2009 In Malaysia

My apologies for not being online more often. Real life has been biting hard. And it's already the end of the year.

I won't say much, but I just want to leave you with this video clip.



May 2010 bring better days.

Correct Lessons From Past Economic Crises

Title: When will we ever learn? Has Malaysia learnt the correct lessons from past crises?
Speaker: Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram
Date: Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Hotel Singgahsana, PJ (next to Taman Jaya LRT Station)
Admission: FREE

For more details, go HERE.

The speaker has been Assistant Secretary General for economic development in the United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs since 2005 and is one of the world’s leading thinkers on questions of development.

Don't miss this world-renown, Penang-born economist.

The Malaysian Nazi Programme

It's disturbing to know that our tax money is being spent to fund a programme that encourages and breeds racism and bigotry.

Even my Malay colleagues, most of whom are the targets for this programme are utterly disgusted.


The sad truth is that while we thought the Third Reich had been gone and buried, it has been resurrected and is very much alive in Malaysia.

Formula 1Malaysia

It's a formula that's not quite working out.

Free & Equal Forum By SABM

In conjunction with the United Nations Year of Reconciliation 2009, the Special Events Working Group of the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia movement organised the Free & Equal Forum.

A significant topic addressed by the team was urban poverty.

If you missed this event (my condolences to you), you may be pleased to know that we have deigned to allow you a glimpse of our highlights via youtube.



More highlights to follow soon.

What Do You Think?

Time out from politics.

I saw this article about straying men and busy career-women yesterday.

Today, there is some sort of response to it.

The main reason this has caught my attention is that both Ivy Josiah and Vicky Alahakone are from Women's Aid Organisation and yet both have differing views.

I generally don't read mainstream media, but I'm curious to know what everyone else thinks - both men and women - so please leave a comment.

Feel free to remain anonymous if you so wish, but using a pseudonym would help identify who is who.

References:
1. Sex and the hubby, NST 29 Nov 2009
2. Don't pin it on the working wife, says WAO, NST 30 Nov 2009

International Year of Reconciliation 2009

The year 2009 is the International Year of Reconciliation. It aims to promote the concept of reconciliation worldwide.

Go HERE to read what SABM is up to.

Crystal Clear Focus

Muhyiddin Yassin made it to the forefront of politics, not by sheer intellect, a heart for the citizens or good looks.

He rose by barking suitably loudly at the grassroot levels and maintaining the appropriate silence at international levels.

It is thus unfortunate that at the national level, he has lost his ability to conceal his stupidity - thanks to the mainstream media:

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- The fickleness of Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in making decisions is proof that the party leadership is weak, says Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He observed that Nik Aziz was selective in making decisions, especially when it involved his personal interests, and was not firm, inconsistent and sometimes even contradictory on many matters.

"It is clear that the PAS leadership is inconsistent, vague and not transparent at all. To me, it shows a level of weakness in the PAS leadership," he told reporters after chairing the 7th meeting of the National Mineral Council, here, today.

Now I have gained the reputation for being a PAS basher.

If the truth be told, I have a low tolerance for people who dictate what women should wear, what people should or should not drink and where they can or cannot go.

But I have come to accept that Nik Aziz, the spiritual leader of PAS while eccentric (in my opinion), has one glaring characteristic - he is sincere to a fault.

I have the utmost respect and conviction that this old man is not swayed by money, popularity, pride or even family.

And direction?

Since he has nothing to distract him, his focus is crystal clear and he couldn't be more purposeful in his direction.

The mainstream media has attempted to cloud my opinion of Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat on the issue of his son-in-law's alleged misappropriation of funds. It has failed miserably.

For I am reminded that this man is:

1. Humble enough to admit that he made a mistake in appointing his son-in-law to the position of power.
2. Sincere enough to reverse that mistake (at the risk of offending family members).
3. Consistent and transparent enough to do what is right without being intimidated by UMNO politicians and the mainstream media, who naturally had a field day with this issue.

Muhyiddin Yassin can call him a "flip-flop". The mainstream media may attempt to ridicule him.

But I am not gullible enough to believe them.

The Social Impediment

I watched as the young, barefoot Malaysian boys battled it out in their game of football.

With the exception of a few tufts of grass, some stray, misaligned tiles, and a manhole, it was largely a level playing field. All the boys were about of the same height and build even.


To some, it may look like a bleak situation - the boys lived in a run-down rumah panjang meant to be temporary housing. It was located just on the outskirts of the city that is host to the majestic Petronas Twin Towers.

Their ignorance is bliss.

For alas, when they grow older, they will discover (if they haven't already) that they possess a little but not insignificant impediment: they are of Indian descent.

It is no longer a level playing field.

In this country, there are countless deaths in custody, the majority of them being Indian men.

More recently, 5 Indian men were shot dead by the police - merely under suspicion of being involved in criminal activities.

Helen Ang, in her bold but exceptionally relevant article Why we haven’t thrown that slipper pierces my conscience for being part of the motley crew of Malaysians that does nothing to stop this violation of human rights.

In Malaysia, some dark-skinned men are deliberately made to be less equal than others. Malaysian authorities who shoot to kill do not believe that ‘suspected criminals’ possess any unalienable right to life, never mind the too hopeful “pursuit of happiness”.

Successive BN governments have not addressed the root problem of the Indian community’s chronic socio-economic ills – why the gangsterism and involvement in criminal activities. It’s not just Indians who are neglected with no opportunity for social mobility; the itinerant pirated DVD seller – almost always Chinese – is also on the wrong side of the law.

It's not just the Indian men who suffer and die, but somehow the entire community is affected as well.

In the case of R Surendran, his sister Seetha, overcome by grief, ingested weedkiller and offered it to her 4 children as well. She has since died.

Again, Helen in Sad road to Seetha's suicide observes that:

For most of us, we lose our loved ones to old age or they succumb to natural causes. For the Tamil underclass like Seetha, death can visit a male sibling in a hail of bullets or occurring in the police lock-up. This comes about due to the chronic socio-economic deprivation of the community.

So, no, those comfortable armchair critics of Seetha can't even begin to comprehend her anguish and the perennial dark cloud hanging when one is mired in poverty. Her father is a security guard; her husband a lorry driver. Both are low status and low pay jobs.

In other words, the Indian community is finding itself unable to cope.

Seriously, what do we need to open our eyes and that of our fellow Malaysians?

Why We Have Regressed

I'm not going to say much today.

I would just like to point you to an excellent post that echoes my sentiments exactly:

IGP - ‘Thou shalt not question me’

It's no secret that our nation has greatly regressed and deteriorated. In that post, you will find one of the major reasons why.

When It Comes To Corruption, Malaysia Boleh!

As I sat in my car drearily watching the line ahead of me snake towards the traffic lights, a fake, chirpy voice announced that we had dropped in the corruption index.

"Unbelievable," I muttered to myself as the lights turned. Could we possibly be less corrupt than we were last year?

It turns out that it was just an attempt to fool the Malaysian public as usual, by insinuating we had improved instead of regressing.

