Note: I actually wanted to talk about my take on the state of affairs in Sarawak in my last post.
But I seriously didn't think the rushed nature would be of any justice. So yeah...heres my dua sen regarding this.
The fact is clear even to the most dumbest of idiots living in this here state; that the family economy of old White Beard has done more to stunt any real progress, be it cultural and economical. Sure.... stay home and don't talk about politics. Live your lives in a state of ignorance even a mute would hint at. But te fact stays the same: the systematic plunder of the state by the so-called leaders that be.
It's really amazing at the deafening silence we Sarawakians are making. We bitch and moan about the corruption thats rampant in the corridors of power. But we are also fearful enough to be chicken shit; to quietly take the payoffs by the YB's for them to have you vote for them. You'd think you are fucking brave to actually be smart in your skills of survivalism. But what happens when self interest becomes party to watching everything crash and burn. All the sudden your 'luck' in the hierachy means nothing. Rome is left burning to ashes. And here you are roasting to death in your beds screaming.
Perhaps the notion of not causing is too ingrained are all to genteel Asian psyche. To oblige and be doormat as the thief breaks in and fucks your girl. You suck it up and tell it it's just part of life. You are just scared to speak out in fear of retribution. All the while in your silence the YB's and Wakil Rakyats live of their extravagances on our taxes.
Silence works both ways. It other comforts and consoles. But in this case we comfort ourselves to the resignation to a life thats obviously unfair. It is unfair not because of the how it really is in the world. It is unfair because that the powers that be has made it this way to serve their selfish needs. I have earlier mentioned in my posts that my dear brothers are very much underpaid with only $500. It really astounds me even now that my employers (Lord bless them.) could seriously get away with such travesty. Clearly no system or trade unions is in place to fight for their rights and convince them it is actually a wise investment to pay the workers more. All this talk about the lessening of the percentage of poverty; still the the money all goes to the private parties and vacations of the powerful. They let small hearted capitalists go unchecked (even dealing with them!) with their cruelty. To think it's the same system that teaches nilai bertimbang rasa and berbaik hati in their children's Pendidikan Moral classes. How much telling is their government in their blindness in this matter.
I seriously wish all this was just another bad dream. I really wish this country is as good as what the TV and papers had it out to be. But the truth is the divisions are still as apparent as ever. No matter how much we hire the best graduates from places like Lim Kok Wing to paint a rosy picture about Malaysian life; to those brothers and sisters living on the other side the answer is so fucking obvious. They are pretty much doomed. It would really take a miracle to really get them out of this cycle.
Perhaps it is indeed coming after all....
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Notes in this here times. (Part 2)
Let us remember a few things here; while all you are safe in the relativecushy comfort of your homes and cushy jobs.....
The vast numbers arrested past and present under the ISA. Those who dare totell the truth and paid for it dearly in incarceration and torture. People such as Raja Petra Kamaruddin and the Hindraf 5. These were the people that would like us could have watched the shit unfold and remain silent overthe issues that clearly shows the abject rot in this so-called 'harmonious' nation
and the men that claims to be our leaders. They, with all their power and conceit, silenced those voices of conscience. Sure... another topic well avoided for the public peace and investors. But it's basically serves to dig their graves ever so deep. To actually fall from grace will be the death will kill them us all.
To actually say we're better of talking about things in this country is no better like a wife who stands an abusive marriage. To let BN just get away with bloody murder would no better be an abject act of complicity. No better than the Germans with the atrocity of World War 2 and the Holocaust. A man may be put behind bars for the truth; that a whole lot better than the rest of the population losing their rights and lives to the ever racist political machine.
All this talk of the component parties of BN 'reforming' and 'reevaluating their priority' has reccently been shown as cosmetic and mere lip service. Trust MCA to get in dubious individuals like Chua Soi Lek. Never mind what he does with his privates in his spare time, but mere fact that he plays to the tune of generic Malaysian practice of corruption ( a friend of mine says that to most people in Johor, its common knowledge to where he gets his extra income)is one thing not even a fool like me could possibly ignore. Do seriously we, the Malaysian Rakyat, would take you seriously?
The vast numbers arrested past and present under the ISA. Those who dare totell the truth and paid for it dearly in incarceration and torture. People such as Raja Petra Kamaruddin and the Hindraf 5. These were the people that would like us could have watched the shit unfold and remain silent overthe issues that clearly shows the abject rot in this so-called 'harmonious' nation
and the men that claims to be our leaders. They, with all their power and conceit, silenced those voices of conscience. Sure... another topic well avoided for the public peace and investors. But it's basically serves to dig their graves ever so deep. To actually fall from grace will be the death will kill them us all.
To actually say we're better of talking about things in this country is no better like a wife who stands an abusive marriage. To let BN just get away with bloody murder would no better be an abject act of complicity. No better than the Germans with the atrocity of World War 2 and the Holocaust. A man may be put behind bars for the truth; that a whole lot better than the rest of the population losing their rights and lives to the ever racist political machine.
All this talk of the component parties of BN 'reforming' and 'reevaluating their priority' has reccently been shown as cosmetic and mere lip service. Trust MCA to get in dubious individuals like Chua Soi Lek. Never mind what he does with his privates in his spare time, but mere fact that he plays to the tune of generic Malaysian practice of corruption ( a friend of mine says that to most people in Johor, its common knowledge to where he gets his extra income)is one thing not even a fool like me could possibly ignore. Do seriously we, the Malaysian Rakyat, would take you seriously?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
A Bullet By Your Window
Would it brazen for me to say,
The dreams of the greater good of His Kingdom,
These things you say is dangerous and mad?
These blasphemies that contradict
to the vacancy of your empty traditions.
Would it be insanity if I stood up and speak,
The open rejection of the oppressors that be,
The truth that deems me to be a criminal of the state?
The truth so blotted out by their culture of idle leisure?
Would it be suicide if I were throw away the good life,
a luxury at the expense of the million innocents,
subdivided because of race and creed and class,
all this for it was never the will of God and Christ?
For to you I am a fool and a dreamer,
But to the silence that rings in your hearts,
lies the heartbeat of the greater good wishing to react.
The dreams of the greater good of His Kingdom,
These things you say is dangerous and mad?
These blasphemies that contradict
to the vacancy of your empty traditions.
Would it be insanity if I stood up and speak,
The open rejection of the oppressors that be,
The truth that deems me to be a criminal of the state?
The truth so blotted out by their culture of idle leisure?
Would it be suicide if I were throw away the good life,
a luxury at the expense of the million innocents,
subdivided because of race and creed and class,
all this for it was never the will of God and Christ?
For to you I am a fool and a dreamer,
But to the silence that rings in your hearts,
lies the heartbeat of the greater good wishing to react.
Memoirs of A Pending Factory Intern
I actually consider this to be the time actually bloomed in terms of my professional skills. Not only in making dinky little artwork for thegentrified classes but also in terms of office politics and the general nature of humanity itself. School isn't as same as work, where you pretty had a safety net to muck around with. I know a few of my classmates Lim Kok Wingthat actually knew the brutality of the corporate world. I had actually went there with expectations that I might understand the mind of the Corprate Man. Instead all whatever biases is confirmed. The fact that an alarming majority arevain-glorious imbeciles with zero empathy to masses. Funny... I figured theycorporate elements with the rakyat. For they are the people that just might be
the ones needed to do the job swiftly.
But this is not the case. I've personally seen for myself the bad apples of corporate sector act out their insecurities by overworking the staff with indecisive demands only to personally insult them for 'shoddy workman ship' while it was their retarded indecisiveness in the mental faculty which brought upon delays and made a wonderful rushed job of it.
I did actually made sketches after sketches for approval, only to have changes after changes right to the 11th hour. I remembered being extremely worried to the point I no appetite for breakfast. We did finish it in time. But the charming person in charge of this project had the audacity to bleat out his dissatisfaction. He asked which of us designed this. My colleague shifted the 'blame' to one of my Bangladeshi co-workers. He proceeded to make the most snarkiest of coming regarding shoddy workman ship, not realising the whole lot of us, including the Bangladeshi, put our all in this.
My Bangladeshi co-worker just smiled broadly and nodded. If he actually knew what that twat said he would have decked him on the spot. I know... for I was really change in the actual construction.
I still feel bad that the blame was shifted to the Bangladeshi. My colleague was doing this to protect a newbie like me. Still I really felt the sting of the insult. More appropriately the workshop staff has the right to take absolute offense. Almost all of my mates there took the time to help me out. To them, it was just a plain gesture of helping out a friend. I was simply an over-educated middle class goof that was still learning the ropes. But still, those guys simply saw me as a friend in need.
I still think of think those blokes who are still there; working their asses all for respectable salary of only RM 500 a month. I certainly did have to worry because I was very much well off in my middle class cloud nine. But to them it is just a matter a challenge bringing home the bread to the table; which would also mean taking an extra jobs.
Even more ironic was the fact that my employers were all getting plum contract from the pillars of Kuching society. By right they should be getting a handsome sum out of this. But still this case of obvious exploitation. There was even a time that they even worked overtime to install a rather austentatious looking piece of garbage which turned to be a gift to Old White Beard himself. Imagine how much work they had to do, sandblasting a piece of imported crystal, instaling pieces were made of expensive metals. By right every one of them should get a commission out of this. So far, I've heard nothing of this sort.
But whatever the case, still there was a nagging insecurity in my employer's heads that they do not have enough money; the abject poverty mentality that mirrors the dementia a chronic anorexic that still thinks she's overweight. Thus giving a sorry justification to be tightfisted with the money. Perhaps this is the symptom of the typical Asian capitalist.
In the midst of this we all had good times. We'd have tea breaks at around 3pm.;Feasting on the food and drinks brought by a kindly old man. I was actually told he used to have a van but somehow was screwed over to sell it off. He was also a proud member of Amway, perhaps hoping one day he'd just might earn enough from them to get a new working van. For the time being he was using a bicycle which was stacked to overkill with all his good. There were times I'd see him
at the traffic ridden roads of Pending just braving the sun and rain.
A my colleague actually asked his friend from Amway why his company is not helping members like him. I guess he could not get a satisfactory answer from him. I would naively assume that that in the mad rush to get rich, fellow members like the old man are left in the dark, for he does not fit the successful image the to be profiled in their monthly digests. It is funny that society in general talks about the winners as if they are a breed of perfect supermen, while all the while treating the weak and short-changed as 'social problems' and 'degenerate boogey-men' not worthy of charity and love. We seem to forget even God makes the most out of the losers and drop-outs. Tis a nature of man of self-rightiousness: We seen always content to look down on the weak and the fallen while knowing damned well we too are capable of doing the same. Perhaps in their eyes we see ouselves in the midst.
the ones needed to do the job swiftly.
But this is not the case. I've personally seen for myself the bad apples of corporate sector act out their insecurities by overworking the staff with indecisive demands only to personally insult them for 'shoddy workman ship' while it was their retarded indecisiveness in the mental faculty which brought upon delays and made a wonderful rushed job of it.
I did actually made sketches after sketches for approval, only to have changes after changes right to the 11th hour. I remembered being extremely worried to the point I no appetite for breakfast. We did finish it in time. But the charming person in charge of this project had the audacity to bleat out his dissatisfaction. He asked which of us designed this. My colleague shifted the 'blame' to one of my Bangladeshi co-workers. He proceeded to make the most snarkiest of coming regarding shoddy workman ship, not realising the whole lot of us, including the Bangladeshi, put our all in this.
My Bangladeshi co-worker just smiled broadly and nodded. If he actually knew what that twat said he would have decked him on the spot. I know... for I was really change in the actual construction.
I still feel bad that the blame was shifted to the Bangladeshi. My colleague was doing this to protect a newbie like me. Still I really felt the sting of the insult. More appropriately the workshop staff has the right to take absolute offense. Almost all of my mates there took the time to help me out. To them, it was just a plain gesture of helping out a friend. I was simply an over-educated middle class goof that was still learning the ropes. But still, those guys simply saw me as a friend in need.
I still think of think those blokes who are still there; working their asses all for respectable salary of only RM 500 a month. I certainly did have to worry because I was very much well off in my middle class cloud nine. But to them it is just a matter a challenge bringing home the bread to the table; which would also mean taking an extra jobs.
