Just Another Bigger and Better Show!

Exhibitors are gearing up to give their best
in the Star Education Fair 2008 with five taking up 14 booths each.

On cloud nine – in a Sukhoi
At Lima 2007, Lt-Kol Norazlan and three fellow pilots
became the first Malaysians to pilot the Sukhoi aircraft.

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Khairy : Government
must not meet Hindraf

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Abdul Hamid confirmed as CJ

Zaki, 62, made history
on Sept 5 by being the first lawyer
to be appointed directly
to the Federal Court.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail
described the duo as “excellent choices”,
expressing confidence that they would be able to
restore public
confidence
in the judiciary.
On Zaki, the A-G said

his good interacting skills
honed in the private sector
would be a great advantage.
The AG's (Gani Patail) most famous quotable quote is supposedly* -
"They threw bricks at his head."

Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan,
in the congratulating the duo, admitted that
she was rather surprised
at the elevation of Zaki
to the judiciary’s second-highest position.

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Poll: Malaysians most confident of their elections
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are not only the
strongest supporters of democracy
in Asia but are also
the most confident
that their country's
elections
are fairand free,
according to a recent study by TNS and Gallup International.


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Saadon Aksah/ES
Harakah English Section

Coalition for a free and fair election (Bersih)
is planning a second demonstration
in front of Parliament here on Dec 11,
to protest against a
Constitutional amendment
done "in haste".


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EC: It’s a good boost to image

Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid
Abdul Rahman is glad that Malaysians have responded positively towards the
way the general election is conducted in the country.


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ACA sets up ops room in states for polls
The Anti-Corruption Agency has set up special operation rooms
at its 16 branches nationwide to receive reports on corruption and
investigate cases in preparation for the general election.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Government ‘fighting graft well’
Fifty-three per cent of Malaysians surveyed for the Global Corruption
Barometer 2007 said the Government was effective in fighting corruption.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Malaysiakini web site, Petaling Jaya - October 31, 2003 Malaysian opposition front lodges police report against ex-PM Mahathir
31 October: Youth leaders of the opposition Barisan Alternatif [BA, Alternative Front] today submitted a litany of complaints to the police on alleged wrongdoings by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his 22-year tenure in office.

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Mustapa: Students must know dangers of corruption.
Anti-Corruption Agency director-general
Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan said in 2003, a survey was conducted
among students and results showed that
30% of the respondents said they would
succumb to corruption if the opportunity arose.
"With this secretariat, we hope to reach out to the students at universities
get the message across about
the dangers of corruption
as many do not know
of the consequences,"
said Ahmad Said.



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-IGP: Hindraf trying to garner support from terrorist groups
-Tabling of police panel bill delayed
-Cops still hunting 16 gang leaders in Sarawak
-Gang on farm-robbing spree
-Model released on police bail
-Woman murdered, left naked at budget hotel
-Girl jumps out of window to escape sexual predators
-MB denies taking a second wife
-Johor on red alert ....

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One number for distressed folk to call for help
15999 – this is the number to call
if you are a victim of
domestic violence, child abuse or a natural disaster.

This hotline, called Talian Nur, will be the lifeline providing early intervention for these victims.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

NOTE: The above is a "cut & paste" job of segments of highly "credible" news items and images available online. The writer/ publisher of the above shall not be responsible for any conclusions drawn by readers, as neither the words nor the order of the words in sentences were altered in any way (except for font size).
(*This is an opinion expressed by an acquaintance of mine).

Cheap Parliament Dramatics!!

With great amusement, I read the antics of two YBs from Parit Sulong and Sri Gading, on the topics of Crosses at "mission" schools. Both these guys definitely need to be nominated for an award - the other nominees for which would probably be Nazri, Zam, Sami Vellu, Sothi, Badrudin, Bung Mokhtar and last but not least, Uncle Lim himself.

Both the "promonent" MPs apparently come from Batu Pahat - which makes me wonder if the had planned it in advance over a teh tarik ......

