Pejuang mulls borrowing Amanah logo for GE15; Rocket on standby?

Malaysiakini:



Pejuang mulls borrowing Amanah logo for GE15

Faced with a registration roadblock, Pejuang may consider contesting the next general election using the Amanah logo.

Its pro-tem deputy president Marzuki Yahya confirmed the matter when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Amanah leaders also confirmed that the idea had been floated, but no official discussions on the matter have taken place yet.

Marzuki, who is former foreign deputy minister, said this was just one of several preliminary ideas.


“We haven’t discussed anything yet (with Amanah)... it is just one of the few suggestions.

“Now our focus is to register Pejuang... and this (Amanah ticket proposal) is just for if there is an election (before we can get registered),” he added.

When asked whether the party was also considering integrating with Warisan, the senator briefly said that they are open to working with everyone in the opposition.

“However, we have not committed anything yet... we're focusing more on getting Pejuang registered,” he added.

Amanah vice-president Hasanuddin Yunus

Meanwhile, Amanah vice-president Hasanuddin Yunus, who is aware of Pejuang's proposal, said his party was open to the idea if it can benefit the country.

“There is no official discussion yet, but we are open to having Pejuang candidates who have leadership skills and have no platform to contest in GE15, to contest under our logo.

“They can apply to Amanah and we are prepared to discuss and assess the candidate before making a decision,” said the Hulu Langat MP.

Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub echoed this.

“So far, I haven’t got the official request... but we are open to accepting this. (If there’s a request) Amanah will discuss it and we have no problem with this,” he said.

Pejuang was formed last August as an offshoot of Bersatu.

[...]

Mukhriz had said that if Pejuang's registration is rejected, the party may consider contesting the next general election under another party or coalition's ticket, rather than as third-party independents.

*********

kt notes:

After all Pejuang's predecessor PRIBUMI BERSATU, Atuk's post-UMNO party (set to recapture UMNO for his bidding a la pre 2003), used the PKR logo for GE14 so the pinjam-ing is not something new or radical.

But today Atuk would not be able to repeat that kamcheng borrowing/adoption as he and Anwar would never play footsie tootsie ever, not after his evil treachery towards Anwar.

Well, there are the gullible moronic Lims' Rocket brand and of course the equally greedy-for-power Amanah and its pyramidical logo to borrow.

Better Amanah, I suppose, as it also imbues Atuk's party with quasi-Islamic credentials, wakakaka.

But if PKR, DAP and Amanah (plus perhaps a Sabah or Sarawak party) were to combine and use that old GE14 logo (PKR) again for GE15, what then?

Will the power-avaricious DAP and Amanah invite Pejuang to join the coalition? Will Anwar even permit Atuk the same space to work out his mamak-rised treachery again?

MCO - Flip-flopping government's ministers are worst models

Malaysiakini:

Voices of doom during the pandemic

by R Nadeswaran

COMMENT | Like the scanner at the Customs checkpoint in Port Klang and the CCTV in the Miri lockup, the government machinery is not only malfunctioning but on the verge of a complete breakdown. This has resulted in little remaining of systems and structures related to governance.

They have been replaced in some cases by warlords who want it to be done "My Way", throwing caution to the winds and adopting an "I know best" attitude.

Urgent remedial action is the only diagnostical answer for a cure. Is there a dogmatic and determined will and resolve to put an end to all these in the interests of the country and its people? Can an end be put to all the politicking and the tomfooleries of politicians, their cronies and wannabes?

"Kaput" may not be the most appropriate word to describe the current state of affairs. But at the rate things are moving, we will get there soon enough.

While some of the perpetrators of the problems can be classified as recalcitrant, the buck stops with the prime minister, because it was he who put them in positions of power – ministers and their deputies.

Thereafter, it was he who "bought" support from warlords and members of Parliament with offers of positions in statutory bodies and government-linked companies.

The results have been disastrous. Some ministers seem to believe they have a divine right to do anything while others give a new meaning to the term "Cash is King".

The right to hire and fire has taken new dimensions, and long-standing and knowledgeable employees, including experienced chief executives, have been dismissed arbitrarily. Contracts have been terminated without considering the legal implications and consequences.

The public wondering if the right people have been appointed and if all issues are considered and well thought of before implementation. The provisions of the latest movement control order (MCO) implemented two weeks ago is an example.

Did it need a campaign hash-tagged #SiBodohKauDengarSini (listen here, idiot) to jolt the decision-makers to revise the closing times of restaurants? Why is the government attracting such insults and labels? How much more abuse is needed to make sure they put on their thinking caps before promulgating regulations?

It is understandable because of the patchwork done by the powers-that-be which allowed jewellers, and clothes boutiques to open and yet bar barbershops and disallowed (initially) motor assemblers from operating.

The rules state that any event that involves many people making it difficult to enforce physical distancing is not allowed. But who is listening? Politicians continue to organise events and gatherings with impunity and contempt for the law.

The flip-flops, ambiguity and methodology used in selecting what kind of business can operate are flawed. And each time remedial action is taken to reverse certain decisions, the inevitable question is: "Didn't they talk it over or consult the stakeholders over the implications?"

In May last year, in an open letter to the prime minister, I wrote: "The Penang chief minister has thrown down the gauntlet and, in the process, told Malaysians of the haphazard and disorganised manner in which the preamble to the (partial) lifting of the MCO was discussed. To use the word "slipshod" would be an understatement.

"Sir, the coronavirus crisis and the MCO have brought both the best and worst of Malaysians. The latter category is infested with politicians – most of them who are on your side, supposedly or pretending to be your allies. The problems they have caused and the embarrassing situations they put themselves into also affect us – the citizens and this beloved country."

Has anything changed? Instead of using an iron fist against those who breach the rules, the establishment has chosen to play footsy with selected entities. After all the hullabaloo and the publicity generated over workers' accommodation, not a single errant employer has been prosecuted.

They thumped their chest and said "we are preferring 38 charges in one case", but since that announcement more than a month ago, there has hardly been a whimper. Why?

We have hit the 4,000 mark in the number of Covid19 infections over the past few days. Yet, politicians continue to make decisions in defiance of health authorities. The clarion calls to stay at home and observe standard operating procedures (SOPs) have fallen on deaf ears.

