Are Most Americans Almost Near that Edge?

Of the cliff...into bankruptsy?

Desi's no economist, but here comes a frightening scenario via Daily Wealth which arriveth almost everyday without fresh milk on my desk. ASh, I still have my tehtarik -- with condensed milk, and the direst of warnings has recently been issued by an health expert that too much teh tarik" is BAD for thy health (not Desi's....oh no, this buddy didn't know me that wellA!:(






November 28, 2009
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Steve's note: Today's essay is by my friend Porter Stansberry. It's one of the direst financial predictions I've ever read. While I consider the chances of the sort of disaster Porter predicts to be small, the implications are so important, I think you should know about them. In case you haven't seen Porter's latest bombshell, here it is...

A Run on the Dollar Starts Soon
By Porter Stansberry

It's one of those numbers that's so unbelievable you have to actually think about it for a while...

Within the next 12 months, the U.S. Treasury will have to refinance $2 trillion in short-term debt. And that's not counting any additional deficit spending, which is estimated to be around $1.5 trillion.

Put the two numbers together. Then ask yourself, how in the world can the Treasury borrow $3.5 trillion in only one year? That's an amount equal to nearly 30% of our entire GDP. And we're the world's biggest economy. Where will the money come from?

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How did we end up with so much short-term debt? Like most entities that have far too much debt – whether subprime borrowers, GM, Fannie, or GE – the U.S. Treasury has tried to minimize its interest burden by borrowing for short durations and then "rolling over" the loans when they come due. As they say on Wall Street, "a rolling debt collects no moss."

What they mean is, as long as you can extend the debt, you have no problem. Unfortunately, that leads folks to take on ever greater amounts of debt... at ever shorter durations... at ever lower interest rates. Sooner or later, the creditors wake up and ask themselves: What are the chances I will ever actually be repaid? And that's when the trouble starts. Interest rates go up dramatically. Funding costs soar. The party is over. Bankruptcy is next.

When governments go bankrupt, it's called a "default." Currency speculators figured out how to accurately predict when a country would default. Two well-known economists – Alan Greenspan and Pablo Guidotti – published the secret formula in a 1999 academic paper. The formula is called the Greenspan-Guidotti rule.

The rule states: To avoid a default, countries should maintain hard currency reserves equal to at least 100% of their short-term foreign debt maturities. The world's largest money-management firm, PIMCO, explains the rule this way: "The minimum benchmark of reserves equal to at least 100% of short-term external debt is known as the Greenspan-Guidotti rule. Greenspan-Guidotti is perhaps the single concept of reserve adequacy that has the most adherents and empirical support."

The principle behind the rule is simple. If you can't pay off all of your foreign debts in the next 12 months, you're a terrible credit risk. Speculators are going to target your bonds and your currency, making it impossible to refinance your debts. A default is assured.

So how does America rank on the Greenspan-Guidotti scale? It's a guaranteed default.

The U.S. holds gold, oil, and foreign currency in reserve. It has 8,133.5 metric tonnes of gold (it is the world's largest holder). At current dollar values, it's worth around $300 billion. The U.S. strategic petroleum reserve shows a current total position of 725 million barrels. At current dollar prices, that's roughly $58 billion worth of oil. And according to the IMF, the U.S. has $136 billion in foreign currency reserves. So altogether... that's around $500 billion of reserves. Our short-term foreign debts are far bigger.

According to the U.S. Treasury, $2 trillion worth of debt will mature in the next 12 months. So looking only at short-term debt, we know the Treasury will have to finance at least $2 trillion worth of maturing debt in the next 12 months. That might not cause a crisis if we were still funding our national debt internally. But since 1985, we've been a net debtor to the world. Today, foreigners own 44% of all our debts, which means we owe foreign creditors at least $880 billion in the next 12 months – an amount far larger than our reserves.

Keep in mind, this only covers our existing debts. The Office of Management and Budget is predicting a $1.5 trillion budget deficit over the next year. That puts our total funding requirements on the order of $3.5 trillion over the next 12 months.

So... where will the money come from? Total domestic savings in the U.S. are only around $600 billion annually. Even if we all put every penny of our savings into U.S. Treasury debt, we're still going to come up nearly $3 trillion short. That's an annual funding requirement equal to roughly 40% of GDP.

Where is the money going to come from? From our foreign creditors? Not according to Greenspan-Guidotti. And not according to the Indian or Russian central banks, which have stopped buying Treasury bills and begun to buy enormous amounts of gold. The Indians bought 200 metric tonnes this month. Sources in Russia say the central bank there will double its gold reserves.

