With such an appalling lack of knowledge about military aircraft and defence matters, I am amazed that Malaysiakini has allowed his letter to be published.

Malaysiakini ought to be carpet bombed for such a letter.

State sanctioned slayings

Even as you read this, it may well be that the 3 Indonesian Islamist militants who have been convicted over the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people have already been executed.

The Indonesian government has already signed off the execution of bomber ringleader Imam Samudra and his two henchmen, brothers Amrozi and Mukhlas.

These three Jamilah Islamiah members were not the Islamic warriors they like to think they have been. They were nothing more than cowardly murderers whose victims were mainly women and children.

However, the dilemma lies not with Indonesia but with Australia which suffered the heaviest toll in the 2002 cold blooded murders.

Australia as a nation has abolished the death sentence and has frequently spoken out against man’s ultimate punishment, State sanctioned executions.

Yet in the pending execution of Samudra, Ambrozi and Mukhlas, the Australian PM, Kevin Rudd, has deftly tap danced away from the traditional Australian Labour Party ideological stand against the death sentence.

Kevin Rudd knows he wouldn’t survive politically if he speaks out against the death sentences of those 3 convicted Bali bombing murderers.

Is that then the Australian dilemma?

No, the dilemma lies in the unfortunate fact that a number of young Australian drug smugglers caught by Indonesian authorities are awaiting the death sentence as well, and Australia has appealed for their pardon.

Australian civil activists and even some Labour ministers have lambasted the Australian government for not being consistent on its stand against the death sentence, where it would seem to other nations (like Indonesia) that Australia would only protest against the cruel State sanctioned killings when Australian citizens were/are involved.

Some years ago, when an Australian drug smuggler, Nguyen Van Tuong, only in his early 20’s when arrested, was sentenced to death by the Singaporean government, then-PM John Howard refused, yes, refused to appeal for clemency though there was domestic urgings by churches and NGOs for the Aussie PM to make a personal appeal to his Singapore counterpart.

Howard refused to do so.

I thought he was hypocritical in stating that Australians were opposed to the death sentence, and that he believed Nguyen should not be executed because of his previous clean record and mitigating circumstances, and yet in the same breath, stating he won’t make a personal appeal for Nguyen.

Being a political animal, his decision was of course based on home politics.

Then, his far greater insincerity showed through, when to the horrors of those who had appealed, he added words to his refusal which were virtually fatal for Nguyen. Howard stated in unambiguous terms that Nguyen's execution would not hurt Australia's relationship with Singapore.

… which could only be read as an indirect message to Singapore to go ahead with the hanging of Nguyen. It was the final nail in Nguyen’s coffin.

Many Australians compared, or rather contrasted the Howard’s government’s disdainful and dismissive treatment of Nguyen Van Tuong with that of high support for Schappelle Corby when the latter was arrested by the Indonesian government for the same crime, smuggling drugs.

Three years ago in a post titled PM Howard Tiptoed Thro' The Tulips I wrote the following of Howard:

… he is however, is a very calculating politician who is very conscious and careful not to offend the more conservative elements of Australian public […]

Howard is very much governed by his perception of where the voters are, making him the most consummate politician, and possibly explaining why he continues as a popular prime minister for so long […]

Also read my Extracts from the ‘Death of Reason’!

Meanwhile in Malaysia, I was reliably informed ;-) that some Muslims don’t support the death sentence for Ahmad Najib Aris, the convicted rapist-murderer of Canny Ong Lay Kian. These people believe that a Muslim, regardless of his crimes, should not be executed for the mere death of an infidel.

We do not know yet the decision of the Federal Court in last month’s appeal by the convicted murderer-rapist, but I wonder whether Ahmad Aris will get away with his appeal on compassionate grounds that (I read this somewhere) he has children etc.

Should the Federal Court show compassion and commute his death sentence?

Please don’t answer … because I have the only answer for such a crime or any such crimes ...

... we must NOT impose a death sentence on anyone.

In this regard I had also protested against the execution of a Malaysian Islamist militant for treason. I had argued what value would there be to Malaysia in executing the man?

Similarly I would argue against the execution of Ahmad Aris. Yes, lock him up for life but do not debase ourselves by sanctioning his execution.

Apart from death being an irrevocable sentence, where we cannot make subsequent amends for mistakes in and by the legal process, there is also the question of values, of our humanity, of reverence for God’s creation.

Whether the murderer is a Muslim or non-Muslim, drug smuggler, Islamist bomber, American or Israeli uniformed massacrers, or the victims were Malays, Chinese, Indians, whites, blacks, whoever, my personal stand is to leave out completely the draconian brutal capital punishment.

For those religious, I say do not usurp God’s will and prerogative. For those secular minded, I say we must not destroy a human life for it only debases our humanity.

At a national level, it has to do with a nation having higher values and not subordinating itself to institutionalized murder. It has to do with our not stooping down to brutal punishment, which has been proven not to stop crimes. It has to do with our refusing to succumb to caveman's mentality, that silly ‘an eye for an eye’ because if we do, soon everyone in this world will be blind (if they aren’t already).

Please read my post on the death of Nguyen Van Tuong titled Not a Martyr, Not a Hero, but a Human Being which discussed people’s views that State sanctioned killings ‘diminish’ us.

