Results tagged “politics” from Volume of Interactions

Of course, i'm talking about Nurul Izzah Anwar, the right honorable Member of Parliament, representing the Lembah Pantai constituency.

During my debate days, one of the first ethics of debating that the trainers drummed into me was to always be polite towards your opponents. Sarcasm and satire are alright, but personal attacks and namecalling are not. The moment you launch ad hominem attacks is the moment you lose the intellectual high ground. Usually, once you lose that, the debate is over and you might as well resign.

The outspoken Pasir Mas MP's latest attack was in response to Khairy's statement during a recent interview with an online news portal that Perkasa was one of the reasons behind Barisan Nasional's (BN) dwindling support from the people.

"This is the talk of a stupid, brainless person. He is talking like a crazy person. Perkasa was only formed after the 12th general election."

Australia have their first elected female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.

This is getting old. A member of the Opposition, Lim Guan Eng, has been persistently dogging the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yahsin for severe punishment on Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor for allegedly uttering racial slurs. 

"The Education Ministry's latest circular to warn school principals and teachers against making racist remarks is irrelevant as it fails to address the real problems. Blaming the principals and teachers is merely an act of finding a scapegoat," said Lim in a statement today.

"Umno leaders should refrain from racist politics before pointing fingers to others. The buck should stop at Tan Sri Muhyiddin. If Muhyiddin continues to tolerate racist behaviour among Umno leaders and members, it is not surprising that it has infected the civil service, including school principals and teachers. Stern actions must be taken to resolve this problem, said Lim.

Muhyiddin should stop playing politics and seriously think of the impact on our multiracial country. Racism is beyond party politics; it is a cancer that can destroy all of us, regardless of one's creed, colour and class," said Lim.

Such a storm in a teacup. Teo Nie Ching was invited to speak to the congregation about the state's education program. Alright, she was not appropriately dressed for the event, wearing a tight-ish kebaya and without a scarf. But how was she to know that was against the rules, she is, after all just another infidel.

August 30th, an influential Jewish rabbi speaks from his pulpit:

Alright, the Good Word has finally made its way to the ears of a Few Good Men. When you do something bad, i'll say so. Its only fair to do the same when you do something good.

Najib said his administration must adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy towards racism and will take immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs.

"Perkasa is hurting us, our chances in gaining non-Malay votes. For Umno, BN to win, we cannot afford to be associated with these people. They are alienating us from a large segment of voters," he said.

I know, its Ramadhan and i shouldn't think poorly of my fellow man. But i just can't help to wonder whether there are other motives for the RM500 "duit raya" for civil servants besides the kind hearted goodwill of the Government.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will pay the RM500 in special payment to civil servants on Wednesday, the Public Service Department (PSD) said.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 -- Talk has surfaced in Umno and government circles that Datuk Seri Najib Razak is favouring early polls, as early as the first half of 2011, although the Barisan Nasional's (BN) mandate is until 2013.

The Umno president has bounced the idea with ruling party politicians and believes that it is best to get a new mandate when the economy is still growing at a fast clip. Malaysia posted 10.1 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2010, followed by a slightly slower 8.9 per cent in the second quarter of the current year.

RM500 makes a nice little buttering up gift, doesn't it?

My fascination with this man probably stems from the fact that he's a peer in my age group. A young Malay Muslim man, well educated, moderate and progressive. A politician, certainly, so its understandable when he gets his foot stuck in his mouth every once in a while.

"With all due respect to Nurul Izzah and the great work she's done, she is not up-to-date with the latest information regarding the submarines. They have recently successfully completed their sea trials and are sea-worthy to perform their duties. The Admiral of the Navy will be releasing a statement shortly to confirm this fact."

"In the future, i hope Nurul Izzah will be more diligent in her research, and speak to the defence experts on the matter of defence before releasing such statements to the public. Thank you."

See? Its not hard to look good in this country, especially when you're up against ministers who seem so out of touch with their manners and responsibilities. 

But the PAP chauvinistic legacy was taken up by the DAP. And the slogan "Malaysian Malaysia" continued to figure in Malaysian politics, evolving into a new catchword, "Meritocracy". If "Malaysian Malaysia" conjures equality between races, "Meritocracy" implies something stronger. It implies dominance by the race with the greatest merit in every field; in education, in business and in all fields of human endeavour. 

I wrote about it yesterday. The Nut Graph publishes a really good article on the same theme today.

What Perkasa's actions boil down to in Shah Alam is this. It's saying that because it's Ramadan and because Shah Alam is a Muslim-majority suburb, no other faith group is allowed to practise freedom of religion, expression or association. If they do, they can be cited for sedition, insulting the Malay ruler, and the crime of proselytising to Muslims.

[...]what the party (PAS) is saying is that the lifestyle of all non-Muslims must be subservient to those of some Muslims.

[...]It doesn't matter if nothing in Islam actually prohibits non-Muslims from staging a Christian play during Ramadan, drinking alcohol, eating pork and watching a pig character in the movies.

[...]At the rate Muslim "sensitivities" are paraded about, one would think Muslims lived their lives like exposed nipples, ever excitable. When the truth is, we know that Muslims are thinking, rational human beings who belonged to one of the most historically advanced civilisations.

Apparently, ya' really.

I've had a theory for some time: the policy makers of the country should be drawn from a pool of professionals who have spent a significant portion of their lives actually being involved in the application of policies. 

On Aug 13, The Star, quoting Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, reported that the Cabinet had decided to classify baby dumping that led to the death of babies as a crime that warranted the death sentence.

She said this was needed to nail those responsible for the deaths.

"The Cabinet has decided that the Home Ministry, through the police, investigates these cases as murder when a baby dies. The police would be asked to conduct DNA tests to identify the parents of dead babies," she said in a statement.