Even more ironic was the fact that my employers were all getting plum contract from the pillars of Kuching society. By right they should be getting a handsome sum out of this. But still this case of obvious exploitation. There was even a time that they even worked overtime to install a rather austentatious looking piece of garbage which turned to be a gift to Old White Beard himself. Imagine how much work they had to do, sandblasting a piece of imported crystal, instaling pieces were made of expensive metals. By right every one of them should get a commission out of this. So far, I've heard nothing of this sort.
But whatever the case, still there was a nagging insecurity in my employer's heads that they do not have enough money; the abject poverty mentality that mirrors the dementia a chronic anorexic that still thinks she's overweight. Thus giving a sorry justification to be tightfisted with the money. Perhaps this is the symptom of the typical Asian capitalist.
In the midst of this we all had good times. We'd have tea breaks at around 3pm.;Feasting on the food and drinks brought by a kindly old man. I was actually told he used to have a van but somehow was screwed over to sell it off. He was also a proud member of Amway, perhaps hoping one day he'd just might earn enough from them to get a new working van. For the time being he was using a bicycle which was stacked to overkill with all his good. There were times I'd see him
at the traffic ridden roads of Pending just braving the sun and rain.
A my colleague actually asked his friend from Amway why his company is not helping members like him. I guess he could not get a satisfactory answer from him. I would naively assume that that in the mad rush to get rich, fellow members like the old man are left in the dark, for he does not fit the successful image the to be profiled in their monthly digests. It is funny that society in general talks about the winners as if they are a breed of perfect supermen, while all the while treating the weak and short-changed as 'social problems' and 'degenerate boogey-men' not worthy of charity and love. We seem to forget even God makes the most out of the losers and drop-outs. Tis a nature of man of self-rightiousness: We seen always content to look down on the weak and the fallen while knowing damned well we too are capable of doing the same. Perhaps in their eyes we see ouselves in the midst.
Notes in this here times.
Well, it's big news of the week. Good ole' Boy Najib dreams of being Prime Minister
seems to be nearer than before. Come March 2009, Dollah will step down, leaving
Najib being named the next PM.
Probably a good time to get worried. Ha.
My summary of Najib is far from rosy. Taking into consideration to his tendency for racial supremacism, plus his possible complicity in the Altantuya case (not to mention word of his hand in RPK's arrest.) it is really sad for me to conclude that Najib, like Mahathir before him, is a good as typical fascist leader having no qualms in silencing the opposition voices who are more than often just doing their duty of being concerned citizens.
Fascism in our doorstep? You all might disagree. But if you were to be observant to how the country has been run the past few decades, I don't think you have any reason to say otherwise.
It's funny that even my indigenous race brothers even get the rawest of deals, despite being politely classed as 'bumiputera'.
The system obviously has a cancer. The cancer is called racism. To call ourselves multiracial is plain out hypocrisy and a lame joke. Even America, for it's gaping divide between the Caucasians and those of African descent, could be considered a lot more progressive in slowly accepting that it has a problem.
The first step to recovery is accepting you have a problem. Our leaders, Najib especially, need to realize that. Racism, since the days of the British, was clearly the structure that seemed to hold the structure. The were really devious in their admistrative layout; planting seeds of fear and defeatism in the sweet and clever guise of being nurturing. All this an irony in their high society parties where the only presence Malays, Chinese, Indian and indigenous had were plainly as objects of curiosity and snarky parlor jokes.
Even more so in this times. Our parents would silently whisper racist innuendos about their neighbours, while in the same time hang with them flashing the most fake of smiles. Don't tell me you are not guilty of that. I did my share of racist jokes before ultimately learning recently
I'm just as equally blessed as everyone in this here country; let alone this whole rock we call earth.
Why do we fear and loath each other?
Is it because of arrogance of being in th right path?
Or the fruits of the worm-like hated of our own selves...
...all this a pathetic search for a scapegoat to justify our failures as humans?
seems to be nearer than before. Come March 2009, Dollah will step down, leaving
Najib being named the next PM.
Probably a good time to get worried. Ha.
My summary of Najib is far from rosy. Taking into consideration to his tendency for racial supremacism, plus his possible complicity in the Altantuya case (not to mention word of his hand in RPK's arrest.) it is really sad for me to conclude that Najib, like Mahathir before him, is a good as typical fascist leader having no qualms in silencing the opposition voices who are more than often just doing their duty of being concerned citizens.
Fascism in our doorstep? You all might disagree. But if you were to be observant to how the country has been run the past few decades, I don't think you have any reason to say otherwise.
It's funny that even my indigenous race brothers even get the rawest of deals, despite being politely classed as 'bumiputera'.
The system obviously has a cancer. The cancer is called racism. To call ourselves multiracial is plain out hypocrisy and a lame joke. Even America, for it's gaping divide between the Caucasians and those of African descent, could be considered a lot more progressive in slowly accepting that it has a problem.
The first step to recovery is accepting you have a problem. Our leaders, Najib especially, need to realize that. Racism, since the days of the British, was clearly the structure that seemed to hold the structure. The were really devious in their admistrative layout; planting seeds of fear and defeatism in the sweet and clever guise of being nurturing. All this an irony in their high society parties where the only presence Malays, Chinese, Indian and indigenous had were plainly as objects of curiosity and snarky parlor jokes.
Even more so in this times. Our parents would silently whisper racist innuendos about their neighbours, while in the same time hang with them flashing the most fake of smiles. Don't tell me you are not guilty of that. I did my share of racist jokes before ultimately learning recently
I'm just as equally blessed as everyone in this here country; let alone this whole rock we call earth.
Why do we fear and loath each other?
Is it because of arrogance of being in th right path?
Or the fruits of the worm-like hated of our own selves...
...all this a pathetic search for a scapegoat to justify our failures as humans?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
I'm back, kids!
First up, to all that bother tuning in, I'd like to apologize for my
long absence of leave. A lot of things happened in this past two months: School,
Fucked Up Drama, Assignments la la la la Bada Bing Bada Boom. Well... it's not
worth harping under the sky about the sheer amount of shit piled up by reality.
But God does loves us much to turn all the crap into things that actually build you.
I actually find absolute truth in this saying: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
It aslos worth nothing to know that I believe in a God and Savior that has took the fall of the
stupid mistakes that I make. That's just enough grace to inspire a mere fuck-up like me
to just walk in His peace and overflow with the Love. Too super-spiritual for ya? Never mind.
All I know is.. he justs makes me glad to be alive.
The recent spate of arrests by the BN fascists does nothing but serve to dig their grave even
further. Even more frustrating is people's over expectant anticipation for high drama on Sept
16th. Yeah, It does do them a bit of discredit, but all in the process of waiting for the right moment to strike. It takes a sheer character of wit and wisdom like Anwar to actually wait
for the right moment to reveal his new opposition cabinet. The enemy wants high drama to
show it's overblown testicullar fortitude to us, the rakyat. hence, the quasi-Gestapo like tactics.
They are just plainly just jumping like monkeys handling a hot piece of cucur pisang. But clearly they are going down.
I actially had the privallage of meeting my friend Jack and his fiancee yesterday for Hari Raya. We generally has a nice talk on esoteric philosophy and made weird jokes. Seriously, Jack has fianlly met the right girl for him. I cannot seriously understand why some people I know bitch and moan the fact that Jack is getting hitched the girl he loves, who just so happens to be Malay, Sure... some of them meet the textbook stereotypes. But personally these people count to be my good friend, one owhich helped me carry my school bag when I was just recovering from my appendics surgery.
Anyways, I leave you all with double whammy poem about this whack times:
1. (a brief note of remembrance)
For I came in with the best expectations,
But here I was in my pool of blood,
The bullets of rejection had done cutting me up,
Was I the victim of my actions?
Or just another number left to dry?
For it was love I had seek all this while,
the slap in the face was the seal of it all.
You could have done me a favor
by sending me to hell,
At least you had mercy...
the best conceit of hypocrisy,
To have let me live to rot
in your accusations and empty guilt.
But what was the motives?
What were the causes?
For was I the examining of social standing
that determined my selection?
To be worth as company so cool, so exotic,
How much substance to be sucked dry
by your pop-culture whoring,
When all the while declaring
you're nothing new under the sun!
For there was nothing more to say,
But the empty futility of your hipster fucking,
Yet I am glad I'm on the outside,
For the depravity of your parties
boasts your emptiness that's big,
Your charms shall fade away the night,
The aftertaste of cigarettes and wine
your prison gruel now,
Thank God I was safe from the whole lot of you.
2. (A Testimonial of Blood & Thunder)
For what can the epitome of MTV-cool
could do to save this country?
The saccharine drugging of the youth
to the emptiness of hypocrisy,
Our leaders take take and take,
The slow cancer of the death of Malaysia,
The innocents die as they are strangled
in slumber.
For you try to shut us up for telling the truth,
The force of your fascism compensating
for marvelous impotence,
A standing ovation for the indifferent classes
for grinding our bones for their tea-time milk.
For are you that damned blind
to think is as good as before?
The easiness of childhood days
that warms the hearts,
The summertime bliss and joy
amidst the silent rot this nefarious color game?
For your silence leaves the gap,
the knives of elected murderers that now
line by our beds,
Wake up, now!
For life is too short to be a dead sea!
For gaze up they sky now, brothers and sisters!
The sun burns ever brighter in His glory now!
For we who believe shall have the change,
What power can these fascists have
against the hand of His grace?
Sick are we of these politics that be!
Sick are we of the lies that justify this oppression!
Like the rising crests of waves
the silence seems almost deafening,
The growing power against all adversity and pain,
Oh, big brother fascist! Your days are indeed,
long absence of leave. A lot of things happened in this past two months: School,
Fucked Up Drama, Assignments la la la la Bada Bing Bada Boom. Well... it's not
worth harping under the sky about the sheer amount of shit piled up by reality.
But God does loves us much to turn all the crap into things that actually build you.
I actually find absolute truth in this saying: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
It aslos worth nothing to know that I believe in a God and Savior that has took the fall of the
stupid mistakes that I make. That's just enough grace to inspire a mere fuck-up like me
to just walk in His peace and overflow with the Love. Too super-spiritual for ya? Never mind.
All I know is.. he justs makes me glad to be alive.
The recent spate of arrests by the BN fascists does nothing but serve to dig their grave even
further. Even more frustrating is people's over expectant anticipation for high drama on Sept
16th. Yeah, It does do them a bit of discredit, but all in the process of waiting for the right moment to strike. It takes a sheer character of wit and wisdom like Anwar to actually wait
for the right moment to reveal his new opposition cabinet. The enemy wants high drama to
show it's overblown testicullar fortitude to us, the rakyat. hence, the quasi-Gestapo like tactics.
They are just plainly just jumping like monkeys handling a hot piece of cucur pisang. But clearly they are going down.
I actially had the privallage of meeting my friend Jack and his fiancee yesterday for Hari Raya. We generally has a nice talk on esoteric philosophy and made weird jokes. Seriously, Jack has fianlly met the right girl for him. I cannot seriously understand why some people I know bitch and moan the fact that Jack is getting hitched the girl he loves, who just so happens to be Malay, Sure... some of them meet the textbook stereotypes. But personally these people count to be my good friend, one owhich helped me carry my school bag when I was just recovering from my appendics surgery.
Anyways, I leave you all with double whammy poem about this whack times:
1. (a brief note of remembrance)
For I came in with the best expectations,
But here I was in my pool of blood,
The bullets of rejection had done cutting me up,
Was I the victim of my actions?
Or just another number left to dry?
For it was love I had seek all this while,
the slap in the face was the seal of it all.
You could have done me a favor
by sending me to hell,
At least you had mercy...
the best conceit of hypocrisy,
To have let me live to rot
in your accusations and empty guilt.
But what was the motives?
What were the causes?
For was I the examining of social standing
that determined my selection?
To be worth as company so cool, so exotic,
How much substance to be sucked dry
by your pop-culture whoring,
When all the while declaring
you're nothing new under the sun!
For there was nothing more to say,
But the empty futility of your hipster fucking,
Yet I am glad I'm on the outside,
For the depravity of your parties
boasts your emptiness that's big,
Your charms shall fade away the night,
The aftertaste of cigarettes and wine
your prison gruel now,
Thank God I was safe from the whole lot of you.
