sundae's a-long adieu

desiderata said...

Dear Esteemed Readers awe, sum or in parts:

Desi is taking an unannounced HI-atus from todie.Gd willing and body able, I will be back with some satyre, sarcasm without bytes, and now I adjourneth for late CON BF at Men Kee, hoping myGOoDfriend AM turns up to kolek her autgiraffed kopi of Poemes by desi fool of errata. So funny, I have met pavlova awe the way from PP and back from NZ and this shy-shy Anak Merdeka from Furong hydes hersefl from YL> Mama mia, why-lah, AM going MIA from AP till PM? Do I have to hunt thee down with Mave, howsy in Putrajaya 3+1th floor?

10:23 AM

Do you mean what you say?

In modern days, we seldom hear the saying: A man's word is his bond. (In the olde days, before the domination of the feminism cause outwardly demonstrated by bra-burning! when we said "man", it denoted both genders were represented. Of course then the third classification like homosexuals had not inruded into public consciousness in a big way. Like socialists once, they remained in the closet. This early digression is just for explanation purposes as background.)

So in the world of commerce in the old days, businessmen entered into verbal contracts and most times, there were no major breaches. Because then a man's word was his bond. And gentlemen seldom broke their bonds.

Forward to the 20th and 21st centuries, man had to rely on lawyers to bind their agreements. It made the solicitors very happy and courts became too busy and under-staffed as even with written contracts, more people did not keep to their word. Or the sipirit of it. Words are mere "closest approximations" of the intentions of two signee parties to an agreement, and some smart lawyers wrote in "loop holes" in small print to exact an advantage for their clients.

So I pose to my Esteemed Readers today: Do you seem to find that nowadays, people don't mean what they say in general?

That's my stance and inference speaking from experience. Hence you hardly hear any reiteration of the highly esteemed boaste from the olde days: A man's word in his bond.

First, I can accept it if a person, because of his poor command of the language used in communication, he said something other than what wanted to mean. That is: he does not have any intention to mislead or deceive the other party. This is the absence of bad faith -- mala fide as said in legalese? -- and therefore the speaker could be excused if he was deemed to have not meant what he said.

But coming from a person conversant or well-versed in the language, then there is NO EXCUSE!

(Desi will continue later as he has to break for makan-makan, Helen -- hoRst of allofhelen.blogspot.com -- whispered to remind Desi it's way past runchdime awe the way from Ipoh!:) @1.48pm...

Strange Interlude: Mr Coww and I wandered into the cinetheque at TerminalOne (gas w'ear?) after a quikkie for some air-cond comfort in the heat of the Malaysian siesta time (we got more than what we bargained for -- it was chilling, maybe 15 degrees Celcius!) Well, the movie was "The Brave One" snd Jodie Foster was ery much the "adult" version of her in "Taxi Driver" decades back when she won an Oscar (Right?) starring alongside Robert de Nero.Second digression, which is a Blogger's privilege to abuse, so why not become one? No, don't become an abuse victim, become a blogger! I'd continue with this Inter:nude cometh Sundae if I survive the chill:)

So, as I was saying, "A man's Word Is His Bond" dictum nowadays is sorely tested, and many not-so-manly human beings fail the test, IMHO-lah.

I can forgive such instances when it's the lack of command of the language that causes an adult to not mean what he says:

* Educated mainly in Tamil, he made a speech in English and instead of "meaning to say" he's condident he could do the job if given a chance to prove himself; he said: "I can prove able to do the job confidently."

** Educated in Mandarin, he made a statement in English that his father wanted him to become an engineer but he was disappointed by qualifying as a proud scientist; by he meant to say that although he could have disappointed his father who wished he studied to become an engineer, he was nevertheless proud to qualify as a scientist.

In both instances, I believe the speakers did have some language "deficiency" and hence could not find the right way or words to express himself clearly. The result was that the speakers' meaning of their intended message was not properly conveyed. But there was no intention to mislead.

But in Malaysia, when it comes to leaders and newsmakers being reported in the media, especially mainstream, we often suspect the speakers have not been honest or sincere. As well put by many Bloggers, the leaders, especially politicians -- both Government and Opposition, but by default more of the former in that they are given more coverage! These politicians often say things just to please the audience for the moment, but later their actions often contract their words.

Do I need to give examples?

Okay, I'll try, but you can beg to differ for we are still a democratic society, though if you gather in groups of more than five at the mamak tehtarik stall, you can be detained under the ISA.

* Remember the leader promises to deliver a transparent and accountable government?
Between talk and action for the past four years, the people's "trust" in that leader's words has dwindled for sure because many listeners have heard the message but don't seethe actions in tandem with the expressed intentions. In sort, the leaders don't mean what they say!

* Haven't all the CEOs of listed companies assured their shareholders that "the shareholders' interests" would enjoy the highest priorityin the company's scheme of things and the management would do their level best to add value to their shares?

Hey, note that the bosses still help themselves with high emoluments and bonuses even when the companies don't perform. Worst yet, the bosses would "unload" their own shares while publicly expressing confidence in the company's prospects going forward. "Going forward" is a favourite phrase with corporate leaders, and do you believe they mean to take the companies forward most times? ask the many "retail" investors who land up burnt or "carryi

So art thou surprised that there exists a close and intimate nexus among Bigwig Politicians and Business Tycoons. (By contrast, Desi is a small businessman running a freelance writing venture and lives in a BIG two-story house:)

Anyone out there wanna answer the BN leaders', led by the PM, famous calls in leading NegaraKu towards Vision 2020:

"Let's Fight Corruption. Let's Promote Integrity."

"Talk To Me. Work With Me!"

PS:

I believe some idiotic leaders truly mean what they preach to their Eat, Drink and Be Merry youths:

"Come on board the bandwagon. We'll make you a multi-millionaire by 27!"

A Friend In Need

Is a Friend Indeed.

Oft we have heard this expression as an emphasis to humans that we in our daily living have need of friends who we can turn to for a shoulder to cry on, or just share out innermost hopes and fears, or as a potential Samaritan in overcoming a personal crisis.

The test of friendship comes hardest in the worst of an individual's times. As one American President (can anyone update Desi who is/was that?) said: An individual should consider himself/herself blessed if, towards the end of one's life on earth, one has amassed a number equivalent to the number of fingers in one's hands to be able to call "friends".

Desi had once thought he had advanced to counting the Toes -- super-lucky! -- but events over the past 12 months had dwindled the number back again to merely counting the fingers. Luckily, it's couting those in the secodn hand (adds new meaning to 'second-hand friendship', eh?)

I reviewed my situation last night as I reviewed an episode of The West Wing and this little anecdote was related by Leo MacGarry, White House Chief of Staff, to his deputy Josh Lyman:

One night, a man was careless and he fell into a deep hole by the roadside (in an American city, New York or Washington DC? or mayhaps in Furong, aka Seremban, the city famous for astronuts playing five-stones).

A pastor passed by, and the man-in-the-hole cried out loudly: "Please help me get out of here!"
The man-in-the-white-cloth wrote a prayer on a piece of paper and threw it into the hole, and moved on.

Next, a doctor passed by, and the man-in-the-hole cried out more loudly: "Plaese help me get out of this dark and dank hole!"
The man-in-the-white-overalls wrote out a prescription on a piece of paper and threw it into the hole, and moved on.

Then a third guy passed by, and the man-in-the-hole cried out in desperation: "Brudder, please help me get out of this damed hole!"
The stranger peered into the hole, then jumped straight in realising another fellow being had fallen in.

The man-in-the-hole exclaimed: "Now why do you do that, jumping into this damned place? It now becomes a problem for the two of us!"
The stranger smiled, said in a soothing voice: "No worries, I had been here before. I know the way out of here."


DESIDERATA:

While we do meeet with strangers in Life's journey wh turn out to be that GOoD Samaritan to help us out of a jam/hole, remember also to DO THE RIGHT THING -- Help out thy brother/sister when you can -- BECAUSE THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

Chow! -- which means "Come Eat Now with me this bread..." OR "I'll see you later, inside or outside dat hole!"

Parting pome to share, from Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

Solitude

LAUGH, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.

Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.

Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life's gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.

There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Kim Quek's Counterpoint to Three-man Independent Panel

Desi had just completed reading the Star and NST on the major local news headlined reports and about to write today's Post on the just announced Three-man Independent Panel to investigate the authenticity of the 2002 video clip showing a prominent lawyer brokering the appointment of top judges when SDR KIM QUEK emailed me an update to his Post yesterday as Guest Blogger here.

ONLY A ROYAL COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY WOULD DO


26.09.2007

The hurriedly arranged three-man panel announced by DPM Najib on Mar 25 to investigate the explosive Lingam video clip is obvious a ploy to achieve 3 objectives, namely:

1) To take the steam off the proposed Malaysian Bar’s march in Putrajaya on the next day Mar 26.
2) To prevent a full scale investigation by a Royal Commission of Enquiry.
3) To close the case in the shortest possible time so as not to obstruct the imminent general election.

Najib’s denial that the panel’s formation was a reaction to the Bar Council’s move is easily demolished by the panel’s chairman Haidar Mohd Noor. Asked whether he has received his letter of appointment and terms of reference, Haider said: “I have not received anything as yet. I guess, because of the urgency, they called us up first.” Haider further said: “I was just informed today (Tuesday) of our appointment. We need to know what our role is.”

Now, if Najib’s announcement is not to pre-empt the Bar Council’s move, why should he have been in such a hurry - announcing the panel’s formation on the same day that the appointees were told of their appointment, even before the latter knew the terms of reference or receive the appointment letters? What is the reason for such indecent hurry, that the announcement must be made one day before the Bar Council’s march? If it is not to derail the march, then what is such hurry for?

