Intensify Efforts To Find MH370 Or Just Stop?

It's been well over a year, and there is not a single trace of the MH370.

The world is curious, Malaysians are intrigued, and the families of the victims are still anxious to find closure and say a final goodbye to their loved ones.

The absence of a wreckage and remains sparks hope that maybe, just maybe, their loved ones could still be alive. This is not helpful.

The Malaysian government, in a rare moment of decency, has actually promised to double efforts and extend the search area if it wasn't found by the end of June.

However, an aviation professor from Australia opines that it is hard to justify expanded efforts, which have since exceeded $90 million.

“I’m not in the position of being one of the relatives, and I deeply sympathize with their situation,” he stressed. “However, once the areas of highest priority have been searched there are diminishing returns when increasing the area.

“This means there’s a huge amount of money being spent, and if you’re looking at saving lives through improving future safety outcomes, then the money is arguably much better spent in a whole variety of other areas rather than just ‘mowing the lawn’ in the ocean trying to find something.”

He also thinks that the cause of the crash was pilot suicide.

As there has been no established motive for suicide, no signs of depression or abnormality, no threats or notes, and seemingly, no quick plan to destroy the plane (they purportedly flew about for hours after straying from flight path), this conjecture doesn't seem likely at all.

For the sake of the families, I want this aircraft found too.

But like many other people, I somehow feel it wouldn't be found in the Indian Ocean, not because it is too difficult, but because we might all be looking in the wrong place.

Why Is Everything About Race?

I just had to post this piece by Scott Ng because what he said resonated so strongly with me.

When I lived in Malaysia, I always felt the pressure to think like my race, when most of the time, I had differing feelings and opinions about a particular matter.

Read about how Scott had his race, culture and heritage questioned over some of his unconventional views on Singapore.

Malaysia - Corrupted Or Not?

The co-founder of the corruption watchdog, Transparency International, very recently found himself the object of Malaysian ire.

Michael Hershman invoked the wrath of indignant Malaysians by saying that corruption is under control in Malaysia.

Now, if you're not Malaysian, and particularly if you have not had the pleasure of acquaintance with a Malaysian, you may be unaware that Malaysians are a very cynical bunch.

But we were not always like that.

Once upon a time, we were naive, gullible and would happily hold hands and sing kumbayah under a raintree.

And then, we woke up to the government that we had. One that blatantly and nonchalantly lied to us. We awoke to the discovery that some people got a bigger slice of the pie than others. And others did not even get any pie. Not even a crumb.

Malaysians generally believe that corruption is truly well and alive in Malaysia. Which, in my humble opinion, is true.

It is very annoying when 1MDB manages to lose millions of ringgit and the citizens are taxed with GST to recover that amount.

Heck, it's absolutely galling.

But when Hershman says corruption is "under control" he is comparing it to countries like the United States of America that appear that be clean and free of corruption, when it is ludicrously rife.

Ironically, the Malaysian style of corruption is most identical to the American style.

The Scorpene submarines which saw the Defence Ministry get massive kickbacks from the French DCNS group, is a prime example. The US equivalent is roughly the Iraq war, where a select bunch of arms dealers had squirreled some money into the pockets of Bush and cohorts.

However, what is worse, is that thousands of innocent civilians and military personnel were killed, both in America and Iraq, whereas the Scorpene submarine only resulted in the death of a Mongolian model.

For information on America's shenanigans for the past few years, read what the American academic Juan Cole says about the Top 10 Ways the US is the Most Corrupt Country in the World.

Bear in mind that the average Malaysian pays far less tax than the average American, who pays both federal and state taxes. Where there is no state income tax, they pay retail tax which is similar to the dratted GST that Malaysians are now forced to pay.

The cost of living is also much higher in America because retailers just charge so much more than what it would cost for exactly the same product.

The utility companies, like internet service providers (like Comcast, Frontier and Century Link) are in cahoots with each other, and so charge approximately the same exorbitant price.

So am I saying that Malaysians should lie back and just take it?

HELL, NO!!

The world is changing. It has been constantly changing for the past few million years, in case you hadn't noticed.

The once dominant leaders are no longer in power (except for Mahathir; we can't get rid of him); the once powerful countries are no longer dominant economically or socially.

For once, Malaysia has the opportunity to be one of the best places to live in.

But this is only if we rid ourselves of the apathy and fear that the government tries to instill by its sedition and public assembly laws.

