Wow Vell Paari! Did Your Father OK This?

I am sure we have not seen the last of this as Vell Paari s/o Samy Velu fired this barrage at Mahathir, his father's onetime demi-god. Was this a sanctioned "hit"? Ho hum...it remains largely a spat between Indians.

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

Dr M’s low blow uncalled for
MIC CWC member S Vell Paari takes the former premier to task for his unpalatable comments regarding the moral values of Americans.



PETALING JAYA: As a Muslim, Dr Mahathir Mohamad has the right to be upset with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton for defending the movie “Innocence of Muslims” on the grounds of freedom of expression.

However, MIC media and publicity chief S Vell Paari said the former premier should not insult the moral values of Americans when Malaysia itself was drowning in social ills.

“As a leader who is touted to be wise, how can he make such a generalisation and insult the people of another country just because of differing opinions.

“Such comments are unbefitting of a statesman,” he told FMT.

Vell Paari was commenting on Mahathir’s latest blog posting, where the latter, among others, said that Americans would not be slighted if labelled as “bastards”.

The reason for this, he had argued, was because “their mothers and fathers sleep around with just anybody.”

Whereas Asians and Muslims, he had added, would kill those who uttered such things about their mothers.

What about Interlok?

However, Vell Paari urged Mahathir to reflect on the contents of the infamous Interlok novel which the government deemed fit for students’ consumption despite the litany of racial insults.

He recalled how the author had even suggested that the Chinese would sell their daughters for economic gratification.

“Isn’t this insulting to parents as well? So if we go by Mahathir’s reasoning, do we kill the national laureate who penned the book?” he asked.

Vell Paari also reminded Mahathir that Malaysia was not exactly a shining example of virtues.

“We have a high number of children born out of wedlock, incest and whatnot.

“The only difference is that in America, sexual issues are discussed in the open but here we do it behind closed doors… and that does not make us saints,” he added.

Vell Paari said Mahathir should confine his criticism to the issue in contention which was the US backing for the controversial movie and not launch unpalatable salvoes.



“It is comments like these which give the impression that BN is still trapped in the dark ages. It is this sort of double standard which makes life difficult for BN,” he added.

The MIC leader said while Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was doing his best to win the hearts and minds of the people, it was unfortunate that the premier’s work was being undermined by those within the ruling coalition itself.

“We have a PM who during MIC’s AGM in 2010 admitted that mistakes have been made in the past and has vowed to correct them. He is now trying to re-build the bridge of unity.

“If you cannot help him build the bridge, that’s fine. But don’t pull out the bricks from the bridge he is trying to construct,” he added.

Vell Paari also noted how Mahathir had wrote that no Asian would be able to stomach being called a bastard.

Similarly, he said, non-Malays here found it difficult to come to terms with being termed as immigrants (pendatang) and pariah by certain quarters like Perkasa.

“We, the non-Malays, feel hurt and disappointed when Mahathir graces Perkasa’s events, so what difference is there between the insensitivity shown by him and Hilary Clinton,” he added.

Vell Paari said Mahathir should use his wisdom and expertise to set the Malaysian house in order first before harping on the mess in the houses of others.

“There is a long list of wrongs which need fixing in Malaysia. Let’s focus on that,” he added.

Malaysians Live On Trees...

Once upon a time we used to get irritated because some foreigners actually thought we still lived on trees (figure of speech). Recently, some gems (e.g. the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and Section 114A of the Evidence Act) have come from our leaders that have put us back on the trees. However, the latest "guidelines" supposedly mentioned by Deputy Education Minister, Puad Zarkashi on LGBT takes the cake. Fantastic quality we have in the Cabinet! Do have a view of this "roasting": 

30th August 2012 - Bersih 3.5?

We were there...

Since It Is A 911 Anniversary Today...

Al Qaeda The Movie...a NeoCon Production.

Unfamiliar Surroundings...Prince On Grass

He absolutely refused to move...

E.T. Phone Home...

Now we know we can get there...next to find the energy source to get back.

Another Shithead...

Yup, two wrongs do not make a right. The guy who is seen in this Malaysiakini photo mooning the pictures of Najib, Rosmah and the EC Chief in public should be hauled up; for indecent exposure perhaps.

Idiots like this we do not need.

What difference would his act be from this one?

NOW

It would be interesting to see how "non-partisan" NOW can be.

Janji Dicapati

Creative juices flowing in our Youth...

Devilish...

Forget the Angel...stick with the Devil?

Syabas! Anak Bangsa Malaysia!

Sarawak born diver Pamg Pandelela Rinong clinched a historic Olympic medal for Malaysia on 9th August 2012. It was the first-ever diving and non-badminton medal of Malaysia; the second medal the country grabbed at London Games. This of course does not take into account M. Vasuki's bronze in 1988 when taekwondo was an exhibition sport in the summer Olympics.

Apart from Gold medallist Chen Ruolin of China who was in a master class of her own the competition between the rest of the finalists was very keen for Silver and Bronze. Rather than undervalue Pamg's achievement, I believe this scenario speaks volumes for her competitive spirit and grit. At one stage, Pamg was in 10th position and she never gave up.

Thank you Pamg. Malaysia salutes you for giving us hope.  

Usain Bolt - 2012 London Olympics

100 meters


200 meters


Men's 4X100 meters relay
...to be posted for sure

Usain Bolt in perspective:

Lee Chong Wei Apology

Following the previous post on Deepak Chopra's apology comes an apology from Lee Chong Wei for having failed to win the 2012 Olympics Men's Singles Badminton Gold medal for Malaysia. Try as Chong Wei did, Lin Dan was and still is the better player of the two; apologies not needed for having given his all. The stats between the two are obvious enough.

