Two Wrongs Do Not Make A Right

Nothing justifies the wanton killing of women and children...not even the term, "collateral damage". Yet, collateral damage to one side is sacrificial pawns to the other. One of my favorite bloggers, Aisehman has this to say about that idiot Gazza - the well-known drunk and wife-beater, sometimes known for his football talents, and Gaza, where women and children are being slaughtered because men will not do the right thing. Please read:

This is the last chance:

England football legend Paul Gascoigne said drink and drug addiction nearly killed him in 2008 and knows he is now on his last chance to save himself.

In an interview published on Friday, Gascoigne, 41, who is in a rehabilitation clinic on the southern English coast trying to get his life back in order, said going back on the booze would be the death of him.

“This is my last chance,” the fallen idol told The Sun newspaper.

“My mate Jimmy ‘Five Bellies’ says I’ve got more lives than a cat, and he’s right. But this is my last one.”

Gascoigne has battled alcoholism and depression since his playing days. Last year he was sectioned under British mental health laws. [Associated Press via The Australian]

I know, I know … this is not the time for jokes that are in poor taste.

But look at it this way — both Gazza and Gaza are fucked.

The blood of the Palestinian women and children are on the hands of not just the Israeli invaders, but Hamas as well.

And I say Hamas is worse than the Israelis, because they hide behind their women and children.

The Israelis are cruel, but Hamas is crueler.

Hamas is nothing but a bunch of cowards, because it doesn’t actually fight Israel.

All Hamas does is lob largely ineffective rockets into Israel with the intention of provoking it into retaliating in a manner that we all know Israel is capable of.

That’s all that Hamas does in its so-called struggle to free Palestinians from Israeli subjugation.

Fucking stupid and useless. That’s what Hamas is.

You know what these brainless morons said the other day? Here:

… a Hamas leader warned that the Islamists would kill Jewish children anywhere in the world in revenge for Israel’s devastating assault.

“They have legitimised the murder of their own children by killing the children of Palestine,” Mahmoud Zahar said in a televised broadcast recorded at a secret location.

“They have legitimised the killing of their people all over the world by killing our people.” [The Times of London]

First, note that the fucking coward was safely ensconced in “a secret location” while he threatened to murder children.

Second, how in God’s Most Holy Name could you even think of murdering children, let alone justify it?

They are children, for God’s sake.

They are utterly innocent. Sinless. Pure.

And listen to this other coward:

Abu Obeida, the leader of Hamas’s military wing, made his first appearance on Gaza television, his face masked in a red and white scarf, to goad Israeli forces massed outside the teeming city of 400,000 people. “We have prepared thousands of brave fighters who are waiting for you in each corner of the street and will welcome you with fire and iron,” he said.

I wonder if Abu Obeida is or will be among the waiting “thousands of brave fighters”.

“Welcome you with fire and iron” my ass.

Can you see how laughable this supposed threat is?

First of all, you’re threatening soldiers.

Soldiers are trained to handle “fire and iron”. That’s their job.

Second, these are Israeli soldiers.

Israeli soldiers were born with “fire and iron”. They sleep with it. They eat “fire and iron” for breakfast.

All that big talk is pure bullshit because we know Hamas is gonna get their ass kicked.

Morons.

So weep for the women and children of Gaza, for many more will die before this is over.

Weep, for ultimately, no one around them gives a shit about their safety and their lives.

Not Israel. Not Hamas.

Barracking Barak Obama: Viewpoint by Dr Jack Wheeler

Just who is Barak Obama, the man who is about to assume the most powerful job in world politics? M Bakri Musa was perhaps too harried when he paid Mahathir a compliment by calling him Malaysia's Obama, as the rest of the world waits with bated breath for Obama to bring "change" to a world in dire need of stability.

Mahathir himself felt a need to write Obama an open letter to mark the new year. Certainly, his still pregnant silence on the latest Middle-East conflagration in Gaza does not bode well for a world leader on whose shoulders are placed "messiahnic" expectations. Maybe the problem is with the word "expectations" in the aftermath of the George W. Bush presidency but my two cents worth tells me it is still to early to call.

I must thank my friend Colonel Mike for the following heads up on what Dr Jack Wheeler said about Obama:

First, something about Jack Wheeler; Jack Wheeler is a brilliant man who was the author of Reagan's strategy to break the back of the Soviet Union with the star wars race and expose their inner weakness. For years he wrote a weekly intelligence update that was extremely interesting and well structured and informed. He consults(ed) with several mega corporations on global trends and the future, etc. I think he is in semi-retirement now. He is a true patriot with a no-nonsense approach to everything. He is also a somewhat well known mountain climber and adventurer.

Jack Wheeler's take on Barak Obama (viewpoint of just another conservative hack?)

The O-man, Barack Hussein Obama, is an eloquently tailored empty suit. No resume, no accomplishments, no experience, no original ideas, no understanding of how the economy works, no understanding of how the world works, nothing but abstract empty rhetoric devoid of real substance.

He has no real identity. He is half-white, which he rejects. The rest of him is mostly Arab, which he hides but is disclosed by his non-African Arabic surname and his Arabic first and middle names as a way to triply proclaim his Arabic parentage to people in Kenya . Only a small part of him is African Black from his Luo grandmother, which he pretends he is exclusively.

What he isn't, not a genetic drop of, is 'African-American,' the descendant of enslaved Africans brought to America chained in slave ships. He hasn't a single ancestor who was a slave. Instead, his Arab ancestors were slave owners. Slave-trading was the main Arab business in East Africa for centuries until the British ended it.

Let that sink in: Obama is not the descendant of slaves, he is the descendant of slave owners. Thus he makes the perfect Liberal Messiah.

It's something Hillary doesn't understand - how some complete neophyte came out of the blue and stole the Dem nomination from her. Obamamania is beyond politics and reason. It is a true religious cult, whose adherents reject Christianity yet still believe in Original Sin, transferring it from the evil of being human to the evil of being white.

