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Tuesday 25 March 2008

Advertisers, Are You Listening?


I think by now, regular readers of Crankshaft are aware that the blog owner has a very low tolerance for the stupid people of the world.

Very high on that list of stupid people are those behind the mainstream media of Malaysia.

The people running the show behind the stacks of newsprint have had their collective brains so ridiculously short-circuited that they are unable to think beyond what their masters command.

Frankly, I thought the fear-mongering, taking-out-of-context, and just plain nauseous snivelling would end after we denied BN their two-thirds majority.

Turns out I was wrong. Very wrong.

Some say old habits die hard. And our mainstream media have been spinning for their bosses for a very long time. They need to be rehabilitated. Or euthanised.

Last December, a few of us agreed that we should boycott the newspapers. Somehow, we didn't get round to it - possibly because we were busy trying to whip the Opposition into becoming something decent enough that we could vote for.

But the time has come for us to resurrect the plan and put it into motion, because it sure as hell is a good move in possibly having some freedom of press in the distant future.

Officially today, we (that's me and a lot of other smart people) have started by refusing to buy the worthless crap that the mainstream media has the gall to call "news".

But refusing to purchase their tree-killing, habitat-diminishing, global-warmth-inducing bit of pulp fiction isn't going to make a dent on their finances. Barely.

And frankly folks, I don't believe in tickling their sides nor do I indulge in peek-a-boo with their sorry asses. I say bring them to their knees! Go for the jugular!

"How, Crankshaft?" you ask.

Simple. The Advertisers.

Now these folks spend pots of dosh just to get noticed. They're worse than Paris Hilton or Victoria Beckham or Lindsay Lohan.

If we just dropped some subtle (or maybe not so) hints that we will ignore them and their products if they continue to advertise with the mainstream media, perhaps they may come round to our point of view.

…By advertising your products and/or services in the MSM (newspapers, TV & radio), your company is directly supporting and sustaining the propagation of lies and half-truths, the censorship of information and the suppression of alternative viewpoints. Surely this is against the aim of any company that seeks to be a responsible corporate citizen!

…We trust that you, too, will recognize the value and the virtue of a free and fair press and hope that your company can stand on our side. Therefore, we respectfully ask that your company stops contributing to the revenue of the MSM by ending your advertisements or, at the very least, significantly reduce your advertising expenditures immediately.

What we need to do now, folks, is to get started on writing to these lovely advertisers. Haris has a list of them on his site. Download the PDF and scan for those that you patronise and get their email addresses.

Unfortunately, some websites have forms to fill with a lot of details before a feedback comment can be sent off. I personally vow to wade through these.

But before that, there are some with email addresses:-

Carrefour head office: hqmy@carrefour.com
Giant & Guardian: customerservice@giant.com.my
Jusco: feedback@jusco.com.my

Enough to get started anyway.

Monday 24 March 2008

Sultan Disses Terengganu MP

Frankly speaking, this post should be entitled, "Barisan Nasional disses The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong" because that's what it really is.

You certainly won't see this in the BN controlled mainstream media.

Malaysia's ruling party in tussle with palace over state chief

A political crisis was developing in Malaysia on Sunday after royalty in one of the country's states appointed a new chief minister in defiance of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's wishes.

Terengganu is the only state that has yet to install a government head 14 days after elections in which Abdullah's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)-led ruling coalition suffered its worst ever results.

Abdullah's weakened Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition retained control of the northern state's assembly but his nominee for chief minister, incumbent Idris Jusoh, was unacceptable to the palace, who appointed UMNO assemblyman Ahmad Said instead.

"Ahmad Said has been appointed as the new chief minister and we are in the midst of stripping him of UMNO membership because he has defied the wishes of the party and president," UMNO state liaison secretary Rosol Wahid told AFP.

"We have already submitted a memorandum to the palace indicating that 22 out of the 24 BN state assemblymen support Idris Jusoh as chief minister," he said.

Rosol said members of the assembly were also planning a no-confidence motion against Ahmad.

The Sultan of Terengganu is at present the Malaysian King and has by law delegated his powers to his son who is only eight years old and so co-reigns with a three-member Regency Advisory Council.

Ahmad received his appointment letter from the Council early Sunday morning and is scheduled to be sworn in on Wednesday, according to palace officials.

Analysts say the clash between the Terengganu palace and Abdullah's government is symptomatic of the prime minister's weakened position after the large poll losses.

"Abdullah was already weak to begin with and the crisis in Terengganu it just shows how much more worse off his position is," Tricia Yeo, who heads the centre for public policy studies, told AFP.

"It shows the rampant infighting within the party that is now preventing the government from getting down to rule the country," she added.

"It is definitely a low point for UMNO."

It seems that UMNO can do no right.

As far as I can remember, this is the first time a Sultan has disagreed with Barisan Nasional's choice of candidate as Menteri Besar.

This time, the Sultan happens to be the Agong, the supreme ruler.

It doesn't seem to worry UMNO the least bit to go against his wishes in spite of all the thrashing they've received in the hands of the citizens.

The concept of "Daulat Tuanku" is the last thing on their minds.

This is beyond menderhaka. This is flashing a finger to the YDP Agong when they boycott his decision to appoint Ahmad Said as MB of Terengganu.

In fact, it has ascended to the very heights of super-biadap!

Of course, it's very interesting that the Agong flatly refused to re-appoint the incumbent, Idris Jusoh.

The news on the ground is that Idris Jusoh was hopelessly corrupted and practised blatant discrimination against those constituencies in Terengganu that were under the rule of PAS.

And then, his deplorable handling of the Batu Buruk issue evidently did not go unnoticed.

The Sultan of Terengganu obviously had been observing in silence. The Constitution provides that he does not issue public statements, so we generally have no idea of his stand on certain issues.

But I think his action has spoken volumes this time.

Sunday 23 March 2008

Had Enough Of The Lies Yet?


Go to The People's Parliament.

And for the love of God, cancel that subscription of worthless paper. How many cats and dogs do you have that you need to line their litter box? And how much garbage do you generate that you need to wrap it up with so much newspaper?

Save the planet. Save the trees. Stop buying paper that has no worth.

Wednesday 19 March 2008

It Ain't Over Til The Fat Lady Sings

There was a whole lot of speculation on the outcome of the cabinet line up.

But no one expected the fat lady to be elbowed out.

At least, I didn't.

Well, she certainly had a big mouth and an incredibly domineering personality to boot.

She appeared to take delight in telling her detractors exactly what she thought of them.

Thierry Rommel, (former EU envoy) has been dismissed as having an "attitude problem" and Michael Backman was told in no uncertain terms that she did not care about what he said.

Unsurprisingly, she did manage to gain the attention of foreign correspondents.

Perhaps the length of her service in the government had them thinking she was a permanent fixture in the parliament. Her departure obviously has them surprised.


Jonathan Head of BBC calls her tough-talking.


John Burton of Financial Times refers to her as old-guard.

I think we can all agree our corrupted AP Queen deserves to be retired to green pastures (and I'm being kind here) but I'm just wondering why Abdullah chose to drop her while maintaining Nazri Aziz and Muhammad Muhammad Taib, two buffoons known for their unrestrainable motor-mouths.