According to the Star, the terms of reference are to “investigate the authenticity of the video clip”. The panel’s finding should be “based on police and other government agencies’ findings. It can probe further into the findings but cannot directly be involved in interviewing and obtaining details from those implicated. Findings will be submitted to the Cabinet, subsequently made public”.

It is obvious that Najib’s proposed investigation is totally unacceptable.

That the investigation is for ascertaining authenticity of the video is a clear demonstration of the government’s total lack of sincerity. Such investigation is a sheer waste of time, as no body is ever in doubt of the video’s authenticity, especially when both the Chief Justice and V.K.Lingam have chosen to be in hiding one full week after such serious accusations were leveled against them.

What we need is a total exposure of the treacherous politician-judiciary nexus that has existed since 1988 until this very day. It is this betrayal of our Constitution by top political leaders and top judges that is the root cause of countless cases of travesty of justice - including some heinous ones - that have ravaged our judicial system and defamed our country. Unless this terminal malignancy is properly diagnosed and effective remedial measures taken, how can we save this country from the inevitable slow death?

Only with the work of a Royal Commission of Enquiry appointed by his Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong, with full power to get to the bottom of this prolonged tragedy, can we hope to extricate this nation from the present mess.


Kim Quek.

DESIDERATA: All the highlights above in Kim Quek's article are made by Desi to emphasise the key points, mainly to rebut DPM Najib Razak's stance that the panel was set up not "To take the steam off the proposed Malaysian Bar’s march in Putrajaya on the next day Mar 26."

Also, a point which Sdr Kim deplores in the "sincerity" of the Government's commitment to investigate the "root problems" besetting the Judiciary, which has seen its independence steadily being eroded starting from 1988. The panel's function is just limited to, quoting Kim's, viz: "That the investigation is for ascertaining authenticity of the video is a clear demonstration of the government’s total lack of sincerity." And further, quoting The Star: "It can probe further into the findings but cannot directly be involved in interviewing and obtaining details from those implicated.

Desi would just lend his personal opinions on the appointment of Lee Lam Thye's as one of the three panel members. That Najib had deemed to describe the three appointees' record as "impeccable"character made me want to puke.

I know this "social activist" pretty well as I was a DAP card-carrying member in the Bukit Bintang division headed by this same Lee (rocketed to fame on the Rocket symbol, not his own!) for a considerable period, including as a division delegate to two DAP Congresses, one in Petaling Jaya and the other in Seremban.

Lee's departure from DAP on the eve of an impending General Elections when UMNO faced its greatest challenge from ex-UMNO team led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was the greatest betrayal of the Opposition cause, and this same man's character is described as "impeccable"? As the saying goes, this was a case of true blue label about politikus in general: "EVERY POLITICIAN HAS A PRICE ON HIS HEAD".

What do you think was the "price" on this "social activist's" head? Your guess won't be as good as mine, I assure you. Maybe the present MP for Cheras Sdr TAN KOK WAI's insider information cometh closer to the TRUTH!

Subsequent events of this social activist's ascent -- or descent as many BB voters would describe it, because many said they would throw rotten eggs at him on sight! -- tend to confirm many people's suspicion one blardy MP soul'd out -- board memberships at several blue-chip listed companies. Then the self-claimed title of "FACE OF NATIONAL SERVICE" -- passing the buck to the Director-General when trainees deaths occurred, but claiming credits when things went right, according to his own convenience. And the fact that the NS programme is under the aegis of DPM-cum-Defence Minister Najib Rajak is surely of no coincidence for this social activist's appointment as a panel member. Impeccable selction indeed!

Sometimes our leaders think the Malaysian electorate suffers from emory loss. The leaders forget there are still some journalists from the olde days around who do not have selective memory at the service and command of The Master's Voice.

UPDATEd @2.15pm:

Just plucked this flower from elizabethwong.wordpress.com:

"Lee Lam Thye? Collector of ‘positions’ and ‘directorships’. Director of god-knows how many public listed companies. Head of the National Service Training who doesn’t even have the decency to resign after more than a dozens deaths and numerous more complaints. In some crime prevention foundation, which millions have been pumped in, and clearly not prevented the deluge of serious crimes. Oh yah, I think he was even once a Suhakam commissioner, but none of us from the HR groups could remember him, since he did (censored) all for HRs on public payroll."

PS: Thy honour, whoever careth to listen -- I (DESI) rest my case!

An MC Serenade (II)

Because allofhelen remembers Desi's dedication to last year's Mid-Autumnal Sad Song, I try to put back a s-MILE aawe the way to Ipoh from Furong tonight, because that's the thing to do right.

So chapter 2 of the MC SERENADE starts hear; get thy Pu-Er tea ready -- o'lady? -- and slice those sweet cakes of all variety -- I like the Leng-yung yellow-coloured with bright orange egg-yolk within, to add that "tang" to my sweet tooth/teeth. But first, let the Pu-Er cha brew for a good w'ile -- it costs about RM5 a sip, so do it slowly, and sturdily. Thanks to myGOoDfriend Sdr Choo from KL as during my last visit to his "small" house in, I slipped a packet of PE cha into my black bag; I wonder if he did qualify as a black belter!

Zhang Er for some 350 days and nights did cry a river
That her Lover miss'd the APpointment by Sg Ujong
This poet's heart was moved to donate a live-r
To try dry up the tears of a love that lingers strong

Strangely when I woke up this morn
The sun shone bright like a moon re-born
The maiden's tears did run dry
My hopes sprang sky hight for a while

I was told by a midnight voice last night
If a poet's prayers be sincere and stout
Even the hardest heart could be bought
The heaviest brok'n heart be made again light

So I thought out some fantastic scheme
Let Zhang Er's tears be not in vain
A year's laments must deserve a dream
To remove such agony and pain

So I drew on the sun's power
Dried up the Moon River flooded with her tears
The pebbles at my poetic licensed command
Fell into orderly steps a starcase made
That travelled the length across heavens to touch humble Earth
To form a bridge for Zhang Er's lover to climb
That the two lovers be re-united in a bond so sublime

So all myGOoDfriends, believe me this story
Is not spun out of fantasy
When a lover's love runs deep and strong
Even Moon River knows where two hearts belong

As the Lover late by a few minutes the last time
Tonight he reached the bridge the poet built on rime
To fulfill a dream and a pair of lovers' yearning
Believe me, it takes more than just two to fulfill the bridging

Where there's a will, summon for help from makers of rhyme
It won't cost thee a dime, just gratitude made of cakes and wine
Just one pure heart, maybe two
Anchored on trust, humanity and love
Some dream will then descend from up high like a dove

____________________ Serenade II ends ________________

Backdrop:

As I did leave my footprint earlier at allofhelen.blogspot.com's:
I would call on my poetic licence to use for a good Cause
But don't count on Desi to uexercise such AP liberally
I'm Amore a socialist than a democrazee be
Well, now let's toast to the reunion full of grace
As two lovers as One locked in warm and temperature-rising embrace
Now with thy permit my last lunar year's serenade I reprise
Yes, we shall enjoy a full moon tonight
The lusty lament is gone for now
Let's Eat Now (or Chow!:)

Friday, October 06, 2006

An MC Serenade

It was on full moon eon nights ago
Down by quiet demure Sungei Ujong
Where else but innocent PP-Furong
Desi like a young buck reckless and bold
Spied a yound doe doe-eyed and demure
Shakespeare's words worked like magic
If music be the food of love play on
So with Chinoserie tea taesed with **Li Bai's poem
I seduced her with bean paste and lotus seeds in a round cake

Our first time we did in Heaven's rippling bosom partake
Oh holy cow I did not know it could be so beguilin'
We did in in all positions, left, right and all-the-in-between
I didn't know that she was not yet sweet seventeen
Had we been caught, Desi would have been a has-been
Luckily she coo-ED: Let's make believe it's just a Dream
As the moonbeams lit up the skiesWe sang such love songs but no lullabies
She composed Li-Bai-esque recalling her village home
I tricked her reciting Browning's How Do I Love Thee tome
And we made It for the first time, it's so sublime
Now how old was I then? I hear aloud not-shy AM
I whispered in her ears: I could be your PM
Helen interrupts with: Please don't speak in tongue
And Desi in all slyness did say: I was born not Yesterday
So all my troubles were here to stay

But I'd let out a secret tonight
When the moon turns full and bright
All mGf near, far and wide
Look Up and tell me what do you see
Does Zhang Er dook like a beaming bride?
I kept a date with her another mid-autmn night
By the River Ujong now not so elegant
By Seremban town now no more a Peyton
The shy lass I first did it with grew impatient
Desi did not make the date as he's been laden
By the heavy burden of Life I was delayed
Green-eyed Zhang Er flew up, up and away
Full of anger, fool in rage
I ran like a rabbit but missed her by a few bites
The tea was cold, and the mooncake overrun with mites
So when you look up tonightIt may not be a compleatly happy sight
Zhang Ziyi's mum's no delight, the poor rabbit's in fright

My beloved, I know I was late,
Oh mid-autumnal moon I sigh,
why art thou gone too soon?
But never mind, the moonbeams will stream
Furong's idyllic and sweet and sensual dream
To thee, my GOoD friends met and some not yet
We'll still party, Eat Drink and Be Merry
This poem is specially dedicated to Thee

~~Desi
October 6, 2006
in anticipation of Da Full Moonlight



desiderata said...
Look up the sky at 9.00pm tonight; stretch thy long neck to see a couple in embrace -- 1+1=1 when Zhang Er reunites with her lover once aMore!:):)
7:22 PM

RISING IN UNISON TO FORCE JUDICIAL REFORMS

• Today's GUEST BLOGGER Sdr KIM QUEK needs no introduction in the media world, especially writing on Socio-Political matters of concern to NegaraKu. I first spied his writings at malaysiakini.com where he is an established columnist.
• I had the privilege of meeting up in person with Kim (does Rudyard Kipling ring a belle hear?) last Tuesday, along wit' stimulants like a new spice man, Datuk Shannon, Terence Netto and Bernard Khoo, aka lurking around @zorro-zorro-unmasked. blogspot.com when stimulated by C-Z-Jones!

