THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
RM1,280,000 bribe paid to the Bank Rakyat Chairman (part 10)
Bank Rakyat granted GM Healthcare Sdn Bhd Islamic banking facilities of RM64 million to finance the construction, commissioning and maintenance of the new Shah Alam hospital. But the ‘under the table’ deal was far from Islamic. Dr. Zainol Che Mamat, the company’s Chairman, paid the Bank Rakyat Chairman a bribe of RM1,280,000 for the banking facilities.
Straight Talk 實話直說: A-G MUST CLARIFY ALL DOUBTS TO UPHOLD THE DIGNITY ...
Straight Talk 實話直說: A-G MUST CLARIFY ALL DOUBTS TO UPHOLD THE DIGNITY ...: "PRESS STATEMENT :- 30th Nov 2010 Chairman – Social Care Foundation The objective of this article is to enhance the Public, the significant ..."
Monday, 29 November 2010
He wants Angels!!!
Morality is injured by prescribing to it duties that,
in the first place, are impossible to be performed;
and, if they could be, would be productive of evil;
or, as before said, be premiums for crime.
The maxim of doing as we would be done unto
does not include this strange doctrine of loving enemies:
for no man expects to be loved himself for his crime or for his enmity.
~ Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason (1795)
=================================
in the first place, are impossible to be performed;
and, if they could be, would be productive of evil;
or, as before said, be premiums for crime.
The maxim of doing as we would be done unto
does not include this strange doctrine of loving enemies:
for no man expects to be loved himself for his crime or for his enmity.
~ Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason (1795)
=================================
Back when I was fresh out of college, in training at Paeds Institute , I was charged with handling the blood-taking in a whole ward of babies- alone. It was tough as it was heart-rending to keep poking needles into these babies, day-in & day-out. When the "Coxackie Epidemic" (today known as HFMD) struck, that became my work all day- sitting in one place as in a factory conveyor belt, with babies waiting in cue to be bled.
If I didn't get the blood the first time, I had to keep going- untill I got it- simply because there was nobody else to do the job late in the day. At the end of each day, I would've stuck the needle into babies' at least a 100 times ..... Of course- those were the days, when I was the only intern in the unit (not like these days, where you have 20 housemen per ward, and they can even go for movies in between).
Then I told myself one day- "That's IT!! I'm done- where is the 'justice' in this? How can I keep poking the babies, when I'm no expert?" That was when I almost broke down, because it broke my heart to poke needles into babies who were helpless to "defend" themselves- and I went to "talk to my boss" (I'm not sure if it was Dr. Hussein or Dr. Maziah) about it. The "talk" by the way, woke me up to the reality of "life" - it's cruel.
He had only one thing to say - "There are kids there who may die if you don't do the job, and you have the guts to come here and tell me about "justice"?! Know one thing- sometimes, you have to be cruel, to be kind. Now get out of here, and do your job unless you want a three month extension or intend to quit!!" (But he said it in a very calm manner though ....)
Of course- it shocked me that he wouldn't hear of my emotional "ethical" argument- and I cursed him as I went back to work. needless to say, after all the countless "practice" I had on these fine babies' veins- I became an expert at venous access, and was soon "in demand" in other wards and ICUs as well!! the best part is- although I never got a pat on the back, I knew that this skill I had was intrumental in saving quite a few patients in emergencies..... and I saw, how right my bearded first boss was in chasing me out of his office with a warning.
Moving on to my point .....
If I didn't get the blood the first time, I had to keep going- untill I got it- simply because there was nobody else to do the job late in the day. At the end of each day, I would've stuck the needle into babies' at least a 100 times ..... Of course- those were the days, when I was the only intern in the unit (not like these days, where you have 20 housemen per ward, and they can even go for movies in between).
Then I told myself one day- "That's IT!! I'm done- where is the 'justice' in this? How can I keep poking the babies, when I'm no expert?" That was when I almost broke down, because it broke my heart to poke needles into babies who were helpless to "defend" themselves- and I went to "talk to my boss" (I'm not sure if it was Dr. Hussein or Dr. Maziah) about it. The "talk" by the way, woke me up to the reality of "life" - it's cruel.
He had only one thing to say - "There are kids there who may die if you don't do the job, and you have the guts to come here and tell me about "justice"?! Know one thing- sometimes, you have to be cruel, to be kind. Now get out of here, and do your job unless you want a three month extension or intend to quit!!" (But he said it in a very calm manner though ....)
Of course- it shocked me that he wouldn't hear of my emotional "ethical" argument- and I cursed him as I went back to work. needless to say, after all the countless "practice" I had on these fine babies' veins- I became an expert at venous access, and was soon "in demand" in other wards and ICUs as well!! the best part is- although I never got a pat on the back, I knew that this skill I had was intrumental in saving quite a few patients in emergencies..... and I saw, how right my bearded first boss was in chasing me out of his office with a warning.
Moving on to my point .....
In a War, It's more than jus "A Matter of Ethics" .... and today, in Malaysia, we are at war- although it isn't exactly a war which involved guns & bombs. It is a war to get back the rights that were stolen by an elite group of pirates who have plundered the nation's resources, while creating a system that subjugates the citizenry and protecting the elite. It is a war for the heart & soul of Malaysia.
So, it was with what I could describe only as "amusement", that I read Raja Petra's "It's a Matter of Ethics" in his NHB column. In it, he mentions that,
"We have become the monsters just like the monsters we wish to remove. Do we really want to remove the devil we know with a devil we don’t know? I would take the risk of removing the devil we know with an angel we don’t know."
Oh boy - it bleeds my heart .... I'm in tears just thinking how "evil" we've become in trying to get rid of Lucifer in the form of UMNO!!!
It appears that he's going through some soul-searching of sorts after his meeting with Mr. Idealism himself- Haris Ibrahim.
Poor thing - RPK has suddenly come out in search of angels in politics, to wage a war against the devils of Umno!!
Maybe he has successfully rehabilitated his opinion that there is no justice in the Malaysian system..... maybe he suddenly believes that Altantuya, Kugan, PKFZ etc didn't happen.
I guess, all the murders, and billions of Riggit siphoned out of the country through their various NEP mega-projects don't matter anymore. What matters is that we use all the squeeky-clean guys to use squeeky-clean "demoratic" methods to sweet-talk Umno into stopping the plunder.
Next, I suppose he'll be asking us to molly-coddle Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa for the insults, abuse and scorn he pours upon Malaysian of non-Umno breed.
Those were the days, when I used to hear that same Raja Petra saying that he was on a warpath to bring down Umno at all costs.This was the man, who in his patriotic fervour once said "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" (ala Patrick Henry). He also called for a Martin Luther to help reform the system!! Those were the days, when we had to caution this same Raja Petra on a warpath with UMNO, not to resort to rabble-rousing and demanding blood in the aftermath of the Perak coup d'etat. Now, this is the same Raja Petra who went on a hunger strike in Kamunting, and it is the same Raja Petra too, for whom (not solely for him, though) I went for anti-ISA vigils, at the risk of being arrested.
Oh yes- it also comes to mind that he once got so frustrated with many of the commenters for not supporting PAS's Islamist agenda, but after much debate, and seeing the light, decided that he was against the Islamic State. RPK, also convinced many to "give PAS a chance"- "and we can throw them out after five years if they don't perform" - but now,
PR hasn't implemented all that is in the Peoples' Declaration. (Yeah, yeah- Maybe as Hindraf would like to say, "All it takes is a stroke of a pen" huh?)
PR isn't good enough for him.
PKR is filled with corrupt practices in its elections, although Umno has no elections at all to speak of.
DAP also has "in-fighting".
PAS is the only "virtuous one",but cannot do it alone.
Parliament needs "credible guys".
PR needs "credible guys" aka "angels" to show them the way ....
He probably wants this "3rd force" thingie in parliament- presuming that the candidates will be angels!!! Yes- you read me right .... he wants angels in parliament, so that he can have his utopian dream of the virtuous state with a "philosopher king/parliamentarian" come true.
He has forgotten that the parliament is ineffective- and it is ineffective by design, thanks to Mr. Mahathir Bin Mohamed. He has made sure that parliament is just filled up with people making monkeys of themselves in a circus.
Yes, guys- you better believe it ..... Raja Petra Kamarudin himself, has said it:-
"We have become the monsters just like the monsters we wish to remove. Do we really want to remove the devil we know with a devil we don’t know? I would take the risk of removing the devil we know with an angel we don’t know."
Oh boy - it bleeds my heart .... I'm in tears just thinking how "evil" we've become in trying to get rid of Lucifer in the form of UMNO!!!
It appears that he's going through some soul-searching of sorts after his meeting with Mr. Idealism himself- Haris Ibrahim.
Poor thing - RPK has suddenly come out in search of angels in politics, to wage a war against the devils of Umno!!
Maybe he has successfully rehabilitated his opinion that there is no justice in the Malaysian system..... maybe he suddenly believes that Altantuya, Kugan, PKFZ etc didn't happen.
I guess, all the murders, and billions of Riggit siphoned out of the country through their various NEP mega-projects don't matter anymore. What matters is that we use all the squeeky-clean guys to use squeeky-clean "demoratic" methods to sweet-talk Umno into stopping the plunder.
Next, I suppose he'll be asking us to molly-coddle Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa for the insults, abuse and scorn he pours upon Malaysian of non-Umno breed.
Those were the days, when I used to hear that same Raja Petra saying that he was on a warpath to bring down Umno at all costs.This was the man, who in his patriotic fervour once said "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" (ala Patrick Henry). He also called for a Martin Luther to help reform the system!! Those were the days, when we had to caution this same Raja Petra on a warpath with UMNO, not to resort to rabble-rousing and demanding blood in the aftermath of the Perak coup d'etat. Now, this is the same Raja Petra who went on a hunger strike in Kamunting, and it is the same Raja Petra too, for whom (not solely for him, though) I went for anti-ISA vigils, at the risk of being arrested.
Oh yes- it also comes to mind that he once got so frustrated with many of the commenters for not supporting PAS's Islamist agenda, but after much debate, and seeing the light, decided that he was against the Islamic State. RPK, also convinced many to "give PAS a chance"- "and we can throw them out after five years if they don't perform" - but now,
PR hasn't implemented all that is in the Peoples' Declaration. (Yeah, yeah- Maybe as Hindraf would like to say, "All it takes is a stroke of a pen" huh?)
PR isn't good enough for him.
PKR is filled with corrupt practices in its elections, although Umno has no elections at all to speak of.
DAP also has "in-fighting".
PAS is the only "virtuous one",but cannot do it alone.
Parliament needs "credible guys".
PR needs "credible guys" aka "angels" to show them the way ....
He probably wants this "3rd force" thingie in parliament- presuming that the candidates will be angels!!! Yes- you read me right .... he wants angels in parliament, so that he can have his utopian dream of the virtuous state with a "philosopher king/parliamentarian" come true.
He has forgotten that the parliament is ineffective- and it is ineffective by design, thanks to Mr. Mahathir Bin Mohamed. He has made sure that parliament is just filled up with people making monkeys of themselves in a circus.
