"Malaysia Stands To Gain From TPPA"

This is priceless:

Concerns that the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) will be disadvantageous to Malaysia are largely misplaced as negotiators will certainly safeguard the country's economic and trade interests during the trade talks.

If you're wondering where that came from, it was taken from the frivolous rag known in these parts as the New Straits Times.

Now just about everyone knows that when the NST publish anything, they are almost certainly lying.

They just can't help themselves. If you asked them a straight forward question like what two plus three was, they'd feel compelled to lie and say any other number than five.

In this case, it's not so much a case of lying. There are plenty of lies in the rest of the article should you have the poor sense and judgment to read it seriously (you may, of course, read it for comic value).

What was striking is that NST attempts to convince readers that Malaysian negotiators sent by the Malaysian government would have the capability to protect our best interests.

To begin with, the government is only interested in what it can gain for itself. Further to that, it is full of rank incompetents who joined the civil service because no one else would consider employing them.

They are in no position to safeguard anything, not even a coop of chickens.

NST should read aloud what it writes. Only then will it realise what baloney really sounds like.

P.S. You may find this interesting: NST Fell For It

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.

NST Attempts To Increase Sales By Offering Discount Coupons

They say wonders never cease. I'm beginning to believe them - whoever they are.

For finally, my parents have seen the light. Finally, they have realised that the mainstream media are nothing but a bunch of snivelling liars.

And believe it or not, my father has actually cancelled the daily newspaper subscription. I am very curious to hear of how he will deal with the withdrawal symptoms of not being able to read the comics and obituaries.

But according to my mother, he apparently was quite firm in his decision. I'm shocked because he was brought up to never question the government or authority, and by his book, the newspapers are the authority ... at least on news that happens in this country.

So for him to spurn the NST, there must have been more than just a ray of enlightenment.

I'm delighted. I hope that my father is not alone in his decision. I hope that all those others out there who read the mainstream media will consider cancelling their subscription as well.

But I think it has already happened. Which is why the NST is in collaboration with major hypermarkets to increase sales of their worthless scraps of newsprint by offering cut-out coupons with discounts:

PETALING JAYA: Carrefour Malaysia has teamed up with the New Straits Times to launch its week-long "Cut and Save Campaign" beginning today.

The campaign, which ends on Sunday, is aimed at ensuring that Carrefour customers enjoy the best deals, given current times when budgets are understandably tight.

Carrefour Malaysia and Singapore managing director Shafie Shamsuddin said three coupons offering savings of between RM15 and RM50 for selected items would be available daily in the NST during the campaign.

It is important to note that the flailing economy and "customer satisfaction" has been cited as the reason for this discount coupon offering.

If that was the case, they should have put it on the internet so people could print out the coupons and redeem them at the nearest outlet.

Oh no. This is definitely about increasing NST sales.

Treachery - Our Tabloids Spin Themselves Dizzy!

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

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

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

Like father, like son.

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

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

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

Read the letter at Rocky's Bru.


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

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

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

Boycott The Newspapers

I really love Haris Ibrahim's idea of bringing the mainstream media to its knees.

Numerous times have I ranted about our sorry-ass education system which does not encouraging thinking and questioning.

Malaysian children have grown up into adults who are unable to think for themselves.

This makes it so very easy for the mainstream media to ludicrously spin-doctor any issue to benefit their political masters - for the simple reason that Malaysians simply believe whatever they're told, especially if it's authority.

It's about time we put a stop to that.

I'm completely Malaysian-educated and I refuse to submit to herd-instinct.

I think for myself, I weigh the options, I look at both sides of the coin and I make my decisions based on all perspectives. This is a tough mission, but completely executable.

And it's about time those who fear getting arrested for asserting their right to assemble or speak out FINALLY do something.

This is so completely legal. It breaks no rules, but it involves some sacrifice.

It's called 'boycott'.

Boycott the mainstream media - that means the New Straits Times and The Star (the Wiki write-ups are amusing, especially with "Political allegiance" stated) for those of you who read English dailies. I will compile a list of papers whose masters are politically inclined.

And if you may go a step further, boycott their advertisers. Do not buy any product or service that they advertise, be it petrol, banking services, food etc.