Now let's hear it from Kim who is an accountant, and if I am not mistaken, he's a younger member than Desi in Parti Keadilan Rakyat where I am only jest nine months old. Together with other like-minded Malaysians we shall strive to bring about a more just and equitable society, based mainly on needs, never on ethnic origins, religion or colour, and certainly not on race.

"Congratulations to the Malaysian Bar Council for rising to the occasion in the face of naked assault on our judicial system as highlighted by the explosive video clip that exposes evil political manipulation of the judiciary.

The Council has called on the government to immediately set up a Royal Commission of Enquiry to get to the bottom of the depraved state of our judicial system. And to demonstrate the Bar's resolve, it has unprecedentedly called on members to march from the Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister's Department in Putrajaya to deliver the memorandum of request to the Cabinet (on Sept 26).

It is indeed heartening to see the Malaysian Bar living up to its role as vanguard in the defence of judicial integrity. Let this be the start of a determined nation-wide movement to cleanse our judiciary of entrenched political manipulation.

The Video Clip

The eight-minute video clip exposed by Anwar Ibrahim on Sept 19, capturing lawyer V.K.Lingam in a telephone conversation with Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz held in 2002, is amazingly illustrative of the devilish practice that has corrupted the Malaysian judiciary for the past two decades. (Fairuz was then Chief Judge of Malaya , No.3 in judiciary).

The Lingam video reveals how the prime minister decides on senior judicial positions "not by consultation with the judicial fraternity but by listening to whispers" by close business and political cronies, who function as agents for the prime minister's personal financial and political interests (words in inverted comas in this article are the exact words used by Lingam in the video clip conversation). It also confirms that the criteria of selection are not based on judicial merits but on political and personal allegiance to the prime minister. Persons on the preference list are termed by Lingam as "key players and soldiers". Judges favoured by the then independent-minded Chief Justice Dzaiddin Abdullah who often defied the PM's wishes are classified as in the other camp? Judges loyal to the prime minister including Eusoff Chin, Ahmad Fairuz, are said to have "fought for" the cause. Fairuz was even praised for giving "110% loyalty" .

In the telephone conversation, Lingam and Fairuz were discussing the strategy to outsmart Dzaiddin so that more judges loyal to the prime minister could be placed in key positions. Fairuz must have impressed on Lingam that central to this strategy was the prompt promotion of Fairuz himself to higher position and pressed Lingam to help out.

Lingam repeatedly assured Fairuz that he had been working hard on this, and Lingam even described how he managed to get Fairuz the Chief Judge of Malaya job through "brainwashing" Vincent Tan (then Prime Minister Mahathir's business crony) into convincing Mahathir to give the job to Fairuz. (Fairuz was appointed CJM in late 2001).

Lingam also promised Fairuz that he would ask Vincent to remind the PM to bestow a Tan Sri ship to Fairuz so as to "elevate" the latter's position. Lingam ended the conversation with assurance to Fairuz that he would pursue hard on Fairuz's promotion and would arrange for Fairuz to meet Vincent and Tenku Adnan (a minister and a political crony to Mahathir) confidentially, prior to a meeting with the PM.

As it turned out, Fairuz was made a Tan Sri in June 2002, promoted as President of the Court of Appeal (No. 2 in judiciary) in December 2002, and eventually as Chief Justice in March 2003.

Public fury

Despite the common knowledge that Malaysian judiciary has been under political manipulation for many years, nevertheless, the revelation of the video clip caused a firestorm of fury and protests. This is akin to a wife being shown a snapshot of the long suspected unfaithful husband caught with his pants down. Though the revelation is not new, its electrifying effect is still the same -- enough to cause the wife to blow up in a state of frenzy.

It is encouraging to note that Malaysian society across the board, save the ruling coalition, reacted instantly with indignation and a determined spirit that this hideous mutilation of our judiciary must be halted. All opposition parties, the Bar Council, numerous NGOs and individuals have voiced their anger and demanded the immediate setting up of an independent commission of enquiry to probe into the revelation of the video clip, with a view to seek long term solution to our much battered judiciary, in addition to meting out punishment to the culprits.

While the nation is at boiling point, where are the culprits -- Lingam and Fairuz? A week has lapsed since the revelation, they are still no where to be seen. There has been no open denial of their role in this shameful episode.

Meanwhile, top guns of the establishment -- PM, DPM, Minister in charge of law, and even the attorney general -- seem to be pursuing the same well trodden path of smothering the fire set off by a high-level scandal. Their objective may be the same, but their tactics vary. Worthy of mention are those of the AG and the PM.

The strangest is from the AG who, as top law officer of the government, incredibly thinks that there is nothing wrong with the substance revealed by the tape.

The saddest is from the PM, who seems to aim his gun at the whistle-blower, instead of the culprits. The most revulsive part of his statement is his claim that "the video was released with the aim of getting the people angry with the country's judiciary system" and his warning that "those who released the video, as well as those who lodged ACA reports" would be punished, if the video was found to be not true (The Sun, Sept 21).

To these leaders indulging in the denial syndrome to deceive the nation, let me ask this common sense question. If you are the alleged culprit, and the video is a fake, wouldn't you have jumped up to declare your innocence in the first instance and reported the fraud to the police so as to nail the forgers? Being most knowledgeable of the law, the Chief Justice should not only do this for his own personal interest, but he is in fact absolutely duty-bound to do so, so as to defend the good name of the judiciary. Hence, instead of threatening the whistle blower, wouldn't it be more appropriate for the PM to get the principals of the scandal to publicly declare their straightforward answers and to follow this up with an independent enquiry?

Strategy of Action

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi flatly rejected the notion of an independent enquiry during a press conference on Sept 21; instead, he asked the police to investigate the case, starting with determining the authenticity of the tape. We know only too well what this will lead to, as we are very familiar with the government's modulus operandi in dealing with scandals involving top officials in the ruling clique (the Chief Justice is undeniably one, according to the tape) --investigation by either police or the Anti-Corruption Agency, then long delay until public interests have waned, and eventually the Attorney-General emerges to declare case closed due to inconclusive evidence.

Knowing Adullah's style of leadership, the Bar Council must brace itself to a disappointing response (or rather non-response) from Abdullah on the memorandum to be presented on Sept 26, and plan for alternative strategies to push the agenda ahead.

A silver lining in the cloud is our King, who is empowered under the Commissions of Enquiry Act 1950 (Revised 1973) to appoint a commission to inquire into any public matter as he deems fit to uphold public interests. In this connection, the people are encouraged by the righteous utterances of royalties in recent days and are confident that the King, with the backing of his fellow rulers, will not hesitate to exercise his constitutional power to protect the rights and interests of the people when the occasion so arises.

The Malaysian Bar as primary defenders of law, political parties, NGOs and the civil society at large should therefore seize this opportunity to forge concerted efforts in appealing to the King, as well as in organising other mass movements that would place the nation on-course to restoration of integrity in the judicial system.

Meanwhile, we should realise the serious constraints to spreading public awareness of the perils to our nation caused by a maimed judiciary, as the ruling BN still exercises complete stranglehold on the local press and TV channels. As of now, none of these has identified the culprits in the video clip or publicised Bar Council's proposed march from the Palace of Justice to the PM's Department on Mar 26.

It therefore falls upon the shoulders of those already enlightened through organized bodies and the Internet to work doubly hard towards achieving our aims. For a start, let us together make the proposed march on 26th a momentous event -- one that is fitting to usher in a new era of judicial reforms.

Kim Quek.

DESIDERATA: First off, Thanks Sdr Kim for the time spent sharing thy thoughts so well put and articulated; second, note that the highlights (thus BOLDED) in the article are mine.

Please publicise this important issue via your own channels. I hope Malaysians in general will stand up and be counted in such moments of tremendous challenge -- and act in concert with their friends and acquaintances to bring about judicial reforms and justice in defence of the common people's rights. Failure to act, or react even, will result in a continual slide towards the Abyss which all concerned Malaysians would not wish to see this potentially great nation slide towards the Abyss because of leaders placed into power who only subvert the nation's cause for their own self-interests.

UPDATEd @7.11pm:

I extracted this from fellow blogger Ahirudin Attan's rockybru.blogspot.com; BTW, the walk is at 11.00am sharp!

"Edmund Bon of the Bar Council has a message for you:

The walk tomorrow is a peaceful stroll to the PM's Office. Everything humanly possible is being done and has been done over the couple of days to ensure this.

The Cabinet has been informed that we are doing this, and handing over a memorandum and a representative will be expecting us.

The walk is importantly (1) a show of solidarity of the Bar and civil society's positions on the issue (2) to send a message that we are serious about wanting a clean up of the Judiciary including by (3) calling for an independent appointments and promotion commission (4) calling for a royal commission to enquire into the recording and the state of the administration of justice in Malaysia.

A Star sms has been received about DPM announcing the establishment of a panel to investigate the authenticity of the clip. This does not change anything about the walk.