Although the erratic behaviour of mothers during pregnancy - and occasionally even bizarre behaviour after childbirth - has been observed throughout human history, this syndrome was not clearly understood until advanced endocrinological studies identified the existence and impact of hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone on human behaviour.

It is now well documented that post-partum psychosis has complex causes and does not spring from incipient criminal tendencies.

Far from punishing maternal victims of this disease they are more deserving of rehabilitation.

The argument presented here by Bob Cesca for Park51, the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque", is truly brilliant. It would win any international debate. Smashing!

But at Gettysburg, just south of the town and west of the Emmitsburg Road near the tree-line from which 12-15,000 Confederate soldiers emerged on the third day of battle to attack the United States army on Cemetery Ridge, stands a tall marble and bronze statue of General Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. It's not the only Confederate monument on the actual battlefield, but it's certainly the most striking and the most famous. At the peak of the obelisk is Lee mounted atop his horse, Traveler, staring out at the battlefield. Just below him are heroic bronze representations of random Virginia Confederates.

This general committed treason against the United States. By definition, he was a traitor who commanded a rebel army against the U.S. and inflicted unprecedented casualties. Specifically, General Lee's invasion of the north and advance into Gettysburg was responsible for the aforementioned 23,040 United States military casualties, and, of those 23,040 casualties, 3,155 were killed on that ground.

Yet there's a statue at Gettysburg honoring the fiercest enemy of the United States at that time. Had Lee been victorious, the United States as we know it today would not exist. But he gets a statue on Pennsylvania soil -- a statue which, by the way, stands at the exact same height as the statue to U.S. General George Gordon Meade, the commander of the Army of the Potomac (and a Pennsylvanian).

People like Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah have only one defense when their beliefs are backed into a corner: you don't belong here, leave Malaysia if you don't like it. That's what he said in response to a CPI article written by Helen Ang, "Enforcing NEP on minority religions".

And for years he [Mayor Bloomberg] has, with a mix of care and impatience, been encouraging New Yorkers, including the families of 9/11 victims, to emotionally move beyond the tragedy of nine years ago.

"We do not honor their lives by denying the very Constitutional rights they died protecting. We honor their lives by defending those rights -- and the freedoms that the terrorists attacked."

I'm not saying any of this is a good thing, btw. Its just an observation.

9/11 - a couple of Muslims fly a few big-assed planes into the NYC World Trade Center. It blows up. A few thousand Americans are killed.

Since 2003, Americans have killed civilians in Afghanistan as it futilely chases the ghost that is the Taliban (dejavu Vietnam?). Collateral damage, says the USA. It happens.

People kill people. Whether you're the terrorist or the hero, the only difference is which side of the bullet you're on.

Perhaps there is no altruistic greater good. Its just war.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam of Masjid Al-Farah of New York, and a proponent of positive ties between the West and Islam, wants to open a new mosque in New York.

New York is a big place, with 30 mosques currently serving the Muslim community there. The learned imam is hoping to open mosque #31 next to Ground Zero.

The exact spot where a few Muslims murdered thousands of Americans. Not just on the exact spot, but on the marking of the attack's 10th anniversary.

How would the Muslim community react if a Serbian Orthodox church opened its doors near the killing fields of Srebrenica where 10,000 Muslims were slaughtered?

Exactly.

Its everywhere. In Facebook. In the local (and international) newspapers. In the local chat rooms and Internet forums. Even over the proverbial office cooler. Muslims all over (and even our non-Muslim friends) are outraged over the attack of the pro-Palestinian humanitarian ships. Its state sponsored terrorism. Its murder by a Zionist state. Outrage, do you hear? OUTRAGE!

A great majority of people (i like to call such people "Followers") take things for face value. They don't examine the facts, they don't try to understand the history and issues behind an incident. The see everyone being angry over the attack, they read the surface context, declare themselves outraged and proceed to repeat what they think is the truth.

Consider the following.

- Israel gave the Gaza Strip back to the Palestinians (as part of a peace agreement) unblockaded. Hamas smuggled in as many as 10,000 rockets and, over time, lobbed them into Israel. Targetting civilians. Where was the outrage then?

- Israel initiated the blockade (similar to how the US blockaded Cuba during the Missile Crisis of the 1960s) to stop weapons reaching the hands of Hamas, as a means to protect its own people. Is a blockade to protect your own citizens legal from the perspective of international law? Its arguable, of course, but put yourself in their shoes -- if Malaysia was being shelled by Singapore with weapons supplied from Indonesia, wouldn't you want to stop that too? Singapore is a tiny island, it would be easy to blockade it with sufficient planes and warships.

- Israel (and Eygpt too, a Muslim nation) said: if the Muslim world is sending through humanitarian aid, you're welcome -- send them through our ports so that we can inspect the items (to make sure no one tries to sneak in a missile or two).

- Greta Berlin, one of the organizers of the "Freedom Flotilla", on May 27, 2010 (as reported by AFP), said - "This mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies, it's about breaking Israel's siege on 1.5 million Palestinians." This is where it gets tricky -- if the blockade is legal (and there are strong arguments to support this case), any attempt to break a blockade is an act of war. Just because civilians, not soldiers, were manning those ships doesn't mean that they are immune to the penalties of an act of war. If you engage in such acts against a nation state, you can't cry foul when the state responds, even if with deadly force.

- The fact that the flotilla chose to run the blockade instead of sending the goods through the ports designated for humanitarian aid,  reinforces the argument that the flotilla's intentions were not purely peaceful. If you willingly run a military blockade, despite repeated warnings, despite offers from the UN to mediate the impasse -- then, if things go badly, your moral position becomes much weaker.