The pressure on Chong Wei to even qualify for the final must have been immense let alone win against Lin Dan. The whole nation was united behind him as we followed his progress through each round but I think our FLOM should have been there from the start instead of rushing to London for the final game. Her intentions may be honorable but I think most Malaysians would have preferred that she stayed home. A BBM or SMS would have been more effective.

Many would have noticed Lin Dan drew inspiration from someone among the spectators. Every time he pulled off a difficult point, he gazed in the same direction. Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to recognize that look he gave the person. Fortunately, the Games cameras were kind enough to show us who it was; his wife. Xie Xingfang was a former badminton World Champion herself.

Don't know about others but I noticed Chong Wei too had a certain gaze at someone in the crowd but it was a gaze of despair every time he lost a difficult rally. The games cameras did not show anything.

However, the cameras did show on one occasion Lin Dan's coach Li Yongbo spur his player on with words that include, "zhong guo ren". I wonder what his complete sentence was, but I am sure this will not be last time we in Malaysia hear reference to Yongbo's words.

Deepak Chopra Apology

Have always thought Deepak Chopra preyed on Western fixation with Oriental mysticism and esoteric spiritualism using his own interpretations to make money from the kuai lohs.

 

 The apology:

 

Dawkins vs Cardinal George Pell on Q&A (10-4-2012)

It appears that the Roman Catholic Church needs to evolve...or face extinction.

Missing You

12th July came and 12th July went. I thought about it before it arrived but remembered it again only after it had passed. It has been 5 years since Jeannie passed away and it is the first time I had overlooked her death anniversary on the day itself. Does this mean I miss her any less? Perhaps so, I don't really know but miss her we still do. But something odd has been happening the last couple of months.

On numerous occasions during that time, I have woken up to find my wedding ring missing from my finger and on the bed (sometimes on the floor!). 

I would have unconsciously (subconsciously?) taken it off during the night and it has happened a few times even when I was in Jakarta where I have had to go rather often recently. Luckily, I have always been conscious quite immediately that the ring was not on my finger and recovered it before some stranger found it. Was I trying to tell myself something or is it Jeannie? I don't think I will ever know the real answer but to be safe, I now keep the ring in a secure place just in case.

Wither Post Production Studios?

Is the world of social media marketing hastening the twilight of large post production houses by heralding the dawn of a new breed of service providers armed with talent, digital technology and lightweight equipment? The days of charging premium rates and maintaining a stable of full-time audio/video engineers are as numbered as the relevance of those aging engineers who are unable to compete with the adaptability and energy of the new breed of younger counterparts who seem able to do more with less.

Has the death knell for such conventional studios been sounded and the fate of a whole generation of audio/video engineers sealed? Will they soon find that their once cushy jobs have disappeared with the new paradigm and they would be forced to hunt for their own work? 

But how can parasites become hunters when they have made careers out of sucking marrow off the bones of carcasses? The "carcasses" being same old, same old ad agency clientele brought in by self-glorified "account managers" who in turn succeed only by being sycophantic to specific ad agency bosses... till as it has, the gravy train grinds to a halt of course. Time to call a spade a spade and scroungers will always be scroungers. Or is it about coming down from one's high horse? 

Is this,



being replaced by this?

R.I.P. Paul Ponnudurai

Used to know him when he played at a pub called "Online" in Damansara Kim and as a guest performer at Melawati Club in the 90s with Albert Sirimal and Vijay David. 

A good man and a great talent.

LGE - CSL Debate (8th July 2012) Part 3

A strategic mistake by CSL to take on LGE at this time. Too much baggage.

LGE - CSL Debate (8th July 2012) Part 2

With this kind of performance, CSL not even worthy to be on the same stage...not answering the questions directly.

Now it is obvious why the son of CSL is the way he is showing himself to be.

LGE - CSL Debate (8th July 2012) Part 1

MCA in the hole...

Vitamin B17

Irshad Manji on PopTeeVee

Irshad Manji calls out moderate muslims..."in times of moral crisis, moderation is an excuse to do nothing"

"Stupid Is What Stupid Does", Says Stupid

Kayveas made a statement in the Malaysian Insider about BERSIH 3.0 which is designed to draw flak. A knee jerk by Dr Wong Chin Huat in the same online news media demanding evidence is already playing into Kayveas' hands. Kayveas was surely talking through his rear end and being a lawyer to boot, his 99% figure was obviously not evidence based. So what is he trying to do with this tirade against BERSIH 3.0?

With GE13 not too far away, the usual jostling for seats has begun in BN. UMNO looks prepared to go it alone and claim all Malay majority areas for its own candidates. Even MCA and MIC are being squeezed so what about mosquito component parties like the predominantly Indian PPP.

After years of tantrums in trying to get its political master UMNO to allocate it a seat, Kayveas (PPP) was eventually given a chance by Bodohwi in 2004 and he swept to victory riding on the latter's proposed post-Mahathir reform agenda. His wipe-out in the 2008 GE12 needs no further elaboration.

GE13 will be upon us soon so the running-dogs are barking again. MCA and MIC are being ambivalent and tentative about the BERSIH hot potato that could see them lose all their remaining non-Malay support. Would PPP see this as a slight opening for it to show solidarity with UMNO?

So Kayveas' ludicrous statement about BERSIH must only be replied with SILENCE. Anything more will only serve his end while he is trying to kiss someone else's.