Yes, guys- you better believe it ..... Raja Petra Kamarudin himself, has said it:-
HE WANTS ANGELS IN POLITICS!!!
our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult;
our supplications have been disregarded;
and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!
In vain, after these things,
may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation."
Well RPK- let me tell you something which you may have forgotten in all your idealistic daydreaming - it will take the devil in you to remove the evil perpetrated by UMNO from Malaysian politics.
As i said earlier- in case you forgot- we are at "war". Maybe you should keep in mind that is a "war" for the heart & soul- the conscience of the Malaysian nation state ... and there is such a thing as a "just war".
In every revolution, there will be "collateral damage", Pete- and you only get to choose the extent of damage you willing to put up with. Nothing more, nothing less.
Does that make us monsters? Not necessarily - it depends on where you stand, what you see and how far you see. That is what patriots are made of- not those who crumble under the talk of "justice" & righteousness in a utopian world.
You better believe it, Pete- or else, just call it a day, okay!!
"Our petitions have been slighted; As i said earlier- in case you forgot- we are at "war". Maybe you should keep in mind that is a "war" for the heart & soul- the conscience of the Malaysian nation state ... and there is such a thing as a "just war".
In every revolution, there will be "collateral damage", Pete- and you only get to choose the extent of damage you willing to put up with. Nothing more, nothing less.
Does that make us monsters? Not necessarily - it depends on where you stand, what you see and how far you see. That is what patriots are made of- not those who crumble under the talk of "justice" & righteousness in a utopian world.
You better believe it, Pete- or else, just call it a day, okay!!
*****************************************
our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult;
our supplications have been disregarded;
and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!
In vain, after these things,
may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation."
Thursday, 25 November 2010
RMAF arrests ex-airman who is charged for abetting the as yet to be charged "Criminal in Chief"?!
RMAF arrests ex-airman in engine theft case for deserting - The Malaysian Insider
RMAF arrests ex-airman in engine theft case for deserting
UPDATED @ 02:58:27 PM 25-11-2010
November 25, 2010
SHAH ALAM, Nov 25 — The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) today surprisingly arrested former air force Sergeant N. Tharmendran, who is already facing charges of stealing two fighter jet engines on April 30, 2008.
His lawyer N. Surendran said RMAF arrested Tharmendran, 42, outside the Shah Alam High Court at 11.45am and accused him of deserting the force although his services were terminated last May 28.
Surendran claimed the arrest was to stop Tharmendran (picture) from revealing details of the theft, which he claimed trial. The High Court had earlier set December 17 for a decision on Tharmendran’s application to strike out the charge for the theft of two fighter jet engines.
“I told them that Tharmendran is a civilian and the air force had no right to arrest him. But according to Air Force Provos Marshall Lt-Col Mohd Razif Razak, Tharmendran had been classified as a deserter for missing work since September,” he said.
“This is clearly contempt of court. The arrest is unlawful as my client is a civilian who had left the force. I will hold the Defence Ministry and air force liable for this,” the human rights lawyer said.
He added that he will file a habeas corpus application this afternoon apart from seeking contempt of court proceeding against the RMAF.
Surendran said he was told by the Mohd Razif that his client would undergo a medical examination and would be detained at the RMAF Batu Cantonment centre.
Tharmendran is accused of abetting Senior Airman Mohamad Shukri Mohamad Yusop in the theft at the Material Processing Shed, Matra 1 warehouse, at the air force base in Sungai Besi in 2008. Mohamad Shukri has yet to be charged for any offence.
Surendran said his client was just outside the court compound when the airmen approached his client and arrested him in front of his father N. Nagarajah.
The RMAF later confirmed that it arrested Tharmendran as he has failed to turn up for duty after paying his bail on September 6.
The Mindef Corporate Communication Unit said Tharmendran was still in active service and his absence was an offence under the Armed Forces Act 1972.
Surendran, however, pointed out that Tharmendran’s contract of service was not renewed since its expiry on May 28 this year.
“His contract expired on May 28, 2010. No renewal (of contract) was signed by him,” Surendran told The Malaysian Insider.
“From June onwards, no salary was paid too,” he added.
Surendran also said he would seek contempt of court proceeding against Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, besides RMAF chief General Datuk Seri Rodzali Daud.
“I hold the chief of the air force responsible for this. I will cite him and the minister of defence for contempt of court,” said the human rights lawyer.
Surendran further accused Ahmad Zahid of trying to prevent Tharmendran from revealing the truth.
“There seems to be a serious attempt to prevent Tharmendran from revealing what he knows in court,” said Surendran.
“I do not believe that the air force would go to this extent of hounding and harassing him (Tharmendran). I suspect the minister of defence is behind this,” he added.
Earlier, Tharmendran had claimed that four RMAF officers had visited his parents’ house in Seremban on July 16 to abduct him.
He had also claimed that several air force men unconnected with his trial were seen waiting outside the courtroom at his July 19 hearing.
Surendran expressed his concerns for Tharmendran’s safety as he had been allegedly tortured by the air force.
“I’m very concerned about his safety at the hands of the air force because he’s been tortured by them once before,” he said.
Tharmendran previously claimed to have been tortured by two “majors” who sought to force a confession that he had stolen the jet engines.
He further alleged that about 30 to 40 others had been similarly tortured as he could hear their screams during his confinement at the air force base.
Tharmendran had said that he was made to wear a crash helmet and was hit with a cricket bat and a golf club three to four times a day.
He was also allegedly dragged, stripped down to his underwear, and thrown into a freezing cold room and made to admit, repeatedly, that he was guilty.
Today, Surendran said he would attempt to reach Tharmendran to obtain his signature for an affidavit in support of the habeas corpus application.
“I’m trying to see if I can get access to Tharmendran to get him to sign the affidavit, supporting the application for habeas corpus,” said the lawyer.
“We hope to file it by tomorrow,” he added.
Tharmendran and company director K. Rajandran Prasad were jointly charged in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on January 6 in connection with the theft of the missing F5-E jet engines.
Tharmendran is accused of stealing the engines in December 2007 at the Subang RMAF air base.
He was arrested on September 1 last year, and if convicted faces up to 10 years’ jail and a fine.
Rajandran is accused of disposing of the engines on April 30, 2008.
The theft was a major embarrassment to the government following reports later that the country’s first submarine — KD Tunku Abdul Rahman — could not dive in tropical waters.
The prime minister had vowed that there would be no cover-up in the high-profile case which occurred during his tenure as defence minister while the current minister, Ahmad Zahid, had claimed that it was an inside job.
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Cops killed youths on purpose, says lawyer - The Malaysian Insider
UPDATED @ 02:00:12 PM 20-11-2010
November 20, 2010
PETALING JAYA, Nov 20 — The families of two of the three youths shot dead on November 13 after being suspected of robbing a petrol station claimed that they were killed by police in cold blood.
Mohd Shamil Hafiz Shapiei, 15, Hairul Nizam Tuah, 20, and Mohd Hanafi Omar, 22, were shot dead by the police after a reported high-speed car chase in the early morning of November 13 in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.
“This was a gangland-style execution by police officers,” said lawyer N. Surendran (picture), who represented Shamil’s and Hairul’s families, at a press conference at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters today.
“We have gathered enough evidence,” he added.
The lawyer said the latest shooting underscored the importance of a royal commission of inquiry, following the case of 14-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah who was fatally shot by the police in Shah Alam on April 26.
“No child is safe on our streets. Any child out early in the morning is liable to be shot by the police,” said Surendran.
“We need a royal commission (of inquiry),” he added.
Selangor acting police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan reportedly defended his officers’ actions by describing the three suspected robbers as “seasoned criminals” who were allegedly involved in at least three armed robberies in Selangor last week.
He claimed that the police shot the suspects in self-defence as they had allegedly rushed to attack the policemen with machetes after a car chase at about 4.10am on November 13.
Surendran, however, dismissed such claims as lies.
“This is a lie by the police,” said the human rights lawyer.
He pointed out that based on the families’ observations of the bodies, Shamil, Hairul and Hanafi each sported two gunshot wounds on their heads and chests.
“All three were shot in the head and chest with bullets exiting lower,” said Surendran.
“This shows the shots were fired at close range, which is inconsistent (with police claims) that the shots were fired in self-defence,” he added.
The lawyer also said the trajectory of the bullets on Hairul’s body indicated that Hairul’s shooter had shot him from a higher position.
“This indicates that the victims were kneeling. Hairul also had a black eye,” said Surendran.
“Shamil was shot directly in the centre of his forehead,” he added.
The lawyer said the families’ legal team would seek the opinion of forensic pathologists on the case.
“We’ll ask for an appointment with forensic pathologists from Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang,” said Surendran.
Norhafizah breaks down in tears at the police station.
“The families want the policemen suspended and charged for the offence of murder. This was blue murder by the police,” said Surendran.
“They also want an apology for accusing them (the youth) of being criminals,” said the lawyer.
Both families filed police reports at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters today, claiming that the two boys were murdered by the police.
“Tomorrow is Shamil’s birthday,” said his mother Norhafizah Mad Razali, before breaking down in tears.
In her police report, the 36-year-old businesswoman said her son did not have any criminal record and did not know how to drive a car.
“My son was a good boy who went for religious classes,” said Norhafizah.
Meanwhile, Subang MP R. Sivarasa called for an independent investigation into the deaths and for the police officers to be charged.
“We’ll ask the government to set up a royal commission of inquiry. I’ll bring this up in Parliament,” said Sivarasa.
“But the first step is to charge those murderers. How many more cases like this do we have to see?” he asked.
Besides Aminulrasyid, a second case involving the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Mohd Afham Arin in Johor Baru on October 20 last year has also surfaced after the victim’s mother recently demanded an independent commission to investigate the case.
According to human rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), 88 people died in police shootings last year.
The NGO also claimed that not even one police officer was held accountable and that the high number of deaths in 2009 was “alarming”, considering that there were only 13 such cases in the previous two years.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Sore need for plurality in law
Sore need for plurality in law
Brave New World
Sore need for plurality in law
Brave New World
By AZMI SHAROM
Over the years, our courts as a whole have been steadily abdicating their duty to protect the citizens’ rights as stated in the Federal Constitution.
YOU may remember the Shamala case; the story of a Hindu man converting to Islam and then without the consent of his Hindu wife converting their two small children as well. The latest development in this saga is the Federal Court decision on the 12th of this month.
The roots of this case lie in the judgment of the High Court in 2004; the judge held that it was all right for one parent to convert their child without consent from the other.
His reasoning was based on Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution which states: “The religion of a person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his parent or guardian”.
He noted that the article says “parent”, not “parents”. This is an overly simplistic literal interpretation of the article, for if taken to its logical conclusion what it can lead to is a child being converted by one parent one day and then converted again by the other parent the next day.
Surely this ridiculous situation was not what the article intended and surely it can be implied that the word “parent” means both parents.
He then proceeded to give custody to the mother but on the condition that she will not expose the children to her Hindu faith. Again, this is another strange ruling. It places an unreasonable condition on the mother.