2. (A Testimonial of Blood & Thunder)
For what can the epitome of MTV-cool
could do to save this country?
The saccharine drugging of the youth
to the emptiness of hypocrisy,
Our leaders take take and take,
The slow cancer of the death of Malaysia,
The innocents die as they are strangled
in slumber.
For you try to shut us up for telling the truth,
The force of your fascism compensating
for marvelous impotence,
A standing ovation for the indifferent classes
for grinding our bones for their tea-time milk.
For are you that damned blind
to think is as good as before?
The easiness of childhood days
that warms the hearts,
The summertime bliss and joy
amidst the silent rot this nefarious color game?
For your silence leaves the gap,
the knives of elected murderers that now
line by our beds,
Wake up, now!
For life is too short to be a dead sea!
For gaze up they sky now, brothers and sisters!
The sun burns ever brighter in His glory now!
For we who believe shall have the change,
What power can these fascists have
against the hand of His grace?
Sick are we of these politics that be!
Sick are we of the lies that justify this oppression!
Like the rising crests of waves
the silence seems almost deafening,
The growing power against all adversity and pain,
Oh, big brother fascist! Your days are indeed,
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Sure signs of BN's miserable desperation
Try if they want. But they could not stop this ball from rolling. It was proven to us on March 8th that the public has had it up to here with corruption and racism that is prevalent in the culture of Barisan Nasional politics. This is enough for these crooks (together with the police, those criminals in uniforms) to go up in arms in what they perceived as the day of reckoning for all their blood in their hands. They have been talk after the election for BN to go 'find their roots', to learn from whatever mistakes so to speak. But it's really bloody clear to us all that they are still tied to their habitual dirt mongering, just get their points across.
It would be really fair to say that they only do this to dig their own graves. Public opinion has been in all time low and the police force has the gall to actually arrest Anwar without a warrant. Nat Tan had said that is was ploy for the coppers to tell the goverment that they (the govt.) are not to bring the police down with them once the shit hits the fan. Pretty much going to a defensive survivalist mode I must say, but in reality THEY ARE GOING DOWN. With all their focus going to investegating the alleged 'sodomy' case, little has been said about the progress of solving who kidnapped Sharlienie (refer to the link on my last article). Talk about a gross case of priortisng... no wonder we all don't look to our policemen very highly.
Do not take this that I'm a hater of all the boys in blue. They are good people eere and the goverment it's really hard to make real positive progress. And it's about high time we say "Ënough is enough!". We are not take the abuse of power at the expense of us rakyat anymore!
Dubious allegations in Anwar's sodomy trial.
RPK hits it spots on stating that it was as if UMNO was mirroring the CIA in trying to sabotage Anwar and him. THe whole thing is a case of smoke and mirrors, the degree of conspiracy and deceit that even Survivor would be very proud of. The weird part that peaked my interest was Pete's mention of the setting up of the special police operations center before the alleged sodomy case took place. Dubious isn't it. It's as if they were really psychic there and then to see it coming. Even more intriging is the fact that the special police operations took place the office of a Shafee Abdulah, a UMNO legal hatchet mannoted for fixing trials involving the people implcated in the Altantya case. TO the faint hearted it's really sickening to know that the judiciary sytem is athte mercy of the unscrupilous higher-ups bent on concealing their guilt.
It's all in the goal from preventing the tsunami of change fast rising to wash all the corruption that BN has built. It's really understandable; for in their own sense of condemantion they try to hit out faster and meaner than before. At what cost, I ask? Athte expese of the rakyat? At the emotional toll of their own family members who probably (if thats the case) in the dark about all the injustices that their loved one has commited in power. Corruption, no matter how big or small dooms the best of all ideas and dreams. It is a cycle that comes back at one with an unspeakable vengence. Definetely they are no one spared in this. Not one.
Try if they want. But they could not stop this ball from rolling. It was proven to us on March 8th that the public has had it up to here with corruption and racism that is prevalent in the culture of Barisan Nasional politics. This is enough for these crooks (together with the police, those criminals in uniforms) to go up in arms in what they perceived as the day of reckoning for all their blood in their hands. They have been talk after the election for BN to go 'find their roots', to learn from whatever mistakes so to speak. But it's really bloody clear to us all that they are still tied to their habitual dirt mongering, just get their points across.
It would be really fair to say that they only do this to dig their own graves. Public opinion has been in all time low and the police force has the gall to actually arrest Anwar without a warrant. Nat Tan had said that is was ploy for the coppers to tell the goverment that they (the govt.) are not to bring the police down with them once the shit hits the fan. Pretty much going to a defensive survivalist mode I must say, but in reality THEY ARE GOING DOWN. With all their focus going to investegating the alleged 'sodomy' case, little has been said about the progress of solving who kidnapped Sharlienie (refer to the link on my last article). Talk about a gross case of priortisng... no wonder we all don't look to our policemen very highly.
Do not take this that I'm a hater of all the boys in blue. They are good people eere and the goverment it's really hard to make real positive progress. And it's about high time we say "Ënough is enough!". We are not take the abuse of power at the expense of us rakyat anymore!
Dubious allegations in Anwar's sodomy trial.
RPK hits it spots on stating that it was as if UMNO was mirroring the CIA in trying to sabotage Anwar and him. THe whole thing is a case of smoke and mirrors, the degree of conspiracy and deceit that even Survivor would be very proud of. The weird part that peaked my interest was Pete's mention of the setting up of the special police operations center before the alleged sodomy case took place. Dubious isn't it. It's as if they were really psychic there and then to see it coming. Even more intriging is the fact that the special police operations took place the office of a Shafee Abdulah, a UMNO legal hatchet mannoted for fixing trials involving the people implcated in the Altantya case. TO the faint hearted it's really sickening to know that the judiciary sytem is athte mercy of the unscrupilous higher-ups bent on concealing their guilt.
It's all in the goal from preventing the tsunami of change fast rising to wash all the corruption that BN has built. It's really understandable; for in their own sense of condemantion they try to hit out faster and meaner than before. At what cost, I ask? Athte expese of the rakyat? At the emotional toll of their own family members who probably (if thats the case) in the dark about all the injustices that their loved one has commited in power. Corruption, no matter how big or small dooms the best of all ideas and dreams. It is a cycle that comes back at one with an unspeakable vengence. Definetely they are no one spared in this. Not one.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Sordid details of our leaders value system. How low can they go to protect their interests.
Bad police priortising at the expense of young lives (in the expense of criminal perverts)
Btw, kudos to Captian Zahar for spilling the beans in the first link. THis vry much goes to show that for all the dubiousness in this world, there are good people that actually have integrity and values which is fast becoming a dying thing in modern society. Sure... we may lump people of dirrent race, creed or party affiliation in stereotypical character profiles just make thing easy for our own personal clasification. But the truth is... it's really far from the truth. They are people , regardless from Pakatan or BN who are actually sincere in making a diffrence in their communities. The only thing that totally fucks it up is the sheer abject abundance of personal politcics that in the end turns most into the hardest of cynics and survivalist manipulators.
It's really sad considering that even Pak Lah himself gets himself in the rut at the expese of his own party's code of ethics.Perhaps it's growing insecurity that he and his party is numbered. Destined to be on the voter chopping block. You can not blame the rakyat being so exasperated with BN. 50 years after merdeka it's still the same with the the racial and economic divide. This is very much coupled with the growing revelations of corruption (does any remeber VK Lingam, anybody?) which only serves to twist the knife even further.
Yeah. Times are really getting dire. It's really depressing if you really think of it. But lest you are. Here's a poem for you to consider:
And I am still despite the violence of the storm,
Our leaders take the newest low at the expense of us,
the world burns aflame in its destruction.
Still I am calm, in the very sanctity of peace that is You.
For what can the corrupt do to dispense their own justice,
like blooming flowers the just rise to bring them down,
For out of the mouth of babes comes the revelation,
the Word, The Truth, the Grace, The Ultimate Bullet.
Broken are the hardest of hearts,
Crumbed are the barricades of color and hate,
We are now saved from the foolishness of self.
We are all saved so we may all live again!
Again, do keep our freedom fighters in your prayers, especially for the coming by-elections. May
evil and corruption be stopped in their tracks! May rightious and just prevail always!
Bad police priortising at the expense of young lives (in the expense of criminal perverts)
Btw, kudos to Captian Zahar for spilling the beans in the first link. THis vry much goes to show that for all the dubiousness in this world, there are good people that actually have integrity and values which is fast becoming a dying thing in modern society. Sure... we may lump people of dirrent race, creed or party affiliation in stereotypical character profiles just make thing easy for our own personal clasification. But the truth is... it's really far from the truth. They are people , regardless from Pakatan or BN who are actually sincere in making a diffrence in their communities. The only thing that totally fucks it up is the sheer abject abundance of personal politcics that in the end turns most into the hardest of cynics and survivalist manipulators.
It's really sad considering that even Pak Lah himself gets himself in the rut at the expese of his own party's code of ethics.Perhaps it's growing insecurity that he and his party is numbered. Destined to be on the voter chopping block. You can not blame the rakyat being so exasperated with BN. 50 years after merdeka it's still the same with the the racial and economic divide. This is very much coupled with the growing revelations of corruption (does any remeber VK Lingam, anybody?) which only serves to twist the knife even further.
Yeah. Times are really getting dire. It's really depressing if you really think of it. But lest you are. Here's a poem for you to consider:
And I am still despite the violence of the storm,
Our leaders take the newest low at the expense of us,
the world burns aflame in its destruction.
Still I am calm, in the very sanctity of peace that is You.
For what can the corrupt do to dispense their own justice,
like blooming flowers the just rise to bring them down,
For out of the mouth of babes comes the revelation,
the Word, The Truth, the Grace, The Ultimate Bullet.
Broken are the hardest of hearts,
Crumbed are the barricades of color and hate,
We are now saved from the foolishness of self.
We are all saved so we may all live again!
Again, do keep our freedom fighters in your prayers, especially for the coming by-elections. May
evil and corruption be stopped in their tracks! May rightious and just prevail always!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
What the f...
A glimpse to the UMNO/ Pas talks.
A commentary on that by Nat Tan.
Under no circumstances should Pas be in bed with the devil himself. Let also be noted that discussions should not be a on the future of one particular race but of the whole of the populace of Malaysia; be it Malay, Chinese, Indian etc. The fact that UMNO made the talks at the expense of the other component parties is nothing short of insensitive and callous towards their prevailing doubts to their feelings regarding Pas. This also serves to expose on how self serving are their agendas; the promotion of mono-racial unity which only alienate voters of the other racial demographic. Is it fair to say that we, of the other side of the fence are unimportant and not fit for any mean of consideration? Wake up for fucks sake! This idea of racial dominance is just pure delusion and empty egotism. We must realise that everyone, regardless of race and creed is equally as important to the social process. We call ourselves a muhibah nation. For pete sake... do act like one, man!
Pas on the other had is risking screwing up their credibility rto their brother parties of PKR and DAP who, may I remind them, are in this fight against BN and all that it stands for. To say 'don't meddle with our affairs' to their brother in arms makes me marvel at Pas' seeming inability to negotiate and work around their differences. No person in his good state of mind would abuse their ally. Do they even remotely remember their elder's teaching them to work together; to keep each other in check and build each other up in giving out constructive critiszm rather being some spoit brat autocrat and mess things up with their aimless bravado?
The whole idea of these negotiations, to me, is a pathetic farce by BN to undo the 2/3 majority garnered by the opposition in Selangor during the last elections of 2008. To have Pas jump to an obviously sinking ship would be futile and would do no contribution to all the rakyat in Selangor. We need no more of these cloak and dagger and politics. We need a goverment more concerned to bridging the gaps in the socio-economic divide. You would say it makes a damn good telenova to a average housewife. But has it ever put food to the table? To alleviate the sufferings of the hardcore poor? Enough bullshit and more work I say! Just serve the rakyat and don't be so bloody content of having the rakyat serve you!
A commentary on that by Nat Tan.