- Everyone has seen the video of the boarding and the shootings. Israeli troops boarded the Mavi Marmara (presumably to stop it from running the blockade), they were surrounded by activists, some armed with pipes and crowbars, the activists attacked (did you see the video where a soldier was thrown off the ship?), the soldiers retaliated. Greatly outnumbered, surrounded, and attacked with weapons -- while its arguable the response was excessive, what options did the soldiers have? Stand there and take the beating? Run away? Not board the ship at all? If they didn't board the ship, the ship would have continued sailing into port, defying the blockade. They had to stop it.

- The thing about claiming non-combatant status is also a dicey one. You're a civilian, yes. Doctors, journalists, even plain sailors. But the moment you pick up a weapon and show an intent to use it, its very arguable that you lose that status (and relative protection) of a non-combatant. Does it warrant you being shot to death? Perhaps not. Perhaps the Israeli soldiers should have come prepared with non-lethal crowd control weapons instead. That's a question the commanding officer of the operation will have to account for. But can you stick to your high-moral ground and claim innocence? Perhaps you can't. The moment you chose to run a state sponsored blockade, you committed an act of war against that state. The moment you picked up a weapon to attack the soldiers, you step into a very grey area where your status as a non-combatant comes into question.

Who knows who really opened fire first. Did the Israelis shoot first? Did the sailors attack first? Was it an accident that just escalated out of control? We weren't there, so we can't possibly know the truth; we can believe what we want, depending on which side of the fence we are on, but in the end, its pure speculation.

So lets stick to the facts, and the things we can probably know for certain.

As a Muslim, there are several questions i want myself to answer. I suggest you ask yourself the same.

- Why is it ok for Hamas to murder Israeli civilians through rocket attacks? Were you outraged then? Or were you jumping in joy that a few more Jewish women and children were blown up?
- If your nation was under attack, would you do all you can do (including initiating a military blockade) to protect it? What if someone tried, belay that, openly declared that it was going to run a blockade designed to protect your nation, what would you do? Just let them through? What does that say about your nation's sovereignty then?

The people who talk about being "outraged" over these attacks -- they probably know nothing or very little about the history of the conflict or even why current events have come to pass. Being angry with a little knowledge is a very bad thing. Being a hypocrite is just slightly worse.

Malaysia was shocked with the testimony of T Sivanesan yesterday. He alleged that MACC officers tortured him during interrogation in 2008. He further claims that senior MACC officials are aware of this practice.

If true, the MACC loses all credibility, and its back to the drawing board for us Malaysian in search of an organization that will stamp out corruption in our country.

The relevance of his testimony was challenged yesterday by the lawyer representing the MACC, stating that what may have happened to T Sivanesan has nothing to do with the investigation of the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

What a silly man. By trying get the testimony expunged, it just makes the MACC look all the more guilty in the eyes of the common man (e.g. me).

Of course the testimony is relevant. If true, it indicates a pattern of behaviour stretching back at least a year; the MACC tortured Sivanesan, the same may have happened to Teoh Beng Hock possibly leading to his death. The testimony, if true, proves that the MACC officers who have given their testimony to date have committed perjury by claiming that witnesses are never tortured or put under duress.

Its become clear now, regardless of what happens, what is decided by the inquest to be the truth or not in the days to come, the credibility of the MACC is finished. The stain of the alleged improprieties will never be washed away. What a disgusting end to a noble idea.

Reading what our PM Najib had to say on the issue of Muslims to learn to be more tolerant of other religions, made me have several flashbacks on my own early education on the appreciation of religions besides Islam.

As a boy, just like many others around my age, living around my neighbourhood, my parents sent me to the nearby mosque to attend afternoon classes on fardhu ain and fardhu kifayah; basically, teachings compulsory on all Muslims (e.g. prayers) and teachings that were an obligation to learn and be aware of (e.g. how to prepare the recently deceased for funeral).

Young, impressionable minds, about 6-10 years of age. 20-30 of us in the class.

There was one particular lesson that i'm reminded of, the day we were thought about the haram and halal of food.

During question and answer time, i asked:

"I'm half-Chinese, what happens when i go to my grandmother's house for dinner?"

Ustaz answered, "Unless you bring your own pots and pans and food to cook, you can't eat there. Even if you did, there is always the feeling of was-was (caution), so i advise you not to eat anything served there, or in any other non-Muslim home."

In theory, this means, never having a meal at any non-Muslim home.

Chinese friend: "Hey, why don't you come over for dinner at my place sometime? We can discuss multi-cultural issues, and embraces each other's cultural diversity?"

Me: "Do you have "halal" pots and pans to cook with?"

Him: "No."

Me: "Sorry, can't come."

It's always interested me that while Islam professes religious tolerance and multi-culturalism, it does put up some pretty steep walls between "us" and "them".

• It teaches us that if you're not a Muslim, you'll burn in Hell for Eternity. It's really painful down there, too bad if you're not a Muslim.
• It teaches us that you can't "safely" have a meal in a friend's house if they aren't Muslims too. Why not go out to eat, you may ask. That's besides the point: the fact that the "halal" barrier exists, creates a wall between cultures.
• It teaches us that certain people can't be trusted, no matter what. They-Are-The-Enemy. Hello, Mr Jew.

I don't understand why religions, Islam included, have to put up these walls between us. There is an US and there is a THEM. And, by the way, US is better than THEM; they are dirty, pig-eating swine; this is not an exaggeration -- this is how an ustaz in our national education system once described the Chinese to the class. While he may have been the exception (i sincerely hope he was), this is the impression that really exists and is perpetuated by educators who have access to our children who will be influenced, and therefore be equally distanced from the religious tolerance the PM is asking for.

The schools are the Key, Mr PM. Schools, the national education syllabus and the informal religious schooling network. Education is the key to changing the behaviour of Muslims for the tomorrow; the Muslims of today are doomed already. Don't make it an offering of lip service. Take out the Hate, the Us vs Them, and the I'm-Better-Than-You -- then perhaps you'll have a chance to make things better.

The news today is that the Shah Alam municipal council has agreed and found another location for the Hindu temple to be built.

