Paris In Fall - Louvre 99

Mona Lisa...

It was a tiring trip and Jeannie had not rested enough. Yet she could not resist a photo with the famed  La Joconde. More than words, this video and picture show it...right down to their tired eyes!

  

In Defense Of Hinduism

Courtesy of Mariyappan Munian Pappan. 

The difference is that they are comfortable in their own skin; extending their arguments in their own rationale. No need to defend their religion by violent means nor at the bottom line, do they see their religion needing to be defended. To each his own.

Dinner At Auntie Aini's Garden Cafe

Last night Mimi hosted dinner...again. This time it was at Auntie Aini's Garden Cafe in Nilai; a place introduced to her by a client and serves wonderfully authentic Negeri Sembilan malay cuisine. 

I shall not go into detail of the location or how difficult it can be to locate the place at night nor its description; there are enough articles on the internet including GPS coordinates (here, here, here, here, here and many more). It was Mimi's second visit and she being also from Negeri Sembilan I trust her taste buds when she waxed lyrical about her first culinary experience there. As for me, I was more interested in the various masak lemak cili padi.

We arrived late as usual but Mimi had already pre-ordered the food and we were ushered to a table that could accommodate the 6 of us. Nothing to complain about the service.

The main courses that Mimi ordered (shown here in portions for 3): 

(L-R) Pucuk paku masak kerang, sambal kupang, ayam kampung goreng, kangkung belacan, and signature dishes, daging salai masak lemak cili padi, telur itek masak lemak cili padi and the udang galah masak lemak tempoyak. There were of course many other dishes on the menu and the must try later would be the asam pedas and rendang offerings.  

How do I rate the food that we had? The masak lemak cili api dishes were of course exquisite with the rich santan flavor cut with the sourness of belimbing and probably asam keping. I think they reduced the hotness for us with less cili api. The poached telur itek would have been better underdone with the yoke still able to ooze out. Tempoyak aficionados would call me an idiot (I am not a tempoyak fan) for having just tried a bit of the udang galah masak lemak tempoyak for taste. The gulai daging salai to me was just perfect and the ayam kampung goreng was well marinated (a tinge of asam or lime sourness) and fried the way most Malaysians like; crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.  

I suspect vegetables may not be Auntie Aini's cup of tea. The kangkung belacan and pucuk paku goreng kerang although not over-fried, lacked more distinct flavor normally associated with the two dishes. Being a masak lemak place a kerabu pucuk paku with santan would have been a better choice. The kupang masak sambal was nice but rather ordinary.

However, this dessert was by no means ordinary. Homemade tapai with vanilla ice cream!

Auntie Aini? Well, she is both a personality and a character. Go meet her for yourself as Auntie Aini's Garden Cafe is a must visit destination on the Malaysian culinary map.  

To Mimi, a big thank you.

Here's a preview:

  

This Is The New Zealand All Blacks

Nice Touch From Pepe Reina

Goodbye letter for Liverpool’s fans: “Thanks for everything, I will see you soon”

It is a strange feeling for me to think that next season I will not be a Liverpool player. For the past eight years, that is all I have known. The club, the staff, the city, the people and the supporters have played a massive part in my life. Liverpool is special in a way that only those who are lucky enough to experience the club close up can understand. It has given me memories that will live with me forever and friendships that will last just as long.

But more than anything else, it has given me an understanding of what it is like to play for the most wonderful English club. I may not have won as many trophies and medals as I would have liked since joining in 2005 but the experiences I have been a part of are as important as any silverware. I now understand how supporters can lift a team and inspire them to do special things. I appreciate that there is something unique about Anfield and the atmosphere it creates. I believe that anything is possible no matter what the situation is because at Liverpool there is no such thing as a lost cause. And I have been humbled by the fight for justice for the 96 which showed me that the Liverpool people will always fight for what they believe in.

I know that I have been blessed to be part of a Club like that and I hope that in return I have always given my best and represented Liverpool in the right way. There have been good times and bad times but no matter what the situation has been I hope that my passion has been clear. I have been asked what my favourite Liverpool moment was and if I had to pick one it wouldn’t be a save or winning a trophy. It would be my celebration against Manchester United when David Ngog scored a late goal. That is probably the quickest I have ever run in my life! It shows what playing for Liverpool meant to me and also that there was nothing better than winning a big game at Anfield. I used to look at the Kop when we scored those kind of goals in big games and I would be jealous of the supporters going crazy. If the closest I will get to that is running the length of the pitch and jumping on my team mates backs then that will do for me.

Obviously, I won’t be able to do that next season but I hope that the supporters and my team mates will be able to enjoy many more moments like that. They deserve the best of times and it would give me so much pleasure to see Liverpool back where they belong, challenging for trophies and getting back into the top four. That was where the club was when I first arrived and although I am leaving a different club, one with new owners, a new manager, new players and new challenges, I honestly believe that Liverpool can reach those levels again.

I am disappointed that I will not be part of that and although it was not my decision to leave I will accept it just like I have always accepted any decision that Liverpool have taken for me. They signed me, picked me, gave me some of the best experiences of my life and looked after me. If they feel that the best thing for me and for them is for me to go on loan to Napoli for a season then so be it. Napoli is a new challenge for me and I know that the fans are just as passionate about their team as the Liverpool fans, so I am really looking forward to playing for them this season and I will give my all.

But if I have one regret, it is the way that I am leaving. It is only natural that I would be disappointed that the Liverpool management agreed to loan me to Napoli without telling me first, I thought that I deserved better than that even though I understand that difficult decisions have to be taken in football. A lot has been made about me informing the club that if an offer came in from Barcelona that I would have liked them to consider it. But I had also spoken to the club about the possibility of extending my contract if the offer was not made. I told the manager that I wanted to play for Liverpool and that Barcelona would only become an option for me if the opportunity arrived, like the rumours said it would, as it would be a chance for me to go back home. When it didn’t come I was happy to fight for my place so I was surprised that Liverpool decided it was in the club´s interests to send me to Napoli instead.