This is what Kayveas was reported to have said in the Malaysian Insider:

Children, paid supporters, made up Bersih 3.0’s crowd, says Kayveas By Clara Chooi June 18, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — Schoolchildren, “blind” anti-Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters and paid participants had marched for Bersih 3.0, Datuk M. Kayveas has said, adding that 99 per cent of the thousands who gathered did not know what they were rallying for on April 28. 

Kayveas, who leads the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), raged that many of the participants were those who have “shut their eyes to BN’s goodness” and were intent on blaming the ruling pact for their own failures in life.

He pointed out that he had come from a very poor family and had lived among squatters for some 25 years but still supports BN for what it has done for the country.

“It was because of what BN has done for the past 50 years that I can be what I am today. But there are those who grew up with me, who are still there... they never moved out of it.

“These people who are now supporting the opposition you see, they are forever making complaints or giving excuses for whatever failure of theirs to change themselves. They want to blame others, or find someone to blame,” he told The Malaysian Insider during a recent interview at his office here.

“But I always say — to be born poor is not a sin but to remain poor is.”

These “blind” supporters, added Kayveas, were the ones willing to spread discord on the streets and break the law as they knew their political leaders would later argue in their defence in Parliament.

The former deputy minister and Taiping MP said these supporters were even willing to “beat up policemen” and “damage police cars”, referring to the violent incidents that occurred during the thick of Bersih 3.0 when police rained down tear gas canisters and chemical-laced water to disperse protesters from the city.

But Kayveas accused the opposition for promoting such blind condemnation of BN and for allegedly instigating their supporters to break the law and to spread falsehoods through the use of social media tools.

“They have created groups to blindly support them with herd mentality, without realising what is the truth and what is not,” he said.

“The opposition teaches you that. Wake up in the morning and run people down on the Internet. If you cannot succeed in running people down, then you run to the streets.

“Ninety-nine per cent of those who marched with Bersih did not know why they were there. Give a yellow T-shirt, a few hundred ringgit and they are there.

“Some schoolchildren were there... when I asked them, they said their parents asked them to go,” he said.

Kayveas also lashed out at the electoral reform movement Bersih 2.0 for deviating from its original and “noble” cause to fight for clean and fair elections, which he said he supports.

“The issue is fair and clean elections. The issue was not about Dataran Merdeka. But you insisted on Dataran Merdeka so it clearly shows that you had diverted from the original, noble, idea into a now opposition-backed, daft, arrogant, stubborn, thinking of defying everything that is right by saying it is wrong,” he said.

Tens of thousands had thronged the city’s streets on April 28 for the Bersih 3.0 rally for free and fair elections, the election watchdog’s third such event since 2007.

The opposition-backed protest had kicked off peacefully but turned chaotic shortly after 3pm when protesters breached the three-tiered barricades surrounding Dataran Merdeka, which had been blocked off to them via a court order obtained by the police.

Aberration?

This was the PAS Himpunan Hijau in Alor Star a few days ago. The sheer numbers will scare the shit out of some people who are probably hoping "photoshopped". There was heavy rain to boot!

Apparition or Aberration

A retired senior government official whom I believe to be a no-nonsense guy shared this photo. It was taken by his nephew at their kampung home in Kelantan about 10 days ago. What gives? It appears to be between the fan and the ceiling. Magnification of the image shows consistent pixelation, an indication that the picture is authentic? Anyone who knows how to, please feel free to download and analyse is photo.

My resident spirit expert says they do manifest like this sometimes. Top clear, bottom wispy.

BlackBerry 9900 Dakota

I was given this phone recently. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth but its kind of silly for a smart phone. The slim and touch-screen Dakota is currently the top range BlackBerry. It is the BlackBerry Messaging (BBM) that is keeping the brand alive as push email can be a pain.

Black

White

BERSIH 3.0

We were there.

With Krystyn and JJ behind the barricades

But from the beginning it was obvious the whole rally was not going anywhere...at least not physically. Dataran Merdeka was heavily barricaded by the police who showed up in great numbers. 

It did not appear that the government was about to be magnanimous at the last minute and allow the Bersih 3.0 crowd on to Dataran Merdeka at 2.00 pm. I felt this was going to be a problem since the size of the crowd at the intersection of Jalan Tun Perak and Tuanku Abdul Rahman was huge and increasingly being cramped by more arriving from the directions of Masjid Jamek and Sogo. There was no room forward and those in the front were ominously faced with barbed wire (I now know they used razor wire). It was a problem. 

We were part of that crowd for a while and looking at the developing situation we moved towards the Bank Negara side and somehow managed to go behind Federal Reserve Unit lines near the bank Negara roundabout. The FRU looked menacing and ready to advance.

At about 2.45 pm Twitter messages were saying Anwar Ibrahim was approaching with his group from the Masjid Jamek side. Shortly after, police at Dataran Merdeka suddenly started firing tear gas and water cannons.

People were saying after the fact, that over-zealous BERSIH 3.0 supporters had broken down the police barriers. I think it had more to do with frenzied Anwar supporters. As usual the police over-reacted and all hell broke loose. 



How will BERSIH 3.0 go down in Malaysian history? At the moment, the jury is still out. Next up will be the ballot box and Malaysian voters are in a pickle as the EC remains the EC. History as they say, is written by the victors.

Same Road, New Highway?