It is inconceivable to me that these two could actually believe that the crosses in the "Mission" schools are actually detrimental to the education standards in our schools
(Just today, I had a client complain that she finds it difficult to pay for the necessary tuitions - all becos, the teachers seem to be busy attending "Kursus", instead of teaching!)

Anyway, Parit Sulong was later quoted in The Sun to have said, "I was merely voicing the concerns of the public at large". Robin Hood ..... sorry ..... Syed Hood also "said he does not have any problems with mission schools and backed this up by saying that his eldest daughter used to study in the Batu Pahat Convent Primary School. (Why didn't he say so in the first place? Why then were the stories about "church songs", and holidays brought up, I wonder...) Maybe he probably had a "wayar putus", and wasn't able to articulate his thoughts in his mother tongue - that argument, I can accept!

Maybe they wanted to draw the ultra-orthodox, religious Kampung folks' attention by drawing on these issues. But then again, maybe it was a tactic to appear to be more "Islamic" than PAS, in keeping with the spirit of never ending competition of "out-Islamizing" each other. An "achievement" in this competition would definitely be the ultimate "wet-dream" for the politician, if there can ever be one ..... it opens many doors to rise in the echelons of power.

I suppose they too wish to be in the limelight even if it is for the most idiotic reasons - that seems to be the current trend of events .... maybe it is a new competition among BN MPs - I wouldn't know. It has to be the reason- there is no other rational reason. After all we need to distract the voters by hook or crook .... or else they may realize that "the emperor wears no clothes"!

To help them along, we need the DAP MPs screaming their guts and spewing bile at the BN MPs, so as to add to the dramatics. Meanwhile, PAS, despite being the most powerful political party in the opposition, sits as though totally clueless on issues affecting the nation. (It must be noted that they however have only 6 parliamentary seats, to DAPs 12).

It is not uncommon for one MP or other to start a shouting match with his "opponent" and ultimately end the "discussion"/ "debate" with something inconsequential. Shouting in parliament seems to have become an indispensable method of "civil behaviour", for one to get his points across or create a chaotic verbal pandemonium.

Addressing their peers in parliament as "racist", "monyet", "berok", "bodoh", "rambut putih", "one-eye-jack", "pondan", telling "others' to "keluar Malaysia", calling for a fight and sexist remarks are all fair game. Rude and provocative questioning of BN MPs/ ministers by the opposition bench(mainly Uncle Lim) seems to be acceptable and even maybe, "warranted". In fact, sometime I can't help believing that there's a cynical smile on Uncle Lim's face as he stokes the fire!

I really wonder if there are "envelopes passed" behind the scenes to facilitate these clownings in the "most august" House, in order to distract the observers, the media and the rakyat.

Anyway, in my opinion, many MPs probably need to attend "kursus" as penalty for "misbehaviour" to rectify their conduct in parliament, and to give any meaning to the title - YB. One thing is for sure - they all definitely need a kursus to articulate their thoughts in fluent and polite Malay.

And we definitely need an award - at least online,(maybe Bart Simpson's Krusty the clown Award?) for the most "resourceful Clown" in Parliament - Maybe Kickdefella or Mob's Crib can design it, and RPK can conduct a poll for the winner monthly, quarterly or annually. We could add on other awards for the most "brilliant ideas", most "engaging debate", best/bravest fighter/ Kicker and what not.......

Not Child's Play: A Teddy-Bear Intifada

http://www.hudson.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=publication_details&id=5326

From the December 3, 2007 National Review Online

December 4, 2007
by Paul Marshall



Editor's note: There is rioting in Sudanese streets calling for the death of a woman over a teddy bear named Mohammed. What can we in the West possibly do with this — nationally, individually? How do we help? What must we learn from it? National Review Online asked a group of experts and commentators.



Paul Marshall
British teacher Gillian Gibbons's sentence for blasphemy, and the subsequent demonstrations calling for her death, is one of a series of such incidents that, by their very absurdity, have shone media attention on the perils of accusations of blasphemy, apostasy, and insulting Islam. We need this attention to lead the West to become aware of and address the far wider and more serious political repercussions of such accusations in the Muslim world and beyond.