So what you're telling the protesters who are probably not going to get more than a slap on the wrist for their actions, ok we give in to your demands, you win. Protesters who deliberately stoked religious sentiment by using a severed cow head, sacred to Hindus, in their demonstration?

That's just great. Just brilliant.

Caught this very interesting snippet from The Sun today.

"Kartika is a first-time offender, did not cause harm to others, and has conveyed remorse for her actions, said the Women's Candidacy Initiative (WCI), calling for Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties to support human rights by repealing such severe forms of punishment."

Will Pakatan Rakyat (PR) do anything about this? I'm betting it won't, Human Rights be damned.

Its easy to cherry pick the human rights violations you want to disagree with when you're in the Opposition. Right to assembly? Right to free speech? No problem, PR will stand up for those rights all day long. Organize massive street demonstrations, shout about them at the top of our lungs in Parliament.

But the right against torture and degrading treatment (Article 5 of the UNDHR), nah we'll skip that one. Not a word, a whisper, a peep. Shush everyone! Don't want to offend our Al-Quran thumping partners, the guaranteed-to-Heaven, PAS. We don't want to seem un-Islamic, now do we.

Come on, PR. Prove me wrong. I dare you. Where is your moral authority now?

Over chats with several reasonably close friends, it seems that a lot has changed for them since the fateful GE of 2008. Back then, they were gloriously anti-Government, staunchly for the New Dawn promised by Barisan Alternatif. Pointing and believing in the hype of a truly multi-racial, multi-religious party that could truly represent the spirit of Malaysia, ushering us into a period of sustained good will and happiness.

And, yes, did they bask in the glow of the decidedly victorious BA, with the sacking of Kedah, Selangor and Perak from the grips of the Evil Ones.

Barely 18 months down the road, and they are singing a different tune now. PKR rep in Kedah, Radzhi Salleh quits the party, further fracturing an already distressed BA presence in that state. The travails of DAP vs PAS in Selangor are well documented. And, of course, Perak has already fallen from their grasp when more than a few BA leaders decided to turn their backs on their parties.

Its all coming undone, isn't it?

A marriage of convenience it was, back then in 2008. Such things make for really messy divorces. Shame its the Rakyat that have to suffer the fallout.

In politics, its always better the Devil you know than the one you don't. Hopefully, voters will remember that when the next GE comes along.

A mysterious letter was presented to the Teoh Beng Hock inquest yesterday; it was significant enough for the coroner to suspend the proceedings pending an investigation into the contents of the letter.

What did the letter say?

Malaysia-Today has the answer. Better take a look quickly. The website may not be able to keep it posted for long.

The allegations in the letter are extremely damning, if true. Hishamuddin Hashim, a senior MACC official, is accused of some pretty nasty things, including deliberately dodging the process of providing DNA samples to the police. By suggesting that Hishamuddin's method of interrogation explains the broken belt and DNA traces found on Teoh Beng Hock, it really raises some obvious questions: did he kill Teoh Beng Hock?

The local internet is burning with the allegations made in the letter. Malaysians being Malaysian, aren't thinking very clearly and jumping to all sort of conclusions. My advice is: calm down.

Legally, for now at least, the letter suggests a lot, but proves nothing. It may not even be admissible evidence in a court of law.

• Remember, allegations and accusations =/= proof. While the contents of the letter may very well be true, by believing in it now, without proper verification, makes you a sheep; you believe what you want to believe. Don't be sheep.
• Even if its true that the mystery DNA sample on the belt belongs to Hishamuddin, it doesn't prove the Hishamuddin killed Teoh Beng Hock. Circumstantial, at best. The broken belt could be a result of vigorous interrogation, and not the result of an act of murder.
• The letter COULD be a poison-pen letter against Hishamuddin Hashim. Someone in the MACC, or maybe even an old enemy, maybe someone whom Hishamuddin convicted in the past, doesn't like him. What better way than to destroy Hishamuddin than to take advantage of the current hype over the MACC and release this letter?
• Anti-Government camp believe that the MACC is being used as a political tool, possibly leading to the murder/accidental killing of Teoh Beng Hock. The Government believe that this letter was written by someone in the anti-Government camp to stoke sentiments, and to discredit the MACC so that the MACC will get off their backs. What is the truth? Depending on which camp you belong to, you will have your own beliefs. But, do you know? Believing what you think is the truth is not the same as KNOWING the truth.

This is what i believe: this whole case sucks. While the MACC is noble in principle, it has only served to divide the country further. A country already divided over racial differences has been, in recent years, divided further along religious lines. Now, we are polarising the people further over greedy political issues. Its just wrong.

I apologize for my fellow Muslim. Datuk Dr Hassan Ali had this to say on the banning of the sale of beer in Muslim-majority areas of Selangor:

"Our aim is to curb the consumption of beer among Muslims as we have been informed that drinking among schoolchildren and undergraduates is getting out of hand.

Lets talk about Economics 101.

There is this well-discussed principle, called "supply and demand". Perhaps the good Dr Hassan was absent the day this class was taught.

We find beer on the shelves of stores (supply) because people want to buy it (demand). If no one wanted to buy beer (everyone in Selangor was a superb Muslim), then stores, being profit oriented, would devote that valuable shelf space to something else that can sell. Perhaps some nice little prayer beads, for example.

Obviously, Muslims in Muslim-majority areas of Selangor have a problem if they are drinking beer. Alcohol consumption is a big no-no. Worse still if those Muslims are schoolchildren.

That is the real problem you need to solve, Dr Hassan. The sale of beer in shops is NOT the problem. Why are Muslims turning to alcohol? What are you doing to educate them that alcohol is bad? Why are children drinking? What's wrong with the Muslim parents in the area? Are they beer guzzling raging alcoholics too? What can be done to reverse the rot?