The prime minister's periodic appearance on television, reading from a prepared text, has not assured us confidence. On the contrary, the cynics are placing bets as to which politician will defy him first!

For a moment, let's put the MCO aside and consider the performance of the government. Its capabilities or the lack of it; its failure to transform individuals into a cohesive unit; and the inability to hold law-breakers among them to be accountable for their actions – are signs of weakness and an impending disaster.

The tell-tale signs are all there. Some state governments are implementing unpalatable rules and regulations without consulting Putrajaya, which are acts of defiance and showing their strength.

For the prime minister who once decreed that he is "Malay first and Malaysian second", the voices of doom are being reverberated by his own kind who are also government members.

It would be adding salt in the wound by saying that what goes around comes around, but would this backdoor government end up as the first failed government in our 64-year-old history?



R NADESWARAN feels that the prime minister is too soft and making too many concessions to stay in power. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com

Muhyiddin has lost control of the worsening pandemic

Malaysiakini:

Two weeks on, but emergency not helping the pandemic

by Francis Paul Siah

COMMENT | By and large, Malaysians have been obediently and responsibly adhering to the standard operating procedures and directives from the health authorities.

I have stated elsewhere that if we get infected, we have no one to blame but ourselves. If we are still not able to learn anything over the past year of the Covid-19 pandemic and take the necessary precautions, then God help us.

Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has a thankless task. The increasing number of ministers, lawmakers and their aides being tested positive is an indication that they have not been heeding his directive that “even VVIPs are not permitted to gather or hold meetings”.

Ismail has to seriously crack his whip. He must not compromise, even with his cabinet colleagues if they run afoul of the law. Spare no one the rod. Show everyone that you really mean business, Ismail.

What I actually find disturbing is that two weeks into the national emergency, touted as the ultimate weapon to contain the pandemic, things have not improved an iota. In fact, the situation is getting worse.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had declared on Jan 12 that the emergency was for the specific purpose of fighting the coronavirus as the situation has reached a critical point.

According to him, the “calm and stability” from the emergency would help spur the Covid-19 stricken economy.

Well and good. Whether we supported the emergency or not then, we all waited for some welcoming news about the pandemic.

Surely, the prime minister must have some grand plans ready (or so we thought) to wipe out the pandemic that warrants the unprecedented and serious act of staging a national emergency. (Seriously, I have not heard of any other country declaring an emergency to fight the pandemic. Have you?)

Two weeks in, we didn’t hear any good news from the prime minister. Instead, the pandemic has got worse each passing day, with record-breaking numbers of positive cases and deaths taking place all over the country.

The recent statement from Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah that “the Health Ministry has done its best, yet the situation is not getting any better” was also of no comfort.

Then, the complaints voiced by doctors on the frontline that they were forced to work very long hours due to the shortage of medical staff, plus the lack of personal protective equipment in public hospitals, are also worrying.

We must ask where the billions allocated in Budget 2021 to fight the pandemic are and how has the money been spent so far. Is the government taking its time in dispensing the necessary funds to the health authorities? In this case, there is no time to lose.

Health experts have long implored the government to allocate more people to assist the Health Ministry with contact tracing.

Unless this is expedited, they say the Covid-19 pandemic will only worsen.

Why is the government not listening to these health experts? It is clear that these extra hands are needed urgently.

Muhyiddin must set his priorities right. Why spend RM35 million to build three community halls in Pagoh, Johor, now? The money can be used to hire thousands to assist in contact tracing. And who needs community halls at this time?

There are many more questions the prime minister has to answer. We have heard enough of his repeated assurance that the emergency will open more doors for the government to fight the pandemic.

I must ask. Two weeks in, Mr Prime Minister, what doors have been opened? If certain doors have been opened, tell us what they were. Perhaps the worsening situation is an indication that the so-called doors are totally ineffective.

I do not think declaring an emergency is necessary to compel more hotels to allow their premises to be used as quarantine centres. That could easily be resolved by negotiating with the cooperative hoteliers in the country. Even budget hotels are more than happy to participate as quarantine centres.

From public feedback, it is quite clear that the majority of Malaysians lack confidence in this government to tackle the pandemic.

It is also apparent that many Malaysians are not in favour of the emergency. Their main worry is the likelihood of power abuse linked to it.

Not surprisingly, opposition MPs have initiated plans to appeal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to lift the emergency. The Sarawak government has also discussed such an appeal to the king to lift the emergency in the state.

With due respect to the prime minister, I believe this is a task too monumental for him to handle. The political polemics within his Perikatan Nasional coalition, plus the little support from tired and weary Malaysians, will not put Muhyiddin in the right frame of mind to govern effectively.

Perhaps, it’s time for the prime minister to do the honourable thing – make a graceful emergency exit.



FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is the author of 'Hijack in Malaysia: The Fall of Pakatan Harapan'. Obtain autographed copies from sirsiah@gmail.com

Mahathir wanted Tommy Thomas to resign as AG after a day

MM Online:

In upcoming book, ex-AG Thomas claims Dr Mahathir sought his resignation the same day as appointment

In the prologue to his book, ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’, Tan Sri Tommy Thomas said the then-prime minister made the revelation almost immediately after saying that his appointment as the AG had received royal assent. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Tan Sri Tommy Thomas suggested that he could have been the attorney general for just a single day due to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s concern about Malay backlash to his appointment, according to an excerpt from his still-unreleased memoir.

In the prologue to his book, My Story: Justice in the Wilderness, Thomas said the then-prime minister made the revelation almost immediately after saying that his appointment as the AG had received royal assent.

“Despite the Agong’s decision, Tun wanted me to resign because of the scale and magnitude of the Malay opposition to my appointment.

“I was utterly astounded. Tun wanted my resignation the next day,” Thomas wrote in the prologue.

Thomas said he then agreed and told Dr Mahathir to prepare a press statement to explain the decision.

The former AG said he then spoke with confidants who tried to convince him to resist Dr Mahathir, but without success as he accepted that the appointment was the prime minister’s prerogative.