We are still proceeding to walk because the issues we are advocating are not limited to the recording alone but with much larger issues as described above. And would such a decision by the Govt for a panel be set up have been made without the continuous pressure from us and civil society which includes calling for this walk, more so after PM said there would be no royal commission?

Believe in the power we all have in making change, and believe in ourselves. We CANNOT be afraid to walk, we CANNOT look lowly on ourselves, we CANNOT give up our country to people who do not deserve to run it. SO PLEASE JOIN THE WALK!

--Warm regards, EDMUND BON"

PS: Anyone from Seremban heading for Putrajaya tomorrow? Desi needs an urgent ride -- no, not into the sunset, SUN shall rise after full moon tonight!:) Call me @012-9702285. Even if the SpecialBrunch wants to give me a lift, I'll hitch!:)

I'm not optimistic the Government cares two hoots

...about ordinary citizens Joe and Jane.

And I'll cite thee three cases and some reasons why I think we the Rakyat have been taken for a ride ... hopefully we'll right the wrong done at the Last General Elections 2004 before these nincompoops take us into the sunset, or over the Abyss.

LATEST on the Parti Keadilan Rakyat led by Sdr Anwar Ibrahim's expose of that video clip:

From the NST today frontpage:

Judiciary, Questions and Video Clip
I'M NOT
THE ONE,
SAYS
JUDGE
So WHO was the lawyer talking to?
THE STORY SO FAR:

* THE CONTROVERSY:
The eight-minute video clip shows the lawyer
apparently discussing the appointment of the
judge as Court of Appeal president, and later,
chief justice, as well as the appointment of
several other judges.

*THE CONCERN
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
calls on the police to investigate the matter promptly,
saying: "We cannot treat this lightly."

* THE WARNING
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz says legal action can be
taken against those seeking to erode public
confidence in the judiciary.

(ctd on page 4)

Nazri: Senior judge denies
being on other end of phone

KUALA LUMPUR: A senior judge has denied he was the one a lawyer was talking to in a video recording of an alleged phone conversation between the two to discuss judicial appointments.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said yesterday the judge in question had contacted him to make the denial.

"I have been told that the person on the other end (in the video-recorded conversation) was not the alleged judge," he said."The judge called me to deny that he was the one talking to the lawyer."

Nazri, the minister in charge of law, asked: "What will happen to the judiciary if the allegation that a lawyer discussed judicial appointments is false?"

He said the bench's reputation would be tarnished if action were taken on an accusation which was later found to be unfounded.

Police have begun investigations to ascertain the authenticity of the video clip.

Nazri also questioned the motive behind the release of the video clip, which was given to the media before it was handed to the police and the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).

"I don't think the person who released the video clip to the media was interested in solving a problem.

"If they want to uphold justice or want to clean up the judiciary, the police and the ACA can investigate. "Why go to the media? The intention is questionable, was it for political mileage or for a clean judiciary?" he asked.

The video was disclosed at a press conference by the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat on Wednesday.

The minister warned that legal action could be taken against those seeking to undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

The eight-minute video showed the lawyer apparently discussing the elevation of the judge he was speaking to and the appointments of other judges.

Yesterday, the Bar Council, in an emergency meeting convened to discuss the video clip, called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the matter.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Friday that he viewed the issue seriously and had asked the police to investigate it as soon as possible. He said the video clip could harm the good name of the judicial system.

"We cannot take this lightly and the matter must be addressed promptly," Abdullah had said.

DESIDERATA: Normaly as a writer, Desi tries to be optimistic in issues involving civil society and social justice, but if one's faith depends on the Judiciary whose independence had been emasculated since 1988 -- the sacking of then Lord President Salleh Abas and subsequent removal of four (or was it five?) brother judges, remember? -- my optimism is diminished.

Just as a similar expose involving Chief Justice Eusoffe Chin some seven years ago, I predict that NO ACTION would be taken by this Close-One-Eye government on the latest expose by PKR; worse, it could be another Standing-up-but-sleeping-on-the-job CEO charade, hence the PM's "brave words" of concern and assurance, viz: "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Friday that he viewed the issue seriously and had asked the police to investigate it as soon as possible. He said the video clip could harm the good name of the judicial system."

The highlights (thus BOLDED and "brave words" are all mine, not the PM's, but I quote the PM's words from the NST's.)

And Nazri's stern warning indicates where the government is heading -- they are warning to any potential "whistle-blowers" who would open up more cans of worms, so much so the revelations have become commonplace and resulted in fostering a mindset among the people that they have acquired an immunity to becoming ourtraged by such scandals.

The blardy government is NOT interested in going after the real culprits. They enjoy shooting the messegers, you know. I long ago knew -- worked as a newshound for a few decades, so you must say "no" when it's yes, and "yes" when it should be "no". (Maaf: Some DDC hear, just to tease thy senses!)

And this is what scares Desi, and also causes my pessimism. Can some esteemed/steamed readers quote me on this? I want some honourable mention in the history books which I hear are being re-written, according to some mGf!:(

Case 1:

I was then serving at an online paper as News Editor when the lawyer for tycoon Vincent Tan, one VK Lingam -- believed to be the same guy in the latest video exp[ose -- was captured on video having a holiday in New Zealand, accompanied by their families. (and there were cases involving Tan then before the courts; hence the question of ethics arises...) All the details on travel itineraries and hotel bookings were publicised in what came to be known as The Bowman Papers, but what happened. All remained quiet at the courtly front, up till today.


Case 2:

Just a couple of weeks when the blogs and some more respectable mainstream media (translated as theSUN, especially Citizen R Nadeswaran and his investigative teAm:) broke the story of the Port Klang Free Zone scandal involving some RM4.6billion, the government "silenced" all quarters by announcing a "soft loan" (Desi's translation: "bailout" only available to super-Bumis and UMNOputra, a facility out of reah of common citizens like YOU and Desi-lah:(o) to overcome the "small" problem in the same league as State Assemblyman --yes, of Port Kang! -- Zakaria M(a)d Deros.

Case 3:

Even after theSUN (syabas, again!) ran a whole series of the Special Sports Complex in London detailing the scandalous waste of public funds, and the lies and half-truths spun by officials and interested parties, the Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Defence Minister and the Sports Minister proceeded with the multi-million-dollar project, even at the expense of removing the "heritage" status of the once-famous Malaysian research centre which made many breakthroughs in rubber research spanning several decades.

So are you convinced these Barisan Nasional leaders care two hoots, care a damn!, about your concerns, Mr Citizen Joe and Jane Public?
I'd like to hear some "Yes" answers from the more optimistic rakyat that we indeed have a caring government as pledged to deliver by Pak Lah on assuming office as the nation's CEO four years back. Sell me your madsin (the rationale, however mousey!), and I'll lend thee my ears.
Just don't shoot me -- I'm just the blog writHer giving thee some negative news and views that don't really matter?

Should I have known better?

I'm sure my questons is not original -- if you exchange the first two words in positioning, you will recall the BEATLES hit, yes? I'm sure one NSTman (if thou readeth Desi now, please stand up so I may see thee in the broad daylight...)knows, yet despite my several attempts to ID this mophaired disciple of the Fab Four, he only showed his presence conversing as another Midnight voice.

Let me do some education, especially of those not of the Hippies generation, it's now just past the Yuppies Gen, wired to a Internet instant gratification gen. I lament because at various cafes I go to when my home PC breaks down or goes for a long walk, I pop in at such cafes in Seremban or PJ...but 90% or more of the youths there were engaged in playing Warcraft Games, and very few were using the facility for more useful purposes.

For sharing with non-NSTman-ly wans, I would generalise that the early songs by the Liverpoolian kids had simel lyrics, repeated in tuneful refrain, and more easily memorised than Leisure, so suitable to make one bouncy if you also had gone throught another HARD DAY'S NIGHT!

But it's the bouncy and tuneful beats that made the Beatles numbers so singable and memorable. But I'm not reflecting on songs of Yesterday (when all my troubles seemed so far away...) and today's, but the question posed in the topic.


I am posing this question this rumination Sunday -- no, no CON BF because I have an important lunch date later -- Should I have known better? : because some observations of the younger generation lately trouble me lots. I often have to wander into Internet cafes either in Seremban or PJ when the home PC breaks down or take a long walk, and you would spy young ones totally lost in their own little world except for occasional breaks into inane laughter and a slew of four-letter words let fly for no rhyme or reason. I suspect may of them were also playing truant from school.

They have no time/dime left to look at the damsel's feet how they can dance OR even spare a look at trees or cows.

Why the reference to "trees or cows"? Here's why...
In the olde days before the Internet age, schoolboys had to memorise poems such as this one by WH DAVIES:

(Dear ER: Pardon, I will stop hear as lunch date calls, or is it bacons?)

Ctd, and slightyly amended, can Yes? @3.21pm:

Leisure

WHAT is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs, And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.

Just a series of questions I ask of my Esteemed Readers to get some feedback:

Do the youngsters in the Internet cafes, dark and dank, care to Google for poetry or literature to expand their mental horizons?

Do they realise that tools like the PC and Internet hold the potential to create OR break the human spirit?

Are teachers and parents aware of where their charges are, or doing, outside of the school compounds? Especially the parents -- do you know the allowances (geneours ones too I believe with many doting parents trying to compensate for not spending time with their children!) given to young ones could be mis-spent in useless pursuits? Like achieving higher scores than their buddies, also AWOL from school!, in their WarCraft games contest?

I pose these questions because at a Bloggers gathering recently, brudder Mave shared that he had been conducting some lectures (management or law I guess...) and he asked of the hundred-plus students how many would spend time reading the Blogs?

Just a handful of hands would shoot up, maybe less than 10%. Mave observed that the precentages in Singapore and other Western countries would be higher than 1 in 2 i.e. 50% and above.