Cutting off the supply of beer does NOT solve the problem. Muslims just take a 10 minute drive to PJ and get their fix there. In fact, cutting off the supply of alcohol across the whole nation will not solve the problem (see the Prohibition).

Dr Hassan is doing what all politicians do. He is grabbing the limelight. The Hero of Muslims, fighting against the sin of beer, throwing himself into deadly battle against the might of Ronnie Liu and the Unbelievers. While this may get him the votes (it must be sinful to vote against the Hero of Muslims, right?), its not doing anything to solve the root problem -- why are Muslims behaving poorly and drinking booze?

An opinion piece in The Sun today commented on the ISA-related marches that happened over the weekend. It asked, why do we march? Its an expression of our will to change the status quo; when all other avenues have failed, its time to take to the streets (peacefully, of course). The writer invoked the ghost of the Gandhis, the Martin Luther Kings, the Nelson Mandelas, the Tunku Abdul Rahmans to lend strength to his argument. They had a cause, they marched and they changed the world. We can do the same. We must do the same.

Its an emotional appeal, and for a moment, i nearly believed it. Then i realized that Malaysia is not the India of the 1920s, nor the US of the 1960s and certainly not the South Africa of the 1980s. If you draw comparisons between the state of these societies against our own and claim their similarity, you would be guilty of grossly exaggerated hyperbole.

There are many good reasons to hold a public demonstration. Let's focus on those reasons and cut down on the rhetoric.

If there is a silver lining in the controversial and outrageous death of Teoh Beng Hock, its that the response from the people, Government and Opposition has been suitably strong. No one is letting this death slide; this in itself begs a strong question: if everyone is pursuing the solution to the mystery so vigorously, does this mean that no one is responsible?

Its particularly nasty that Teoh died just hours after being questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Unlike Tengku Razaleigh, i think we need to be very careful to distinguish the difference between Teoh dying while in MACC custody and dying immediately after being released from the MACC.

Even if we acknowledge the difference between the two, its still a pretty damning stain on the MACC that (a) Teoh died just hours after questioning and (b) he died after jumping (thrown off?) from the same floor in the same building where the MACC is headquartered. More than anything else, this is the catalyst of the furor - a young witness dying literally meters away from where he was questioned by a Government agency for more than 11 hours.

The fallout of this ugly incident is going to change things, at the very least how things are done. Assuming the MACC is innocent (and lets assume strongly that they are for the time being), it will never allow itself to be put in this position again. Expect future interrogations to be recorded, no more 24 hour questioning periods, a more procedural system of checking-in-and checking-out witnesses and evidence, etc. Its probably safe to say, that the MACC, once the dust settles, is finished in its current form. It will likely be remembered in the future as Malaysia own nasty little chapter of McCarthyism.

Any death is to be regretted. The nation, still stabilizing after a period of unprecedented change since the elections of 2008, will be rocked to its core with this one.

Ok, this is just getting a bit stupid. Sorry, my mistake. This is getting very stupid.

Hng Khoon Leng from Gerakan Youth has asked Lim Guan Eng to reveal details of how he can afford his, allegedly, lavish home. Anything DAP can do, Gerakan can do too? Its hilarious.

While there is some reason in politicans being transparent about their sources of income, hounding them publicly is not the way to do it. It smacks of pandering to the gallery, a cheap attempt to get your name in the newspapers. It really doesn't work. Really. Just no.

If you really want to hit Guan Eng and DAP where it hurts, hit them over the issue of Kampung Buah Pala. Not only will you get the respect of the Rakyat because that's an issue that matters (tsk, tsk DAP, you lied to the electorate), its an issue that affects real people on the ground. No one cares how much Mr Lim paid to renovate his lawn.

Saw this comment in the Malaysian Insider on the issue of Khir Toyo's expensive mansion:

"Pakatan should continue to expose scandals like these. It will certainly help them in any elections. BN would be wise to sacrifice this toyo fler to MACC or they can forget about coming back to Selangor."

I apologize for the idiocy of my fellow Malaysian. Some people here still think that the role of the Opposition is to expose the personal scandals of members in the ruling Government. Such negative politics never achieved anything, except perhaps replace shit with more shit.

For the uninitiated, read the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_campaigning
http://hubpages.com/hub/Negative-Political-Advertisements

We're playing with big numbers this Thursday morning. US$1.68 million for lunch with a billionaire, RM$24 million for a house in Shah Alam.

The first thought that came to mind when the story broke yesterday was: who cares. Dr Khir Toyo, former MB of Selangor has a big house (that he doesn't even live in). He says it costs <RM$4 million, his tormentor Ng Sue Lim says it costs RM$24 million. How does a "simple" MB afford such an expensive lavish?



Its curious that the local political scene has come down to this. Ng Sue Lim is probably a very busy man, what with his sworn duty to devote his efforts to serving his Sekinchan constituency, and yet he feels the best way to invest his time is to chase down Khir Toyo over the size and cost of his house. Curious indeed how Malaysian politicians spend our taxpayer ringgit. Somehow, if Khir Toyo is embarrassed, hauled into court and convicted of corruption (extremely unlikely at the moment, he seems to have a very strong defense), this is going to improve the lot of the people of Sekinchan and Selangor. Even if Khir Toyo is dirty, please excuse me while the logic of this action eludes me.

Not to say that we allow naughty politicians who have pocketed dirty money to get away with it. But why not leak the story to the Press and get them to run around and harass him. Why make it personal and do the haranguing yourself?

Ah right, i forgot. You need to get your name and face in the newspapers, to show everyone how wonderful you are. Ng, you're pathetic.

I used the quotation marks in the title, because it wasn't much of a fight to begin with.

More like a steamroller crushing an insignificant insect. In the arena of world class debating, Anwar vs Shabery was a no contest: Anwar won by a clear trashing.