In SE Asia, wealthy Singapore has, by the size of its population and number of executions, the highest execution rate in the world, exceeding even those of China or the USA. See also:

(1) In a Perfect Country!
(2) Home and Free

... whilst economically poor Philippines has (for the second time in 2006) abolished the death penalty. The Filipinos had actually abolished the death penalty before in 1987 but restored the sentence in late 1993 for heinous crimes such as murder, child rape and kidnapping. But it has taken the high path of morality again.

In this respect, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, especially George Bush, the Singapore government, and our own Malaysian government have all been failures.


Related:
(1) Forgotten But Unfortunately Not Entirely ...
(2) Sorry We Killed You
(3) Brotherhood of Death - Victims & Perpetrators
(4) Hot Babe: "No More Hot Seat!"

Dirge of a Mongolian father

Star Online photo

How can it so?
He who defiled the body of my beloved
Has been freed, unpunished for his crime
As I had been reliably informed

My heart crushed
As I had been reliably informed it should
My tears flow
As I had been reliably informed they must

String him up
By a hyper-pious tree in the mango plain,
And another one too, as both ought to be
As I had been reliably informed

My anger explodes
As I had been reliably informed it should
My pains sharpen
As I had been reliably informed they must

Malaysian lawful process?
Oxymoronic dark humour? Aren't the SDs
Available as concretized absolute truths?
As I had been reliably informed

My frustration erupts
As I had been reliably informed it should
My beliefs shattered
As I had been reliably informed they must

So what if two are on trial
When they aren't the evil Duo drummed
Into my ears, mind, and expectations
As I had been reliably informed

My torment revolts
As I had been reliably informed it should
My sufferings scream
As I had been reliably informed they must

The Terrible Twins
Shattered Golden Beam in more ways than one
So he said that he said that he said & he said
As I had been reliably informed

My despair intensifies
As I had been reliably informed it should
My hopes destroyed
As I had been reliably informed they must


Related:
(1) Remembering Altantuyaa Shaariibuu
(2) Murdering Altantuyaa Shaariibuu Again


Poem inspired by Malaysiakini article Abdul Razak Baginda acquitted

Malaysians - so similar yet so far apart!

Yesterday I posted Penang road signs - signs of ethnic division? based on an Utusan Melayu news article.

Today Malaysiakini tells us in Backbenchers rap Penang's multi-lingual road signs that UMNO man, Mohamad Aziz from the Sri Gading constituency said in Parliament that the Penang government's decision to implement the multi-language road signs instead of road signs in the national language was disrespectful to the nation's social contract and the Federal constitution.

Whoa!

Social contract and the Federal constitution? Hasn't he been rather generous with his accusations!

The Penang heritage road signs issue is being bullsh*ttingly brandished around as if the Chinese plus Jawi and Tamil script has replaced the national language.

Those idiots didn’t even bother to check that the national language continues to depict the thoroughfares’ names but only with the heritage names (in Chinese, Tamil, Jawi scripts) being additional signs below the main signs in Romanised Bahasa.

And we see how the term social contract has now conveniently become a catch-all weapon for some UMNO members to bash anything or anyone they don't like or when they want to exploit a political brownie point.

Sadly we also see blatant signs of ethnocentric fangs being bared in Malaysiakini article PAS Youth warns MCA not to harp on NEP which sadly proves what many people have always believed PAS to be, first and last a Malay rather than the supranationalistic Islamic political party it claims to be.

In Malaysiakini Chinese heads PKNS: Staff say 'No', even the PKNS staff dared to question MB Khalid Ibrahim’s decision for Low Siew Moi, PKNS deputy corporate affairs and accounting manager, to take over (only temporary) as acting General Manager for just one year.

Loh was set to retire this month. In fact, Loh herself suggested that a Malay be appointed as the GM. But the State government wants some continuity at the senior management level during this shaky economic period and persuaded her to hang on for an extra year as she's the best qualified and most experienced person for the job.

So what has been the problem with Loh that the staff and union objected to her appointment? As a matter of record, they said: “The associations, unions and welfare bodies do not deny the capabilities of Low Siew Moi in the management of finance.”

Then? ..... alas, like Teresa Kok, Loh has one humongous disadvantage - she’s Chinese (and presumably in those PKNS staff's minds, not a Malaysian).

In my post Penang road signs - signs of ethnic division? I suggested that we Malaysians should look for commonalities rather than differences, but a couple of comments argued that the Penang government’s heritage names will be divisive, and the commonality that we should uphold should be the national language.

I responded: The question of Bahasa as the national language has never been in doubt. Keunggulan Bahasa tetap, terjamin dan terkukuh.

We need to remind ourselves the heritage multi-lingual road signs do NOT replace the national language but are only in addition and below to the Romanised Bahasa signs.

I also commented: But one of our principal commonalities is our rich culture where there is already a blending over the past 200 years to produce something uniquely Malaysian. The heritage naming of selected thoroughfares in Georgetown (not the entire Peanang) is an acknowledgement of our history where many people come together to form a nation.

Our rich culture? Well, they say food is a great reflector of culture.

Take as an example, mee – yes, wheat noodles, that lovely yellow yummy spaghetti-like stuff. Virtually every ethnic group has embraced that into its cuisine, uniquely Malaysian.