None of this will change my feelings for the club or the people in any way and now I have to look forward to a new challenge with Rafa Benitez, who I consider to be the best manager I have worked with, and I am fortunate to be going from one great club to another. Napoli remind me in many ways of the Liverpool I found in 2005, in all the affection they have shown me on my arrival, in having an ambitious project, even in coinciding and working with Benitez again…This memory which in part unites me with you, makes me happy and feel very motivated to begin this new project.

This is my chance to say thank you to everyone for everything that you have given to me and to my family. My children consider Liverpool to be their home and hopefully their love for the city and also for the club will only grow while we are away. I would have liked to have been able to say goodbye in a different way but because of the way the move came about this was not possible.

Maybe in the near future I can do it properly so that I can show my appreciation to you but all I would ask now is that you keep on inspiring the manager and the players just like you always have done and help Liverpool to become the club that you deserve once again. I would like nothing better than to come back at the end of my year away and for Liverpool to be back where they belong.

Thank you for everything. Good luck. I will see you soon.

Pepe Reina.

Prince The King (er...Scumbag)

J.J. endearingly calls Prince "Scumbag" and sometimes the word fits Prince to the "T". There are so many things that Prince does, the list is endless:

• he will wipe his mouth on the nearest person after drinking water
• wipes his ass on you as he pretends to be playing with you
• wakes you up in the morning by covering your nostrils with his tongue or he licks your eyelids open
• if the above failed, he would bark incessantly into your ears till you get up and take him outside to do his "business".
• piss in the house as you tell him not to and while he is doing it stares at you as if to say, "come clean it up"
• ...and on and on

The best part is, he never dared do it to Jeannie. For example, he would never have his backside at her face when he slept on the bed. Indeed he would even be in "reverse gear" when he moved away. He also did not dare wake her up in the morning and would only get up when she did...no matter how late. At about 10.30 at night when Jeannie was at her computer below the staircase Prince would climb the stairs to her eye-level and softly bark at her as if to remind her of bed time. When she was unwell we once saw him pull her blanket to cover her. Not many people will believe what we say.

Domination? Took this photo at 3.30 am yesterday.

All Blacks First Five Eights

Not a bad evening of sports. Liverpool are top of the BPL after a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace and the All Blacks put up a solid performance at Ellis Park to beat the Boks 27-38. A real stand out All Blacks player today was substitute fly half, Beauden Barrett who came in to replace Aaron Cruden who together with Colin Slade are appearing to be pretenders to the fly half throne. It looks like New Zealand has found a natural successor to Dan Carter who himself replaced the great Andrew Mehrtens. Mehrtens was the successor to the legendary Grant Fox.

A Tribute to Andrew Mehrtens:


Tribute to Dan Carter:


Grant Fox: All Blacks Hall of Fame:


The gentlemen's game played by ruffians.

Pumas Vs All Blacks (Return Match) - La Plata

The match to watch will be the Championship decider this weekend between the Boks and All Blacks in Johannesburg. Anything can happen.

Wrong Number?

Found this on Facebook:

Interestingly, for as long as we carried mobile phones (which was pretty much as long as we were together) my entry in the phone book was the same; "Jeannie". By the way, I still maintain her phone number and every once in a while the kids get funked when "Mummy" shows up as "caller" on their phones!

As A Man Thinketh...

As A Man Thinketh, The Woman Doeth? ;o)

Better To Have Tried And Failed Than Never To Have Tried At All...

The man has passed on and the hullabaloo about his ashes, a subject of heated political and social debate. The question is simply whether to allow his ashes to be brought back to Malaysia; yes or no? For me, the many who shout their views label themselves into only two categories. Magnanimous or otherwise. Their opinion on the matter profiles them. Forget about legal issues; there are none. 

I have blogged at length about Chin Peng at least thrice ("I Remember...", "They Remember..." and "He Remembered...") before. History belongs to the victor and no matter how big or small a mark we leave behind, in the end we are each just making our own journey in this world as individual mortal beings. Chin Peng was the same and it is evidenced by his farewell message below. He took comfort in his children and his parting words were, "... I wish to be remembered simply as a good man who could tell the world that he had dared to spend his entire life in pursuit of his own ideals...".

Chin Peng's Farewell Letter:

“My dear Comrades, my dear Compatriots,

When you read this letter, I am no more in this world.
It was my original intention to pass away quietly and let my relatives handle the funeral matters in private. However, the repercussions of erroneous media reports of me in critical condition during October 2011, had persuaded me that leaving behind such a letter is desirable.

Ever since I joined the Communist Party of Malaya and eventually became its secretary-general, I have given both my spiritual and physical self in the service of the cause that my party represented, that is, to fight for a fairer and better society based on socialist ideals. Now with my passing away, it is time that my body be returned to my family.

I draw immense comfort in the fact that my two children are willing to take care of me, a father who could not give them family love, warmth and protection ever since their birth. I could only return my love to them after I had relinquished my political and public duties, ironically only at a time when I have no more life left to give to them as a father.

It was regrettable that I had to be introduced to them well advanced in their adulthood as a stranger. I have no right to ask them to understand, nor to forgive. They have no choice but to face this harsh reality. Like families of many martyrs and comrades, they too have to endure hardship and suffering not out of their own doing, but out of a consequence of our decision to challenge the cruel forces in the society which we sought to change.