Thomas said his resignation did not materialise at the time as “we just could not make sense of Tun’s decision and therefore could not explain it.”

The excerpt of the prologue ends at this point and without identifying the “we” who were unable to justify Dr Mahathir’s move.

Thomas assumed office as the AG on June 4, 2018, after his predecessor, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, was effectively forced out of the position following Pakatan Harapan’s unexpected victory in the 2018 general election.

His appointment was controversial due to his ethnicity and religion, with opponents of the move claiming that the AG must be both Malay and Muslim.

He left the position on February 28, 2020, after Dr Mahathir’s unforced resignation as the prime minister.

Thomas was succeeded by Tan Sri Idris Harun, the brother of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.

Since his resignation, Thomas has maintained a low profile save for the occasional statement addressing matters at the Attorney General’s Chambers during his time as its head or cases related to the 1MDB scandal.

A Gerakbudaya title, My Story: Justice in the Wilderness is scheduled for public release on January 30.

*********

kt notes: And some guli-less people wanted to "reset" politics to bring the racist back, besides the sin of not revealing this 'Tuk Pusing's belakang pusing demi bangsa dan agama? Sheeesh

Hadi Awang warns Muslims against scheming minorities

MM Online:

PAS’ Hadi claims minorities racing to vote for chance at political power, while Malays weakened by ‘colonialist demons’

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang speaks during a Perikatan Nasional event at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur September 1, 2020. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang published today a lengthy critique that again took aim at ethnic minorities, suggesting that they are scheming for political power and that this is the underlying reason why they are keen to go to the ballots.

The allegation was made as a conclusion to his theory about the growing public disgust of politics, which Hadi claimed is ultimately a result of a deep-seeded conspiracy by Western colonialists whose endgame is to sow suspicion towards “Islamic governance”.

As a result, the Malays now lack “self-belief” and are even distrustful of their own faith, the Marang MP added.

This quagmire, he went on to write, had made the ethnic majority weak and allowed other races to chance upon the community whose political awareness are still left wanting compared to the minorities.

“We witness the hatred towards politics happening because they are influenced by demons wearing human masks, which is happening to the Muslims themselves who are used by their own puppet masters,” Hadi said in Facebook posting published this evening.

“Their own understanding of Islam itself lacks vigour ... today in our own country we witness how the Malays who are Muslims remain the slowest to register as voters because the demons inherited from the colonial era have succeeded in possessing them,” he added.

“At the same time, we see races who are not Muslims are racing with each other to grab the chance at political power.”

Hadi’s party is facing minority backlash after the PAS-led Kedah state government said this year’s Thaipusam, a religious event celebrated by the country’s two million over Hindus, will not be a public holiday.

Kedah Mentri Besar Sanusi Md Nor said the call had taken into account the ongoing movement control order, enforced since January 13 and to last until February.

Critics, among them Barisan Nasional’s Indian-based component member MIC, immediately blasted the move as racist. Some said Sanusi’s action underpinned PAS’ long standing problem with religious bigotry although the party has continued to deny this.

Both PAS and MIC are members of the ruling coalition.

It is unclear if the issue had prompted Hadi to make the allegations. Labelling western political ideas as colonialist conspiracy has been a standard trope the PAS president has used repeatedly in his lectures and public speeches.

In today’s posting, the Marang MP again suggested that the Malay community is rife with self-doubt and is suspicious of politics and Islamic governance, which he blamed on Western conspirators.

“They have spread ‘tasykik’ towards Islamic teachings, particularly against its political ideas by drawing parallels Islamic politics with others,” he wrote, using the Arabic term that roughly means “spreading doubt and suspicion”.

“They dumped Islam in the same basket as other brands which led to [people thinking] all politics are dirty and treacherous.”

Last year, PAS had backed the Perikatan Nasional’s government takeover led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and was rewarded with several posts in the Cabinet, government and government-linked agencies and companies.

PAS asserting itself through oppression against minorities

Malaysiakini:

PAS' political soul-searching contains oppression

by James Chai

COMMENT | PAS loves power. Don’t get me wrong; PAS does not love power more than your next politician. They are willing to play the game of sacrificing your principles, trade your horses for benefits and they understand that a route to power is always better than none at all.

PAS loves the sensation of power. As a state government, they are no stranger to controversies in flaunting the wealth of their positions. Buying expensive cars is a must, increasing salary is an option and feeling sorry for enjoying these is not a necessity.

You cannot blame them. Nobody wants to be in the opposition forever. For the longest time, they have failed to find a reason to overcome the animosity with Umno, the last political hegemon. Only on the eve of 2020 did the opportunity come knocking at their door: A Malay-Muslim government.

With 18 seats in Parliament, they became infinitely valuable to Bersatu and Umno’s tug-of-war, and they could finally call themselves the “kingmakers”.

State power is nothing compared to federal power. The salary is a few folds higher, the allowances and benefits more comprehensive, and the aura, the smell and the feel of prestige overcome you.

But comfort comes at a price for a small party like PAS. They make the kings, but they are not the kings. In terms of decision-making power, they are but negotiators who concede more than they win.

The wandering world of power

All former opposition parties have to go through this uncomfortable transition in government.

Three months after joining the government, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man admitted that PAS is now a different party. The rapturous days of pursuing Act 355 to allow for partial implementation of hudud are over. The fire of activism has extinguished.

Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man

Tuan Ibrahim may have spoken too soon. The “forced moderation” has started to threaten the identity of PAS. Without something religious to fight for, they are fading into irrelevance.

More and more Malay supporters are starting to recognise that PAS did not make the government more Malay, or more Islamic. These are functions that could be fulfilled by Umno and Bersatu. After all, what voters needed was a symbolic reassurance that their rights are not threatened. Very few want a total Islamic transformation of the country – something even PAS might not necessarily want.

As time passes, PAS supporters no longer harbour hopes for PAS leaders at the federal level to pursue Islamic policies the way they campaigned before. None of PAS leaders' policies or statements in federal government are Islamic in nature. Forced moderation and mundane administration have taken over.

