Getting Away With It

So politically well-connected is Dato’ Lee Chee Kiang that it seems that no one has so far dared to name him in Malaysia.

However, we can reveal that he is squarely cited in the charge sheets against others arrested over the fatal shooting of the land rights hero Bill Kayong, where he is named for having abetted the murder.

Lee is believed to have fled Sarawak for Australia at about the time Kayong was shot dead in his car at a traffic light in Miri, yet there has been no public notification so far that a Red Notice Alert has been issued for his arrest and we ask if the Australian police are aware that a wanted Malaysian suspected killer is at large and believed to be in their territory?

Indeed, the criminal nexus between land grabbing timber/plantation companies and top politicians, who hold undue influence over the forces of the law, has been perfectly illustrated in the case of Tung Huat Plantation, where Lee Chee Kiang is a Director and key shareholder.

For years native landowners have been locked in legal battles against the company, supported by land rights lawyer Abun Sui and campaigner Bill Kayong, who are both linked to the opposition PKR party – Kayong was a candidate at the state election.

Lee Chee Kiang, on the other hand, is very closely linked to BN’s SUPP party, whose local election battles have been heavily financed by Najib personally (as million ringgit cheques signed by him at the general election bear testimony).

Lee’s father and fellow director, Lee Sie Tong, is none other than the present Temenggong of Miri, known to have close ties to the SUPP.

On June 1st that post was extended in a ceremony officiated by an SUPP Vice President, the Tourism Minister Lee Kim Shin, who openly congratulated Temenggong Lee for having “been instrumental in getting the community to support the Barisan Nasional (BN) government“.

Bill Kayong himself and other campaigners had received unrelenting verbal threats from Lee himself and gangsters allegedly paid by him for months, often receiving up to 20 phone calls a day, according to people close to the case.

Centre In KL To Combat IS Propaganda

Okay. I don't like Islamic State or Daesh or whatever. They are stupid, vicious and a waste of space.

But when I hear that the US wants to set up a centre in KL to counter Islamic State’s online propaganda, I am going, "Whaaaaat?"

After all, the US is responsible for the propagation of IS.

If George Bush hadn't invaded Iraq and Afghanistan; leaving women and children dead and enraging thousands of young Muslim men, there would not have been a reason for IS to thrive.

They themselves have clearly acknowledged that, "public statements from US government officials condemning the group could easily be used by it as a recruitment tool".

Ah well. Perhaps we shall know in time to come, whether this was a good idea or not.

The Malaysian Dream

So many refugee stories are heartbreaking.

You've got to hand it to this guy though; he's a badass.

I hope he succeeds - he deserves to.

Trumped Up Charges That No One Really Believes

Okay. I confess that sometimes I have issues with DAP. You have to confess that sometimes they get a bit ethnocentric. That doesn't earn any brownie points with me.

But when the BN government suddenly decides to pin some obscure sounding charge of corruption on Lim Guan Eng, then it ignites my sympathy for the man.

I can tell it's a conspiracy. Not just because the government has suddenly become ultra efficient.

Not just because they imitate the clown-effect that Fahmi Reza perpetuated rather successfully on Najib. Fahmi has come out to deny that the clown was his work.

This is the same thing that happened to Anwar Ibrahim.

The BN government is pathetic.

For what it's worth, here is some LGE for you, taken from Malaysiakini:

I will not submit to such dirty and vicious political plays to destroy my reputation or Penang’s image as the cleanest and best-run state in Malaysia.

We are proud of our open competitive tenders and proud of our accolades from Transparency International and the annual Auditor-General’s Reports.

We will not allow BN to throw mud to hide its own corruption scandals. We will prove our innocence in court.

We will fight to prove that the Pakatan Harapan government is a people-centric government that upholds its principles of integrity, justice, freedom and democracy.

There is still hope for a Malaysia that is clean and free from corruption, abuse of power and oppression. We must not allow BN to steal our children’s future as they have stolen ours.

What type of country do we want our children to grow up when those who gained benefits and donations amounting to billions of ringgit are not charged with corruption while those who gained no benefit are prosecuted for corruption?

BN can prosecute me but it will not kill my passion to free Malaysia from corruption.

BN can victimise me but will not crush my spirit to free Malaysia from those who steal our children's future.
BN can even humiliate me by unnecessarily detaining me overnight but will not succeed in changing white to black and black to white. Right cannot become wrong and wrong cannot become right.

BN will not break my party's unity – we stand together as leaders and members to battle for reforms towards a better Malaysia with freedom, justice and democracy.

If BN feels that they can bend or break me by arresting me, they are wrong! I will die standing (rather) than live on bended knees. A free Malaysia, a fair Malaysia, a prosperous Malaysia for all is worth fighting for!