Thus Obama has become the white liberals' Christ, offering absolution from the Sin of Being White. There is no reason or logic behind it, no faults or flaws of his can diminish it, no arguments Hillary could make of any kind can be effective against it. The absurdity of Hypocrisy Clothed In Human Flesh being their Savior is all the more cause for liberals to worship him: Credo quia absurdum, I believe it because it is absurd.

Thank heavens that the voting majority of Americans remain Christian and are in no desperate need of a phony savior.

His candidacy is ridiculous and should not be taken seriously by any thinking American.

...we will wait and see.

Dear Santa... (UPDATED)

Bernard Khoo (Zorro Unmasked) had a guest on his blog. "Hantu" adds a nice touch as he "ghosts" Barack Obama's "reply"...please read:

HANTU'S EMAIL ARRIVED

For purposes of clarity I have positioned Mr Barak's reply point by point, after Dr M's, in red italics.....just in case your train of thoughts get derailed......

Dear Mr. President,
Dear Mr Former Prime Minister,

I did not vote for you in the Presidential Election because I am Malaysian.
I know you wouldn’t vote for me even if you could….just my gut feel, garnered from your writings. What a way to start a letter? Rather unfriendly and negative, if you permit me to volunteer. I hope you are feeling just right and not under the weather, despite your monthly injections?

But I consider myself one of your constituents because what you do or say will affect me and my country as well.
Come again….I am aware that you did pay big bucks to have a word with Bushy, and on returning you kinda bush-whacked him and America. NO? As to affecting you and your country, that is quite a motherhood statement.

I welcome your promise to change. Certainly your country, the United States of America need a lot of changes.
I rallied my people with “YES WE CAN”….that sir, is not a promise. It is a commitment. Promises can be broken easily. Let me recall that when you were Prime Minister you changed the rules that made it difficult for anyone to challenge your premiership. They had to have a certain amount of nominations. Recently you reneged on that and told UMNO to abandon that policy.
Of course, the US of A needs a lot of changes. We change our President every 5 years. American’s will NOT allow me to be their President for more than two terms…10 years at most and not 22 years.
Your young country needs changes too. For a start,clean up your comical electoral roll; that laughable but devious postal vote thing; the corruption, which UMNO euphemistically label as money politics that you recently accused your own ex-party of being smeared with; that perverted ISA; your corrupt cops and toothless ACA; your blemished judiciary……I do not want to believe that you started this, but I am reliably informed that .......; blogs in your country also revealed that your country does not allow its citizens, opposed to the Government, to have free assembly and cannot ride bicycles and burn candles. Lets not get into what the pot called the kettle but do ponder on this saying of yore: Physician, heal thyself….(before dispensing medicine so liberally.)
Admittedly America needs a change too and we all live in glass houses. YES? If changes do not happen, you can be sure that my people will kick me off the White House! There can be no such thing as hanging on for two decades.

That is because America and Americans have become the best hated people in the world. Even Europeans dislike your arrogance. Yet you were once admired and liked because you freed a lot of countries from conquest and subjugation.
Best hated….now that is something I am learning…. like saying “same difference” sir yeah?.... most hated I have heard. Yes arrogance is a no-no, yes? Like how your arrogant coalition lost 5 states and they still continue to be arrogant.

It is the custom on New Year's day for people to make resolutions. You must have listed your good resolutions already. But may I politely suggest that you also resolve to do the following in pursuit of Change.
Making resolutions….that is a very western culture….you still believe in these yellow culture resolutions stuff…..by the way….I do not make resolutions….I make commitments. Resolutions are for the weak-willed.

1) Stop killing people. The United States is too fond of killing people in order to achieve its objectives. You call it war, but today's wars are not about professional soldiers fighting and killing each other. It is about killing people, ordinary innocent people by the hundreds of thousands. Whole countries will be devastated.
2) War is primitive, the cavemen's way of dealing with a problem. Stop your arms build up and your planning for future wars.
3) Stop indiscriminate support of Israeli killers with your money and your weapons. The planes and the bombs killing the people of Gaza are from you.
4) Stop applying sanctions against countries which cannot do the same against you. In Iraq your sanctions killed 500,000 children through depriving them of medicine and food. Others were born deformed.
What have you achieved with this cruelty? Nothing except the hatred of the victims and right-thinking people.
5) Stop your scientists and researchers from inventing new and more diabolical weapons to kill more people more efficiently.
6) Stop your arms manufacturers from producing them. Stop your sales of arms to the world. It is blood money that you earn. It is un-Christian
7) Stop trying to democratize all the countries of the world. Democracy may work for the United States but it does not always work for other countries. Don't kill people because they are not democratic. Your crusade to democratize countries has killed more people than the authoritarian Governments which you overthrew. And you have not succeeded anyway.
8) Stop the casinos which you call financial institutions. Stop hedge funds, derivatives and currency trading. Stop banks from lending non-existent money by the billions. Regulate and supervise your banks. Jail the miscreants who made profits from abusing the system.
9) Sign the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements.
10) Show respect for the United Nations.
Sir is this a coincidence? Your good friend Mugabesend me these 10 pointers too. It is not important who the original author is, but I assure you that Congress and not I, as President, will deliberate, decide on or reject your generous advice.

I have many other resolutions for change which I think you should consider and undertake. But I think you have enough on your plate for this 2009th year of the Christian Era.
I greatly appreciate your Christian thoughts.

If you can do only a few of what I suggest you will be remembered by the world as a great leader. Then the United States will again be the most admired nation. Your embassies will be able to take down the high fences and razor-wire coils that surround them.
I do not wish to be a great leader….Hitler was a great leader…..I just want to be a GOOD leader.

May I wish you a Happy New Year and a great Presidency.
And to you the same sir.