Therefore, the only hope is at the state level. Kedah’s Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor was eager to carve out a name for himself. By the end of 2020, his state’s local council demolished a 50-year old Hindu temple in Taman Bersatu, Kuala Kedah. It was considered a safe target for political mileage because he had grounds of illegality, which on a religious freedom perspective is oppressive, but on a purely political calculus, made sense to him.

Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, smirking VELL-y arrogantly

When the arguments got heated with minority leaders, Sanusi managed to fit in a casual racial slur of being “drunk on the toddy of popularity” – an awkward and insulting self-proclaimed “metaphor”.

The long line of petty but oppressive fights

Sanusi’s recent cancellation of Thaipusam as a religious holiday follows from the lineage of picking petty but oppressive fights against the minorities. The arguments he made were factually incorrect (mixing 2014 with 2017) and logically unsustainable (MCO ruling out any celebration, thus no point of a holiday).

This approach of reasserting their identity will continue. A few days ago, PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad was publicly pushing for an anti-LGBT taskforce. He said that the current laws were not tight enough to prevent “toxic lifestyle (promoted) openly through social media”.

PAS’s women’s chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh went even further by calling this an “act of love” to “save LGBT” from gender confusion. The contradiction is too obvious when it came in only a few days after the prime minister’s commitment to hate speech.

More and more, we will see patterns of PAS leaders advocating for the oppression of minority groups, and worse, sustaining its justification on flimsy and inconsistent reasons. This is PAS finding its place in the political landscape, which at its most powerful, it is struggling not to look weak.

I am convinced that these are still political posturing and nothing more. In that sense, we could be comforted, because at least we know the oppression is not sincere.

But how comforted can we be when the politics come at a real human cost?



JAMES CHAI is a legal consultant and researcher working for Invoke, among others. He also blogs at jameschai.com.my. You may reach him at jameschai.mpuk@gmail.com

Sheraton 2 - its 'Grand Scheme'

TMI:

Ousting of Umno president begins, say analysts

Analysts expect calls for Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s resignation as Umno president to intensify as party elections near. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, January 24, 2021.

SIGNS are rife the ousting of Umno president Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has begun, said analysts.

They said this is evident from the hard-hitting press conference held by former party secretary-general Annuar Musa, the circulation of an e-book against Zahid and the open call by a division leader for the president’s resignation.

There are 2 reasons why the above news may be considered sheer kerbau, wakakaka.

One, the holding of the press conference by Raja Bodek (who recently and most disgracefully took over that contemptible title from Koh Tsu Koon, wakakaka, for his servile ultra bodek-ish pro-BERSATU-PRIBUMI mentality in spite of the fact he is an UMNO member), and ...

Two, the recent revelation of the Perikatan Nasional Party's covert 'Grand Design' by Malaysian Dateline which I posted as: Sheration Move 2 atau PN's "Grand Design".

Wakakaka.

Indeed there is currently an (Ass-binte's???) agitated move to remove Zahid (and his boss Najib) so that Hishamuddin can take over UMNO.

Hisham is a good mate of Ass-binte (not in that Haziq-ish sense of course, wakakaka) and thus very pro BERSATU-PRIBUMI.

Ass-binte, Machiavellian to his very last strand of DNA, has plotted the PN's 'Grand Design', overtly to protect Muhyiddin's position as PM but more in practical terms to protect Ass-binte's own political survival for where would Ass-binte be welcomed? Whether the abominable Architect of backdoor, backside and offside politics can achieve his sinister wicked treacherous design remains to be seen.

With Hisham's elevation to become UMNO Boss through this sinister Machiavellian move, Raja Bodek (not withstanding his current UMNO membership) will be crowned as the new Boss of BERSATU-PRIBUMI, requiring of course a slimy lompat from UMNO to BERSATU-PRIBUMI (just a mere step for Raja Bodek).

This seemingly fraternal froggy move will copy exactly Atuk's earlier manoeuvre immediately post GE14 when he invited UMNO MPS to join his BERSATU-PRIBUMI despite the Old Man's pre GE14 vow to Pakatan Harapan NOT to accept UMNO frogs into his party, but did the Lims (father and son) say anything? Wakakaka - Bor Laam Phar!

At this stage, one wonders whether the Old Sinister Devilish hands are still involved in the current 'Grand Design'? I will not be surprised if he is still managing the political stage and just bersandiwara-ing here and there to ensure his two bête noires (Anwar and Najib) are barred from ever ascending to the PM post, wakakaka, and to elicit sympathies as well, wakakaka again.

Thus, with Hisham bossing UMNO and Raja Bodek chief-ing BERSATU-PRIBUMI, the Malay political Unity will then be strengthened considerably by these two Macai's for Perikatan Nasional, with assured safety for a retiring Muhyiddin and his eventual successor Ass-binte. Then the new Ass-binte conceived Alliance will kowtim PAS, wakakaka.

You may ask why not Ass-binte as head of BERSATU-PRIBUMI? T'was said he doesn't yet have control over the middle grounds of the party thus Raja Bodek has to serve as 'interim' chief for a while.

Yeah lah, in Malaysian politics there are lots of 'de facto head', 'interim boss' and 'bor laam phar macai', wakakaka.

Mamak sokong Mamak - Pejuang & Kimma

Malaysiakini:



Pejuang may need to take over another party in face of ROS roadblocks

Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) may be considering taking over an existing party after the Registrar of Societies (ROS) refused to approve the party's registration.

A source close to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also the Pejuang pro-tem chairperson, said they hope the ROS will eventually approve the party - but they are keeping their options open if it does not.

The source claimed a possible takeover candidate is the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma).

"It is still at the discussion stage, but we hope that Pejuang's registration can be approved instead," he told Malaysiakini.

However, Mahathir's political secretary Abu Bakar Yahya downplayed the takeover proposal as "speculation".

Abu Bakar stressed that Putrajaya should not block Pejuang from being registered as a new political party.

"It's just speculation. People can also say that Pejuang will take over Umno or Bersatu.

"The fact is that there is no reason for the government not to approve Pejaung's registration.

"If there are any conditions that are not met (for the registration), we can meet them," Abu Bakar said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Mahathir's political secretary Abu Bakar Yahya

Mahathir previously complained that the ROS refused to approve Pejaung, a splinter party of Bersatu, which is led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Mahathir said this was despite Pejuang already fulfilling all the conditions for registration.