Read Malik Imtiaz Sarwar's blogpost below on why the Election Commission Chairman and his deputy must resign. Conflict of interest it seems. But then again, what else is new? Come to think of it, the Election Commission is just as important as the Judiciary in countries where the Executive reigns supreme. Will we ever run out of highways to build? 

Tan Sri Dato' Seri
Abdul Aziz bin Mohd Yusof
CHAIRMAN SPR



Datuk Wira Hj. Wan Ahmad
bin Wan Omar
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN SPR



Tun Zaki Azmi

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012

Election Commission: Apparent Bias

The Chairman of the Election Commission and his Deputy must resign immediately. In the wake of accusations by the Opposition that they are members of UMNO, they have admitted the same.

It is self-evident that they can no longer hold their positions as the head and deputy head of the Election Commission, a body established by the Federal Constitution for the sole purpose of ensuring that the general elections of the Federation and States are run in a manner that ensure public confidence. Put another way, as has been consistently emphasized by the Coalition on Free and Fair Elections, the Election Commission must act in a manner that is seen to be impartial.

That the perception of impartiality is of crucial significance is underscored by Article 113 of the Federal Constitution, the provision which establishes the Election Commission. 113(2) provides:

"In appointing members of the Election Commission the Yang di- Pertuan Agong shall have regard to the importance of securing an Election Commission which enjoys public confidence."

It is manifest that a member of a political party that will participate, or which may potentially participate, in any general election cannot be made members of the Election Commission. The fact that they are members of a political party is indicative of their political loyalties being to that party. This creates an obvious conflict of interest. This is reinforced in situations where the party Constitution requires allegiance, as I believe the UMNO constitution does.

In the context of UMNO, this issue takes on added significance. Accusations have been made that the Election Commission has conducted itself in a manner that lend to an impression of bias. Leave aside the question of whether there is actual bias, the fact that there is an apprehension of bias is in itself sufficient for concerns to have been raised. To this it must now be added that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Election Commission have been revealed to be members of UMNO. This will only fuel further speculation of bias. This in turn will add to an already high degree of resentment amongst voters about the way in which they perceive the electoral process to have been manipulated.

It is no significance that the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman were not active members or had forgotten that they are members. The fact that they are members is in itself sufficient to create the conflict of interest. One wonders whether they would have been endorsed by the Conference of Rulers and appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (as is required under Article 113(1)) if this fact were known.

In the circumstance it appears that there is little choice in the matter. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman must resign. It cannot end there though. The Government must take steps to convince Malaysians that measures that have been taken thus far with regard the imminent General Election have been consistent with the highest expectations of a clean and fair election. If the Government calls for a General Election under this cloud, then it will reinforce the belief of many Malaysians that the electoral process has been hijacked.

Haris Ibrahim On MobTV

Click Here

Haris Ibrahim Sharing His Thoughts

Khairi vs Ambiga; More Obfuscation...

The UMNO Poster boy wannabe really eloquent with sweet nothings. Started with claim of special bond for being teargassed by the same police (he and only 150 so-called UMNO Youth Patriots; many recruited in situ) as Bersih 2.0 and followed by stating numerous "commitments" of BN Government to have the most free and fair GE in history, free and fair access to national media, stop dirty politics and corruption, have code of conduct for government, and other crap that is just figment of imagination in today's BN reality.

But who is this guy Khairi anyway? He is not even in the Cabinet nor wanted by UMNO. Don't be fooled by the command of language and delivery. Shit is shit no matter how wrapped or delivered.

Ambiga wasted her time with this debate.

Learn A Word A Day..."Obfuscation"

"Obfuscation" in the context of the following article is defined as: "...to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information". 

In this must read blogpost from Marina Mahathir, she is referring to BN subterfuge:

My Record-Breaking Run Continues...
by MarinaM

Dear folks, this must be something of a record but I've just been told that once again, my column's been spiked. In newspaper-speak, that means it's not going to be published tomorrow. This would make it the second of my columns recently that was totally spiked, plus one more that was chopped up badly. (See previous posts)

People ask me why I keep writing at The Star if they keep doing this. Well maybe I'm just sentimental. They gave me this column to write about 23 years ago when nobody else did and for the most part they've published most of what I've written. I do know that lots of people read it and I would feel as if I'm abandoning my readers if I just stopped. I'm hoping that those who read it in the paper also read me online and will realise that perhaps my days at The Star are numbered ( or at least until the elections are over.)

My editors at The Star did politely ask me to tone down my column. They even bought me tea to tell me this. They explained the type of nasty pressures they face over many articles, pressure from people who seem to be hyper-paranoid over every little bit of news that might be construed as anti-government, anti-Islam, anti-everythingtheystandfor. I can sympathise with my editors. It can't be fun being constantly shouted at on the phone or having to attend 'briefings' where they are told exactly what they can or cannot write, no argument.

But just last week I was at a forum on media freedom, in Singapore, and I listened to two Burmese journalists talking about media freedom in their country. They talked about how for years they had to deal with the military censors who insisted on seeing their articles BEFORE and AFTER publication. They had to find ways to creatively get their message across either through writing 'between the lines', using codewords or writing about foreign news which somehow had some relevance to Burma though obliquely.

Recently however Burma has been moving towards democracy. And with it has come new media freedom and many new newspapers and magazines have proliferated. And where once Aung San Syu Kyii was never mentioned in the papers, she is now on the front pages of almost every paper "because she sells papers". They now can write about most things although some things -like corruption - are still taboo.

But one thing they said left a mark on me. Through all those years of pressure, the temptation to self-censor was always there. And while others may have succumbed, this one young man decided he would not. "My job," he said, " is to write. The censors' job is to censor. I don't censor myself because that's not my job."

