PAGE Warns BN

If you don't already know who PAGE is, they are the advocates of Science and Mathematics being taught in English.

It is frankly, a good cause. Malaysian school children need to be taught in English, not in Bahasa Malaysia, to be able to compete with the rest of the world.

Besides, when they get to their tertiary education, they will be forced to switch to English as most textbooks are written by scholars and academicians of the English-speaking Western world.

The fact that the BN administration wants to switch back to Bahasa Malaysia is testament of their sheer stupidity.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Barisan Nasional (BN) risks losing votes in upcoming polls if it continues barring students from learning science and maths using English in schools, a parents lobby group said today.

The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) wants the 10-year-old policy of teaching science and maths in English at national schools (PPSMI) to be made an option for students in primary and secondary schools.

“If it is political (decision on PPSMI) give us the PPSMI option in national primary and secondary schools, and we will give you the two-thirds majority, which you are making increasingly difficult for us to do.

“Do not make us give the opposition our vote,” said PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said in a statement to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.

I only have one issue with PAGE: Is the decision to revert to Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of education the only reason why they would say no to BN??

If you ask me, there are already so many reasons, and education is one of the least of them.

Read the rest: PAGE warns BN of polls backlash from PPSMI snub by Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

BN Credibility

This has got to be the best joke I've heard all day.

So it's merely about the negative perception of the public, but not negative actions and decisions of the politicians and their running dogs?

Really, what are these people smoking?

Using Google Ads

BN is stepping up its attacks on PKR to the extent of using Google Ads to spread their vile message.

I'm surprised, because they already own the mainstream media. Yet, they're trying to reach out to the blog readers as well.

I guess they must be frightened enough by the threat of losing power.

"Disappointing Vote"

I thought it was disappointing for Pakatan Rakyat, but apparently it's a bigger blow for Barisan Nasional.

From Reuters:

(Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will likely put key economic reforms on ice as he tries to rebuild voter support after his ruling coalition recorded its worst performance in 24 years in a local election in a key stronghold.

Bets are largely off for a snap general election to take place this year, with Najib expected to rethink his strategy of promoting inclusive growth in the Muslim-majority multi-cultural nation to win back the minority vote, analysts said.

In Saturday's state poll, Najib's ruling National Front retained control of its stronghold Sarawak, which accounts for a fifth of its parliamentary seats, but the opposition more than doubled its seat tally as ethnic Chinese mostly voted against the government.

Structural economic changes such as further scaling back fuel subsidies, introducing a goods and services tax and reforming a decades-old race-based policy would be relegated in Najib's list of priorities for now, analysts said.

"After the outcome in Sarawak, Najib will need a general election mandate before making any big moves," said Ibrahim Suffian, director at the independent opinion polling firm Merdeka Center.

"Enacting fuel subsidy cuts and a goods and services tax will just add to the political issues that he will have to deal with ahead of the general election."

Delusional On All Sides

Delusion is a dangerous thing. Too many people suffer from it, especially politicians.

Take this article from a prominent politician's site, for example:

Barisan Nasional diramal tumbang di Sarawak dengan hanya memenangi 21 daripada 71 kerusi yang dipertandingkan pada pilihan raya negeri itu, 16 April ini.

Malah, Ketua Menteri, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud juga diramalkan kalah di kerusi yang dipertahankannya di DUN Balingian.

For those unfamiliar with the Malay language, the gist of it is that the Opposition (namely PKR/Keadilan) were expecting the ruling coalition, BN, to win only 21 of the 71 seats, and predicting that the Chief Minister would lose his seat.

It didn't happen. BN won 55 of the 71 seats and the Chief Minister retained his seat.

A lot of people are angry with the Sarawakians. Judging by the level of contempt on Facebook and around the blogs, it is not a good time to be Sarawakian right now.

"You deserve exactly what you get!" has become the common refrain.

But let's look deeper at the situation. PKR were expecting to win far more seats than they actually did. But they only clinched 3!! It makes you wonder - why did that happen?