“A fall of 0.6 from 5.1 in 2008 to 4.5 in 2009 is alarming not only to the people of Malaysia but also the government of the day,” said Datuk Paul Low, the country president of the local branch of TI.

Let's not even consider Singapore's lofty position. It's too embarrassing.

Related: A Sinking Corrupt Nation

Will Malaysia Ever Be Colour-Blind?

Will Malaysia ever be colour-blind?
In Malaysia, a promise to continue a race-based affirmative action policy will only entrench racism

By Nazry Bahrawi

After South Africa and Rwanda's harrowing experiences, it might be expected that no country would want its citizens governed racially lest it be torn asunder. But Malaysia considers itself an exception. Its leaders just gave race-based policies a renewed stamp of approval.

Last month, prime minister Najib Razak vowed to continue an unpopular affirmative action policy that favours the nation's Malays (who make up for slightly more than half of its population) over the Chinese and Indian minorities, who account for about 26% and 8% respectively.

The New Economic Policy (NEP), as this racialised national programme is known, was introduced nearly four decades back to raise the Malays' share of the nation's wealth from a meagre 1.5% to a more equitable 30% and create a Malay middle class. To this end, the government imposed racial quotas in such spheres as education and business.

Read it all HERE.

The Private Investigator's Comeback!

We need more than a spring cleaning in Malaysia.

The Mr Nice Guy Image

Some of you may remember that back in July, we learned that Najib had employed a Public Relations firm called APCO Worldwide to promote his image within the country and also worldwide.

A lot of money was spent. Our taxpayer money, of course. It was confirmed in Parliament quite recently.

But it looks like APCO Worldwide may be responsible for successfully duping a lot of Malaysians and possibly some foreigners as well into thinking that Najib Tun Razak is a nice guy.

Najib suddenly has a wonderful image. He appears to be the 'change' that the nation sorely needs.

He shows up with the 1Malaysia concept, claiming to champion equality and unity.

To date, there has been no evidence to suggest that it will actually happen.

and I'm not holding my breath waiting.

And then he claims to abolish racist policies or "dilute the system of ethnic preferences" as the New York Times calls it.

I didn't buy it and none of my friends did either.

Recently, there have been calls by civil initiatives like Anak Bangsa Malaysia to recognise September 16 (Malaysia Day) as significant, since it has generally been ignored by previous administrations.

But Najib swoops in to seize the day by declaring September 16 as a public holiday.

What a kind, reasonable man, you think. But this is the man who couldn't care less about Sabah and Sarawak. Beyond the oil & gas, timber and tourism that those two states provide, that is.

He doesn't stop at that.

Najib steps back and watches the debate between proponents of vernacular and national type schools respectively. And then he walks in and says that the government will maintain vernacular schools as this is what the rakyat want.

BN cannot survive without the divide and conquer rule. They cannot afford to have the Malays, Chinese and Indians thinking alike and feeling contented to be equals.

Once the races start integrating and communicating, they will inevitably unite and give BN a solid kick on its behind.

So Najib comes up with pseudo-unity speeches to UMNO delegates like "Work for the people".

During the last few UMNO general assemblies, key delegates started waving the keris around while breathing threats. That culminated in a tsunami of disapproval, observed through crushing results during the 2008 General Elections.

APCO Worldwide must probably be dishing out plenty of advice to Najib about refraining from stupid stunts like that.

He is obviously taking the cue.

Good Ole RPK Evades The Gestapo

From Al-Jazeera: Malaysia blogger in hiding

A court in Malaysia has temporarily dropped the trial of a prominent blogger accused of sedition, because they do not know his whereabouts.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who runs the Malaysia Today website, is believed to have gone into hiding, possibly outside of Malaysia.

The trial which began in October last year stems from an article he wrote last year that allegedly implied the involvement of Malaysia's prime minister in the high-profile 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman.

Two policemen were sentenced to death in April for the killing, although the trial never established any motive.

Speaking to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Raja Petra said he would remain in hiding saying he still believes authorities are determined to put him behind bars.

"I think I'll continue from where I am in my attempts to bring down the government," he said from an unknown location.

The 59-year-old blogger has infuriated Malaysian authorities for years by publishing numerous claims of alleged wrongdoing by government leaders.

The government has denounced his allegations as lies.

If convicted of sedition, Raja Petra had faced up to three years in prison.

What Leads To A Dull And Rigid Environment?

A colleague of mine at work recently put up a sign that said, "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."

The Labour Department director-general is precisely that sort of stupidity personified.

The introduction of a sexual harassment statute could lead to a dull and rigid environment in the workplace.

-Labour Department director-general Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim

Ah yes. Stupidity has no limits.

Getting Away With Murder In Malaysia

People in developed countries find our stories hard to believe. Only we Malaysians know that what goes on in our country is real.

I am aware that many deaths are politically motivated but even I was stunned to discover the staggering number of them that are simply swept under the carpet.

It especially irks me when they mysteriously get classified under the Official Secrets Act.

You'll have to read this article from Asia Sentinel. And then cry for what we have become.

SABM Penang Roadshow

Those of you in Penang will be pleased to know that the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative will be coming down to you!


You'd be a fool to miss something like this.

There's an excellent line-up of speakers - I've listened to them before and they know their stuff!

For more details, get yourself down HERE to check it all out.

We Need A Zombie Walk

Don't say the Australians aren't creative. To raise money for the Brain Foundation, over thousands participated in a 'Zombie Walk' in Brisbane.

I felt a smile creep over my face as I read various news articles and browsed through some of the pictures.

And then I realised a Zombie Walk couldn't be more relevant to us Malaysians, because if you think about it, we Malaysians are walking zombies after all.


Our minds have been taken over by continuous brain-washing by the mainstream media. In schools, children are taught not to question history - like the infamous May 13 incident, for instance.

Even as adults, we're threatened with bloodshed if certain 'sensitive' issues like race and religion are brought up.

Consequently, our rights to freedom of expression have been hijacked. The government sprays chemical-laced water and fires tear gas at those who dare voice their dissatisfaction.

Heck, the Malaysian police even beat bloody those they can get their hands on.


So most Malaysians opt to remain as zombies even if some inquisitively attempt to push boundaries.

Perhaps I don't even have to remind you that regardless of whether we protest our ill-treatment or not at the hands of the government, our throats are perpetually being slashed by the blatant corruption that is so rampant in this country.


We're hounded by the LHDN to pay up our taxes, only for all that money to be bled steadily into someone's pocket.

I don't know about you, but my breath is sucked out of me when I hear a computer costs RM43,000 to purchase, according to the Malaysian government.

So many questions are begging answers. Why did Altantuya die? How did Teoh Beng Hock die? Who killed Nurin Jazlin? Where is Sharlinie?

Disturbingly, a lot of them have to do with death.


Unfortunately the dead don't talk, so even if we sacrifice a limb or two to ask those questions, we'll never get any answers.