That's the way I view my column too. I don't 'tone down' largely because I don't know how to. But also because it's not my job.

So, for what it's worth, here is the column that should have appeared tomorrow:

Marina Mahathir for The Star

Obfuscation is a word I love. It means to make something obscure or to confuse people. I love it because it is an apt word to describe the noisy politics we have to endure these days, the sort of noise that makes it impossible for anyone to even hear themselves speak, let alone think about what needs to be thought.

Obfuscation is an every day occurrence these days in our country. When issues should be presented clearly, they are obscured by side issues, distractions and misinformation. People who attempt to bring some clarity are shouted down, drowned by the sheer noise of the loudest though not necessarily the smartest nor the most sincere of loudhailers.

How did a campaign calling for that most innocuous of causes, clean and fair elections, come to be characterized as a clarion call for LGBT rights? Only because some people decided that the best way to distract from a popular issue is to project it as one that is ‘really’ about something else. And then the ‘something else’ was defined as an issue which most people will reflexively react against.

So the logic now sounds like this: if you call for clean and fair elections, that means you want LGBTs to take over the country. Wow!

How wonderful is this obfuscation tactic that a man who was once hailed as a great nationalist patriot for leading a demo to call for the overturning of the policy of teaching maths and science in English, is now likened to a pervert because he is calling for clean and fair elections. He literally went from hero to zero overnight.

Meanwhile, so-called amendments to various laws are touted as the long-awaited reforms by a modern and democratic government. Yet such amendments are rushed through Parliament and ‘debated’ by parliamentarians late at night when they are no doubt sleepy and fuzzy-minded. Surely such important laws deserve better? But no, the obfuscation continues. The bulldozing is touted as ‘proof’ of genuine commitment to reform. And people actually buy this?

Some students decide to stage a tent-in in a public space for a cause that may be a bit too idealistic. Certainly it doesn’t seem to have captured much public sympathy. But the obfuscation continues, confusing the students’ right to voice their unhappiness with their cause. What’s more, news reports on the students seem not to have made clear that there are in fact two groups at Dataran Merdeka, and although there are some overlaps, there are some fundamental differences between the two. Not only are their causes different, so are their ways of working. But obfuscation requires that the two are conflated and by that, the tarnishing of all young people continues.

Today it is difficult to speak publicly in any intelligent manner because it is the unintelligent and the belligerent who rule. On university grounds, grounds where the intellect should reign, a man can blithely say that if LGBTs take over this country (despite there being no evidence whatsoever of this happening), he would not hesitate to take his keris out and use it. In other countries, such a pronouncement would elicit immediate arrest. But no, in this self-proclaimed moderate country, such violent arrogance is applauded.

What is the point of promoting any sort of science in this country when basic evidence is never respected? When anyone can come up with the most dubious statements without any facts to back it up? A full 30% of men in this country are gay, according to someone, and this is a danger to the country. What does this mean? Does that mean that out of the 28 men in our Cabinet, at least nine of them are gay? Out of the 13 Muftis making fatwas around the country, 4 of them are homosexual? If a full 30% of Malaysian men prefer their own sex, they also make a sizeable voting bloc. Why alienate them?

But there is no longer any point in talking sense or logic in this country. The less logic you speak, the more popular you are. The less facts you present, the more you are lauded. Better still, the more incorrect facts you give, invented out of thin air, the more you dazzle your followers.

Obfuscation however tends to bite back. The more you use it to blindside people, the more you make it a culture, the less people will trust you. It’s hard to continually create a fog around facts, to drown truth with noise. Sooner or later, you’re bound to trip up. That would be enough to create mistrust.

So, like the boy who cried wolf, even if you present facts now, it’ll be hard to persuade anyone.

Betul ke ni?

This was in Malaysiakini today. If this is true and assumed to be just the tip of the iceberg then Bersih 3.0 will likely not force the EC hand. The discrepancies would seem too blatant to be unintentional. If indeed intentional then can we expect rectification? Sendiri pikiak le...

Bersih 2.0 detects 24,000 double registrations in S'gor  Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
12:47PM Apr 12, 2012

Electoral reform coalition Bersih 2.0 has unearthed more instances of fraud in the latest electoral roll ahead of its April 28 rally, including 24,105 voters in Sabah and Sarawak allegedly re-registered in Selangor.

During a press conference today in Kuala Lumpur, the Bersih 2.0 steering committee claimed that 15,520 Sabah voters and 8,585 Sarawak voters had been registered twice in Selangor in the latest electoral roll updated until first quarter of 2012. 

However, they did not exposeany specific case when asked by the media, saying that details will be revealed at a press conference in the near future.

The committee jointly led by former Bar Council president S Ambiga and national laureate A Samad Said (right), also claimed that in the same electoral roll, 7,841 voters in Selangor alone had been registered under MyKad location code 71, which refers to citizens born outside Malaysia.

Another shocking finding was that no death was reported in Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar, Hulu Selangor and Tanjung Karang, all parliamentary constituencies in Selangor, in the last quarter of 2011 although death certificates were issued in those places.

There were also houses registered with more than 15 voters in the electoral roll for the first quarter of 2012, claimed Bersih 2.0.

Those findings were discovered by the Malaysian Electoral Roll Analysis Project (Merap), of which political researcher Ong Kian Ming is a member.

Ong had earlier compiled 10 major flaws of the electoral roll in two articles published by Malaysiakini.