"And when I had notes extracted from Internet sources that were quoted, the students would demand handouts. Or the majority would not refer to the given references on their own!"

I should have known better about this sad state f affairs.

The root causes stamp from the school system, where rote learning is encouraged, and some teachers are not adequately qualified to teach the subjects given. I hear at first handhand "English" language cikgu whose proficiency is lacking, hence causing the more uo-to-the-English-mark spupils feeling edgy and that they are wasting their time.

And by the the time the youths arrive at the tertiary level, they are expected to remain docile without using a critical mind. Activism at the extra-curriculatrlevels beyond the safe and mundane -- nothing socio-polical!, so lecturers like Maverickysm and Howsy would be deemed suspiciously to be potential subversives! IMHO-lah, OK!

So the development of a socially responsible, critical and analytical mind, and the maturing process of the individual in the most critical academic path among the futture leaders of NegaraKu are restrained by the punitive Universities and University Colleges Act.

And is this sad state of affaits going to be rectified?

You can hope against hope for a solution. I am not optimistic as the present crop of national leaders delude themselves flagging off aspirations of developing local universities par excelence to rival the Ivy League of the US and UK when its premier University of Malaya continues to slip in rankings even among regional universities. Don't compare with the National University of Singapore as the reverse-kiasu Malaysian pemimpin-pemimpin -- or is it spelt pimps? -- label thee unpatriotic?

I should have known better -- many of our leaders are having 40 winks and blinks, or are living testimony of the survivalf of the Rip van Winkles more than the dodo bird. Now, let's sing Song Sung Blue; I know it's not Beatles, but it is still by a Diamond. Diamonds are a rarity among our upper echelons because the best have been by default exported -- and the few left behind are not in national decision-making positions of power.

Earlier this month, I bade farewell to Y&A 17-year-old johnleemk who left on Sept 8, 2007 to pursue tertiary studies ar=t a lleading univeristy in the US. Newly-minted holder of doctorate-from-UK and ipohlang Dr Say Yee How would soon leave for the same foreign shore to undertake further research -- in a field urged by Desi, BTW,-- for that elusive longevity pill that maketh Mave, Howsy and Desi last forever and one more day! Sign up on October 10, 2007 when the next G7 Bloggers meet takes place, and you will be first in line to become guinea pigs testing for Dat Pill!

It's a national state of emergency we are caught in, losing potentail Nobel Przie-winning brains. Mediocrity continues to rule, but I don't know how many fellow Malaysians know that by their inaction, you are also part of the problem. Do you know any better what you need to do?

NOTE: This subject is not closed. Desi may just continue it when a second instalment cometh to mind, mine.

RECIPROCATION

RECIPROCATION is an important conecpt in human relations. In a subtle way, it is embodied in the dictum preached by most religions: DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU WISH OTHERS DO UNTO THEE.

Today, I am NOT using any DDC -- Da Desi Code -- because I need all my Esteemed Readers to fully understand -- not even an iota of misunderstanding is tolerated via this Post! -- what Desi is getting at.

I was on the chicken-run since Tuesday beginning with the impromptu date with fellow Bloggers at the G7 meet at Jaya Supermarket, attended by six Bloggers and writers. (I apologise if Desi failed to converse with the Commenters who took precious time at my posts the past week ... I promise from next Monday I'd try to normalise things, including a consolidated update on Petronas, much on every citizen's mind lately, or always.) The Bloggers were hosts at maverickysm. blogspot.com, howsy.blogspot.com, zorro.zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com, and desiderata2000.blogspot.com, and the sometimes-guest-Bloggers were Terence Netto and Vivien (the rumour grapevine says she hails from the powerful 3+1th floor!).

The chicken-run ends tomorrow with a Book Donation to CHHS, Seremban by PKR Information Secretary, Sdr Tian Chua, at the Seremban party headquarters at Jalan Rahang, Seremban, 2.30pm - 4.00pm when some surprising nuggets of information or innuendoes might be revealed. This is the bait to seduce some curio cats like host of allofhelen.blogspot.com, from Ipoh, and Furongite, anakmerdeka.blogspot.com, to make a cameo appearance.

First the definition from thefreedictionary.com:


re·cip·ro·cate
play_w("R0083500")
(r-spr-kt)
v. re·cip·ro·cat·ed, re·cip·ro·cat·ing, re·cip·ro·cates
v.tr.
1. To give or take mutually; interchange.
2. To show, feel, or give in response or return.
v.intr.
1. To move back and forth alternately.
2. To give and take something mutually.
3. To make a return for something given or done.
4. To be complementary or equivalent.
[Latin reciprocre, reciproct-, to move back and forth, from reciprocus, alternating; see reciprocal.]
re·cipro·cative adj.
re·cipro·cator n.

Synonyms: reciprocate, requite, return
These verbs mean to give, take, or feel reciprocally: doesn't reciprocate favors; consideration requited with disregard; return a compliment.
2;
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus
Legend:
Synonyms
Related Words
Antonyms
Verb
1.
reciprocate - act, feel, or give mutually or in return; "We always invite the neighbors and they never reciprocate!"
return - return in kind; "return a compliment"; "return her love"
act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"
2.
reciprocate - alternate the direction of motion of; "the engine reciprocates the propeller"
move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right"

I believe the closest definition in tandem with the quoted Dictum " DO UNTO OTHERS..." is the following: reciprocate -- "3. To make a return for something given or done."

Desi came back to review this concept after reading Dr Mave sm yeoh (Yes, I must correct the misconception I had until the gathering that the maverick had obtained his doctorate only recently; it was his Law qualification that he acquired recently, but he does not want to practise, hence not pursuing the Certificate of Legal Practice. I am detailing this life-long learning in RECIPROCATION for his "long" tribute to Desi at his post titled " When East Bloggers meet West" (the greater part reprised later), which made me turn a mite red, but did land me on Cloud Number Nine. I teased in my comment at Mave's place that had one Helen turned up, I would have been upgraded to Cloud No. 10. (I struck out CN10 because that would infringe on my pledge of "No DDC"!)

Here I would steal the major part from maverickysm.blogspot.com; it's best you surf there to read the ending poem which he stole from Desi's, so it's rude to stael it back! It's a breach of that Dictum!

* When East Bloggers meets West

When East Bloggers meet West?

It should rather be: when South meets the North.Thanks to Desiderata YL Chong. It was so great of him to help organize a group of bloggers to meet up for a bowl of noodles at Jaya Shopping Centre in PJ.

It was great to meet Desi since we last met at the B.U.M. Forum many months back. He was still the usual handsome guy, resembling Tom Cruise except that Desi is far more handsome. When he arrived he apologise for not bringing along Kathie Holmes but I would have preferred Nicole Kidman.

I must thank Desi for presenting me a copy of his elegant Poetic Book. That book is a must read for poetry enthusiasts.

The Forward was written by our fame Dr Din Merican, the visiting Professor at the School of Business and Management, University of Cambodia. I have read the book, the poetries and I do agree with Din Merican that the poetries do carry messages of hope, compassion and optimism for humanity. However, there were a couple of it which carry other form of messages of which I will cite at the end of this article.

Truly, as said by Din, it is easy to underestimate Desi's considerable talent as a poet and an intellect. He is simple looking, speak-straight and unassuming. He is brunt...

Back to the noodle house meeting, the next to arrive is someone who looks like Shahrukh Khan. He was so handsome and young. I shoved my hand far out to ensure he holds it...he did; I'm so glad. He is Terence Netto, and he is not a blogger and thus would not be classified. Terence is a great guy and so knowledgeable. I am impressed with his personality, straight-shooting and wisdom.The next to arrive is Zorro, Don Diego Vega. Since his retirement from the silver screen he has renamed himself as Bernard, without his affix DON. He still retains his Misai, the Zorro misai except without the mask.

Next, arriving straight from the lecture hall is our great Professor Dr Howsy ! He had to rush there immediately after the class. I am glad to know Howsy will be going to the USA to be the political secretary to Barack Obama. Howsy will also be contesting for the US Presidency in 2020 (that's what Obama told me...).

Various others could not make it because of schedule conflict. AnakMerdeka did not come bcoz she is busy taking care of Nori's son. Desi said Elizabeth had called and apologise for not being able to attend the noodle testing session (sorry Eli, I had tried the noodles on your behalf). Nat and Rat were matching; so can't make it (hehehe...sori, joke, joke). Lucia was busy preaching at a resort.

We ended at 8pm. It was great food and talkcock... I love the occasion. Desi, please org again, will u?Before I end this, I like to share a piece Desi's Delight with u....

________________ Ends extraction from Mave's Place ____________

In the spirit of RECIPROCATION, let me try:

Maverick did not live up to his name -- he talks straight too, which is not a property expected of a maverick, to my expectation., as the latter twists and turns his viewpoints to suit the occasion and crowd, hence he ponders long minutes before he speaks. Not Mave -- his responses came swift and sturdy.

He says he has an eye for Nicole, but I insisted she is my territory (I almost said terrortry, but I promised potential Helens "No DDC"!). As the saying goes, Great Minds Think Alike, in bed or even in thinking aloud! Am I speaking in tongues? It's alright, that doesn't count as DDC!

Backgrounding a little, I first interacted with Mave via Howsy's Place located in London. Soon we ourselves tagged each other as part of the Three Musketeers, with Anak Merdeka (AM) always ging MIA, which is Missing-In-Action as the third. Desi being the last recruit was bestowed by AM the title of D*art from D'Artagnan (someone, like Zorro?, please check my poor spelling!)