Government admits spending to boost Najib administration

From The Malaysian Insider:

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon confirmed in Parliament today that the government had engaged Apco Worldwide, an international public affairs and media relations company, to boost its image overseas.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the contract is worth some RM20 million but Koh, in a written reply to a question from DAP’s Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, did not divulge the exact amount.

“Apco Worldwide was tasked with promoting and improving Malaysia's image overseas,” said Koh, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

He justified the appointment by asserting that a foreign firm would ensure that the country's communication practice was in line with international standards.

To justify the hefty fees it is charging, The Malaysian Insider understands that Apco Worldwide staff are now generating press releases and conducting media training for the government.

Because of the value of the contract, Apco Worldwide has set up an office for the first time in Malaysia. Its personnel are mainly from the United States, and the main focus of their job remains to improve Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s image.

It is also understood that the government has hired a separate firm in the United States to act as its lobbyist with the Obama administration.

“Appointing an international communication firm is a common practice by governments of other countries,” Koh said in his written reply to Parliament today.

He also said that inaccurate reports in foreign media had affected the international community's confidence in the country as a stable investment, trade and tourist destination, resulting in the need to appoint Apco.

“Apart from Apco, the ministry and government agencies also appoint other local and international firms, for short and long term to provide communication services,” he said.

“Because the expenses for this service depend on the implementation of the programmes and communication projects planned from time to time according to needs, the total cost cannot be determined for the time being.”

The Malaysian Insider had reported in July that Apco was also tasked with promoting Najib's image for his first 100 days in office and later to boost the administration's standing worldwide.

Najib is not the first prime minister, however, to use expensive foreign help to boost his image and that of his administration.

Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also used a foreign-based public relations firm to help project a positive image of himself as a progressive Muslim leader, and Malaysia as a modern Muslim nation.

The Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad administration had used disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Beating Around The Bush

I don't read the mainstream media, but a friend pointed this article out:

SHAH ALAM: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) counsel Datuk Abdul Razak Musa caused a stir at the Teoh Beng Hock inquest yesterday when he questioned why the deceased was lodging with a woman friend and her family instead of living with his brother Meng Kee.

“His brother lives in Shah Alam and he (Teoh) works in Shah Alam. So, why did he stay with another woman instead of with his brother? The whole country wants to know this," said Abdul Razak.

Actually no, I really couldn't care less where Teoh was staying. I just want to know for sure why and how he was killed.

Strange Behaviour

My computer picked the eve of the festival of lights to gasp, keel over and croak.

Thanks to the miracle-working fingers of computer technicians these days, it was resuscitated to life. Actually, it was a nifty anti-virus system that did the trick.

Yep, the damn thing had gone and picked up a virus. My mother firmly believes it was personally sent by the government of Malaysia in tribute to my blogging activities.

I'm not so paranoid. Viruses come and go - except for this silly, high-maintenance bimbo of a H1N1 which obviously can't get enough public attention.

Anyway, it wasn't just my computer that was behaving strangely last week. The MCA boys were flicking EGMs at each other like how I used to flick kuaci skins at my sister when I was a kid.

I used to get away with my kuaci-flicking - unfortunately the MCA boys each got their faces slapped by Najib and/or UMNO and told to behave or else.

That inspired them all into a dramatic display of unity and team spirit like good potty-trained pussy cats. They even posed for an all-for-one shot for the headlines.

It was such embarrassing subservience to UMNO that I wonder how they sleep at night without some dignity to keep them cool in bed.

The Facts Of Life

The sky is not blue.

Grass is not green.

The earth is not round.

Birds do not fly.

Fish do not swim.

UMNO is not racist.

Political Chameleon

The thing about these political types is that they are natural pots with an affinity for calling the kettle black.

Take Kera Jantan for example - he is a study in contradictions.

He is also capable of saying the most ludicrous things with a straight face:

Malaysians are now faced with the choice between two political fronts - Barisan Nasional, which has developed the country to its current heights, or Pakatan Rakyat which continues to divide the people.

It is our responsibility to expose the true colours of the opposition – that they are no true coalition and are not bound by any shared principle.

What exists is merely a casual relationship, void of any moral principle, genuine affinity or mutual respect. They are a coalition willing to be in cahoots merely to topple BN, dreaming of Putrajaya.

The Kera must have had a bout of high fever coupled with multiple concussions, which has obviously resulted in severe brain damage, loss of memory and comprehension skills.

He is describing everything that is wrong with Barisan Nasional, his own party, but instead claiming that those are Pakatan Rakyat's woes.

In other words, he is a pot calling the kettle black.

You'd think he'd be smart enough to stop there. Nope.

Just today, he called for Malays and Umno to "get rid of siege mentality". The Kera is actually referring to the ridiculous protection of the Malay special position and consequently the New Economic Policy (NEP).

This is coming from the guy who has whined about the Malays in Penang being marginalised in his bid to play up racial issues. This is the guy who has fiercely protected the NEP since he also benefits generously from it.

That is quite a U-turn. In fact, if he was a car, he'd need handbrakes to achieve that sort of sudden turn-about.

Looks like he is pandering to the crowds again, though at this point, I am confused as to whom he wishes to please.

Saying the Malays have siege mentality is frankly a chronic case of the pot calling the kettle black.

It's quite embarrassing for me to witness this sort of thing. The Kera however, seems to take it in his stride.

You may remember how he once referred to PKR as Projek Khinzir Raksasa (or Giant Pig Project).

He wasn't expecting the response he got.

Fortunately, people do point out the pot's blackness.

Original Ways Of Saving A Relationship...

... or fleecing the taxpayer of his money.


A friend brought this to my attention.

It appears that Terengganu is offering free second honeymoons to couples on the brink of divorce.

No kidding.

At a tender young age (okay fine, I was 20), I clerked in a law firm in my unyielding quest to earn more money and consequently take over the world.

The name of the law firm shall not be disclosed for fear of having them file defamation suits against me.

But one of my sacrosanct duties involved sending out letters and drafting out affidavits for various cases. Some of those cases included divorce matters.

It was then on one hazy and traffic-jam laden day where I discovered that divorce and relationships (and reconciliation) is not as simple as it sounds.

According to Malaysian procedure, counselling is necessary in a last ditch attempt to patch things up before signing on the dotted line.

Based on my observation, "counselling" did not offer a brighter future. Not for 2 people hell-bent on seeing the last of each other.

I suspect taking a 3 day holiday (together) isn't going to cut it either.

But the resort in which they will stay belongs to somebody. And that somebody - possibly a crony - stands to profit.

I believe that's what this brilliant idea of a second honeymoon is all about.

So much for family values.

Screwed By The French

I would have dismissed this article had I not noticed that it is the French we're talking about here.


I usually roll my eyes when I read news reports like this, but I'm learning to read between the lines these days.

France wants to make Malaysia a 'privileged partner'
(AFP) – 19 hours ago

PARIS — France wants to make Malaysia a "privileged partner" in southeast Asia, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday, according to an official.