At least Rafidah Aziz, in spite of her blind advocacy of the NEP, was reasonably competent in her field, having both the knowledge and enthusiasm for trade & industry to bring Malaysia to the forefront.

As yet, there's no word from her.

Tuesday 18 March 2008

The New Breed Of Malays

I get the impression that Nazri is trying to fan the flames while maintaining the facade of "championing the rights of Malays".

I honestly don't think Nazri gives two sh!ts about whether his fellow Malays become successful or not. He's more concerned about whether his pockets are lined through this corrupted policy.


Actually, it really appears like he's taunting them. Check out how he keeps repeating the words "rights" and "merit" like he doesn't believe that they could be accorded that merit without the special rights.

“We (Umno) have to really sit down and think. It looks like the educated Malays do not care about Malay rights anymore,” he said when contacted.

“The Malay doctors, lawyers, engineers feel they have made it on their own merit.

“It looks like the NEP is not something that can be used to persuade the Malays to support the Barisan Nasional.

“The Malays are saying ‘you can’t scare us by talking about us losing our rights, because we are here on our own merit’.”

Nazri said it looked like some Malays felt that the NEP was unfair, and questioned why special rights should be given to the Malays.

He described the new confidence among the Malays as good for the Malay psyche.

Like you've ever bothered about the Malay psyche, Nazri. You've always needed them to be stupid, subservient and unable to think for themselves.

Otherwise, they'd never have voted for you or your racist party.

Unfortunately for you, a lot of them have wised up. A lot of them DO deserve the credit, but no one accords them with it, because it is assumed that their success was due to an artificial boost in the form of "special rights".

They're sick of not being taken seriously; instead being disrespected by the others in Malaysia. Going abroad doesn't help much.

During my undergraduate studies in Malaysia, I took 4 semesters of German, planning to further my studies with a postgraduate degree in Germany. My German lecturer was very enthusiastic about my plans.

He suggested I get a scholarship after enrolling into a German university. He was confident that I'd get it. "Just remember to tell them that you're NOT MALAY, and have not been molly-cuddled with any of that special-rights rubbish," he advised.

So apparently, even the Europeans are aware of this nasty little scourge called the NEP. I thought it was only Thierry Rommel.

The poor Malays.

They can't get any respect here, and they can't get it abroad.

The only way out that I can see is to start anew, abolish the NEP and earn the respect based on merit alone.

But I have faith in some of my Malay friends. I'm sure they can overcome this. And I know that if they make the first step to stand on their own, the rest of us will start respecting them.

Related:
Malays Migrating? - Surind

Monday 17 March 2008

Free Political Detainees From ISA!


Oh for the love of God, now that we have some semblance of democracy, why are the political detainees under the draconian ISA still inside?

If there was a crime associated to the arrest, then fine, continue with the legal proceedings. But half the inmates of Kamunting are there merely because they dissented with the wrong person.

And that person usually being someone with political clout.

As far as I know, the HINDRAF men (one of whom is our elected representative) are still inside. They pose no threat (except perhaps a stampede of adoration from the Indian diaspora) and should be allowed to go free.

Can we stop wasting their time (and our taxpayer money) and get them out of there?

A Message For The UMNO Boys....

... from your tai ko:


Najib said, "Malaysians did not go to the streets to voice their dissent, as street demonstrations were not part of the Malaysian culture."

UMNO boys, are you Malaysians or not?? Your boss doesn't seem to think so.

Of course, he is under even bigger delusions. He said, "If they (the Opposition during the Bersih rally on Saturday) can gather 10,000 people, the Government through Barisan Nasional can gather even more people."

Sorry, dude. The crowd barely reached 1000.


Najib reiterated that street demonstrations only produced negative effects on the national economy, besides inconveniencing the people.

“Businesses are affected and the people are also inconvenienced by a few days of traffic jams as police set up roadblocks,” he said.


Penang UMNO boys, evidently, you're nothing but an inconveniently negative effect on the national economy. But hey, that's not me shooting my mouth off. It was your boss who said so.

Najib's words are especially hysterical in hindsight. He blabbers on about how Barisan Nasional was adored by the Indian community:

He pointed out that if the Government had practised discriminatory policies against the Hindus as claimed by Hindraf, the Indian community in the country would not have supported the Government all this time and Barisan Nasional would not have been able to achieve big victories in elections.

Now we all know how that ended, so I will try to keep from rubbing salt into raw wounds. :)


However, I'm still awed by the difference between the BN administration and the DAP one. One tries to sweep the matter under the carpet, while the other believes in allowing freedom of expression and listening to all grievances.

This, is what democracy is all about.

Saturday 15 March 2008

Treachery - Our Tabloids Spin Themselves Dizzy!

Apparently March 15 is World Treachery Day. This is according to our tabloids (which are often mistaken for mainstream media).

Very few know that in Malaysia, there is no such thing as mainstream media, only government controlled tabloids, dodgy as that sounds.

Right on the front page of the New Straits Times, vague references to Brutus and Julius Caesar are drawn. Strategically located next to it are comparisons between Mahathir & Tunku and Mukhriz & Abdullah.

Like father, like son.

Mukhriz echoes his father in calling for Abdullah's resignation. The NST makes it seem like it was a turn about face. Not at all.

It was Mukhriz's stand from the beginning that Abdullah should step down. Our spin-doctors tried to alter the original meaning and hope the letter would never be found.

Their hopes were in vain. A copy of Mukhriz's letter to Mahathir was published in mypaper and every other blogger and his dog published it. That meant that every other net surfer, his brother and their collective dogs were circulating it and disseminating the information.

Read the letter at Rocky's Bru.


Abdullah evidently doesn't want to leave. Consistent to his "nice-guy" image, he has left the matter to UMNO Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein aka keris-waver.

They can't sacrifice Mukhriz as an MP because their numbers in parliament are few. Yet, the only recourse seems to be some form of disciplinary action.

But whatever. The bickering hardly bothers me. UMNO will be the death of themselves, bless their little black hearts.

Abdullah Stokes Racial Tension

I tried to stay away from this issue, but evidently I can't.


Penang is the first to set up government so obviously, it's doing a lot of trailblazing into a virgin territory of sorts. I find it impressive that Lim Guan Eng has set out to clean up his state immediately without sticking around to play PR games.

Obviously the Abdullah administration doesn't like it. So what does the head honcho do? Well, stoke flames of course. Try and incite racial tensions by implying Guan Eng is infringing on minority rights.

Let's dissect the news report of his lame rhetoric:

PUTRAJAYA: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was warned by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi not to make statements that could stoke racial tensions.

Lim, after his swearing-in as the new Penang Chief Minister on Tuesday, told reporters that the DAP-led state government would not practise the New Economic Policy (NEP).

Lim had also said that the NEP, which was introduced in 1971 after the May 13, 1969, racial riots to eradicate poverty and restructure society, was the source of “cronyism, corruption and inefficiency.”

I couldn't agree more. About time we stopped fooling ourselves that it has eradicated (or even come close to it) poverty.

Abdullah told Bernama in between meetings with top civil servants at his office here that the NEP had in fact benefited everyone.

“I would like to ask the DAP which community has been made poorer because of the NEP,” he said.