I would be devastated if the famous Indian mee stall in Ayer Itam (in Penang of course) were to discard the use of the Chinese Hokkien noodles for … say … spring hoppers(?), or our fabulous mee Jawa has to use laksa noodles instead.

Then there’s the nyonya food – utterly scrumptious and delightful and which started in Malaya.

In the previous post we bantered lightly on laksa versus curry mee – whichever, we Malaysians have been enriched by both Penang laksa and curry mee (KL laksa).

Without any doubt, I dare say it would be the rare Malaysian who hasn’t tasted nasi lemak, apom, banana leaf curry rice, beef rendang, satay, char koay teow (there are harlal version), chicken rice, nasi kunyit kari ayam, nasi goreng, yong tau foo, fish head curry, rojak, the kueh-mueh's, etc - the list of commonality in cuisine goes on.

Perhaps rojak represents us best of all, and we know how incomparably delicious rojak with its belacan, chilli, tau chneow (sweet sauce), and petis udang would be!

Then there’s the marvellous sarong, the best ecologically-friendly air conditioner there is - virtually every Malaysian wears one at some stage. The lovely kebaya and graceful baju kurung have already been claimed by the Chinese and Indians as their own.

Our hormat (respect) for our elders, our uniquely extensive family ties and our love of 'open house' during festive occasions to fete our friends and relatives are common cultural customs and practices.

I could go on and on - though we do have marvellous commonalities, yet we continue to stress on our differences ..... thanks to the politicians.

Penang road signs - signs of ethnic division?

UMNO Tanjung persoal papan tanda pelbagai bahasa

The above was taken from Utusan Malaysia’s headlines. It says that Raja Munir Shah Raja Mustapha, the deputy head of UMNO Tanjung questioned the State’s government’s motive in having road signs bearing more than just one language – namely, in Jawi, Chinese and Tamil.

Four days ago, on 24 Oct, the State government announced that it has approved the City Council’s plan to have road signs in the three local languages for those roads identified on the heritage listing. The heritage program would only be carried out in Georgetown.

Raja Munir doubted that the purpose has been for tourism. He accused the DAP-led State government for playing on trivial but populist issues. What about something substantial for the people, he challenged Lim GE’s government!

Besides, he argued that romanised Bahasa, apart from being the official national language, can be easily read by anyone, so what’s the purpose for the current bullsh*t - okay, kaytee has spiced up the language (pun not intended) a bit.

He advised us not to be taken by DAP’s guile as its (DAP’s) primary objective is to disrupt the multiracial harmony. He demanded that the State government respects the national language.

Then his Youth Leader Jeffri Salim said that they (presumably the Youths) will protest against those multi-language signs and demand they be removed. He said basically the same stuff, that people must respect and be proud of the national language yadda yadda.

I hope he doesn't do anything silly, like vandalising the new road signs on heritage listed thoroughfares.

If I recall the purpose of the heritage names, it was more than just having road signs in, as an example, the Chinese language. The nearly 200-year old Chinese names for the roads would be put up as well.

For example, until I read the Star Online article on this recently I wasn’t aware that Gu Gan Tang (cattle’s pen) is Lebuh Muntri (Chulia Street). For years, my mum and aunties would be yakking away about this and that in Gu Gan Tang (pronounced Gu Garn Tarng) without me ever realizing it was Lebuh Muntri, a street I knew quite well.

Lebuh Muntri (Chulia Street) or Gu Gan Tang

OK, I know places like Sin Kay or Campbell Street, which has the best Hainan chicken rice in Penang as well as the best gnow charp t'ng (beef tripe soup with radish, carrots and herbs) - also knew a sweetie there ;-) - but even today I do not know which road or lane is Snua T’au Kay, but which no doubt I had travelled zillions of times along it.

Campbell Street or Sin Kay

So the heritage names would be most welcome, without endangering the prime position of Bahasa Malaysia.

I advise UMNO Tanjung to cease and desist from driving a wedge between the people of Malaysia. Let’s look for commonalities rather than differences.

Read also: Memories down Penang Road (1)

photos taken from http://penangpage.com/chuliast/ - thanks!

Giving 200 MARA students each a Romanian car?

I don’t believe this!

Humongous alamak lah!

Bernama reported that next year MARA Will Sponsor 200 Students To Romania to take up medicine and petroleum & gas studies at Carol Davila University and Ploiesti University respectively.

No doubt the former has a mid-1800 origin (apparently set up by a Frenchman Carol Davila in 1857), but that country has since gone to the dogs, especially during the Cold War period.

It seems that in the Academic Ranking of World Universities in 2006, there was no Romanian university placed in the first 500 top universities, and that the No 1 Romanian university, Bucharest University, could only achieve half the score of the last university in the world top 500.

A Hungarian friend told me that during the Warsaw Pact days if you wanted to punish someone you gave him a Romanian made car – wakakakakakakaka.

I wonder whether Noh Omar Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister who made that sponsorship declaration has been properly briefed on the quality of Romania’s educational system or for that matter, any of its systems?