It is most unfortunate that I couldn't, after all, pay my last respects to my parents buried in hometown of Sitiawan (in Perak), nor could I set foot on the beloved motherland that my comrades and I had fought so hard for against the aggressors and colonialists.

My comrades and I had dedicated our lives to a political cause that we believed in and had to pay whatever price there was as a result. Whatever consequences on ourselves, our family and the society, we would accept with serenity.

In the final analysis, I wish to be remembered simply as a good man who could tell the world that he had dared to spend his entire life in pursuit of his own ideals to create a better world for his people.

It is irrelevant whether I succeeded or failed, at least I did what I did. Hopefully the path I had walked on would be followed and improved upon by the young after me. It is my conviction that the flames of social justice and humanity will never die.

Farewell, my dear Comrades!

Farewell, my dear Compatriots!

Farewell, my dear Motherland!”

It's A Dog's Life? Or Is It A Dog's Soul?

Krystyn was in Singapore/JB on an assignment for a few days. Her two Shih Tzus Fudge and Toffee were visibly pining for her after the first two days. They sleep with her on her bed! Prince, their father on the other hand was his usual "take charge" self trying to call the shots on their food/water replenishment, dinner and sleeping times, morning toilet calls, etc., etc. He sleeps in his own basket beside my bed as he has been doing since he came to Jeannie years ago.

Since Krystyn was not around we decided to allow her two Shih Tzu to sleep in my room but with the door open so that they were free to loiter around upstairs. 

At 3.40 am on the night before Krystyn was due to return I woke up to find Fudge on the landing looking down the stairway. I took this photo with my phone, WhatsApp it to Krystyn and went back to sleep:

Then, at about 5.10 am the same night I woke up to find Prince in exactly the same spot and posture as Fudge was earlier. I reached for my phone to take a photo and when I pointed it, Prince had moved. He is canny in very inexplicable ways. The following is the shot taken seconds after I took my phone:

Notice the wispy figure between the grill and the wicker basket. I know for a fact that it was not Fudge nor Toffee because they were in my room! Sure looks like another Shih Tzu to me! Also, the dogs were behaving unusually earlier and were suddenly barking down the stairs on a few occasions.

Could it have been Chili, the departed mother of Fudge and Toffee? 

All Blacks Vs Springboks

The last Springbok victory over All Blacks in Eden Park was in 1937. Looks like they have to wait a while longer. This match in the 2013 Rugby Championship was brutal; blood and gore stuff!

Sounds About Right...

Familiar?

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. 
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. 
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. 
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.

When Rina Met Izzah...

Yesterday Mahathir accused Anwar of complicity in the Project IC Debacle. Much has come to pass in the last 16 years since they were working hand in glove. 

After Mahathir retired and when "Sleepy In Putrajaya" Pak Lah was PM, many of us (friends and foe) were united in one common cause...get rid of Pak Lah. This gathering at Bloghouse in July, 2008 attracted a mixed but interesting crowd and personalities. 

I took this historic photo below and apparently it was the first time Marina Mahathir had personally met Nurul Izzah. If only the fathers can be more like their daughters.

Dr Michael Newton - How It Began For Him...

Michael Newton revisited...

A Shifting Paradigm; Spirituality Vs Religion

Spirituality Vs Religion

Religion is a structured belief system with specific doctrines to guide and govern the masses that depend on it. Structure is good for those beginning their journey to discover "god", one's own subconscious and the role one plays in the grand scheme of things.

However, structure imposed by a religion, can also become very suffocating for those who desire to grow beyond the boundaries of the governing structure. Spiritual growth is limited by and can actually be impeded by structure.

Spirituality has no formal structure, save the governing of one's own developing subconscious and the "spirit" that guides that growth. Boundaries are not set by another human will and decision, but by that "spirit" which governs all things and the developing person's own subconscious. When following a spiritual path, one knows what is right and wrong instinctively through a growing relationship with the spirit that governs all.

Control
The purpose of doctrine being implemented within a religious organization is a means of providing "structure" and guidance, yes, but it is also meant to control the masses. Rules that are established within a religion are designed to keep the masses in line through a reward and punishment mentality.

Followers are rewarded for keeping the rules by being told they will go to heaven, or reincarnate, or even progress to enlightenment. However, if they fail to keep the rules then they are threatened with the fear of punishment by being sent to hell, or imprisoned in a quasi dimension, or failure to reach enlightenment. These rules of punishment are designed to play on the fears of the masses, thus keeping them under control.

Spirituality provides a freedom to explore and experience according to one's own personal journey. Unhindered by learning and following a long list of rules, one can focus on building a deeper relationship with the spirit that is in all things and governs all things. Because there are no man-made rules to keep, one can seek out knowledge, understanding and experience with the spirit anywhere, anytime and with anyone.

Division
This is, by far, the greatest difference between religion and spirituality. All religions divide people into those who believe and follow their set rules and doctrines, and those who don't. The ones who don't are considered enemies to the faith and thus enemies of the "god" of that particular religion. People who believe differently may be tolerated in a superficial way, but the doctrine ingrains the idea into the minds of its masses that these people are "ungodly" and not really a part of their faith.

Practically every war that has produced immeasurable grief, suffering and death has been waged either over religion, or with a very strong underlying religious tone. People across the planet are segregated into their separate religious belief systems and the people of each system are not fully trusted by the others. They might proclaim love for all, but the underlying truth is that if they offend my belief then they will be ostracized and punished.

Spirituality believes and participates in the idea that the energy (or life) of "god" is in all things and, therefore, all things are considered to be precious and valuable assets to one's spiritual growth. Regardless of culture, color, background, or belief system, the encounter one has with another is a learning experience to be cherished.