After this decision, the mother left the country with her two children.
Meanwhile, her lawyers appealed to the Court of Appeal asking the court to decide, among other things, on the constitutionality of one parent being able to unilaterally convert their children.
The Court of Appeal agreed to allow the case to go straight to Federal Court, the highest court in the land, to decide the matter on the grounds that it will save time and effort as whatever its decision, one of the parties will appeal to the Federal Court anyway.
The Federal Court decided not to make a judgment on the constitutional issues as the mother and the children were now out of the country and therefore whatever it decides will come to naught as she is not within its jurisdiction.
The Federal Court judges made clear their displeasure that this woman had left the country in contempt of the court and was now seeking a decision from the very same court; something they were not going to do.
With all due respect to the court, I am of the opinion that this entire situation is the result of our courts as a whole steadily over the years abdicating their duty to protect the citizens’ rights as stated in the Federal Constitution.
And now using a technicality, albeit a legally sound one, they are once again side-stepping an important constitutional question.
Time and time again, we have seen our courts hide from their responsibility to uphold the Constitution whenever cases involving Islam appear.
They either do it by stating that such matters belong in the jurisdiction of the Syariah court, even though the Syariah court has no jurisdiction to answer questions regarding the Constitution, or they come out with a ruling like the High Court decision in this particular case.
The courts have lost track of the fact that this is a secular country and that its citizens have rights as stated in our secular constitution. They have bent over backwards, for reasons unknown, to allow Islamic matters to be above and beyond the limits placed within the Constitution.
In this way, they have ignored the fact that this country, being a multi-religious and secular one, needs a high degree of plurality in order to avoid injustice.
> Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
It must be the snake-oil that stinks .....
“An idealist believes the short run doesn't count.
A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter.
A realist believes that what is done or
left undone in the short run determines the long run.”
~Sydney J. Harris
“Our aim is to have a buffer of about maybe 20 MPs
to defend the government
in case Pakatan takes over the government,”
~Haris Ibrahim, Pakatan could face supporters in next GE
An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage,
concludes that it is also more nourishing.
~H. L. Mencken
A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter.
A realist believes that what is done or
left undone in the short run determines the long run.”
~Sydney J. Harris
“Our aim is to have a buffer of about maybe 20 MPs
to defend the government
in case Pakatan takes over the government,”
~Haris Ibrahim, Pakatan could face supporters in next GE
An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage,
concludes that it is also more nourishing.
~H. L. Mencken
==================================
Yah- I read that.I also read that Tony Pua was right about what Haris proposes (athough it wasn't 50 seats, as Tony Pua said). Haris WANTS "only" 20 seats- So why don't the activists just nominate someone from the three parties to represent them?
Oh yes- I forgot. These guys Haris proposes, should not be subjected to any party discipline/agenda, nor would they be subjected to any ideological discipline. In short, they should subcribe to any party agenda/manipulation to get what they want.
In other words- Haris wants 20 seats for those who are on their own, possibly with no significant track record of political activism and have already made their money (has about RM0.5 Million to spare)!! This thing is said on the back of saying that "he's providing a pool of candidates to contest where they cannot find better candidates within the three parties?
That too, he wants them to contest "where PR cannot offer better candidates" so that, "We don’t want to see another Perak".
Look at how ridiculous his stand is. He wants to make sure another "perak" doesn't happen, by having candidates who will "defend the Government" but:--
1. He cannot guarantee that these guys will toe any line.
2. He cannot guarantee that they would not succumb to being bought over/ jump ship.
3. He cannot guarantee that they'll even stand up for the Peoples' declaration.
Very niiice ..... In short- what he wants (WITH NO GUARANTEES), is a "de-facto mosquito party" of "independents" supported by the PR to "act as a buffer" - which will abide by no discipline, to challenge an embryonic force that has thus far, (despite all its flaws), has successfully threatened the BN juggernaut and clipped their wings!
They say that politics is a game of "perceptions".
Haris's denial that "It has nothing to do with Zaid" when he was supporting Zaid all along. and RPK's recent comments in "support" of Zaid in his latest column on NHB, would cast a doubt on the minds of many voters- if not just outright confuse them.
Quite a perception- (that 3 parties don't even have 20 guys of calibre among their thousands)- to go into an election, hoping to win, huh?
It is not that I disagree with his opinion about having an alternative candidate pool, so that we have "credible forces in the parliament"......
Aaah, so it is about-"effective representation" in the Parliament, is it?
Hello friend- get real la brader .... Do you even realize that the Parliament is at best, a talk-shop?
IT IS INEFFECTIVE AND ALMOST POWERLESS in the face of the manipulations of the Federal Constitution and religion by UMNO!!!
This is- which come as a surprise to many- The parliament ineffective by design!! If you don't believe me- just ask Mahathir ....
That begs the question- what do you hope to achieve with these 20 "lawmakers", who have created the perception that the three PR parties do not even have this number of guys of calibre to represent them, should you fail to reach Putrajaya, or have a flimsy majority at best?
It is just that I believe that this optimism of a "3rd force" in parliament and assessment of the Malaysian voter mindset is bordering on naivete. You want lawmakers to be effective in parliament, you need to be able to control sentiments on the street. As long as we have apathy on the streets- the executive will overide the parliament!!
Public perception- that is the key... and that is where the "3rd force" thingie will have to do its job!! Anything else, and we will be saddled with the same problem all over again.
We have a system that borders on Fascism- with a "gagged media", impotent judiciary, an Attorney General who doesn't care if he looks ridiculous, indisciplined police-force, scandals galore in the Auditor-General's report, child abduction for the sake of conversion is legalized through the religious courts and where he cannot walk the streets with his friends without violating the "Police Act" (if he doesn't have a permit) - and here is Haris, trying to speak of a blooming democracy- with an effective parliament!!
The way I look at it- this "3rd-force" thingie should concentrate on creating awareness - enough to push politicians to respond to demands made in parliament and in the media. Until that happens, those who hope to bring about the perfect democracy in the perfect parliament, is nothing short of Delusional!
In short, I think somebody is pushing his idealism a little too much, too far, too soon- and who knows- maybe even hoping that the whole thing would fizzle out, if nothing happens!!
But then again- if the PR parties are willing to provide seats for private citizens who wish to "defend the Government" - who am I to so anything about that ....
Indeed- as RPK says, "Who are the real Trojan Horses?".... but maybe he should've added the word "unwitting" to it.
Something just doesn't seem right......
It may not be Zaid or UMNO farting with glee here - but something sure doesn't sound too right here, and smells to the high heavens (in the so-called "3rd force" issue which the salesman is peddling .... ).
Yup- it must be some snake-oil somewhere .....
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Fatal shooting of 3 persons including a 16-year-old boy in Glenmarie
Fatal shooting of 3 persons including a 16-year-old boy in Glenmarie
The dead were Mohd Shamil Hafiz Shafie, 16, Mohd Khairul Nizam Tuah, 20, and Mohd Hanafi Omar, 22. Although one of the dead persons was a sixteen year old boy, acting Selangor police chief Datuk A.Thaiveegan has made the incredible claim that all the dead were "seasoned criminals". The police allege that the dead suspects were part of a gang known as "Geng Minyak" which preyed on petrol stations. They further allege that the suspects when cornered rushed at the police with machetes and that the police shot them all dead in self-defense.
We find this story by the police to be quite unbelievable. If the suspects were only armed with machetes and not firearms, why was it necessary to shoot all of them dead? Were any warning shots fired? It beggars belief that men armed with machetes would rush into a hail of bullets.
We note that there is disturbing similarity in the justification given out by police after almost every fatal police shooting in recent memory. In almost all cases, police claim that the suspects fled and police gave chase. The suspects then attacked police and the police opened fire killing all instantly. No suspect in such situations ever seems to survive. Subsequent to the shooting police claim to have discovered weapons in their vehicle and accuse the dead of being involved in all sorts of crime. Of course, by then none of them can defend themselves.
Even 14 year police shooting victim Aminulrasyid Amzah was accused of being a parang wielding criminal. This standard police version which is trotted out after every shooting is extremely improbable, to say the least. It should be noted that international policing norms require that firearms only be discharged to protect life and that clear warnings be given with adequate time to comply. Are these rules being observed and complied with by the Malaysian police force?
We seriously doubt it, going by previous cases. We also note that the authorities continue to refuse to make public even the police guidelines on discharge of firearms. Why all this secrecy?
We call for an immediate independent investigation into this latest shooting, with the findings made public. We reiterate the call for a Royal Commission to investigate all police shootings over the past decade. We call upon the police force to adhere to international guidelines on policing and to eschew all unlawful actions in the name of crime prevention.
LAWYERS FOR LIBERTY
In almost all cases, police claim that the suspects fled and police gave chase. The suspects then attacked police and the police opened fire killing all instantly. No suspect in such situations ever seems to survive. Subsequent to the shooting police claim to have discovered weapons in their vehicle and accuse the dead of being involved in all sorts of crime. Of course, by then none of them can defend themselves.
By Lawyers for Liberty
Lawyers for Liberty is gravely concerned over the shooting to death of three alleged suspects by police during the early hours of Saturday 13th November 2010 at Glenmarie, Selangor.The dead were Mohd Shamil Hafiz Shafie, 16, Mohd Khairul Nizam Tuah, 20, and Mohd Hanafi Omar, 22. Although one of the dead persons was a sixteen year old boy, acting Selangor police chief Datuk A.Thaiveegan has made the incredible claim that all the dead were "seasoned criminals". The police allege that the dead suspects were part of a gang known as "Geng Minyak" which preyed on petrol stations. They further allege that the suspects when cornered rushed at the police with machetes and that the police shot them all dead in self-defense.
We find this story by the police to be quite unbelievable. If the suspects were only armed with machetes and not firearms, why was it necessary to shoot all of them dead? Were any warning shots fired? It beggars belief that men armed with machetes would rush into a hail of bullets.
We note that there is disturbing similarity in the justification given out by police after almost every fatal police shooting in recent memory. In almost all cases, police claim that the suspects fled and police gave chase. The suspects then attacked police and the police opened fire killing all instantly. No suspect in such situations ever seems to survive. Subsequent to the shooting police claim to have discovered weapons in their vehicle and accuse the dead of being involved in all sorts of crime. Of course, by then none of them can defend themselves.
Even 14 year police shooting victim Aminulrasyid Amzah was accused of being a parang wielding criminal. This standard police version which is trotted out after every shooting is extremely improbable, to say the least. It should be noted that international policing norms require that firearms only be discharged to protect life and that clear warnings be given with adequate time to comply. Are these rules being observed and complied with by the Malaysian police force?
We seriously doubt it, going by previous cases. We also note that the authorities continue to refuse to make public even the police guidelines on discharge of firearms. Why all this secrecy?
We call for an immediate independent investigation into this latest shooting, with the findings made public. We reiterate the call for a Royal Commission to investigate all police shootings over the past decade. We call upon the police force to adhere to international guidelines on policing and to eschew all unlawful actions in the name of crime prevention.
