Recently in Perspectives Category

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!

From an email i received:

The Silent generation, people born before 1946.

The Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and 1959 .

Generation X, people born between 1960 and 1979.

Generation Y, people born between 1980  and 1995 .

Why do we call the last one generation Y? I did not know, but a caricaturist explains it rather eloquently below:

There are still limited spots left for the liveaboard Pulau Tioman diving trip (6-8 June) on the Kaleebso.

The 2-night dive trip is a liveaboard, and it promises to be great fun! About 10 divers have already registered for the trip.

According to those whom have dived from the Kaleebso before, the matron of the boat is a great, great cook, so be prepared for some amazing feasts!

If you're interested, download the PDF (Kaleebso Pulau Tioman 6th - 8th June 2008.pdf), give them a call, and let Alex/Albert know that Aizuddin sent you. Hope to see you there!

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.

Pretty soon, acronyms for such things will become valid points of reference.

Yet Another NS Death = YANSD

If it keeps up, perhaps it'll even become a new verb.

"What happened?"
"My daughter was YANSD'ed"

So many have died under the care of the Government. While some may argue, it represents just a fraction of a percentage of those participating, even a single death should be unacceptable.

Malaysia claims to aspire to developed nation status. Well, let me tell you what would happen if something like this were to happen in the US or UK or Australia.

First, there would be a huge outrage by the Press. The newspapers would eat the story alive, fanning the flames of discontent and concern. Thousands of inches of newspaper column would be dedicated to reports, investigations, quotes, statistics and opinions.

In Malaysia, the Press is in the back pocket of the Government. Not a single editorial, no investigative reports, everything tuned down to a matter-of-fact discussion. The Press are the people's FOURTH ESTATE. They should be pulling the strings of public discussion and public opinion.

Second, public outcry over the deaths would lead to, the very least, a suspension of the entire program while an independent investigation takes place. There must be a reason why children are dying under the care of the Government. Negligence? Incompetence? Bad luck?

Its a pure shame Malaysia's National Service sucks as much as it does. Its a bigger shame that we don't seem to care enough to find out why.

When Malaysia cut a deal with the Russians during the purchase of the some fighter-planes, a nifty little clause was included to send a Malaysian on a learning visit to the Russian space station. In a swift stroke of a pen, Malaysia bought the most advanced jet in the world, and also entry into outer space.

Its been recently revealed that the trip wasn't a free ride: RM39 mill was spent on a host of associated supporting activities. I can imagine what they are: the early campaign to select the candidate to represent Malaysia, the costs of the experiments conducted in space, the ensuing campaign to ensure Malaysians were kept abreast of everything that happened, and possibly, the post-trip campaign where the experience is being shared.

Was it worth it?

I would argue it was. While the right-wingers among us will argue that the money could have been better used to feed the starving underprivileged, or to subsidise education, or to do a million of other things supposedly better for the "people", it ignores the fact that the act of having a Malaysian in space is good for the people too, albeit in subtler, indirect ways.

Aspirations and dreams. For some, these are fluffy intangibles, unworthy to be compared with the reality of starving children, school-kids without books, or the poor old man left alone to die on the street. But without either, there will be nothing to bring this country to the next level -- a level where, perhaps, children will no longer need to starve, kids will have free textbooks, and social security systems will look after us all when we're old.

Aspirations is the desire to want something. I aspire to be the best in school. I aspire to go to med school. I aspire to be a doctor. I aspire to discover the cure for cancer. Dreams work in a similar way, but usually need a trigger to become active; you don't dream of something you can't imagine. And you don't aspire to something that you think you'll never achieve. By sending a man into space, the Government has given a generation of Malaysians, maybe two if we're lucky, a reason to aspire and dream.

Space, the final frontier. An unimaginable mass of emptiness. The realm of Star Wars, American space shuttles, and Russian space stations. Suddenly, Malaysia is a part of that realm, in our own small way. We have a man in space! Its not the act of putting a man in space which forms the trigger for aspirations and dreams, its the fact that that man is a Malaysian which is.

A generation of youth will have in their minds the same: if he could do it, why can't i? Certainly, nearly everyone will eventually change their minds as they mature (every kid wanted to be an astronaut, even myself, but i ended up dreaming to be a lawyer), but the reach of the mind of something beyond reach has a good chance of leading to a reality that is not too far removed from the objective. If you never aim for the bullseye, you will never hit the target board. A Malaysian in space -- thats the bullseye, big, fat and red, for thousands of Malaysian young.