Yours Sincerely,
Yours Cordially,

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad
Barak Obama
(Former Prime Minister of Malaysia)
President-Elect

**************************************************

My earlier post:

Continuing the cut-and-paste start to my blogging year, this one by none other than our Che Det is not only hilarious, it is superfluous. He writes to Father Christmas Barack "HUSSEIN" Obama (isn't it a bit early in the year for Christmas cheer???) with his wish list.

The letter starts off with "Dear Mr President..." and he signs off as "Former Prime Minister of Malaysia" (as if to remind Obama of his Indonesian sojourn) and I have my doubts if the letter will ever reach the desk of Obama in the first place. He also very conspicuously uses the "Hussein" in Obama's name as if to appeal to his "muslim side" but refers to "un-Christian" actions in his letter (surely Obama will scratch his head if he reads it).

I am not knocking the content of Tun's letter, much of which I too agree with, but it is the letter per se. Perhaps he should have signed off as Current Chairman, Kuala Lumpur Foundation To Criminalise War rather than Former PM of Malaysia. We already have a "lame duck current PM", a "PM Designate" and also not forgetting that 16th September "PM in waiting" guy; now a former PM gets into the global arena.

Well, if Mr Hussein Obama were a Mr George Walker Bush; he may jolly well reply. That would then qualify him to a nomination for a Man of the Year award...Funniest Man, that is.

Please read:

Open Letter to Barack Hussein Obama President-elect of the United States of America
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on January 1, 2009 3:59 AM

Dear Mr. President,

I did not vote for you in the Presidential Election because I am Malaysian.

But I consider myself one of your constituents because what you do or say will affect me and my country as well.I welcome your promise to change. Certainly your country, the United States of America need a lot of changes.

That is because America and Americans have become the best hated people in the world. Even Europeans dislike your arrogance. Yet you were once admired and liked because you freed a lot of countries from conquest and subjugation.

It is the custom on New Year's day for people to make resolutions. You must have listed your good resolutions already. But may I politely suggest that you also resolve to do the following in pursuit of Change.

1) Stop killing people. The United States is too fond of killing people in order to achieve its objectives. You call it war, but today's wars are not about professional soldiers fighting and killing each other. It is about killing people, ordinary innocent people by the hundreds of thousands. Whole countries will be devastated. War is primitive, the cavemen's way of dealing with a problem. Stop your arms build up and your planning for future wars.

2) Stop indiscriminate support of Israeli killers with your money and your weapons. The planes and the bombs killing the people of Gaza are from you.

3) Stop applying sanctions against countries which cannot do the same against you. In Iraq your sanctions killed 500,000 children through depriving them of medicine and food. Others were born deformed.What have you achieved with this cruelty? Nothing except the hatred of the victims and right-thinking people.

4) Stop your scientists and researchers from inventing new and more diabolical weapons to kill more people more efficiently.

5) Stop your arms manufacturers from producing them. Stop your sales of arms to the world. It is blood money that you earn. It is un-Christian.

6) Stop trying to democratize all the countries of the world. Democracy may work for the United States but it does not always work for other countries. Don't kill people because they are not democratic. Your crusade to democratize countries has killed more people than the authoritarian Governments which you overthrew. And you have not succeeded anyway.

7) Stop the casinos which you call financial institutions. Stop hedge funds, derivatives and currency trading. Stop banks from lending non-existent money by the billions. Regulate and supervise your banks. Jail the miscreants who made profits from abusing the system.8) Sign the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements.

9) Show respect for the United Nations. I have many other resolutions for change which I think you should consider and undertake.But I think you have enough on your plate for this 2009th year of the Christian Era.

If you can do only a few of what I suggest you will be remembered by the world as a great leader. Then the United States will again be the most admired nation. Your embassies will be able to take down the high fences and razor-wire coils that surround them.

May I wish you a Happy New Year and a great Presidency.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad
(Former Prime Minister of Malaysia)

Charity Begins At Home; Fatah Does Not Love Hamas

The SIL continues his re-engineering and has latched on another opportunity to be in the news. What better cause than the Palestinian one. So as Che Det's pen-friend plays golf in sunny Hawaii while Gaza burns, SIL is at the Palestinian embassy (why not the US embassy?) with fellow foreign operatives protesting Israel's excesses in Gaza; but it appears Fatah does not love Hamas (read attached Malaysiakini article). So who loves who, for what? 

Shouldn't SIL be more focused on efforts to save Malaysia's economic arse than getting involved in squabbles in somebody elses backyard? Oxford right? 

SIL may be better off standing for elections at the next Palestinian poll after Israel exterminates Hamas for the PLO Fatah. He can also win unopposed under the PLO banner.