LAWYERS FOR LIBERTY
N.Surendran
Fadiah Nadwa Fikri
Monday, 15 November 2010
Zaid- The Track Record of a "tenacious fighter"
(continued from The "3rd Force" Conundrum .... and more bla,- Pt. ...)
You really don't know what you speak of, do you?
How do you know what the person is made of?
Simple- just look at his track record ....
Firstly, remember that a man is the product of his past- the things he stood for. He does not "suddenly" come to his senses, and then walk on in glory as usual- he usually has to acknowledge his mistakes, give up his past and usually plead for another chance in humility.
Then learn to differentiate between the person and his words. Words come easy, especially for politicians.Remember that ideas he speaks of don't necessarily have to be what the the person is made of.
Now I don't care if he has stables full of horses, drinks Henessy on-the-rocks, has camels, catamites or a harem to service his lust ... or has the habit of sucking his thumb in bed, for that matter- even if it's wrong according to UMNO's NEP,"social contract", NKRA, ETP, PPP or whatever else.
All that matters is his "track record".
So let's talk about Zaid's track record of "Idealism" where "Rule of law" or justice is, okay ...
Yeah, yeah- in those 23 yrs of Zaid's Umno membership, I'm sure the media was so full of this tenacious fighters staements in protest against Mahathirs crony-capitalist policies, piratization, racist polity and the rape of the Federal Constitution ......... NOT!!!
Here is a man who apparently "sacrificed a lot" in UMNO, for 23 yrs (aka the Mahathir yrs) when he made his fortune- order to become a Cabinet Minister, by "giving up" a "successful" law practice which thrived as a result of patronage.
Yes- I'm sure his record is that of a "tenacious political fighter" ... until the gravy-train dried up.
Here is a man who speaks of justice- when he formed or (helped form) the Muslims Lawyers' Association (of which he was the President as a lobby group for his political Master, Mahathir- during the challenge against Mahathir's "rule by law".
This is the very man who suggested that the Bar Council President should be the Minister of Law!!
Here is the man who saw that he couldn't work with Umno, and seeing sentiments on the ground, saw that PKR had "potential"- so, upon being "sacked" from Umno, claimed that he "didn't have the money for a new party" (now he has the money, okay), started affiliating himself to PKR.
So he went around, apparently hammering a deal on "formalizing" a written constitution/understanding among the main parties, so as to register this coalition as a Formal Coalition (I donno if the "gas-stove" like thingie is the agreed symbol, though ...)- but nothing has come off all the exercise, I gather. Of course, of course- it is the "ROS" which is giving all the problem ....
The Hulu Selangor by-election was a setback for this selfless, horse-riding/breeding/keeping/whatever idealist of a patriot- what a humiliation for a high & mighty idealist, to lose at an election wherein he should've won hands-down!! We all know what happened- and so does he ... and everything changed .... but it remained under wraps, and the high-flung idealistic "rule of law" rhetoric continued to drool from this "statesman" to the adoring fans of his in his stable.
But anyways- all that changed when "Elections" ("for what it is worth"- being the first) were announced within PKR-
Zaid - a FRESHIE in the party, just learning to play marbles in the electoral pact that went miles ahead without him in 12th GE- suddenly wants the No.2 post!!
He does that, while he raves, rants & whines about the flaws in the system (which did not even exist during his idealistic glory years in UMNO!!)
I could go on about this "tenacious political fighter", guys- but I think my coffee is getting cold, and I wouldn't waste good coffee on this Mr "Principled Politics". I'd rather bet on my pet Beagles- Chopper & Mojo - than this guy.
Take care, all you Zaidophiles ....
(NOTE TO HARIS IBRAHIM:- I donno if you include yourself among these gullible, impessionable, idealistic/altruistic juveniles, Haris- but judging from the above quote, surely many would, or would like you to).
"Saya berharap Haris Ibrahim dan rakan – rakannya
dapat menjadi tulang belakang kepada pembentukan kuasa ketiga ini
dan menyokong Zaid Ibrahim untuk mengetuai kuasa ini."
-Shen Yee Aun, Demi Malaysia, Haris Ibrahim Harus Membantu Zaid ....
===============================
Now let me move on to what Yee Aun mentions so boldly above, (but then again says, "3rd force is not about Zaid Ibrahim." )- Yee Aun and all those political juveniles who dream of "Mr. Principled Politics leading the third force", wake up, will you!!dapat menjadi tulang belakang kepada pembentukan kuasa ketiga ini
dan menyokong Zaid Ibrahim untuk mengetuai kuasa ini."
-Shen Yee Aun, Demi Malaysia, Haris Ibrahim Harus Membantu Zaid ....
===============================
In the recent past, many mistook me for a Zaidophile- simply because I agreed with many of the ideals Zaid Ibrahim spoke of. Some were quite surprised that I said I rooted for Azmin in the PKR elections.
(Just for the resord- I'm no member of any political party, okay)
Agreeing with an opinion does not mean that one has to be supportive of the persons leadership qualities- that is if he had such a quality in the first place.If at all, I disappointed them- too bad guys- I make no apologies. Maybe you should learn to draw the lines between a man, his words and his politics.
(Just for the resord- I'm no member of any political party, okay)
Agreeing with an opinion does not mean that one has to be supportive of the persons leadership qualities- that is if he had such a quality in the first place.If at all, I disappointed them- too bad guys- I make no apologies. Maybe you should learn to draw the lines between a man, his words and his politics.
You really don't know what you speak of, do you?
How do you know what the person is made of?
Simple- just look at his track record ....
Firstly, remember that a man is the product of his past- the things he stood for. He does not "suddenly" come to his senses, and then walk on in glory as usual- he usually has to acknowledge his mistakes, give up his past and usually plead for another chance in humility.
Then learn to differentiate between the person and his words. Words come easy, especially for politicians.Remember that ideas he speaks of don't necessarily have to be what the the person is made of.
Now I don't care if he has stables full of horses, drinks Henessy on-the-rocks, has camels, catamites or a harem to service his lust ... or has the habit of sucking his thumb in bed, for that matter- even if it's wrong according to UMNO's NEP,"social contract", NKRA, ETP, PPP or whatever else.
All that matters is his "track record".
So let's talk about Zaid's track record of "Idealism" where "Rule of law" or justice is, okay ...
==================
"I was in UMNO for over 23 years. I have gone through a lot. I got suspended, got dropped as a candidate, lost election over 10 year- period before I won but I did not resign. My record is that of a very tenacious political fighter ...."
-Zaid Ibrahim, The "Principled" Politician
======================
======================
Here is a man who apparently "sacrificed a lot" in UMNO, for 23 yrs (aka the Mahathir yrs) when he made his fortune- order to become a Cabinet Minister, by "giving up" a "successful" law practice which thrived as a result of patronage.
Yes- I'm sure his record is that of a "tenacious political fighter" ... until the gravy-train dried up.
Here is a man who speaks of justice- when he formed or (helped form) the Muslims Lawyers' Association (of which he was the President as a lobby group for his political Master, Mahathir- during the challenge against Mahathir's "rule by law".
This is the very man who suggested that the Bar Council President should be the Minister of Law!!
Here is the man who saw that he couldn't work with Umno, and seeing sentiments on the ground, saw that PKR had "potential"- so, upon being "sacked" from Umno, claimed that he "didn't have the money for a new party" (now he has the money, okay), started affiliating himself to PKR.
=================================
"I will have to find a seat somewhere.
If I have to form my own party, I will do it. Maybe not a big party.
I will do what I feel. I am a issue related politician,
I will support the PM if I feel so and I am free to criticise BN
or the opposition or anyone."
~ "Mr Tenacious Z"
==========================
This is the man, who upon joining PKR at the height of its popularity post-308, claimed that he wishes no political posts, and only wanted to "serve for the good of the people"- but cannot be a team player, to achieve those very goals he speaks of.If I have to form my own party, I will do it. Maybe not a big party.
I will do what I feel. I am a issue related politician,
I will support the PM if I feel so and I am free to criticise BN
or the opposition or anyone."
~ "Mr Tenacious Z"
==========================
So he went around, apparently hammering a deal on "formalizing" a written constitution/understanding among the main parties, so as to register this coalition as a Formal Coalition (I donno if the "gas-stove" like thingie is the agreed symbol, though ...)- but nothing has come off all the exercise, I gather. Of course, of course- it is the "ROS" which is giving all the problem ....
The Hulu Selangor by-election was a setback for this selfless, horse-riding/breeding/keeping/whatever idealist of a patriot- what a humiliation for a high & mighty idealist, to lose at an election wherein he should've won hands-down!! We all know what happened- and so does he ... and everything changed .... but it remained under wraps, and the high-flung idealistic "rule of law" rhetoric continued to drool from this "statesman" to the adoring fans of his in his stable.
But anyways- all that changed when "Elections" ("for what it is worth"- being the first) were announced within PKR-
Zaid - a FRESHIE in the party, just learning to play marbles in the electoral pact that went miles ahead without him in 12th GE- suddenly wants the No.2 post!!
He does that, while he raves, rants & whines about the flaws in the system (which did not even exist during his idealistic glory years in UMNO!!)
I could go on about this "tenacious political fighter", guys- but I think my coffee is getting cold, and I wouldn't waste good coffee on this Mr "Principled Politics". I'd rather bet on my pet Beagles- Chopper & Mojo - than this guy.
Take care, all you Zaidophiles ....
(NOTE TO HARIS IBRAHIM:- I donno if you include yourself among these gullible, impessionable, idealistic/altruistic juveniles, Haris- but judging from the above quote, surely many would, or would like you to).
Saturday, 13 November 2010
PROTEST Govt Bailout OR PAY!!!
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told Selangor residents today that they either protest or pay higher rates for water as his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government launched a campaign against a potential bail-out of the privatised state utility.
The Selangor Mentri Besar kicked off the “Return water rights to the Selangor people” campaign which was attended by 500 people at the land office here, although they were aiming for 100,000 people to sign a memorandum to the King.
The state government plans to submit a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on December 5 over the federal government’s possible bailout of Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas).
The "3rd Force" Conundrum .... and more bla,- Pt. 1
We are not forcing you to accept candidates we propose.
If you can do well enough without our help, well and fine.
If you want us to stay out of your affairs just say so.
Just give the word. Tell us to f^%# off and we will.
Then you will never hear from us again.
-RPK, So you want to rumble, let’s rumble
"Saya berharap Haris Ibrahim dan rakan – rakannya
dapat menjadi tulang belakang kepada pembentukan kuasa ketiga ini
dan menyokong Zaid Ibrahim untuk mengetuai kuasa ini."
-Shen Yee Aun, Demi Malaysia, Haris Ibrahim Harus Membantu Zaid ....
=========================
If you can do well enough without our help, well and fine.
If you want us to stay out of your affairs just say so.
Just give the word. Tell us to f^%# off and we will.
Then you will never hear from us again.
-RPK, So you want to rumble, let’s rumble
"Saya berharap Haris Ibrahim dan rakan – rakannya
dapat menjadi tulang belakang kepada pembentukan kuasa ketiga ini
dan menyokong Zaid Ibrahim untuk mengetuai kuasa ini."