A very good question, Abdullah, which I can answer. The Malay community, of course. They have systematically been denied of equal education as the non-Malays by allowing them into sub-standard ones like matriculation instead of STPM.

This has created a domino effect, where they are forced to enter Malay dominated fields, such as government service or join the police, army, navy, air force, customs department, etc., where the salaries are very low.

Those who have managed to break into multi-national corporations are paid lower than their non-Malay counterparts because their skills are lacking and sometimes their command of the English language is left wanting.

Most are aware that they're not competent enough and have low self esteem. This kind of psychological distress is unnecessary.

Believe me, the NEP has done much more harm than good.

“The (Penang) state government must not try to create an atmosphere which can cause racial tensions,” warned Abdullah, who is also head of Penang Umno.

He also said that the new state government in Penang should not marginalise the Malays, who are the minority in the state, and other minority groups like the Indians.

“Do not marginalise the Malays. I want to ask Lim Guan Eng what his plans are for the Malays in Penang? What are his plans for the Indians in Penang? What are his plans for other minority groups in Penang?”

Now this is when yours truly gets royally pissed off. I have 3 words for Abdullah: GO TO HELL!!

I am warning you, Sir, do not drag the issue of Indians into this matter. The issue of Indians is the last thing on your mind unless you are intent on spraying more chemical-laced water or hurling tear gas on them for good measure.

I don't know about the Malays, but Indians would like to be treated merely as normal citizens with no additional, fringe benefits.

Indians are not retarded, so they do not need crutches and wheelchairs thrown at them under the disguise of 'help'. An equal policy, a transparent one will be enough to enable them to compete on equal footing. And they certainly do NOT need a 'special' plan based on skin colour.

The prime minister gave an assurance that the federal Government would continue to look after the lower-income groups in the state and would also continue with the special assistance programmes for the bumiputras.

Yeah sure. And pigs fly, too.

Of course, Abdullah's racist stance has obviously upset a few in Penang. However, UMNO could never be credited for being original. My personal take on that is because they ceased thinking a long time ago.

Nevertheless, a few have taken to the roads to demonstrate their protest against the non-practise of the NEP at Penang state level. Now these clowns have obviously no clue about the purpose of a protest, demonstration or rally.

BERSIH and HINDRAF took to the streets because for ages, their proposals and requests were made to deaf ears. So this disorganised little social gathering that UMNO put up (with the help of a few random banners) was unnecessary because Barisan Nasional controls the freaking media, after all!!

They also forgot their memorandum. :) Ah well.

It didn't perturb the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who appeared not to have even batted an eyelash as he took it in his stride.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

Of course, it seems to have escaped Barisan Nasional that street protests "are not our culture".

Thursday 13 March 2008

DAP - Practise What You Preach!

WHAT ON EARTH??

After all that sanctimonious sermons about equality and putting to death of our racial sentiments, our neighbourhood friendly DAP head honcho goes back on his word.

You see, the root of the problem is that these fresh-faced Chinese DAPpers are not ready to accept the Malays as their equals. Definitely not enough to agree to have a PAS-member of a Menteri Besar at that.

And why would they? The Chinese and Indians have been brainwashed for years by Barisan Nasional to believe that the Malays are inferior to them, hence the need for 'Malay special rights' and consequently the NEP.

And the Malays strongly believe they cannot live without additional help. Except for the new breed like Nik Nazmi, Badrul Hisham Shaharin and others who could probably stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the non-Malays.

This new breed is what will make Malaysia a highly competitive nation in the future. Enough to trounce Singapore, hopefully. :)

But really, it's time to stop the Chinese chauvinism, DAP! Even if they ARE sentiments reflected by those who voted you in. I highly doubt it though.

The Malays and Indians have voted in the Chinese. The Chinese and Indians voted in the Malays. And the Chinese and Malays have voted in Indians.

We have transcended the boundaries of ethnicity when we voted in our representatives!

We are beyond the petty issues like the colour of our skin.

Though I wouldn't completely blame Lim Kit Siang. I can imagine what it looks like especially with MCA trying to rub in the fact that a PAS leader (supposedly feared by self-respecting Chinese) is in charge of the Perak state.

Seriously, I can picture the snivelling face of Ong Ka Chuan as he eagerly tries to disseminate Barisan Nasional style disunity among the residents of Perak.


What on earth does this pansy mean by, "Having a mentri besar from PAS creates fear among non-Muslims. This also creates political instability"??

See, I've told you before that being a member of Barisan Nasional qualifies you lifetime membership of Idiots-R-Us. All BN goons are good at blabbering keywords like 'fear' and 'political instability'. They have never been able to justify their position, however.

As for the people of Perak, would you prefer this kind of MCA leader to a PAS leader? Haven't you been sodomised enough by Barisan Nasional policy? Or are you anal (pun intended) enough to want to remain under their rule?

I don't see what the non-Muslims have to fear. This Nizar, if Malaysiakini is to be believed, sounds like a reasonably decent guy:

Nizar apologised for causing some anxiety among the public in the late announcement of the post.

“I would also like to give my assurance that all state decisions will be made collectively,” he told reporters.

Nizar, 51, is one of the professionals who made it to the top echelon of the PAS leadership in the state.

An engineer who obtained his degree from United Kingdom’s Aston University of Science and Technology in Birmingham, Nizar was highly respected for being a Quran reading champion.

“He is the religious type and a successful businessman,” said cousin Shuib Hussin, 70.

Meanwhile, close friend Khalilul Rahman Abdul Samah described Nizar as a down-to-earth person.

“He has good rapport with the people. I was with him once when he stopped by the roadside to help some stranger fix his car.”

You wouldn't dream of seeing any Barisan Nasional freak on the way from the golf course to a buffet dinner getting out of his Mercedes to help a stranger. No way.

And I'm quite amenable to the religious types, as long as they aren't the BN-type 'religious'. You know the type - pray 5 times a day but take bribes and practise corruption 5 times a day for good measure.

Sean-the-man has some words for the new Menteri Besar:

If you even breathe the words 'NEP, haram, tutup aurat' when it comes to state policy or take any steps to make my pork noodles, Toto and Guinness Stout less accessible than usual, you'll be bitch slapped so fast that your head will spin. Shit like that is okay in 95% Muslim Kelantan, but not in 47% non-Muslim Perak.

But somehow, I doubt these PAS fellows are as radical as they're made out to be by our MSM spindoctors.

Clinical Precision

You know how I like posting articles by Michael Backman. :)

Only a week or two back, Backman stated that we need a strong Opposition. Though I understand where he's coming from, I disagreed with him.

Now our Opposition is still in its infancy, but they have made more headway the past year, than in the last 49 years. This Opposition was evidently strong enough to claim 5 states.

And while we do bicker about what ethnicity our Menteri Besars should be, and from which party, at some point, I visualise Malaysia as being relatively free of racism. It's the idealist in me, but hey - we've made some unexpected achievements, so I can hope, can't I?!!

And I also think it's not all about Anwar as the article appears to imply, but about a coming of age for us Malaysians.

Malaysian voters open the door for Anwar Ibrahim:

MALAYSIA Boleh! (Malaysia Can!) is Malaysia's national slogan but after last Saturday's elections, the real slogan should be Malaysians Boleh! for ordinary Malaysians are to be congratulated. The humiliation they handed their government at the federal and state elections demonstrates how politically sophisticated and mature they have become in the face of a high-handed and patronising government.