Grappling With Racism In Malaysia

I am utterly disgusted.

In the past, I have ranted against the American way of dealing with people of African descent. It is totally reproachable, and an indication that while they may call themselves "first-world", they are merely third-world idiots with a sense of entitlement.

However, I may have been hypocritical to rebuke them when a similar situation happens in Malaysia.

I just discovered that residents at Waja Apartments in Taman Tun Perak, Cheras had openly displayed a banner with the words “Say No to African People”. Apparently, such banners against Africans have cropped up in Shah Alam and the Sunway area as well.

Seriously?

I used to think that Europeans were the most insular and parochial bunch of people on the planet - not so much the wealthy and educated ones, but the poor, working class types.

Evidently, Malaysia seems to be vying for that honour. Could anything get more revolting?

Now, I know what the reasons (perhaps excuses would be a more accurate word?) for not wanting Africans in their midst would be:

1) Africans are noisy.
2) Africans are criminals.
3) Africans make the place look less posh.

I have actually heard all these excuses uttered and was too shocked to respond at the time. However, I will deal with it today. No time like the present, I always say.

So here goes, based on the order above:

1) Malaysians are noisy too. Celaka la. Have you heard Malaysians at a cafe watching a football game? Have you heard them toss yee sang during Chinese New Year? Have you heard them set off firecrackers as well? Have you actually been to a BERSIH rally and heard how much noise Malaysians can make? Don't be selective. If Africans are genuinely bothering you with their noise, tell them politely. If they don't show consideration, then see point number 2.

2) There will always be bad eggs in every community. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen kes ragut by a Melayu, or a vicious mugging by some Indian, or a Chinese speeding on the highway or trying to cut you off on the road and then trying to bully you (f*cking gangster!) when you show displeasure. I curse these f*ckwads very wholeheartedly. But you know what, that is the job of the police to deal with them. But the police are useless, I can hear you say. Well. There has been a new cop put in charge of Kuala Lumpur. I don't know if he has the support of the community and administration. But Amar Singh deserves to be given a chance to prove himself. So report any crimes: be they felonies or misdemeanours. You deserve to live in a safe place.

3) Screw you. I hope you get an opportunity to travel abroad. I hope you're really excited about it, have bought the suitable clothes, charged up your camera, exchanged ringgit for the local currency, and arrive there safely, only to be treated like sh!t by the locals, because your presence makes the place less posh. I hope your vacation is ruined. You deserve it.

So many Malaysians complain about how they're discriminated against by Malaysia's pro-Bumiputera policies. I have lost count of the number of people who rant against it. Best of all, they plan to migrate "for the sake of the children".

And yet, it doesn't bother them when they practice discrimination themselves. Is it only discrimination if it happens to you?

I really begin to wonder, is racism the Malaysian norm?

Valuing Freedom And Civil Liberties

Malaysia is beginning to look bad.

Of course, some may refute my statement and say that it's always looked bad in the eyes of the world. But you've got to remember that human beings have short memories and in politics, things change in the blink of an eye.

As an example, Madey has been speaking out against the internet block on The Malaysian Insider, to the extent of comparing it to North Korea.

I totally support his views, but it has not escaped my attention that he was the one who began the decline of our civil liberties. It is notorious behaviour for someone who was alleged to have left the political stage over 12 years ago.

I find it particularly amusing because you and I both know that he still holds political sway and his views will not get him arrested or roughed up.

And yet, he's not the only one. Good ole Fahmi Reza has been making headlines again for his portrayal or Najib as a clown, not just in Malaysia or on Facebook, but on Slate, which is a somewhat progressive, left-wing American magazine.

I can understand why Slate is intrigued. America is not without its own issues.

For a country that waxes lyrical about freedom, authoritarianism is becoming vogue in America. A great deal of that explains why Donald Trump, who no normal person should take seriously (even if he, on a rare occasion, makes good points) as a person, is so popular.

Politico says:

Authoritarianism is not a new, untested concept in the American electorate. Since the rise of Nazi Germany, it has been one of the most widely studied ideas in social science. While its causes are still debated, the political behavior of authoritarians is not. Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to “make America great again” by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations.

I am surprised that the West; people who claim to be civilised and democratic, are turning away from the values that they once held dear.

They are adopting a barbaric way of life, which we assumed they had shed a century ago. Who would have thought the KKK are alive and strong today - and in modern California, of all places?

It is becoming starkly obvious that the American economy and civilisation is at the end of its cycle. Some new superpower will assume the mantle. People predict it will be China, but who knows for sure?