A "privileged partner" is a very ambiguous term. Like "friends with benefits", where neither party is considered committed to the other.

Najib told reporters he had a "very, very productive and very friendly and warm meeting" with Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace.

Productive? Looks like Monsieur Président has the legendary touch of the amorous Frenchman. I only hope our Prime Minister had protection from his warm friendliness.

Probably not.

"The message is that he wants to deepen and strengthen our bilateral ties. He considers Malaysia as a friend and he wishes possibly to visit Malaysia in a near future," he said.

Let me tell you a story from French history, about a woman named Madame de Pompadour.

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, later the marquise de Pompadour, who met Louis XV in February 1745 at a masked ball given in honour of the Dauphin's marriage, was the most famous mistress of the reign.

She was the daughter of a chief agent of the powerful Pâris family of financiers who became embroiled in the intrigue that ousted the duc de Bourbon as head of the Regency council in favour of Cardinal de Fleury.

A beautiful woman and sincerely attached to the king, she nonetheless possessed one major shortcoming in the everyone's eyes: she was a commoner, from the bourgeoisie, and even worse, a commoner who meddled in royal politics.

Dear Najib is not the daughter of a powerful financier; he is merely the unspectacular son of a former Prime Minister, whose only claim to fame is racism, May 13 and deposing of Tunku Abdul Rahman, his predecessor.

Sadly, he means nothing to the French, except that he has at his disposal, the purse strings of an entire third world country.

Economic ties could involve the transfer of technology and French services in the nuclear sector if Malaysia wants to develop that type of energy, the source said.

Ah, but yes. We did rather recently buy a couple of second-hand diesel submarines from the French. A huge commission was involved and someone got blown to bits with C4 explosives.

I think 'economic ties' is the keyword here - and a one sided one at that.

France also proposed that Malaysia buy 18 Airbus A330 airplanes on top of the 14 already owned by Malaysia Airline and the six A380s jumbo jets it has ordered.

No sh!t, sherlock. No one else wants to buy airplanes during these economically trying times. Most have deferred purchase to a later date.

But for Malaysia Airlines, our national carrier, the cost of buying new aircraft is borne by the tax payer.

That's you and me, Monty.

Now suck it in and bear the pain.

Asking Pakatan To Register As A Coalition

Pakatan Rakyat as a team of PAS, PKR and DAP was doing pretty well. The voters liked them in spite of their glaring weakness; and regardless of the differences and conflicts they've had.

As a team, they represented many different groups of people and they promised change, unlike the fermented, stale promises of Barisan Nasional.

PAS by itself counts for nothing, and the same is so for both PKR and DAP. It is their combined efforts that makes them appealing to the people.

So Barisan Nasional is determined to divide them.

And this time they use the Election Commission to act on their behalf in Bagan Pinang by removing the campaign materials of PKR and DAP under the pretext of following rules.

The rules being that PAS, PKR and DAP must be registered as a coalition to start campaigning.

Now we all know that there has to be 7 parties to form a coalition, so it is impossible for Pakatan Rakyat to register itself as one.

It is impossible that the buffoon of an Election Commission chairman and his equally despicable deputy are ignorant of that. They merely thought that the citizens would be.

A very apt quote from Malaysiakini:

'If a top civil servant does not know why Pakatan Rakyat can't register as a coalition, then I think that there are grounds for sacking. First his deputy, now him. Genius, absolute and unparalleled genius.'

I couldn't help but grin. :)

Firstly, there is the internet to educate us even if we were indeed stupid.

Secondly, we're nowhere as stupid as the Election Commission chairman who evidently is unable to keep his mouth shut in spite of the double standards he shamelessly practices.

"That's why our monitoring team took down the flags, symbols and pictures of the parties which were not contesting," he said.

Abdul Aziz said the EC had advised all the parties about this prohibition but many still persisted.

"When we take stern action, I hope that they will accept it with open hearts," he added.

He also said that his vehicle was surrounded during nomination day in Bagan Pinang on Saturday.

"Our vehicle was stopped. We were verbally abused and money was shoved at our faces. I was frightened to look at their faces and worried for our safety, like the vehicle being overturned," he said.

He said that was why the EC had advised the contesting parties not to bring along too many supporters, not more than 5,000, to accompany their candidates on nomination day but it was not heeded.

There are so many things wrong with his logic, but I won't go into it.

He's just not worth it.

When Being Questioned By Authorities...

... there are some important things to bear in mind.

From Aliran:

OCT 3 — With the periodic reports in the press of people dying while in police custody or at MACC premises, it would be wise for all Malaysians to do the following should they be called in to give statements as a witness or as a suspect for any crime.

The recommended actions are as follows:

1. Determine at which station you are required to give your statement (as witness or suspect);

2. Immediately proceed to any other police station. Do not go alone — go with a friend, preferably a lawyer. You just can’t be too careful;

3. At this other police station, make a police report stating that:
i. You are currently having no problems (social, personal, business, financial, etc) and do not intend whatsoever to commit suicide (e.g. perhaps by jumping down 14 storeys just to see if you can fly or because of too much questioning throughout the night) while in the police/MACC premises;
ii. You are of good health and do not suffer from any chronic disease or injury that could cause a (or actually your) sudden death;
iii. You have no bruises nor swollen organs before going in to give your statement. In short, you have a clean bill of health;
iv. That should you be found dead in the lock up or while in custody or anywhere in the premises of the police/MACC — to please suspect foul play;
v. That you want to leave the premises of the police/MACC once it is past 6pm and if you do not leave, that means you are held against your will in the said police/MACC premises where they are “taking” or “making” your statement;

4. Upon making the said report, to give a copy to your lawyer friend while you keep another copy in your top shirt pocket;

5. You and your friend must now part company and go separate ways;

6. Only then should you proceed to the police station or MACC office to be “interviewed” by the police/MACC interrogators;

7. Upon meeting up with the police or MACC interrogators, immediately hand them the police report from your top shirt pocket and tell them that another copy is with your lawyer. (Make sure this lawyer friend is no longer with you at this point; otherwise no more copy-lah, as he too will be “called in” to give his statement.)

Now all the above is so important as it is all done in the hope that they (police and MACC interrogators) will be “nice” to you and thus you are able to leave the premises in due course on your own steam (walking out by yourself) and not be carried out in a body bag or taken on a stretcher to the hospital ICU.

Gotta Hand It To Fahmi Reza

Yep, this is the same bloke who made the documentary film Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka.

I didn't understand everything and certainly can't remember all the facts he presented, but it was an eye-opener and constant reminder that our history books are Malaysia's best scam.

Fahmi Reza has been keeping busy, bless him.

The Wall Street Journal documents the foray of Modern Arts into Malaysian politics, and some of the credit goes to Fahmi.

KUALA LUMPUR -- It may have been Malaysia's art happening of the year, though almost no one saw it. At the swank Valentine Willie Fine Art gallery one June morning, a pair of workers hastily pulled down a single work from a group show: a gigantic image of the head and shoulders of the country's new prime minister, Najib Razak.