The committee repeated its call for the election commissioners to resign immediately and be replaced with others who will act to ensure a clean, free and fair election.

It also urged that the electoral roll be cleaned up before the 13th general election is held.

‘Nowhere else besides Dataran Merdeka’

Asked on the progress of securing Dataran Merdeka as the rally venue, the committee said they have yet to contact the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, which owns and manages the field.

“We will maintain our venue at Dataran Merdeka no matter what. We insist to (hold the rally) there.

“We hope the authorities will approve the will of the rakyat,” said Samad.

The election watchdog also announced that its international campaign on the rally dubbed ‘Duduk Bantah’ (sit-in protest) has gained momentum.

A total of nine cities in the country and 33 cities abroad will hold parallel rallies on that day.

Insidious...

Where and what will this lead to?



Check out the Luton Town online newspaper here for a comparative view. A case of barbarians within the gates? 

Producing Illiterates & Worthless Pompous Asses

If this grading scale is real no wonder we have so many so-called educated students who appear unschooled and so-called top students who seem suspiciously inept. So much for the so-called K-Economy. Syiok Sendiri!!!
Click on photo to enlarge.


But this is what our Education Minister/DPM has to say about our education system. I wonder how his own KPI is graded.

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Get smart and get real...the reality; a LGE response in Malaysiakini:

'Get real, Muhyiddin, fix education system'
 11:02AM Apr 9, 2012

Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is “out of touch” with the country's education system in claiming that it is better than that of the US, UK and Germany.


DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who levelled the charge, said this is evident when no Malaysian has been admitted to the prestigious Harvard University for two years in a row.

"The quality of Malaysian applicants to Harvard University has deteriorated so alarmingly that none was even good enough to make it to the interview rounds," he claimed in a statement.

Muhyiddin had cited the World Economic Report’s Global Competitiveness Index 2011-2012 which surveyed 87 business executives on how well the Malaysian education system has met the needs of a competitive economy.

Lim said that at least one Malaysian has always been admitted into the Ivy League institution since 1985 and up to 2010.

At present, he said, Singapore has the highest number of Harvard undergraduates with 18, followed by Thailand (seven), Vietnam (six), Malaysia (five) and Indonesia (two).

"Instead of boasting that Malaysia’s education system is better than (that of the) US, UK or Germany, Muhyiddin should be worrying about being overtaken by Thailand and Vietnam," said Lim.

Read report closely'

Lim also said that Muhyiddin is in a state of denial about the crisis of mediocrity engulfing the education system, as a closer reading of the survey report indicates the system has deteriorated.

He said the report also notes that ‘as it moves toward becoming more innovation driven, Malaysia will need to improve its performance in education and technological readiness’.


"The result is the same for other indices such as in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment involving 75 countries,” said Lim.

“Malaysia was ranked 56th in reading ability, 55th in Mathematics ability and 53 in Science.

"The country's performance in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study has also seen a steady decrease from 1999 to 2007.”

Lim said Muhyiddin needs a reality check and should immediately move to address the deteriorating education system.

VOTE MALAYSIA! Youth Speak!

Yes we can!

Of Children...God- or Otherwise

When I first met Jeannie 27 years ago, she had endometriosis. This is a very painful condition caused by abnormal growth of cells (endometrial cells) similar to those that form the inside of the uterus, but in a location outside of the uterus. Endometrial cells are cells that are shed each month during menstruation. The cells of endometriosis attach themselves to tissue outside the uterus and are called endometriosis implants. These implants are most commonly found on the ovaries, the Fallopian tubes, outer surfaces of the uterus or intestines, and on the surface lining of the pelvic cavity.

In short, the condition is exacerbated by menstruation. Her right ovary had already been removed and needless to say, her child-bearing prospects were diminished. The irony is that pregnancy is a natural "cure" for endometriosis as opposed to gonadotropin drugs that artificially induce menopause. Jeannie was put on Danazol which in itself was a problem. The contraindications of the drug is arguably worse than its efficacy! She exhibited all the classic side-effects. This was no way to start a marriage but we persevered; it made us stronger as a couple and the fact that I was willing to accept a possibility of not having children probably proved my commitment to the relationship. The side-effects of Danazol itself would test any husband-wife relationship!

I could write chapters in a "How-To" manual for couples facing endometriosis but this blogpost is not about endometriosis per se. It is about children. 

Even when faced with the prospect of not having our own kids, we both felt adoption was out of the question; it just was not the same. Fortunately, against much odds we managed to have Krystyn and then J.J. but this blogpost is also not about them. 

Agreed as we did on so many aspects of life there was an obvious difference when it came to "extended family" in the form of "god-sons/daughters/sisters/brothers" and such. I was never big on such things but to big hearted Jeannie, love is not "zero-sum". So it came to past that we became god-parents to a number of children including one we fostered from The Pure Life Society.

When Jeannie was still alive it was obviously she who did the "parenting" while I was for the most part, a supportive observer. They called her Mummy while I was admittedly more the "khai yeh" in name than spirit. Nevertheless, they were by and large good kids and we saw them grow through the years.

It did not take long after Jeannie's demise for it to dawn upon me I had "inherited" a bunch of god-children. Immediately after Jeannie passed, there were notifications to be done, grief to share, the funeral to arrange, an obituary to be written, wrecked emotions to manage...consolation to succor. Yet, through it all, because of the extended family there was a comforting fellow feeling that somehow alleviated the grief. Each remembered Jeannie in their own way and all wanted to share in giving her a send-off she would have wanted. I could no longer be the godfather in name only and unwittingly the role grew on me. It is now coming to half a decade since Jeannie left us yet she remains the common factor and indeed the bond that cements the relationships. It is from this that I have even developed a sense of responsibility towards our godchildren especially from the aspect of their major life changing decisions. 