But it's startling for me to witness these changes and see how Malaysians are beginning to value their freedoms and rights, while Americans are beginning to exchange them for security and what they perceive to be a better quality of life.

It's startling, but as a Malaysian, it's also exciting.

The Disgusting Land-Grabbers

One of the most depressing stories of Malaysia that still haven't been resolved, is the story of Taib Mahmud and his powers around the world.

Rewcastle-Brown has this piece about the empty promises of reform with regards to land appropriation. I confess that I am unable to believe that anyone in Sarawak has the power to stop this revoltingly profligate family.

It needs to be a collective effort by the whole of Malaysia (not just the activists), and we really need to start taking an interest.

Forget about the fact that our natural resources need to be protected, and logging does just the opposite by destroying our beautiful forests.

Forget about the fact that the most vulnerable people in our nation are being exploited because they do not have a voice.

These thugs should never be allowed to bully their way around like this.

In 2011, I wrote a piece in support of a petition to the FBI in Seattle. This is because the FBI rents office space in the Abraham Lincoln building in Seattle.

You probably have guessed where I am going with this: Yes, Taib Mahmud family owns the Abraham Lincoln building in Seattle through this inconspicuous company called Wallyson's Inc.

If I didn't hate them as much as I did, I would applaud them for their ingenuity.

Think about it: they constantly need to move the money obtained from the illegal land-grabs, so they buy an entire building. But they administer it from a distance, so they hire a small staff of 3 full time employees, purportedly generating an estimated $270,000 in annual revenue.

Knowing that there would be pesky Malaysians in Seattle who would protest outside its office, what do they do? They rent it out as cheap as possible to a government agency (where budgets are always minimal); in this case the FBI.

Now they've got the FBI protecting their property, while still paying them for office space.

After travelling as much as I have, it is clear to me that crooks will thrive all over the world, because people have their own priorities.

For the FBI, renting office space from a bunch of Malaysian thugs is not a matter of high consequence.

We Malaysians have to put right what is wrong, not expect someone else to do it for us.

Welcoming The New KL Police Chief, Amar Singh

Apparently, there is a new top cop on the block.

He's been raising attention not just because he's a third generation cop, but also because as KL police chief, he is the first Sikh person to be appointed to this position.

He is also the first Sikh to be ranked as Commissioner of Police.

This new role takes effect in the middle of March.

Congratulations may be in order, but I would prefer to bid my time in order to find out whether he is more likely to reduce the crime rate, protect KL from terrorist threats (as of today, there has been yet another warning, this time from the Australians), or spend his time chasing after university undergraduates for offending some politician's sensibilities.

The challenges of protecting Kuala Lumpur are no longer what they were 30 or 40 years ago. The population has increased, and Malaysia's role in the world has also gained eminence, believe it or not.

Despite the stupidity that Najib and co inflict on our senses, there are still respectable business people and scientists/researchers out there that put us on the map.

We also have a high immigration rate now, so a bit more policing is expected.

Perhaps cutting out corruption in the police force would also be a good idea.

Books You Might Find Interesting

If your new year resolution is to read more, then may I suggest these two books?

Both books touch on the topic of the South China Sea and the oil that is estimated to be around the Spratly Islands.

Asia's Cauldron (2014) by Robert D. Kaplan
Resource Wars (2002) by Michael T. Klare

Currently, Malaysia plays both the US and China against each other, but China is determined to seize control of the region.

The Chinese are hungry for power and success and perhaps Xi Jinping is just the leader that they need right now.

The Dictatorship (aka NSC) Bill

Unless you're saddled with a hyper-active toddler and a newborn baby and have thus been too pre-occupied to take notice of political happenings, then you may have heard of the National Security Council Bill that the UMNO government has bulldozed through Parliament.

It's a ridiculous piece of legislation.

I am amazed by the amount of power given to the Prime Minister to declare an effective ‘state of emergency’ in what is known/defined as a ‘security area’.

Not to mention the almost limitless power given to security forces, coupled with provisions for the Prime Minister and his favoured minions to acts as dictators in Malaysia.

I think most people are aware that the only reason why this legislation is implemented is to provide its leaders with unsurpassed power to control the country and silence any form of dissent.

This goes hand-in-hand with the "Peaceful Assembly Act" of 2011, which was touted as being "in line with similar laws in the European countries which respect democracy".

What amuses me the most is that Europeans have been relieved of their rights; why we would allow ourselves to sink to those depths is beyond me.

Self-respecting Malaysians protested, of course, but it did nothing to withdraw or rescind that Bill.

That would probably explain why Malaysians have not vehemently protested this NSC Bill.

But it bears keeping in mind; at some point the government will use it against us to keep us subservient to their wishes.

Related: NSC bill will change country forever, says civil activist