Spiritual Peace and Oneness

The foundation of spirituality is that all people, and even all things, are filled with a "god" energy that is attempting to propel everything forward in a constant state of spiritual progression. One quickly realizes when following a truly spiritual path that every situation in one's life has a valuable purpose and that one really has no enemies. There are only lower and higher levels of progression, just as there are various levels of classes and learning achievements within a school. All are on the same path to "heaven" or "enlightenment".

Peace on earth will come through the masses throwing off the confining chains of religious doctrine and learning to count all things as precious. When this is truly and deeply believed AND practiced, it will change the world as we will no longer look at others as enemies, but as simply students of "god" at different levels of progression. We will stop fighting and start helping those below us and learning from those above us. All will be one. True love will rule.

2013 Bledisloe Cup to All Blacks Again

In The Land Of Endless Possibilities, Altantuya Was A Figment Of Imagination

Can't really say I disagree with the appellate court on this one. It seems to be saying its hands are tied because both the trial judge and the  prosecution fcuked up. Congratulations to those who came up with the whole strategy and on the great coordination and foresight that went into the whole process. Now I have no doubts our troubled economy can be fixed easily too.  

Altantuya did not exist in Malaysia since there is no immigration record of her entry. Therefore, no one could have killed her in Malaysia and no one did. The appellants had no direction nor motive to commit murder. Don't know whether wanna laugh or cry lah!



Read this from the Malaysian Insider:

***************************************************************************
Azilah, Sirul freed of Altantuya murder charge

BY RITA JONG
AUGUST 23, 2013
LATEST UPDATE: AUGUST 23, 2013 01:39 PM

Two former police commandos were freed today after the Court of Appeal allowed their appeal and overturned their conviction for the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu (pic).

A three-member bench comprising judges Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali, Datuk Linton Albert and Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat made the unanimous decision to allow the appeal by former chief inspector Azilah Hadri and former corporal Sirul Azhar Umar.

Azilah and Sirul were jointly charged and convicted by the High Court in Shah Alam in 2009 for murdering Altantuya, 28, at a forest reserve in Shah Alam in October, 2006.

Both were then with the Bukit Aman Special Action Squad and were in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s security team. Najib was then the deputy prime minister and defence minister.

In their brief five-minute judgment read out by Tengku Maimun, she said the trial judge failed to consider the defence of alibi filed by Azilah.

"There was nowhere in the grounds of judgment of the learned trial judge that he had considered whether the station diary showed the presence of the first appellant (Azilah) at Bukit Aman at the material time. He cannot be or is unlikely to be at the crime scene.

"On the call logs and coverage predictions (which were produced by the prosecution to show the movements of Azilah the night of the murder), witnesses from telecommunication companies had put into issue the reliability and accuracy of the call logs and the coverage prediction.

"It is essential for the trial judge to address the challenge raised by the defence on the exhibits and to make a finding whether there was in fact an altercation or tampering of data and whether the authenticity of the data was questionable or otherwise.

"Regrettably, the judge failed to do so and this amounts to serious misdirection, rendering the said exhibits unsafe to be relied upon," she read from the judgment.

She said the judge had also failed to examine whether the contradictions or inconsistencies in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses were material and whether that was information supplied by the appellants or from other sources.

"As regards to the issue of possession and control of the explosives, the trial judge also failed to make a further finding to connect the explosives to the appellants. By not making any finding on possession by the two of the explosives, the judge had failed to address this missing link, resulting in yet another misdirection," said Tengku Maimun.

She concurred with the defence that DSP Musa Safri, who was then Najib's aide-de-camp, should have been called to unfold the narrative which the prosecution's case was based on.

Sirul Azhar's lawyer, Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, speaking to the media outside the court. The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, August 23, 2013.

The court also found that the trial judge made no finding on whether the prosecution had established that there was a pre-arranged plan by the appellants to commit murder.

"Looking at the whole circumstances, it is our judgment that the culmulative effect of the non-directions by the trial judge rendered the convictions unsafe," Tengku Maimun read from the judgment.

Counsel Datuk Hazman Ahmad and J. Kuldeep Kumar represented Azilah, while Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin and Hasnal Redzua Merican represented Sirul.

DPP Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, who appeared for the respondent, said he will be filing an appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision today.

In an immediate response, DAP national legal head Gobind Singh Deo said the appeal was allowed because of the failure to call material witnesses.

"The strongest evidence would have been who gave the instructions and to whom it was given. Can the AG now tell us who it was?" Gobind tweeted. - August 23, 2013.

1st Bledisloe Test 2013

Dan Carter was hardly missed. Aaron Cruden has certainly come into his own since his debut in 2010. Watched this match on Astro yesterday. Better than Liverpool vs Stoke in the EPL season opener later in the day.

Tony Fernandes and Idris Jala

Watch and learn. The crap is in between the lines.

Malaysia XI vs FC Barcelona

Kudos to our Tigers for a spirited performance last nigh against FC Barcelona. Though we lost 1:3 I must say the Malaysian football team has improved tremendously in the last few years due in no small measure to head coach, Dato' K. Rajagopal.



Imagine if Lionel Messi who picked up a training injury had played.

6 Years

It has been exactly 6 years Darling. We all almost forgot today and I take it as a good sign. This rendition of "OUR WAY" is fitting reminder of "US".

Happy 27th June Darling...

It is 27th June again today. Jeannie's last birthday. This one by Al Stewart for you Darling.