Five state governments were won by the opposition and federally, the Government had its worst showing ever. But it was the clinical precision in which voters went about their business that was most impressive.

Read again, who we slaughtered. :)

Kelantan Prays Before Elections

There was some serious praying going on in Kelantan the day before elections. A whole stadium full of people.


Now I'm not overly religious nor am I going to start praying, but I'm impressed.

Wednesday 12 March 2008

Selangor Shreds State Files

There's something rotten in the state of Selangor.


And it's all the outgoing administration's doing.

Obviously confidential documents are being shredded - either to hide the dirt or make the incoming representatives' lives difficult.

Destroying state files is a crime.

What are they trying to hide? Read and see more pictures at (Selangor state representative for Bukit Lanjan) Elizabeth Wong's blog.

Stop That Racism!

I'm really quite annoyed.

We've just managed to get our act together and make a collective statement through the elections and now, we're already on each others' backs making demands.

I keep receiving this stupid SMS which reads:

The Opposition should elect Manoharan as Deputy Menteri Besar of Selangor and Ramasamy as Deputy Menteri Besar of Penang. Please send to all makkals!

(I am highly entertained to note that some of these senders of the 'concerned' SMS did not vote in the recent elections. What was that saying about empty vessels?)

Now I presume this Manoharan chap is our favourite ISA detainee. He has reasonably good leadership qualities, so I have no huge issues with it. But who is this Ramasamy dude? And why on earth do the deputy MBs have to be Indians??

Are all these SMS-sending, rumour-mongering fools (who are only making the telecommunications industry a lucrative one to delve into) convinced that only someone of their own ethnic background could represent them effectively?

If that is so, then the MB should be a Malay, as the number of Malays in Penang is larger than that of the Indians. Do you fools not use those brain cells of yours?

It's not only the Indians who display this form of stupidity. The Chinese have joined the fray, wanting Ngeh to be Menteri Besar for Perak, simply based on his race.

For the love of God, this 3rd world mentality of race-based politics never seems to end. For all that voting against racism, which is the backbone of Barisan Nasional's divide and conquer policy, we still embrace it and are determined to implement it.

I echo Nathaniel Tan, when he says:

Is a person’s ethnicity or religion really that relevant? Can't we just pray for a GOOD MB? One who is honest, compassionate and capable?

Our elected representatives have been living here all their lives (with the notable exception of Kera Jantan and Gwo Burne). Do you think they have not interacted with Malaysians of other ethnic groups during their lifetime?

Is the economy, public infrastructure, human rights, poverty, education, national security, and other issues all race-specific?

Worse, are you of the opinion that the people whom you have voted in are blithering incompetents?

If not, you bunch of turds have simply got to stop spreading rumours. And sending SMSes. Save your money, we're heading into recession and while our new line-up of elected representatives seem capable, I doubt there's much they can do within such a short period.

If you really want to get the right information, go through the right channels. If you're a toilet-washer or road-sweeper, read the New Straits Times or The Star.

If you're a professional and have some sense of dignity, then read either Malaysiakini or Malaysia Today.

And please. Stop SMSing me with your pseudo-updates.

Challenge Rembau Result

PKR may challenge Khairy's Rembau win

Syed Jaymal Zahiid | Mar 11, 08 2:54pm

On Saturday night, the initial count for the Rembau parliament constituency in Negri Sembilan showed that PKR had taken the seat by a razor-thin majority of 141 votes.

A recount however saw a complete reversal - Khairy Jamaluddin, son-in-law of premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, won by a staggering difference of 5,000 votes.

For opposition party PKR, this stark gap came in as a shock and consequentially became a solid basis for suspicion.

Rembau’s PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin is today considering a legal challenge against the result.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur today, Badrul (photo) said he was far from satisfied with the final outcome.

In the final results, Khairy bagged 26,525 votes against Badrul's 20,779, with a majority of 5,746.

In the 2004 elections, BN had retained its Rembau stronghold with a whopping 18,656 majority.

Had Badrul won the seat, it would have been considered one of the major upsets in Saturday's elections.

“There were (also) irregularities in the vote counting procedure. The Election Commission (EC) did not issue the ‘Form 14' to us when it was compulsory to do so,” said Badrul, a former teacher and member of PKR supreme council.

Elaborating, Badrul said that Form 14 was an extremely important procedure as the document was one of the many measures that was in place to prevent vote-rigging.

Form 14 contains the number of total voters for a particular polling station and once the vote counting has been finalised, the form will be the official indicator of the number of votes designated for each candidate.

If the form was not issued, the results could not be considered as an official one but most importantly, it gave way for manipulation as the number of votes may be added in favour of a particular candidate.

It is compulsory for the form to be issued from each polling stations to each of the candidates’ polling agents stationed there.

BN’s acts of hooliganism

“We will talk to our lawyers and will consider issuing a petition to challenge the results and call for a re-election,” said Badrul.

One of Badrul supporters then added that the matter of Form 14 not being issued itself was enough to nullify the Rembau election results and they will definitely be looking into the possibility of doing so.

Besides allegations of electoral fraud, Badrul also took a shot at Khairy and BN by claiming that the constituency’s campaigning period was marred with BN hooliganism.

“There were various instances where our posters, banners and supporters were harassed by Khairy’s supporters,” he said, adding that there were more than 20 police reports lodged by him and his supporters as a result of alleged BN aggression.

He also alleged that Khairy’s campaigning cost had exceeded the quota allowed by the EC and also accused the latter of using government machineries like schools to campaign.

Tuesday 11 March 2008

Chegubard Spills The Dirt


If you have been following the Blogger For Public Office campaign that we Malaysian bloggers collectively launched, you may notice that Chegubard or more formally known as Badrul Hisham Shaharin was the only candidate that did not win his seat - in Rembau.

A crying shame, because he had his heart in the right place. And while I did not manage to be acquainted with him personally, I have friends of sound judgement who will vouch for his integrity and capability anyday.

It was not because he didn't have what it took to win the election. Oh no.

The playing field was not level, something we suspected from the start.

This morning at 11.30am, Chegubard held his press conference to expose the underhanded tactics of his Barisan Nasional opponent, more commonly referred to in the blogosphere as Kera Jantan (among others - Chicken Shit being KL Confidential's preferred choice of monicker).

Dirty Tactic #1:

Refusal to issue a permit to Chegubard so he could campaign freely in fields and community halls. Questioning the decision yielded a simple answer, "Because I have the power to do so."

Worse, Chegubard was even prevented from entering certain villages to campaign.

Dirty Tactic #2:

Importing gangsters to vandalise, burn and steal Chegubard's campaign equipment, posters, buntings, banners, and flags. In a somewhat rural location like Rembau, a physical presence is necessary - having merely the internet as a tool does not work.

Dirty Tactic #3:

A tainted electoral roll. Nothing surprising there. We all know it exists. Phantom voters abounded. There were more ghosts in those ballot rooms than there are in a cemetery. Or in an entire season of 'Ghost Whisperer'.