Under no circumstances should Pas be in bed with the devil himself. Let also be noted that discussions should not be a on the future of one particular race but of the whole of the populace of Malaysia; be it Malay, Chinese, Indian etc. The fact that UMNO made the talks at the expense of the other component parties is nothing short of insensitive and callous towards their prevailing doubts to their feelings regarding Pas. This also serves to expose on how self serving are their agendas; the promotion of mono-racial unity which only alienate voters of the other racial demographic. Is it fair to say that we, of the other side of the fence are unimportant and not fit for any mean of consideration? Wake up for fucks sake! This idea of racial dominance is just pure delusion and empty egotism. We must realise that everyone, regardless of race and creed is equally as important to the social process. We call ourselves a muhibah nation. For pete sake... do act like one, man!
Pas on the other had is risking screwing up their credibility rto their brother parties of PKR and DAP who, may I remind them, are in this fight against BN and all that it stands for. To say 'don't meddle with our affairs' to their brother in arms makes me marvel at Pas' seeming inability to negotiate and work around their differences. No person in his good state of mind would abuse their ally. Do they even remotely remember their elder's teaching them to work together; to keep each other in check and build each other up in giving out constructive critiszm rather being some spoit brat autocrat and mess things up with their aimless bravado?
The whole idea of these negotiations, to me, is a pathetic farce by BN to undo the 2/3 majority garnered by the opposition in Selangor during the last elections of 2008. To have Pas jump to an obviously sinking ship would be futile and would do no contribution to all the rakyat in Selangor. We need no more of these cloak and dagger and politics. We need a goverment more concerned to bridging the gaps in the socio-economic divide. You would say it makes a damn good telenova to a average housewife. But has it ever put food to the table? To alleviate the sufferings of the hardcore poor? Enough bullshit and more work I say! Just serve the rakyat and don't be so bloody content of having the rakyat serve you!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
45
1.
45 years they came and take.
45 years they brainwashed and silenced.
To all the years that came and went,
Here now is an episode of a country divided,
Here now cracks in the wall; here comes the collapse!
Do not tell me all is well!
Do not tell me to put up with all this shit!
For here as the men in suits feast on the flesh of the living,
Paid in full are our so-called guardians,
Paid in full the pound of unsury that we all are chained to!
Here commences the whitewashing of history.
The perfect distraction the electric TV eye,
The perfect puppeteering of the comatosed learned.
How fine the color lines are cut...
How fine now veins of commerce to their common interests.
The saccharine distraction to all things material,
Check out the glossy magazine for the truth in style,
Fashion disguising the bloodied noose.
Fashion disguising the shortening fuse.
For outside now is the ghetto of a million sorrows,
The blackened trees rooted to the crux of the corrupt,
How much more? How long now?
The nation bled dry at the surgeon's tables for the vampires,
We keep quiet...here now is the most perfect of crimes!
2.
For here amidst the ruins blooms the first all all flowers,
45 years under the heel of those exalted liars,
45 years for the bayonets to be sharpened.
For blessed are those who speaks in Him,
For not in mere politics or force they shall trust,
The single bullet the millions of prayers spoken,
A blast skyward that shall destroy the graying skies,
Here is His mighty hand! Here is He who vanquishes all evil!
For we feareth not the lions that roar without teeth,
the millions the clenched fists the single Voice for the tired,
Sick are we of the brutality of shadows,
Sick are we of the cowardice of the powerful weak!
Raineth down now... Raineth it ALL down...
His grace is sufficient enough to bring down Nimrod,
The killer of giants, The breaker of the proud and spiteful,
Dare not cross with us, o ye of corrupt politricks!
For our Christ has forever decreed;
Broken are the sword of hells legion!
Broken are the hands that dares navigate all malice!
45 years they came and take.
45 years they brainwashed and silenced.
To all the years that came and went,
Here now is an episode of a country divided,
Here now cracks in the wall; here comes the collapse!
Do not tell me all is well!
Do not tell me to put up with all this shit!
For here as the men in suits feast on the flesh of the living,
Paid in full are our so-called guardians,
Paid in full the pound of unsury that we all are chained to!
Here commences the whitewashing of history.
The perfect distraction the electric TV eye,
The perfect puppeteering of the comatosed learned.
How fine the color lines are cut...
How fine now veins of commerce to their common interests.
The saccharine distraction to all things material,
Check out the glossy magazine for the truth in style,
Fashion disguising the bloodied noose.
Fashion disguising the shortening fuse.
For outside now is the ghetto of a million sorrows,
The blackened trees rooted to the crux of the corrupt,
How much more? How long now?
The nation bled dry at the surgeon's tables for the vampires,
We keep quiet...here now is the most perfect of crimes!
2.
For here amidst the ruins blooms the first all all flowers,
45 years under the heel of those exalted liars,
45 years for the bayonets to be sharpened.
For blessed are those who speaks in Him,
For not in mere politics or force they shall trust,
The single bullet the millions of prayers spoken,
A blast skyward that shall destroy the graying skies,
Here is His mighty hand! Here is He who vanquishes all evil!
For we feareth not the lions that roar without teeth,
the millions the clenched fists the single Voice for the tired,
Sick are we of the brutality of shadows,
Sick are we of the cowardice of the powerful weak!
Raineth down now... Raineth it ALL down...
His grace is sufficient enough to bring down Nimrod,
The killer of giants, The breaker of the proud and spiteful,
Dare not cross with us, o ye of corrupt politricks!
For our Christ has forever decreed;
Broken are the sword of hells legion!
Broken are the hands that dares navigate all malice!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Invisible Hands: Digging Out the True Motives of Anwar’s Arrest
Posted on July 18th, 2008 by Nathaniel Tan
Malaysiakini was kind enough to publish a piece I co-authored. Thanks guys! -
“When you eliminate the impossible, that which remains - no matter how implausible - must be true”
“In the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is king”
Since Saiful’s accusation, things have moved so hard and so fast that real, considered analysis of the bigger picture has been difficult.
Reflecting on the 24 hours of Anwar’s arrest allows us a good chance to take a step back and make some responsible and analytical suppositions.
Let us begin by highlighting some of the more salient features of Malaysia’s current political climate: a leadership vacuum.
Abdullah is universally - and the word “universally” is not used lightly - perceived as weak. Najib either refused to go for Abdullah’s jugular when he could have, or has been held back both now and then by threats of solid proof emerging to validate what are already widely believed implications of his involvement in a certain crime.
Let’s also be perfectly honest. Neither of these men command any serious popularity; I can barely think of any significant group of people who get excited about Abdullah/Najib as their “hero.”
That kind of accolade can only perhaps be given to Anwar Ibrahim, whose single largest failing appears to be not having a total of about 130 parliamentarians on his side at the moment - another considerable obstacle.
Other contenders for the throne are quite simply unrealistic and hardly worth mentioning.
The last few weeks appear to indicate a stalemate, based in large part on the limitations described above to be facing the three men. Abdullah can’t make himself appear strong and popular, Najib can’t shake his ghosts, and Anwar hasn’t yet pulled the rabbit out of his hat.
Invisible Players
The question we should now ask is: what does this mean for other, less visible players and stakeholders in this game?
In conducting this analysis, we must move beyond front page politicians and examine the other power brokers in the country.
For today’s purpose, let’s concentrate on some heads of law enforcement and perhaps take a glance at some former prime politicians.
For these gentlemen, two things are extremely bad for business: a power vacuum, and Anwar coming to power (let us not forget the subject matter of the ACA statement Anwar gave literally minutes before his arrest).
It is worth noting that of the two factors, in circumstances of the former, the latter becomes ever more likely.
As long as Abdullah and Najib continue to fight, Anwar’s chances of achieving the premiership become higher and higher. It appears that some were less than convinced by Abdullah’s and Najib’s 2010 deal - which plausibly was announced to buy time, placate the Umno masses and give the false impression of stability.
Some could very well view that the stalemate that exists is neither a peaceful nor stable one. In the absence of a domineering power ala Hobbes’ Leviathan, warring parties are always likely to continue fighting their war, bringing everyone down with them - the parameters of the game make it such that there is simply too much at stake to act otherwise.
Refusing to be taken down together
One problem that arises is that the “everyone” that stands to be brought down together with the sinking ship may have ideas of their own.
The conclusion that the police were merely flexing their muscles in Anwar’s arrest as a show of brute strength is overly simplistic. The signal was not to Anwar, but to the factions in the ruling party: “Don’t forget that we are players too, and don’t think that we will let you take us down with you.”
Abdullah may have even gotten wind of potential disloyalty where he disengaged the safety locks on the ACA and gave it its own prosecuting powers, independent of the police or AG’s chambers, introducing another player into the law enforcement game because he cannot effectively control the existing players.
This is not a Mahathiresque landscape, where literally everyone in government comes under the premier’s thumb. Abdullah’s weakness makes for a free for all, one which law enforcement actors appears to have taken advantage of on Wednesday.
Far-fetched? Let us not forget that Umno looked ridiculous the day Anwar was arrested. Pakatan and other social movements have successfully painted a picture of the police wherein they are mere blunt instruments constantly misused and manipulated by political power. This is no longer as true as it once was.
Law enforcement nonetheless capitalised very successfully on this perception; few now blame the police for what happened, they blame an Umno that was embarrassed after the debate from the night before; an Umno perceived to be desperate to defend itself against crossovers and Anwar coming in to Parliament at all costs.
As the arrest developed, the terms “own goal” and “public relations disaster” were bandied about liberally; people could barely believe that Umno would be this stupid.
Maybe it was just made to look stupid by forces incognito.
Indirect Attacks
Too much of a conspiracy theory? Perhaps.
One of the oddest aspects of Anwar’s arrest was its timing and manner. Both of these precipitated maximum elicitation of public anger.
Circumstances? Hours after the debate, minutes after an ACA report, an hour early without any plausible reason whatsoever, and with a squad of fifteen cars. Balaclava masks were used as well, but close inspection of the pictures suggests that the mask wearers were in fact overweight, sloppy, everyday cops who were given ski masks to wear along with their goofy vests and plain clothes at the last minute, rather than professional special-ops personnel (they also appeared fully prepared for their photo-ops, never straying far from Anwar).
Was this by design?
What if KeADILan had failed to maintain control over its angered membership, and riots had spilled over into the streets? Would we be looking at an Emergency situation?
Conveniently, law enforcement would find itself extremely empowered, and political leadership may have been forced to consolidate.
Let us also examine Raja Petra’s case. We notice that while we always suspect Najib of behind behind action against RPK, we should note that Najib himself has never been inclined to do anything whatsoever that may call attention to the Altantuya case (such as initiate criminal or legal proceedings, which would bring the matter to court).
More self-indulgently, let’s recall Nathaniel Tan’s arrest. Some may suspect that Johari Baharom was behind it, in an attempt to exact revenge for “lies” published about him on the internet. However, remember that he was (successfully) trying to stay out of the limelight and avoid further mention of his bribery accusations. Recall as well that at the time, Johari and Musa Hassan were engaged in a bitter war.
Same tactics by the same parties?
It is worth investigating on a procedural level exactly what led to the charge against RPK - was it a police report by Najib? Or a police report by some unknown police officer?
Note further that RPK’s trial - in which he can finally reveal to the world on record all his hidden proof and dirt on the Altantuya murder - is set for the exceptionally early date of August 15 (magistrates are appointed directly by the AG’s chambers), whereas his other sedition charge, months ago, is only set to be heard in early October. Presumably, if Anwar is ever charged with sodomy, his trial is likely to take years before it is heard.
Hit Anwar to embarrass Abdullah, hit RPK to embarrass Najib, and all in all, show them who’s boss.
Resisting
The civil servant class of power brokers almost don’t care who is in power; they just want a strong boss who can secure the current regime, and ensure that ‘business’ can be run as usual.
There’s simply too much at stake - and we are talking entire lives and careers forever besmirched and some serious prison time here - for business not to run as usual, or for any type of new order based on integrity, transparency and justice to take over.
Also in the same boat are certain former prime politicians still alive and kicking in the country, actively egging on a return to the old order.
These civil servants seem to have taken a leaf from Wong Chun Wai’s whiny “We’re sick and tired” book and decided to speed things up and facilitate the dominance of one Umno faction over the other.
Just as in 1988, twenty years ago, the movement for change was identified as an easy target to facilitate the achievement of unholy goals.
Unfortunately for these agitators, they are still oblivious to what was written on the wall last March 8th. The good news is that the the voices of those seeking a better Malaysia for all, have matured and wisened up to these manipulations as well as learnt the value of holding fast to Gandhian principles in their struggle.