Is he giving the 200 MARA students each a Romanian car? wakakaka

Happy Deepavali

... to everyone ;-)

Misusing the name of Islam

The long-term goal of Christians in politics should be to gain exclusive control over the franchise. Those who refuse to submit publicly to the eternal sanctions of God by submitting to His Church's public marks of the covenant - baptism and holy communion - must be denied citizenship, just as they were in ancient Israel - Gary North

If we are going to save America and evangelize the world, we cannot accommodate secular philosophies that are diametrically opposed to Christian truth - Jerry Falwell


Against the background of the above utterances by a couple of religious extremists, we in Malaysia have to admit we too have our own Wonder.

Sickening sectarian small-minded segregationist saladin (with a lower case ‘s’ as that’s already more than he deserves) has come out with an attitude that tells us he wants to build a Israeli-like wall between Malaysian Muslims and the rest of Malaysia.

Yesterday the Star Online reported the Kulim Wonder has lashed out at everyone including his party's allies.

And we keep wondering when the world's greatest reformer is going to do something, anything about his 'reformasi general'?

Man man lai again?

But the saddest thing is while the Kulim saladin claims to be a paragon of Islam, he couldn’t shrugged off his ethno-coloured cloak.

In Malaysiakini he attacked Dr M as “the last person who should speak for Islam and defend the Malays”.

He should really look at himself in the mirror.

In his narrow pursuit of communal interests he has shamed and thus insulted the Islam he had brazenly claimed he championed, a great religion that is in essence supra-nationalistic, a fact obviously beyond his pathetic pitiful prejudiced understanding.

As an example of its Allah-(swt)-embracing compassionate supra nationalistic greatness, Islam has been the haven that millions of Indian Harijans (or Dalits) had over the centuries successfully sought shelter from a cruel life they didn't ask for, but by life's random throw of dice, were borned into.

And this Kulim Wonder, if we recall, has in the name of Islam excused himself from the shameful thuggist behaviour he had exhibited during the recent Bar Council forum.

Once again I ask Anwar Ibrahim what is he going to do about this terrible man!

Hindraf needs to rethink its strategy

From Day 1 kaytee had and still is supporting Hindraf and its campaign to improve the lamentable lot of the Indian Malaysians.

I have cried for our Indians in:

(1) The Toddy Syndrome and
(2) Malaysia’s Economic Pariahs

I was pissed off with their lamentable lack of meaningful political leadership which I blasted in 'Ketupat in Kashmir' - An MGR Extravaganza.

I even posted a poem on the Hindraf rally titled (no surprise) 25 November 2007.

However, it was with some mixed feelings, that of sadness and annoyance, when I read Malaysiakini articles Child, mother freed, 10 remanded and Shanti: I stayed in police station in protest.

We need to start off this discussion with the fact that the Home Ministry has banned Hindraf.

No doubt the Hindraf leadership made some rather extravagant allegations in their grievances, but the government should have recognized that those were the explosive expressions of a 5-decade old frustration, despair and unmitigated sufferings of a marginalised people.

Under such circumstances, the authorities ought to allow for some latitude in Hindraf’s cries of despair and not overreact by using the ISA to detain the Hindraf leadership, or (recently) ban the movement.

In becoming the political ostrich by ignoring the genuine grievances of a Malaysian community, and worse, sweeping the issues under the carpet through draconian punitive measures instead of working out real programs to mitigate the wrongs of the past, the UMNO-led government has failed in its so-called inclusive leadership.

Needless to say, with such a harsh and disdainful example set by the nation’s political leadership, it was hardly surprising that the police had overreacted on Thursday when they arrested 11 Hindraf people who attempted to submit a letter to the PM at his office in Putrajaya.

Why couldn’t they exercise a bit of judgement or commonsense by receiving the letter on behalf of the PM, and then sending those poeple home?

That was a rhetorical question as I have no doubt they were faithfully subscribing to the Minister’s pronouncement of Hindraf as a banned organization. As Malaysiakini reported, the Home Ministry said the group was detained for "taking part in an organisation that has been banned under Section 48 of the Societies act".

Our police lack that independence (of judgement and action) and commonsense which we admire in police forces of other more democratic nations.

But the infamy of the police action was to have included among the arrested group a 6-year old sweetie, P Vwaishhnnavi, the niece of detained Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar – see Malaysiakini Uthaya's niece, 11 others held.

‘Twas hardly surprising that the nation was shocked and riled by the dumbo-ness of the police in detaining a 6 year old. It was open slather as the condemnations against the ‘callous’ police assumed tsunamic proportions.

The police of course responded that they did not arrest Vwaishhnnavi but her mum. The 6-year old sweetie was merely in her mum’s care. OK, I believe the police.

But it did show our men in blue have not yet prepared for such a situation when they should have called upon the Welfare or Community Service people or even the girl’s relatives to look after Vwaishhnnavi, instead of allowing her to accompany Mum into the lockup ...

... but gnam gnam (precisely, exactly) what the Hindraf group would have wanted for assured sensational publicity. The young sweetie should never have been allowed to be detained.

On the other side of the coin, I deplore her mother’s irresponsibility in involving her young daughter in a situation which had led to the young girl’s de facto detention, by virtual of her wanting to stay naturally beside mum.