I know some of you are used to a certain brand of products and making the switch to another brand pushes you out of your comfort zone. But nothing comes free, guys. There's got to be some effort on your part to make this country a better place to live in.

And to make that start, boycott the voice of the scourge that runs this nation.

Let's send a collective impact to the political running dogs that we cannot bear with their lame crap anymore.

What Political Stability??

Malaysia detains Anwar, arrests 20 at parliament protest

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Malaysian authorities Tuesday detained opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim at the capital's airport and arrested at least 20 protesters who defied a ban on handing a petition to parliament.

The incidents were the latest moves in a government crackdown on its critics who have organised a series of street demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands and sent shockwaves through the nation.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday he was willing to sacrifice public freedom to maintain national security, justifying the arrests of dozens of people on charges including attempted murder and sedition.

Anwar, the former deputy premier who became a vocal government critic after being sacked and jailed in 1998, said he was held for an hour on his return from a trip to Turkey and told he was on a "suspect list".

"Under the guise of preserving public safety, in the last three days the authorities have increased their repressive tactics against Malaysian citizens and arrested key opposition figures and civil rights leaders," he said.

"These repressive tactics are a sign that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's leadership of Malaysia has run its course."

An immigration spokesman told AFP he had no knowledge of Anwar's detention at the international airport, but that names for the blacklist are usually provided by police.

Keadilan officials said however that the move was linked to Anwar's involvement in the Bersih electoral reform movement which staged a mass rally last November as well as Tuesday's petition protest.

More than 400 police surrounded the parliament to block electoral reform campaigners who were forced to march there on foot after all roads leading to the building were closed off, causing traffic chaos in Kuala Lumpur.

Police said 20 people had been arrested, including several members of Anwar's Keadilan party and the hardline Islamic party PAS, while Keadilan said 25 were detained including a 13-year-old boy, although nine were later freed.

"We did not want the crowd size to get big," assistant police commissioner Sofian Yasin told AFP. "We detained the protestors as they arrived so that there would be no scuffles and clashes and no one would get hurt."

Really? That's fascinating.

The police single-handedly managed to cause some scuffles because as far as all eyewitnesses have agreed, Tian was dragged from his car as he was arrested for no legitimate reason.

Trees lining the streets were posted with copies of a court order obtained by police that banned the campaigners from parliament.

The petition against a proposed constitutional amendment was eventually given to opposition members of parliament to be passed to the speaker.

It urged lawmakers to reject the proposal that would extend the retirement age for Election Commission officers, likely allowing current chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman to stay in the role during polls expected next year.

"Abdul Rashid, whose service is continuously marred with recurring electoral frauds and manipulations, is not fit for the job and must go immediately," it said.

Cabinet minister Nazri Aziz, who is in charge of justice issues, defended the police action.

"They want to come and demonstrate today's amendment to the constitution. So they want to come in big numbers. We will not allow that," he told reporters at parliament.

"We have taken action against them and we are using the court system to prosecute these people."

The government, with the assistance of its rundog NST attempts to spin another story:


The business friendly part I can buy - tax exemptions etc. But politically stable??

Don't make me laugh.

Government Doing Its "Best" For Indians

My parents still insist on buying the New Straits Times.

They enjoy the comics and conscientiously pore through the obituaries, looking for anyone newly deceased that they might recognise. Funerals make good reunions too, you know.

Of course, the NST also comes in handy for wrapping up garbage.

But this morning, I just happened to glance through the headlines which proudly announced, "Government doing its best for Indians, says PM".

It didn't escape my attention that they got a couple of "Indians" (Malaysians of South Asian origin) to write the article so it appears all politically correct.

The blabbering article goes on to say how outraged the PM is.

Some excerpts:

“Tell me, do you believe there is ethnic cleansing in Malaysia? Is there ethnic cleansing, tell me? If this happened, I will resign,” Abdullah said.

Before you put in the letter, Sir, care to explain why the issue on Kg Medan has been kept under wraps? How did the riot break out, how many died, what actually happened?

Because if you keep me in the dark, I sure as hell am prepared to believe the worst.

“Tell me, you are an Indian and so are you (referring to Indian reporters), have we been doing it for the past 50 years, have we done this?”he asked.