The work's removal echoed its creation. The image was said to have been cut down from a congratulatory downtown billboard (a YouTube video documents the theft, not very convincingly). Compounding the provocation, black tape had been placed across the politician's eyes and yellow police-line tape across his mouth, negating him in the manner of the famous Queen Elizabeth II cover art for the 1970s punk-rock anthem "God Save The Queen."

It was enough to offend at least one gallery visitor -- who turned out to be a government aide. Down came "Najib's Head Stolen From Billboard," though a gallery manager insisted it had been removed along with other works solely to make room for VIP guests at a book-launch reception. (The prime minister's image not only ran down the full height of the gallery wall, but covered part of the floor.)

The artist, 32-year-old Fahmi Reza, a ponytailed human-rights activist, clearly relished the controversy he'd stirred, if not the result. "The billboard was trying to brand our new leader, in the manner of a Big Brother, and this was just my rebranding," he says. "I don't think I was doing anything wrong, but they always try to make us feel afraid."

You've gotta admire his guts. :)

Catch his blog HERE and check out some of his videos. He was the Freedom Film Fest winner of 2007.

This year's one falls during this weekend (at least in KL) so try and catch it if you can.

Get more details HERE.

Noordin Top's Body Returns To Malaysia

Malaysia has claimed the Jemaah Islamiyah bomber:

KUALA LUMPUR — Slain Islamist militant leader Noordin Mohammed Top will be buried in his childhood village in Malaysia Friday, next to the remains of his elder brother, a family representative said.

"Noordin's remains will leave Jakarta shortly and are expected to reach Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 2:00 pm (0600 GMT) Friday and within minutes we will start the journey to Johor for the burial," Badarudin Ismail told AFP.

He said Noordin's remains would reach the Jamek Nurul Iman mosque in the village of Kampung Melayu in the Pontian district of southern Johor state three hours later where final religious rites would be performed.

"Noordin will be buried next to his elder brother Arif Mohammed Top, who died of liver cancer less than two weeks ago," Badarudin added, saying the burial would be completed by 6:00 pm.

It's now almost 6pm, so Noordin Top would likely be buried at the time of writing.

I just got back from a funeral - that of my grandfather's sister who passed away last night. It was somewhat expected as she had taken a fall and had medical complications even prior to that.

We're a little clannish and I numbly feel the loss, just hours after we said our last goodbyes.

She was a sweet old lady and it's distasteful to note that she was buried on the same day as this despicable terrorist.

The only consolation is that if it is indeed Noordin Top's remains they buried today, the world has one less terrorist.

PKR Candidate In Bagan Pinang

I was quite horrified to see the PKR committee member contesting for the seat of Bagan Pinang when there was already a PAS candidate declared.

It is no secret that this is going to be a tough fight. In fact, Penang Chief Minister and DAP politician Lim Guan Eng concedes that this by-elections will be Pakatan Rakyat's loss.

I personally don't know if there's any merit to that - no one expected a win of such proportions during the last general elections, so I've usually waited until the last vote has been counted before I made any comment.

But, this move by Shahruddin Abdul Hamid may be the nail that seals the coffin.

This is a major stand-off between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. They cannot afford to have a split within them.

In fact, both DAP and PKR have pledged to support the PAS candidate and suddenly this loose cannon from PKR declares his candidacy.

If Lim Guan Eng's words are a measure of the outcome, Pakatan Rakyat has a slim chance to begin with. Now with the potential split in votes, the chances are next to nil.

Now PKR either has some idiots fielded as politicians or it has some moles out to bring it down to its knees.

Either way, it needs to set a standard, a benchmark, and adhere to it.

The Good Samaritan

It is somewhat possible that in spite of my inclination for socio-political activism and my penchant for travelling to strange places, I may live to a ripe old age of 70.

In which case, as a little old lady, if I ever get confronted by robbers who intend to attack me, I hope there will still be noble American expatriates around.

Personally, I haven't seen any of our mainstream media carrying this bit of news, but I heard from the grapevine that the American who went to the aid of the old lady was injured in the scuffle.

He was no stray backpacker. He was apparently a man holding a good job (some say he was in the Oil & Gas industry) but prepared to risk it to save the helpless woman.

I try to think positively of my fellow Malaysians. I really do.

But if you ask me, I don't think any Malaysian would risk his own safety for the sake of anyone else - especially with the crime rate at an all-time high (police are too busy arresting peaceful street protestors).

In fact, I once saw a man beating up a woman at a bus-stop while I was driving past.

People looked on with casual disinterest. I don't know if anyone intervened. I personally doubt it.

So whoever that American is, I just want to say thanks to him and I hope he knows I have nothing but admiration for him.

The Truth About May 13, 1969

I bought this book online from KiniBooks, just a couple of weeks ago.

Originally, I was planning to borrow a copy from a friend who was reading it.

But then the government went and banned Gedung Kartun by Zunar and co.

So of course, Yours Truly was determined to own a copy - you know what they say about Forbidden Fruit.

Since I was already paying for shipping charges, I thought I may as well get myself some more good reading material. And then I remembered May 13: Declassified Documents On The Malaysian Riots Of 1969.

KiniBooks has a good selection and I was tempted to splurge. So tempted.

I haven't gone broke yet, so that's a good sign.

P.S. Will keep you guys posted on the book reading as I progress.

HRW Speaks Out Against Harrassment of M'Kini

Excerpts from Human Rights Watch:

Malaysia: Don’t Censor or Harass Independent Website

(New York) - The Malaysian government should drop its order to a popular news website to remove videos of a recent protest and of a government minister's reaction, Human Rights Watch said today.

The website Malaysiakini has refused to comply with a September 3, 2009 order by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to remove a video showing an incident where protesters in Selangor state marched with a severed cow's head to oppose the building of a Hindu temple and another in which the home minister stated that the actions were legal. The minister later reversed himself and police charged some of the protesters.

"The government wants to make the problem disappear by taking the videos off the internet," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But Malaysians have a right to see for themselves what happened and hear what was said - the government shouldn't be suppressing this information."

According to the Communication and Multimedia Commission, the videos are in violation of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, which prohibits "content which is indecent, obscene, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person." Violations carry fines of up to RM50,000 (US$14,325) and up to a year in prison.

The commission's letter ordering Malaysiakini to remove the videos from its website stated that the videos "contain offensive contents with the intent to annoy any person, especially Indians."

"The government's investigation of Malaysiakini is nothing short of media harassment and it needs to stop," said Pearson. "Malaysians are entitled to know all sides of a story. It is not up to the government to approve what news is fit to air, print, or post."

I genuinely feel embarrassed for the BN government. It puts its foot in its mouth so often that the foot ought to start paying the mouth some rent for taking up permanent residence there.

It screwed up royally when it rounded up the pseudo-Muslim gangsters to protest the relocation of the temple.

UMNO probably hoped it would garner Muslim sympathy and comradeship. It did not.