Examples could be taken from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and elsewhere, but Sudan provides enough of its own. In 2005, Mohammed Taha, who edited the al-Wifaq newspaper in Sudan's capital, reprinted an article that debated the background of Mohammed. He was charged with blasphemy, though the charges were later dropped. However, in 2006 his body was found in a Khartoum street. He had been beheaded.

In the early 1990s, Gaspar Biro, the courageous United Nations Special Rapporteur on Sudan, produced a series of reports documenting the National Islamic Front government's massacres, slavery, draconian penal code, and other depredations. In 1994, the NIF (an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood) called his work "a vicious attack on the religion of Islam." In 1995, Sudanese officials said "we don't want to speculate about his fate if he is to continue offending the feelings of Muslims worldwide." These accusations of blasphemy were deemed dire enough that the U.N. General Assembly described it as "an unacceptable threat against his person."

Perhaps the most striking instance was Mahmoud Mohamed Taha. He was one of the country's leading Islamic scholars, and a co-founder of the Republican Brotherhood, which pushed, on Islamic grounds, for an open and democratic society. A major opponent of the regime, in January 1985 he was tried and executed on charges that amounted to apostasy because of his views on Islamic teaching.

As these examples show, a major function of blasphemy laws is silencing those who want to debate and discuss the meaning of Islam, particularly those who favor open and democratic societies.

How do we respond? Well, first, with diplomatic pressure to have Ms. Gibbons released, which appears to be progressing. But it is vital not to treat blasphemy accusations and convictions as merely idiosyncratic vagaries of Muslim regimes that simply require a humanitarian response on behalf of the unfortunates involved. Blasphemy charges are the front line of the war of ideas within Islam. If there is to be debate within Islam, we need to work to remove such laws.

A good place to start is for the U.S. to seriously campaign against the ongoing, partly successful, multi-year effort by the Organization of the Islamic Conference to have the United Nations condemn "blasphemy" in the international sphere (an effort couched in the language of combating 'Islamophobia'). A good occasion for this campaign is the preparatory meetings for the 2009 U.N. conference on "Racism," which, under the leadership of Iran, Libya, and Pakistan, is set to condemn all "insults to Islam," whether those purportedly by Ms. Gibbons, or those of political targets such as Gaspar Biro or the Tahas.

— Paul Marshall is senior fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom and is writing a book on blasphemy. The new edition of his World survey of Religious Freedom will be published by Rowman and Littlefield in January.

Festival of Rights 2007

The PAS "Cooperation" and Vote.

"So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause."
-George Lucas , Senator Amidala in Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)


Recently, on Malaysia Today, there was an article entitled An Open Letter to PAS, Keadilan and DAP. Although it sounded like a "balanced" letter, I do have some serious misgivings over his stand and logic, where PAS is concerned (so much so, I seriously doubt that his name is RAJAN).

Allow me to quote a few words from Rajan in the letter:
"Their pure existence as a political party was from this platform. Asking them to forgo this call, however bitter it may be for many of us, is similar to asking them to close shop."

Now I have a few questions ....
Has the "Islamic State" been on the agenda of PAS from the very beginning?
If so, how was it defined just 40yrs ago, and how is it defined now?
I'm a little confused .... when Raja Petra writes that it is about "values" and not about laws/ fatwas, and an "Ulama" says that it is all about laws and edicts - "Islamic" this & that, or "unIslamic" this & that.

Bear in mind that the definition of "Islamic State" is what matters here. To my knowledge, the current definition of Islamic State varies significantly from that, prior to the Islamic rhetoric of the post 1967 Yom Kippur war and the Iranian revolution of the 70s. Those were the days of Dato Asri in PAS. The days when the Islamic extremist of the day, would be an "unIslamic" dove by todays standards.

Those were the days when when Mak Yong, Wayang Kulit and other forms of art (performing and non-performing) were very much part of the rich local (Kelantan) culture.