Now now. Putting random reporters on the spot, are we? What was their response anyway? The report was strangely mum on that.

Abdullah also slammed Hindraf’s charge that “government backed armed Islamic extremists” had destroyed a temple in Klang.

“There is no such thing. This a lie conjured by certain groups to create hatred among the Indians for the government.”

You mean, the temple in Klang still stands?? Bugger me, it must be David Copperfield messing with my eyes again.

“They have done their part and supported the government. They are strong supporters of the Barisan Nasional and they surely do so because they believe we are fair to all.”

Don't deign to speak on my behalf, Sir, with your patronizing shit! Most of the politicians in your party are imbeciles who misbehave on a regular basis and have no reason to gain respect from the citizens of this great nation.

It is because of your incompetent leadership and apathetic attitude to the plight of Indians that has sparked this very uprise among the Indians.

Heck, it's not like I'm a great fan of HINDRAF.

In fact, I did mention that their manner of describing situations is over the top and they don't mind contradicting themselves.

In politically-incorrect terms, they're drama-mamas. (I don't reckon they have any right to sue my ass for calling them that as their references to the UMNO government hasn't been all that sweet and polite either).

But HINDRAF is the only organisation in Malaysia that has brought out the plight of marginalised Indians in Malaysia. For once, someone has to address the issue of body-snatching Hindu heros and giving them Muslim burials.

And someone had to highlight the insensitive demolition of Hindu temples.

However, at the risk of royally pissing off hardcore HINDRAFs, those demolished temples had no legal papers backing them up. I have a friend (an investigative reporter) who disclosed some interesting bits of information with me:

1) While HINDRAF was loudly protesting the demolishing of temples, there was said to be temple mismanagement within its committee itself. Allegedly, the government (on certain occasions) reimbursed the temple and gave ample time for relocation but no action was taken on the part of the temple committee.

2) HINDRAF lawyers didn't even know who the developers of the land where the temples were located were. If I were handling a case, you can betcha ass I'd have negotiated with all parties prior to any demolition squad making their presence there.

You see, I'm not completely against the temples being demolished. I'm more annoyed at the way the priests were manhandled, their statues were thrown about and trampled. And I'm not even Hindu.

Now these are sacred images for the Hindus. You can't irreverently fling them about any more than you can a Koran. It's just not right.

You can't fire tear-gas indiscriminately or douse them liberally with chemical-laced water, to the extent of causing death from asthma, beatings and resulting in other skin problems.

You can't deny them of ICs and birth certificates, consequently denying them a place in school because of no identification of citizenship.

You can't arrest them, throw them in jail and beat them till they die from the injuries.

You can't snatch their bodies and give them Muslim burials (because of a vague rumour of conversion) without the consent of the widow and without allowing her to pay her last respects.

You can't fire shots indiscriminately and kill an innocent pregnant woman and her baby just because you think the kidnapped child of a prominent politician is inside AND THEN go on to claim self-defense when there was obviously no one else in possession of firearms.

But because the Indians are a small minority, you can get away with kicking them. They are not economically strong, so they become a punching bag and no one really cares.


So no, the government is NOT doing its best for the Malaysians of South Asian origin. Because if it was, I'd hate to know what its worst is.

NST Fell For It

I don't know what to say.

There is a reason why the more intelligent Malaysians don't read the New Straits Times, recently more popularly referred to as Nasty Pee.

NST has the reputation for getting all the top news late, but evidently, it also appears to win the awards hands-down for being rather gullible.

PalmDoc posted an entry as an April Fool's joke. The next thing you know, an NST reporter has reproduced it and accepted it as the truth.

Oh dear.

These are the guys who have been swaggering around and calling Malaysian bloggers liars and hurling around defamation suits.

Bless their souls, but if they believe what bloggers write point-blank without even verifying with the author, they certainly do not believe what they preach, much less practise it.

Ow. But I feel their pain. :)

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NSTP And Freedom Of Speech

I'd never have thought it, but the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) suing the two bloggers has united Malaysians all over the world.

I have stopped reading the NST - even browsing its website.

It's been over a week. The court proceedings have been scheduled for 30th January. I'm fairly certain there would be a big turn out from the Malaysian public.

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