Then Hishamuddin Hussein attempted to calm trouble waters by pooh-poohing the whole issue. It backfired in his face. Literally.

He was caught on tape spouting rubbish. That move earned BN an all-time political pariah status.

Muslims were quite embarrassed (the poor things) and quick to disassociate themselves from those munafik imbeciles.

So he quickly changed his tune and ordered that those protestors be arrested and tried in court. Of course, you and I know they will be out in no time at all.

But he couldn't change the video in which he was caught making a fool of himself.

The smart thing (for any other normal being) would be to lie low and lick one's wounds in quiet.

But no. He gets a running dog, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to force Malaysiakini (who videoed him and uploaded it to its website) to remove those offending videos.

That sort of stupidity can only attract a whole new level of attention.

But BN has been around for ages. They haven't learned anything thus far, and they never will.

The Launch of Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia Initiative

Sorry for the lack of publicity on my blog, but it's on today!

Time: 6pm
Venue: Rumah Anak Bangsa Malaysia, No.66, Lorong Setiabistari 1, Bukit Damansara.

Programme:
6.00 pm - Registration
6.30 pm - Welcome Remarks & SABM Presentation
6.45 pm - Media Conference
7.30 pm - Majlis Berbuka Puasa

Save Yvonne's Sight

Masterwordsmith tagged me for this Save Yvonne's Sight meme.

Yvonne Foong, 22, has neurofibromatosis type II, which has severely affected her sight and hearing due to tumours in the brain and spine. She is scheduled for an operation between 1 and 4 December 2009. The cost of surgery is USD44,000 or RM54,770, and the cost of staying in hospital for two weeks is USD915 or RM3219.

She has raised about RM52,454.28 of this and is hoping to raise the rest by republishing her book I'm Not Sick; I'm Just a Bit Unwell in English and Chinese.

The books are now available in Malaysian bookshops and from her web site store. She is also selling T-shirts at bazaars and via her web site store. You can read about her surgery and donate to her fund.


You can also help by sending on this meme. If you do, please follow these meme rules:

1. Create a blog entry titled “Meme: Save Yvonne’s Sight”
2. List three things you love to see. Add in the picture of Yvonne’s book cover. The URL is http://www.yvonnefoong.com/images/banner/my-story.jpg
3. End with the line, "Yvonne Foong is in danger of losing her eyesight thanks to neurofibromatosis (NF). Please find out how you can help her by visiting her blog at http://www.yvonnefoong.com".
4. Tag 5 blog friends. Be sure to copy the rules, OK?
5. If you have a Facebook account, please check out Ellen’s new invention, a “feme” pronounced FEEM, a meme designed for Facebook here. And if you want to blog about NF, that would be great too!

Three things I'd love to see:
1. Africa
2. The face of this guy whom I have an intense crush on (not telling who)
3. Websites (especially blogs - both political and general) and books - I love reading!

I'm tagging:
1. Patricia Goh - The English Cottage
2. Antares - Magick River
3. Ella Mae - The Dandelions
4. Bernard Khoo - Zorro Unmasked
5. Shar - O.B.E

Yvonne Foong is in danger of losing her eyesight thanks to neurofibromatosis (NF). Please find out how you can help her by visiting her blog at http://www.yvonnefoong.com.

Trying To Eliminate Witnesses?

From Lim Kit Siang:

Gobind just phoned.

Police are picking up T. Sivanesan, witness at Teoh Beng Hock's inquest yesterday giving first-hand account of MACC torture.

Police are now at Sivanesan's house at Jenjarom to take him to Jenjarom police station.

Gobind is on his way to Sivanesan's Jenjarom house.

UPDATED: Read KTemoc's take on whether MACC tortured Sivanesan into 'confession'?

Being a witness against the government is a dangerous position to be in.

Tunku Abdul Rahman's Great Grand-Daughter

Most of our Prime Ministers were crap leaders. Some made the distressing folly of reproducing - hence presenting us with the likes of Hishamuddin Hussein and Najib Razak.

We have heard more than our share from those buffoons. I personally don't want or need to hear anymore from them.

But we've had one good Prime Minister - the first, and the father of independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

It appears that the good genes have been passed on in the form of what looks like an average young Malaysian kid.

She is no ordinary kid though - she has amazing insight into what ails our nation.

Read what Tunku's great grand-daughter has to say about the Malaysian situation.

------------------------

Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, 24
Conservationist

“Both my parents are Malay. My mum's heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a Chinese.

I'm happy that I don’t have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up, "Are you Chinese or Malay?"

Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer "Malay" but now I'm trying to consciously answer Malaysian instead..

There's this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don’t have a Muslim name.

Of course, I was scared then but now that I'm older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn’t define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a Muslim name. You can be named Rashid or Ali and still be a Christian.

I’ve heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don’t need to be told to be united. We've come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united.

Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders.

For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It's tiring, really.

We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about 'us' and 'them' and focus on 'we', 'our' and 'Malaysians'.

No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, "I don’t feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don’t feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there..

I know some Baba Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I'm a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am Bumiputra, why can’t they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.

I think the main reason why we still can’t achieve total unity is because of this 'Malay rights' concept. I'd rather 'Malay rights' be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this Bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.

For my merdeka wish, I'd like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.

I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of 'Malaysia - Truly Asia'.

The Cow-Head Lesson for Merdeka

Gentle reminder:

If you haven't seen this or don't know about it, there is a petition condemning the temple protest with the cow head.

For context, read HERE and HERE.

And then you know what to do.

The Cow-Head Lesson for Merdeka: Delegitimize Violence and Hatred Petition

If you are Malaysian, and you've seen it but not done anything, then what are you waiting for?

COW-ards Bray On Mainstream Media

When one is protected by the low-down scum of a mainstream media, one has plenty of courage to speak.

After all, there is no opportunity for anyone to challenge the plausibility of one's statements.

But on Malaysiakini, Zaid Ibrahim has challenged the cowards.

Zaid suggested that the best test for Najib's theory would be to call for a snap election in Perak.

"The proof of the pudding lies in the eating," retorted Zaid.

"Let's see the Prime Minister, who engineered the BN takeover of the Perak state government last February, test the verdict of the people more than six months after taking over that state," he elaborated.

"Najib is telling Pakatan that since the boot is on the other foot, we are hobbling about from the discomfort of it all," said Zaid.

"Well, why doesn't he turn our discomfort into presumable misery by calling for snap elections in Perak to allow voters to rectify the mistake they made in March last year?" challenged Zaid.

And do you think they would even dare call for elections in Perak (or anywhere else, for that matter)?

In. Your. Dreams.

They had 52 years to make this country into something great. Instead, under their tender loving care, Malaysia is going to hell in a handbasket.

We may question Pakatan Rakyat for some of their policies. It is our legitimate right to do so.

But we wouldn't question their credibility, for whatever they have done or may do, they could hardly screw up as spectacularly as Barisan Nasional has managed (with such ease and flair).