Of course, none of this can be quantified today. RM39million has essentially been put on an ideal, a hope. Those who would criticize would argue this is false hope. I will say, there is nothing false about hope.

A underwater photographer's wet dream of a trip, Komodo Photographic Workshop.The living arrangements are luxurious enough to justify the hefty price tag, but the real gem of the trip is the opportunity to learn from award-winning underwater photographer, Gerald Rambert and Kitty Jempson.

She is perfect for those looking for that extra luxury, extravagance and comfort! This special charter for photographers whether new or experienced makes this an even more special. There will be plenty of dedicated camera only rinse tanks for your equipment, charging points and work tables. Of course each suite has an individual computer to allow downloads of the days photos and allows you to edit your work. A competition for the best photo taken on the trip will be held and will be judged at "Visions in the Sea 2008" in London. The prize will be very special and you will have a one in fourteen chance of winning!

Everything for UK$1500, or nearly RM10,000. Gulp. If only i was rich...

Always been a sucker for travel shows. I love to travel, dont really get a chance to do it as much as i would like, so travel shows are the next best thing -- i get to "visit" marvelous destinations around the world without having to leave the comfort of my couch. Less glamourous than actually being there, but beggars can't be choosers!

So when i heard on FlyFM this morning about a new travel show, "Teman" (well, not new, its in its 2nd season), i was immediately interested. Coupled with the astoundingly mellow voice of one of its hosts, Belinda Chee, and i was sold. I'll be tuning in tonight, 9.30pm, 8tv.

A few days away, and i'm getting extremely excited about my first true dive trip. Pulau Tenggol here i come!

http://www.pulautenggol.com/gallery/ 

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.

By braving the damned, coming forward and telling the "truth", a woman succeeded in bringing her rapists to justice. The stuff worthy of a several inches of newspaper space, the sort of references you would use to show that a court of law does take the word of a woman in dispensing justice on the guilty.

But, is it possible that things can sometimes swing too far to the left? Where the burden of proof on a rape victim just becomes too low for justice to be served?

A woman who changes her story during testimony. Who is caught lying during cross examination. Who sleeps with her boyfriend immediately after the rape incident, instead of rushing to the authorities, or at the very least making a bee-line to the nearest hospital for medical care.

Such a woman, in this country at least, is able to convince a judge to convict and sentence 2 men to a combined total of 20 years in jail and 10 lashes of the cane.

Just doesn't seem right to me. A weak judiciary coupled with a feminist pendulum that has swung too far to the left, makes everything possible.

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).

I was watching Seal the whole time, honest!

I thought about the issue the whole day, and it took me a long time to decide whether to embed the video here (courtesy of YouTube). In the end, the VOI is an archive of my thoughts, and it would seem strange that i went out of my way to "hide" something so easily found, something that has given me pause to think for the better part of a day. While some may disagree with me, i believe talking about a problem is the only way to make it go away. Identifying the problem, is the first step to its solution. Hence the video below.


(the video has some very disturbing images, if you play it, you do so at your own risk)

Everything in the video is a lie, and taken out of context. Lets get that out of the way first. The majority of civil Muslims in the world today will tell you that Islam is a religion of peace, and we have no quarrel with anyone.

Issues such as Israel, Iran, Afghanistan, and even the rise of militant religious extremism, are facades hiding behind the cause of religion -- nationalistic pride, racism, territorial conflicts, economics and pure stupidity are the real reasons behind each conflict. Religion is often used to mask the insanity with a sane pretext, nothing more. Even the purpose behind Wilders' release of this video has more to do with Dutch-European political xenophobia rather than a "warning" against Islam (as a religion) that he claims.

It would seem convenient that Muslims would disclaim anything that is bad about the religion. And to many who don't understand, or choose not to understand, it may seem so. But it really isn't. Human beings, as noted above, do and want many things. While there are many ways to source for these wants, often times the easiest path to riches is through the leverage of human emotion. Few else in this world is stronger, more capable in arousing human emotion than the religious call.