Protest against Israel turns into war of words

Rahmah Ghazali | Jan 2, 09 8:00pm

An Umno Youth-led rally against the deadly Israeli air strikes on Gaza Strip turned into a war of words today which saw the Palestinian ambassador having an argument with some protesters resulting in them staging a walk-out. The protest, held outside the Palestinian embassy in Ampang, was attended by 200 people, including Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin. Organised by the Coalition Against Israeli Aggression - a group comprising of Umno Youth, Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semananjung (GPMS), Majlis Permuafakatan Ummah (Pewaris) and Majlis Belia Malaysia (MBM) - the protest was joined by a number of Palestinian foreign students. The demonstration was to express outrage against the Israeli air strikes that have over the past week killed more than 400 Palestinians and wounded 1,700 others in Gaza Strip. Under the watchful eyes of two dozens of police officers who were stationed outside the embassy, the protestors kicked off the rally by marching about 100 metres to the embassy. However, the situation turned rowdy when the Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia Abdel Aziz Abu Ghoush ticked off some of the protestors who were holding photos of Hamas leaders. He wanted the photos removed as “we do not want to show divisions in the internal affairs of Palestine”. “There should be no individual photos. We should show our support to all the Palestinians regardless of who they are. We should show our unity against Israel,” screamed Abdel Aziz from the balcony of the embassy building. But the protesters from Palestine - who were mostly foreign students studying in Malaysia - refused to back down and began arguing with the ambassador in Arabic. Palestianian protesters walk out A GPMS leader however tried to calm the situation down by asking the Palestinian and Sudanese student leaders to address the crowd.  But Abdel Aziz was not happy with that either. “There should be no individual speakers. I am representing Palestine as such I am the only speaker here, besides Khairy Jamaluddin,” he said to angry protests from the crowd. “We are representing Palestine too!” they shouted. That was when a handful of Palestinian protestors walked out from the embassy’s compound. As they leave, they held photos of Hamas leaders in the air. The Palestinians returned only when Khairy, who arrived at the embassy about half an hour later, managed to persuade them to stay with the protesters. The photos that sparked the controversy were those showing former Hamas leaders, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdul Aziz al Rantissi, both of whom were assassinated by Israeli missile strikes in March and April 2004 respectively. Other photos depicted current Hamas leader and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.  ‘I'm not against Hamas’ Ambassador Abdel Aziz later denied that he is linked to Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which has a major fall-out with Hamas. “I don’t have anything against Hamas. I even have a photo of (assassinated Hamas leader) Sheikh Ahmed Yassin with me,” said Abdel Aziz (left).  Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, has been squabbling with rival Fatah, a coalition member of PLO, since the death of long-time leader Yasser Arafat four years ago. The tension between the two intensified after Hamas won the Palestinian elections in 2006. Last Monday, Hamas sent a deadly barrage of missiles deep into Israel, killing three Israelis and wounding two others. Israel responded with deadly force with warplanes killing 200 Palestinians, including women and children. Earlier, Khairy, who is also member of parliament for Rembau, gave a spirited speech to the crowd saying that the Coalition Against Israeli Aggression will always be with the Palestinians until “they gain their freedom”. “I am here to tell you that we, Malaysians - Muslims and non-Muslims - want to show our support to the Palestinians as this is concerning humanitarian and economic issues. This is about unity, freedom and justice of the Palestinians,” said Khairy. He also added that the coalition has successfully collected RM100,000 of humanitarian aid to be channeled to Palestine and has submitted a memorandum of support to the Palestinians to the ambassador.

Dear Santa...

Continuing the cut-and-paste start to my blogging year, this one by none other than our Che Det is not only hilarious, it is superfluous. He writes to Father Christmas Barack "HUSSEIN" Obama (isn't it a bit early in the year for Christmas cheer???) with his wish list.

The letter starts off with "Dear Mr President..." and he signs off as "Former Prime Minister of Malaysia" (as if to remind Obama of his Indonesian sojourn) and I have my doubts if the letter will ever reach the desk of Obama in the first place. He also very conspicuously uses the "Hussein" in Obama's name as if to appeal to his "muslim side" but refers to "un-Christian" actions in his letter (surely Obama will scratch his head if he reads it).

I am not knocking the content of Tun's letter, much of which I too agree with, but it is the letter per se. Perhaps he should have signed off as Current Chairman, Kuala Lumpur Foundation To Criminalise War rather than Former PM of Malaysia. We already have a "lame duck current PM", a "PM Designate" and also not forgetting that 16th September "PM in waiting" guy; now a former PM gets into the global arena.

Well, if Mr Hussein Obama were a Mr George Walker Bush; he may jolly well reply. That would then qualify him to a nomination for a Man of the Year award...Funniest Man, that is.

Please read:

Open Letter to Barack Hussein Obama President-elect of the United States of America
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on January 1, 2009 3:59 AM

Dear Mr. President,

I did not vote for you in the Presidential Election because I am Malaysian.

But I consider myself one of your constituents because what you do or say will affect me and my country as well.I welcome your promise to change. Certainly your country, the United States of America need a lot of changes.

That is because America and Americans have become the best hated people in the world. Even Europeans dislike your arrogance. Yet you were once admired and liked because you freed a lot of countries from conquest and subjugation.

It is the custom on New Year's day for people to make resolutions. You must have listed your good resolutions already. But may I politely suggest that you also resolve to do the following in pursuit of Change.

1) Stop killing people. The United States is too fond of killing people in order to achieve its objectives. You call it war, but today's wars are not about professional soldiers fighting and killing each other. It is about killing people, ordinary innocent people by the hundreds of thousands. Whole countries will be devastated. War is primitive, the cavemen's way of dealing with a problem. Stop your arms build up and your planning for future wars.

2) Stop indiscriminate support of Israeli killers with your money and your weapons. The planes and the bombs killing the people of Gaza are from you.

3) Stop applying sanctions against countries which cannot do the same against you. In Iraq your sanctions killed 500,000 children through depriving them of medicine and food. Others were born deformed.What have you achieved with this cruelty? Nothing except the hatred of the victims and right-thinking people.

4) Stop your scientists and researchers from inventing new and more diabolical weapons to kill more people more efficiently.

5) Stop your arms manufacturers from producing them. Stop your sales of arms to the world. It is blood money that you earn. It is un-Christian.

6) Stop trying to democratize all the countries of the world. Democracy may work for the United States but it does not always work for other countries. Don't kill people because they are not democratic. Your crusade to democratize countries has killed more people than the authoritarian Governments which you overthrew. And you have not succeeded anyway.

7) Stop the casinos which you call financial institutions. Stop hedge funds, derivatives and currency trading. Stop banks from lending non-existent money by the billions. Regulate and supervise your banks. Jail the miscreants who made profits from abusing the system.8) Sign the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements.

9) Show respect for the United Nations. I have many other resolutions for change which I think you should consider and undertake.But I think you have enough on your plate for this 2009th year of the Christian Era.

If you can do only a few of what I suggest you will be remembered by the world as a great leader. Then the United States will again be the most admired nation. Your embassies will be able to take down the high fences and razor-wire coils that surround them.