I think one answer comes from the leadership style and common practice in selecting candidates.

PKR’s stars like Baru Bian in Ba'kelalan and Nicholas Bawin in Batang Ai are strong leaders in their own right. They are credible Dayak leaders from earlier parties like SNAP and PBDS.

PKR only gave them the platform to contest after SNAP and PBDS were “deregistered” by the BN-controlled Registrar of Societies.

When it comes to Sarawak (or East Malaysia for that matter), who would know the people, issues and political climate better than the East Malaysians themselves?

But these credible East Malaysian leaders are being sidelined by shoddy West Malaysian candidates, and PKR expects the voters to accept them with open arms just because they are the Opposition!

What rubbish!

Have they gone down to ground level (and I'm talking about long before the state elections) to gauge what the real issues of the voters are? Do they understand the mind of the East Malaysian?

The question is: DO THEY GENUINELY CARE?

Of course, I concede that a lot of rural East Malaysians are also simple-minded (read: stupid). All that is necessary is a few ringgit, a bicycle, some rice - and the vote belongs to the giver of those gifts.

Maybe the Bible is right after all: "It is more blessed to give than to receive. [Acts 20:35]"

OK, I will stop being sarcastic. I'm fairly certain BN did not give those gifts without expecting something in return.

DAP on the other hand, contested 15 seats in mostly urban areas and managed to win 12 of them. I thought they performed well, but a reader said, "I don't think so, chinese win in chinese majority area.This party needs to work harder to become a true multiracial party. To me, dap will always be a sinocentric party."

Yes, those seats that DAP won in the urban areas were highly Chinese-dominated constituencies. So DAP will also have to work not just on their image, but on the issues they take up - being sincere and genuine to all races, for the well-being, not to gain votes.

I do make an exception for Alice Lau of DAP though. She worked the ground long before the elections and it was a great disappointment to be defeated by postal votes and money politics in Bawang Assan.

It's not too late. We will still have the next General Elections, and this may be even more exciting than the last one.

Pakatan Rakyat are aware that they are not merely up against BN. They are also up against Maybank, Utusan Melayu, New Straits Times, The Star, Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Election Commission, Pos Malaysia, AirAsia, the Immigration department etc.

BN would be severely delusional to think that this win is a reflection of their popularity in Sarawak.

I wonder if beyond all that trash-talking about how well-liked they are, they know what people really think of them.

Especially the Chief Minister, aptly named Raja Berooke (beruk means ape) by some quarters. His simple-mindedness could confound even the primates in the jungles of Sarawak.

Word is, he has promptly appointed himself back on the throne, to the dismay of the PM, Najib Razak.

Now, that is a special level of delusion.

Just Like Teoh Beng Hock

Right after lunch, my friend excitedly sent me this news article:

A Customs officer died today after falling from the third floor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building on Jalan Cochrane where he was being investigated over a billion ringgit in unpaid taxes.

My first reaction was one of shock. My second was one of incredulity - you'd think with Teoh Beng Hock's death, the MACC would be more careful when carrying out their interrogations.

I was shocked because I had been hearing the news of this customs officer being investigated on every radio station on my way to work. No name was supplied, as far as I could remember.

I distinctly remember this news being broadcast on the radio because I used to roll my eyes so frequently at the MACC's attempt to look as if they investigate anyone who is involved in graft and corruption - and not only political opponents.

If MACC was genuinely sincere about fighting corruption, they would haul in all the BN politicians and have them account for their huge mansions cum palaces that they dwell in and the multiple trips that they take abroad at the expense of the tax payer.

But MACC does not do that.

Instead, it victimizes a young political aide and is instrumental in his premature death - just a day before his wedding at that!

This shocks the entire nation, and to date, nothing appears to appease or placate the public outrage. Not a "suicide note", not an Royal Commission of Inquiry.

It is dangerous especially now during election season, where public anger towards BN could potentially lead to BN losing seats to PR in a BIG way.