The movement has also reached out and expanded beyond its original circles to all right-thinking Malaysians, who will no longer stand and watch all that is decent and honourable stolen from beneath their noses.
I think schemers and plotters will find a stronger, more united Malaysia willing to resist peacefully to the very end.
DATO’ SALEHUDDIN HASHIM and NATHANIEL TAN
Dato’ Salehuddin Hashim is the Secretary-General of Parti Keadilan Rakyat; Nathaniel Tan is facing constant distraction in his efforts to start a new career in finance.
The plot thickens, as they say...
I had this thought when the news came out. Would UMNO be really thick to arrest Anwar knowing it would seriously mean that they would be risking large scale riots not seen since May 13th 1969? Surely they would have the remotest sense of foresight not to do such a thing knowing it would mean going against public opinion which by the way is fast getting fed up with the dirty chicanery of BN politics.
Hmmm... it seems evident that certain powers (the police force, as implied above) are trying to show their teeth; telling the embattled goverment of ours that 'we are not to be dragged down your sinking ship'a case of a game of politcal smoke and mirrors. That's really scary if you think of it. It's something worth notoing from any Shakespearean drama or a Oliver Stone movie (think JFK or Nixon)
Here now is text book example of shadowy politcs od conspiracy. You might think in the most sunniest of political idealogies it would be free of this; a system that is transparent and honest. I think not... for politics, in my present thinking, is far more complex than idealistic partisanship.
A mere network of Machiavellian scheming no better than the afternoon Malaysian sandiwara or Mexican telenovela. Personally I have no time for this. Why lie cheat and kill? Why compromise your ideals for a chance in the hot-seat? You, o'Mr. Politician, should be serving the rakyat... not your party. The basic idea of leadership is for someone to represent the common interst of everyone in the state; to fight for all that is unjust. To see to it every single man has a piece of the pie. It such a bloody shame that the noble idea of leadership has degenerated into a game of egoist wankering. All this for personal gains of wealth and prestige. All this catering to the insecurities of individuals that in early life, could have been neglected attention from their parent's and peers.
But bear this in mind. Do not be swayed by sacharine promises by leaders of either side.
Choose those who are genuinely FOR THE PEOPLE and NOT FOR THE PARTY. The common
man will not be saved by knowing who back-stabbed who, or who fucked who. The matter of uttermost concern is GOOD GOVERNMENT; one that actually listens and solves problems, rather than making it. Who are you working for? Who do you serve in the end of the day. Tyrany may get results that you'd want. But in the end of the day any ill gotten gain will crumble and dissipate. To use force would do nothing but foster hate and ressentment from the people. Did the iron fisted rule of the Romans and the Nazis last? Was the true socialist spirit survive in mother Rusia with the KGB? You can beat someone into submission to force him to your ways and custom. But it only breeds more of his contempt towards it.
There is obviously a reason why we consider ouselves a democracy; the rule of the people, by the people (according to George Washington) Where no one...not the politician, not the police or army is above the voice of the people. Their decision should be in line with the interest of the people. It also needs to respect those who disagree and dissent, for every man has the right to voice his/her displeasure. Therefore it the job of the goverment to listen to thier grivences and solve the problem. Why do nyou think every goverment has it's opposition counterpart? Certainly not for a hypocritcal show of bi-partisan window dressing; for they are there to debate and give unbiased feedback!
To seriosly shut out voices of dissent would be considered fullhardy and counter-productive for the nation. Malaysia is not a fascist state and should not be one. We all need to co-operate with one another. I know that sounds textbook Pendidikan Moral but this is the truth. Back stage politics and rumor milling is hardly productive to true democracy. We the people want plotics to work for us, NOT turn on us!
Posted on July 18th, 2008 by Nathaniel Tan
Malaysiakini was kind enough to publish a piece I co-authored. Thanks guys! -
“When you eliminate the impossible, that which remains - no matter how implausible - must be true”
“In the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is king”
Since Saiful’s accusation, things have moved so hard and so fast that real, considered analysis of the bigger picture has been difficult.
Reflecting on the 24 hours of Anwar’s arrest allows us a good chance to take a step back and make some responsible and analytical suppositions.
Let us begin by highlighting some of the more salient features of Malaysia’s current political climate: a leadership vacuum.
Abdullah is universally - and the word “universally” is not used lightly - perceived as weak. Najib either refused to go for Abdullah’s jugular when he could have, or has been held back both now and then by threats of solid proof emerging to validate what are already widely believed implications of his involvement in a certain crime.
Let’s also be perfectly honest. Neither of these men command any serious popularity; I can barely think of any significant group of people who get excited about Abdullah/Najib as their “hero.”
That kind of accolade can only perhaps be given to Anwar Ibrahim, whose single largest failing appears to be not having a total of about 130 parliamentarians on his side at the moment - another considerable obstacle.
Other contenders for the throne are quite simply unrealistic and hardly worth mentioning.
The last few weeks appear to indicate a stalemate, based in large part on the limitations described above to be facing the three men. Abdullah can’t make himself appear strong and popular, Najib can’t shake his ghosts, and Anwar hasn’t yet pulled the rabbit out of his hat.
Invisible Players
The question we should now ask is: what does this mean for other, less visible players and stakeholders in this game?
In conducting this analysis, we must move beyond front page politicians and examine the other power brokers in the country.
For today’s purpose, let’s concentrate on some heads of law enforcement and perhaps take a glance at some former prime politicians.
For these gentlemen, two things are extremely bad for business: a power vacuum, and Anwar coming to power (let us not forget the subject matter of the ACA statement Anwar gave literally minutes before his arrest).
It is worth noting that of the two factors, in circumstances of the former, the latter becomes ever more likely.
As long as Abdullah and Najib continue to fight, Anwar’s chances of achieving the premiership become higher and higher. It appears that some were less than convinced by Abdullah’s and Najib’s 2010 deal - which plausibly was announced to buy time, placate the Umno masses and give the false impression of stability.
Some could very well view that the stalemate that exists is neither a peaceful nor stable one. In the absence of a domineering power ala Hobbes’ Leviathan, warring parties are always likely to continue fighting their war, bringing everyone down with them - the parameters of the game make it such that there is simply too much at stake to act otherwise.
Refusing to be taken down together
One problem that arises is that the “everyone” that stands to be brought down together with the sinking ship may have ideas of their own.
The conclusion that the police were merely flexing their muscles in Anwar’s arrest as a show of brute strength is overly simplistic. The signal was not to Anwar, but to the factions in the ruling party: “Don’t forget that we are players too, and don’t think that we will let you take us down with you.”
Abdullah may have even gotten wind of potential disloyalty where he disengaged the safety locks on the ACA and gave it its own prosecuting powers, independent of the police or AG’s chambers, introducing another player into the law enforcement game because he cannot effectively control the existing players.
This is not a Mahathiresque landscape, where literally everyone in government comes under the premier’s thumb. Abdullah’s weakness makes for a free for all, one which law enforcement actors appears to have taken advantage of on Wednesday.
Far-fetched? Let us not forget that Umno looked ridiculous the day Anwar was arrested. Pakatan and other social movements have successfully painted a picture of the police wherein they are mere blunt instruments constantly misused and manipulated by political power. This is no longer as true as it once was.
Law enforcement nonetheless capitalised very successfully on this perception; few now blame the police for what happened, they blame an Umno that was embarrassed after the debate from the night before; an Umno perceived to be desperate to defend itself against crossovers and Anwar coming in to Parliament at all costs.
As the arrest developed, the terms “own goal” and “public relations disaster” were bandied about liberally; people could barely believe that Umno would be this stupid.
Maybe it was just made to look stupid by forces incognito.
Indirect Attacks
Too much of a conspiracy theory? Perhaps.
One of the oddest aspects of Anwar’s arrest was its timing and manner. Both of these precipitated maximum elicitation of public anger.
Circumstances? Hours after the debate, minutes after an ACA report, an hour early without any plausible reason whatsoever, and with a squad of fifteen cars. Balaclava masks were used as well, but close inspection of the pictures suggests that the mask wearers were in fact overweight, sloppy, everyday cops who were given ski masks to wear along with their goofy vests and plain clothes at the last minute, rather than professional special-ops personnel (they also appeared fully prepared for their photo-ops, never straying far from Anwar).
Was this by design?
What if KeADILan had failed to maintain control over its angered membership, and riots had spilled over into the streets? Would we be looking at an Emergency situation?
Conveniently, law enforcement would find itself extremely empowered, and political leadership may have been forced to consolidate.
Let us also examine Raja Petra’s case. We notice that while we always suspect Najib of behind behind action against RPK, we should note that Najib himself has never been inclined to do anything whatsoever that may call attention to the Altantuya case (such as initiate criminal or legal proceedings, which would bring the matter to court).
More self-indulgently, let’s recall Nathaniel Tan’s arrest. Some may suspect that Johari Baharom was behind it, in an attempt to exact revenge for “lies” published about him on the internet. However, remember that he was (successfully) trying to stay out of the limelight and avoid further mention of his bribery accusations. Recall as well that at the time, Johari and Musa Hassan were engaged in a bitter war.
Same tactics by the same parties?
It is worth investigating on a procedural level exactly what led to the charge against RPK - was it a police report by Najib? Or a police report by some unknown police officer?
Note further that RPK’s trial - in which he can finally reveal to the world on record all his hidden proof and dirt on the Altantuya murder - is set for the exceptionally early date of August 15 (magistrates are appointed directly by the AG’s chambers), whereas his other sedition charge, months ago, is only set to be heard in early October. Presumably, if Anwar is ever charged with sodomy, his trial is likely to take years before it is heard.
Hit Anwar to embarrass Abdullah, hit RPK to embarrass Najib, and all in all, show them who’s boss.
Resisting
The civil servant class of power brokers almost don’t care who is in power; they just want a strong boss who can secure the current regime, and ensure that ‘business’ can be run as usual.
There’s simply too much at stake - and we are talking entire lives and careers forever besmirched and some serious prison time here - for business not to run as usual, or for any type of new order based on integrity, transparency and justice to take over.
Also in the same boat are certain former prime politicians still alive and kicking in the country, actively egging on a return to the old order.
These civil servants seem to have taken a leaf from Wong Chun Wai’s whiny “We’re sick and tired” book and decided to speed things up and facilitate the dominance of one Umno faction over the other.
Just as in 1988, twenty years ago, the movement for change was identified as an easy target to facilitate the achievement of unholy goals.
Unfortunately for these agitators, they are still oblivious to what was written on the wall last March 8th. The good news is that the the voices of those seeking a better Malaysia for all, have matured and wisened up to these manipulations as well as learnt the value of holding fast to Gandhian principles in their struggle.
The movement has also reached out and expanded beyond its original circles to all right-thinking Malaysians, who will no longer stand and watch all that is decent and honourable stolen from beneath their noses.
I think schemers and plotters will find a stronger, more united Malaysia willing to resist peacefully to the very end.
DATO’ SALEHUDDIN HASHIM and NATHANIEL TAN
Dato’ Salehuddin Hashim is the Secretary-General of Parti Keadilan Rakyat; Nathaniel Tan is facing constant distraction in his efforts to start a new career in finance.
The plot thickens, as they say...
I had this thought when the news came out. Would UMNO be really thick to arrest Anwar knowing it would seriously mean that they would be risking large scale riots not seen since May 13th 1969? Surely they would have the remotest sense of foresight not to do such a thing knowing it would mean going against public opinion which by the way is fast getting fed up with the dirty chicanery of BN politics.
Hmmm... it seems evident that certain powers (the police force, as implied above) are trying to show their teeth; telling the embattled goverment of ours that 'we are not to be dragged down your sinking ship'a case of a game of politcal smoke and mirrors. That's really scary if you think of it. It's something worth notoing from any Shakespearean drama or a Oliver Stone movie (think JFK or Nixon)
Here now is text book example of shadowy politcs od conspiracy. You might think in the most sunniest of political idealogies it would be free of this; a system that is transparent and honest. I think not... for politics, in my present thinking, is far more complex than idealistic partisanship.