May I wish you a Happy New Year and a great Presidency.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad
(Former Prime Minister of Malaysia)

Mind Your Language

This is my first post of 2009 but it is not my own. I have cut and pasted from Syed Akbar Ali's "OutSyed The Box" blog. His blogpost, "Dato Hishamuddin Hussein: The Most Powerful Man In The Country" rings true (well maybe not the literal meaning of its title but...) and I too believe the future of our country depends not on patriotism, is not about ketuanan, nor is it about ‘matilah bahasa matilah bangsa’ etc. It is really about how we can move our younger generations up the learning curve as fast as we can. It is indeed simply for the survival of our people – all our people.

Please read:

Dato Hishamuddin Hussein : The Most Powerful Man In The Country
By Syed Akbar Ali

Tuan-tuan dan Puan-puan yang saya hormati, the most powerful man in the country, who has the fate of our entire nation in his hands right now, is our Minister of Education Dato Hishamuddin Hussein.

This is because he has said that the decision to continue or discontinue the teaching of mathematics and Science in the English language in all our schools will depend on the results of this year’s PMR examinations. Well the results are in and (as I predicted to my good wife) the results show a preponderance for the English language (at least in Maths and Science) among our school children.

Here is today’s news, snipped for brevity:

Majority opted for English when answering Science paper

PUTRAJAYA: The percentage of students who answered the Science paper of this year’s Penilaian Me nengah Rendah (PMR) entirely in English rose by 138% compared with last year’s figure.

This is the first time ever that a majority of students had answered the paper in English.

This year, 51.2% of candidates cho se English, compared with 30.8% who answered in Malay and 18% who used a combination of both lan guages. Last year, only 21.5% of candidates answered the PMR Scien ce paper wholly in English.

Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom described the increasing trend of candidates using English as “very encouraging.”

He said the final decision on whe ther the subjects would continue to be taught in English rested with Education Minister Datuk Seri Hi sham muddin Tun Hussein.







The subject that showed the biggest improvement in performance was English – the pass rate increased by 3.6% from 71.2% in (2003-2007) to 74.8% this year.

“Students are more comfortable using the language as they have studied Mathematics and Science in English for three years,’’ he said when asked whether the improvement was linked to the policy of teaching both subjects in English.

Someday in the future, we will opt to teach all our subjects in Malay again. I have no doubt in that happening. But I strongly feel that day is still far off.

We need to really move our younger generations up the learning curve as fast as we can. The steepness of that learning curve depends on the language that we use. For the time being English makes the curve a lot less steeper. It is an easy climb. This is becoming true all over the world. In China the number of English speakers is increasing at an exponential rate. The ‘Indian miracle’ in India is because of English.

I really hope that the PMR results will help convince the Honorable Minister to maintain the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English. This is not about patriotism, this is not about ketuanan, this is not about ‘matilah bahasa matilah bangsa’ etc. It is simply for the survival of our people – all our people.

Please do the right thing.

Of Alcohol, Alcoholics and Alcoholism...

It is about 8.30 pm on 31st December, 2008. The last day of the year and the time of day when many are out there celebrating the fact that they made it through the year and waiting to usher in 2009. Much alcohol will flow tonight for those who indulge, and the rest will I am sure be as drunk with emotions as we bid farewell to 2008. Tomorrow is another day.

I am sad today. I am sad today because a dear friend blogged about himself today in reference to revelry. I am sad for the narrow and judgemental view that belongs only to those who have succumbed to generalizations yet, I understand why. 

Some of the most generous people I know are also known to appreciate their single malts or wine and these are captains of industry and indeed society. From now on do I label them good for nothing alcoholics? No I refuse to. Instead I will honor them for the good they have done and I will toast to them for the greater good that they will continue to do. Here's to 2009! Cheers!!! 

Religious Pluralism? Heaven for the Godless?

This was posted by a buddy in my old school eGroup. This article in the New York Times today gives new meaning to the Air Asia tagline...Now Really Everyone Can Fly!!!

December 27, 2008

Heaven for the Godless?
By CHARLES M. BLOW

In June, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life published a controversial survey in which 70 percent of Americans said that they believed religions other than theirs could lead to eternal life.

This threw evangelicals into a tizzy. After all, the Bible makes it clear that heaven is a velvet-roped V.I.P. area reserved for Christians. Jesus said so: “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” But the survey suggested that Americans just weren’t buying that.

The evangelicals complained that people must not have understood the question. The respondents couldn’t actually believe what they were saying, could they?

So in August, Pew asked the question again. (They released the results last week.) Sixty-five percent of respondents said — again — that other religions could lead to eternal life. But this time, to clear up any confusion, Pew asked them to specify which religions. The respondents essentially said all of them.

And they didn’t stop there. Nearly half also thought that atheists could go to heaven — dragged there kicking and screaming, no doubt — and most thought that people with no religious faith also could go.

What on earth does this mean?

One very plausible explanation is that Americans just want good things to come to good people, regardless of their faith. As Alan Segal, a professor of religion at Barnard College told me: “We are a multicultural society, and people expect this American life to continue the same way in heaven.” He explained that in our society, we meet so many good people of different faiths that it’s hard for us to imagine God letting them go to hell. In fact, in the most recent survey, Pew asked people what they thought determined whether a person would achieve eternal life. Nearly as many Christians said you could achieve eternal life by just being a good person as said that you had to believe in Jesus.

Also, many Christians apparently view their didactic text as flexible. According to Pew’s August survey, only 39 percent of Christians believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, and 18 percent think that it’s just a book written by men and not the word of God at all. In fact, on the question in the Pew survey about what it would take to achieve eternal life, only 1 percent of Christians said living life in accordance with the Bible.