He claimed that ROS would not approve the registration of the party without Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin's consent, even though his permission is not procedurally required.

Eff Kerbau Reformasi, GE15 will be National Mahjong Day

MM Online:

Analysts: Pakatan supporters may sit out vote at GE15, with Umno and PAS set to benefit

Political scientist Wong Chin Huat said it’s hard for people to get excited about a general election after 11 months of 'intense machination'. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Many voters, disillusioned with politicians and political parties after a nearly year-long mess in Malaysian politics, may choose not to cast their ballots in the country’s upcoming 15th general election (GE15), political analysts have suggested.

Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said progressive voters who supported Opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the last general election (GE14) would be the ones most likely to sit out the upcoming one — after seeing the collapse of the PH government last year triggered by what is now known as the “Sheraton move.”

He, together with some other pundits, say a smaller voter turnout will very likely work in favour of Umno and PAS who still have a strong base of supporters.

“I think PAS and Umno still hold large sway over their primarily rural supporters, old and young, and could thus more effectively mobilise them to come out to vote in contrast to PH which has been accused by their progressive supporters of not having done enough to promote progressive causes,” he said.

University of Malaya's associate professor Awang Azman Awang Pawi agreed with Oh, saying that PH supporters were unhappy with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after he resigned as prime minister last year without consulting the coalition.

He added that Mahathir’s reluctance to hand over power to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as promised also left a bad taste in the mouths of those who voted for PH expecting that Anwar would be given the post eventually.

The current administration under Perikatan Nasional (PN) is also not popular with voters, Awang Azman added

“There were issues where loan moratoriums were not extended and withdrawing funds from the Employee Provident Fund was difficult. The government is also seen as failing to control Covid-19 to a point where the numbers are exceeding those in China,” he explained.

However, Awang said that not all in PN would be punished equally.

He pointed out that Bersatu was made up of many who had “jumped over” from Umno and PKR, making them quite unpopular.

“Umno, on the other hand, after many jumped (to other parties), has been cleansed from within. This has made them stronger,” he said.

Awang went on to say that PAS’ supporters may go either way should an election be called.

“When issues such as Act 355 (Shariah Courts Act 1965, or RUU 355 in Malay) and anti-gambling measures which were championed previously are no longer voiced, many have stopped supporting PAS.

“But PAS is a party that has many members loyal to their leaders even if the party does not deliver.”

Sunway University’s Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist, said it’s hard for people to get excited about a general election after 11 months of “intense machination.”

“If politicians are competing for power without offering alternative policies, many voters would be disillusioned,” said Wong.

“The more people choose not to vote, the more power those who vote have over others.”

Earlier this month, speculation was rife that GE15 would be held later this year, after Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin lost majority support in Parliament.

However, a state of Emergency has been declared in the nation — purportedly in response to the Covid-19 pandemic — leaving the possibility of a general election in limbo.

PSM's letter to an uncaring Billionaire on Covid-19 victims finding better living space

Malaysiakini:

Tun, help Covid-19 victims find better living space

by S Arutchelvan
(deputy chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)

LETTER | I thought Dr Mahathir Mohamad was only politically isolated until I read his advice against home quarantine of Covid-19 patients. It seems even on the questions of isolation, Mahathir's views can be amusing.

Now, after one of his family members was infected with Covid-19 and told to home quarantine, Mahathir advises the government to consider mandating home quarantine for low-risk Covid-19 patients.

Mahathir wrote in his blog: "However, if an infected person is at home, the family members will be infected. Then more people will be infected. They (Covid-19 positive patients) should be quarantined away from family members."

Now here we have a billionaire family living in a huge mansion worried about other family members being infected when he has such a huge social space and place and multiple washrooms to comfortably observe social distancing.

Now imagine the faith of those staying in the low-cost and PPR units, those staying in crowded areas. In fact, Mahathir’s family and his contacts should be able to help these poor people infected by Covid-19 with some alternative place to stay and observe social distancing as well.

When Mahathir was the prime minister, he never had a desire to see the working class live a decent life. Even critical laws like the Minimum Wage Act, and retrenchment benefits, only saw the light of day when he was not in office. I am sure he would have also protested against better housing facilities for workers' quarters as this would cut into the profits of the employers.

Mahathir also created the two-tiered health system and introduced the mushrooming of private hospitals in the country. As a result, the quality of public health care was seriously compromised. Funding for public health care also took a toll. What is even more sickening is that most of our huge private hospitals are government-linked companies (GLCs) where the government hold majority shares, which means it should have been much easier to get them to join the fight against Covid-19.

Today, the government behind closed doors is pleading with these private hospitals to come on board to fight Covid-19. The process is happening but not as smooth. It is no secret that the private sector was initially reluctant to take in Covid-19 patients as it will impact on their profits and since now that they have no choice, they are seeing how they can profit from these same Covid-19 patients. That is the ABC of private health care and thank you Tun for being the brainchild behind this.

Yes, Tun, I saw your tweet: "Saturday, January 23 - I'm at home." Stay safe and wishing your family members a speedy recovery. Sorry that our health system is too overwhelmed to take everyone in.

Pandemic - Anwar is right; Muhyiddin has lost the plot

MM Online:

Anwar: MCO will only get longer if manufacturers allowed to operate during lockdown

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaks to reporters after meeting with the Pakatan Harapan presidential council in Petaling Jaya January 12, 2021. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that the government’s decision to allow the manufacturing sector to operate during the movement control order (MCO) period would only serve to prolong it and not reduce the number of Covid-19 infections.

He was referring to a letter issued by the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eurocham Malaysia) to its members that Putrajaya may announce a total economic shutdown after February 4 should the number of Covid-19 cases continue to rise and that the main source of infections comes from the manufacturing sector.

“Firstly, if there is an admission by the government that the majority of Covid-19 spread is taking place in the foreign worker community and in worker dormitories, under what pretence does the government believe that the current MCO, which does not specifically close down those camps and sectors, will successfully reduce the spread of Covid-19 infections?

“Leaving highly contagious sectors open serves only to prolong the MCO period at the expense of millions of Malaysians who are doing their part to slow the spread,” he said in a statement.

