Desiderata has averred that it's not practical to totally boycott the MSM (mainstream media) as had been lobbied for by a group of Bloggers quite well headed by human rights' advocate, Haris Ibrahim. Fellow Blogger Ancient Mariner and I are of the opinion a good compromise is to have a limited boycott on one day in the seven-day week, now generally accepted by Bloggers to be on Tuesdays, as a form of "protest in principle". Today I won't go into the pros and cons of these two schools of thought; I just mention that often it's the Editors who play politics that leads to much disgust and even hatred of the MSM by the public, but I think I have many friends serving as ordinary Reporters who try their best to serve the Fourth Estate well, but they work under great constraints arising from political masters and parties who also are the major owners of the newspapers.
Today on Sunday, when I try to find time away from energy-taxing, often debilitating, Malaysian politics to eat the manna of of the soul -- my soul, not yours as I often believe each human must take care of his/her own soul or salvation, I get very disturbed when some parties, or is it many parties, who try to play moral guardians of their neighbours when they could not even recite Desiderata by Max Ehrmann to save their lives! Okay, my prejudice is showing, but that's jest me pulling your legs, hairy or smooth as satin. I ain't no discriminator on sex, oops, on gender, a safer word, as the former because some Readers get eaily agitated when they did not get an INVITE from Desi to have CON BF at Men Kee in hazy, mazy and crazy Furong:( and would interpret everything I write to use it against my GOoD intentions, assuming I have any.:)
Okay, enough of digression -- which is a Blogger's privilege to abuse, that's why many BN components' youth wings have responded, flying in eh? -- here follow THREE GOoD reasons why I still need to have some Sunday papers with my Continental Breakfast.
Reason1:
A good piece in The Sunday Times by a columnist I have exchanged some emails, writing on a subject with a subtopic I just wrote about which I reprise here thus BOLDED), after the first few opening paras: ~~
NST Online » Columns2008/04/20
TUNKU ABDUL AZIZ:
It's the triumph of good over evil
By : Tunku Abdul Aziz
IT was unprecedented. And totally out of character for the normally staid New Straits Times to do what it did on Wednesday (April 14).
It dropped all pretence of squeamishness and published its damningly elegant editorial "Get on with the job" which said it all.
It was nothing if not a deeply wounding indictment of the dark side of Umno politics in the aftermath of the 12th general election that saw the mighty in disorderly retreat.
The editorial, couched in language that was quite extraordinary in its directness, had apparently produced the desired effect without being offensive.
It struck at the heart of the anxiety felt by Malaysians as they watched helplessly with ever growing despair their country being forced willy-nilly to witness Umno's tragicomedy being played out with every prospect of turning itself into a full-scale Malaysian tragedy.
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I do not succumb to emotion easily as a rule, not publicly anyway. However, I made an exception to my own rule that Friday morning when I read about a "heartfelt gesture to mend the pain and loss" inflicted on Tun Salleh Abas and five other judges at the hands of Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1988.
I had a quiet cry because this had proved to be a modern classic case of the triumph of good over evil.
While we are celebrating the restoration of dignity and bestowal of honour that had been unceremoniously removed by an ethically and morally deficient administration of an era best forgotten for its corrupting influence, we must not forget another victim of injustice, former High Court judge Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid who blew the whistle and alerted us to the rot that had set in throughout the system of justice.
If we had only taken his warning seriously, we might have saved the judiciary from its ultimate fall from grace. Instead of protecting him, we hounded him, and made him out as a troublemaker.
In a sense, the events of the last few years have fully vindicated Syed Ahmad Idid, an incorruptible public servant who found the ethical standards of his colleagues on the bench way, way below those prescribed for the custodians of justice.
He became a victim because he lived by a different set of rules.
He deserves similar treatment as Salleh and the other five judges.
Abdullah must look at this blatant example of the manipulation of the system of justice by the state and address the wrong done to Syed Ahmad Idid quickly. Reform should begin with his case and proceed from there.