-Shen Yee Aun, Demi Malaysia, Haris Ibrahim Harus Membantu Zaid ....
=========================
"Houston- we have a problem" .... Everybody is talking about it, but nobody seems to know anything about it!!
Yes- Everybody's going nuts over this much cliched ""3rd Force" thingie .... did you read the comments on MT in response to RPKs probing questions? Most were laughable- so much so, RPK deleted them!!! LOL!!
So what exactly is this "3rd Force"? Much like Najib's "1-Malaysia" thingie - many have different ideas about it, and most people think that it has to be a political party ....
Malaysian society matured enough as yet for a party like "Liberal Democrats", and we have numerous mosquitos (that suck the political life-blood out the country) waiting on the sidelines, for some money making scam/opportunity before & after every GE.
Come on, guys- haven't we had enough of political parties filled to the brim with crooks?
What we need is an actibve and enlightened civil society which can guide them along - nothing more.
Moving on- So what "two-party system" are we talking about? I think Nik Nazmi was way off the mark in asking to "Perfect the two-party system".
If anything, we seem to be headed for "Coalition Politics".
The difference is, we're hoping for two coalitions (which consist of parties with varying styles/opinions/convictions but understand the need to get to Putrajaya to make changes to the system) to compete for our votes- that's all.
Now that is not taking into account the many mosquito parties outside the coalitions, which have been set up to split votes (but support one or other when it suits them la).
Haris has been "doing the Spartacus" going to town whacking PKR out in the open.
Granted- giving them a little when required is warranted. Idealism is necessary. But let's not go overboard. Now, when we have a Mr. Pseudo-Intellectual/CronyCapitalist/PrincipledPolitics in the picture threatening to split the party - hold your horses, mate!!
He thinks he's "being fair & non-partisan" in his idealistic objectives. He's questioning & discrediting PKR which is already getting mauled by the MSM with the help of a "Mr Principled Politics with a healthy NEP/UMNO aided bank account".
You want "true-blue democracy" with everything hunky-dory in the party when it is creeping with rats & cockroaches? Get real, mate!!
What- you cannot live with a party that has its own "internal methods" of filtering out the many sleepers/Evelyn Salts/Trojan Horses? What do you hope to achieve? Have you forgotten history- when all the popular non-racist parties of the 1940-50s were hounded into oblivion by an aristocratic, elitist and small-minority party, who were collaborators with the colonialists? Now, you want an ange-white, all-perfect, idealistically optimum, purely democratic party to challenge this monster it is up against, is it?
Woi, brader- barger you .... wake up la- That exists only in dreams okay!!
Porah la- You thought all your political idols were angels is it? Bloody hell man- MLK, MalcolmX, JFK, Churchill, Nehru or Gandhi (and their goons)- for all their angelic philosophy would be laughing at you from their graves la!!
(Ooops!- Sorry for the lingo .... we are "1Malaysia" ... I "change my mode" okay ...)
Give it a break, mate- let them sort out their internal affairs before they move on to bigger things. At least they're attempting something positive.
[Note To all who have joined the PKR-bashing bandwagon:-
Remember that you talk & walk freely today BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU FOUGHT FOR- a strong opposition. Remember YOU did not vote for a democratic PKR- The democracy in PKR was, and is an aspiration, mind you!! Remember that it is imperative that UMNO goes down. ]
Don't they realize that they're still underdogs? Don't they realize that we need every person who can be an asset towards the goal of displacing UMNO? Don't they realize that they need DSAI/Azmin/LGE/Hadi/TGNA as the cornerstone of their struggle? Or have they developed delusions of grandeur through their "idealism" and purged pragmatism, realism ond politics out their aboral ends?
Mark my words- The next general elections will be staged amidst "heightened tensions" (staged or for real), simply becos there are those who wish to "defend Putrajaya even if it means crushed bodies"- and it would be a convenient excuse to suspend parliament and enforce Emergency (ala 513), "should the need arise".
As RPK said- "WE ARE THE THIRD FORCE", and we don't need to have a political hierarchy to "lead" us. We ARE a force to be reckoned with, even if Anwar doesn't think so anymore. We are a force to be reckoned with, even if PR thinks they can junk the People's Declaration.
However, I take exeption to RPK's tone of "tell us to f@&#-off and we will", okay - if I were RPK, I'd wait till they get to Putrajaya!!
Right now, Umno is having a ball of a time watching PKR/Anwar getting bitch-slapped & banged-up silly - and it affects sentiments/perception and confidence. Malaysians are political simpletons (yes- even the "kacang puteh" man/taxi-driver on the Trivandrum street can put them to shame)- People are confused. Especially when we have a Mr. Principled politics doling out idealistic hogwash which the many voters/idealist have lapped up.
That, my friend- is no good.
Right now, we have a goal to achieve- that's Putrajaya.
Even if they do get to Putrajaya in the next GE (despite the possibility, I'm not too optimistic as they don't seem to be able to come up with even a shadow cabinet- and if they do, it will be with a narrow margin) RPK can always tell them those words- with the help of Umno waiting to thrash the crap out of them.
Contrary to what "Mr. Principled Politics" said, PKR isn't just about Anwar- just because he's blinded by his envy and Anwar's "aura", he's come to that simplistic conclusion. It has taken a life of its own. It is more than Anwar. It is an "ideal" for a new polity devoid of UMNO, which isn't quite on a firm footing. It is the only force that can liberate "the Malay mind" right now. PKR is an "adolescent" in comparison to PAS and DAP, born under troubling circumstances- it is quite likely that it will need some "disciplining" now and then, but don't push it okay. You stand to lose all that you gained thus far.
"Give them a chance- We can kick them out in the next elections if ...." -Wasn't that what you said Pete- when we doubted PAS's commitment, when you stood by their "Islamic State" platform (in the early days of the debates on MT)? So what happened to that "Give them a chance?"? We gave PAS a chance- and they have made changes to adapt to national politics.
Now can you give a man a chance to get his house which is filled with creepy-crawlies, in order, before the next GE?
So drop the "F%#$-off" okay, Pete- let's work together to educate the masses on their rights, constitution and counter the lies spun by UMNO- notably their phanthom "social contract". Forget about the "leadership" for now- don't even "anoint" anyone. Haris as the "spokesperson" is fine. That (Leaders) will come with the credibility of those who make their stand over time.
THAT is the 3rd force you need- a people who can make an informed decision when they decide to vote for their candidates!! An educated electorate will be your third force- and let the intellectual debates guide them to make their choice. Throw a cat among the pigeons- let the debates begin. As for "change"- it can take any shape which the discussions will lean towards.
And Barisan Rakyat sounds good!!
RIGHT NOW- stay focussed, Pete .... the job at hand is to KICK OUT UMNO's RACE BASED POLITICS!!!
Now - Yee Aun and all those political juveniles who dream of "Mr. Principled Politics leading the third force", wake up, will you!!
You really don't know what you speak of, do you?
How do you know what the person is made of?
Simple- just look at his track record ....
(To be continued ...)
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Fuyoh!!- The "Tight Discipline" we fear ....
“The reasons (for the low participation of non-Malays) could be
because of a fear towards a tight discipline.
It could be because of a low spirit of patriotism.
It could be because certain ethnic groups had a negative perception
of the armed forces and did not encourage participation,”
because of a fear towards a tight discipline.
It could be because of a low spirit of patriotism.
It could be because certain ethnic groups had a negative perception
of the armed forces and did not encourage participation,”
-Zahid Hamidi,
Why fewer non-Malays in military?
Low patriotism and fear of discipline, says ministry
======================================
Malaysians just don't understand...... The people are condemning him for his statement. Firstly, he's giving the reasons why he didn't join the army- what's wrong with that? Y'see when he's got such loose disclipline in making statements in parliament, how can he join the army? He'll end up being a loose cannon!!
He needs to get his screws tightened first, I suppose ...
Then comes the low level of patriotism.
His patriotism is proportional to the cashflow- and that you don't get when you're a lowdown officer, maah. That's why he chose to be in UMNO!! Clever, eh?
The patriotism he speaks of isn't actually to the nation/King as we might think - it is actually allegiance to UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu and its warlords he's talking about.
Why fewer non-Malays in military?
Low patriotism and fear of discipline, says ministry
======================================
Malaysians just don't understand...... The people are condemning him for his statement. Firstly, he's giving the reasons why he didn't join the army- what's wrong with that? Y'see when he's got such loose disclipline in making statements in parliament, how can he join the army? He'll end up being a loose cannon!!
He needs to get his screws tightened first, I suppose ...
Then comes the low level of patriotism.
His patriotism is proportional to the cashflow- and that you don't get when you're a lowdown officer, maah. That's why he chose to be in UMNO!! Clever, eh?
The patriotism he speaks of isn't actually to the nation/King as we might think - it is actually allegiance to UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu and its warlords he's talking about.
You wanna know what "tight discipline" he speaks of? The discipline he talks about is like this:-
- the discipline in letting discrimination and bigotry itself become an unspoken 'discipline' among comrades,
- the discipline in allowing people to dictate terms to you simply becos they are of a "privileged class" of morons,
- the discipline in letting some jobless hotshot/warlord/screwball/philanderer use army facilities/equipments/helicopters for his entertaiment/golfing adventures,
- the discipline in how armaments are taken out of the dept without records (call it an arms heist if you must),
- the great discipline required in sweeping scandals under the carpet,
- the discipline required to get jet engines going missing,
- the discipline in allowing C4 to be used for "Mongolian private enterprise",
- the discipline in not maintaining the arms but ordering sub-standard "new" arms/helicopters/submarines which are below specifications at exorbitant prices,
- the discipline in having nothing to show for the RM billions spent on making OPVs,
- the discipline required to cut corners and make military hospitals below specifications
- the discipline in allowing comrades to die in mishaps due to shoddy maintainance,
- the discipline in letting yourself become the scapegoat in scams perpetrated by superiors,
- the discipline in allowing the boss to make sure you vote BN/UMNO ,
- the discipline in holding the people at ransom,
- the discipline in making sure that the victims/scapegoats in undesirable events/occurances come from a certain ethnicity (other than Malay),
- the discipline in letting the "disciplined" guys be used by politicians to protect themselves from the rakyat,
- apparently some say, even the discipline in gun-running & subversive activities
- etc etc etc
Fuyoh- this is what I call "Discipline" lah macha ..... where else in the world can we get such discipline ah? Nowhere brader- only in Bolaysia ....
These are just "stories" (aka rumours) okay- you shouldn't listen to all these "malicious rumour mongering".
Those who do it are all jealous of UMNO's success at "defending the nation" from its enemies (don't ask me which enemy, okay) and are enemies of UMNO ... err, sorry... I meant- enemies of state. But a little bird said said that in Bolaysia, rumours are often proven to be true after the damage is done la ..... but that is no reason to have a "negative perception" of the defence forces.
A little bit of "Patriotism" should be able to overcome all that .... NOT!