We now fast forward to the 80s, with the rise of Dr. Mahathir (aka Che Det) to power in UMNO, along with the Ulamaks in PAS, with much fanfare in both parties - both promising great things, with cliches for their mottos.

Strangely, both sides took away civil liberties as a price for imposing their agendas while pulling wool over the eyes of the public. On one side, was the death of the independent press/ judiciary/ democracy which were considered "pesky"; and on the other, death of commerce, industry, lifestyles and arts which were considered "unIslamic".

Let us move on to the legacy of the current PAS leadership - a write-up about Kelantan on the BBC website in 2005, would be a timely reminder for those who wish to extol the virtues of "cooperation" with PAS for the sole intent of voting out the current Government.

Lest the proponents of this "cooperation" forget, may I remind you - that the reason we oppose actions of a government isn't necessarily to vote it out, but to demand better governance.

Moreover, I still don't understand why PAS has to "close shop" should it give up the idea of an Islamic state - it is a party that takes part in democratic elections - and that isn't a very "Islamic" virtue by some standards!
And who ever said that they cannot be Islamic in a modern democracy?
Based on "Islamic values" (as opposed to Arabic tribal values), a democracy is in spirit, a very Islamic thing to propose.
In fact, in terms of fundamental liberties and rights, some Muslim Ulamas do agree that the "great Satan", the US of A, is in fact more Islamic than the so called Islamic nations with Syariah laws!
Having said that, does the current PAS leadership approve of the fundamental liberties of a person, Muslim or otherwise? Do they believe in equal rights and freedom of choice for all?
These are questions that one should ask oneself before suggesting that PAS shouldn't be asked to give up their stand on the "Islamic State", for these are questions which are fundamental to any democracy.

The next issue is that of the meaning of the vote, that one may give PAS - is it a signal of approval of the PAS manifesto, or is it just a rebellion against the current system?
I believe it is the latter.
However, with the increasing political manifestation of the Islamist agenda in the parliament and on the street, would it not whip up the competition among Malay dominated parties to "out-Islamize" the other?
Would it increase the "Islamisation" fervour among the powers that be, akin to Mahathirs introduction of the Syariah courts to "neutralize" PAS?
In fact, a vote for PAS with its "values", may signal to the BN govt of the day, that the non-muslims have no problems with the PAS brand of Islamic politics- and this can have undesirable and disastrous effects.

This brings me to the next point - Rajan said,
"Thus all of us especially the DAP icons should remain silent on this matter and work towards the main objective – secure the parliament. If DAP and the non–Muslims fears that once the election is won, PAS and KeADILAN will join together to press for an Islamic state then Barisan is still here. Barisan by itself is not bad."

What Rajan says here is this,- "Hey DAP! I think you should bet your @$$ on PAS - but if you get buggered, that's your friggin' problem man - I'll then vote BN!"

Come on - what a juvenile logic to be used on DAP.
That was definitely a low-down, cheap shot!
Which party in their right mind would do such a thing? Let's get real here - If at all they wish to work with an "enemy", the least they would wanna do is make sure their credibility doesn't get shot.

It would've been more logical for him to appeal to PAS to give up on the Islamic state agenda (at least temporarily), to work with a logical DAP+PKR +PSM alliance, based on social democratic principles!
In fact, PAS could pull out of the alliance, if it decides to impose an agenda which isn't acceptable to other parties. It may even rejoin BN if it wishes do so - after all, it was a breakaway from UMNO, and a one time BN member party.

As far as the NEP is concerned, it is what it is - so no point in saying that you want it, but not the way it is. What Rajan tries to say (presumably) is, we need fair distribution of wealth and opportunities for all, in all sectors, with affirmative action for the poor regardless of race. For a start, I suggest that we get rid of this evil of racial and religious profiling, except in warranted medical or criminal cases.

Let's move on to the issue of "gerrymandering"........