(The writer is a former Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Ethics. He can be contacted at tunkua@gmail.com)
DESIDERATA: My comments as written a day before in the post titled " One Distinguished BUM2008 Speaker... and a few opening paras
"Datuk Syed Ahmad IdidNow that the Judicairy is hogging the media limelight, I reprise here an item from last year's ...yes, from an Mainstream Media (MSM,) so one cannot totally boycott the MSM, but I digress.My main point is that one of the esteeemed BUM2008 Speakers is Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid, and one of my buddies, Capt Yusof Ahmad aka Ancient Mariner, who resides at http://cyusof.blogspot.com/ was the one responsible for lasso-ing this ex-Judge to speak on May 1, 2008 at the Lake View Club. "Thanks, Saudara Syed Ahmad, for accepting our humble Invite!:) " on behalf of BUM2008 Organising Committee. ~~ Desi"
suffice. Gostan-lah if you think it's worth a re-visit:) "
Reason2:
I am reproducing in full, from The Sunday Star -- which is a rare detour for Desi's journey, but after March 8, 2008 much has changed, including in the MSM and so must we, the Readers! -- and for once I agree with its stance. Hopefuly, the spirit lives on and it's not just a momentary high just because it's politically correct, correct, correct now!
The Star Says:
Sunday April 20, 2008
Political culture must be changed
UMNO, which forms the backbone of the Barisan Nasional coalition, is in turmoil following the stunning results of the recent general election. The party, bruised but still formidable, is doing some soul searching. But as its December general assembly draws nearer, political jostling seems to have taken centre stage.
In the aftermath of the electoral setback, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has come under tremendous pressure, as the call for a leadership change seems to be growing louder. Above the din of blame shifting, finger pointing and posturing, the real message of the voters seems to have been ignored or lost.
What caused the electoral rebuff despite the tremendous progress and development made possible under the BN government during the last 50 years? Are there loftier appeals besides the bread and butter issues that swayed the votes on March 8? Is BN still relevant and, indeed, racial politics still attractive to a better educated and more informed electorate? These are the big questions begging for answers.
Pak Lah should be commended for admitting that he must shoulder part of the blame for Umno’s debacle. But lest we forget, all those who now join the chorus for a leadership change are equally guilty.
In fact, the blame should also be laid at the door of every government department, agency and local authority dealing with the public as some of them are rotting with complacency, incompetence, arrogance, and even bigotry.
Pak Lah should rein in those little Napoleons who hijack good government policies to suit their own agendas. Unfortunately, the rakyat see them as the face of the BN government and they used their votes to show their resentment.
In 2003, Pak Lah came in strong with the promise of fighting corruption and enhancing the delivery system. With that, he won hands down at the 2004 general election.
Unfortunately, to walk the talk is never an easy task. The public perception is that too little has been done too slow too late.
A leadership change will not work miracles for the party if the political culture remains.
Umno can bounce back strongly if it can show that it has zero tolerance for cronyism, corruption, abuses of power and other excesses.
DESIDERATA: While I said earlier I agree with 100% the Editorial the daily ran, I personally feel there is a "gap" to fill -- the role played by the Fourth Estate reprsented by the MSM in the yaers leading up to the GE2008 Debacle for which big brother in the Barisan Nasional UMNO, accompanied by second brother MCA, are now paying a high price. The MSM had generally been accomplices to the political masters by sweeping the core national issues and their Truth beneath the Putrajaya carpet to make the Prime Minister suffer from four years of delusion. Or hw only woke up - just like the MSM Editors -- on March 9, 2008 and truly saw the Light. The Editors had been pulling blinkers over Pak Lah's eyes until some smart Voters -- okay many "V"oters! -- voted for CHANGE!
Oft Desi had said here: It's another classic case of bolting the stable's gate after the horse has bolted.
Third reason?: Go buy the Sunday Star-lah at 75sen half-price since it'snow 7.21PM, and read an interview with the New Secretary-Generalof Parti Keadialan Rakyat. I knew him online as Umar Mukhtar,and had enjoyed several of his Letters to the Editor, Malaysiakini.com. I didn't realise he was a junior at MCKK with Anwar Ibrahim. The interview is an eye-opener.
My copy is for auction starting at RM3.00 -- that's what is called value-added. The PKR subject knows very well, he hails from a corporate background to be saluted!:) I hope he starts a Blog soon. mGf Din Merican, buy him tehtarik and invite Desi?
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