And heck, we have some really old relics voting in Rembau, some spanning two whole centuries in age, damn them. There were probably a couple of infants casting ballots for good measure.

Dirty Tactic #4:

This particular one is funky. Reserve ballot boxes were brought in with no legal documentation. Chegubard was leading by quite a number initially, much to the delight of his supporters.

And then the Election Commission brought in a new box with additional votes. For it to be legal, every ballot box that is to be counted MUST be accompanied by a Form 14. Not these ones.

Questioning it also yielded a simple answer, "We ran out of forms".

******

The filthy tricks that the Kera Jantan is capable of.

Kiss my a$$, you snivelling, self-serving, suck hole with a snout in the trough!!!

At this point, I'm ready to go ballistic! Kera Jantan should be removed from his seat and given a room as a guest in Kamunting with the HINDRAF 5. I'm sure he could expect some fine treatment there from the other inmates.

Our NGO for Human Rights, SUARAM acknowledges that this elections were still quite dirty.

Amidst the euphoria and optimism of a new era in Malaysian politics and society, however, SUARAM would like to remind that the election was still far from a clean and fair one. SUARAM strongly refutes the claims that the result of this election demonstrates that the electoral system in the country is free and fair.

The fundamental principle of ‘one person one vote’ still needs to be restored. Election watchdogs have also documented various electoral frauds and irregularities, ranging from allegations of rigged electoral roll and phantom voters to unfair media access and outright vote-buying during the elections.

It would therefore not be too far-fetched to say that had the election been conducted in a clean, free and fair manner, even bigger changes would have been possible.

I reckon without the rigging of elections, we could have even swung a two-thirds majority in favour of the Opposition...

I demand a re-election for the constituency of Rembau with the entire nation watching intently!

He Wants Petronas Cash

You don't waste much time, do you mate?

Malaysia's new Penang chief asks for Petronas cash


Now this puts Abdullah Badawi in a spot.

If he refuses, you can bet yer ass that Guan Eng is going to demand proof that there are no funds available from the Petronas cash cow. That's when evidence of severe corruption and chanelling of funds will surface.

If he complies, Penang folks stand to benefit and there's no way in the near future they will even conjure up the notion of voting in a Barisan Nasional government into their state again with such progress.

I think I want to move to Penang soon. It'll probably be the most developed state within the next 2 years.

Expect property prices to start rising though. Those of you who own some there, what can I say - you lucky ba$tards!

The Mansion He Leaves Behind

This has got to remind you that life is but fleeting.


I certainly wasn't expecting the election results to take such a hard toll on him. I wonder how he's going to explain that mansion and his other acts of corruption to his Maker.

This Is Change!

MBPJ building photo credit: Wiley Chin of XiMnet.

Looks like PKR is getting its act together as they form their new government.

Newly elected Elizabeth Wong of Bukit Lanjan gives us an insight of what the Selangor government has in mind as it rebuilds the state:

In our meeting last night, Anwar Ibrahim brought us down to earth.

First - we have to change this ‘bodek’ feudal culture of Umno. ‘Yang Berhormat’ or YB is only appropriate in the halls of the state assembly or Parliament. Do the Brits or Australians go around calling their MPs or state legislators ‘Right Honourable’ in public? Nope.

So please don’t call us YBs. It gives me a strange icky feeling if you do.

Two - any unreasonable perks will be slashed. There will not be any redecorations in our offices and we will use the vehicles bought earlier by the state government. Our salary will also be cut. We gotta cut those wasteful and unnecessary spending.

Tan Sri Khalid is gonna run this state like a corporation. We are expected to file quarterly reports like any good company. Expect some redundant committees and positions created to appease the Umno-aites to be erased. And yeah - no belly-dancing in those ‘lawatan sambil belajar’. It’s ‘belajar sambil bekerja’.

Three - we will be open to everyone in regards to suggestions and inputs. We want to be take stock of what is immediate and urgent. And please give us time. Fifty years of nonsense will take time to be rectified and corrected.

It gives me a good feeling to know we're not going to be screwed in the back like we have been all these years.

Ms Wong will certainly be receiving some of my inputs for improvement.

And I'd expect RPK to be breathing down her neck on a regular basis.

Monday 10 March 2008

Letter To Carol Chew Of MCA

Dear Ms Chew,

I'm writing this letter to rub in the fact that you lost the parliamentary seat under the Barisan Nasional ticket.

Usually I'm not all that nasty, but this time I'm of the opinion that you truly deserve it.

Just in case you haven't had time to look through the results of your disastrous attempts to run for elections, here it is:

P.122 SEPUTEH (76,371)

1. Carol Chew Chee Lin (BN-MCA) 19,738
2. Teresa Kok Suh Sim (DAP) 47,230

Majority 36,492

Malays: 5.6% Chinese: 86.7% Indians: 4.5% Others: 0.1%

Looks like you have gained some notoriety this elections for losing under the biggest majority ever.

Perhaps The New Straits Times (which is such rabid drivel of a newspaper owned by Barisan Nasional, the party you represent) should not have attempted such a ludicrous spin on how you were going to SLAY Teresa Kok in Seputeh.


In case you haven't realised, you got quite exterminated. Annihilated. Devastated. Bulldozed. Trampled. You catch my drift.

Do you know why you lost?

Firstly, you joined the wrong political party. You didn't have your finger on the pulse of the nation.

Really, you should try and get online more often. With our lack in freedom of speech, the blogosphere is where most of the vents and dissatisfactions are aired. And on the internet, there are no holds barred.

Barisan Nasional has made so many significant and unforgiveable blunders and mistakes. And yet, you still affiliated yourself with them to the extent of resorting to sexist propaganda; evidently standard operating procedure for any popular BN member of parliament.


Which by the way, was your second mistake. Teresa Kok is much liked by her constituents as well as the average person about town. She is not the most fiery female MP (that title is reserved for Fong Po Kuan) but she gets the issues sorted out.

So, claiming that Teresa was adulterously ditching the Seputeh constituency for Kinrara was just suicidal and a severe waste of billboard propaganda. But I'm sure you don't mind the wastage since it is us taxpayers who are footing the bill.

Besides, it spoke volumes about your character, rather than Ms Kok's when you resorted to cheap, underhand methods of attracting attention. Please do not delude yourself further - you were not "merely reflecting the people’s sentiments" at all.

Perhaps, the next five years could be spent reflecting on how not to stoop to cheap tactics on another woman and attending gender sensitivity courses to help you purge yourself of the sexism that is so rampant in Barisan Nasional and MCA, in particular.

Yours truly (or maybe not),
Crankshaft

Whom Would You Choose?

Apparently some folks are demanding the resignation of the rather woe-begone Prime Minister, leader of the completely annihilated (okay, I exaggerate) Barisan Nasional.

After all the nice-guy crap this freak has tried to dish out on us while tear-gassing and spraying our fellow citizens with chemical-laced water, I'd love to go protest just to show him the proverbial finger.

But the truth is, I want him to remain as Prime Minister, not merely to express my gratitude for his role in breaking the once impenetrable stronghold of Barisan Nasional, nor for his somnambulance, but MAINLY so he doesn't pave the way for this other fool to ascend the 'helm' (word courtesy of Malaysiakini).