One Stage Before

It seems to me as though I've been upon this stage before
And juggled away the night for the same old crowd
These harlequins you see with me, they too have held the floor
As here once again they strut and they fret their hour

I see those half-familiar faces in the second row
Ghost-like with the footlights in their eyes
But where or when we met like this last time, I just don't know
It's like a chord that rings and never dies for infinity

And now these figures in the wings with all their restless tunes
Are waiting around for someone to call their names
They walk the backstage corridors and prowl the dressing rooms
And vanish to specks of light in the picture-frames

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/one-stage-before-lyrics-al-stewart.html ]
But did they move upon the stage a thousand years ago
In some play in Paris or Madrid
And was I there among them then, in some travelling show
And is it all still locked inside my head for infinity

And some of you are harmonies to all the notes I play
Although we may not meet still you know me well
While others talk in secret keys and transpose all I say
And nothing I do or try can get me through the spell

So one more time we'll dim the lights and ring the curtain up
And play again like all the times before
But far behind the music you can almost hear the sounds
Of laughter like the waves upon the shores of infinity

Read more: AL STEWART - ONE STAGE BEFORE LYRICS 

Ambiga In Oslo

Is there hope still?

New Politics And Politicians

Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah would have made a very good Minister of Information in Najib's new cabinet. It is a pity this very forward thinking former journalist did not retain his Temerloh Paliamentary seat in GE13. One consolation is that you just can't keep a good man down for too long.

How Blatant Was Blatant?

Now lets see the evidence...

Since most people expected to see blatant cheating at the polls and seemingly that was what happened even with the watchfulness, is there any hope of securing enough evidence?

 

"A" For Ambiga

Malaysia Needs to Get Off the Road to Mediocrity

This is from Bloomberg today.

In his bid for re-election, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has dispensed with all shame. Vote for me, he has essentially declared, or Malaysia will suffer “catastrophic ruin” and an “Arab Winter” of the kind that has undone economies from Egypt to Libya.

Both warnings are ludicrous -- signs of how worried Najib’s National Front coalition is of losing power for the first time since 1957. They speak to the desperation of a government that has come to serve itself, not Malaysia’s 29 million people. And they are emblematic of a leader whose talk of bold change hasn’t been matched by action.

Najib’s claim is this: Giving the opposition, led by former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a chance to lead on May 5 would reverse all the gains Malaysia has made since the 2008 financial crisis. The economy would crater, stocks and the currency would plunge, and chaos would reign.

Change through the ballot box in a democracy should never be disruptive or chaotic, and rhetoric suggesting otherwise is disingenuous. Najib likes to say: “The time has come for Malaysians to make a decision.” Actually, the time has come for Malaysia’s government to grow up.

Najib’s scaremongering, some of which came out of an April 17 Bloomberg News interview, smacks of the re-election campaign run almost a decade ago by then U.S. President George W. Bush. Instead of this vote-for-me-or-you’re-in-danger appeal, Najib should scare up some headline-grabbing reforms that leave Malaysia better off in the future.
Developing Complacency

The country’s biggest problem is complacency. Malaysia Inc. can be a slow-moving, change-resistant animal in a very dynamic neighborhood. Nations as diverse as China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are evolving in ways that have enabled them to leapfrog peers in a few years. They are all competing for the same infrastructure dollars, factory projects, bond deals and stock issues. Singapore, meanwhile, has become the beneficiary of many of Malaysia’s best and brightest, who have emigrated in search of a more merit-based economy.

Malaysia is a resource-rich nation with huge potential. But it remains shackled to a four-decade-old affirmative-action program -- favoring ethnic Malays -- that turns off foreign investors and undermines national productivity. This so-called New Economic Policy was devised by Najib’s father, Abdul Razak Hussein, the country’s second prime minister.

Najib, 59, has indeed rolled back some of those preferences to encourage investment. He did away with a requirement that foreign companies investing in Malaysia and locally listed businesses set aside 30 percent of their equity for ethnic Malays and indigenous peoples known as “bumiputera.” It’s time to go much further and dismantle all race-based policies.
Little Difference

When, for example, can more ethnic Chinese expect to start winning the really big government contracts? Here, Najib’s real quarrel may be with his own government. Anwar is pro-markets and pro-investment, too. When you look at the core of what Najib is promising voters -- less corruption and higher living standards -- it’s not wildly different from the opposition’s message. The trouble is, Najib is navigating a 13-party coalition whose interests are as entrenched as any in the world. His partners are pushing back quite assertively, afraid of losing the Malay vote they could once take for granted.
Money Politics

The opposition has gained traction with its claims that Malay-run companies, from power producers to toll-road operators, unfairly benefit from their ties to the government. Najib’s pledges to clamp down on crony capitalism and to instill greater transparency have been undercut by measures such as the ban on street protests that passed on his watch. Now, many voters hope to wipe the slate clean.

When he’s not trying to frighten voters, Najib is touting Malaysia’s 6.4 percent growth as proof he is a radical-change agent. In fact, much of Southeast Asia also is booming, and the government is helping to artificially fuel growth with populist handouts. Even more than the $444 billion of private sector-led projects ranging from oil storage to a mass-transit railway that Najib has championed, the country needs reforms that will revitalize the system as a whole. The government should be encouraging more startup companies, widening the tax base and hacking away at subsidies that institutionalize complacency.

All too often, rapid gross-domestic-product growth is used as a smoke screen to hide underlying cracks in an economy’s long-run potential. In Malaysia’s case, the numbers mask a government too focused on staying in power to do its job. If anything should be scaring Malaysian voters, it’s that.

(William Pesek is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)

Remember This? UBAH

Nurulmania

Nurul Izzah may yet again beat the odds in Lembah Pantai...

A Decision For Shah Alam

Him...

  

 ...or him?

Blame The Serpent?

Zulkifly Noordin was from my school, KEVII School Taiping but he learnt nothing about being "colour blind". But it always amazes me why the Indians in Malaysia continue to prove that old adage (no need to elaborate lah) correct? Way Tha go Moorthy and well done MIC! Check out this photo:

What will Vell Paari now say?