I recall in the PAS-PKR fuel protest rally last year, a PAS leader had also taken his daughter along in the march where the potential for confrontation with the dreaded FRU was very high …

… yet some parents had shown a certain callousness to their children’s welfare and/or irresponsibility by exploiting the young ones for political purposes ... but placing those children in unpleasant and even dangerous situations.

In Malaysiakini Shanti: I stayed in police station in protest the lil’ sweetie’s mum K Shanti, who is also wife of Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy, revealed her political agenda by insisting on remaining in the Putrajaya district police lockup in protest of the detention of her 10 friends and relatives.

I need to ask: did the young sweetie also remain behind together with mum?

Look, this grandstanding nonsense which has unfairly and unnecessarily disadvantaged and no doubt traumatised a 6-year old sweetie is not the way to appeal to the PM with a so-called Deepavali invitation, where Vwaishhnnavi promised to be waiting with flowers and cakes for AAB.

The mum has lost the plot.

Given this regrettable happenings, I recommend you read what Josh Hong, a Malaysiakini columnist, wrote in his article Indian revolt: The morning after, where he provided good advice to Hindraf leaders as follows:

The message sent through the extraordinarily successful rally last Sunday was too loud and too clear to fall on deaf ears.

As always, the spirit of reason must prevail despite the lingering euphoria. The onus is now on every concerned citizen and group to tie the appeals of the Indians into the expectations and demands of other Malaysians so as to de-racialise and de-religionise the whole thing.

Meanwhile, Hindraf leaders must do more to convince the public that they are not doing this with a vengeance, but are ready to walk and fight alongside just-minded Malaysians of all ethnicity, failing which they will only play into the hands of the ruling coalition and show themselves to be a fringe group of ethnic fanatics bent on havoc and destruction. Should this be the case, my Indian friends will again end up the ultimate losers in a conspiracy brilliantly executed by extremists of all sides.

Josh Hong’s advice becomes even more relevant today.

Blind candles man man lai?

Jaded! Perhaps a bit sick (medically).

That’s how I am today, and generally pissed off with politics. I see the Lion of Gelugor has been suspended from Parliament for 2 days – read Malaysiakini Karpal slapped with two-day suspension which started with his objection to UMNO Chief Head Kicker using the word ‘blind’ to criticize another MP.

Then in Malaysiakini Q&A: Home ministers all 'candles in the wind' we read about Syed Hamid attempting to do an Elton John wakakaka.

He said “all ministers of home affairs will never take a populist view. We are never popular but we are like a candle - we burn ourselves in order to protect society.”

I wonder what the late Princess Diane would say … probably she’s moaning from her grave.

Then again in Malaysiakini Anwar now 'in no hurry' to topple BN …... ‘nuff said. After all, when he boasted of 916, someone did ask: “Which year?”

Aiyah man man lai lah!

Instead I want to write about the past, on at least three things that stunned me, a Penang young laddie, when I first arrived in KL to (seek) work.

Firstly, I was repulsed by the overpowering smell of chlorine. Initially I wondered where the hell that pungent odour came from … until my auntie informed me “it’s the KL water lah”.

To me, it was so strong and stinging that it nearly 'blinded' me ;-)

Secondly, I was shocked by the mee when Uncle took me down to the local (his fave) Hokkien Mee stall. Unlike the more fine (slimmer) Penang mee the KL mee was thick like cacin (earth worms). And fried in KL style with black sauce … it looked yeeech and yucky.

But I went ahead and ate it - WTF, I then thought to myself, we only lived like 'candles in the wind' ;-)

Thirdly, everything costs more. Could I afford to live in KL? Unc advised: "Aiyah man man lai lah!"

Mind you I liked and still do KL sweeties ;-)

Najib's golden opportunity?

Malaysiakini tells us that Najib accepts its apology, and, to most people’s surprise also showed unexpected chivalry by praising Malaysiakini journalist Wong Choon Mei for ‘high values of professionalism’ in claiming responsibility for the 'Najib manifesto' error and resigning.

Poor sweetie Wong was unfortunately sucked into a nasty dud of the fabricated ‘blood dripping manifesto’. How I wish there could be a happier ending for sweetie, like Najib telling her not to resign, but I supposed she fell on her journalist sword.

Has Najib shown a new style of tolerance by merely chiding Malaysiakini without the usual sledgehammer approach favoured by Syed Hamid or the more aggro UMNO ministers, and then putting the icing on the cake by complimenting the Malaysiakini journalist?

Namawewe and Sin Chew journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, eat your hearts out!

But I reckon that even if Najib maintains this tolerant style, it may take quite a while for his detractors (but of course never his foes) to accept, let alone appreciate the milder than usual UMNO reaction.

His foes had done such a hatchet job on him, to an extent where even Malaysiakini's apology was either railed at for editorial cowardice or attributed to sinister and heavy handed government pressure.

Has Najib cleverly and deliberately moved up to higher moral grounds to demonstrate to the other BN component parties that he would be a better, far more accommodating and reasonable BN chairperson cum PM?

Is he neutralizing someone's preemptive accusations of his PM-ship to be likely a harsh and intolerant one a la the Mahathir years?