The PKR president added that the high rate of spread among foreign workers due to their close proximity in their dormitories has been a known risk factor for months and that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has had ample time to mobilise resources and enforce stricter standard operating procedures (SOPs) but have not done so.

“We have seen countless reports about MCO violations taking place in dormitories. Why are companies allowed to remain in violation of MCO SOPs without penalty?

“Unlike Singapore, which moved to implement mass testing in its migrant workforce population, Malaysia continues to drag its feet on this fundamental and largely achievable step,” he said.

He added that the Eurocham letter included basic recommendations from Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) to the manufacturing sector which should have been made and implemented months ago.

“The Eurocham letter validates the feeling many Malaysians have expressed to me that the government’s Covid-19 response is perpetually months behind the curve based on the sum total of learning that has informed more capable responses in other countries,” he said.

He then blasted Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz for suggesting that the current MCO will not have a major impact on the economy because many sectors — including construction and manufacturing — remain open.

“If a full lockdown is anticipated on February 4, and the basis for imposing a full lockdown is already known as of at least January 22, then the optimistic statements about the limited economic impact of the MCO are nothing more than lies and obfuscation,” he said.

Anwar then called on the government to dig deeper into its pockets and help corporations — indirectly helping to contain the pandemic — by increasing and implementing better wage subsidies, offering tax grants to corporations to upgrade their workers quarters and government sponsored mass testings.

“We have to recognise the fact that before the pandemic, corporations have consistently paid yearly taxes in excess of RM70 billion a year,” he said.

Yesterday, a letter detailing a summary of Eurocham Malaysia chief executive Sven Schneider’s meeting with Miti, started making its rounds on social media.

The letter indicated that Putrajaya is set to announce a total economic shutdown after February 4, should the number of Covid-19 cases in the nation continue to not show any improvement.

Later, the organisation said that a leaked internal memo was issued only for its members, after an informal discussion with the Miti last Friday and denied that Putrajaya is mulling a complete economic lockdown after February 4.

Your choice of a corrupt or an ultra religious government

Malaysiakini:

Thanks PAS for the Thaipusam promotion, but why so insecure?

by S Thayaparan

“This year, Hindus will make a great sacrifice … Everything happens for a reason.”

- PAS Supporters Wing (DHPP) information chief Balachandran Gopal Krishnan 

COMMENT | I received a long email from a political operative of the Malay uber alles variety decrying the actions of the Kedah menteri besar for cancelling Thaipusam.

Well, first off, nobody can cancel Thaipusam and what this menteri besar has done is merely reinforce the cultural underpinnings of Hindus in Kedah.

As I have argued many times before, actions such as these are meant to isolate the Malay community even more.

Hindus in this situation may be the target, but the real victim is the Malay community, which has to choose to take a side in the cultural war that the Malay establishment has propagated for decades.

The idea here is to antagonise the non-Malays while reinforcing the idea that the Malay community and leadership is under siege.

Except now, the political terrain has changed. The Malay establishment is fighting with itself and numerous court jesters, unsuitable for politics and managing expectations, have been thrust into positions of power.

With PAS the perpetual handmaiden to other more influential power brokers, the need to be relevant has become even stronger. The need for relevancy, imperative.

The menteri besar for whatever reasons assumes that his “attack” against Thaipusam is a win in this culture war but the reality is that all it is doing is damaging the already weak, PN brand.

Not only that, I would argue that Thaipusam has received a boost of some kind in terms of visibility and the majority community are being inundated with photos and writings by other Malays of how this festival is important to Hindus in Malaysia.

It's free multicultural publicity coming from diverse sources all, against the actions of this MB.

Normally, Thaipusam goes about in a fairly sedate manner but this year thanks to PAS we have mainstream reportage on the relevancy of this festival to Hindus.

Indians from across the political spectrum agreeing with each other, but more importantly establishment political operatives of various race and political affiliations in agreement that this is an issue of religious insensitivity by the Kedah MB, which also means that this is a case of PAS being insensitive to the religious rights of non-Muslims.

Indeed members of PN who are trying to shed their uber alles image are openly contradicting the wacky menteri besar of Kedah and you just know that Muhkriz Mahathir would not have pulled such a stunt, and that makes his removal even more damaging for the PN government.

PAS unsuitable PAS for power

With the federal government giving the okay for an SOP compliant Batu Caves chariot procession, this makes the MB’s diktat even more petty and malicious.

The reason why they probably gave the okay was because they wanted to mitigate the damage done by the Kedah menteri besar. Hence even in mitigation, the MB has exposed the incompetence of his coalition.

The fact that the cherubic menteri besar seems to be adept of sticking his foot in his mouth every time he holds a press conference, makes PN look even more incompetent, which is not helpful when the federal government is desperately attempting to convince the rakyat that they have everything under control.

When you have Malay political operatives who traditionally have been banging on the race and religion drum, standing up for the festival, PAS should realise that this does not make them look like defenders of race and religion, but rather incompetent hacks who could not even run a state without drawing the coalition into a religious quagmire.

If that is not enough, various PAS operatives have been banging the anti-LGBTQ drum. The fact that this is even an issue when a raging pandemic is destabilising the health infrastructure in this country despite what the "experts" say, is indicative of how unsuitable PAS is for power.

Honestly, the LGBTQ issue is so overplayed. I get that the strategy is to force everyone to join the culture war.

PAS wants to make it seem that if non-Muslims do not support their bigoted agenda, this means that non-Muslim faiths “condone” homosexuality.

Then, of course, they want to force Malay political operatives to either support this action – which would be damaging for their non-Malay base – or oppose it and then be labelled as being deviants to Islam. That is the game plan.

What PAS wants to do is become the religious backbone of any Malay power structure it attaches itself to. Using religion not as a basis for sound governance but as a weapon to instil fear in the majority and minority polities.

It would surprise nobody that PAS probably knows that they do not run states well. They know they are unsuitable for power. Look at the states they run or have influence over.

Beating the religious drum is the only card they have to play and this is why PAS is desperately attempting to distract us from their failings. More importantly, they are attempting to remain relevant in a regime, whose ground is slowly shifting beneath their feet.