   

MIC leader warns of ‘Zulkifli’ backlash

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional’s decision to name the controversial Perkasa vice-president Zulkifli Noordin as its candidate for the Shah Alam parliament seat has drawn both disbelief and discontent.

Observers noted that it could be a case of shooting oneself in the foot with regard to Indian votes.

The tremors are also being felt in MIC, with one leader warning of an electoral backlash if Zulkifli is allowed to run under the BN banner.

Expressing disappointment over the decision, S Vell Paari urged MIC president G Palanivel to put the message across to BN chairman Najib Tun Razak.

The MIC strategy director conveyed this via a text message to Palanivel, which was also sent to members of the party’s central working committee.

The text message, which was forwarded to FMT by one of the CWC members, read: “Zulkifli being a BN candidate in Shah Alam is an insult to the Hindus in Malaysia.”

“We have 15,000 Indian voters in Shah Alam, 31,000 in Kota Raja, 21,000 in Kapar and 17,000 in Subang. Declaring Zulkifli as the BN candidate has angered the community.

“We could lose nearly 50% to 70% of Indian votes which could result in losses for MIC candidates especially in Selangor. But with Indian votes being the deciding vote, it could result in BN failing to capture Selangor,” said Vell Paari.

The MIC leader also warned the president that the resentment over Zulkifli’s candidacy is spreading to other states as well.

“Dato Seri [Palanivel], we cannot keep silent and let everyone walk away with an apology after insulting our religion and community…

“I was advised that as a CWC member I have to adhere to party decorum on any issues and I am doing just that. I hope Dato Seri can get a favorable action from PM,” he added.

Contacted later, Vell Paari confirmed that he had sent the text message to Palanivel this afternoon.

Asked what he meant by “favourable action from PM,” he replied that Zulkifli must be struck off the candidates list.

“This is a man whose words go against the spirit of 1Malaysia and BN, so how can he represent BN in the elections?” he said.

Zulkifli landed in the spotlight after a video of him belittling the Hindu religion went viral on You Tube, for which he later apologised.

The former PKR leader is the incumbent MP for the Kulim Bandar Bahru seat in Kedah, which he won in the 2008 general election.

Remember Hulu Selangor? Remember Kamalanathan and his kiss?

By the way, Dato' Devamany s/o. S. Krishnasamy was also from KEVII School Taiping and the member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Cameron Highlands constituency in Pahang. Now his President has drop-kicked him to Sungai Siput to face incumbent, Dr "The Saint" Jayakumar and Palanivel himself has taken the Camerons seat which is considered "safe". Looks like a career change is in the works for Tiger Devamany. Canibalism ala MIC.  

Manifesting The Manifestos.

This is a "must watch". More so because of Rafizi than Anwar. Who needs one-sided mainstream media when we have You Tube. Spread this around; there is only one side to vote for. We deserve the government we get so GE13 is all about deciding what we deserve.

From Porn Star To Eunuch. What Barisan Nasional?

Chua Soi Lek

 

Component parties in BN apart from UMNO now officially irrelevant.

Chua Soi Lek not contesting in GE13, will lead campaign

NST 13 April 2013: KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today confirmed that he will not contest in the May 5 general election, but will lead his party's election campaign.

This is the first time in MCA's history that a full time party president is not contesting in the general election.

Dr Chua, in a statement issued here today, said the decision not to contest was in line with the renewal process of the party to reinvent and reinvigorate itself to ensure it remained relevant in the new century.

It was also a move to groom new leaders, he said and added that: "For all these fight and articulation that I have been talking, it would be very self-serving if I were to declare myself as a candidate.

"I want to prove a point that I am fighting for a cause, that MCA remains relevant and continues to lead the party without standing for elected public office," he said.

The former Labis Member of Parliament said his wish is "to continue that role in the general election where I can campaign full-time for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates, particularly for MCA".

Dr Chua said after devoting full time in turning MCA around, it was now more focused, united and the members were fuelled with better optimism and fighting spirit to face the general election.

Touching on the upcoming election, he said MCA would also be fielding nearly 50 percent new faces, and was confident that the formidable team could put up a good challenge in the general election.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after chairing a special Central Committee meeting at Wisma MCA here, Dr Chua reiterated that his decision would allow the rejuvenation process of the party to take place.

He said unlike certain leaders in the opposition parties who had been preaching about "change" but they themselves had been holding on to power for many decades.
"For example (Kelantan Mentri Besar) Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz (Nik Mat) is already 82 years old, and (DAP veteran) Lim Kit Siang, 72, have always said to give a chance to young people.

"But for five decades the leadership of the country had changed. We have had five prime ministers, and I am the sixth MCA president," he said.

On him not contesting, Dr Chua said he had informed his intention to BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as early as last year. -- BERNAMA

Win or lose, MCA seat at BN table may never be the same again
APRIL 13, 2013


MCa’s inability to beat back DAP’s assault on its stronghold puts BN’s power-sharing formula in question. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) push into Johor has sent the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition scrambling to defend its proclaimed bastion, but also threatens to put MCA’s already weakened place in Malaysian politics to the test.

Built on a recipe for communal power-sharing dating back to Independence, the inability of the Chinese party to secure electoral backing while under siege from rival DAP at its Johor doorstep may permanently unravel BN’s so-called formula, according to political analyst Ooi Kee Beng.

“The coming elections will pose a fundamental challenge to the BN model of coalition politics with Malay-based Umno and Chinese-based MCA as key partners,” Ooi wrote in Singapore’s The Straits Times.

Ooi noted that while many MCA ministers and leaders hail from the state, its president’s refusal to pick up the Gelang Patah gauntlet thrown down by the DAP — declaring instead a possibility of “lending” the seat to Umno — laid bare the former’s lack of confidence in its own safe house.