Now, there remains the possibility that some of those polled may not have understood the implications of their answers. As John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum, said, “The capacity of ignorance to influence survey outcomes should never be underestimated.” But I don’t think that they are ignorant about this most basic tenet of their faith. I think that they are choosing to ignore it ... for goodness sake.

E-mail chblow@nytimes.com

Pre-Christmas Drinks At Ribs @ Oasis

KC Heah again came up with a very good venue and yesterday's pre-Christmas Drinks at Ribs @ Oasis was largely a KEVII and OPA affair. Mike pre-arranged the menu with manager Stephen Gonzago whose daughter co-owns the place.

Mike's army/OPA buddies, Shaffiq, Shamsul and Basri joined Tigers KC Heah, Azmi, Eusie, Liz, Harjit and yours truly together with spouses Susan (Harjit) and Albert (Liz) for a great evening.

The menu;

* Tiger Mike's Miang Kham. All veg and delicious hors d'oeuvre. Easy to get daun kaduk in the wet market

* Fried Tofu Goreng Gareng served with Cili garlic sauce. Cut the tofu in 1 in cubes.

* NZ half green mussels cooked Thai style.

* Prawn salad. Served over Arugula (rocket) with mayo and wasabe saucewith smoked salmon slices spread on the prawns.

* Fried fish fingers/calamari. Served with Tartar sauce.

* Sotong kerabu Thai style.

* Argentinian Sardines on croutons with lemon juice..

* For non-Muslims: Katapandhi vindaloo with wholemeal bread

Numerous bottled beer, 2 bottles of red wine and 1 litre bottle of JW Black Label and 1 bottle of Azmi's German sounding single malt later we were done by about 1.30 am. Sorry for the bad picture quality; bad lighting and it was a phonecam.

Of By-Passes, Transplants and Open Hearts...The Sime-IJN Fiasco

The National Heart Institute or Institute Jantung Negara (IJN) is close to my heart in more ways than one. Firstly, it is a first rate hospital doing great work for all strata of Malaysian society when heart disease remains the number one killer (we are told it will be overtaken by cancer in 2010); in this context, we know how pertinent IJN is to Malaysia, when valuable human resource is just a heartbeart away from being lost every day. Secondly, I had an angioplasty done there in 1998 by none other than the eminent, Dato' Dr Roba'ayah Zambahari.

Back in 1998 it cost RM17,000 as a private sector patient for the angioplasty and I was more than glad to pay it. I remember consulting Dr Roba'ayah for the first time in the morning and getting the angioplasty done in the evening of the same day. Although if I were a civil servant, treatment is virtually free I was thankful for not having to endure the long wait list! To me, this was a fantastic formula for sustaining this wonderful organization for ALL Malaysians. One of the greatest mysteries I find today is when I hear people seeking treatment for heart disease in private sector hospitals instead of going to IJN. We have the best at IJN and as far as acquiring experience, nothing beats the specialists in IJN who deal with the heart day in day out.

Sime Darby in health care I also know well enough through Subang Jaya Medical Center (SJMC). Back in 1985 or so when SJMC was set up, Jeannie was one of its first 2000 patients. Krystyn (1986) and J.J. (1990) were born there and SJMC remained our "family hospital" until about 2000 when we sued the hospital and one of its doctors for medical negligence. SJMC had some of the best doctors in the country yet eventually we felt over commercialization of health care messed up some of their objectivity and priority. Who is to say this would not happen to IJN in Sime hands?

Now, we hear Sime Darby wants to take over IJN but is rightly facing lots of flak from the rakyat. Events unfolding over the last few days do not smell clinically clean. This is not the first time we have heard of Sime Darby's intentions in the health care sector. There was talk years ago that the Group wanted to privatize all major government hospitals in the country and eventually the whole national public health care delivery system I think. Its insurance arm complemented Group strategies by attempting to corner the health insurance market in the country. Market players in health insurance know how they have failed.

Sime made the following announcement to the KLSE on the 17th of December:

The next day, it announces that it had received the government's approval in principle:

It claimed it received fast-tracked approval pulak! On 18th December, this was verified by our great PM-in-waiting Najib who seems to have been infected by the same flip flop disease as the PM-on-way-out when on the 19th December, he announces the deal has been postponed. What the fcuk is all this? Who is advising Najib and gave him "foot-in-mouth" disease? It does not bode well for Malaysia when our so-called future PM appears confused and punch-drunk! Who else is tugging his chain? Read this blog: Najib Statement On IJN Doesn't Jive.

Taking care of the poor and needy, Najib? Kadir Jasin had this to say, and more: "That Sime Darby is close to the government is neither a guarantee nor a comfort. Sime Darby already owns and operates the Subang Jaya Medical Centre. How many poor people are being treated there at low fees?"

To stem human resource outflow from staff pinching and potential source of funding for expansion, Najib? Then why this statement from almost all the consultants in IJN?

We read with concern the perceived perception that the medical staff of IJN are demanding higher pay and will leave IJN if these demands are not met.

We feel it is important that these negative perceptions are correctly put into context.

The institution was set up in 1992 as a corporate body directly under the purview of Ministry of Finance. Its board of Directors include representatives from Ministry of Health and MOF to ensure its direction and objectives of providing good quality and affordable medical care to Malaysians from all walks of life are adhered to.

In that respect, IJN has done and continue to do well, both in maintaining its moral as well as financial obligations. The institution has been self-sustaining since its inception (and has been able to pay year end bonuses annually without fail). For 2007and up to end Nov 2008, we have accumulated 285,764 number of outpatients, performed 15,084 cardiac catheterization interventions including angiograms and angioplasties, 6,094 heart and lung surgeries, 7 mechanical hearts and heart and lung transplants surgeries.

As true with any organization of our size, there will be people leaving the organization at various times in order to pursue different career paths. Over the last 7 years of operation, out of a total of 35 consultants, only 7 have left IJN to work either in local or overseas private centres. Therefore, our consultants' annual attrition rate is only 3%, and we have responded consistently over time to promote our home grown talents to fill up the voids accordingly. Currently, 75% of IJN consultants have been in their posts for more than 10 years.