- the discipline in letting discrimination and bigotry itself become an unspoken 'discipline' among comrades,
- the discipline in allowing people to dictate terms to you simply becos they are of a "privileged class" of morons,
- the discipline in letting some jobless hotshot/warlord/screwball/philanderer use army facilities/equipments/helicopters for his entertaiment/golfing adventures,
- the discipline in how armaments are taken out of the dept without records (call it an arms heist if you must),
- the great discipline required in sweeping scandals under the carpet,
- the discipline required to get jet engines going missing,
- the discipline in allowing C4 to be used for "Mongolian private enterprise",
- the discipline in not maintaining the arms but ordering sub-standard "new" arms/helicopters/submarines which are below specifications at exorbitant prices,
- the discipline in having nothing to show for the RM billions spent on making OPVs,
- the discipline required to cut corners and make military hospitals below specifications
- the discipline in allowing comrades to die in mishaps due to shoddy maintainance,
- the discipline in letting yourself become the scapegoat in scams perpetrated by superiors,
- the discipline in allowing the boss to make sure you vote BN/UMNO ,
- the discipline in holding the people at ransom,
- the discipline in making sure that the victims/scapegoats in undesirable events/occurances come from a certain ethnicity (other than Malay),
- the discipline in letting the "disciplined" guys be used by politicians to protect themselves from the rakyat,
- apparently some say, even the discipline in gun-running & subversive activities
- etc etc etc
Fuyoh- this is what I call "Discipline" lah macha ..... where else in the world can we get such discipline ah? Nowhere brader- only in Bolaysia ....
These are just "stories" (aka rumours) okay- you shouldn't listen to all these "malicious rumour mongering".
Those who do it are all jealous of UMNO's success at "defending the nation" from its enemies (don't ask me which enemy, okay) and are enemies of UMNO ... err, sorry... I meant- enemies of state. But a little bird said said that in Bolaysia, rumours are often proven to be true after the damage is done la ..... but that is no reason to have a "negative perception" of the defence forces.
A little bit of "Patriotism" should be able to overcome all that .... NOT!
Yes Minister- with such "discipline"
as tight as Saiful's anus,
you can be damn sure that many are afraid of such "tight discipline"!!
as tight as Saiful's anus,
you can be damn sure that many are afraid of such "tight discipline"!!
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Educating Zahid Hamidi ......
The Minister of Defence, Zahid Hamidi had apparently said that Chinese and Indians 'not patriotic enough' and scooted from the parliament before he could be confronted!! That was his rationale behind the low percentage of Non-Malays in the Defence forces of our country.
To say that his statement was a result of his ignorance of "Ketuanan Melayu" which his UMNO hordes have been brandishing as the ideology to control the nation, would be naive if not silly.
From Merdeka onwards, more so after the NEP was enforced- the number of Non-Malays in the public sector have progressively dwindled, while the performance and corruption hase progressively worsened.
(Note that the relationship is inversely proportional).
It is common knowledge that it has been the intention of the UMNO regime to turn all public services sectors into "Malay (read- Umno) Institutions". In fact (if I'm not mistaken), they have admitted to this fact). Stories abound- on how non-Malays are discriminated and humiliated in the system. Any man in the street can tell you why it is that non-Malays refrain from joining the public services (unless they don't have a choice).
Why go so far- just check out the enrollment into the residential schools ("sekolah asrama penuh") these days - how many non-Malays are there? Parents fear sending their kids to places where they may be faced with hostile/bullying/humiliating environments. Performance/ Merit is never a consideration- in fact it works against you in the system. What is encouraged is racism, mediocrity and "pliability".
It might not be too far-fetched to say that it is the intention of the regime to use this excuse as a reason to have an all Malay Army which can be used to play up the "us against them" ideology- to intimidate the non-malays into submission to the rule of the elite Umnoputras (the hallmark of "Ketuanan Melayu").
So, the only conclusion that we can draw from this statement of his is that he is an ungrateful & shameless liar, who lives on "unpatriotic" tax-payers' money.
Here are a few comments which Zahid Hamidi generated on Malaysia Kini:-
Neders: Zahid Hamidi, how did you become the defence minister? You haven't a clue about the reality on the ground. I am an old boy of the Federal Military College (now Royal Military College) and many of my non-Malay contemporaries joined the armed forces.
Sure, a number worked their way up to become colonels and even a sprinkling became generals (you stood a better chance to be one if you were prepared to sacrifice your prepuce). This was because they were of a calibre that was hard to ignore.
However, a larger number got stuck at the 'major' level and were overtaken by Malay officers many years their junior. Also, the intake into the RMC progressively became so lopsided that the 'nons' became discouraged and later disinterested. Why would I want my sons to join the armed forces when their chances of fair promotions stand as much as that of a snowball in hell?
I dare tell you in the face never to question our patriotism. You are the one who created the situation and now blame the 'nons' for the problem.
Ranjit Singh: Patriotism or racism? Do you want me to lay the facts out about the selective recruitment process under Dr Mahathir Mohamad where mostly Malays were hired in all public sector under the New Economic Plan (NEP)?
Seriously, imagine such a statement from a minister. What more can I say? This is the quality of people we have in Umno. Doesn't that statement speak for itself?
AJ: I can speak of my experience in RMAF (Royal Malaysian Air Force). I joined in the early years of Mahathir's reign. The higher allowance went to the aircraft mechanics as they came in with higher school grades and did better in the aptitude tests. Malay to non-Malay ratio was almost 60-40. No one had to worry about promotions as it was a very fair process.
As the years past, the non-technical support staff allowance was adjusted to that of the technical staff's. Now there was no need to be smarter or start off with a higher aptitude. Moral and pride began to slip. Soon Malays, who were juniors and those who were left behind because they did not excel in their work, were promoted.
When questioned, those who did the appraisals showed us that promotions were race and not merit-based. It was a government directive and beyond their control. Non-Malays subsequently left the force in droves.
Rick Teo: Zahid, which school did you go to? Chinese and Indians don't want join the army because your kind will always bully the non-Malays in the army. Promotions do not go according to merit but kulit-fication.
Anonymous: Chinese and Indians are very practical. Why would they join the army when they will be marginalised and denied promotions? By the way, Chinese and Indians are patriotic in a different way, they contribute to nation building by paying the most taxes. Every race has different way of contributing to the nation.
Zahid, use your head before you say things.
OMG: The minister should be sacked for such an incendiary statement. It is pure rubbish. The Chinese and Indians don't join the army because they are passed over when it comes to promotions and are marginalised. The same goes for the civil service.
Xiao Zhu: Zahid must have his brain in the knee-cap. So many quotas and restrictions are imposed on non-Malays, and the government intentionally does not recruit non-Malays, and this practice applies to all government-linked companies. Look at past records in the Defence Ministry - how many non-Malays were serving the country in the past as compared to now?
Open the floodgate without quota and restriction, then let's see how many non-Malays will apply for the job.
Singa Pura Pura: You are grossly mistaken for saying so, Minister Zahid. Do you honestly believe that the Malays join the army and police out of sheer and wilful patriotism, not out of economic necessity or social conditioning?
The Chinese and Indians are 'prevented' (for want of a better word) from joining the civil service and innumerable other government-controlled services and companies. Yes, BN and Umno prevent and hinder the Chinese and Indians from being 'patriotic' Malaysians. That is the 'form' in which the regime wants to keep the 'nons' out.
In any case, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says 'Malaysian' should be second after one's ethnicity. So don't even dare talk about Malaysian patriotism. There is only 'racial nationalism' in the insidious guise of 'national patriotism' under Umno, whichever way you choose to interpret it.
Swipenter: Before Mahathir started deliberately to Malay-nise the civil services, police and armed forces, there was a good mix of all races in all government institutions. After discriminating against the non-Malays by putting up glass ceilings and quotas for close to 30 years, this good-for-nothing defence minister is demonising the non-Malays as "not patriotic enough".
Nuckins: Not patriotic enough? Based on what studies and evidence? Can you please show us your source, minister? If you cannot come up with the appropriate studies or facts, then are you trying to destabilise our country's inter-ethnic relations by shooting off your big mouth? If this is not seditious, I don't know what is.
Pak Kulop Miko: In most countries of the world, accusing certain sectors of the population of being "unpatriotic" would have resulted in the minister being raked over coals.
What evidence has he adduced to support his view? This kind of reasoning (hell, it is not even reason) is typical of BN leaders - they shoot from the hip, never ascertain any facts, consult nobody and never bother to improve their intellect.
Hamisu: I'll admit openly I am not patriotic. I don't wave the Jalur Gemilang on Aug 31. So what? Dumb ministers and government officials still can't figure the real reason why non-Malays are not that patriotic.
What's there to be patriotic about when we are not even treated as equal citizens. There so much discrimination from the day you are born to the day you die under the Malaysian sun. Does the phrase "I love my country as much as my country loves me" ring any bell?
The government, and especially this really moronic minister, still expects non-Malays to be patriotic. Make some real changes that treats non-Malays as equals, instead of labelling non-Malays as 'pendatang' (immigrants). Then you will see patriotism instilled by our own parents rather than the government.
Hello: What about the lack of numbers in the civil service? Are the Chinese and Indians also unpatriotic in not going there? This simpleton of a defence minister has come up with very simplistic reasons.
Why not look into the manner the applicants are recruited? The promotion opportunities offered to these non-Malay recruits? The hidden agenda of 'ketuanan Melayu', the watchword of Umno?
All this alleged unpatriotism lies with the policies of Umno with the silent support of its lackeys - MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc. When you have fair recruitment and promotion opportunities, you will find the non-Malays applying in droves.
Meranti Kepong: Indeed, if the Chinese, Indians and other minorities are truly giving a stake in the country and treated as bona fide Malaysians without prejudice and discrimination and not as 'squatters' and 'immigrants', then they would be prepared to not only defend the country but to become true warriors of the realm.
Yang: I am shocked. Who is to say I am 'not patriotic enough'?
To say that his statement was a result of his ignorance of "Ketuanan Melayu" which his UMNO hordes have been brandishing as the ideology to control the nation, would be naive if not silly.
From Merdeka onwards, more so after the NEP was enforced- the number of Non-Malays in the public sector have progressively dwindled, while the performance and corruption hase progressively worsened.
(Note that the relationship is inversely proportional).
It is common knowledge that it has been the intention of the UMNO regime to turn all public services sectors into "Malay (read- Umno) Institutions". In fact (if I'm not mistaken), they have admitted to this fact). Stories abound- on how non-Malays are discriminated and humiliated in the system. Any man in the street can tell you why it is that non-Malays refrain from joining the public services (unless they don't have a choice).
Why go so far- just check out the enrollment into the residential schools ("sekolah asrama penuh") these days - how many non-Malays are there? Parents fear sending their kids to places where they may be faced with hostile/bullying/humiliating environments. Performance/ Merit is never a consideration- in fact it works against you in the system. What is encouraged is racism, mediocrity and "pliability".
It might not be too far-fetched to say that it is the intention of the regime to use this excuse as a reason to have an all Malay Army which can be used to play up the "us against them" ideology- to intimidate the non-malays into submission to the rule of the elite Umnoputras (the hallmark of "Ketuanan Melayu").