Religion has man caught in a bind. Its very nature forces us to accept, because the Catch 22 is, should we not accept, therefore we do not believe, therefore we do not belong. No man is an island, how true. The problem is, men are sheep. Unable to think for themselves, they look to leaders to think for them. Its these leaders, the same men of gospel in the video whom are the real traitors of religion. Twisting the unreal into the real is easy for them, and making death seem like the sweet beginning of heavenly afterlife is their promise.

No video, no ideology, no religion even, can compete against that power. If Islam had a weakness, this would be it: susceptibility to perversion.

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.

The first back-to-back victory in months, an emphatic 1-4 win away to Tottenham no less, is a clear marker that the good times are set to return to Newcastle United.

Its been a torturous season for the Toon Army, and just as doubts began to creep in on the legitimacy of Kevin Keegan's "messiah" tag, he brings us a sparkling performance of undoubtable class, humbling the pretentious Spurs on their own patch of grass.

Its been a while since i watched a game from start to finish. WoW, nights out with a loved one, or vegging out with MTV with her, there has been very little chance to watch a full match of football. And i'm tremendously glad i didn't miss the performance last night: playing with a 3-pronged attack, with Owen deep in a forward role, supporting the two strikers, Martins and Viduka, Newcastle was a constant threat going forward. The passing was slick, on-the-ground, and very very fast. At times, it was like watching Arsenal play (minus the sublime accuracy).

Midfield was where Newcastle really shined, especially in the 2nd half. Nicky Butt totally dominated proceedings, and it was amazing how he seemed to be everywhere at once. Every time the ball was passed through midfield, it would invariably touch his feet. While his vision is limited (he isn't exactly the world's most creative player), his work-rate could not be questioned, and his successful tackles : fouls ratio would say heaps about what a great ball winner he was last night.

Defense was lethargic in the first half, and at times, Tottenham penetrated them all too easily. The Newcastle wingbacks, Beye and Enrique are not really defensive minded players, and got caught out of position often by Tottenham's wingers; the fact that one goal came out of this really makes me wonder why Ramos didn't stress the importance of winged attacks during the second half.

Man-of-the match: for me, it was Viduka. Some of the things he did smacked of total class. The fact that only a few paid off was probably due to his fellow forwards' lack of vision rather than any fault of his own. Clever flicks, very strong hold-up play (ala Shearer!), and a creative drive that led to many dangerous attacks, were the hallmarks of his play last night. That wonderful backflick to Owen for the 3rd goal, sealed the game at a time when Tottenham could still come back. The vision to see Owen steaming in behind him, and have the presence of mind to flick the ball back into his path -- thats the sort of stuff normally reserved for the Man Uniteds and Arsenals of the game.

Tremendous game, well worth the victory.

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.

Here's a little surprise (sarcasm intended), the Government is ready to listen to bloggers. As recent election results show, they are about 4 years too late. There is a lot of ground to catch up on if the Information Ministry wants to understand what blogging is, and how it has had a profound impact on the opinions of Malaysians.

"The alternative media, like bloggers, play a role in nation building. It is the most direct and simple channel for people to voice their opinions. Sometimes, they can bring about a negative effect but it is mostly positive."

A case of too little too late?

Perhaps not. But Shabery will need to play his cards very carefully. Consider the audience he is dealing with: bloggers are almost universally the children of Generation X parents (and the most influential among them in the Malaysian blogosphere, are GenX hardcores themselves!). Exposure to years of anti-establishment doubt, and the access to an unprecedented amount of information -- combined, these traits make for a very difficult buck to tame.

Bloggers, due to their nature i.e. unwilling to conform, ruled by the rules of the Internet where there are no rules, will immediately be suspicious of any overtures coming from the Government, especially after the events of GE2008. While the intentions of the Government may be sincere, there are probably very few who will trust them, much less agree to work with them (or for them). I think this is a key point the new minister of the Information Ministry must concede from the outset.

While some may see this as a challenge, i hope Shabery sees as an opportunity. If everyone expects you to continue using heavy handed tactics, surprise them with a soft touch. Granting immunity to blogging whistle blowers might be a start, dismissing ongoing legal action (which can be viewed as being politically motivated) against bloggers such as Bru is another. Its going to take action to convince the blogging community of the Government's sincerity, and nothing short of pulling the all the stops will ensure this.