A mere network of Machiavellian scheming no better than the afternoon Malaysian sandiwara or Mexican telenovela. Personally I have no time for this. Why lie cheat and kill? Why compromise your ideals for a chance in the hot-seat? You, o'Mr. Politician, should be serving the rakyat... not your party. The basic idea of leadership is for someone to represent the common interst of everyone in the state; to fight for all that is unjust. To see to it every single man has a piece of the pie. It such a bloody shame that the noble idea of leadership has degenerated into a game of egoist wankering. All this for personal gains of wealth and prestige. All this catering to the insecurities of individuals that in early life, could have been neglected attention from their parent's and peers.
But bear this in mind. Do not be swayed by sacharine promises by leaders of either side.
Choose those who are genuinely FOR THE PEOPLE and NOT FOR THE PARTY. The common
man will not be saved by knowing who back-stabbed who, or who fucked who. The matter of uttermost concern is GOOD GOVERNMENT; one that actually listens and solves problems, rather than making it. Who are you working for? Who do you serve in the end of the day. Tyrany may get results that you'd want. But in the end of the day any ill gotten gain will crumble and dissipate. To use force would do nothing but foster hate and ressentment from the people. Did the iron fisted rule of the Romans and the Nazis last? Was the true socialist spirit survive in mother Rusia with the KGB? You can beat someone into submission to force him to your ways and custom. But it only breeds more of his contempt towards it.
There is obviously a reason why we consider ouselves a democracy; the rule of the people, by the people (according to George Washington) Where no one...not the politician, not the police or army is above the voice of the people. Their decision should be in line with the interest of the people. It also needs to respect those who disagree and dissent, for every man has the right to voice his/her displeasure. Therefore it the job of the goverment to listen to thier grivences and solve the problem. Why do nyou think every goverment has it's opposition counterpart? Certainly not for a hypocritcal show of bi-partisan window dressing; for they are there to debate and give unbiased feedback!
To seriosly shut out voices of dissent would be considered fullhardy and counter-productive for the nation. Malaysia is not a fascist state and should not be one. We all need to co-operate with one another. I know that sounds textbook Pendidikan Moral but this is the truth. Back stage politics and rumor milling is hardly productive to true democracy. We the people want plotics to work for us, NOT turn on us!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim arrested
 |  Mr Anwar is a key figure in a resurgent Malaysian opposition  |
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been arrested in connection with allegations of sodomy, a crime in the Muslim country, made by an aide.
Mr Anwar is due to spend the night in custody in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, following his arrest by armed police near his home earlier, his lawyer said.
The arrest came shortly before Mr Anwar was due to give a statement to police over the allegations, which he denies.
The former deputy PM says they are aimed at ending his political comeback.
The move is likely to exacerbate the political tensions that have emerged since the opposition's unprecedented gains in the general election of March 2008.
Tian Chua, information chief for Mr Anwar's People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat), said his leader appeared to be in good spirits:
"He's quite cheerful. He's fresh, relaxed and hoping this will be over soon."
Armed police
Mr Anwar has been in a tense stand-off with police since a former male aide accused him of sodomy two weeks ago.
|  The manner in which they surrounded our vehicle, it put a lot of fear and intimidation into us  Sankara Nair Lawyer for Anwar Ibrahim |
Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is punishable by 20 years' imprisonment in Malaysia.
The 60-year-old opposition leader had been scheduled to report to police on Wednesday to be interviewed over the allegations.
But an hour before the meeting, armed police wearing balaclavas took him into custody outside the gates of his home, his lawyer said.
"The manner in which they surrounded our vehicle, it put a lot of fear and intimidation into us," Sankara Nair said.
Mr Nair added that he did not know how long his client would be held in custody. He quoted police as saying they needed to take further statements.
Deputy National Police chief Ismail Omar said Mr Anwar was being questioned at police headquarters.
"We have to record his statement to complete our investigations," he told the French news agency AFP. "Once the facts are in we can make a decision."
Police can detain the opposition leader for 24 hours, after which they must apply for a court order for further detention.
Political challenge
Mr Anwar's arrest will be seen as provocative by Malaysian opposition groups.
 Police used tear gas and water cannon against Mr Anwar's supporters in 1998 |
When he was arrested on similar charges 10 years ago, his supporters staged large demonstrations.
A BBC correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Robin Brant, says it is almost certain that the same thing will happen again now.
The allegations come only weeks after Mr Anwar said he was in a position to launch a challenge to the ruling coalition, with the help of government defectors.
The opposition leader made his claim at a time when Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is already under intense pressure to resign over poor election results and high fuel prices.
Mr Abdullah has said he will leave office in 2010, defying pressure to step down this December.(Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7508805.stm)
It really amazes me to no end that the government, seeing the rise of a dissenting voice amidst the racism and cronyism of this country, has chose to use force to deal with, rather opting for civil democratic means to attain to the rakyat's growing voice for a more accountable government. Is this seriously how they address the grievences of those who dissagree? To use Gestapo/KGB tactics on them and hope, in them minds of our 'benevoloent' goverment, hope it will go like some bad dream?
Those vainglorious twits need to wake up and smell the coffee! They should have made positive steps to address the problem. It took the Opposotion Parties to magnify the problems of economic and social instabilty which is steadily simmering for the last five decades. But what did they do? Shut them up, of course! Bribe and jail them to worm-like submission. A slap to the face and it's back to the goverment ordained tradition of being a country of walking contradictions.
Yes. You all might say that Anwar was being arrogant for not coming to the station as summoned by the police. Well, I have news for you: He did go to the police station! (" The arrest came shortly before Mr Anwar was due to give a statement to police over the allegations, which he denies." ) It would seem this has been done in a feeble attempt to silence the man, while all the while he is fulfiling the order of law to make a police statement! Tell me if it's a blatant act of defiance against the police if all he did was just to what they exactly told him?!
Another instance of arrogance and dogmatic pride:
Now seriously... hats off to Wan Azizzah for being civil and polite, this in stark contrast to the whole lot of BN people making rude and unkind interruptions as she bravely pleaded to the speaker to reconsider the motion. The Speaker himself is himself a conceited man of the moment, weakly declaring his fear of being considererd the laughing stock of all who has seen this. Perhaps it is true... he is making an ass of himself; choosing to kow-tow to his master as well as his inbred insecurity of being reckoned as the man of the moment.
When will this attitude of dogmatic pride go away from politics? You, the politician are supposed to be subject to the people. Perhaps V (from the comic/ movie V for Vendetta) said it best; People should not fear the government, the government should fear it's people!
After, it is us , that gotten you into power. Consider your position also as a God given chance for you to lead the people. No, it's not a matter of the sheer thrill of being exalted. for you are chosen by God to beiagents of His good and blessing. Do not for one minute think you got this job by the sheer merit of your own labor or connections. YOU HAVE A RESPOSIBILTY. AND IT IS A DIVINE ONE TO BOOT!! Perhaps those sober and humble enough should consider this. Perhaps it would be the perfect time for you to pray to God for perfect wisdom and revelation, rather be influence by personal pride or peer pressure!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Much Needed Sobering Truths.
When the ‘Dirty Dozen’ left PKR to rejoin Umno just before the 2004 general election, everyone knew that Ezam and Najib were behind this move. Of course no one said anything about Ezam’s role.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
It is not surprising that one-time PKR youth leader Ezam Mohd Noor rejoined Umno. What is surprising is that he waited until after the 8 March 2008 general election to do so. Long before 8 March, Ezam had already been flirting with Umno. In fact, it was an open secret that Tun Daim Zainuddin was financing his NGO, Gerak. And Daim is behind Najib Tun Razak -- so it was the Deputy Prime Minister and not Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who was instrumental in Ezam rejoining Umno.
Actually, most people already knew that Ezam was about to take that final plunge. Photographs of him with Muhammad son of Muhammad and Aziz Shamsuddin, etc., had been floating around the Internet for a couple of years -- even during the time when Anwar Ibrahim was still in jail. The problem at that time, though, was that Ezam was PKR’s blue-eyed boy, the darling of the party, and any negative comments about Ezam, or Azmin Ali for that matter, was considered a treacherous act. You are a traitor to the cause, a traitor to PKR, a traitor to the opposition, a traitor to the Malay race, and a traitor to the entire nation -- all in one -- if you badmouth one of the PKR darlings.
That is the trouble with PKR. They dabble in cult personalities. When you are the current hot favourite, the flavour of the day, even your fart smells sweet. But once you fall out of favour then they even curse your poor innocent mother who has nothing to do with your political business and does not even know what is going on.
The PKR crowd is one emotional group of people. I suspect that if Anwar was to order them to commit mass suicide they might just do so. And that is dangerous, as time and time again history has proven. If Anwar could get a religious scholar somewhere in the world to come out with a fatwah (religious decree) that if you die for PKR you will go straight to heaven where 70 virgins are waiting for you, I bet we will not be short of candidates who will volunteer to undertake suicide missions.
Whether it is Anwar, Dr Wan Azizah, Nurul Izzah, Azmin, or Ezam, they all have their cult followers. The PKR people revere their idols and appear to lose their senses when in the presence of these demigods. So how to tell these PKR herds that Ezam is not what he appears to be and that he is a plant, a Trojan Horse, a termite meant to weaken the ranks of PKR? Try doing that and you will get a beer bottle broken on your head. So it was best to just keep quiet and watch. Time would reveal the truth. And, true enough, the truth has now been revealed.
I remember when I was once the sub-editor of the party newspaper, Suara Keadilan, and I published a letter from a reader that criticised PKR’s Youth Movement. The letter was about the high-handed manner the Youth Movement ‘security squad’ handled the crowd. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when he was still Prime Minister, was not that well-guarded and his security team did not push and shove the crowd the way the PKR Youth boys did.
It was not my comment. It was a letter from a reader and I allowed it to get published. Wow, you should have seen the SMSess I received. The PKR Youth boys cursed me and one of Ezam’s ‘groupies’, Jo, even challenged me to a boxing match. I was having dinner with Johari Abdul and Dato’ Kamarul at that time and I showed them the SMS.
The next day I turned up at the party headquarters in Shah Alam where PKR Youth was having its monthly meeting. I waited at the bottom of the stairs for Jo to see if he really wanted to Kungfu me. Okay, he may be half my age, but I could still deliver a punch that can floor someone 30 years younger than me. Jo walked up to me and I was ready with clenched fists. Only one of us was going to walk away from this fisticuff and I had planned that that would be me. Instead, Jo reached out to shake my hand and he apologised, so I allowed the matter to end there.
Yes, you can criticise Islam. They will allow you to get away with that. But try criticising Ezam or PKR’s Youth Movement and all hell will break loose. Look at what happened to Lokman Adam. He too revealed a lot of dirt on Ezam and they threw him out of the party. Lokman is a good man. He is fearless and would sacrifice his freedom for the party, which he did when he was detained under the Internal Security Act for 26 months in April 2001. But make one negative comment about Ezam or the Youth Movement and you are history.
While on the subject of Lokman, one day, while covering a demonstration in front of the Dang Wangi Police Station along what used to be called Campbell Road, Bakri Zinin, the then OCPD who is now the CID Director, arrested me. I was taking photos at that time when Bakri grabbed me by the neck and asked me where I was from. I replied that I was from Seruan Keadilan and he ordered one of his men to immediately arrest me.
As I was being dragged into the police station I shouted out to Lokman that I was being arrested. Lokman pushed the police officer and he fell to the ground. I almost fell as well but Lokman grabbed me to prevent me from hitting the tarmac. I was too shocked to react. I mean; there was this police officer sprawled on the road trying to get up as quickly as he could and I did not know what I should do. Lokman shouted at me to run and I did, with the hapless police officer hot on my heels.
I escaped and five minutes later sneaked back into the crowd and took all the photos I needed while making sure that Bakri did not spot me. Lokman stood in front of the police station gate and refused to move even when they threatened to arrest him. He wanted to make sure that no one got arrested that day and he was going to stand guard in front of the police station. Yes, there used to be three of them -- Lokman, Tian Chua and Gobalakrishnan -- one Malay, one Chinese and one Indian loose cannon. Today there are only two left.
But Lokman was thrown out of the party not because he did not do his job but because he criticised Ezam and the Youth Movement. Ezam and the Youth Movement can do no wrong. Even their fart smells sweet. And if you criticise them you are dead meat. So no one says anything even though everyone knows the inner dark secrets of Ezam and his Youth Movement.