So where will the money come from? The printing press. The Federal Reserve has already monetized nearly $2 trillion worth of Treasury debt and mortgage debt. This weakens the value of the dollar and devalues our existing Treasury bonds. Sooner or later, our creditors will face a stark choice: Hold our bonds and continue to see the value diminish slowly, or try to escape to gold and see the value of their U.S. bonds plummet.

One thing they're not going to do is buy more of our debt. Which central banks will abandon the dollar next? Brazil, Korea, and Chile. These are the three largest central banks that own the least amount of gold. None owns even 1% of its total reserves in gold.


Related Articles
Don't Fool Yourself: America Is "Now a Communist Nation"
The Federal Reserve Is Openly Telling You to Buy Gold and Silver

All of this is going to lead to a severe devaluation of the U.S. dollar... Which I expect to happen within 18 months. I examined these issues in much greater detail in the most recent issue of my newsletter, Porter Stansberry's Investment Advisory, which was published last week. Coincidentally, America's paper of record – the New York Times – repeated our warnings (nearly word for word) last weekend. Word is getting out.

If you haven't taken steps to protect yourself from the coming devaluation – like owning gold and silver bullion, foreign real estate, and farmland – make sure you do it soon. The dollar rout is coming.

Good investing,

Porter Stansberry.

DESIDERATA's Disclaimer:

Thou art not to act irrationally after reading the above articlee. Don't take any investment steps OR d-investment measures in reaction of the contents above thereof. Any wealth loss or accumulation flowing from irrational action -- proactive or reactive -- is thine alone, Yes, yours and yours alone. A mousey purr writHer like Desi cannot vouch for any contents or discontent of any article sighted/sited at Desiderata2000. Although the nick for my blog is My Blue H'aven, remember it's not aweways heavenly content as sometimes the skies can turn from blue to nasty BLACK!
Man does not control the Mother Nature, the only constant as my Mum told me when I suckled her milk "Sunny, the two constants in Life are Change, and Departure."

So now I depart, your most esteemed Highnurse:) Have a blessed Sundae on Desi:)

PKR member pokes his nose into MCA impasse

Many will know I'm reluctant to write about partisan politics in my wickedend as I feel Malaysian politics is a sport for the less than principled, and often follows the parth well crafted by the main component in the ruling Barisan Nasional, UMNO. And UMNO's distinctive hallmark is its MONEY POLITICS. And even a tainted politician ex-MB of my state of nine states/negeri sembilan could win a by-election recently -- so what gives?

So the MCA imbroglio can be analysed by an outsider like YL from an examination of what it has mainly learned from BIG brother UMNO, especially its top guns, or is it goons, because that's how many Bloggers and their fans have described them, and who's Desi to go against the tide?

And to understand the present MCA CRISIS, I plan to use Agatha Christie's fomula in solving a crime: check the clues, and the most probable "culprit" is always the last suspect as so many others are what one would call RED HERRINGS, though in Malaysia they are as BLACK AS HELL! IMHO-lah, if you beg to disagree, who art thou? I am the host here/hear! You think I care a dam/damned/damp? Unless you write Desi a check as big as that for one TanSiTingAling for Bakun Dam ---- RMxxxxBILION?:(

To be continued...Have I wetted your AP? Then come back for more after my belated lunch, for aMore!:)

small NOTE from Desi on Sunday, Nov 29, 2009, 32 days before a new year begins, so cultivate a most loving human trait implied hear! I don't know meself -- why am Desi dishing out free advice on Life when he's most times +++quite LOST:), and I didn't even audition for the live TV series.:(

Miss Patience I heard oft said here/hear is also Ms/Mr/inbetween VIRTUOUS.
Come back for more when Desi's done with his aMore:) Never on Sunday you say!?

THREE C&Pastries -- and it's not compleatly altruistically...

MOTIVATED>>>

from freemalaysiatoday.com where I park myself most days since THREE WEEKS BACK.

___________________________________________


Want a date with “Unsung heroes” book launch tomorrow?

Fri, Nov 27, 2009

National

by Suganya Lingan

KUALA LUMPUR: An event tomorrow at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall from 3.00 pm till 6.00 pm. will examine the “The Fajar Generation” in which the The University Socialist Club and the politics of Postwar Malaya and Singapore players will recall stories about the “unsung heroes”.

A synopsis put forth by the publisher Gerakbudaya says that “The initial stage of building a new thing is perhaps the hardest part of the whole process. This held true in the case of the building of multi-racial Malaysia. The years between 1945 and 1965 was faced with one of the most extraordinary political turmoil in the history of Malaysia and Singapore, or Malaya as it was known then.