After the Bersih march, what is the ultimatum that Bersih has given? Would they still participate in the elections? If so why? After all, you've agreed that you're all being taken for a ride.

I presume, should reform not be instituted, Bersih would call for a boycott!
Logically speaking, they should - after all, who would wanna "turun padang" and play a game where the home team gets to sell tickets to only its own supporters, with its own players acting as linesmen and referee (plus having the ability to shift the goalpost at its whim and fancy)!

Without reform, any participation of any opposition party in the elections, would definitely lend Nazri's much publicized phrase of "wayar putus" much credibility. It would strip all opposition parties of what little credibility left in them, for being hypocrites.

Nothing short of a total boycott from them (the opposition) would be acceptable, should the reasons for the Bersih rally be ignored - not even the lame excuse of putting up independents by proxy, "to deny BN an uncontested victory".

What has the opposition got to fear should their victory ring hollow? It would only open the floodgates for more agitation from the electorate .....
The opposition has to stop playing politics for the sake of selfish, financial or sectarian interests, and make national interests their priority, based on logical and viable principles.

Malaysia in in a very precarious state of affairs, and badly needs proper governance, as mentioned by DSAI on Al-Jazeera. With good governance, Malaysia would definitely realize its true potential as an economic powerhouse and paradise, simply by virtue of its strategic location, if not for anything else.

The alternative we have as a nation, is nothing but a failed state.

Allow me to sign off with a beautiful quote :

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

- Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790), Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

Class Politics - the Other Option?

"The HINDRAF movement is symptomatic of the fundamental problems that remain entrenched in our country and to stoke the flames of racism would only exacerbate racial tensions and animosity among Malaysians.
Malaysians of conscience who are committed to reforming this nation must recognise that a viable opposition is essential and now is the time to support it.
For the pro-reform parties in society to work together effectively, they must find common ground, be open to communication and collaboration, and resist the temptation to scapegoat other races for their problems and frustrations."
-ANWAR IBRAHIM http://anwaribrahim.com/site/

..............................................
“Only a class based movement not based on ethnicity and religion can truly built a nation without discrimination, race based corruption and race based politics. The ruling party would be able to rule and would continue to rule as long as the people are divided. The ruling party is not going to build a united Malaysian Nation, as it is not going to work to its advantage. The Opposition too have at many occasions being sucked into the same mode to win support of the people.
The future of Malaysia can go two ways – Race and Religious Politics which is the rule of the day versus Class based politics – cutting across race and religion lines. It is a serious question as race and religious politics with its history and conditioning remain the most effective way to mobilise the racially divided people. It is a question every person has to ask and ponder. It is a question which is going to continue to haunt us.”
-Setiausaha Agung, Parti Sosialis Malaysia

The above were the statements of DSAI & PSM of late, in response to the recent recent ethno-religious demonstration in Kuala Lumpur.
These statements got me thinking (not that I never thot of it in the past) - if at all we as Malaysians, have the mental capacity to break away from the ethno-religious politics that has become so firmly entrenched in "our" minds. So much so, any proposed option for anything along other ideological lines (than that prevalent) are declared "not feasible".

While what DSAI and Mr. Arutchelvan of PSM say may be true, how is it that educated individuals (ulamaks and umaraks, as one blogger would put it), choose to ignore this fact?

Isn't it obvious that the people are being taken for a ride? Is it really worth voting in a system that thrives on the ignorance of the masses?

How can they get their message across, into the hearts of the people to have national interests above selfish sectarian interests? How can the trust, that has been so efficiently subverted by "certain quarters", be cultivated for a truly united and unique Malaysia?
Despite the failures of race/religion politics, the masses seem to take to it like ducks to water. They subscribe to this idea, thinking that their "race, religion and heritage" is protected in this manner.

This phenomenon/ problem has been compounded by the "perceived rise of Islam" as a political force, and "exclusive socio-economic policies" by certain quarters.

Despite all the propaganda that has been dished out, it is time we acknowledged that "working together for larger interests" has never been the Malaysian way.