One of them recently converted to Islam and decided to marry a 24 year old Malay private in the army; she is a 36 year old divorced mother with a 10 year daughter and a reasonably successful career. The 12 year age difference speaks for itself and coupled with the fact of the fiance's limited education and English language skills, the odds are stacked against a successful union. Also, they had known each other well only for three months before deciding to marry. Even if this was an arrangement at soul level, chances are it is to learn lessons in heartaches and disappointments.

Nevertheless, she has decided to defy the odds despite my efforts to convince her otherwise. I was not even trying to tell them not to get married but to wait at least until year end. To get to know each other better. Why the rush? My objections are based not only on the above but on many other observations and knowledge of the circumstances of their decision. These I shall not mention here but they have nothing to do with race or religion; not directly anyway. We even have a Malay godson, Saiful.

What does a godfather do in such situations? What can he do? Nothing actually. So what is the point of being a godfather? As it appears...none!

My Darling Jeannie, my work with our kids are yet undone but with the godchildren, I am increasingly convinced the work cannot be done.

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Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet on Children:

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Talk Cock Then Cut Cock. What's The Beef?

Chinese Education in Malaysia. How has MCA justified its existence as representative of Chinese community interest in Malaysia?



'Assailant' dares Wee to sacrifice rooster

A senior citizen, who believes he is being accused of having tried to assault Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong, has denied any violent conduct on his part during last Sunday's Chinese education rally.

Lee Siak Taa, 65, today lodged a police report on the matter, to explain that he was merely giving Wee the thumbs-down gesture and did not assault the minister.

The senior citizen is also challenging Wee to take part in a cockerel sacrificing ritual in order to prove that he is not lying.

Contacted today, Dong Zong deputy president Chow Siew Hong said Lee had met his organisation’s officials this morning to explain himself.

Dong Zong officials later accompanied Lee to a nearby police station to lodge a report. His statement was later recorded.

Met later, Lee admits to scolding and heckling Wee over his failures and sticking his arm out to give the minister a thumbs-down.

‘Did not raise fist’

However, Lee was adamant that he never raised a clenched fist, as claimed by Wee.

After lodging the police report, Lee challenged Wee to slay a cockerel at the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple (near Central Market) together with him for Wee to swear and prove his innocence.

The sacrificing of a white cockerel by two parties in front of the deity’s altar is a tradition used to prove innocence. Devotees believe that harm will befall those who lie during this ritual.

Lee is a retiree who was brought to the rally by a friend, but ended up being photographed within close proximity to Wee when the deputy minister was wading through a hostile crowd.

Wee was photographed touching his left cheek after the close brush with Lee. The minister later claimed he was assaulted by someone who raised a clenched fist.

Despite police claiming that Wee was not assaulted, the deputy minister insists that he did feel a touch and could clearly identify the would-be assailant.

Lee not a party member

However, Wee said he would not lodge a police report because heforgives the attacker and would prefer to let the matter rest.

Lee said that he was very emotional when Wee crossed his path because he was frustrated that the latter kept making “upside down” remarks through the media.

“There are not enough Chinese schools (in the country), and he should go to apply (for more schools). (However) he didn't do so, but just kept talking through the media.

“I became more and more angry after reading this,” he said.

He also clarified that he didn't utter any vulgar remarks against Wee and didn't wear political colours to the rally.

“I do not join any political party and I'm not interested in politics,” he added.

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The Real Beef

(New Straits Times) - Chinese education in Malaysia has not received even the basic treatment guaranteed it under the national education system.

CHINESE SCHOOLS: The Chinese community is asking for what is due to their schools as set out in the Razak Report in 1956

LAST Sunday, several thousand people converged on New Era College in Kajang for the "325 assembly" organised by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong to protest the shortage of teachers in Chinese schools.

Some quarters have questioned what the Chinese community has to be angry about and why they are "asking for so much" when Chinese education has already been given plenty of leeway in the country.

However, this is a view that fails to understand the historical context of Chinese education in Malaysia -- the Chinese community is not asking for more, but merely what is due to their schools as set out in the Razak Report in 1956.

The Razak Report saw the ultimate objective of educational policy as bringing together all races under a national education system in which the national language is the main medium of instruction, while preserving and sustaining the growth of the language and culture of other communities living in the country.

This was to be achieved through national primary and secondary schools which used Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction, as well as national-type primary schools which could use vernacular languages for teaching but had to teach Bahasa Malaysia as a compulsory subject. All these government schools would use a common syllabus.

As part of the national education system, therefore, the vernacular primary schools were also to receive similar government assistance given to national schools, including funds and land for development, as well as trained teachers.

However, Chinese education in Malaysia has not received even the basic treatment guaranteed it under the national education system.

A description of national-type Chinese primary schools in the 1970s sounds no different from what it is today: "(the schools) were plagued with a number of problems... insufficient funding, insufficient qualified staffing, insufficient places for students, and a high rate of failure among students who had gone on from primary to secondary schooling," Lee Ting Hui wrote in Chinese Schools in Peninsular Malaysia: The Struggle for Survival.

Rural Chinese schools are under-enrolled and lack proper infrastructure, while urban schools are over-crowded and unable to cater for the vast communities in cities and suburbs.

The Chinese community, consisting of parents and local businesses, often have to raise private funds for the development of their children's schools.