“Among the many political parties and groups that were fighting against British’s attempts to manage the decolonisation process, smaller groups that nevertheless played an important part were neglected from being mentioned in our history books. One such group is the University Socialist Club (USC), a group of men and women who advanced a radical agenda of anti-colonialism, democracy, multi-culturalism and social justice.”

The event is open to the public. For further details, please contact Chong Ton Sin at 016-3797231, Clare at 019-227 4473 or visit http://www.gerakbudaya.com/
________________________________________






Journalists union unhappy over ‘Chasing Away Reporter’ incident

Fri, Nov 27, 2009

National

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM) Thursday expressed regret over the action of Selangor Pakatan Rakyat Elected Representatives Officers Association (Selproa) secretary Ng Yap Hwa chasing away Utusan Malaysia reporter Yazid Alias from a news conference on Wednesday.

NUJM president Norila Daud said Ng’s claim that Yazid was from a government propaganda tool was improper and only showed a narrow-minded view of the democratic system which the opposition Pakatan Rakyat claimed to uphold.

“As a reporter, Yazid should have been allowed to attend the news conference as it was related to a government matter and not something confidential which had to be kept away from local reporters,” she said in a statement.

Norila said news of the 85 members of Selproa urging the Attorney-General to withdraw an application against the Selangor Menteri Besar’s circular preventing civil servants from being questioned outside of their office and only during office hours by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comm-ission (MACC) officers was something which had to be disseminated to the people via the media.

Norila said the NUJM hoped that all quarters in Pakatan Rakyat would be more sensitive, adopt a professional attitude and understand the job of journalists who conveyed news to the people who had voted them into power.

“NUJM once again stresses that no one can stop journalists from covering government matters which are linked to the welfare of the people,” she said.

She said Malaysia was a democratic country and the media had a role to report whatever the government did for the people. — BERNAMA

*********************************



Note to *PR: Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

Fri, Nov 27, 2009

Opinion

BLOGORHYTHMS

By YL Chong aka Desiderata

Two fellow Bloggers — Ahirudin Attan and Nuraina Samad, who are now back at the MSM for some months now — highlighted an event which should not have taken place if only those well involved know the fundamentals in *PR as in Public Relations101, or in Pakatan Rakyat in a state like Selangor where it is The Government, or in Penang too. The golden rule for PR practitioners should be to treat the Media/Press with respect, and they will accord you the same respect in return. I remember this fundamental rule of “survival” of both human and animal Life in general dwells on the scientific principle of “Mutualism” for co-existence to thrive.

So I was aghast — just as Rockybru was, I believe — to hear of one from a group of PR political or press aides at an official press conference last Wednesday chasing out a reporter Yazid Alias from Utusan Malaysia because Ng Yap Hwa claimed the newspaper Yazid represented was a “federal government agent,” according to Rockybru’s post titled Anti-journalist Selproa.

Ng is not a nobody — he is the secretary of the newly-formed Selangor Pakatan Rakyat Elected Representatives Officers Associa­tion (Selproa), and a potential government leader. But this newness doesn’t excuse such undiplomatic behaviour because Yazid went there to cover an assignment in his capacity as Journalist, and I’m sure young boy Ng has heard of the exhortation of people with a little or much power: DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER! The saving grace for the association is that its president Abdul Razak Ismail later told Ng to allow Yazid in, (and) the latter was heard saying: “We can’t allow government propaganda machines into the press conference.”
If Ng and his “likes” (I was tempted to say “ilks”, but I refrain because I have never met Saudara Ng, so I give him the benefit of the doubt he’s overly enthusiastic on carrying out his job — never mind a misguided mind — the fact that the most developed State in the country fell into loosely-aligned PKR, DAP and PAS out of the blue, clear skies on March 8, 2008. Such unexpected heady tsunamic days could act like wine — or is it beer? — it sometimes makes PR people, and some bloggers too, go crazy and write, or orally command, crazy contnets. Or intent, I also feel confused when I take endless rounds of journo’s brew – “TehTarik, anywan?”
I reprised here quoting mainly from Rockybru’s, (so if anything regarding the event is factually wrong, go shoot the original hunter!) without his permit because I have interacted a bit with him while organising the annual World Press Day event since its inaugural BUM2007, where BUM stands for Bloggers United Malaysia, latter amended by the organising chair to Bloggers Universe Malaysia, without consultation. No, when one organises certain functions, you can’t be totally democratic or you don’t get through Phase 5 of 10. This is based on my experience, and if you beg to disagree, let’s just be agreeable, okay? And the foregoing is a rhetorical question.
Before I close, I’m going to ruffle some feathers at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office where my good friend MP Jeff Ooi sits as Chief of Staff — I call him Taiko of Malaysian blogosphere, for his screenshots.com indeed was the budding nursery for many Johnny-comes-lately, including Desiderata. Dear Jeff — who never fails to take part at BUM events as a speaker because he gets an automatic invite as he was among the founders of the yet-to-be-registered National Alliance of Bloggers – your Office sets a very bad precedent by barring reporters from the the New Straits Times from covering your boss’ official events, is this “ban” still on?