Logic and clear thinking always wins against personal attacks.

Poise and calm diction always wins against fluttered frothing.

An ability to answer to the dynamics of the debate always wins against a desperate clutch on a prepared script.

A steady, unassuming wingman always wins against a Tan Sri who did everything to show he didn't deserve the title.

PKR should can the footage of the debate and replay it 1,000 times across the country.

BN should reconsider ever allowing a lightweight debate a heavyweight. The results weren't pretty.

Since everything that appears on the Internet MUST BE TRUE (rustic sarcasm very much intended), allow me to play this card and put it out there: Anwar Ibrahim is playing the reverse gambit with this latest allegation of sodomy.

The alleged victim, Saiful Bukhari, was his special assistant during the March 08 elections. Pulling him aside, Anwar plotted with him: i want you to accuse me of sodomy soon after the elections are over, but before i intend to grab control of the Government.

The young, silly, impressionable pawn, readily agrees.

Everything then tumbles in Anwar's favour.

1. No Malaysian is his right mind (well no voting Malaysian, which is more precise and more important), would believe a second sodomy allegation. This is exactly what Anwar is counting on.

2. Such a obviously "false" allegation, must be orchestrated by the evil Government (who, really, can't be so moronic to come with this plan themselves -- its like taking a shotgun, putting it in their mouths, and pulling the trigger themselves). Down with the Evil Regime! Oops, i mean BN.

3. Get the sympathy of the international community. Turkey is giving Anwar "refuge" now. Countless other nations must also have offered help. Nothing stirs the shit pot of international affairs faster than a "political victim" being unfairly persecuted by the Evil Regime [insert any name of any bad boy government of any 3rd world country].

4. Push the envelope -- claim death threats too. Perhaps get a booby bonus prize if someone actually is dumb enough to try. For extra credit (if no one does make such a silly attempt), brainwash another young impressionable boy to make a lunge at him with a dagger in public. See the Evil Regime strikes again! (cue roll drums of war).

5. Rattle the cages of the rooks, knights and bishops of Parliament. The people love me now (because the Evil Regime has once again been stupid enough to accuse me of sodomy); come on over to my side, defect, and be part of the winning team. Help get rid of the Evil Regime and the people will love you too! (this is an awesome sales pitch, if you think about it).

Anwar is no fool. He has everything to gain, and nothing to lose from orchestrating a false allegation, especially for something as absurd as sodomy.

Give this whole thing a thought, people. This is Malaysian politics we're talking about. This is Anwar Ibrahim, Dr M's right hand man for so many years. Nothing is what it seems.

Anwar shows once again he learned many tricks from the old dawg Tun M: by planting a Yong in the Garden of Abdullah, we now have drama unfolding, history unprecendented. A move worthy of classic Tun M.

I wonder if Badawi's Judas was anything like the original Iscariot. Will he receive 30 pieces of silver for his work? Will he be wracked with guilt? Or will his bowels be split open in a modern day Field of Blood?

Chances are, this Ju'Yong' (c whut i did thar?) will fail in his bid to unseat the Emperor. However, just like a small tear in ream of silk, this is likely an indication of things to come.

While the political cut & thrust is on show, i can't help but wonder why its leaving such a tasteless grind in my mouth. Could it be because no matter who wins, the Rakyat loses? It took a certain character to plant the seeds of betrayal into the original Judas; probably a character no less than Satan himself. If our modern day betrayal comes to pass, i'm loath to welcome a modern day Satan onto our throne.

Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't.

The problem with religious do-gooders is that they take it upon themselves to legislate morality upon others.

"Thou shall not [insert moral clause here]" -- if there was a reason why i would never vote for someone who runs on a religious ticket, this would be it.

The latest round of PAS morale policing - the Sultan's Cup concert, and the Islamization of the Opposition 5.

Makes me sick to the stomach. Will Malaysia ever experience its own Renaissance. We're a couple of hundred years overdue.

Its not the end of the world, but its going to hurt, and things will need to change if the average person wants to be able to balance his finances.

Sometimes i'm embarassed to not have thought of certain things that stare at me in plain sight. This is one of them.

Sigh....if the Pharaoh had been serious about the Sedition Act then there would be no Jews today. And if there were no Jews then there would be no Isa; so there would be no Christianity. And if the Mekah government too had been serious about the Sedition Act there would be no Islam today. And since there would be no Jews, Christians and Muslims, then all 26 million Malaysians would today still be Hindus, like they were more than 600 years ago. And since we would all be Hindus there would be no problems and therefore no need for Hindraf. And as there would be no Hindraf then Barisan Nasional would not have done so badly in the 8 March 2008 general election.
...
And remember, the Sedition Act is used to punish those who tell the truth, not those who lie. If they lie then there are so many other laws we can use against them.

Courtesy of the RPK Satire Farm.

Tun Dr Mahathir left UMNO today.

Malaysian blogs are alight with the news, awash with opinions.

Shock and awe.

What will Badawi do now?

More pressure, more pressure.

No doubt, more to follow.

Will this be the straw that breaks the camel's back?

Shall we start rolling out the red carpet for Anwar Ibrahim, all hail our new Prime Minister?

Shall we start uncurling the burial shroud for UMNO?

In geek-speak, "pwnage" refers to an utter humiliation by your opponent. Looks like Datin Rosmah has been completely "pwned" by RPK's latest article.

And Raja Petra Bin Raja Kamarudin now challenges Rosmah for her to deny this allegation. Or maybe she would like to make a police report instead. That is what they normally do anyway when they are not able to reply. Porah Rosmah. Please don't phone my cousin His Highness the Sultan of Selangor. Please don't shout at my cousin His Highness the Sultan of Selangor. The Perak Mufti said that if you do that then you are disrespectful to Islam. You are only the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister who shall never become the Prime Minister of Malaysia. This quarrel is between you and me. Leave my cousin His Highness the Sultan of Selangor out of it.