Long story short, we seemed to "click" from Day One. Yes, another word is we had "chemistry". Or put another way, our "wavelengths" overlapped. So we enhance each other's Posts with cross references -- crudely put, it's a demonstration of "Do Untyo Others...", or cruder still, "I scratch your back, You scratch mine!" But that's a good way to survive in Blogosphere, I assure you, because we need to look after each other as mates. Sometimes if the Gods favour us, even as soulmates.

Hence when Howsy sounded the clarion call to organise a Socio-Political Bloggers Gathering (The term "SoPo" is Howsy's creation, I must acknowledge...), I jumped at the deep end of the pool, landing as chairman of bum2007, and the rest, they say, is history. Or herstory -- as Desi believes in equality of the genders in blogosphere.

Ah, I think I'll restore that truncated part of extract from Mave's -- because I don't think it's not theft if I quote my own poem, is it?

_____________________________________

Till the earth touches the sky

The soulmate departs
after touching hands
because one heart gets restless
the other heart bleeds
so a person weeps
miss patience waits

One door closes
another is supposed to open
what if it doesn't?
Can the soul left behind rest or
can it now fly out of the window
and try to reach that rainbow's end

Where it's said, or sad,
that the earth doesn't reach the sky
so the hands cannot touch again
and the two souls cannot mate

(This Poem is dedicated to all my blogs friends, associates, readers, family members, and most of all to Desi and Howsy).

___________________________________________

I hope I have done justice in the spirit of dedicating today's Post to all my Blogger friends as well as Guest Bloggers, and Readers and Voyeaurs so that one day we shall meet at another G7Bloggers Meet. Mark October 10, 2007 in thy diary. Coming soon to Ipoh -- as a RECIPROCATION to Bloggers like Helen and Howsy travelling South to meet others. Now it's time for us southerners to travel North!

Dear myGOoDfriends, Reciprocation, always remember in awe!

Desi goes poetic sailing A*Fur'ong

Presented By SDR TIAN CHUA, PKR Information Chief,

To CHUNG HUA HIGH SCHOOL, SEREMBAN,At PKR Negri Sembilan Hq, Jalan Rahang, Seremban

Programme

Date: Saturday 22 Spetmber 2007 at 2.30 pm:

Address by PKR Negri Sembilan Liaison Chief, Datuk Kamarul Baharin

2.40 pm: Address by Chong Yen Long, author of the Anthology

2.45 pm: Address by Chung Hua High School Principal or Representative

3.00 pm: Address by Mr Tian Chua

*** 3.10 pm: Book presentation by Tian Chua and to CHHS

+++ Book presentation to Datuk Kamarul Baharin

*** 3.15pm: PRESS CONFERENCE

PS: This is an OPEN INVITE to awe my EsteemedReaders, even steAmed wans, to attend/cover or under-cover, who careth? -- if you can find thy way to PKR Negri Sembilan Hq.

SIGNPOST: It's about 3km from Seremban town centre, and the landmark along Jalan Rahang to look out for is BIDARA CORNER (Mamak) RESTRON, and the Hq is just in the next block of buildings, more modern-lah!

If thou art LOST, ring Desi @012-9702285 and I may despatch the SpecialBrunch oouchrider to guide you the rest of da way. My way, Thy way, Their way!

Another Spectacular Scandal Being Exposed!

From the Desk of former DPM, now PKR de facto head, Sdr Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim @http://anwaribrahimblog.com/



Kenyataan oleh Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Berkenaan Skandal Video VK Lingam

Rakaman video ini melibatkan pejabat
kehakiman tertinggi dalam konspirasi
untuk mempengaruhi perjalanan sistem
keadilan negara melalui campurtangan
seorang peguam yang penuh dengan
kontroversi dari sejarah penglibatannya
dalam perkara yang menimbulkan syak
wasangka dan seterusnya membawa kepada
skandal yang melibatkan perlantikan
hakim-hakim negara.

Pada tahun 1994, satu gambar menunjukkan
VK Lingam dan Ketua Hakim Negara ketika
itu Tun Eusoffe Chin cuti bersama di New
Zealand dalam situasi yang melampaui
tatasusila professional seorang peguam
dan lebih serius lagi pengendalian yang
tidak beretika Ketua Hakim tersebut.
Lingam juga terlibat dalam laporan audit
skandal Perwaja Steel oleh
PriceWaterhouseCoopers yang dibentangkan
di Parlimen yang melibatkan kerugian
berbillion ringgit wang rakyat.

Dalam video ini, Lingam dirakam
berbicara dengan Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun
Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim di mana nama
saya, antara lain, disebut secara khusus.

Berbicaraan tersebut adalah dalam
konteks konspirasi untuk mempengaruhi
lantikan hakim kanan dan campurtangan
badan kehakiman. Oleh itu, kami
mempunyai sebab kukuh dan percaya bahawa
perbualan pada tahun 2002 ini menentukan
hasil beberapa perbicaraan mahkamah
penting, termasuk kes saya.

Video ini juga melibatkan Vincent Tan
dan Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. Vincent
Tan adalah seorang ahli perniagaan dan
jutawan judi yang dikatakan terlibat
mempengaruhi proses kehakimam dalam kes
Ayer Molek. Tengku Adnan pula adalah
pemimpin UMNO dan ahli kabinet yang
terlibat dalam konspirasi politik untuk
menjatuhkan saya pada tahun 1998.

Skandal video ini mengukuhkan dakwaan
kami mengenai konspirasi politik yang
melibatkan pemimpin tertinggi negara dan
korupsi oleh ketua badan kehakiman. Ini
membangkitkan isu mengenai hilangnya
kesaksamaan perbicaraan mahkamah di
negara ini. Perkara ini perlu disiasat
segera demi kepentingan awam dan kami
menggesa supaya satu Tribunal Bebas
dibentuk segera untuk menyiasat hal yang
amat memalukan ini.

Dalam hal ini, kami membuat rayuan khas
kepada majlis raja-raja untuk memainkan
peranan seperti yang termaktub dalam
perlembagaan untuk membela hak rakyat
dengan menggunakan pengaruh dalam
hal-hal yang berada dalam bidang kuasa
mereka.

Anwar Ibrahim

To view the said video, please surf to:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlROjCITFvY&eurl=http://www.keadilanrakyat.org/


UPDATEd @3.26pm:

From The Star, Sept 20, 2007:

Fixing of judges’ appointments videotaped

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has released a video recording it obtained recently implicating a prominent lawyer purportedly brokering the appointment of judges.

The video clip shows the lawyer on the phone, seen and heard talking to someone who appears to be a very senior judge.

The shaky video with clear audio seems to have been recorded with a mobile phone without the knowledge of the lawyer.

Speaking at a press conference, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the video was taken in 2002 when the judge concerned was already in a high post.

He said the video had come into PKR’s possession only “very recently”, when a source who wanted to remain anonymous came forward and gave it to the party.

“I have met him (the source). But he wants to remain anonymous to protect his position and for security reasons,” he added.

Anwar said the source had disclosed that the video was taken at the lawyer’s home.
The video shows the lawyer talking about how he had supposedly helped get the judge appointed to the top judiciary posts through a prominent businessman and a politician, both of whom were close to the then Prime Minister.

The lawyer also speaks about how he was working through the same two contacts to get the judge elevated to higher positions.

The lawyer also named a number of prominent judges in the video.

The video is 14 minutes and 16 seconds long but PKR edited it to 8 minutes and 26 seconds to protect the identity of the source.

Anwar said PKR vice-president R. Sivarasa, who is also a lawyer, would lodge a report on the matter with the Anti-Corruption Agency and Bar Council as soon as possible, with the videotape as evidence.

He also said PKR president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would seek an audience with the Conference of Rulers on the matter.

Members of the media were also given copies of the edited videotape and the transcript. When contacted, Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said he and his officers had viewed the video clip, reports SHAILA KOSHY. "We are studying it at the moment. I will reserve my comments until then on what we will do.”

Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said they were appalled and disturbed by the clip, which “shows a lawyer apparently ‘fixing’ judicial appointments with a senior judge”. She said there would be an emergency council meeting tomorrow. She also called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the matter.

DESI: The highlights (thus BOLDED) are awe mine, Desi's.

Lots of bullshit and gas pissing somewhere (2)

My Post yesterday remains unfinished, and yet another leader gives us more bullshit...

I hope my ER would help YL Chong out if you can retrieve from your Archives or Memory Bank (badder than Desi's wan, I presume!) some news item going back a year (?) featuring Petronas boss signing a huge contract-signing -- on behalf of Petronas Gas with a Japanese conglomerate involving forward sales maybe. If my recall of the gist was correct, then we will be able to tell some leaders, including ministers, in cahoots with Petronas officials, are taking the Malaysian citizenry for a ride. Maybe they will ride us into the sunset when the oil and gas run out in another 15 years time? Someone bigshot has already warned recently Malaysia would become a net importer of petroleum in 2011 ... (need to check the year, but it's just a few years away!)

Email me @chongyl2000@yahoo.com anything useful to expose the Petronas' monies -- where have all the billions gone?

Meanwhile, I'm still blogging on the chicken run trying to finalise a Saturday event in FUR'ong; jest watch out for the official announcement tomorrow, can! Desi will be blowing some trumpet tomolo if ipohlang hoRst of allofhelen.blogspot.com brings some sweet pomelo! She blew some flying kisses for Dr Maverick Yeoh at Hi-Tea at Jaya 24 before. Mayhaps cometh this Saturday if another Sertemban(K)night called Anak Merdeka makes her debut, we and the musketeers may yet party yet. If you top it up by signing up as PKR members, Desi won't complain-lah, will contiue to offer thee the bestA of Haridas' tehtarik.