“For one thing, MCA’s position as the party representing the Chinese vote bank is under full frontal attack from the DAP.”

But the bigger fear of an MCA drubbing and the resultant lack of Chinese representation in BN, Ooi wrote, would be the forced departure from the coalition’s age-old formula of communal power-sharing.

“If the MCA loses most of its parliamentary seats in the coming elections ... then BN will be without proper Chinese representation.

“Malaysia has to be ruled by a coalition representing all major ethnic groups, and the coalition that fails to project that image cannot be stable. For Umno and its allies, a new formula will have to be found even if they get the majority of seats,” Ooi wrote.

Already, the showdown has taken on an ominous overtone, with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warning that a win for Lim Kit Siang ― DAP’s declared runner in Gelang Patah ― would result in racial confrontations.

“Kit Siang is going to bring about conflict and antagonism between the races, to wage the Chinese to dislike and hate the Malays,” Dr Mahathir wrote in his chedet.cc blog.

“An unhealthy racial confrontation would replace Sino-Malay cooperation which has made Malaysia stable and prosperous,” Dr Mahathir added.

“That co-operation will end when Kit Siang wins Gelang Patah.”

The Malaysian Insider previously reported Umno plans on fielding its candidates either in all or most of the DAP seats as its strategists believe the Malay vote is more dependable than Chinese support .

It is undersood the BN war room believes Umno candidates can beat back the DAP attack in Johor and other Malay-majority states rather than MCA hopefuls.

“Umno candidates have a better chance of keeping BN seats than the MCA, so we’re looking into pushing more Malay candidates,” a ruling coalition source told The Malaysian Insider.

MCA has since confirmed it will be “lending” the Kuantan seat to Umno.

Some 13.3 million Malaysians are eligible to vote, with about three million being first-time voters, in what is touted to be the closest general election in Malaysian history.

UBAH

Time to see what change will bring...

Hallowed Be Thy Name...

In God's name... and god as they say helps those who help themselves. In this case while they pray, they also need to subtly campaign. I wonder whose god will win this elections for whom.

Churches roll out campaign for GE13
13th general election Religion in the news Opinion 2013-04-05 10:40
By BOB TEOH

Churches throughout the country have rolled out its campaign for the forthcoming general elections known as "Prayer United." This initiative was mooted two years ago partly in response to various challenges facing the church particularly Islamisation and the erosion of religious liberty.

One in ten persons in the country is a Christian, thus making the church a significant block of votes. Thus it is no surprise that the rallying call is for the church to be "fully awakened, engaged and empowered during this critical season and to understand the urgency and importance of this elections…," according to Prayer United.

The church is generally conservative and pro-establishment. However, as older church leaders begin to retire, they have been replaced by younger and more articulate pastors and lay leaders. Coupled with their unhappiness over curtailment of religious freedom, the church has been searching for the middle ground with many encouraging congregational members to go into the political arena.

Although the GE13 prayer campaign comes under the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), the umbrella Christian body in Malaysia that comprises the mainline Council of Churches of Malaysia, National Evangelical Christian Fellowship and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, the initiative is by a movement of nine prayer networks and pastors’ fellowship throughout the country.

Churches also see holding the general elections in 2013, the fiftieth year of the formation of Malaysia, as spiritually significant.

As pointed by Prayer United, "This election season is one of the most critical of our nation’s history as it will be held during the Jubilee Year. This is no coincidence."

Bumiputera Christians make up about two thirds of the some two million Christians in the country mainly in Sabah and Sarawak. It is there that they have been reeling from the impact if Islamisation particularly covert conversion of their young. Another sore point is that they are still not allowed to use the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God even though the High Court has ruled otherwise. That judgement is still under appeal by the Attorney General for four years now.

Given this unhappiness, the Pastors’ Fellowship of Kota Kinabalu initiated a call to prayer in 2011 to prepare for the jubilee year of the church. That soon snowballed into a country-wide movement spearheaded by the NECF to usher in the jubilee in 2012 with a forty-day fast and pray known as the Hope of Jubilee in anticipation that the general elections would be held then.

According to NECF, "Having faced one contentions issue after another regarding the Christian faith over the last 12 months, we await a refreshing touch from God to lift us up beyond our human concerns. Equality and religious liberty are the missing factors that cause many citizens to examine the constitution to seek fairness against injustice and an oppressive system."

Meanwhile, Christian Federation of Malaysia issued an advisory on 18 July 2012 to Christians for the GE13 entitled "Vote wisely, vote for a better Malaysia."

It said, "CFM encourages all Christians to be conscious of their political rights--to vote, and to use the power of the vote to elect a government that will ensure justice with equity and the well-being of our nation."

It took care to point out that CFM is not politically motivated nor is it endorsing any one political party.

With many constituencies won by a wafer thin majority in the last general elections, the Christian vote may just swing the final tally one way of another, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.

Another One For The Future Of Malaysia

Kashtury Patto...

 

Our Father Which Art In Heaven...

The Christian flock just got led to the PR side. This was in the Malaysian Insider:



Churches urge Christians to vote wisely in GE13

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Churches have joined in thedrive to educate voters, urging Christians to come out and vote with wisdom in Election 2013, which is expected to be Malaysia’s most intense polls.

In a video uploaded on YouTube yesterday, Christians were reminded of their moral duty to vote.

“We vote because we have a moral obligation to participate in the life of the nation,” said a narration in the video jointly produced by the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) — an umbrella body of Protestant churches — and the Catholic Research Centre.

In the video, Christian voters are asked to vote for a corruption-free country where all Malaysians are treated as equals and there is religious freedom, among other things.