Not a good idea to insult a man whose cousin happens to your family's worse nemesis. Its hard not to sit down and have a good chuckle over this.

Some would say, Datin Rosmah "self-pwned" herself with this!

If the BN had a mascot, iconizing all their troubles, it would probably be Khairy Jamaludin. The (in)famous SIN (son-in-law) of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. From the hallowed halls of Oxford to the bedroom of an eligible bachelorette to the seat of power in the august house of Parliament -- his rise has been meteoric. But perhaps, not so enviable.

He's been blamed for everything thats going wrong with the BN. The money politics, the corruption, the "richest unemployed man in Malaysia", the broken toilet flushes in the executive toilet in Putrajaya; all that's evil, good ol' KJ SIN is either responsible for it, or an icon for its representation. A lot to put on the shoulders of a 32 years young man.

Whether he deserves the rilling, its not my place to say. I don't know him at all, and all that i do is, at best, classified as hearsay.

But i do know this: he probably isn't a fool. While it may be argued that everything he's achieved is all about SIN, lets not take away from the fact that SIN or no, clever positioning and politikusing is required to do what he has done. If it was easy, all of us would be SINs. Its not, thats why KJ is the only SIN.

Given that he isn't a fool, he probably has a method to his apparent madness. It would do his opponents well to analyze this method, rather than blindingly responding with outbursts of their own.

Lets not forget that many great men in Malaysian politics, while perhaps not SINs themselves, have displayed moments of extreme brilliance which were, at the time, as roundedly boo'ed as being nothing but hot air and arrogance.

KJ has the potential, that much is obvious. Whether its as a jester and a fool, or perhaps a king-maker or as a king-in-waiting, we will have to see.

Looks like mass defections are on the cards. If it happens, then BN will fall (and will likely take many years to recover, if at all), and Malaysians will, for the first time in over 50 years, be faced with a new political reality.

Heady, exciting times ahoy.

Anwar Ibrahim, whom after serving so many years in political exile, has returned to electoral politics. Or, at least, he's eligible to stand for elections now -- it'll say a lot of the party whom will be asked to fall on his (her??) sword to make way for him

At a rally celebrating his return, he made a statement of unnecessary hubris:

"The police chief has asked us to stop so we are stopping, but remain peaceful, because soon we will be running this country," Anwar told the crowd, who jeered police as the event was stopped.

Perhaps it was in the heat of the moment, but its the sort of thing that doesn't sit too well with me. Very confrontational, very in-your-face type of statement. While the statement may have been true, i would have expected a man of his stature to choose his words more carefully.

Anwar's return is probably a good thing for Malaysian politics -- a vacuum of leadership emerged with Dr M's retirement. Malaysia has lacked a leader of true poise and charisma for many years since. To have one such person back in the hallowed halls of Parliament should provide for some very useful debates.

Anwar claims to have sufficient UMNO MPs ready to defect to the Opposition to topple the current government. While this may be in the best interest of his coalition party, it probably isn't in the best interest of Malaysia. Have patience, Anwar, do what you promised the people you would do -- make their lot better, improve their lives and prove to the nation that Pakatan Rakyat can work together and produce results.

Seizing power through a vote of no-confidence does nothing, except create chaos for the country. Asking BN MPs to defect is a betrayal of the trust of those who voted for them and their party. If Pakatan Rakyat delivers upon their promise, then the next election will be yours. Is 4+ years too long to wait? Or are you afraid that many promises made cannot be kept, and a seize for power is a "now or never" deal? Its a lot easier to ride on a crest of popularity and discontent against BN than it is to win the next election through a display of proven results, isn't it?

Age and maturity should have tempered your spirit, Datuk Seri. I'm sad to see that it has not.

I'm beginning to like this fellow. Brave chap.

Information Minister, Datuk Shabery Cheek, announced that 30-min LIVE shows of Parliamentary proceedings will be broadcast on RTM1 (a reason to actually tune in to this channel again!).

On feedback from MPs over the live telecast, he said many welcomed the move, saying that it was a new era for the democratic parliamentary system and the media.

"This is the real reform mentioned by the Prime Minister. Although it is a small step, we hope the people can start accepting it."

He said although some people were still asking for a live telecast for the full one-hour question time, the cost was too high.

The only problem is that the Information Minister is still thinking in 2-D, when talking about this problem. TV broadcast costs are high, but internet broadcasting costs are not. Why not make full use of web 2.0 technologies to make the impossible, possible?

IDEA: Create a website, a Youtube-clone, if you like. Upload, full, unedited, uncensored footage of each day's Parliamentary Q&A sessions. People can visit the website whenever they want to view the videos, and browse the Archives of past sessions. Extremely low-cost (relatively speaking), extremely convenient (for 9-5 office workers who cant watch RTM during the day), and extremely documentary (archives of previous sessions are worth their weight in gold).

BONUS IDEA: Build a community around the videos. Allow for, unedited, uncensored comments and discussion on each video. Build a forums around the website to allow ppl to debate, discuss and analyze the videos. You want democracy? Freedom of speech is the way to go.

PROTIP IDEA: Get political analysts to be gratis contributors to the website, let them make the analysis of the videos, so that people (the common, lay Malaysian), can understand in plain English (or BM) what it means to the rakyat. In short: get the analysts to blog about the videos. You want an educated society? Help them understand what is going on.

Such a website should cost about less than RM50,000 to setup, and perhaps another RM200-300k a year to maintain (mostly bandwidth costs?). Less than the (probable) cost of a single 30-min LIVE episode on RTM1.

Shabery, you wanted to be forward thinking and progressive and practice the "principles of democracy"? I've just handed the idea to you on a platter.

I'll be forwarding this idea to the esteemed Minister. Lets see if he reads his emails.