From NST, page 2, in the famous/notorious vein of his advice to Malaysians to tighten their belts --(NO, definitely not the UMNO, MCA and MIC politikus'!) -- the DPM goives us aMore of the same madsin!~~~

2007/09/19

Najib: Adjust spending to cope with price hike


PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians will have to face the reality that the prices of some goods, including foods, are on the increase.

The people will have to make adjustments to their spending to cushion the impact of global price trends, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.

The deputy prime minister, however, reiterated that the government would honour its pledge not to increase the petrol price this year.

In the wake of rising world oil prices, which have reached record levels at over US$80 (RM280) a barrel, the government could not offer the same guarantee for the price of gas, he said.

Petronas is pushing for an increase in gas charges after shouldering billions of ringgit in subsidies for over a decade. A special committee is due to discuss the proposal by the national oil company next week.

"The government is aware of all these developments and we have been protecting the people's interest. In fact, the petroleum and gas subsidies the government has to bear this year alone is RM14 billion and RM13 billion respectively."

"The government is doing whatever we can to protect consumers but world prices are moving against us," he said to questions on the steadily increasing consumer goods prices as reported in the media yesterday.

On actions that could be taken to reduce the burden on consumers, Najib, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Essential Goods, said the government had helped consumers by capping the price of various commodities.

"But there comes a point where fixing a price that is not realistic will result in a shortage of supplies.

"We just have to manage the situation as best as we can," he said.

The deputy prime minister also said the National Forestry Act would soon be amended to curb illegal logging by shifting the "burden of proof" in the sourcing of timber to loggers.

He said it was difficult currently for authorities to prove charges of illegal logging against sophisticated organised syndicates.



"With this amendment, if they fail to furnish proof of their source of logs, they will be in trouble," Najib said after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Forestry here yesterday.

Also present at the meeting was Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid, who will propose the amendment to the committee before submission to the cabinet for approval.

Najib also said the ministry would continue using technologies, including remote sensing, to detect the illegal clearing of forests by loggers.

He also said cases of illegal logging in permanent forest reserves last year spiked at 59 cases compared with 45 in 2005.

From 2004 until last year, 292 cases of illegal logging were also recorded on government forest land.

Najib said the committee viewed the issue very seriously as the impact of illegal logging was multi-dimensional.

"It disrupts our sound environmental management policies, contributes to global warming, paints a negative image of the country and creates transboundary problems," Najib said.


__________________________________________________

And from The Star business section, the omen is sounded:

Wednesday September 19, 2007


Increase in gas price is imminent, says brokerage

PETALING JAYA: A hike in gas price is imminent although there are questions over the quantum of the increase.

According to Aseambankers, there had been speculation that the Government would allow a 15% increase in the price of gas for industrial use.

It is understood that industrial users, except Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), are currently charged about RM13 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). With a 15% increase, the price is likely to go up to RM15 per mmBtu.

“The current price was fixed in July 2002. Our initial survey of some industrial users suggests that this potential increase is anticipated, given the rising price of gas globally,” Aseambankers said, adding that unsubsidised gas now costs about RM40 per mmBtu.

Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) sells subsidised gas to TNB and independent power producers (IPPs) at RM6.40 per mmBtu, which was fixed in May 1997.

Earlier this week, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik was reported as saying that a Cabinet committee chaired by the Prime Minister would decide on Monday the next gas policy and gas prices for TNB and IPPs.

In July, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said the Government wanted a thorough review of the gas industry to ensure that it was not heavily subsidised. It also wanted gas to be utilised more efficiently.

Aseambankers, in a note yesterday, said food and beverage operators and rubber manufacturers were more likely to be affected since they were major consumers of natural gas.


A monorail system speeds past the Petronas Twin Towers. The national oil company’s cumulative subsidy since 1997 amounts to RM58.2bil, of which RM48.8bil was to the power sector and RM9.4bil to the non-power sector – AFP
“Based on our sensitivity analysis, we conclude that a 15% gas price hike will have minimal impact on the earnings of (companies such as) Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd and Top Glove Corp Bhd. It is 1% at most, assuming that glove makers absorb the hike in gas costs.

“The earnings effect will be neutralised should they pass on the costs to clients,” the brokerage added.

OSK Research Sdn Bhd analyst Tursina Yaacob said the current gas price was “significantly below'' the international price as well as below the price that Petronas paid for imported gas.

“(The effect will ) most likely (kick in) in the second half of next year,” she told StarBiz.

Lim assured that despite TNB's and the IPPs' heavy reliance on gas, there would be no increase in electricity tariffs.

Tursina said an increase in gas price without a raise in electricity tariffs did not bode well for TNB.

“We estimate that a 1% increase in gas price would reduce TNB's earnings per share by 0.6%,” she said.

The IPPs would not be affected by the adjustment in gas price as their power purchase agreements with TNB stipulate that any changes in fuel price would be borne by TNB and there was no pass through clause for the IPPs, Tursina added.


A filepic shows TNB’s transmission grid. An industry observer says a sharp increase in gas price would jeopardise TNB as the group's entire costing would shoot up tremendously
Petronas' cumulative subsidy since 1997 amount to RM58.2bil, of which RM48.8bil was to the power sector and RM9.4bil to the non-power sector.

For financial year ended March 31, Petronas' gas subsidy totalled RM15.6bil, up 9.1% from RM14.3bil in 2006.
____________________________________

DESIDERATA's temporary knotty short comment, can?

How long will Malaysian Voters continue to be masochistic to themselves when they head for the polling booths cometh the next General Elections, expected to be very soon, definitely before mid-April, 2008 as the Government does not wish to see former DPM Anwar Ibrahim contest. (His five-year time-bar for political participation sends April 15, 2008.)

Lots of bullshit and gas pissing somewhere

Today's sighting and one a few days back and earlier incidents with reference to the National Oil Corporation make me thik there's lots of bullshit goingon. Much gas of a terrible stench too!

Here's today's frontpage from The People's Paper:



Nation
Tuesday September 18, 2007


Petronas not able to sustain subsidies and wants to raise prices

By SARBAN SINGH

newsdesk@thestar.com.my

GEMAS: Having paid out subsidies close to RM50bil in the last 10 years for gas and with global oil prices hitting US$80 (RM280) per barrel last week, Petronas is now pushing for an increase in gas charges.

If the Government gives Petronas the green light to raise rates, consumers would have to brace themselves for higher costs since gas is required for generating electricity, industrial/household use and for NGV-powered automobiles.


»Petronas is screaming for an increase« LIM KENG YAIK
A Cabinet committee chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will decide on Petronas’ proposal next Monday, said Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.

Lim, however, assured the people that despite the heavy reliance by Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) on gas, there would be no increase in electricity tariffs.

“We just increased power tariffs in June last year. Although the pressure to increase tariffs is getting greater, there will not be another increase any time soon,” he said.

The minister said Petronas had provided gas subsidies close to RM50bil since 1997, and last year alone, it paid out RM14bil in subsidy.

“Petronas is screaming for an increase.”

He said that for example, Petronas sold subsidised gas at RM6.40 per mmBtu (Million British Thermal Units) to local industries, whereas unsubsidised gas cost about RM40 per mmBtu.

He explained that if the gas was sourced locally, Petronas would be able to absorb the costs.

However, its gas fields in Terengganu could not meet the demand in the peninsula. As such, Petronas was forced to pay three times more to import the gas from Indonesia and Thailand.

Lim said when the Cabinet committee would decide on Monday the next gas policy as well as gas prices for TNB and IPPs.

“This is necessary as 60% of the country’s electricity is generated by gas,” he told pressmen after opening Heaveaboard Bhd’s second particleboard line here yesterday. The minister was asked to comment on the escalating global oil prices.

Lim said the people should understand Petronas’ position and not criticise it for asking an increase.

“Petronas’ books are there for them to see. How can they continue to subsidise the prices for the imported gas? It is beyond them. We cannot control global prices, it is not our doing,” he said.

He said that if the subsidies were not removed, the Malaysian economy would remain “distorted”.

“We are doing a disservice to our grandchildren. We are spending so much on the subsidies at the expense of our future generation,” he said.



DESIDERATA: is doing this post w'ile on-th-chicken-run! SO I'll break for maybe a moment, perhaps a longer while, mayhaps even till If Tomorrow Never Comes to tie up the Petronas affairs.

After digesting the latest news break quoting a soon-retiring Gerakan chief -- so ampu-ing Minister eye-ing a Tun-ship? -- I hope my ER still have an AP-petite for Hi-Tea or Lo-Dinner. I thought we could expect an ang-pow from Petronas in the 2008 Budget just announced. Not only you don't get dat AP, it's whacking you for Voting BN! Serrve thee right. WAITING FOR ANOTHER WHACK?

I don't know where some, or most, Malaysian voters got their masochistic streak from...

G7 Bloggers Meet tomolo: OPen Invite:)

To ER (EsteemedReaders):
If thou art new/nu'e to Desi's Place, let me warn that the English hear (in place of here) sometimes falls within the parameters of DDC (Da Desi Code as bequeathed by QueeEn fool of Awe Ipohlang -- hoRst of allofhelen.blogspot.com -- just to entertain and to befuddle the kind of MBs and CMs who can't even fill up simple Oz immigeresen dan kastam forms and they want tro promote FDI into Malaysia but take along bundles of currency into QueeEnsland:(

Yesterday I sent off an INVITE to some close Blogger mateys, and in lieu of a proper Post todie, here's opening the invite to awe comers, and goers, and stayers, watever!:

"Hi mateys awe:

Mave and Desi have fulfilled the quorum of 2 to call
for a G7++ Bloggers Meet at Jaya Supermarket, Jaya
Noodles House, Ground Floor, Section 14, PJ coming
Tuesday 5.00to7.00pm.