On the banner it is written "SIAPA BUNUH BENG HOCK??? SPRM, JANGAN JADI SURUHANJAYA PEMBUNUH RAKYAT MALAYSIA".

So this political angle has to be neutralised. BN doesn't want to be seen as the dominant bully who heartlessly kills its opponents. BN doesn't want to be punished.

MACC can no longer be seen as an ally of BN, or vice versa. In fact, it appears that MACC has been chosen to take the rap for allowing its witnesses to:
- commit suicide
- fall out of windows
- grow wings and attempt to fly
- test the theory of gravity
- display no sense of barophobia (learned a new word today, haven't you?)

Of course, MACC's insistent claim is that Teoh Beng Hock committed suicide. They say that is generally what people who have committed a crime and been caught red-handed do.

Now they are going to say that this custom officer had a huge sense of guilt and decided to end his own life. Just like Teoh Beng Hock.

It is just a matter of convenience that they have not disclosed the name of the customs officer in question. Though it really doesn't matter.

You and I are not going to do a DNA check on the dead man's body to verify if it really is the customs officer or some vagabond they found on the side of the road that no one cared about.

As long as they convince some people that the BN government and the MACC play by the rules. That is their goal and motive.

Votes.

Translate This Into Votes

For all the ruckus that the Indians have been whipping up over the 'Interlok' issue, it looks like the Chinese have been insulted far worse in the novel.

And yet, they appear to be quite unruffled.

The writer of 'Interlok', Abdullah Hussein has attempted to depict the Chinese in all sorts of ways - greedy, fat (yes, even that), evil, heartless (they sell their kids), cunning, desperate (no future in their own country that they had to go to the extent of being a nightsoil carrier), rapists, drug-users etc.

And the Indians are complaining about 'pariah'.

That being said, the Chinese have always had a high sense of self-esteem, some justified and others not.

I can imagine the average Chinese thinking smugly, "Say what you may about us, but we own the economy." Which is true.

But there are other issues involved.

This whole exercise of using an obviously inferior book as examination material is for a subtle exercise known in psychology circles as "priming".

Priming is a way of conditioning the human mind to think in a certain manner and even behave as such.

Wikipedia says: The effects of priming can be very salient and long lasting, even more so than simple recognition memory[2]. Unconscious priming effects can affect word choice on a word-stem completion test long after the words have been consciously forgotten.

This is precisely the effect the BN government wants in the minds of young, impressionable Malaysian children.

They want to establish the underlying notion that:

a) All Chinese are out to get the Malays
b) Indians are low class
c) Malays have been wronged and deserve better (creating a sense of entitlement)

Perhaps the effect may not be seen immediately. But I assure you that the effects will be seen a few years down the road.

In fact, our current generation of Malaysians are unable to think for themselves, preferring instead to have other make decisions for them.

The Chinese may feel that the general elections are the best place to sock it to the government.

I hope the Indians remember this too, and when the next elections come round, not a single one should vote for BN.

Related:
Interlok: Sex scene, rape scenes, suicide by hanging
Interlok: Cunning Chinese swindles Malay, evicts him like a mangy dog
Interlok: Chinese immigrants came here to carry shit buckets

Time To Suppress Your Anger!

Every now and then, just when I think I've seen the worst, something comes along to prove me wrong.

Today's case in point is this notoriously ridiculous blog by the name of Marahku.

Forget that the blog owner attempts to decorate his blog with flames to give an aura of "anger". At least I think that is the intention.

Forget that trying to get a legitimate fact out of this blog is like finding a needle in a haystack.

If you have been following the attempts to discredit Haris Ibrahim, the owner of The People's Parliament, you would have been astounded to find that while Haris is able to present his facts from government sources, his detractors have had to rely on merely muddying the waters.

Anyone with half an education would be able to spot that.

But what was absolutely classic, is the statement, "Government is the work of saints coveted by fools".

I nearly died laughing.