When the ‘Dirty Dozen’ left PKR to rejoin Umno just before the 2004 general election, everyone knew that Ezam and Najib were behind this move. Of course no one said anything about Ezam’s role. They cursed the Dirty Dozen and called them traitors who sold out for money. But no one dared say that Ezam was behind the Dirty Dozen rejoining Umno. To do so would incur the wrath of the entire party. So everyone kept quiet and did not mention Ezam’s name. They focused on cursing the Dirty Dozen and kept Ezam’s name out of it while in their hearts they knew that this was merely Ezam’s first move in his eventual re-entry into Umno.
Yes, cults are dangerous. If there is one thing that will be the death of PKR it will be the cult culture. People refuse to see things for what they are. Common sense no longer prevails when you look at things from the angle of cults. And Ezam was one such cult figure. And Ezam could do no wrong. Even when Lokman revealed the truth and exposed Ezam for what he is, it was Lokman and not Ezam who was punished.
Today, Lokman can look the entire PKR in the face and proudly proclaim, “I told you so!” But what good will that bring? The damage has been done. The fake Ezam has revealed his true colours while Lokman has much earlier been kicked out of the party for ‘bad-mouthing’ Ezam. Are we going to see more of this as time goes by? Will we finally see the fakes being exposed while those who had exposed them long ago were sent out to pasture?
PKR owes Lokman a huge apology. Lokman had warned the party what Ezam really is but it was Lokman instead of Ezam who was thrown out of the party. And PKR Youth has not changed. It is still high-handed as the recent ‘pesta’ at the Kelana Jaya stadium proved. But try criticising PKR Youth and see what will happen. They will send you a SMS and challenge you to a boxing match. PKR Youth is a sacred cow, which must not be criticised. And, in time, another PKR Youth leader will resign and will rejoin Umno on the excuse that Anwar is gay and has committed sodomy. And then this ‘sacred cow’ will be called all sorts of names although before this you criticised him at your own peril.
When will PKR ever learn? Ten years on and it is still so immature and can’t seem to understand that you just can’t build a party based on personality cults. And PKR will get burned many more times before it wises up. If the survival of PKR is centred on personalities, then it will not go far. Personalities come and go. And if the party’s future is tied to these personalities then the party will disappear when these personalities do.
RPK hits this spot on. Do away with the cult of personality in politics. You never know who turns out to be the biggest snake or poseur ( in this case Mohd Ezam, with his shadowy cloak and dagger firtations with the real enemy) The truth is, the personifcation of mere humans as demigod ambassadors of change is very immature ( according to RPK) and callous.
Was this the same mentality that plagued the Germans in the 1930's and of the Americans in the opening days of the War on Terror. To trust leaders with such naive blindless is nothing more a benign neglect of thinking indivually to make a diffrence. As much that I admire men like Che and Malcolm X, one has to realise these people are like you and me; all of them trying to find the geist of change and progress by stumbling in the vacum of popular ignorance. Let it be noted that Malcolm X was himself a puppet of the Nation of Islam; spouting of racial segregation against the whites before, after visits to Mecca and the African continent, realising that racism itself comes in many shades (How true it is in this so-called 'muhibah' nation.)
As I exhorted to you all... pray for your leaders to have the wisdom and revalation. For He is the true source of inspiration and postive wisdom. These are things that is very much sorely needed not in Malaysia but int the world.
Monday, July 14, 2008
A word from the our friends the Dung men!
Mari nyanyi menjilat
Wahai pemuda, wahai pemudi
Jadilah kamu rakyat yang berbakti
Kami berjanji akan tepati
Semua impian yang anda hajati
Rumah yang besar, kereta yang mewah
Semuanya ada di tangan anda
Hidup yang senang penuh jaminan
Jangan bertanya, serahkan pada saya
Jilat, jilat, mari semua menjilat
Jilat, jilat, jilat sampai berkilat
(sax)
Jilat, jilat, mari semua menjilat
Jilat, jilat, jilat sampai berkilat
Wahai pemuzik, underground rockers,
Jangan bermimpi, jangan idealistik
Kalau nak kaya, nak jadi rockstar,
Marilah mari, sain kontrak kami,
Nak masuk radio, masuk MTV
Kenalah kamu menari macam kami
Tengoklah saja, Carburetor Dung
Cakapnya besar, tak kaya-kaya
Padan muka!
(stop)
Jilat, jilat, semua nyanyi menjilat
Jilat, jilat, mari semua jilat
Jilat, jilat, jilat jangan tak jilat
Jilat, jilat, jubur korporat sedap!
Carburetor Dung 2005
I can't help listening to the song on and on again. It's a pity there were some narrow minded
folks that did not take kindly to the song during the July 6th protest. This song, to me exemplifies the REAL punk rock. No, not the saccharine bubble gum styling's of Good Charlotte and Avril and their ilk. Nope, kids... this is the punk rock that comes up at you and spits you in the face and says @!#$ you in total gratitude. It's music with grit, guts and, in this case, brains.
While other bands opt the option of selling out, bands like the Dung winged it for over a decade, fighting the good fight for good music to saved from the clutches of overzealous moralist politicians and money mad record execs with a vampiric blood lust for the latest trends.
You have no idea how much this song hits me to the core. In my years in the graphic design line, i've been told over and over by companies that I need to tow the official line; to forsake my ideals for consumer acceptability and in most times, bear with the demands of high class twits with no inkling of design logic and even the remotest of common good taste. Do we really need to sell ourselves short? Do we really need to compramise all that is virtuous and good for so-called Darwinian survival instinct? I think not!
Here is my Born-again Christian take on this... the Lord provides for me. I do not need to kow-tow to the corrupt to prove my worth. I do not have to stoop to dirty tricks to get ahead. Knowing thatI am secure in Christ, needs not me to do stupid crap like that. In fact, He anoints me to do good. I say this not as an overt boast of my moral fortitude, for I certainly do not have one at my own strength! As one song by a certain American Idol winner says it all; "Jesus take the wheel!"
This goes the same to anyone given the chance to run for office. Does implementing Machiavellian tactics really give fruit to your policies, be it for personal gain or for actual good.
Some people would reason that a little white lie could get the gears runiing. I'd think not, for
the simplest and seemingly benign of corruption could kill everything in it's path. Take a look
at Bill Clinton's health care program. It would have been great if, implementing this system,
that the American health care system would be saved from the greed of the private insurance companies. But it was by the sheer fickleness of Hillary and Bill selling out to the lobbyists that the plan was scrapped (refer to Michael Moore's documentary SicKO. You'll get the full story.)
A little kickback won't hurt, one would reason, just a little pocket money at the side. But bear in mind simple things like this would seriously destroy the publics confidence in you. For bear in mid that YOU, the politician are subject to the people, and you must make all your actions accountable. To make some side income, it has to be clean and even-handed. You are not a demi-god or a King. This is the rule of law; everyone, including the adminstration, has to obey it.
But perfection in the law is actually difficult. For one to actually follow it 100% to its specification is really impossible if not hard. But to any Christians in office I have only one sure advice for you regarding this: SEEK HIM. Let Him be your anointing to do the best. As I said earlier, you are blessed and greatly loved by Him. What for do you have to compromise your principles for a corrupt piece of the pie? There is no point kissing ass (as the Dung would say) to get ahead in the pecking order. Trust in Him for the favour. But most importantly, trust in Christ for your wisdom to do what is right for the people. It is proven in the bible that He had guided King SOlomon and his father King David. Why not you, public servant of the Malaysian people!
Wahai pemuda, wahai pemudi
Jadilah kamu rakyat yang berbakti
Kami berjanji akan tepati
Semua impian yang anda hajati
Rumah yang besar, kereta yang mewah
Semuanya ada di tangan anda
Hidup yang senang penuh jaminan
Jangan bertanya, serahkan pada saya
Jilat, jilat, mari semua menjilat
Jilat, jilat, jilat sampai berkilat
(sax)
Jilat, jilat, mari semua menjilat
Jilat, jilat, jilat sampai berkilat
Wahai pemuzik, underground rockers,
Jangan bermimpi, jangan idealistik
Kalau nak kaya, nak jadi rockstar,
Marilah mari, sain kontrak kami,
Nak masuk radio, masuk MTV
Kenalah kamu menari macam kami
Tengoklah saja, Carburetor Dung
Cakapnya besar, tak kaya-kaya
Padan muka!
(stop)
Jilat, jilat, semua nyanyi menjilat
Jilat, jilat, mari semua jilat
Jilat, jilat, jilat jangan tak jilat
Jilat, jilat, jubur korporat sedap!
Carburetor Dung 2005
I can't help listening to the song on and on again. It's a pity there were some narrow minded
folks that did not take kindly to the song during the July 6th protest. This song, to me exemplifies the REAL punk rock. No, not the saccharine bubble gum styling's of Good Charlotte and Avril and their ilk. Nope, kids... this is the punk rock that comes up at you and spits you in the face and says @!#$ you in total gratitude. It's music with grit, guts and, in this case, brains.
While other bands opt the option of selling out, bands like the Dung winged it for over a decade, fighting the good fight for good music to saved from the clutches of overzealous moralist politicians and money mad record execs with a vampiric blood lust for the latest trends.
You have no idea how much this song hits me to the core. In my years in the graphic design line, i've been told over and over by companies that I need to tow the official line; to forsake my ideals for consumer acceptability and in most times, bear with the demands of high class twits with no inkling of design logic and even the remotest of common good taste. Do we really need to sell ourselves short? Do we really need to compramise all that is virtuous and good for so-called Darwinian survival instinct? I think not!
Here is my Born-again Christian take on this... the Lord provides for me. I do not need to kow-tow to the corrupt to prove my worth. I do not have to stoop to dirty tricks to get ahead. Knowing thatI am secure in Christ, needs not me to do stupid crap like that. In fact, He anoints me to do good. I say this not as an overt boast of my moral fortitude, for I certainly do not have one at my own strength! As one song by a certain American Idol winner says it all; "Jesus take the wheel!"
This goes the same to anyone given the chance to run for office. Does implementing Machiavellian tactics really give fruit to your policies, be it for personal gain or for actual good.
Some people would reason that a little white lie could get the gears runiing. I'd think not, for
the simplest and seemingly benign of corruption could kill everything in it's path. Take a look
at Bill Clinton's health care program. It would have been great if, implementing this system,
that the American health care system would be saved from the greed of the private insurance companies. But it was by the sheer fickleness of Hillary and Bill selling out to the lobbyists that the plan was scrapped (refer to Michael Moore's documentary SicKO. You'll get the full story.)
A little kickback won't hurt, one would reason, just a little pocket money at the side. But bear in mind simple things like this would seriously destroy the publics confidence in you. For bear in mid that YOU, the politician are subject to the people, and you must make all your actions accountable. To make some side income, it has to be clean and even-handed. You are not a demi-god or a King. This is the rule of law; everyone, including the adminstration, has to obey it.
But perfection in the law is actually difficult. For one to actually follow it 100% to its specification is really impossible if not hard. But to any Christians in office I have only one sure advice for you regarding this: SEEK HIM. Let Him be your anointing to do the best. As I said earlier, you are blessed and greatly loved by Him. What for do you have to compromise your principles for a corrupt piece of the pie? There is no point kissing ass (as the Dung would say) to get ahead in the pecking order. Trust in Him for the favour. But most importantly, trust in Christ for your wisdom to do what is right for the people. It is proven in the bible that He had guided King SOlomon and his father King David. Why not you, public servant of the Malaysian people!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Here is some light reading for you all. YOU be the judge of this.
(source: http://violetyong.blogspot.com/2008/06/cool-info-on-bakun-dam-and-cms-family.html, originally published in www.asiasentinel.com on 15 August, 2007 )
"The Dam that Wouldn’t Die":-
Sarawak’s politically motivated Bakun Dam has a new Australian friend to help keep it going.
"The Dam that Wouldn’t Die":-
Sarawak’s politically motivated Bakun Dam has a new Australian friend to help keep it going.
The resuscitation of the controversial Bakun Dam as the result of an agreement to build a nearby aluminum smelter is the latest chapter in a long running saga to push forward the environmentally sensitive project closely linked to the longstanding Sarawak chief minister, Abdul Taib Mahmud, and his family.