This other fool is none other than the current deputy, Najib Tun Razak, utterer of the infamous vow to bathe the keris in Chinese blood.

Such a vile, despicable creature I have not encountered before.

I'd take Dopey over Amok anyday.

Dopey has been spending most of his time in mostly harmless but blissful slumber between intermittent periods of conferring with the son-in-law.

Amok, on the other hand has been wasting precious government funds on needless defence equipment, effectively milking the taxpayers dry. He is also closely related to the high-profile murder of a Mongolian model.

For the first time, I'd have to chastise Uncle Zorro for being too mild with his words. He demands a public apology from Najib, but otherwise, I have not heard any particularly strong words used on the worm-ridden filth.

If you've been reading 'Zorro Unmasked' for as long as I have, you'd understand that getting on the wrong side of this man can be a painful experience indeed. :) Have you seen the lovely picture used to depict our fourth floor boys?

Other than that, there has been no volcanic eruption of late and Uncle Zorro may be recovering from the excitement due to elections. :)

I do echo his sentiments though - I have neither the confidence nor trust in Najib to lead the country. So for now, keep him OFF the top job.

Sunday 9 March 2008

You Knew It Was Coming! :)

We finally took back our country!


I guessed this elections would be historical but I wasn't prepared for the response I witnessed on Saturday.

Never before had I seen so many voters determined to have their say through the ballot boxes. The roads were jammed with cars and the schools were packed with people anxious to vote.

I think it's a great feeling especially for us bloggers, because the Opposition got most of its publicity through emails, the blogs and internet media. We did it!! :)

My sister, mother and I dragged my grandmother to her voting centre even in the downpour. Grandma was especially concerned about the way things were going on in this country. She wanted to make a difference for her great-grandkids.

And that was the spirit reverberating throughout most of the country. People were crying out for change, and finally it happened! It was makkal sakthi - People Power!

I sat glued to the TV at 7pm, waiting for the results. When Musa Hassan the IGP warned that no one should be allowed to make their victory parade, I caught my sister's eye.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

"Yes," I grinned. Obviously, if Barisan Nasional had claimed a landslide victory, there would be no holds barred and the victors could celebrate as much as they wanted.

But the fact that there were restrictions gave very strong indications that the Opposition may have claimed a few significant seats.

Nothing prepared me for the takeover of Selangor, Penang, Perak, Wilayah Persekutuan, Kedah and Kelantan! It was just phenomenal!! And some of the majority votes were so overwhelming that it really did send out a strong message.

Awesome! :)

Friday 7 March 2008

New York Times On Our Election Fever


KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Public protests are frowned on by Malaysia’s mildly authoritarian government and often broken up by the riot police. So when a group of opposition party members and activists wanted to send a message to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi earlier this year they chose a softer and safer alternative — delivering a pillow to his office.

The popularity of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia has dropped sharply in recent months.

“He has a reputation for liking to sleep,” said Rahmat Haron, a poet and self-styled government critic. Mr. Rahmat helped lead the small delegation, which made it as far as the security checkpoint. “He sleeps in cabinet meetings, he sleeps in Parliament,” he added. “So we thought, why not make him more comfortable?”

As Malaysia prepares for general elections on Saturday, there is widespread agreement here that the coalition that has governed the country in one form or another since independence in 1957 will win enough votes to stay in power. But the fate of the prime minister, whose popularity has fallen sharply in recent months, is less certain.

Mr. Abdullah is being portrayed both by the opposition and by some high-profile members of his own party, the United Malays National Organization, as sluggish and listless.

On Wednesday, Mahathir bin Mohamad, who preceded Mr. Abdullah as prime minister and is from the same party, reiterated his regret for having chosen him as his successor and called for Malaysians to elect a strong opposition — a stunning reversal for a man who while in office sent opposition politicians to jail.

Read more.

Voters Speak In Malaysia?

Really?

I wonder who BBC has been interviewing.

Voters speak in Malaysia


Either way, this all the more reason for those of us who want a better future to keep talking to our loved ones to make the right decision. Even in this eleventh hour.

Vote for Malaysia.

Vote Opposition.

Wednesday 5 March 2008

HRW: Citizens Denied a Fair Vote

Bias in Electoral Process Favors Ruling Coalition in March 8 Poll

(New York, March 5, 2008) – Government restraints on expression, assembly and access to state media will deny Malaysians a fair vote in the March 8 general elections, Human Rights Watch said today.

The authorities’ manipulation of the electoral process appears aimed to ensure that the ruling coalition maintains its two-thirds parliamentary majority.

“Once again, elections in Malaysia are grossly unfair to the opposition,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Malaysia’s ruling coalition is too comfortable with the status quo to allow reforms that would level the playing field.”

On March 8, Malaysians will vote for the national parliament. Since 1969, the ruling Barisan Nasional, a coalition consisting of 14 parties, has held a two-thirds majority in parliament, which enables it to amend the constitution at will. Opposition parties currently hold 9.6 percent of the seats in parliament.

Freedom of expression, association and assembly

Malaysian law and practice allow free campaigning for the ruling coalition while placing severe restraints on the opposition. For instance, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahman Badawi on March 1 was able to hold a rally of 20,000 supporters. But police have repeatedly blocked attempts by opposition parties to hold election rallies by refusing to issue the permits required for any gathering of four or more people.

In November 2007, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), a loose alliance of almost 70 civil society organizations and several political parties, organized an orderly march and rally by some 40,000 Malaysians. In response, police used excessive force, including tear gas and chemical-laced water on peaceful protesters.

The government has routinely used the specter of ethnic violence to deter public demonstrations and silence government critics. On February 16, three days after Abdullah dissolved parliament, police officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a peaceful crowd of some 200 Malaysian Indians from the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). Hindraf has not been permitted to register as a political party, and has repeatedly been denied permits when they sought, such as on this occasion, to hold a peaceful demonstration.

“When opposition leaders and civil society groups critical of the government try to organize rallies, they are blocked at every turn,” said Pearson. “Yet the usual excuses about unruly protesters and blocked traffic are never mentioned when the ruling coalition wants to get its supporters out on the streets. ”

The government has long threatened opposition politicians with provisions of the broadly worded Sedition Act. In addition, since the draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act places the burden of proof on defendants in defamation cases, opposition parties are self-censoring for fear of being hit hard by libel suits if they critique the establishment.

Curbs on the media

Government interference in media reporting is not new to Malaysia, but has become even more contentious during election campaigning. An election observer in Malaysia told Human Rights Watch that monitoring of state television and radio had turned up no opposition candidate presence. The state media are the two most important avenues for candidates to communicate their messages to voters, particularly those in rural areas.

In late January, Bernama, the Malaysian National News Agency reported that Deputy Information Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamid conceded the lack of fairness in the state media. He said that the ministry would need to study “whether allowing opposition leaders to campaign through Radio Television Malaysia in the next general election will benefit the people.”

Freedom of the media is further hampered since all private free-to-air television channels are owned by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a founding member of the ruling coalition and Malaysia’s largest political party.

Because Malaysian law requires all publications to obtain permits to operate on a yearly basis, the state can easily shut down those that are critical of the government. The minister of internal security, who is currently also the prime minister, has discretion to grant, revoke or suspend any publication prejudicial to public order, morality or security, or that is likely to alarm public opinion. Newspapers such as the Tamil language daily, Makkai Osai, are self-censoring to avoid being shut down.