At the end of the day, there will still be many bloggers who distrust the Government, and who will express themselves as such. Trying to get everyone on their side should not be the objective; the objective of the Information Ministry should be to create an environment where the Internet is used as a round-table -- a lot of negative politics/tactics on the Internet won the GenX/GenX+1 vote during GE2008, the Government needs to reverse this trend and bring the discussion back to the issues and policies (or lack thereof). Debate, respond, question -- basic political tools. Its time the Government realise that the Internet is the new medium for the exercise of these tools.

If the recent (and still ongoing) Democratic Party Presidential nominations are any example, the Internet is being used as a medium of instruction where voters go to learn about both parties, allowing them to make an informed decision.

If the informed decision does not favour the ruling party, then that is a consequence rather than a cause. Bloggers should be positioned as the latter rather than the former.

The title is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but i've flown with them 3 times, and the last 2 times have been absolute disasters.

The first time i flew with AA, they were just newly formed, way back then (2003?). Just a few routes, and flying out of KLIA still. Fernandez built a start-up mentality, and, for what its worth, it worked.

Service was good, fast and smart. Planes departed and arrived on schedule, the on-board service was fresh-faced and lively, and the low-low prices made everything just perfect.

Then came a trip to Bali a year ago. Delays, both from KL->Bali, but also from Bali->KL. Uninformed ground staff who couldn't provide a satisfactory answer for the delays, and who did nothing to soothe frayed nerves. The best they could tell me was, "The preceding flight was delayed, so all subsequent flights will be delayed too."

Perhaps there is a reason why other airlines don't bother trying to keep their flight turnarounds at the AA record of "25 minutes".

AirAsia's high frequency service ensures guest convenience is met. The airline practices a quick turnaround of 25 minutes, which is the fastest in the region, resulting in high aircraft utilization, lower costs and greater airline and staff productivity.

Simply because, there is no point trying to schedule around an "impossible" number. If 25 minutes is too short to ensure your planes fly on-time, why bother making that promise?

Human beings are silly, sometimes stupid, in their pleasure for punishment. Fast forward to 5 days ago. Trip to Jakarta. Outbound from LCCT (a traffic and security nightmare if there ever was one), delayed by 3 hours. Ground staff clueless on the reasons, no answers given.

While the delay was informed via a smartly worded SMS a day prior, it did nothing to allay my displeasure. Plans had been made for relatives to meet at the airport. These plans would now need to be delayed, forcing those same relatives to wait at the airport until 3am in the morning. When i bought the ticket, it was for a 9pm flight, not a 11.55pm flight (which actually left at 12.30am).

The return flight, just as bad. Scheduled to arrive in KL at 9.10pm, the plane finally touched down at 11.55pm. Ground crew at the LCCT was a complete cock-up once again. Luggage took more than 45 minutes to arrive at the conveyor. By the time i left the airport, it was closer to 1.30am. And a hectic work schedule beckoned the next day.

When i pay for a 9pm flight arrival, i expect a 9pm flight arrival. When your advertising says, "No frills", i don't expect that to mean, "No clue". When your tagline is, "Everyone gets to fly", it shouldn't mean, "The joke's on you, moron".

There was a reason why i flew with Air Asia a 2nd time. Now there is a reason why i won't ever fly with them again. A company that makes poor promises, is just a poor company.

Medical dramas. You either hate them or you love 'em.

House, i think, pretends to be a medical drama, but really isn't. An escape to human behaviour where we all wish we could be? Perhaps, slightly more accurate.

After years of procrastination, i took the plunge (pun intended!) and signed-up for my PADI Open Water certification. Two weekends of class and pool training, then off to the deep blue sea!

I've attended guided dives in recent years, off the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and to the USS Liberty, off the coast of Bali. What's always struck me as amazing and wonderful is the ability to do something completely unnatural, and feel completely at home doing it.

Human beings were not meant to breathe underwater, but being able to do so, is spellbinding. Its a whole new world down there, and once i've had a chance to see it, i'm itching to get back.

I was told that scuba as a recreational sport has really picked up in Malaysia, on average a dozen new sign-ups a week from the shop in One Utama i visited. Considering the cost of the sport (and the burning new hole in my wallet), thats a very very brisk business. Weekend trips to Pulau Tenggol, Perhentian, Redang, Sipadan, etc costs RM800-RM2k per person, and its a continuously repeating business.

Economics aside, with a surge of new divers, i wonder whether conservation programs have been put in place by local authorities to safeguard our national underwater treasures? Looks like i'll find out soon enough.

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).