Pakatan Rakyat would not allow hooligans to walk about with a cow-head and scream violence and other obscenities in the name of religion. They would not proceed to firstly, defend those fools and secondly, take absolutely no action over their misdeeds.

And for sure, Pakatan Rakyat would not arrest peaceful participants of a candlelight vigil and brutalise them just days after allowing the abovementioned hooligans to remain free.

Pakatan Rakyat may do some stupid things, but UMNO reigns supreme when it comes to blithering idiocy.

HINDRAF's Candlelight Vigil

We arrived at Dataran Merdeka just after 6.30pm. The perimeters of the square were casually littered with cops, who did not permit anyone into the square.

I had my camera with me and I was dying to take some shots of the empty square but decided against it as the cops were giving me the hairy eyeball.

So Shar and I merely walked towards the Bar Council, where we saw a small group waiting there.


Wisely, much of the crowd gathered in small groups. They were mainly waiting for instructions, presumably from Uthayakumar (whom we later found out had been promptly arrested).

The media was also waiting - some impatiently, as this was obviously turning into a non-event.


The turnout was rather poor and I barely saw a crowd. In fact, I would hazard a guess that the police outnumbered the vigil-holders.

This bunch of policemen outside the Loke Yew building were obviously not impressed by the crowd as they barely paid attention to them.


We heard there was more action over at Masjid Jamek, so we ambled over. Yes, we ambled - there didn't seem any reason to rush. Life was moving at its usual pace.


There was a slightly better crowd there though. And the FRU was in full force though I did not personally see any water cannons or tear gas squad.

A pal informed me that 16 had already been arrested. It was news that did not go down well. These HINDRAF women were obviously worried and displeased that even women were arrested.


Not to mention that even though no one resisted arrest, they were roughly manhandled and dragged into the waiting trucks.

It was such a contrast to the vehemently racist cow-head protest by the 'Shah Alam Section 23 residents' whom I believe are UMNO stooges.

I was befuddled that UMNO government sees no need to play down its obvious double-standards, as that incident is fresh in the minds of the public.

Frankly, there was no need to arrest any of those who were holding vigil peacefully.

But Shar and I agreed that in the mind of the UMNO government, the Ketuanan Melayu concept has to be upheld. Conceding to the non-Malays (even for PR reasons) would be seen as a sign of weakness by the UMNOputras.

And that is the government we have.

Candlelight Vigil At Dataran Merdeka

This is about freedom of religion and the right to coexist without having limitations imposed.

Date: 5th September 2009
Time: 6.45pm
Venue: Dataran Merdeka

It is not a gathering organised by BN, so expect some police brutality. This one is not for the faint-hearted, but if you have the guts, come along.

I will be reporting the events on my blog, so those of you at home come back later for updates.

Ganyang Malaysia

Will someone have a word with Khir Toyo and get him to smooth out the kinks with his countrymen?

They've been burning our flag since God-knows-when.



That was in 2007. Things haven't changed much two years down the road...



Though I reckon we've been stepping on their collective tails one too many times.

Read about The Great Nusantara Love-Hate Relationship by Galadriel.

Oh, and as is discussed on the Jakarta Post, should the Indonesians hate Malaysia?

Of Bovine Stupidity

I've heard of buffoons trying to backpedal when sh!t hits the fan.

But this incidence protesting the relocation of the temple in Shah Alam takes the cake.

There are videos and photos circulating of the very public protest (which incidentally did not require a police permit and thus, did not involve tear-gassing or chemical-laced water).

Frankly, there is no way that there can be any credible denial issued - with that sort of coverage they commanded.

But that doesn't stop them from trying:

Section 23 residents action committee chairperson Mahyuddin Manaf believes that the cow's head that was brought to yesterday's controversial protest was to 'provoke them'.

However, the self-proclaimed PAS member declined to elaborate, saying he did not want the issue to be blown out of proportion.

He also stressed that the protest was not intended to stoke racial tension but rather to 'solve such grievances'.

As for the cow's head, Mahyuddin said its appearance at the protest remains a mystery.

"We did a post mortem (on the protest) but could not identify the people who brought it," he told Malaysiakini.

There were 2 men who carried the severed cow's head while the other village idiots paraded around and yelled in their deranged, high-pitched voices. We all saw it.

And then they proceeded to stomp on the cow's head and spit on it - all the while screaming threats of violence and bloodshed.

We did not miss that - it's on video. In fact to date, I'm fairly certain we've exhausted every cow and bull pun that a nation could collectively come up with - the most notable of them being cow-ard and bullsh!t.

But these fools actually think they can get away with it.

Perhaps in the eyes of the government, they can, for after all, they are but paid stooges.

Not in the eyes of the people, though. We do know who is behind these shenanigans, and we won't forget.

Oh no, we won't.

Wear Black On Merdeka Day

The government has gone on overdrive trying to promote Merdeka Day.

The overriding (and highly abused) word used is FREEDOM.

It's on nearly every radio channel. If you haven't been subject to the fake cheeriness of the DJ, who I'm certain has been ordered to inject 'patriotism' into the unsuspecting listeners, consider yourself blessed.

There was this Merdeka segment on Lite.FM revolving around freedom and independence. The message they were trying to get across to the public is that we should be thankful for our independence because we "now have freedom".

To call Malaysia a free country is to denigrate the true meaning of 'freedom'.

Because at the end of the day, patriotism is loyalty to one's country at all times, but to the government only when they deserve it.

Our government certainly doesn't. You and I know that.

So I humbly ask you fellow Malaysians to wear black on Merdeka Day even if you're only going to be at home.

We need to make our voices heard. Without shouting.

They Are Munafik, Not Muslims

I saw this news yesterday. But even though I'm not even Hindu and carry no religious or emotional attachment to a cow, I was filled with rage.

So I decided not to blog, lest I said something I didn't really mean. Anger does that. I salute Naga, who has kept his cool without getting incited.

The mainstream media has kept mum on this issue, so I'm putting up this despicable picture on my blog because people need to know what this country has come to.


When I was a kid, I might have been gullible enough to draw across this image and think it represented all Muslims. I may have thought to myself, "Muslims are stupid, I want to migrate someplace else."

But you know what? I know heaps of Muslims. And they're a great bunch.

These ones who parade the dead cow's head and shout racial provocation? These fools are not Muslims, they are munafik - hypocrites! Listen to their words:

“I challenge YB Khalid, YB Rodziah and Xavier Jeyakumar to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension will happen if this goes on, and the state will be held responsible,” shouted Ibrahim Haji Sabri amid strong chants of “Allahu Akbar!”

This is gross injustice to the Hindus. The Hindus are perpetually marginalised. Because they are politically weak, they are largely ignored by Barisan Nasional.

Dozens of Hindu temples are demolished by state governments. Sometimes the idols are smashed and destroyed before worshippers can remove them. As Michael Backman once commented, it is an "action which is insensitive at best and a deliberate provocation at worst".

Occasionally, when the temples are actually relocated, there is vicious and intolerant protest against it. Is that fair??