On February 15, the online Malaysiakini site reported that the Chinese-language Oriental Daily editor issued an election-related “guideline” to staff. The guideline suggested the newspaper should avoid placing opposition news prominently, mentioning the opposition’s campaign to block the Barisan Nasional’s goal of a two-thirds majority, or discussing any disputed issues in Chinese communities. The Oriental Daily has had difficulty renewing its license in recent years.

“The Malaysian government has ensured that state radio and TV only cover the ruling coalition and that newspapers report on the opposition at their own risk,” said Pearson.

Irregularities in electoral roll registration and certification of election results

Irregularities in the voter rolls and other elements of the electoral process raise concerns that the government will seek to manipulate votes in closely fought districts. While some individual problems may be simple error, they highlight the need for effective and impartial monitoring by the Election Commission and national election monitors.

Bersih, the coalition for clean and fair elections, has documented severe irregularities in the voter rolls. It found that in several areas a large number of voters were suddenly transferred en masse from one district to another. According to Bersih, some voters discovered that their electoral registration was changed without their knowledge to locales outside their home districts.

In one case, a voter found that her registration had been changed back to a residence she had not occupied for 14 years. Others have found that despite registering a change of address some time ago, they have not been reassigned to polling stations reflective of their new addresses. Still others, who had never registered, found that their names mysteriously appeared on the electoral roll. One voter in Penang went to register, only to find that she allegedly had done so when she was 17 months old. Some voters who used the mail to register to vote discovered registration procedures had not been completed in time for them to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election.

Other anomalies reported by Bersih involve multiple registrations, in one case 40 individuals are registered at a single address. In other cases, family members living together are listed at different addresses. Other registrations use nonexistent addresses. Almost 9,000 voters who were born more than 100 years ago (two were reported to be 128 years old) are still enrolled to vote, raising suspicions about phantom voting. No matter what the offense, the voter roll, once gazetted, cannot be challenged in court.

Bersih is also concerned with postal voting, limited to police and army personnel, and overseas students. More than 221,000 voters use postal votes, but the tallied votes are not necessarily counted among those from voters’ home districts. Although the Army Div 2 Base in Georgetown, Penang, houses only a security guard, some 500 voters are registered to that address. A lack of transparency raises questions about how votes are assigned, including concerns that they may be arbitrarily allocated to benefit districts where the vote is close.

“Voters in Malaysia deserve a chance for every vote to count and count equally,” said Pearson. “Given the vast array of anomalies in the electoral rolls, this looks increasingly unlikely.”

Human Rights Watch urged the Malaysian government to protect the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and assembly for all parties. The government should not use laws to unfairly penalize opposition politicians, and it should ensure that all political parties have equal access to state media. Human Rights Watch called on national election monitors to thoroughly investigate any claims of electoral fraud and irregularities, and to provide for greater transparency by posting vote tallies outside polling stations before votes are transferred to the Election Commission.

How To Rig An Election

This is by far the dirtiest election yet.

We have had the sabotage on the banners, buntings and other campaign material. And then we've had the sexist stuff (courtesy of the Seputeh wannabe). Not to mention, the mainstream media is furiously churning out coverage favouring BN.

But this one takes the cake.

BERSIH, in its memorandum to the YDP Agong had stipulated that the election commission enforce the use of indelible ink to dye a voter's finger to ensure he or she cannot attempt to cast a second ballot undetected.

The commission responded that it had plans to in fact, implement this procedure - saying that it would buy approximately 48,000 bottles of indelible ink worth RM2.4mil from India.

All illusions of a free and fair election were attempted, just to humour BERSIH, the Opposition and the voters.

But there is no room for illusions now. Barisan Nasional is desperate. They are losing like never before.

The speeches by the Opposition are being attended and applauded with vigour and support. And BN knows it is bad news for them when even attempts to lure voters by using celebrities don't work.

So the cheating machinery is put in gear.

Just 4 days before the voters are due to hit the polling booths, the election commission has cancelled the use of indelible ink, citing - get this - public order and security reasons!!!

According to the (overaged, undersmart and should-be-retired-to-greener-pastures) election commission chairman Abdul Rashid, there were also reports made to the police confirming that certain irresponsible quarters had purchased indelible ink from abroad with the intention of creating confusion and suspicion as to the status of voters.

You mean you can buy indelible ink so easily, like at the pasar malam?

For the love of God. Was that the best excuse they could come up with??

Even I could give them some better suggestions for cancelling the use of indelible ink:

1) Produce surveys/statistics showing the majority of Malaysians are allergic to indelible ink, which causes them suffer from urges that require copious dosages of viagra.

2) Display some random Malaysians with fungus growing on their fingernails that closely resemble indelible ink (and thus causing confusion).

3) Prove that space aliens on UFOs have concrete plans to smear indelible ink on fingers of Malaysian voters on the night before polling day (maybe that's who the "certain irresponsible quarters" are).

To quote Josh Beh in Rantings & Ravings:

I am utterly disgusted. I am pissed that these f*cktards are conspiring to cheat and lie to my face. I am enraged that ass-wipes actually think that I don't know that they are plotting to commit massive fraud.

I feel insulted that BN and the election commission think I'm so stupid not to know what they're up to.

These are the people I have allowed to rule my country.

This is even more reason for me to vote for change.

Tuesday 4 March 2008

Blogger For Public Office - Badrul Hisham Shaharin


Badrul Hisham Shaharin is the candidate standing for elections under PKR for Rembau.

Badrul or famously known as che'GuBard is a political and social activist. He began to be active in politics after the 1998 Reformasi. Badrul holds a diploma in education from the Raja Melewar Teachers' College in Seremban. After graduating in 2000, he taught in various schools. He left his stable teaching career to be actively involved in politics and was formerly the Youth Information Chief for People's Justice Party. An energetic and resourceful leader, che'GuBard is well-known for his vocal statements on various issues affecting society at large.

CheguBard has attended numerous international seminars and training programs organized by NGOs all over the world. In July 2003, he attended the Comprehensive Training "Fit for Appearances in the Electronic Media" organized by Friedrich Nauman Stiftung (Bangkok) and the International Conferences on The Relevance Of Social Democrat Parties and Progressive Movements in East and Southeast Asia organized by FES Regional Office (MANILA) in October 2004. Apart from that, he also receives invitations to be a speaker at the national and international forums.

In September 2006, he was invited to participate in the Gwangju Asian Human Right Folk School 2006 in South Korea. Badrul emerged as the best participant for the program and was offered a full scholarship from May 18 Memorial Foundation, Gwangju to continue his studies in Masters Degree at the Sungkonghoe University in Seoul, Korea Republic in February 2007.

Badrul is currently furthering his studies in South Korea for a year and will graduate in February 2008. During his stay there, he plans to use the opportunity to expand his network with the people's movement and NGOs in Korea, to interact actively and be involved in mass mobilization program there.

Badrul also has vast experiences in marketing and public relations, having been appointed as marketing manager (present) to private companies since 2003. He is very much into social and welfare work. Apart from that, Badrul is also actively involved in state and national level activities and programs. He has received various awards for his achievement in youth and arts program at national levels.