If he were to seek my advice, wakakaka, I would propose that he stuns Malaysia with the following moves:

(a) Demand that Utusan Melayu and the responsible reporter both immediately apologize to Teresa Kok for falsely accusing her of disrespect to Islam and the Malays,

(b) Call for the police to investigate Chamil Wariya for suspected incitement to violence in the 'YB Josephine' cerpen - he can only call for the police investigation as he isn’t the PM or Home Affairs Minister,

(c) Call for the release of the Hindraf 5 – He could play a clever game (i.e protecting his backside from the rightwing elements in his party) by stating that he supports the banning of Hindraf but saw no national security necessity to detain the five,

(d) As Finance Minister, convene a Federal-State high powered economic conference with all the Menteri Besar’s and State CM’s to formulate a national strategy to deal with the global economic problems. By making it a conference of Federal and State government leaders he will cleverly cut off you know who without appearing to be vindictive or mean spirited – wakakaka,

(d) etc.

By doing all the above, he would effectively chop off the political legs of the Pakatan Rakyat, in particular PKR and its de facto leader – wakakaka.

But alas, while I hope so for Malaysians to come together to face the humongous economic tsunami that’s going to hit everyone, I won’t hold my breath … well, not for too long anyway ;-)

Who is sniping at Najib!

Yesterday I blogged Hatred, fear & avarice in Malaysian politics which I had planned to continue with a Part II.

But events which happened today have overtaken my plans. I read in Malaysiakini that a sweetie Journalist has resigned over Najib 'manifesto' report.

Poor sweetie Wong Choon Mei bravely took the blame for not verifying the authenticity of the so-called 'Najib manifesto' which was released purportedly for his party presidential campaign.

Wong had received it in an email, but alas, it turned out to be a dud, but worse than that, it was a malicious mischievous malevolent dud, a fabrication to make Najib look bad in people’s eyes – I’ll come to that soon.

I salute sweetie Wong because she accepted the entire responsibility – I won’t go into this any further.

I too must make an apology for doubting Najib’s aide denial of the DPM releasing any party campaign manifesto. The unauthorised manifesto had Najib allegedly vowing to defend ketuanan Melayu to the last drop of his blood – very ethnocentric and very distasteful to a large number of Malaysians.

It would appear that had been the ulterior motive of the malicious email which claimed the job of sweetie Wong as collateral damage.

The reason I had doubted Najib’s official denial, with an original explanation that it came from a support group, had been the invocation of his late father’s name, where Najib had purportedly asserted his willingness to sacrifice himself (to the last drop of his blood) to defend ketuanan Melayu as he had purportedly vowed to his late father.

I rubbished his aide’s denial as a piece of pure balderdash because I didn’t believe any ‘support group’ could have invoked his private promise to his dad, and therefore I accused Najib of playing to different galleries.

As I said I have to swallow humble pie and take it back with due apologies - unfortunately I had been cynical of any denials from UMNO leaders.

But it has now become more clear, that the so-called ‘support group’ has been one unwelcomed by the Najib camp. Much as I like to say 'I did consider this possibility' the fact has been I didn't!

His office acknowledged Malaysiakini as having apologised to the DPM, but nonetheless chided the news portal for unprofessional conduct in not verifying the authenticity of the email which carried the fabricated manifesto. Maybe there was an obscene haste in wanting to rubbish Najib?

Najib's office released the following (relevant extracts only):

'It is important for Malaysiakini to investigate the origin of the malicious e-mail in order for it to clear its name and reputation.' […]

'This false story is the latest move in what is obviously a concerted effort by certain quarters to tarnish the image of the deputy prime minister. Indeed, of late, ever since the Umno transition plan was brought forward to March 2009, there has been a consistent and continuous effort by some websites to concoct and publish false and malicious reports aimed at discrediting the deputy prime minister.'

'We hope the Malaysian public, in particular readers of these websites are able to distinguish truth from falsehood when reading the materials published.’

So … dear reader, who could be the malicious source of that fabricated email to blacken the prime-ministerial capacity of Najib?

Just who could it be, to indulge in such mischief by fabricating a message involving the distasteful spilling of blood?

Was it to infuriate other UMNO presidential candidates or even AAB himself?

Or more likely, was it to undermine the support of the non-Malay BN MPs for Najib? Would it be to persuade Sabah and Sarawak BN MPs and even those from MCA and Gerakan that Najib won’t make a good BN Chairperson and PM for the non-Malays?

Malaysiakini tells us that Najib wrote at his blog yesterday, that the purported manifesto was a complete fabrication, and that there was no such ‘Najib support group'. is blog:

Najib wrote: "This manifesto is so clearly a fabrication, so clearly an attempt to define me, so clear in its intent to manipulate the public's emotions in a divisive and damaging way."

Just like the fabricated photo of a French dinner, and various other alleged Najib’s misdeed?

Now who could be so desperate as to keep piling on fabrications against Najib? Who would want to prevent Najib from filling UMNO's No 1 spot?

Hatred, fear & avarice in Malaysian politics

No doubt many of us after reading Malaysiakini article Najib unveils manifesto for top Umno job, where the future PM is reported to have vowed:

"I will defend the supremacy of the Malays until the last drop of my blood if I win the mandate of the delegates to become the next Umno president at election to be held in March 2009. This is the solemn promise I made to my late father before he died”

… did wonder whether Najib has improved since he last threatened to bathe the UMNO Youth keris in Chinese blood?

