BUT TIME WILL TELL.
What is Desi talking about? Okay, I wll start from the middle -- from M Bakri Musa's Post titled "Good Team, Bad Captian" dated March 30, 2008, I extract:
"Blemishes and Kudos
Abdullah’s commitment to combat corruption is made hollow by his bringing Muhammad Taib into the cabinet. He was the former Mentri Besar of Selangor who was caught at an Australian airport with literally millions in cash on his person. He was acquitted from the criminal charge of not declaring the currency, but he has yet to explain how he secured the loot in the first place.
If Abdullah has not asked Muhammad that pertinent question, then he (Abdullah) is derelict in his duties by not exercising due diligence in selecting his ministers. If Abdullah did ask and was satisfied with Muhammad’s answer, then Abdullah owes the public to share that explanation. Failure to do so would make Abdullah’s renewed call to combat corruption more than hollow; it would be hypocritical.
Yes, that incident took place over a decade ago, old story Muhammad would claim. However, there is no statute of limitation with criminal acts. Time does not make a corrupt act less corrupt.
I applaud Zaid Ibrahim’s appointment. He is one of the few independent minded and unafraid to challenge the leader, a rare quality especially among Malays. We are still feudalistic, blindly loyal to leaders regardless of circumstances. I also applaud him for his commitment to the rule of law. Also rare among Asian leaders and newly rich, Zaid is well known for his philanthropic works. Forbes magazine recently listed him as one of Asia’s top philanthropists.
Of interest here is that Zaid Ibrahim was only recently found guilty of “money politics” by UMNO’s Disciplinary Committee, whose esteemed members included Zaki Azmi, now Court of Appeal President, the second highest position. Zaid strenuously appealed his “conviction” right up to the President of UMNO, Abdullah, but to no avail. It reflects more on the credibility and prestige of that disciplinary committee (more correctly, the lack of both) that Abdullah would now appoint Zaid to the cabinet to be in charge of law and the judiciary!
I have the highest regard for Zaid’s personal integrity and professional honor. I bring this up merely to demonstrate Abdullah’s and also UMNO’s hypocrisy towards disciplining its members. The fact that members of UMNO Disciplinary Committee would choose to remain silent on Zaid’s appointment attests to the “seriousness” with which they executed their duties. Let us acknowledge openly what was previously simply alluded to, that disciplinary committee was nothing more than a kangaroo court, its deliberations not worth considering, not even by UMNO’s president.
Zaid should consider his “conviction” a singular badge of honor. When knaves and crooks rule and do the judging, the virtuous and honorable would be considered criminals..."
DESIDERATA: Go read the full article at bakrimusa.com, but here's my take on the two Cabinet APpointees. The first that Sdr Bakri decried, the second he applauded.
I have no hesitation in supporting Bakri's verdict on the double Muhammad.In fact I even offered my English tuition services to the ex-MB, I guess my 20mil fee was beyond him, poor bloke, caught wit' just a few million. A blardy young upstart at 27 years old could get BILLIONS in bank financing, and he's not even from UMNO -- oh,NO!
Can I venture to explain where and why the double Muhammad was selected by Mr "Nice Guy" after the former guy served his ten years in the wilderness. EMPATHY. Then PM now Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad "punished" the curent PM without any position -- yes, serving also a long term in political wilderness during which he had to sell off his only residence, I heard -- following Tengku Razaleign Hamzah's narrow defeat (43 votes only) by the doctor-turned-superb politikus. Digressing a byte, now Dr Mahathr wants the 30% divisions' nomination thingy he iitiatted to be removed so that the now not-so-Nice PM could be challenged for his UMNO presidency. This same guy insisted even if ... HE HAD WON BY ONE VOTE, HE WAS THE LEGITIMATE UMNO HEAD! UMNO politics surely amazes Desi, een Alice in Wonderland did not surprise Desi that much/mush ... I think my mind/e is all so muddled/muddied I can't no more amore! Furthermore, good riddance Khir Toyo was a pain-in-the-arse, accompanied by "small-house-only" RM7-10million hut-dweller Zakaria Mat Deros, a bigger ass, who combined so well in handing the jewel-in-the-crown, self-accredited "most-developed" state in NegaraKu to Parti Keadilan Rakyat-led coalition,now officially referred to as PAKATAN RAKYAT. Did you ntoce that the acronym is PR, which must have been crafted to remind Malaysians now permanently residing abroad (Dr Bakri, hear me, awe across the SE7EN Cs inthe US of A? ? Pavova aka Sabrina Tan in NZ? "Twin sister" twistedheels aka Crystal Tan in UK?)
Anyway, back from the lingest digression ever by Desi, I come to the point: The double Muhammad served like a lapdog quietly the Prez -- barking at King of Bloggers Raja Petra Kamarudin once a while for show-lah! Remember that report at Campbelle Polis Stasi followed by RPK and wife's sponsored study trips to Peace Hill? -- so after four years as UMNO Propaganda-ganda Wang Anda who learnt a little from ZAM, the doble Muhammad got his princely reward. Okay, wooden spoon via the backdoor of a body called Sinate, in a wooden cabinet, also somethin' to sing about-lah, Pak-lala, Jean Tralala...)
Conclusion1:
I agree with mGf saudara Bakri the APpointment of the double Muhammad was a bad call on Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's part.
Now what about Zaid Ibrahim, once chief of the largest law firm in Malaysia?
WOW! Suddenly, he woke up to the fact that the 1988 sacking of then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and five other Judges was a "wrong" commtted by the then UMNO-led administration under Dr Mahathir. Hey, can you come clean whether you were indeed accomplice to that "sinful" act now deserving an OPEN APOLOGY BY THE GOVERNMENT by supporting the setting up of the Rribunal that subsequently resulted in their sackings? (As I believe Dr Mahathir's version more than I believe yours because as a newshound my memory recall is still coincident wit Dr Mahathir's, however much I know he was the prime mover of many "wrong" acts in his latter half of 22 years rule of Malaysia.
And Zaid, how much UMNO-derived business led to the rabking of your former Law firm as the largest in NegaraKu? When I asked this question, I am not saying that any law firms in NegarKu may not act on behalf of UMNO or UMNO-related parties. But can you honestly tell the Malaysian public that your latest initiative on tendering an APOLOGY to the former Lord President and Others was not actually scratching Pak Lah's back back in exchange for another wooden spoon, ah, yes, via the SINate... Just like the double Muhammad.
And killing two-birds-wit'-one-stone (like Desi often does!:) -- deflection off Dr Mahathir's renewed attaccks on the current PM, including asking Datul Seri Abdullah to resign?
Conclusion2: Dr Bakri, mGf, I would beg to disagree on this second APpointment, as being worthy of a "Kudos". BUT TIME WILL TELL.
That time will soon come -- October 2008, or later, when the current Chief Justice, finishes his extended term of office.
Waiting in the wings quietly is the current secondin-command,"Zaki Azmi, now Court of Appeal President, the second highest position" that Sdr Bakri also referred to.
Recall-lah that Zaki Azmi was "helicoptered" into the third highest office in the Judiciary from the private legal sector -- and was widely believed and criticised, at least by the ilks of Desi species! -- as a "reward" for his outstanding services to UMNO ... Did I hear mGf from Ipoh whisper "Oh, NO!" heard quietly in Furong about 150 miles down South?
I rest my questioning mind.
God bless all Malaysians.
I:
S:
A: men,
less and less nowadays.
Because PR is now within my grasp. As RPK teased his ER often before March 8, I was also looking at going down UNDER! Where sweetspirits dwell.
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