Badrul's involvement as an activist reached its peak when he was directly involved in setting up Movement for Democracy and Anti Corruption (GERAK), an NGO mooted by Ezam Mohd Nor (he was detained under ISA and OSA for 2 years for exposing two senior minister's corruption cases). Badrul is now GERAK's Executive Coordinator. GERAK has established itself to become an important movement in Malaysia in combating corruption. It now has a network of about 5000 volunteers and has made a presence on the international level.

Badrul has made history for himself when he emerged as the youngest Supreme Leadership Council for People's Justice Party at the 2007 Annual National Congress. The experience was sweeter when he contested for the post and got elected without his presence at the Congress, as he was in Korea furthering his studies.

Monday 3 March 2008

Jailed 2 Years For Apostasy

The Sky Kingdom may not have been the most remarkable of religions. Some call it a cult, others call it just plain cuckoo.

But at the end of the day, they were a harmless communal bunch whose only "crime" was the rather over-sized tea-sets they had in their compound.

I'd be very happy to leave them quite to themselves. After all, they do have the right to do as they please as long as they don't encroach on any laws.

Obviously, the sanctimonious Islamists don't share my view. They got together to vandalise the commune in what I presume was one of their attempts to "curb the deviation of Islam".

The mob reportedly tossed Molotov cocktails, slashed car tires with machetes, broke the windows of several homes, and partially scorched religious structures, including a giant teapot and an umbrella-shaped building.

Malaysian police have failed to arrest anyone involved in the attack.

This is one situation I suppose both BN and PAS would be in agreement with.

One particular former religious teacher, Kamariah Ali has been jailed for 2 years.

Why?

“The court is not convinced that the accused has repented and willing to abandon any teachings contrary to Islam.

“The accused had also failed to response when I greeted her with Assalamualaikum during the start of the court proceeding and this shows that Kamariah has not repented,” he said.

You mean there are not enough criminals in Malaysia and our jails are so empty that you need to throw in people who don't share your views of Islam??

If our jails aren't being used, I can think of a few politicians in BN who could qualify for the space. For instance, the close-one-eye in Jasin, the racist paedophile in Melaka, and all those miscellaneous corrupted fools who have misappropriated government funds.

But no, you reserve it for a harmless woman under the charges of apostasy from Islam.

Sweet.

This is the government we have elected.

This is the freedom of religion we possess.

And they say Malaysia is a modern, progressive Islamic country??

Spare me.

Capable Of Representing Muslims?

It's hysterical. :)

Our local cili padi activist Noor Aza Othman gave me the heads up on this piece "Let's listen to the quiet man" by some ignoramus named Alex Bigham, whose entire research on Islam in Malaysia probably comprised a couple of entries from the wikipedia.

Obviously the spin-doctoring by Barisan Nasional has paid off - at least to the benign masses out there. Either that, or the benign masses have been spending some quality time under the proverbial coconut shell.

Particularly disturbing is this:

In fact, in the election campaign he is currently fighting, the challenge comes from an alliance of opposition parties led by a conservative Islamic party committed to introducing Sharia law.

Despite this, Badawi has stuck firmly and resolutely to his own vision of Malaysia as a modern, progressive Islamic country, a multiracial, multicultural and multiparty democracy that looks outwards to the rest of the world and rejects the insularity and isolationism of the extremists.

It portrays Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as this sincere, well-meaning leader with the nation's best interests at heart.

Nothing could be further than the truth.

For Abdullah, it is all about remaining in the party, maintaining the nepotism and cronyism that Barisan Nasional is so rife with and gaining as much as possible for himself and his family (including the infamous son-in-law).

There is no freedom of speech or expression.

There is no freedom of press.

There is no freedom of religion. For all non-Muslims who marry a Muslim must renounce their religion and convert to Islam while no Muslim may renounce Islam and convert to any other religion.

Double standards? You tell me.

Is Malaysia a modern, progressive Islamic country? It is a police state, and in a state of apartheid, for the love of God!!

And meanwhile, what exactly has our "quiet man" politician been doing?

Blogger For Public Office - Jeff Ooi


Jeff Ooi is the candidate standing for elections under DAP for Jelutong.

I have been reading Jeff's blog for a while now. He has been very consistent about bringing up issues (such as SMS scams and corruption) and sticking to them until some measure of action has been taken.

I like that.

Frankly, that is what we Malaysians are lacking in terms of representation. Most issues are brought up but when the hype dies down, they are forgotten just as quickly.

Jeff would be a very good asset to Jelutong. His stand has always been against race-based politics, and for that he is a man after my own heart.

He is also technologically astute. Look at him, he's such a geek. You can't expect a man like that not to know his facts. I personally think Koh Tsu Koon bolted after finding out what a formidable opponent he had in Jeff.

Rocky did a piece on Jeff in my paper. It pretty much sums up why Jelutong MUST select Jeff by voting for him.

Sunday 2 March 2008

Blogger For Public Office - Elizabeth Wong


Elizabeth Wong is the candidate standing for elections under PKR for Bukit Lanjan.

She has been involved in human rights since her student days in Sydney and subsequently during her work in Nepal. She was the secretary-general of the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) from 2000-2006 (now sitting as a member of the Ex-Com), a member of the Suaram secretariat and was a human rights fellow of Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs (2002-03).

Impressive resume, folks. Obviously, we need an MP with a human heart (unlike the BN fools who prefer to spray chemicals and tear gas their citizens) to run this country.

Eli is also a political consultant and has been involved in the setup of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus for Democracy and Solidarity Campaign for Human Rights in Aceh.

She is currently working on an initiative to develop further understanding on democracy and its mechanisms for possible reforms.

Check out her blog which has some very interesting stuff. I've been perusing it for ages now - she does come out with some hot stuff now and then. Oh yeah, Eli Wong does enjoy looking at the paradoxes and intricacies of democracy and politics.

In her spare time, she researches and writes on the War on Terror and security in the region.

Her interests are in political imagery and symbolism, history, South Asian politics, resistance and Islamism in Southeast Asia, technology and the politics of change.

Bukit Lanjan is lucky. If I had this woman as my candidate, I wouldn't have to think twice about whom I should vote for.

Saturday 1 March 2008

Blogger For Public Office - Tony Pua


I don't need to say much for Tony Pua who is the candidate standing for elections under DAP for PJ Utara.

He is a prominent blogger and honestly, few people have not heard of him.

A graduate of Keble College of Oxford, he is well versed in philosophy, politics and economy. Heck, he even started up his own company which he sold for a tidy profit before making the foray into politics.

He joined the Democratic Action Party (DAP) as the Economic Advisor to the DAP Secretary-General

This dude is versatile - his knowledge of the economy is as strong as his oratorial skills.

He once agreed to take on fellow Oxfordian Khairy Jamaluddin on a debate, but the latter predictably declined.

More recently, he was willing to take on current incumbent for PJ Utara, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

Unfortunately, Chew declined - for obvious reasons, her party does not have what it takes to deserve the vote. In fact, she has even stooped to fear-mongering by bringing up ethnic riots of the past.

I guess if I had an opponent in the form of Tony Pua, I would be desperate too.