Then there is the lack of trained teachers for Chinese schools and the use of temporary teachers to fill the gap (more than 1,000 employed each year).

These problems persist despite the clear policies set out in the Razak Report, because of poor implementation.

Resources have not been properly allocated and teacher training programmes are not planned well to achieve the required numbers.

The government has tried to address Chinese school problems but we have now reached a critical point where stop-gap measures are not effective anymore.

The Education Ministry's eight-point plan shows that the measures to be taken need not be drastic, simply logical.

What is most crucial is that the long-term measures be implemented urgently and sustainably.

I am optimistic that the plan reflects the government's efforts to look at the teacher shortage problem holistically and systematically.

The ministry's special committee is already holding a dialogue with the stakeholders -- this needs to continue, with the educationist groups explaining the real problems on the ground and proposing solutions.

Politics and emotion have to be taken out of this conversation. Providing fair treatment for Chinese schools will not reduce the integrity of the national language or hinder integration among races.

Chinese (and Tamil) schools are simply asking not to be left behind in terms of resource allocation and development under the national education system.

If the government shows sincerity in going forward with the eight-point plan, there could potentially be a 10 per cent swing in Chinese votes back to the Barisan Nasional. Otherwise, we could be looking in the eye of a perfect storm.

Sickening

This was in Malaysiakini today. The report of the out-of-court settlement makes one wonder why go to court in the first place. Eyewash? There will be red-eyes now for sure; what was the TR trade-off that was valued so highly by the government? Go figure...


Tajudin's RM589mil Danaharta debt written off

Tajudin Ramli need not pay the RM589 million he owes Pengurusuan Danaharta Nasional Bhd as part of the out-of-court settlement he reached with government-linked companies (GLCs) last month.

This was confirmed to Malaysiakiniby people in the know after Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (left) claimed on Feb 15 that included in the secret settlement recorded by the Court of Appeal between Tajudin and several GLCs, the former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairperson need not pay his debt.

"From my sources, I can confirm that the debt has been completely written off as part of the settlement. I knew about this from inside sources. The settlement caused an immediate loss of RM589 million," Pua had told Malaysiakini last month.

The settlement followed Tajudin's agreement to withdraw his appeal against a Dec 7, 2009, Kuala Lumpur High Court decision, and against several GLCs and litigants that included Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Naluri Corporation, Celcom (M) Bhd, Atlan Holding Bhd and CIMB Group.

'Former big players making a comeback'

Three years ago, the High Court ordered Tajudin to pay the amount to Danaharta, which was the sum he owed for his controversial purchase of MAS shares in 1994, paving the way for the tycoon to control the national carrier.

At the same time, the court had also struck out Tajudin's RM13 billion counter-claim against the GLCs.

Danaharta's residual assets, now managed by Prokhas Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned company of the Finance Ministry, has not shed any light on the terms of the out-of-court settlement that was reached last month.

Danaharta was set up to avert the collapse of the banking system in the wake of the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis which saw many companies unable to repay their loans.

Sources confirmed with Malaysiakini that Pua was correct in his assertion that Tajudin's RM589 million debt had been written off.
"Pua's statement has not been rebutted. I have come to understand that it has been confirmed that the debt has been written off...," said one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"There is also a strong belief that the government is paying Tajudin further (as part of the settlement)," added the individual.

The source also said some of the former corporate players in the economic go-go years of the 1990s were "coming back into the picture".

'Tajudin has money to pay debt'

Those familiar with the case said Tajudin has the means to pay the sum he was ordered to by the court as he owned a horse ranch on a huge parcel of land in Kuang, Selangor - called Al Raudhah (Garden of Paradise) - as well as a four-star hotel in Langkawi.

"The authorities could have seized his properties to recover the losses. Questions have to be raised as to why this was not done and why Tajudin is being given such immunity," said another source.

Those familiar with the case also claimed that despite the out-of-court settlement, the government may have incurred expenses that could run into millions of ringgit, including payment for legal services in the court case that has dragged on for six years.

The GLCs had filed their suits against Tajudin for failing to pay RM1.79 billion for his 1994 purchase of a 32 percent stake in MAS.

The government bought back Tajudin's shares in 2000-01 at RM8 a share, which was said to be more than double the market price at that time - a decision that received much public outrage.

After a long court case, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Anantham Kasinater found Tajudin to have originally owed Danaharta a total of RM1.4 billion, and that the former Celcom and Technology Research Industries Bhd chairperson had failed to settle the reduced debt in four instalments spread over three years.

"Danaharta had pursued the case, but Tajudin failed to settle his dues. The two parties subsequently reached a settlement on Oct 8, 2001 that included a RM468.18 million 'hair cut'," Anantham had said in his 2009 judgment.

No response from Tajudin's lawyer

Last month's out-of-court settlement was also bogged by controversy after the revelation of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz's letter to the GLCs dated Aug 8, 2011, asking that they settle their legal battle with Tajudin.

Nazri (left) later said that the letter was merely "an advice".

However, Tajudin had, before last month's settlement was reached, submitted an affidavit and quoted Nazri's letter as a directive to settle the case out of court.

It was also reported that MPs were not happy when four questions on the settlement were rejected by Parliament on grounds of sub judice as there were related on-going cases in court.

Pakatan Rakyat MPs have also demanded that Parliament form a parliamentary select committee to probe the settlement.

Malaysiakini has tried to contact the lawyer representing Tajudin for confirmation and further explanation that his client was not required to pay anything to Danaharta, but there has been no response.