The more I read about the injustices against Hindus, the more I understand why HINDRAF has such a following.

I was heartened today as I browsed some of the blogs. Most of the Muslims I know have condemned this act in the strongest words.

If you are Muslim and read this blog but never comment, please leave a message today.

Your Hindu brothers and sisters need to know that you will champion their cause simply because like you, they are Anak Bangsa Malaysia.

Results, Not Rhetoric

We're obviously full of talk, and next to nothing on substance.

And reaching new heights on the Malaysia Boleh scale, we have been blacklisted by the United States for human trafficking.

The government has protested and called the blacklisting unfair treatment.

But the US is obviously not gullible.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The United States welcomes Malaysia's crackdown on human trafficking, but wants to see "results rather than rhetoric" before it can remove the Southeast Asian country from a blacklist, a senior official said Thursday.

Several alleged traffickers, including government officials colluding with them, have been arrested and charged in recent weeks after Malaysia was labeled one of the world's worst offenders in a U.S. State Department report released in June.

The prosecutions were "heartening," Luis CdeBaca, a top State Department official, told reporters at the end of a three-day visit to Malaysia where he met with government officials and aid groups.

But "we are looking for sustainability. We want to make sure that cases are brought (to court) not simply in the interim period," he said.

Check out our status on Human Trafficking.

Half the time, it's the Malaysian immigration officers who are guilty of the crime:
Malaysian Officers Held over Burmese Migrant Sale
Five immigration officers nabbed for human trafficking

But for reporting the truth through her organisation Tenaganita, Irene Fernandez goes to jail.

And we're celebrating 52 years of independence? What have we achieved??

Freedom?

Freedom? What freedom?

I don't think we've made any progress at all.

Minister Of Information, Communications & Culture

Some of you may sneer at me, but one thing I've always been proud of being Malaysian is our gentle, polite demeanour.

But this is our Arts, Culture and Heritage minister in all his glory.



What have we become?

P.S. Rais Yatim is the Information, Communications, and Culture Minister, and not Arts, Culture and Heritage as the portfolio previously used to be. Thanks to Romerz for correcting me.

The irony of it strikes me though - Rais Yatim rarely gives any valuable information, can't communicate decently and seems devoid of culture.

Planet Of The Apes - Yet Another Sequel

Unfortunately, you can't walk out of the cinema or switch off the television. It's live.


According to Malaysiakini, they've got their tits in a twirl over Malay Mail's report of caste politics.

They can't do anything right.

They don't fight for even basic human rights.

Who cares what they do in their party polls?

A Death In Custody Brushed Aside

This particular post owes its thanks to Naga of the WIRED blog, who gave me the heads up on this video.

The image below is one of Francis Udayappan's mother, Sara Lily, weeping over the death of her son as she speaks to HINDRAF lawyer Uthayakumar.


I can understand why for Uthayakumar, the fight is for the Indians (or Hindus) and not Malaysians as a whole. Fundamental rights are non-existent for an Indian who has no standing in society.

I may not agree with Uthayakumar's approach, but I can understand where he's coming from.


After 10 days, the victim's body still hadn't been returned to his mother.

I believe the police were trying to figure out how to cover up their tracks and were hoping decomposition of the body would hide all traces of assault and the subsequent injuries.

Based on my understanding, the HINDRAF group (and current Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah) went to see the IGP to submit a memorandum for an investigation to be carried out over the mysterious circumstances of Francis Udayappan's death.

This was one of the pleas by the leaders of HINDRAF which fell on deaf ears. When they organised the HINDRAF rally, many people questioned why they did not go through "democratic" channels.

The answer is simply this: HINDRAF did, but it was brushed aside.

Deaths In Custody

Some time ago, when people were still outraged at the murder of Teoh Beng Hock, I sent an Australian colleague a link to a video in Malaysiakini.

Said Australian colleague did some research and came up with some other interesting but factual links. "I have really been moved by the news about this guy," he admitted.

I understand. I was moved during my "first" news of death in custody, a young alleged criminal named Kugan.

Now the fellow might have been up to some mischief (car theft, if I'm not mistaken), but it does not deserve torture to the extent of those kind of injuries.

Haris Ibrahim attended the funeral of Gunasegaran, the latest civilian to die in police custody - incidentally on the same day as Teoh Beng Hock. He was severely assaulted before he died.

That begs the question: how many people exactly are dying under police custody??

You wouldn't expect the mainsteam media to have that sort of information, but you may be rather surprised.

However, Bernama conveniently removes old news, so I am copying and pasting this in its entirety instead of linking it, but this bit of news actually comes from the horse's mouth - the government itself.

If you're alert, you may find the numbers don't tally and there are holes in the story.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 (Bernama) -- The Dewan Rakyat was told Tuesday there were 1,535 deaths in prisons, rehabilitation centres and detention centres for illegal immigrants between 2003 and last year.

There were 600 deaths in drug rehabilitation centres, according to the Prisons Department records. Deputy Home Minister Senator Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said the country's prisons had a better track record compared to prisons in the United Kingdom if that country's 'benchmarking' figures were used.

"In 2007, the number of deaths in British prisons was 183 while here there were only three.

"Most of the deaths were in hospitals, that is when the prisoners were undergoing treatment, one per cent of the deaths occurred while they were on the way to hospital and 0.5 per cent happened in the prisons," he said in reply to a supplementary question from M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat).

Kulasegaran wanted to know the cause of detainees' deaths and asked if there was a special body to investigate deaths in prisons and detention centres.

Wan Ahmad Farid said according to police statistics there were 85 deaths recorded in police lock-ups during the 2003-2007 period of which 77 were due to diseases, seven due to suicide by hanging and one due to a fight in the cell.

"There was only one death in police custody due to excessive force by those on duty," he said.

He said based on medical officers' and coroners' reports, the main cause of deaths were diseases like HIV/Aids, septicaemia, pulmonary tuberculosis, cancer, heart disease, blood-related problems and asthma as well as infections of the intestines, liver, lungs and throat.

Wan Ahmad Farid said there were also deaths due to hanging, blood clots and falls in the bathrooms or toilets.

He said follow-up action taken to overcome deaths included having closed-circuit surveillance in all areas, increasing visits and patrols as well as having dialogue sessions with detainees to identify problems they faced.-- BERNAMA , 8/7/2008

SUARAM (the Penang branch) has more stats.

The Asian Human Rights Commission has an insight into this sordid issue:

Throughout 2003, there were numerous incidents of police brutality against criminal suspects resulting in serious injuries and deaths. In many cases, the victims were poor, had little education and lacked the proper “connections” to ensure proper treatment from the police. The treatment meted out against these suspects is a stark contrast to that accorded to persons of different backgrounds—namely professionals, affluent or well-connected people.

But yes. If you've read the article or done your homework on deaths in custody, you'd be aware that most of the victims are the poor, uneducated Indians.

When their families claimed their bodies, the police categorically denied having assaulted them.

And yet, there were always signs of injuries - gashes and wounds.