So, the only conclusion that we can draw from this statement of his is that he is an ungrateful & shameless liar, who lives on "unpatriotic" tax-payers' money.
Here are a few comments which Zahid Hamidi generated on Malaysia Kini:-
Neders: Zahid Hamidi, how did you become the defence minister? You haven't a clue about the reality on the ground. I am an old boy of the Federal Military College (now Royal Military College) and many of my non-Malay contemporaries joined the armed forces.
Sure, a number worked their way up to become colonels and even a sprinkling became generals (you stood a better chance to be one if you were prepared to sacrifice your prepuce). This was because they were of a calibre that was hard to ignore.
However, a larger number got stuck at the 'major' level and were overtaken by Malay officers many years their junior. Also, the intake into the RMC progressively became so lopsided that the 'nons' became discouraged and later disinterested. Why would I want my sons to join the armed forces when their chances of fair promotions stand as much as that of a snowball in hell?
I dare tell you in the face never to question our patriotism. You are the one who created the situation and now blame the 'nons' for the problem.
Ranjit Singh: Patriotism or racism? Do you want me to lay the facts out about the selective recruitment process under Dr Mahathir Mohamad where mostly Malays were hired in all public sector under the New Economic Plan (NEP)?
Seriously, imagine such a statement from a minister. What more can I say? This is the quality of people we have in Umno. Doesn't that statement speak for itself?
AJ: I can speak of my experience in RMAF (Royal Malaysian Air Force). I joined in the early years of Mahathir's reign. The higher allowance went to the aircraft mechanics as they came in with higher school grades and did better in the aptitude tests. Malay to non-Malay ratio was almost 60-40. No one had to worry about promotions as it was a very fair process.
As the years past, the non-technical support staff allowance was adjusted to that of the technical staff's. Now there was no need to be smarter or start off with a higher aptitude. Moral and pride began to slip. Soon Malays, who were juniors and those who were left behind because they did not excel in their work, were promoted.
When questioned, those who did the appraisals showed us that promotions were race and not merit-based. It was a government directive and beyond their control. Non-Malays subsequently left the force in droves.
Rick Teo: Zahid, which school did you go to? Chinese and Indians don't want join the army because your kind will always bully the non-Malays in the army. Promotions do not go according to merit but kulit-fication.
Anonymous: Chinese and Indians are very practical. Why would they join the army when they will be marginalised and denied promotions? By the way, Chinese and Indians are patriotic in a different way, they contribute to nation building by paying the most taxes. Every race has different way of contributing to the nation.
Zahid, use your head before you say things.
OMG: The minister should be sacked for such an incendiary statement. It is pure rubbish. The Chinese and Indians don't join the army because they are passed over when it comes to promotions and are marginalised. The same goes for the civil service.
Xiao Zhu: Zahid must have his brain in the knee-cap. So many quotas and restrictions are imposed on non-Malays, and the government intentionally does not recruit non-Malays, and this practice applies to all government-linked companies. Look at past records in the Defence Ministry - how many non-Malays were serving the country in the past as compared to now?
Open the floodgate without quota and restriction, then let's see how many non-Malays will apply for the job.
Singa Pura Pura: You are grossly mistaken for saying so, Minister Zahid. Do you honestly believe that the Malays join the army and police out of sheer and wilful patriotism, not out of economic necessity or social conditioning?
The Chinese and Indians are 'prevented' (for want of a better word) from joining the civil service and innumerable other government-controlled services and companies. Yes, BN and Umno prevent and hinder the Chinese and Indians from being 'patriotic' Malaysians. That is the 'form' in which the regime wants to keep the 'nons' out.
In any case, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says 'Malaysian' should be second after one's ethnicity. So don't even dare talk about Malaysian patriotism. There is only 'racial nationalism' in the insidious guise of 'national patriotism' under Umno, whichever way you choose to interpret it.
Swipenter: Before Mahathir started deliberately to Malay-nise the civil services, police and armed forces, there was a good mix of all races in all government institutions. After discriminating against the non-Malays by putting up glass ceilings and quotas for close to 30 years, this good-for-nothing defence minister is demonising the non-Malays as "not patriotic enough".
Nuckins: Not patriotic enough? Based on what studies and evidence? Can you please show us your source, minister? If you cannot come up with the appropriate studies or facts, then are you trying to destabilise our country's inter-ethnic relations by shooting off your big mouth? If this is not seditious, I don't know what is.
Pak Kulop Miko: In most countries of the world, accusing certain sectors of the population of being "unpatriotic" would have resulted in the minister being raked over coals.
What evidence has he adduced to support his view? This kind of reasoning (hell, it is not even reason) is typical of BN leaders - they shoot from the hip, never ascertain any facts, consult nobody and never bother to improve their intellect.
Hamisu: I'll admit openly I am not patriotic. I don't wave the Jalur Gemilang on Aug 31. So what? Dumb ministers and government officials still can't figure the real reason why non-Malays are not that patriotic.
What's there to be patriotic about when we are not even treated as equal citizens. There so much discrimination from the day you are born to the day you die under the Malaysian sun. Does the phrase "I love my country as much as my country loves me" ring any bell?
The government, and especially this really moronic minister, still expects non-Malays to be patriotic. Make some real changes that treats non-Malays as equals, instead of labelling non-Malays as 'pendatang' (immigrants). Then you will see patriotism instilled by our own parents rather than the government.
Hello: What about the lack of numbers in the civil service? Are the Chinese and Indians also unpatriotic in not going there? This simpleton of a defence minister has come up with very simplistic reasons.
Why not look into the manner the applicants are recruited? The promotion opportunities offered to these non-Malay recruits? The hidden agenda of 'ketuanan Melayu', the watchword of Umno?
All this alleged unpatriotism lies with the policies of Umno with the silent support of its lackeys - MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc. When you have fair recruitment and promotion opportunities, you will find the non-Malays applying in droves.
Meranti Kepong: Indeed, if the Chinese, Indians and other minorities are truly giving a stake in the country and treated as bona fide Malaysians without prejudice and discrimination and not as 'squatters' and 'immigrants', then they would be prepared to not only defend the country but to become true warriors of the realm.
Yang: I am shocked. Who is to say I am 'not patriotic enough'?
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Remove the shades- It isn't "politics", It's about bigotry ....
IN addition, this is also another typical Malay-bashing tactic of the opposition.
Yeah yeah you will start screaming that PKR is mainly Malay.
From where I stand, I believe that PKR is not so much multi racialas they would sacrifice any ethnic group
or religious group as long as it gives them political mileage.
- Mr. Z (referring to the "Caning of a child over Pork in School" issue).
===================================
For a start, let me say that I did not see how this was a "typical Malay-bashing tactic of the opposition".
Maybe I missed something ... but I'll move on.
You're very right about both the parent & teachers- but in this case, other than educating the child about not sharing the food, I don't see why she should do anything else.
The way I look at it- she DOESN'T HAVE TO PREPARE HALAL FOOD for the kid to take to school. All she has to do is tell the child to keep it away from practicing MUSLIMS/ HINDUS/Buddhists. (From what I gather, she did just that).
If I were the parent, I'll go to the school myself with the non-halal food to prove my point- becos, if children can be allowed to bring meat (which isn't kosher to vegetarian Hindus & Buddhists) beef (which isn't kosher to hindus) to a school, I don't see what can be wrong with pork.
It should also be the job of the school to respect the cultural diversity, educate the children & have separate sections where non-kosher food may be had.
LOL- Sorry to disappoint you Z ... but I don't see why i should get worked up on what you said about PKR. The way I look at it, you're quite right about PKR- in a sense. They are what they are- they'll sell out anybody, if they're not kept in check. That goes for anybody, when they're not kept in check & "7 deadly sins" are allowed to creep into their minds & hearts when they lose their focus.
You say that they'll "sell out" any group? But that doesn't mean it is necessarily a bad thing.....
For a start, maybe all of us NEED to sacrifice our narrow/selfish sectarian interests & stop talking about our chauvinism/ethnicity/religious preferences/privileges when in comes to education/economy.
It's not like UMNO is really doing much good for the Malay community beyond shouting at the rooftops about "ketuanan Melayu" and encouraging mediocrity, you know ..... most of the Malays I see aren't doing so well, despite what UMNO calls "special rights" accorded to them. meanwhile the economy is in shambles .... just as the social fabric of the nation.
Y'see, Z- politicians are politicians .... it is their job to exploit the people & extract as much political mileage as possible. The ruthless ones will manipulate society through propaganda for his personal benefit.
What is necessary is the check and balance in the 4 institutions of state which we have. Sadly, despite claiming to defend their rights to a good government, some ruthless parties proceeded to destroy these institutions by rendering them mere administrative rubber stamps.
Look around you, Z-
Meanwhile, the public is still blissfully going on sacrificing their rights at the altar of prosperity, amidst all the trappings of wealth around them which they gawk at with stupid pride.
To make matters worse, the public has been brainwashed into thinking that their rights are preserved, while the nation is plundered by the privileged few.
I do not say that our leaders didn't do any good. They definitely did some good here & there - but the damage they have caused in bringing about those little good is gonna prove far too costly in the long run. I don't wish to debate about it la, Z- You will see it for yourself in due time. Maybe you'll know why it all happened, maybe you'll wonder why- I don't know you well enough to say.
Very sad it is. If Malaysia is lucky, we may recover from this after reforms .... in a generation or so- that too if it happens. Otherwise, we just slide down the slippery slope .... and say sayonara to the good times.
Maybe I missed something ... but I'll move on.
You're very right about both the parent & teachers- but in this case, other than educating the child about not sharing the food, I don't see why she should do anything else.
The way I look at it- she DOESN'T HAVE TO PREPARE HALAL FOOD for the kid to take to school. All she has to do is tell the child to keep it away from practicing MUSLIMS/ HINDUS/Buddhists. (From what I gather, she did just that).
If I were the parent, I'll go to the school myself with the non-halal food to prove my point- becos, if children can be allowed to bring meat (which isn't kosher to vegetarian Hindus & Buddhists) beef (which isn't kosher to hindus) to a school, I don't see what can be wrong with pork.
It should also be the job of the school to respect the cultural diversity, educate the children & have separate sections where non-kosher food may be had.
LOL- Sorry to disappoint you Z ... but I don't see why i should get worked up on what you said about PKR. The way I look at it, you're quite right about PKR- in a sense. They are what they are- they'll sell out anybody, if they're not kept in check. That goes for anybody, when they're not kept in check & "7 deadly sins" are allowed to creep into their minds & hearts when they lose their focus.
You say that they'll "sell out" any group? But that doesn't mean it is necessarily a bad thing.....
For a start, maybe all of us NEED to sacrifice our narrow/selfish sectarian interests & stop talking about our chauvinism/ethnicity/relig
It's not like UMNO is really doing much good for the Malay community beyond shouting at the rooftops about "ketuanan Melayu" and encouraging mediocrity, you know ..... most of the Malays I see aren't doing so well, despite what UMNO calls "special rights" accorded to them. meanwhile the economy is in shambles .... just as the social fabric of the nation.