Now, I may look at a lowly-paid social worker who lives in the slums in efforts to improve the welfare of those slum-dwellers and concede that he/she is a saint. Most people regard Mother Theresa of Calcutta as a saint, anyway.

But there is no way I could possible look at the Malaysian government (or any other government, for that matter) and call them saints.

Some say the best governments are the Scandinavian governments - they have really good welfare schemes, good healthcare, excellent infrastructure, a superior education system and well, the list goes on.

As for our government, they purchased submarines that refused to submerge. The Malaysian air force owns F5 aircraft of which engines were pilfered and then mysteriously returned after a stint in South America.

We have a police force that closed down some of its stations in crime-infested districts due to fears that it isn't safe for the cops themselves to be manning those stations.

We have highways that are jammed with traffic even though motorists are still forced to pay toll to use that highway.

Hey. We have a government that sprays chemical-laced water and tear-gasses citizens that publicly (but peacefully) oppose its nefarious regime.

With full knowledge of that, can one seriously say that government is the work of saints??

BN Leaves A Mess, As Usual

It's not like there were heaps of BN supporters.

There was just a handful.


And yet, between them, they managed to leave a mess behind.


I'm also guessing I picked up the tab for the unnecessary BN label on the mineral water.

The BN Paraglider Stunt

I really don't know what the BN government was trying to achieve with this stunt.

Frankly, this is merely advertising that our tax money is being wasted for BN propaganda and campaigning machinery.

It's generally not a good move, especially during the tax month of April, when we are sorely reminded of how much tax we pay and how little we get in return.

Thanks to our money being wasted through the funding of stunts like this.

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.

Freedom?

Freedom? What freedom?

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

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?

Less Than Full

So much for racist propaganda. It looks like the voters are unimpressed with all the posturing.


But I must hand it to The Malaysian Insider for making the understatement of the year.

This is a view of a Barisan Nasional campaign hall. It has been described as less than full.

Less than full house? That bloody hall is next to empty, and the flag with the keris in the middle looks quite forlorn!

Permatang Pasir's Golden Boy

Just yesterday, I was nauseated by an article in one of the mainstream tabloids about a snivelling MACC officer who claimed he was unfairly maligned for investigating politicians.

This dude claims to be frustrated and demoralised. No shit, sherlock.

The most well-treated of those who have been investigated by the MACC can rightfully claim to be dehumanised.

Others, unfortunately, can claim to be deceased.

But 'demoralised'? What a freaking drama mama.

He could make himself useful. Instead of needlessly pimping precious oxygen with his pathetic existence, he should pull up his pants and go investigate one soon-to-be-prominent political candidate.

Yes, folks.

This lawyer-turned-politician is none other than the wannabe MP of Permatang Pasir - Rohaizat Othman.

The UMNO candidate.

Of course, the success of an UMNO politician is directly proportional to the graft and corruption he indulges in.

Throw in some crime for good measure, because this fellow has even been struck off the roll by the Bar Council.

Hell yeah. Turns out even the lawyers have disowned him. That's grave, indeed.

What did he do?

Being an UMNO candidate, you just know he'd be grossly dishonest - no rocket science there.

And Rohaizat Othman is no exception: he absconded with stakeholders' money from Koperasi Pekebun Getah.

Now we're not talking about wealthy tycoons who are just as dirty and have heaps of money to spare. He was trying to swindle small time rubber investors.

What a fleabag.

Apparently, he made off with RM140,000 which is quite a bit if you realise that the investment by the stakeholders is not all that much.

The lawyers call it criminal misconduct.

And they've evidently made life easier for our MACC man - he doesn't even have to investigate all that much. No need to dangle anyone outside the window and accidentally drop him, even.

It's all handed out on a silver platter to the MACC.

Oh wait. It's UMNO we're talking about, isn't it? And MACC is UMNO's running dog. The faithful little pup that plays 'fetch'. Who rolls over and begs upon UMNO's command.

No investigation will happen - not now, not in the future. Not ever, as long as he remains true to UMNO.

This Rohaizat Othman could attain great amounts of wealth one day. Obscenely massive amounts of it.