Instead, we have a system of "separate development" wherein, the selfishness of "to each, his own" is the philosophy. In other words, it is no different from the apartheid of Pietr Botha in the pre-Mandela South Africa.

In their intellectual bankruptcy, many a pseudo-intellectual try to play on emotions of a clueless people, who seek refuge and solace in the artificial constructs of race and religion based politics. It is a plague that feeds on the fears and insecurities of the innocents.

EQ- Zero in Action

Pardon me if I'm wrong - to me, the answer is plain and simple;

-First and foremost, we need educated politicians - (as opposed to the current IQ & EQ zero crop)

-transparent socio-political & business practices.
-We need to have a free media and a liberal education system that subscribes to excellence and affirmative policy.
-We need to arrest the unnecessary political meddling in all sectors of society.
-We should increase impartial and fair educational and business opportunities for the poor, without stifling competition.
- We need to abolish "sectarian" party politics thru liberalized education.
-Education has to be streamlined into three viable languages (Malay, English and Mandarin).
-Tamil as a medium of instruction has to be abolished, as it has no real economic value. It should be preserved by encouraging it with incentives of some sort- eg scholarships.
-Faculties in Universities have to be developed for ethnic studies.
-Unrestrained philosophical/ ideological debates need to be encouraged.

In order to assist in the evolution of the nation in a progressive manner, all parties need to refrain from using religion and ethnicity as a platform.

History has proven that theologically and ethnically based politics has polarizing, repressive and disastrous economic consequences, which are often incomprehensible to the masses who are desperate for a revolution. It would be wise of Malaysians not to descend to that level of desperation - wherein they have to turn to theology for statecraft.

Theology and racism in statecraft are for the ideologically ignorant and bankrupt- It would indeed be a sad day for Malaysia, when the masses have to turn to religious zealots or opportunists for political salvation. These are the two major factors that have polarised the nation today. To deny this would be foolhardy.

In order for the nation to evolve politically, we also need an enlightened electorate and student fraternity, who understand basic concepts of statecraft, democracy, socialism and elementary economics. Without real debate and discussion at the grassroots, nothing will come of this fight for justice that our fractured opposition parties grapple for.

Why is is so hard for the opposition to unite under one platform of social interests?
It is only becos they too have succumbed to the propaganda machinery of the neo-colonialists - be they chauvinistic nationalists, racists, religious ideologues, opportunists or simply ruthless capitalist pirates.

After the first 12 yrs of independence, then next 12 yrs of NEP ripened for 22yrs of repressive "Mahathirism", Malaysia has come to a stage of transition and transformation - when people have begun questioning the values that have been promoted by the authorities for 50 yrs. Malaysians are beginning to realize that all is not as rosy as depicted by the media - partly with the help of the Internet and communication revolution.

In all periods of history worldwide, when communication underwent a revolution - it heralded some form of socio-political upheaval and/or industrial revolution. Malaysia is no exception. To deny it, would only lead to turmoil.

Without this factor, all fights on the political front be it in the parliament, elections or demonstrations/marches/petitions, are doomed to fail.
Those who control communication, will be the elite - who will rule- who will define, make, interpret and break the law at their whim and fancy.

The message of a class based struggle need to reach the hearts of the heartlanders. They need to understand that their heritage,culture, religion and right can only be protected with a class based political scenario - as opposed to the elitist ethnic politics that is prevalent today.

The people need to realize that democracy is the only way forward - as opposed to the tried and tested authoritarian "asian values" - and speed of liberalization of the media is the key factor that would determine the progress of this phenomenon.

For social democrats to get their message to transcend the ethnic and religious divide, they would have to start educating the public on its ideals, economics and socio-political significance.

For this to be realized, we need a free media and liberal educational system. With these two factors, the peaceful transition and evolution of the Malaysian political landscape would be inevitable.

Bravo HindRAF-ians!

Hindraf marched last Sunday with little, if any, trouble to the security of Kuala Lumpur - except for one officer sustaining a few stitches from a missile (most probably the canister of the tear gas?).