The mammoth dam, one of the cherished mega-projects of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, has already wiped out 23,000 hectares of virgin rainforest, delivered the timber into the hands of timber barons and displaced 9,000 indigenous people. It is also a textbook example of how the New Economic Policy, Malaysia’s affirmative action program to improve the economic wellbeing of its bumiputera, or ethnic Malay majority, instead concentrates riches in a few hands.
On August 7, Australia-based Rio Tinto Aluminum signed a deal with Malaysian conglomerate Cahya Mata Sarawak, whose principal stakeholders are members of the Taib Mahmud family, for a joint study to build a US$2 billion smelter in Similajau, near Bintulu, 80 km inland from the dam itself. Expected to open in 2010, it will be one of the largest in the world, with initial production capacity is projected at 550,000 tonnes a year with the capability to expand to 1.5 million tonnes later.
Rio Tinto, with its projected takeover of Alcan, Inc., of Canada, is already expected to become the largest aluminum producer in the world. The smelter, which will use power from the Bakun dam, is expected to be the fifth and biggest aluminum plant for Rio Tinto, its external affairs manager Jim Singer told The Associated Press. Rio Tinto picked Sarawak for the project due to strong government support, a credible local partner, abundant electricity supply from the Bakun dam and robust demand in the region, Singer said.
Critics are livid. In a forum early this month organized by the United Nations Development Program in Kuala Lumpur to mark World Indigenous Day, Colin Nicholas, the coordinator of the Center for Orang Asli (Indigenous People) told local reporters that "From our point of view, by allowing the Rio Tinto project to go ahead, it is just like trying to cover up one natural disaster with another.”
“There was no open tender for the (aluminum smelter project) and no public announcement of it,” fumed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in an email to Asia Sentinel. “Combined, the smelter and the dam raise serious concerns about environmental impacts and the treatment of indigenous populations.”
Just as disturbing, to some observers, is the way Cahya Mata Sarawak, which means “light of Sarawak’s eye” in English and goes by the acronym CMS, has maneuvered itself into position to benefit from the dam.
Begun in 1974 under the name Cement Manufacturers Sarawak Bhd, the company originally produced Portland cement as a state-owned firm. Its transformation has been remarkable, according to a doctoral thesis submitted to the University of London in 2002 by Andrew Aeria, currently a lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University Malaysia Sarawak in Kuching.
“The rapid growth and transformation of CMS since the 1990s has been nothing short of phenomenal, and is due to two main factors, namely the privatization and restructuring of CMS from a state-owned public-listed company into a private sector public-listed conglomerate owned by the Mahmud family, and the huge amount of state rents CMS secured for itself and its subsidiary companies from 1992 through political patronage,” Aeria wrote.
Aeria’s study tells the story in voluminous detail. Beginning in the early 1990s, Cement Manufacturers Sarawak Bhd, a state-owned company, bought major stakes in three highly profitable subsidiaries of the Sarawak Economic Development Commission – PPES Quarry, Steel Industries Sarawak and PCMS, for 117.4 million Malaysian ringgit, 50 million of that in cash, the rest covered by 13.48 million shares. For that, CMS got, in addition to the assets, 30.94 million ringgit in cumulative retained profits, according to the company’s annual reports. That moneyproved helpful, allowing CMS to acquire two other companies owned by the Mahmuds, namely Syrakusa Sdn Bhd and Concordance Sdn Bhd, via cash and share swaps. This resulted in the "privatization to the Mahmud family via a reverse takeover. Bank Utama, Sarawak Securities and Archipelago Shipping -- all Mahmud family companies -- were subsequently injected into CMS.
The CMS takeover also reflects the politics of New Economic Policy privatization exercises in Malaysia, which tend to favor hiving off profitable public enterprises instead of loss-making ones to well-connected individuals in the private sector, Aeria claims. Apart from cultivating cronyism and promoting rent-seeking, such privatizations deprive the state sector of lucrative sources of income end up raising the tax burden of ordinary taxpayers, he writes.
During the privatization and restructuring of CMS, numerous public-funded infrastructure projects also were channeled to CMS. These helped CMS maintain an extremely healthy cash flow and high annual turnover. They bolstered its restructuring efforts, hiked up the share price of CMS and helped CMS raise funds easily from banks and other money markets.
By 1996, the Mahmud family had consolidated the cement business, Bank Utama, Sarawak Securities, and Archipelago Shipping, turning the firm, now named Cahya Mata Sarawak, from a publicly-owned cement producer into a private-sector diversified conglomerate involved in stock brokering, road construction, water, quarry operations, steel bar manufacturing, trading, cement production and investment holdings.
“Taib Mahmud’s control over the levers of power and resources in Sarawak saw the SEDC (Sarawak Economic Development Commission) privatize profitable state enterprises to his family,” Aeria wrote in his thesis. “Similarly, his position of favor with the federal government meant that his family received various rents, principally a stockbroker license (to Sarawak Securities) that became a lucrative monopoly, and waivers on mandatory general share offers. Taib Mahmud’s powerful political position also meant that the companies linked to his family easily raised loans from the capital market.”
Taib Mahmud’s 26-year tenure as the chief minister of Sarawak also gave the company at least the appearance of having ready access to government power and favors during a time when the family company had a healthy cash flow and high annual turnover that drove up the share price. The company also got involved in numerous infrastructure projects.
“What is notable about these infrastructure projects is that most of them were secured via negotiated tender from the Sarawak government and its agencies without going through a process of competitive tenders,” Aeria writes. “Not only were many public sector projects channeled towards CMS but CMS also actively undertook a process of seeking out profitable public sector jobs like the maintenance of federal and state roads by the Sarawak Public Works Department estimated at between RM300-RM500 annually, and negotiated for their being transferred to CMS on a turnkey basis.”
Born in relatively modest circumstances, Taib Mahmud now is locally famous for wearing double-breasted suits and driving around Kuching, Sarawak’s capital city, in a cream-colored Rolls-Royce. According to Aliran Monthly, the reformist Malaysian magazine, Taib Mahmud’s spouse Laila and his children are the majority shareholders of Sitehost Pty. Ltd., Australia, which owns the Adelaide Hilton Hotel. Company records dated December 2000 show them holding 95 percent of the company or 9.5 million fully paid up shares, the magazine said.
Onn Mahmud, Taib Mahmud’s brother, his daughter Jamilah Hamidah Taib and her husband Sean Murray are listed as director-shareholders of SAKTO Corporation, a major real estate operator of non-residential buildings in Ottawa, owning and managing more than half a million square feet of prime office space with affiliate offices in the US, Asia, the UK and Australia. They also own SAKTO Development Corporation, a multi-million dollar development and construction company in Ottawa. Jamilah is the sole director of SAKTO Investment Corporation.
“Now, it may well be that the Mahmud family is one of the best and most astute business families in Malaysia,” Aliran wrote. “And more power to them on that account. But much of their known wealth has arisen during the tenure of Abdul Taib Mahmud as Sarawak chief minister. Is there then any wonder why there exists so much public skepticism about the sources of Abdul Taib Mahmud’s family wealth? Would not a transparent audit do well to quash such obviously unscrupulous rumors once and for all?”
The construction of the dam, which had been under development in fits and starts since the 1960s, began to mesh with Cahya Mata’s capabilities in 1994, when construction began, led by a privatized joint-venture consortium called the Bakun Hydroelectric Corporation comprised of Ekran Bhd, the national power company Tenaga Nasional Bhd, the government of Sarawak, Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (Sesco) and Malaysian Mining Corporation Bhd (MMC).
The dam project itself is part of a grandiose plan to meet electricity demand in peninsular Malaysia, nearly 700 km away, via a high voltage direct current cable, since the entire island of Borneo, where the dam is situated, is unlikely to be able to use the amount of electricity it is projected to produce.
Thus an additional 300km line was also envisioned to feed power throughout peninsular Malaysia. Because of the distance of transmission, the underwater cables are expected to leak more than half of the wattage before the power reaches peninsular Malaysia. Even without Bakun, Sarawak’s installed electricity reserve capacity was estimated at 25 percent two years ago. At one point, the massive operation was projected to tie up the world’s entire cable-laying capability.
In 1996, Cahya Mata expanded its steel and cement production capacities in response to a massive economic boom in the construction sector. CMS’s new steel and cement plants were financed by large short and long-term loans from both local and international offshore money markets.
The Asian financial crisis, however, brought the Bakun dam project to a halt and forced the government to assume control from the consortium at an estimated cost of 1.6 billion ringgit to Malaysian taxpayers. It was revived in 2000 through a wholly owned-government company, Sarawak Hidro, along with the Malaysia-China Hydro JV consortium. (This also isn‘t Bakun’s first flirtation with an aluminum smelter. One was previously proposed for Similajau, to be funded by the international financier Mohamed Ali Alabbar as a joint venture between Dubai Aluminum Co. Ltd and Gulf International Investment Group. Those plans collapsed due to construction delays and squabbles over contractual terms. By 2004 most of the minor partners to the consortium posted losses or substantially decreased profits.)
The Asian crisis of 1997-1998 also resulted in a spectacular 439 million ringgit pre-tax loss for Cahya Mata for the year ending December 1998 and a reversal of fortunes to the tune of 670.7 million ringgit, primarily because of severe nonperforming loan losses in the company’s banking and financial services arms. By 1999, the company’s total debt burden ballooned to 787.33 million ringgit and resulted in a downgrade of its bonds.
Cahya Mata’s cumulative debts and financial troubles at the turn of the century meant that Bakun took on added importance. A large portion of its debt was secured by pledges of securities as collateral, the share price of which was tied directly to the terms of its debt. CMS’s share price dropped below RM3.00, Aeria wrote.
The revival of Bakun became an overnight confidence boost to Cahya Mata and strengthened the financial status of its majority owners as well as numerous other shareholders. But Bakun was more than just that. From a political standpoint, the dam was a major lifeline thrown at a very crucial time to Taib Mahmud, other client businesses having dealings with the conglomerate, and ordinary shareholders in Sarawak. This lifeline was thrown back in the form of a Sarawak majority party that delivered all 28 of its parliamentary seats to offset the federal Barisan Nasional’s losses of seats in national elections and helped Mahathir to maintain his critical two-thirds majority in parliament.
Taib Mahmud himself has faced numerous corruption allegations by critics over his 26-year career as chief minister, most recently earlier this year when Japanese media reported that he had been implicated in a 1.1 billion yen timber export kickback scheme involving a cartel of nine Japanese timber shipping companies through Hong Kong-based Regent Star, which is linked to Taib Mahmud and his family. He has not been charged and has publicly denied any wrongdoing. He recently said he would sue several Malaysian publications for defamation over articles relating to the case.
When Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came to power in 2003 as Malaysia’s prime minister, he vowed to cut back on the number of mega-projects that Mahathir had lumbered the country with, telling delegates to the 57th United Malays National Organisation’s 57th general assembly that he would turn away from Mahathir’s economic strategies. “That era is over,” he told the delegates. But Abdullah Badawi has been weakened by a series of missteps and scandals, and meanwhile Bakun dam soldiers on.
Carry On, Carry On
And the ridicule you for your ideals and thoughts,
Belittling every notion of your say,
But In Him I say carry on,
For their words hold no sway.
For what do cynical and proud have to offer?
What do the smart have in place for their vacant eyes?
With their weak sarcasm they try to tear us down,
With their complacency they die choking in their conceited peace.
For what do they have that could break this union?
What more could they offer except the excrement's of their 'better' lives
For those who believe is the greater peace,
The anointing of Him that brought down Jericho,
The anointing now that can rebuild this nation.
For was it His wisdom that guided Solomon,
His wisdom that liberated Paul,
For layeth down your broken weapons of your labor,
In Him alone, the corrupt shall be brought to their knees!
Belittling every notion of your say,
But In Him I say carry on,
For their words hold no sway.
For what do cynical and proud have to offer?
What do the smart have in place for their vacant eyes?
With their weak sarcasm they try to tear us down,
With their complacency they die choking in their conceited peace.
For what do they have that could break this union?
What more could they offer except the excrement's of their 'better' lives
For those who believe is the greater peace,
The anointing of Him that brought down Jericho,
The anointing now that can rebuild this nation.
For was it His wisdom that guided Solomon,
His wisdom that liberated Paul,
For layeth down your broken weapons of your labor,
In Him alone, the corrupt shall be brought to their knees!
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