Unless of course, we stop him.

Make sure he doesn't get voted, so he can't dip his filthy fingers into public coffers.

Do your thing, people.

They Don't All Agree

I mentioned to a friend in passing, that I was planning to blog on the issue of dissent. It's been bugging me for a while now and I would have blogged earlier, had I the time.

You see, I hear a lot about people getting disillusioned with Pakatan Rakyat.

I hear a lot of gripes about how Pakatan Rakyat can't seem to agree on one topic or another.

They make that seem like a bad thing.

That's where I disagree. Do you know where BN went wrong?

No?

Let me tell you. It all started when UMNO assumed the dominant role and dictated terms to all the other coalitions.

In BN, there is such a thing as a whip. From my understanding, it is official BN policy that:

1. No MP can speak against the party stand
2. No MP should support any motions brought by the opposition.

Because of this policy, no MP would dare to dissent or break ranks for fear of being punished or facing displinary action. And there have been MPs suspended for those very reasons.

So those who rule the roost remain unopposed. There is no check and balance, and since then things have gone downhill. Not just for the party but for the entire country as well.

Subsequently, when people like Tony Pua say, "State government leaders who openly defy party and coalition discipline and work in the interest of Umno and Barisan National must be harshly reprimanded..", I am disconcerted.

My confidence in Pakatan Rakyat is not boosted by the lack of disagreements between them.

It is boosted by the fact that they are so different, and yet work together to establish a shared medium or common ground to which we can all eventually agree.

Crying shame I can't say the same about Barisan Nasional.

In fact, I suspect Hasan Ali is a trojan horse planted by BN into PR to sow disharmony and discord in the state. After all, Selangor brings in the most amount of revenue and Najib has had his eye on it since BN pathetically lost it to PR.

We have a rabid dog foaming in the mouth with racism in his attempts to garner support for UMNO. It's no secret that UMNO has thrived because of race politics and corruption alone.


I surmise that UMNO has no redeeming quality to its name.

Khairy Jamaluddin is a smooth orator. He is the face that reassures an unsuspecting audience, the voice that calms the skeptics, the accent that makes the western world think that he is the educated symbol of reason.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

He is nothing but a greedy opportunist who would sell his mother to fulfil his personal ambitions.

And Khairy Jamaluddin is the UMNO Youth leader. No one within UMNO will rebuke him for the vitriolic and seditious attacks, where he attempted to agitate by saying that DAP is the enemy of Islam and the Malays.

Evidently, whatever weaknesses Pakatan Rakyat may have, it is not as bad as UMNO.

I beseech the public and the voters of GE13: whatever Pakatan Rakyat's failings may be, may it NOT be the lack of dissent within the party.

Happy Hour

FT Minister: Protest cost RM100mil in damage

KUALA LUMPUR: The anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) illegal rally has caused business losses and damage to property estimated to run into millions of ringgit, said Federal Territories Minister Senator Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

Damage worth millions eh? How charming.


Now this dude with the "Happy Hour" banner was not exactly devastated at the presence of the protestors. I'm guessing his business wasn't doing too badly, and his shop wasn't exactly empty.

In fact, he was quite obliging when it came to posing for photographs with errr... dodgy protestors. :)

Now I'll tell you why there may indeed have been plenty of damage on the 1st of August 2009 in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

When a huge truck with gallons and gallons of acid chemicals sprays its contents onto buildings, trees, street lamps, garbage cans and roads, there is bound to be corrosive damage. There wasn't just one truck, there were many.

When canister after canister of tear gas is released into the environment, the air is undoubtedly polluted. And the FRU was rather generous with its poisonous gases.

This polluted air isn't going to go away. It will return as acid rain the next time it pours. Cars will be corroded, and even drainage systems will corrode and collapse. Trust me, I'm an engineer - I know.

But none of this damage was caused by the protestors. It was caused by the authorities, the government.