Honestly what has PAS contributed to PN that has any value, strategic or otherwise for the coalition?

They are really there to make up the numbers and all this will change in the next general election when there will be open warfare between the various factions of Umno, Bersatu and PAS and whoever else PN manages to draw into their manure show.

PAS' desperate attempts at relevancy is more damaging for PN than it is to the opposition. The party has always made it clear they want a union so they can rule over the non-Muslims.

Speaking at a ceramah after a prayer event in Terengganu in 2019, the PAS president said Muslims must unite so that they could rule over the non-Muslims.

And look, PAS and Umno even had a "wedding ceremony".

The good news for Harapan is, the longer insecure PAS continues its bleatings for relevancy, the more damage it does to PN.

The problem with this is that religious extremism is harder to recover from than a kleptocracy.



S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. A retired barrister-at-law, he hopes young people will assume the mantle of leadership – if there is to be any hope for this country.

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kt notes:

I love the Commander's description of Sanusi as the cherubic menteri besar wakakaka. It means so many things, but primarily that Sanusi has been VERY "well fed" wakakaka.

But the point that interests me is Thaya's "The problem with this is that religious extremism is harder to recover from than a kleptocracy."

As I have written before, it's impossible to have a perfect & clean 'democratic' Malaysian government - our closest 'chance' was with the recent PH govt but recall how its leadership eff-ed us kaukau in drastic paring down of Finance Ministry's portfolios because it was Chinese-led, ICERD, Rome Statute, LYNAS, KHAT, Malay Dignity Congress, TAR-UC, UEC, 3rd car, UMNO frogs warmly welcomed into Atuk's PRIBUMI (only) party, etc etc etc.

You have a choice, a corrupt government (not that I support corruption but it was/is/will be an inevitable factor of the Malaysian government) or an ultra religious government. Quite frankly if I have no choice but to choose, I would without hesitation choose the evil Atuk rather than Pak Hadi, wakakaka.

Mates, Chinese and Indians have managed and dealt with corruption in their 5000 years histories, but religious extremism??? For Chinese, think Taiping Revolution (and Christian extremism), Falun Gong and todays Uighur's Islam.

That's why I support Thaya's "The problem with this is that religious extremism is harder to recover from than a kleptocracy."

Wanna eat poo, use a stick lah by Dr Shamsher Singh Thind

Dari Malaysia-Today:

P.S. RJ, Sudahlah. Jangan Over Sangat.

by Dr Shamsher Singh Thind

Ragvinder Singh Jessy a.k.a. RJ Rithaudeen a.k.a Third Force selalu keluarkan statement maki Bajingan Tua a.k.a. Old Fox. Aku bagi dua contoh di bawah:

1. ‘Mahathir, get lost. You’re a bloody lying weasel who’s not fit to be my Prime Minister’ (https://www.thethirdforce.net/mahathir-get-lost-youre-a-bloody-lying-weasel-whos-not-fit-to-be-my-prime-minister)

2. ‘Mahathir is the Godfather of corruption, not unity’ (https://www.thethirdforce.net/mahathir-is-the-godfather-of-corruption-not-unity-must-read)

Artikel kedua itu best. Ditulis pada tahun 2019. Saya copy paste apa dia tulis, kot kot dia delete atau amend.

‘Thanks to Mahathir, we have two new Malay-majority parties as add-ons to the original two (UMNO and PAS), all claiming to represent the rights and privileges of the Malays. So you can imagine how frustrating it is to listen to the old man say that Malay parties should all join PPBM for the sake of uniting the Malays. How can we ever trust a man who speaks of Malay unity but sleeps in the same bed with the DAP, a party that’s hell bent on splitting the Malay-Muslims into as many warring factions as possible?’

Tapi baru baru ini, RJ tulis Dr M adalah ‘Pemimpin Islam Sejati, Berjiwa Rakyat’. 

Apa hal ni, bhai (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2460432724102899&id=100004085872135)?

RJ beragama Islam, so bab itu no prob. Tapi saya nak tanya RJ, betulkah Dr M layak dipanggil pemimpin Islam sejati setelah hang sendiri memanggilnya Godfather of corruption? Hahaha …

P.S. RJ, sudahlah. Jangan over sangat. Kalau nak hisap pun, buat lah secara tertutup. Malu sikit orang boleh nampak lah. Ada pepatah Punjabi, Ghu Kha Dakkay Naal, yakni makan taik pakai lidi. Supaya tangan tak kotor dan orang takkan tau. Ada faham, bhai?

Now Tajuddin tok-kok to teflonise JAKIM by blaming 'nons' for meat cartel scandals

FMT:

Non-Bumiputeras control meat cartels, says Tajuddin

Former deputy agriculture minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said he had a tough time trying to break the monopoly.

PETALING JAYA: Meat cartels do exist and they are monopolised and controlled by non-Bumiputeras, says a former deputy agriculture minister.

Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who was the deputy minister from 2013-2018, said the cartels had been operating for decades and had refused to share the billion-ringgit business with Bumiputera companies.

He said he had taken several measures in an attempt to break this monopoly so that a few overseas cartels did not supply only two to three local non-Bumiputera companies. “The monopoly allows them to control the price of the meat,” he said.

Tajuddin, who is MP for Pasir Salak and a member of Umno’s Supreme Council, said he had worked with new companies from India who had agreed to supply meat to Bumiputera companies.

“Meat cartels exist. These companies control the export market from India and Australia, and if there are new players they will undercut the price or do all sorts of things to keep the monopoly,” he told FMT.

However, he said he did not know whether meat imported by these cartels were mixed with non-halal meat as raised in the media recently.

Question mark over Jakim inspections

Tajuddin said that when he was in the ministry he had suggested to Jakim, the Islamic development department, and the Veterinary Department to hire more officers to frequently monitor the halal requirements here and in the source countries.

“It has to be monitored on a regular basis and not after long intervals. Anything can happen (if left unchecked). The halal status may be compromised,” he added.

Tajuddin said if effective monitoring processes had been in place, questions on halal certification would not have arisen.

However, Tajuddin said he did not know if his suggestions to hire more officers to monitor meat supply and opening more halal slaughterhouses were followed through after Barisan Nasional lost in the 2018 general election.