But many have consoled themselves by saying at least this time it would be Najib's own blood, where many in PKR would indeed love to see his last drop hitting the ground - wakakaka!

My uncle who was a public servant told me he once overheard Najib as a much younger man confiding to his cabinet colleagues apologetically about his public ‘demi bangsa’ war chant that it was merely ‘hey man, what do you expect lah, it’s party election time for UMNO Youth’.

And Anwar Ibrahim wasn’t all that different when he was Education Minister and trying to punch his way up to the top of the UMNO hierarchy. His tactic was to pamper to the nationalistic and religious rightwing in UMNO with some of the most draconian educational policies ever experienced in our 50 years of in dependence.

Both Anwar and Najib were playing to the gallery of UMNO and the heartland. But that shouldn’t and didn’t excuse them from exploiting communal feelings to further their own political advancements.

Then today we read in Malaysiakini article Najib manifesto from 'support group', not official that one of Najib’s close aide revealed the manifesto of ‘his last drop of blood’ was not sanctioned nor authorised by his office. It was released by a ‘support group’ of the DPM who personally wasn’t aware of the document.

Balderdash!

‘Support group’ don’t go about stating on his behalf that he made a promise to his dad he would defend the supremacy of the Malays to the last drop of his blood!

The way I see it, Najib is playing a political game where he gets his cake and eat it as well.

So he released the ‘demi bangsa’ vow, and then turning to the nons including the other BN component parties (and possibly international audience) he would say “Alamak, bukan ai lah, support group buat tu” – no different to Anwar vis-à-vis his 'buat ta'tahu' on the Kulim Wonder and his tap dancing around Article 153, etc – just the style of presentation between the two differs slightly.

… which brings us to a few other Malaysiakini headlines like:

(1) ...but MCA says Umno dominates BN
(2) BN leaders praise Ka Ting's 'bold' speech
(3) We want DPM post: MCA delegates

… which certainly would warm the cockles of Chinatown but hardly those of the heartland.

Tonight I want to discuss just in brief (very brief) three political emotions – Hatred, Fear and Avarice. I'll give a fuller treatment in future.

Hatred

Hatred could of course be as a result of fear, and vice versa.

It you see the PKR-BN polemics there is regrettably sheer hatred at the lower levels. When I went to Uncle Lim’s blog to read his post on the governance (or alleged lack of) in the purchase of the Eurocopter, my god, some of the comments were just plain expressions of hatred for Najib without any intelligent discourse of either the governance involved in the purchase or the technical features of the aircraft.

The above has been a typical example – there have been many others on both sides. But alas, for the PR, it would seem that 'brains' must have become an extinct creature for some PKR members.

… yet a few PKR members still have the brazen nerve to talk about a two-party system?

The feelings of hatred are not confined to PKR and UMNO only, for the headlines showed that the MCA and the Gerakan both have had their fill of UMNO’s arrogance to an extent that there now exists ill will and the accompanying aggression in both parties towards UMNO.

While MCA has been traditionally the closest partner of UMNO and therefore least likely to leave the BN, its current power-sharing demands are getting more and more extravagant and in some cases, bloody useless other than to feel good themselves, and invariably to annoy UMNO rather than convince it. The MCA's pendulum of conduct has swung across to the other extreme.

Fear

Strange as this may seem, but many UMNO members are fearful that their once primus inter pares status, even among the BN, have been eroded since 08 March 2008. That PR has swept into power across 4 states (Kedah, Penang, and especially Perak and Selangor) has been a most unpalatable and quite frightening fact.

There is no doubt certain parties have been gleefully exploiting this fear among the Malays. Some have seize upon it as a wonderful opportunity to pose as the champion of the Malays.

The net result is more polemics, racist declarations and a very divisive nation.

Avarice

Underlying all these would be the factor of avarice. I’ll talk more on this tomorrow.

UMNO's Hang Tuahs!

God defend me from my friends; from my enemies I can defend myself - Proverb


In this land of Hang Tuah, the knives are out (as usual) as Malaysiakini tells us of Intrigue at Umno to topple Abdullah.

Candidate for the UMNO NO 2 position, Muhyiddin Yassin, has asked for the party election to be brought forward to the original date of December instead of March next year.

While Muhyiddin claimed his proposal has to do with shortening the campaigning period, AAB reckoned it was to get rid of him a.s.a.p.

AAB believes that his Nemesis, Dr M, has been the provocateur.

Dr M of course wants to see Najib as PM soonest. He doesn’t trust AAB and his family to honour the March handover.

If we recall, when AAB was in power, his camp had gone to extraordinary length to ‘blockade’ Dr M’s voice being heard within the party, to the extent that Dr M was forced into accepting any platforms including the one organized by Raja Petra Kamarudin to criticize AAB and his children’s policies and actions.

For more, please read The UMNO Interdiction of Dr Mahathir!

The opposition, particularly PKR and PAS were so delighted to have Dr M lambasting UMNO that even PAS named Dr M as a ‘national treasure’ wakakaka. I want to see whether PAS will change its mind when Najib becomes PM and Dr M is seen as voicing his ‘opinions’ again.

Yes, that perfidy so famous in UMNO has also come unto KJ, at one time so powerful that almost everyone in UMNO were falling down in the mad rush to be seen by his side.