So it's highly dubious and inconsistent for the FT minister (who, of course hails from the BN party) to blame the protestors for damage that was essentially caused by the government themselves.

But you and I know that there's nothing consistent about BN except the corruption.

Rats Desert The Sinking Ship

Hardly surprising, really.

With the death of Teoh Beng Hock, it's probably a suicide mission (no pun intended) to be affiliated with Barisan Nasional.

More so if you're the running dog.

So Chua Jui Meng is taking a walk. And PKR appears to have embraced him with open arms.

If you ask me, PKR is infiltrated by ex-UMNO already. An additional supply of ex-MCA wouldn't make a huge difference.

Paying Your Dues

Apparently I'm on the WANTED list.

No, it's not yet another Operasi Lalang this time. It's the Internal Revenue Board or the LHDN, and they want my money. Cheap jerks.

Every year I curse them and the politicians whose pockets I know my money is inevitably going to fall into while I stare ruefully at the poor public transportation and perpetually traffic-congested highways.

But I always pay up anyway. I pacify myself by thinking that the money that goes to the government is only a small amount. But then I'm reminded that it's only because I'm not paid all that much.

So it doesn't gratify me for long.

This year it's different. I want to pay (or rather, I want to get it over and done with) but I can't.

You see, I'd made an oversight when I travelled 17 hours on a plane in January. I forgot to bring my tax receipts for books, insurance, donations and others which are crucial for claiming tax deductions.

So now, even though the LHDN has miraculously (or maybe through the combination of God's grace and a talented IT engineer) managed to operate a semi-efficient website for e-filing one's taxes, I don't have all the documents I need, not to mention the EA form from my previous employer.

It's quite astounding that one would have to employ various methods of harrassment to allow oneself to pay money to the government.

Because really, if I wasn't going to be hunted down and forced to pay, I wouldn't dream of coughing up the dough. Not so that this fool can fly first class on an expensive holiday, or so this despot can build a humongous but garish mansion.

All for their own gain.

Hafiz Noor Shams, bless his heart, tries to explain my predicament in Of should we pay income tax? where he postulates "that the biggest reason of all [for paying tax] is to support the State for rendering services which in effect protect citizens and those within the jurisdiction of the State".

He goes on to say:

If the State fails to do so, the obligation to pay taxes evaporates. In fact, failure on behalf of the State to protect these rights eliminates a reason for such a State. This later calls for the creation of a new State capable of discharging its duties better, lest the dissolution of the previous incompetent or tyrannical State leads to an unstable state of anarchy.

At this point, I'm nodding my head so vigorously that I've created a vortex capable of bringing down a jumbo jet.

But it's never that simple and in no way is Hafiz advocating that we cease to pay our taxes altogether.

I do wish my money would be better managed though.

Leap Frogging Across The State Of Perak

"The country is in turmoil," says my mother in one of her emails to me.

Now some of you may know that I am not currently in Malaysia, and haven't been for a while due to work requirements.

But I have been keeping up with the latest news from this blooming country. Even if I hadn't, there are so many friends sending me snippets of news.

So this latest fiasco of frogging about has not escaped me at all.

I would hardly describe the country as being in turmoil. I can't think of a better time to expose the sorry behaviour of politicians - both from (or should I say, formerly) Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional.

And I wouldn't be the first to remind you that all this leap-frogging was started by none other than the Pakatan Rakyat leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

If the people really wanted to make a change in this country, the polls are the place for it.

I still think Malaysia is not ready for liberation. The minds of the general Malaysian public are still in shackles, and thus so will be their political situation.

It's tough to explain. Malaysians have recently started speaking out due to a wave of "boldness" which emerged from the internet, but it is not out of principle, but more from a sense of being wronged.

Now if their rights are not personally being infringed, they really don't care.

But all is not lost.

I think Najib, in his own blundering way, has actually evoked a deeper need within Malaysians to unite at all costs against a common enemy. Alas, but UMNO is still blinded by their selfish ambitions to realise they will one day be totally annihilated.

That wouldn't be a bad thing.