But voters are warned against relying on a single source of information in deciding on their candidates.

“Be well informed about the issues that are most important and urgent for our nation, our rights, integrity and sustainable development.

“Before you go to vote, reflect on all the facts, reflect on the history and the track record of parties, coalitions, candidates. Reflect on your values as a ChristianMalaysian,” the video said.

In the run-up to the elections, churches have allowed training on votereducation and election agents to be conducted on their premises.

Christians have also been encouraged to pray for the elections.

The incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN) administration has been trying to engage with Christians, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently inviting church leaders for a tea meeting.

Last year, travel restrictions placed on Christians for pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Israel were lifted.

But it is unclear who Christians — who make up less than 10 per cent of the country’s population — will vote for, with an unresolved court dispute over the right to use the word “Allah” in the Catholic Church’s weekly publication The Herald likely to weigh on their minds.

Anniversaries

I was refering to today, 4th April as the anniversary of my rebirth while talking to JJ and a friend. Indeed it is and dates back to 4th April 1981 having survived a horrendous car crash. 32 years ago! What I did not mention was that it was also the exact day, 4 years later (4th April, 1985), I first met Jeannie.

Funny, I saw this video posted on Facebook today too.  

The Great Escape

21st Century Disease

Diabetes


Cardiovascular Disease (Arteriosclerosis)


Cardiovascular Disease (Arteriosclerosis) (2)


Obesity


Cancer


Mental Illness (1)


Mental Illness (2)

Russell Peters On Russell Peters

Ezra On Ezra

One of my favorite Malaysians.

Hail To Our Men-At-Arms

It is a pity that some of our politicians commit the treasonable act of giving away citizenship to thousands of foreigners for political gains. Now we have foreign invaders who want to claim our land as their own. This is the first time in decades that our armed forces have been called upon to defend the sovereignity of our country. All Malaysians should put aside their differences for now and wish our fighting men well.

“Silence is easy”

Found this article on the Net. It is about an issue that true dog lovers in Malaysia face and can only understand the degree of discrimination the canine species faces in this country.There should be more Malays like the author.

Why are the Muslims of this country (particularly the Malay Muslim group) so filled with hate toward the canine species?

By now, many Malaysians are aware of Pak Mie and his heroic deeds of rescuing and caring for over 500 dogs in Alor Setar, Kedah.

Most of us are amazed by his spirit, and have even rallied together to help him in his cause.

Yet a note that keeps recurring in the articles and videos that feature Pak Mie and his wife is one that disgusts me, as I’m sure it has for anyone with a heart.

Despite Pak Mie’s purest intentions, a majority of his Malay community has shunned and condemned him, labelling him as an infidel and morally corrupt.

Why are the Muslims of this country (particularly the Malay Muslim group) so filled with hate toward the canine species? Growing up, I was ill-informed and learned that Muslims weren’t allowed to own dogs.

I later understood that this was a simplified version of the teachings, and untrue. Dogs are considered to be dirty, and there are specific ways to cleanse oneself according to Islam when touching a dog when it’s wet or its feces and urine.

However, it was and had never been haram for a Muslim to own a dog.

Why the silence?

Yet it is common for many Malaysians to see dogs getting beaten, objects or hot boiling water thrown at them, and I’ve even heard of cases where razor blades are stuffed into sausages and fed to the dogs.
A friend of mine had his dog poisoned by his Malay neighbour. Dogs aren’t just considered a nuisance by this group of people; they’re a target for violence.

Still, what angers me most is not the cruelty of these misguided Malay Muslims. What makes me angry is the silence of other Muslim dog lovers.

I know there are plenty of us out there who not only is against cruelty towards dogs, but are also Muslims who own dogs. Yet whenever such disgusting acts take place, where is your voice?
Why must we keep our ownership a secret? We fear judgment and so we leave the fight for the rights of these animals to the non-Muslim community.

Last October, I lost my six-month-old Shetland Sheepdog to a hit and run. We were coming back from our morning walk, and his leash fell out of my hand. He ran back to the park near our house.

When I caught up to him, his dying body was twitching in the middle of the road, his head soaked in blood. As I cradled my baby, neighbours rushed to my side. I was touched by their assistance- one ran back to her house to get some blankets, another went to get a bag, and two other dog owners walked me home, comforting me. I am forever grateful to them for their kindness.

Jaqen was a very friendly dog. He was popular among the kids and other dog owners at our park, and would show off his ‘fetching’ skills when we played ball.

But I recall little kids who played with him asking me “Are you Malay?”, and upon my reply would say “My mother says Malays cannot have dogs.”

I would patiently correct each misinformed child but I was annoyed at how parents nonchalantly pass this information to their children.

It’s bad enough you hate dogs; must you also teach your children to do the same?

Religion as excuse

It’s not enough to punish those who are cruel to dogs. We need to make them see not all Muslims hate dogs.

We need them to stop using religion as an excuse for their crimes. We need to show our support to people like Pak Mie, and we need to make it loud and clear.

We need to work together with bodies like SPCA and other animal rescuers by reaching out to the community to educate the people on this issue, from both moral and religious standpoints.

Start young, go to the schools and get the teachers to participate as well. Teach the children that all animals should be treated with kindness and respect.

We also need to have stricter laws on animal cruelty. As it stands, the price of the fine for such crimes is way too little to make a difference.

Finally, if we can’t all devote our lives toward rescuing animals, the least we can do is to lend a hand to people like Pak Mie who spends all of his time and savings in his effort to make this world a better place. He cannot do this alone.

Let’s start by speaking up. I am Muslim. And I love dogs.

Elza Irdalynna writes about art, love, and other things she pretends to understand.
She is also an FMT columnist.