All of us are salaried based on a different payscale than that of the MOH though not at par with the private centres. Periodic review of salary scale is usually undertaken, subject to approval from Ministry of Finance.

As proven from our consultants' attrition rate and longevity in serving this institution, it is logical to surmise that on the whole we are happy with the current scheme and proving it by remaining with IJN. Many of us have served than 10 years, excluding time spent within the MOH Hospitals prior to setting up of IJN.

Whilst we have yet to have a clear picture of the proposed privatization by Sime Darby, we would like to reiterate our commitment to serve IJN in its current form and want to stress that the proposed privatization of IJN must not be seen to be as a response to our demands for better pay. The medical personnel of IJN are not at all involved, directly or otherwise, in the negotiations for the said privatization.

Being responsible employees of IJN, we are not in the position to dictate the outcome of the privatization proposal from Sime Darby to the stakeholders of IJN. However, the perception that the privatization proposal is in response to demands for higher remunerations by its medical staff is misconceived and must be corrected accordingly to safeguard and preserve the trust placed upon us by our patients.

Signed,
1. Sharifah Suraya Syed Mohd Tahir
2. Suhaini Kadiman
3. Nor Azlina Abdul Jalil
4. Ariffin Marzuki Mokhtar
5. Thiru Kumar Namasivayam
6. Mohd Sharif Mohd Shaffie
7. Mohamed Hassan Mohamed Ariff
8. Azhari Rosman
9. Amin Ariff Nuruddin
10. Ahmad Khairddin Mohd Yusof
11. Aiza Aizan Abdul Rahim
12. Mohd Nasir Muda
13. Shaiful Azmi @ Jamauddin Yahaya
14. Balachandaran Kandasamy
15. Azlan Hussin
16. Razali Omar
17. Chew Soon Ping @ David Chew
18. Rosli Mohd Ali
19. Robaayah Zambahari
20. Mohd Azhari Yakub
21. Pau Khew Kong
22. Sivakumar Sivalingam
23. Abdul Rais Sanusi
24. Hew Chee Chin
25. Hamdan Leman
26. Alwi Mohamed Yunus

I do not know what is going on exactly in this developing IJN fiasco but Najib is the one tarred and feathered. For one who has benefitted from the surgical removal of outgoing UMNO President and by-passing an election for the President's post, has he compromized too much to be sitting where he is sitting? Who is doing the deal? Nazir Razak? Does the country need a major organ transplant? Well at least we know we have the brains and expertise in IJN! Well done Dato' Dr Roba'ayah and gang; we the rakyat salute you!!!

Both Sides Now...

Picked this commentary ("A Letter To All Malays") by a certain Allan C. off Aisehman's blog who picked it off Lim Kit Siang's blog. Read in conjunction with Demi Negara's heavily one-sided ramblings: Racial Polarisation and the Forging of Bangsa Malaysia what comes to mind is Joni Mitchell's song, "Both Sides, Now". Can some of my friends in UMNO please rebut Allan C's comments?

Both Sides, Now...Joni Mitchell



Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons evrywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on evryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
Ive looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its cloud illusions I recall
I really dont know clouds at all

Moons and junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As evry fairy tale comes real
Ive looked at love that way

But now its just another show
You leave em laughing when you go
And if you care, dont let them know
Dont give yourself away

Ive looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
Its loves illusions I recall
I really dont know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
Ive looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say Ive changed
Well somethings lost, but somethings gained
In living evry day

Ive looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all

Ive looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all

****************************************************

A Letter To All Malays
by Allan C

I am a Chinese Malaysian male with diverse groups of friends - Tamils, Malayalees, Sikhs, Jaffna Tamils, whites, Eurasians, and Babas and Nyonyas.

The problem is I have very few Malay friends.

Umno tells them I am a threat to them..

Umno tells them I am undeserving of equal rights.

They might even believe it, and since I don’t want to think any less of them, I prefer to keep my own counsel.

Generally I don’t talk much about anything important with Malays, and certainly not about politics.

I think meaningful friendships between Malays and non-Malays are becoming rare in Malaysian society.

There is not enough dialogue between Malays and non-Malays at the ground level. Umno speaks from both sides of its mouth - telling the Malays the non-Malays are a threat to them, and then turning round to tell the non-Malays that their rights will be protected.

At other times it may say the reverse, the key denominator being what it needs to say to win votes at the time, and the ethnic composition of the audience. After 51 years of Umno’s divide and rule, it is no wonder that race relations are a joke.

With Biro Tata Negara, Khir Toyo and Ahmad Ismail to lead the way, only a fool will think Umno wants good race relations. Umno leaders wants good race relations only when it will keep them in power. Power and money are the real motivations for Umno’s political leaders.

After the twisted judicial treatments and twisted sentences meted out to the likes of Lim Guan Eng, Anwar Ibrahim, Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamaruddin, I think we can safely rule out any semblance of a sense of right and wrong and common decency as a meaningful guide to Umno’s decisions.

There are a number of things I want to put across to my imaginary Malay audience in cyberspace - you - particularly if you believe every racist, inflammatory, bigoted, and demonised stereotype, opinion piece and fabricated news that Ahmad Ismail, Khir toyo, Utusan Melayu, and Biro Tata Negara tells you about me.

If I were a Malay leader, this is what I would say. The Malays totally dominate the aristocracy, cabinet, parliament, judiciary, police, military, and huge government bureaucracy. The Malays have the highest birth rates.

You have benefitted from the racial quotas in education, commerce, licenses, contracts, jobs and promotions - funded by non-Malays. Therefore if you are feeling aggrieved, if you are feeling angry, and if you are feeling insecure, you need to ask yourself why…

If Umno tells you that your culture, language, race and religion is threatened by non-Malays and non-Muslims, i would suggest you think critically before you act. Umno has destroyed any hope of English literacy amongst the Malay masses.