Mave and I are meeting up 30minutes earlier (Doc, pls
push the AP to 4.30pm OK!) as we have some HI level
proposal from Putrajaya to discuss. NO sharing -- the
world out n KL/PJ is fool of wolves, gender neutral!

Hope you guys record this number 012-9702285 and
pn'tpass it to SpecialBrunch, sked they bring along
Freelunches!:(

Regards,

YL, Desi

PS: SMS me if confirm coming to I can gas the number
and prepare enuf standing space:)"

____________________________________________________

PPS: If more than a dosen turn up, I may neGOItiate with the Boss at said Noodles house for 30%-cut -- MY CUT, No sharing as I said earlier, you know understand?

Not the Kind of September to want to Remember ...

Desi was very troubled on surfing to a fellow Blogger's comments site twice the past week, and I spied a deliberate attempt to "smear" my name. I referred the matter to a few close buddies for consultation, and I decided to "sleep" over it. Even after 24, I am not too sure if I should "respond" as I would re-open olde wounds, but a few half-truths and some related outright lies have been perpetrated by a couple of Blogospheric APs ...

I will continue to ponder, weigh the p[ros and cons, but I have had restrained myself on several occasions but IF I NEED TO PUT TO REST SOME OF THESE EVIL FORCES, I will. And when I shoot, it's not with a six-shooter. Cannon balls are bestA since I don't have access to nuke.

Meanwhile, I tried to recall some "sweets" exchange from past September nostalgia, and some sombre thoughts relevant to this "not so sweet" September entry -- too bad not really the kind we want to remember:

from the post titled "WANNA GO FOR A RIDE …?" in September 2005~~~~~~~


sweetspirit said...

Life's like that
Or
You get that

Only if we trust someone too much , it is then we can be taken for a ride.
Be it smooth or rough sailing who knows.
As long as we reach the shore and are still standing on our own two feet,that is was matters .
Of course it is about lessons of trust .If we trust someone too much , well the advantage may be there for the taking.

So i've reached the shore and i have learnt not to trust ppl as much as i did before :).

Cheerz my friend im off shopping :)
i am the mobile atm haha.
cheerz tcz
10:58 AM


desiderata said...

Trust -- seems a rare commodity nowadays -- so sad, but that's the state of the world, also the state of society.

It is only the circle of fRiends you've cultivated and watered like the blooms, there are the true flowers of fRiendship -- but sometimes even these are subject to the storms and foul weathher and chill winds ... so who do we TRUST?

Sssssspirit -- I don't blame you for being more cautious nowadays, even some BestFriends have proven to let their buddies down -- the unending stories of fRiendship,:) and fiendship ... the R running away into betRayal.:(

Sweetz, Shopping on walkin ATM eh, buy me a CON,choc-lah, can?

5:49 PM

Fellow PKR saudara Kim Quek writes

I have always enjoyed KIM QUEK's writings from years back. I hope to meet him in person soon as he had recently joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and it's not according to the rumour grapevine, it's more a humourist's delight.

In case the subject reads this Post, please coome down, or up, to Furong next Saturday - yes, exactly one week hence! -- to attend a Book donation at the PKR Headquarters, Jalan Rahang, Seremban. THis INVITE is also extended to awe my ER, if you want more details, just present yourself in body, even without the soul, nah mind, dare.

Meanwhile, ENJOY comrade Kim Quek's writHing...sighted at Wherelse? -- malaysia-today.net! I hear he is a special kind of wordsmith -- right up Desi's alley, also Eli Wong's left byway! -- an accountant by profession, and yes, he gives vivid and lucid accounts!

12/09:
Najib must bear brunt of the RM6.75 billion naval scandal
Posted by: Raja Petra


Kim Quek


While the nation is still reeling from the RM 4.6 billion PKFZ “Ghost Town” scandal, another mega bombshell hits the national screen – the RM6.75 billion patrol vessel scandal. A RM5.35 billion contract to build naval vessels awarded in the nineties that has been inflated to RM6.75 billion is now teetering on failure, under circumstances that have exposed the utter incompetence and decadence of the Malaysian political leadership and administration.

The 2006 Auditor General’s Report, tabled in Parliament on September 7, has revealed astounding details that indicate dubious award of contract to an obviously unqualified contractor, failure of technical and financial management, hefty illegitimate contract price increases and overpayment, unjustifiable waiver of penalties, huge undocumented payments and complete failure of ministry oversight.

The history of this mega scandal could be traced back to the nineties when a company owned by an UMNO stalwart Amin Shah Omar Shah was awarded a contract in September 1998 to design and build six patrol vessels for the Royal Malaysian Navy for the contract price of RM5.35 billion. The company is PSC-Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd (PSC-NDSB), which is a subsidiary of Penang Shipbuilding & Construction Sdn Bhd, a company owned by Amin Shah.

Contract breaches

Under the terms of contract, the contractor is obligated to deliver the vessels in stages, starting from March 2004 and completing delivery in April 2007. However, PSC-NDSB could only deliver the first two vessels in mid-2006, and the remaining four are still remote from their final stages of construction, with their completion assessed at 19% to 56% at December 2006. And even the first two vessels delivered were hardly operational, as they were riddled with defects (298 recorded complaints) and were found to have 100 and 383 uncompleted items respectively.

It is obvious that as far as contract performance is concerned, PSC-NDSB is a total disaster. Its failure is attributed to serious financial mismanagement and technical incompetence, the latter being apparent from its track record of only having built trawlers and small police boats in the past.

However, instead of terminating the agreement and demanding for compensation as good governance would have so demanded, the government has done the exact opposite. The Ministry of Defence has not only kept the contractor but also made hefty overpayment, increased the contract price drastically and waived all penalties, all without any justification.

The contract price was increased from RM5.35 billion to RM6.75 billion in January 2007, for which the auditor general could find no justification. Neither could he find valid ground for the generous payment of RM4.26 billion to the contractor up to December 2006 when value of works done was only RM 2.87 billion - an overpayment of RM1.39 billion or 48%. Furthermore, there was no reason for the cabinet’s decision in November 2006 to waive the imposition of penalty for late delivery amounting to no less than RM214 million.

The AG also noted the abnormally generous payment of RM1.07 billion as deposit, which amounts to 20% of contract price, upon signing the agreement. Most alarmingly, the Ministry of Defence is found to have made huge payments to the contractor without supporting documents. Between December 1999 and January 2002, fourteen progress payments amounting to RM943 million were made, for which no payment vouchers or relative documents were found.

In spite of these enormous overpayment and contract price increases, the AG found the contractor in serious financial deficit and warned the government of further losses ahead due to contractor’s weaknesses. The auditor general criticized the project steering committee – headed by Defence Minister cum Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak – for failing to provide the necessary oversight over the project.

Government failure

Reviewing the entire fiasco, one cannot escape the conclusion that this is a classical example of contemporary Malaysian mega failure that transcends the Mahathir/Abdullah era division. It demonstrates that the weaknesses of the Mahathir era have not only been carried over but have further been compounded with new weaknesses characteristic of Abdullah’s leadership. In simple words, while Mahathirism is characterised by corruption and cronyism, Abdullah allows these characteristics to flourish and at the same time compounding them with his unique brand of hands-off leadership - indecision and indifference. Abdullah would let nature take its own course. Needless to say, such policy (or the lack thereof) would spell disaster on a mega project gone foul.

Take the present patrol vessel scandal. No doubt Mahathir is faulted for having awarded such a huge and high-skill project without tender to an obviously incompetent crony – a glaring case of corruption and cronyism, but mind you, Abdullah was the leader who allowed the failed contractor to drag on and dubiously rewarded him with contract price escalation and overpayment, entailing all sorts of irregularities with criminal implications, causing the public to loose billions with no end in sight.

Agreed that the real decision-maker in this case may not be Abdullah but Najib, but still, as the Prime Minister, he must take responsibility for having failed to provide the kind of leadership that could have averted the deterioration of this disaster. In fact, I doubt whether the cabinet has been properly briefed or consulted, much less given meaningful deliberation over the relevant issues, in spite of their stupendous nature in monetary terms. I wouldn’t be surprised if the cabinet is carrying on its traditional role inherited from the Mahathir era as largely a rubber-stamp, busy-body over trivial issues such as Namawee’s Negarakuku, but oblivious to massive haemorhage of public funds through such fiascos as this RM6.75 billion patrol vessel contract or the RM4.6 billion PKFZ “Ghost Town” project.

Najib must take brunt

There is no doubt that Najib must bear the brunt of the present disaster. As Minister of Defence and leader of the project steering committee monitoring and overseeing the progress of the project, he is responsible for major decisions and development relating to the contract. And he must now answer the following crucial questions:

· Why wasn’t the contract promptly terminated when the contractor committed a major breach through its severe failure to deliver the vessels?

· Why was the contract price increased from RM5.35 billion to RM6.75 billion? Who authorised the increase?

· Why was the penalty for late delivery amounting to no less than RM214 million waived? Who authorized the waiver?

· Why was the contractor overpaid by 48% by December 2006 – being paid RM4.26 billion for works done valued at RM2.87 billion? Who authorized the payment?

· Why were there no payment vouchers or other supporting documents relating to 14 progress payments amounting to RM943 million made between December 1999 and January 2002?

Unless Najib can provide satisfactory answers to the above question, he must resign forthwith. Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Agency should waste no further time in commencing earnest investigations into the many serious irregularities of this project, in particular, criminal collusions with the contractor and breach of trust by top government leaders and officials, including those relating to the award of this contract.