It was nice to see that many Indians were quite passionate about issues that were central to the events that transpired. In order to get the feel of the sentiments, I thot that the best place to meet my fellowmen would be, none other than the watering holes with predominantly Indian patronage - and so I headed into town, after making an appointment with a friend of mine for some "appetizers" ........

On the way, I landed up stuck in a traffic jam (slow traffic, really) as a result of police checkpoints - of course I managed to get a "second look" from these policemen who waved me by.

So I met up with my old friend and we got talking about "Hindraf" and the issues.
I must say that most if not all, were totally in support of the rally, although not many were too aware of the reasons, for the predicament that they were in.

It was very "heart-warming" to see these underprivileged and marginalized brothers being able to drown their sorrows, without any financial woes at that moment in time. It is like you're in another time zone - what matters is that, their problems (regardless of Hindraf) are drowned out amidst the "cheers", laughter, pool, and curses for the "oppressors".

Of course Al-Jazeera was showing, and the cheers were for the rally and Uthayakumar, while the jeers were reserved strictly for Uncle Sam.

With all the noise, I could almost hear Sammy echo Khairy & Nazri -
it was illegal,
use proper channels (or tunnels -bocor or not),
it is not "our way",
they should voice thru elections,
the assembly was illegal,
no permit was issued,
organized by opposition,
we are the true voice of the people,
we don't need change but only "improvement",
and so on and so forth.

Uncle Sam - why not try to be more original?

As I spoke to this guy who worked in the British High-Com, I really had nothing to tell him when he asked, "If the High-Com is closed, and they don't work as Uncle Sam alleges, why doesn't he let them go peacefully, and make a fool of themselves? What have they got to lose?"

Just a minute here .... I thot Star reported today that the IGP said, " ...police had wanted to allow the rally leaders to hand over the memorandum but they arrived only at 1.30pm, gave a speech and left".
How sweet - and I suppose, he even had prepared mineral water, laddoos and beers too, in the Diwali spirit of muhibah .....

That's a truly mind-boggling statement - considering the fact that tear gas and chemical laced water-cannons were used on the gathering as a gesture of goodwill .....

As for Batu Caves, I have my doubts with regard to the reasons for the police pelting, and for the guys to start throwing Molotov cocktails at buses, when there was no such incident at Jln Ampang- and for these guys to defile the sanctity of the very premise that they are fighting to protect and preserve?

I beg your pardon - but I find that a little hard to swallow (even with beer). Although I'm not a Hindu myself, I do know that it isn't something that they would do for fun, or to spite the police.
(Unless of course they were all intoxicated en-mass at lunchtime - then it would be possible ....)

Maybe these guys have a some pyromaniac tendencies, are fans of Indian movies where chaos and anarchy unleashed by "the hero" is applauded ...... I really wouldn't know- but I believe that Hindus are generally more God fearing than depicted in the report by Star.

What if those anarchists were planted there as "trojans" to create unrest, and unleash some sort of mass psychosis and rioting? Once again, I wouldn't know - but hypothetically speaking, it is indeed quite a possibility.
Anyway, whatever happened, only those who were there would know the real story and I wouldn't want to speculate any further.

One thing is for sure - there were Hindraf-ians, and there were Hind-ruffians ...... I wonder which ones were implicated in the vandalism.

Whatever the case may be, it was evident from sentiments on the ground that all those whom I met were unanimous in their opinion that they have been marginalized and economically suppressed - that they only received "when others have had their fill". That whatever little they had, was being slowly and systematically being taken away.

The question remains however, if their votes will will be acquired for a song, coming from the melodic voice of "you know who", or maybe even a drama of tears/ humble apologies with prostration - you can't rule out and underestimate the compassion & love of the "permanently colonialized Indians" for the "thalaivar".

One thing is for sure, Hindraf did achieve with 20,000, what the 60,000 of Bersih marchers couldn't ....... they made it to the STAR Frontpage news headlines!!

Let's "sheers" (sic) to that, brother .......