Without English literacy the professions are out of the question for you. High-paying jobs will be hard to find. You will be handicapped in your career and business. Umno tells you that the non- Malays have advanced economically at your expense.

Umno loves to say that the non Malays have used unfair means to advance by cheating you.

The truth is Umno leadership has advanced economically and socially at your expense by destroying your competitiveness but to cap it all, they have succeeded in making you blame the non-Malays for their mistakes.

Umno makes you think that the way for you to reach global competitiveness would be to oppress and hamstring the non-Malays with steep racial quotas for jobs, licenses, and university places.

The truth is that it is the competitiveness and grit of successful Malays and non-Malays who compete in the open market in open competition that acts to provide every Malaysian - you and I - with the best goods at the cheapest prices.

You could buy a good quality, long lasting, reliable Japanese car in any other country for what you pay for a crappy Proton in Malaysia . Meanwhile, the AP scam that gives select Malays a license to smuggle in thousands of cars without paying duty will never be awarded to anyone other than the most overly privileged, wealthy and connected Umno elite insider - and definitely not to you if you are an ordinary decent Malay.

With Umno’s wholesale corruption, and racist propaganda that scapegoats and demonises the non-Malays to play on your fears and anxieties, our beloved country will come to resemble the uneducated, unproductive, expensive, impoverished countries like Burma , Indonesia , Philippines and Zimbabwe .

Umno leaders will do anything to stay in power and wealth, and that includes to divide and rule with lies, judicial abuse, and more. In the beginning the NEP picked the low-hanging fruit so there was an easy prosperity for everyone but now the signs of terminal decay are everywhere.

Economic and political reality has come back to roost, and if you are still poor, you need to ask why filthy rich Umno leaders are telling you that the non-Malays continue to cheat you of your rights and prosperity. The truth is that the success of any Malaysian in the open market that is subject to open competition will benefit all Malaysians.

Businesses, academics and professionals who have succeeded because of their competitiveness, innovation, hard work and determination bring prosperity to all Malaysians. Non-Malays and Malays who compete in the open market, if they succeed, it is because they offer everyone - you and I - a better product at a lower price.

Businesses and businesspersons who have succeeded because of a government-sanctioned cartel or monopoly that denies others the chance to compete will make all Malaysians poorer - that is, except the lucky filthy rich Umno-BN leaders who gave themselves or family or cronies the cartel or monopoly - APs, Proton, UEM, Renong, Bank Bumi - in the first place.

If you are reading this letter, I can presume that just like me, you did not get the exclusive contract, license, cartel or monopoly either. The truth is you and I and everyone else have been made poorer by the system that Umno has created.

If the economy is heading for a downturn, and if the financial crisis affected your business, and you are wondering why people in other countries don’t work as hard as you, and still earn much more money, then you will begin to understand that they live in a superior system.

Their leaders do not rob and abuse their citizens as much as in Malaysia . If you drive a Proton and they drive a Japanese car for the same price, then you are never going to be as well off as them.

Advanced progressive modern countries have achievement- based values, equal rights, open competition, meritocracy, and legislate against racism.

Such countries will have wealthier and healthier citizens who are not any smarter than you, and who will not be working harder than you, but they will be better informed than you, their kids will receive a better education than yours, and they will be earning lots more money than either you or me.

Umno will tell you that advanced countries like Singapore have prospered at your expense. The truth is that Umno will never give you a superior system. It cannot reform because it has an addiction problem. Umno leaders are addicted to huge amounts of easy money - your money!

Umno will tell you that their addiction to your money is in your best interests.

Umno will say they only take money from non-Malays. Umno will say it is your fault if you are addicted to Umno’s Ketuanan Melayu policies and bumiputera privileges..

The truth is that Umno is addicted to your tax money, and Umno will try to weaken your will to succeed on your own by getting you mentally addicted to their falsehoods. Unless Umno can make you feel addicted to your privileges, and make you feel unable to compete, and frightens you with the non-Malay bogeyman (or bogeywoman like Teresa Kok), and that he or she is a threat to your safety, finances, future, race, language, culture and religion, then Umno knows it will lose your vote in open competition to PKR and PAS.

The biggest obstacles to Malay progress are low standards and low expectations.
Umno tells you that you cannot compete with the non-Malays. Yet there are so many parameters to what is better or not that it is impossible to measure them all. It is illogical to think that someone else is better than you.

To believe that you cannot compete is a very low expectation that guarantees very low standards, and it is the last thing you would ever want to leave to your children. The solution requires guts and faith - in you. You must insist on open competition, meritocracy, equal rights, and an end to all forms of racism.

You are not inferior, you can compete, and you control your own destiny.

If you allow Umno to brainwash you, and your children, then low standards and low expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The NEP has inevitably deteriorated to become a scam whereby Umnoputras will get all the benefits and be laughing all the way to the bank and everyone else gets poorer funding their excesses - mansions, wives, fat bank accounts, licenses, contracts, monopolies, APs. You get nothing, and I get even less than nothing - blamed for being the pendatang.

PAS and PKR want to change the NEP so that it will help the poor of all races but since the Malays form the bulk of the poor, then the Malays will automatically benefit exceedingly, and no one will feel left out or despised.

We must create a superior system of government that will be efficient, productive, progressive, competitive, and meritocractic - one that can hope to outperform Singapore - if we are to hold our heads up high, in open competition, and without prejudice.

The Malays will still totally dominate the aristocracy, cabinet, parliament, police, judiciary, military and government but in a country that is progressive, meritocractic, educated, progressive, prosperous and respects equal rights, human rights and freedoms.

This would be real legacy worth leaving to your children.

Choose wisely . . . . .