Look at all the freshies! 99 of 222 Members of Paliament are new faces. While this may have a drastic impact on how effective the Parliament is this first year or two as the Right Honorable fellows figure out whats what and hows hows, its usually a good idea to get new ideas and new bodies into a body that has long since been seen as a tool for Barisan National (while this may or may not be true, appearances seem to have made a huge difference during GE2008).

The first battle looms: appointment of the Speaker of the House. The last one,Ramli Ngah Talib, says that he doesnt mind staying on for another term. And why shouldn't he? He's young, experienced, and seems like an honorable chap (sic: appearances). But i have a feeling the Opposition will make a fuss over things, if for no other reason than to show that they can. A rattling of the sabres, so to speak.

In all honesty, they should. The tone of the next 4 years should be set in stone from Day 1. The Opposition should dig in, nominate their own candidate and slug it out. Of course they'll lose, simply because they don't have the votes necessary to carry an appointment. But, a strong show of defiance, will show both the BN and the People that they are there to do business, and will not be cowed or afraid to get it done.

As for me, a neutral observer, i'll be munching my pop-corn from the sidelines, silently cheering on the under-dog. The interesting thing about all of this is that its still not clear who that is.

Almost universal praise to be found on the Interwebs for the formation of Pakatan Rakyat, a coalition of DAP, PKR and PAS. Its almost like throwing together water, oil, and vinegar and hoping that they'll mix. Quite a queer recipe, but, if GE2008 is any marker, the Malaysian people are ready for change.

While not quite yet, but just about, Anwar Ibrahim looks set to steer this coalition. It will take a man of his charisma and middle-ground approach to make it work, if it is to work at all.

Is this the beginning of a true shadow government? If it is, then bravo. A shadow government will force BN to double and triple check each move it makes, a shadow government will force the Pakatan Rakyat to actually think before it speaks (or makes promises).

Found this incredibly useful website, theyworkforyou.com.

TheyWorkForYou.com is a non-partisan website run by a charity which aims to make it easy for people to keep tabs on their elected and unelected representatives in Parliament, and other assemblies.

A similar website for Malaysia's Parliament would help keep our politicians on their toes. They need to know that we're watching. And not just in a rhetorical sense of the word.

UMNO party elections are coming. Abdullah Badawi presided over a disasterous GE2008, not just for UMNO, the party for which he is President, but for BN, for which UMNO is its strongest force. Dr M hit the nail on the head when he said that if Abdullah Badawi claimed 100% credit for the success that was GE2004, then he should be 100% responsible for GE2008's showing too. This alone should have been a clear marker of what would be coming to pass (the not-so-subtle trumpeting of Abdul Razak's thumping constituent victory aside).

But the latest furor over the Menteri Besar post of Terengganu looks like another nail in the coffin. Long story short: Badawi said, "Idris Jusoh is our man", the ruler of Terengganu said, "But, he isn't mine" -- and taps Ahmad Said's shoulder in instead.

Badawi threatens with, "Its unconstitutional", the Ruler replies, "You don't have 2/3 majority of the parliament anymore, you can't touch me". Keeping the sultans in their place was easy with the axe of a lopsided Parliament, but not anymore.

In the end, there could only be one winner in this stand-off, and, again, as a marker of weakness, it was UMNO that had to bend over.

Badawi lost GE2008. It looks like he's lost a lot more than just an election. And, come December 08, he is likely to lose even more. An honorable man would do the honorable thing before that came to pass.

I first saw this music video several weeks ago, and i was stunned by how effective it was in mobilizing emotions. If only BN politicians could be so progressive...

will.i.am tells us in his own words why and how he wrote the song.

it was that speech...
like many great speeches...
that one moved me...
because words and ideas are powerful...

It made me think...
and realize that today we have "very few" leaders...
maybe none...

but that speech...

it inspired me...
it inspired me to look inside myself and outwards towards the world...
it inspired me to want to change myself to better the world...
and take a "leap" towards change...
and hope that others become inspired to do the same...
change themselves..
change their greed...
change their fears...
and if we "change that"
"then hey"..
we got something right...???...

This is the speech that inspired the song. Hard to find a better publich speaker since JFK. He is quite amazing. Many of Malaysia's tone-dead politicians could do well to learn how to speak as well as him, not just in form, but in substance. Enough talk about bleeding kerises, more talk about the issues, pls.

A lot has been said about the GE2008. Petaling Street was been afire with incoming pings over the last couple of weeks. One thing i noticed has been how, almost universally, bloggers are writing in support of the DAP, PAS, PKR, and very much anti-establishment.

You just have to wonder on the possibilities:

1. Do bloggers represent the sentiments of Malaysia's internet users? Or are they just the most vocal component?

2. What sort of influence do bloggers have on voters during polling day?

The answer to the first question is impossible to determine without a wide-ranging survey.

The answer to the second is, probably, quite considerable.

Is it a surprise that the states that BN lost also happen to be the most advanced, tech-wise, in the country? Its reasonable to assume that the 5 states which contribute 60% of the nation's GDP will also have the largest user base of Internet users in the country.

The Internet is nothing more than a giant repository of information. And, information, or rather, in this case, the access to information changes the way people think, influences them to make informed decisions.

The availability of anti-establishment information on the Internet (whether true or not, is another matter altogether) will have most definitely influenced the results on polling day. Malaysiakini, Malaysia Today, the influential and charismatic, Jeff Ooi -- are just a handful of examples of internet resources that are unbound by the traditional pressures faced by traditional, establishment-aligned media (read: newspapers, radio and TV).

The question, really, is not whether the Internet played a role in the "defeat" of BN this past election, the question should be, what was the quantum of influence? 2%? 5%? 10%? 15%? of the votes?

Only way of knowing with any degree of accuracy is a proper exit poll study, something i think that is either not done in Malaysia, or its results are simply not published (i think its the former, to be honest).