It is important to make a home for one's family, but for the family to thrive, the nation needs to be secure and stable.

That can only happen by constantly monitoring our representatives and leaders. By making sure they do what we tell them to, instead of being their slaves and servants.

I Will Speak Out!

First they came for the Politicians and the Activists and I did not speak out, because I was not a politician or an activist.

Then they came for the Lawyers, and I did not speak out, because I was not a lawyer.

Then they came for the Journalists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a journalist.

Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

Reworded from Martin Niemöller's First They Came poem.

Is Malaysia Complicit In CIA Torture?

Let me get this straight. Malaysia calls itself a Muslim country.

It claims to uphold the ideals of a peaceful nation. It protests against the brutality of Israel against Palestine.

But Malaysia assists the CIA in torturing not just human beings, but predominantly Muslim people?

Really Malaysia, are you the running dogs of the United States of America?

Shame on you.

Criticism Over The MH370

In hindsight, it's easy to criticise the Malaysian government.

It is, for the most part, a rather stupid government, but given that the MH370 has completely disappeared leaving no trace of wreckage or evidence of having hit the ground at some point, there seems to be more to this than meets the eye.

There has been nothing regular about this flight since it signed off from Malaysian airspace. To accuse the authorities of negligence when there has been no evidence of being able to recover the airplane before it disappeared is ambitious.

It doesn't stop people from embarking upon some criticism though. For instance, some "aviation expert" claims that the plane could have been found if "proper protocols" had been followed.

He conveniently fails to describe said protocols. So much for being an expert.

I can understand that there has been closure for the family of the victims and this must be troubling for them, but the search for the remains of the MH370 has been ongoing for almost 8 months, and to date, no evidence has been discovered.

What's Illegal

This would explain why Ibrahim Ali, Zulkifli Noordin and Ridhuan Tee have never been charged with sedition.

They may have created ill-will, racial and religious tension, but they've never exposed the illegal things that the government has been up to.

And lest you think this happens only in Malaysia - believe me, it happens all over the world, even in purportedly first world nations.

This does not mean we take it lying down.

I say get up and fight back! We are Malaysians, we have dignity!

Charged In Court For Merely Dissenting

1. Azmi Sharom
2. Haris Ibrahim
3. Rafizi Ramli
4. Adam Adli
5. N. Surendran
6. Khalid Samad
7. Susan Loone
8. Safwan Anang
9. Tian Chua
10. RSN Rayer
11. Teresa Kok
12. Nizar Jamaluddin
13. Hishammuddin Rais
14. Ali Abd Jalil

This is not even a comprehensive list of all those people who have been or are to be charged in court for "sedition".

Of course, in the Malaysian context, "sedition" involves merely speaking out against the ruling coalition, which forms the illegal government of Malaysia that the people did not even vote into power during the last elections.

Those accused of sedition are lawyers, politicians, journalists and activists who have criticised the government in the past.

In other words:

The sedition law criminalizes speech with an undefined "seditious tendency".

Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch, said the prosecutions were reminiscent of so-called Operation Lalang in 1987 under Mahathir, when more than 100 opposition politicians and activists were arrested under an old Internal Security Act (ISA) which allowed detention without trial.

"The parameters are basically the same - you are using an antiquated draconian law to go after the opposition," he said.

But my respect goes out to the Malaysians, they are uncowered and unafraid of jail, and they are fighting back!

Don't stay on the sidelines.

Show your support. Are you with them?

10th Sept: Walk with Azmi Sharom

8th Sept: Walk with Ali Abd Jalil

What Happened to MH17?

So why did the news on the catastrophic Malaysia Airlines MH17 that was shot down over Ukraine suddenly die down?

Has there been an agreement among the major powers not to tell the world who did it?

Contrary to the MH370, the events surrounding the MH17 are much more obvious.

It was shot out of the sky by a very lethal and long range weapon.

Most of the evidence points to it being the work of filthy Russian rebels.

But shouldn't there be a proper investigation held and the results announced? It wasn't just Malaysians affected, but plenty of Dutch nationals as well.

What's happened to the flight data (black box) and cockpit voice recorders?

Read what Professor Stephen Cohen has to say.

National Farm

Sadly, that poster is relevant to almost every country on this planet.

You stand up and make that difference.

Be proud to be Malaysian.

I know I am.