Y'see, Z- politicians are politicians .... it is their job to exploit the people & extract as much political mileage as possible. The ruthless ones will manipulate society through propaganda for his personal benefit.
What is necessary is the check and balance in the 4 institutions of state which we have. Sadly, despite claiming to defend their rights to a good government, some ruthless parties proceeded to destroy these institutions by rendering them mere administrative rubber stamps.
Look around you, Z-
- Corruption has become the order of the day, and bigotry is promoted as a valid sentiment.
- Lies are disseminated to the public by those in power.
- Crime is hidden, supported and even defended by those in authority.
- Chauvinism is applauded, while mediocrity and stupidity are rewarded.
- Are you telling me nobody has been "sold-out" in this scenario?
- Or did some ethnicity/religion actually benefit from it all?
Meanwhile, the public is still blissfully going on sacrificing their rights at the altar of prosperity, amidst all the trappings of wealth around them which they gawk at with stupid pride.
To make matters worse, the public has been brainwashed into thinking that their rights are preserved, while the nation is plundered by the privileged few.
I do not say that our leaders didn't do any good. They definitely did some good here & there - but the damage they have caused in bringing about those little good is gonna prove far too costly in the long run. I don't wish to debate about it la, Z- You will see it for yourself in due time. Maybe you'll know why it all happened, maybe you'll wonder why- I don't know you well enough to say.
Very sad it is. If Malaysia is lucky, we may recover from this after reforms .... in a generation or so- that too if it happens. Otherwise, we just slide down the slippery slope .... and say sayonara to the good times.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
No pork allowed in school ?
The following came to my attention through Facebook:-
No pork allowed in school ?
No pork allowed in school ?
KUCHING – A pupil was allegedly caned 10 times on his palm for bringing fried ri...ce cooked with pork sausage and the PKR Woman’s wing is crying foul over the issue as they held a press conference this afternoon.
The pupil, Basil Beginda was allegedly caned by the Penolong Kanan, Iskandar bin Fadeli who was from Simujan on October 15 (Friday) for bringing non halal food to school and is tramautised by the whole situation.
In a press conference this afternoon, the mother of the pupil, Angela Jabing with Vice Chairperson, Voon Shiak Ni, State Woman Chief, Ibi anak Uding, deputy woman chief, Nurhanim Hanna Dato’ Haji Mokhen said she was shocked to learn that her son was punished for bringing non halal food to school. “I have never received any written circular from the school that children cannot bring non halal food in the school,” she said.
On October 19th, Angela. also a PKR executive went ot the school to meet up with the Principle who was with Iskandar. Angela said instead of clarifying or apologizing on the reason for her son’s punishment, Iskandar claimed that he could not find it in his record the incident and he did not recall such incident.
He then asked Basil to come and Angela said she saw her son filled with fear looking at Iskandar. Basil told Iskandar that he was always advised by his mother not to offer his non halal food to the Muslim and he had never done so.
The Prinicipal, Alice Chung said Iskandar had announced during the school assembly in February this year that the students are prohibited to bring any non halal products to the school for their own consumption as a noble act to respect the Muslim students..
Iskandar then told Angela, “Jangan besar-besarkan’ hal kerana isu ini isu yang cukup sensitif di kalangan orang orang Isam…..
Not satisfied with the explanation, Angela wrote in for an explanation. On the third day, she got a call from the Principal and request to meet up on October 29. She insisted on a written reply.
The letter, she said did not answer her question on the issue of why her son was caned 10 times for eating friend rice with non halal sausage. “Is this a justified action to be taken by a school on the school children?” she asked.
Angela also seek to know why St. Thomas, a missionary school is trying to implement the non-halal food rules on the children brought from home or whether the instructions are from the Ministry of Education.
As a working mother and a non muslim, she said she is concern that her son was punished unjustifiable and she is unable to produce halal food as she is a non muslim.
Nurhanim Hannah Dato Haji Mokhsen said the situation is not good for 1 Malaysia concept. She said it’s only food and all children of different races should sit and eat together as one family. “It is the way to live together in harmony. We are Sarawakians with different cultures, different religions,” she said.
Nurhanim said she was shocked at the punishment and that a boy that young should go through the punishment. “He did not cook the food and if the teacher is unhappy, they should call the mother,” she added.
Voon, Vice Chairman of PKR said she wanted the Education department to investigate the matter and ensure that appropriate action be taken.
She said the letter from the school did not touch on why Basil was caned and the letter did not touch on the real issue. The letter also clarified that Iskandar had told Basil not to bring non halal food to school.
Angela said if Iskandar is sensitive to the feelings of the Muslims, he should also announced that there should be no beef brought to school as a respect to Buddhist and Hindi and no meat should be brought to school as vegetarian are not allowed to do so.
She added that she wanted Iskandar transferred and if he did that in the next school, this sort of educationist should be fired.
When contacted, Principal Alice Chung said she has no knowledge of such situation and asked when it happened. When told that she had replied a letter to the mother of the boy on the pork issue, Chung said she is not allow to talk to any press as it is a directive from the education department.
When asked on the matter, she said she has no comment. When asked if a parent wants to know the condition of the regulation on the food, Chung said there was never any regulation that disallow the children to bring pork to school. “Anyone can bring whatever food they want,” she added.See more
The pupil, Basil Beginda was allegedly caned by the Penolong Kanan, Iskandar bin Fadeli who was from Simujan on October 15 (Friday) for bringing non halal food to school and is tramautised by the whole situation.
In a press conference this afternoon, the mother of the pupil, Angela Jabing with Vice Chairperson, Voon Shiak Ni, State Woman Chief, Ibi anak Uding, deputy woman chief, Nurhanim Hanna Dato’ Haji Mokhen said she was shocked to learn that her son was punished for bringing non halal food to school. “I have never received any written circular from the school that children cannot bring non halal food in the school,” she said.
On October 19th, Angela. also a PKR executive went ot the school to meet up with the Principle who was with Iskandar. Angela said instead of clarifying or apologizing on the reason for her son’s punishment, Iskandar claimed that he could not find it in his record the incident and he did not recall such incident.
He then asked Basil to come and Angela said she saw her son filled with fear looking at Iskandar. Basil told Iskandar that he was always advised by his mother not to offer his non halal food to the Muslim and he had never done so.
The Prinicipal, Alice Chung said Iskandar had announced during the school assembly in February this year that the students are prohibited to bring any non halal products to the school for their own consumption as a noble act to respect the Muslim students..
Iskandar then told Angela, “Jangan besar-besarkan’ hal kerana isu ini isu yang cukup sensitif di kalangan orang orang Isam…..
Not satisfied with the explanation, Angela wrote in for an explanation. On the third day, she got a call from the Principal and request to meet up on October 29. She insisted on a written reply.
The letter, she said did not answer her question on the issue of why her son was caned 10 times for eating friend rice with non halal sausage. “Is this a justified action to be taken by a school on the school children?” she asked.
Angela also seek to know why St. Thomas, a missionary school is trying to implement the non-halal food rules on the children brought from home or whether the instructions are from the Ministry of Education.
As a working mother and a non muslim, she said she is concern that her son was punished unjustifiable and she is unable to produce halal food as she is a non muslim.
Nurhanim Hannah Dato Haji Mokhsen said the situation is not good for 1 Malaysia concept. She said it’s only food and all children of different races should sit and eat together as one family. “It is the way to live together in harmony. We are Sarawakians with different cultures, different religions,” she said.
Nurhanim said she was shocked at the punishment and that a boy that young should go through the punishment. “He did not cook the food and if the teacher is unhappy, they should call the mother,” she added.
Voon, Vice Chairman of PKR said she wanted the Education department to investigate the matter and ensure that appropriate action be taken.
She said the letter from the school did not touch on why Basil was caned and the letter did not touch on the real issue. The letter also clarified that Iskandar had told Basil not to bring non halal food to school.
Angela said if Iskandar is sensitive to the feelings of the Muslims, he should also announced that there should be no beef brought to school as a respect to Buddhist and Hindi and no meat should be brought to school as vegetarian are not allowed to do so.
She added that she wanted Iskandar transferred and if he did that in the next school, this sort of educationist should be fired.
When contacted, Principal Alice Chung said she has no knowledge of such situation and asked when it happened. When told that she had replied a letter to the mother of the boy on the pork issue, Chung said she is not allow to talk to any press as it is a directive from the education department.
When asked on the matter, she said she has no comment. When asked if a parent wants to know the condition of the regulation on the food, Chung said there was never any regulation that disallow the children to bring pork to school. “Anyone can bring whatever food they want,” she added.See more
by: William Lee
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Happy Diwali!!
Diwali is a festival that relieves traditions/beliefs/faith which originates in Hindu Mythology. My exposure to Hindu mythology started during my student days ..... and not much since, actually.
Anyways, some regions in India have "localised" the myths associated with Diwali with different myths. However, the significance of it all remains the same- Victory of Good over Evil, Light over Darkness.
The info with regard to Diwali and how it is celebrated in various parts of India, is available all over the net. What is culturally predominantly prevalent in Malaysia is as practiced in Southern India, particularly Tamil Nadu.
Here is something from Musings of an Unknown Indian:-
Celebrations across faith: In Hinduism, across many parts of India and Nepal, it is the homecoming of Lord Rama (along with his consort Sita and brother Lakshmana) to Ayodhya - after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over Ravana, the King of Lanka (who had abducted Sita and held her prisoner). According to the legend, the people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of (ghee) lamps (dĭpa), [thus its name: dīpāwali] - along the way to light their path in the darkness. Rama is considered as a symbol of good and a positive force while Ravan represents evil. Therefore, Diwali is considered as the festival, which establishes the 'victory of good over the evil'. More on this here.
On the night of Diwali, people light diyas, which is again a symbol of positive energy... in order to conquer darkness, i.e., the symbol of negative energy. Since Ram traveled from South India to his kingdom in North India, he passed through the south earlier. This is the reason why the festival is celebrated a day earlier in South India. Diwali usually comes 19 or 20 days after Dasara/Dussehra. In South India, it marks the victory of Krishna over Narakasura. Over time, this word transformed into "Diwali" in Hindi and "Dipawali" in Nepali, but still retained its original form in the South and East Indian Languages. In the Dravidian languages it is called as Deepavali and the same is used in Malaysia and Singapore.
In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of nirvana by Bhagavan Mahavira - the founder of Jainism - on 15 October, 527 BC.
Diwali has been significant in Sikhism since the illumination of the town of Amritsar commemorating the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji (1595-1644), the sixth Guru of Sikhism, who was imprisoned along with 52 other Hindu kings at Fort Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir. After freeing the other prisoners, he went to the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in the holy city of Amritsar, where he was welcomed happily by the people who lit candles and divas to greet the Guru. Because of this, Sikhs often refer to Diwali also as Bandi Chhorh Divas - "the day of release of detainees."
The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists in Nepal, a majority-Hindu country, particularly the Newar Buddhists.
For more click HERE
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