The Star Online reported in Khairy dealt Putrajaya blow that 2 Umno Youth divisions, Putrajaya and Tapah hitherto seen as in KJ’s camp, gave KJ the Judas Kiss.

Putrajaya gave leng chai SIL a fatal blow when it picked Mukhriz Mahathir over Khairy as its choice for the Youth chief post. It’s interesting to note that the division Youth chief Ahmad Zaki Zahid is a close friend of KJ and special officer to AAB. He couldn't deliver.

Then the new Tapah Umno Youth chief Khairuddin Mohd Jali also cheekily said that the delegates felt that Khairy should remain in his current capacity as deputy Youth chief as he was still young and had a long way to go.

Hah, that perfidious political wind of change!

Talking about UMNO's brand of loyalty, I deem that bloke who had penned a poem on Teresa Kok as a dog had unwittingly paid her a great compliment because humorist Josh Billings informed us that “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”

As for those anti-dog camp, I reckon the backstabbing must have been how Jebat felt when his best mate Tuah turned on him for a mere tyrant.

Biar mati anak: Jangan mati adat (Better your children die than your traditions).

Well, the UMNO tradition lives on!

Related:
(1) Et Tu Baharom
(2) No Hang Tuah for Dr Mahathir

MCA Youth's meaningless demand

Malaysiakini tells us in its news article MCA wants second deputy BN chief's post that Liow Tiong Lai, MCA Youth outgoing chief has demanded that the BN creates two deputy chairpersons where one should go to the MCA as the second most senior party in the Perikatan-BN coalition.

Hitherto both chairperson and deputy chairperson of the BN have been automatically UMNO’s to take.

His bravado was no doubt the MCA Youth’s way of showing the Chinese Malaysian community the MCA has begun exerting its equal say in the political coalition.

Personally I believe demanding such a post is useless, meaningless and a mere grandstanding gesture, because it’s only a political coalition position, and of course the way it’s done could only irk the UMNO ultras who can’t stand any non-Malay ‘demanding’ this or that.

As evidence of the latter, today the Rulers Conference has, very sadly for Malaysians, defended the myth of the country’s social contract.

Their Highnesses’ spokesperson delivered a familiar nationalistic clarion call, stressing the need for Malays to be united (see Star Online), which makes me wonder whether I am only a second class subject(?) of HM the Agong?

How nice it would have been if the Rulers had stressed on the need for ‘Malaysians’ to be united. And where was our erudite Prince Regent and his Papa?

Now, haven't I told you gushing gullible guppies HRH ain't no silver bullet for our deep rooted problems!

While the Rulers made a concessionary assurance that the rights of non-Malays will be looked after as per the Constitution, and I now wonder what the nons' rights really are, they warned that there should never be any attempt to test or challenge issues related to the social contract.

They chided ‘certain quarters’ for disputing and questioning these matters, causing provocation and uneasiness among the people.

Hey, it’s one thing to have an affirmative program like the NEP, but it’s another to assert the existence of a ‘social contract’.

Don’t be mistaken that Constitutional Article 153 is the head of authority for the so-called ‘social contract’. All the Article says has been about the ‘special position’ of the Rulers, Malays etc.

Anyway, much on the ‘social contract’ has already been tossed around like a salad, so I don’t propose to continue in a no-win–no-win discussion. The Rulers Conference has confirmed what the Kelantan Prince had said in April this year, namely:

“... the rakyat must unite and never raise issues regarding Malay rights and special privileges because it is a quid pro quo in gratitude for the giving in of citizenship (beri-paksa kerakyatan) to 2.7 million non-Malays into the Tanah Melayu federation."

“Thus, it is not appropriate for these other ethnic groups to have citizenship, only (later) to seek equality and privileges.”

So … not appropriate for these other ethnic groups to seek equality … how sad!

Perhaps you may understand why I titled my post on that hurtful statement as Kelantan Crown Prince 'slapped' non-Malays in face!.

Then in April, in my post Social contract - a vigorously implemented 'fantasy', based on a Malaysiakini news article, we were told by Royal Professor Dr Ungku Abdul Aziz that there was no such thing as a social contract between Malaysia's diverse ethnic communities.

Dr Ungku Aziz said that the social contract was "a fantasy created by politicians of all sorts of colours depending on their interest."

Well, it has been, for some, a profitable fantasy - but it's a fantasy that has been vigorously and fiercely implemented and more than realized.

Ungku Aziz believed whatever contract there was, it was more of an ‘economic contract’, what most countries would call 'affirmative action', in areas of education and health for groups that needed it the most …

… which has been why I stated above that “It’s one thing to have an affirmative program like the NEP, but it’s another to assert the existence of a ‘social contract’. Don’t be mistaken that Constitutional Article 153 is the head of authority for the so-called ‘social contract’.”

Though Ungku Aziz chopped down the myth (at least intellectually) of the ‘social contract’ we now get the royalty telling us, their ‘non’ subjects not to question the mythical ethno-centric politico-social-economic quid pro quo.

So I ask you, what’s the bloody good of having a MCA person as a second deputy chairperson of the BN? He or she will still be an inferior 'non'!

As one sweetie once said, words to the effect, that to term someone with such a terrible word as a 'non' must be the most abhorrent thing imaginable.