Recalling the difficulty in handling this sector, Tajuddin said local and foreign cartels were working hand-in-hand and would not allow new players in the market, adding that this made him source for new suppliers from India.

“I also pushed for a new halal certified slaughterhouse to cater for the supply. I did not have an easy time with the Veterinary Department although I was merely persuading exporters to help our local Bumiputera suppliers,” he added.

He also asked if Jakim had hired new officers to monitor the halal certification process, adding that they needed to visit the slaughterhouses overseas on a regular basis to check if they were fulfilling the requirements.

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kt notes:

Nothing new in Tajuddin's tactic - as usual blame the nons for meat cartel scandal (for 40 eff-ing years).

This way, Tajuddin hopes to teflonise JAKIM, the so-called halal-certifier, in order for those wannabe-ulamas to escape blame for Malaysia's BIGGEST and LONGEST Islamic scandal.

 

 

Malaysian fishy tales

MM Online:

Malaysian woman raises eyebrows online after turning pet koi fish into soup dish

Omeychua said the koi fish tasted like ‘ikan patin.’ — Pictures via Facebook/amanda.omeychua21

PETALING JAYA, Jan 21 — A Malaysian woman shocked Facebook users recently after she shared photos of her dead pet koi fish being turned into soup.

The woman, who goes by the name Amanda Omeychua, made a post on the group “Masak Apa Tak Jadi Hari Ni” (which roughly translates to “Cooking Fails of the Day” in English) which included a photo of over 20 dead koi lying on the floor.

According to one of Omeychua’s comments, the fish died of suffocation after her domestic helper forgot to turn on the oxygen pump in their pond.

She then decided to turn the colourful creatures into dinner rather than let them go to waste.

“A traditional recipe for a king. It tasted like ikan patin (silver catfish),” wrote Omeychua, along with the hashtags #drownedkoi and #MCOsoup.

Her post has gone viral with over 10,000 reactions and 4,500 comments so far.

Some users were less than enthused about Omeychua’s dish and said they couldn’t stomach the sight of pets being made into food.

“If it was me, I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to eat my own pet fishes. I would just bury them, it would be too sad,” said one user.

“The fish are too cute to eat. I guess we all have our tastes,” wrote another.

Others were surprised that koi fish were even edible in the first place.

“So it turns out you can eat koi fishes. All this time, I thought they were just pretty decorations for the pond,” said one user.

Some Malaysians also claimed to have enjoyed koi fish soup at various restaurants in Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak.

In one of her comments, Omeychua apologised to anyone who may have felt grossed out by her unusual meal.

Koi fish are popular pets in many Asian countries where they are seen as symbols of good luck and prosperity.

High-quality breeds can fetch a high price on the market and the most expensive koi fish in the world was sold in 2018 to a Taiwanese woman for US$1.8 million (RM7.2 million).

Kohaku - is the most expensive koi ever sold, in China $2.2 million US dollar

 

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kt notes:

Koi are basically carp which when steamed Chinese-style, ie. with ginger slices, shitake mushroom slices, snui phoi (Chinese pickled plums), soya sauce, etc, is a very deliciously smooth and appetising dish. 

Most of my Chinese, Indian and even Malay readers would have eaten the dish as it's only a fish dish with just pickled vegetables and mushrooms, thus effectively halal (though without JAKIM certification, wakakaka - nowadays, even baby diapers have to certified halal, wakakaka again).

The basic difference between koi, the beautiful colourful pet fish, and the ordinary river (or pond) carp that's steamed for our gastronomical delights, is the fish gorgeous colour and its general shape. It's this factor, the fish wondrous colour markings, that makes the koi a much prized pet.

Wikipedia informs us: Carp are a large group of fish originally found in Central Europe and Asia. Various carp species were originally domesticated in East Asia, where they were used as food fish.

Carp are coldwater fish, and their ability to survive and adapt to many climates and water conditions allowed the domesticated species to be propagated to many new locations, including Japan. Natural color mutations of these carp would have occurred across all populations. Carp were first bred for color mutations in China more than a thousand years ago, where selective breeding of the Prussian carp led to the development of the goldfish.

goldfish - together with carps, considered pests in some countries (eg. Australia). Their authorities prohibit goldfish or carp-koi releases into local rivers, lakes and ponds

The authorities also encourage freshwater fishermen to catch as many of the carps as possible, and never to release those carps back into the rivers and lakes even if undesired for eating. Kaytee and some East European friends in Oz love to steam these carps for snacks while we quaff our beer and wine

In October 2007, I penned
Does an 'Asian' eat 'Asian' food at home? (2) in my other blog KTemoc Kongsamkok. In that post I wrote (just an extract):

There is a restaurant in Bogor (near Jakarta, Indonesia) that does an incredible grilled sweet-sauce-coated carp dish served with rice, ulam and sambal terasi*.

Bogor

When I was last there, I saw a particular huge fat golden carp swimming around happily in the pond under part of the restaurant (yes, it was on stilt).

Cheryl (btw, that’s the name of the carp – all carps have names starting with ‘C’, wakakaka) swam hopefully in circles beneath me expecting that I would throw some food to it. There and then, I was reminded of the Malay fairytale of Bawang Merah & Bawang Putih, where the evil but gorgeous stepmother turned the poor mum into a carp and imprisoned her in a well – hmmm, maybe some other time for this fairytale.

Before long, after a couple of refreshing drinks, I walked up to the dining table and discovered to my horror that Cheryl had ended up on a plate before me. I pretended not to recognise her, and in fact had to rotate the plate around so that her accusing eyes weren’t fixed on guilty me. But in honour of Cheryl I partook of her body with great relevance, with the regular pinch of sambal terasi*, jasmine rice and ulam. I celebrated her by respectful mouthfuls.

* 'terasi' is Indonesian for our Malaysian 'belacan', hence 'sambal terasi' is 'sambal belacan'

So there is nothing unusual about Amanda Omeychua cooking her dead pet koi. My only hesitation in eating them would be the fact those fish died of supposedly oxygen starvation, but who knows whether their demise could have been due to some other (less palatable) causes.