The problem with the mainstream media (MSM) is that of an existence of a bosomy nexus binding the CEOs, top editors to the ruling regime’s top leaders, from UMNO, MCA, MIC chiefly, so the newspapers’ coverage of political developments is blatantly one-sided in favour of those who walk the corridors of power in Putrajaya. But PR component parties should know better than to punish the reporters or photographers, who just earn a monthly salary doing a professional assignment just like any other field, as directed by the bosses. Of course there are bad apples in every profession; only the “bodekking” reporters deserve your disdain — these win a junk trip thrown at them occasionally if they butter up to their editors! — and except for one listed media company, most journalists’ starting salaries are below the poverty line since someone determined that line at below RM3,000 per month (I guess this “someone” had big cities like Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown in mind? Being a weekday socialist, Desi kind of like his kind – some rare ones are found even in the Estalishment! – for his big-hearted inclination).

But whatever, my little message to the likes of Ng Yap Hwa, please grow up and know thy real enemies. Most journalists that I know — and I have had more than two decades of newsroom labour — work hard for a living, with an initial idealistic commitment to the good journalism ethics and practice. They, which include my two charges at the moment just three weeks old, deserve a certain degree of respect as they strive to embrace and practise good journalism. Don’t extend your “ban” because YL decides to write about this memorable event that is expected to raise many bloggers’, and MSM editors’, ire. But just as one swallow does not a summer make, a misstep won’t kill youngster Ng’s career. He must just eat humble pie and tender the tenderest of apologies to someone, I presume?

If you miss me,

Yesterday



Drop me a line
If time permits maybe two

If I miss ye
I will drop you at least line three
I'll avoid four
For in Chinese it's a taboo number
If you know not why
Ask myGoOD friend Helen

If you dont find her listed anywhere
Give a Yellar near the Ipoh PD
And it's not nigh Port Dickson

That's where I leave my footprints
In the sand
As one mGf sweets does
At Redhead Beach eh!
I miss ye
I'll pen line 3 so-ON:):):)

Corporate Social Responsibility

or CSR has been a much touted business goal among companies that "have arrived".
But believe me, many listed companies only sing their chorus of COMMITMENT to good CSR as a rah-rah-rah ANNUAL DINNER where the press is present, and the CEO gets his 15minutes worth of media fame under the glare of TV spotlights handing a few cheques to chairity buddies. Any Malaysian successor to Singapore Kidney Foundation, anywan for gold bathtaps? -- Desi

We have the potentially-costing-the-public RM12.5billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal still making news headlines, and here cometh a s potential clone...? I think I will try to get my church pastor friend appl for a donation from the forever-riding-high NAZA group.

PS:I don't do it from a hi-sense of altruism! Oh no, methinking of that 30% as Desiderata2000 still has not got any 20million offer at eBoy! Sdr Moo_t, where art thou and my 70%?

Via the
The Malaysian Insider:)
Wednesday November 25 2009


A public policy re-think in KL on the cards?

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 — A growing controversy over a RM628 million project awarded to the Naza Group without open tender could put pressure on the government to rethink public policy, given previous failed developments such as the Port Klang Free Zone.

Naza clinched the deal last week to build a RM628 million convention centre for the Malaysian External Development Corporation, an agency under the Ministry of International Trade, in exchange for 2.8 million square feet of prime land owned by the government in Kuala Lumpur.

Analysts have estimated the gross development value of the land at RM15 billion. The award has raised disquiet with at least one business paper asking searching questions in an editorial over the weekend and with the Opposition up in arms.

On Monday, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua asked for the minutes of the privatisation to be tabled in Parliament. He said that the whole exercise should be re-tendered.

“Failing which, we demand that all ministerial papers relating to the project be declassified and tabled in Parliament to prove that all necessary due diligence has been conducted with no inflated cost to the government and no inflated profits to the concessionaire,” he told reporters.

Such scrutiny — especially from the local media — would have been unthinkable during, say, the tenure of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. But the results of the general election last year have seen a resurgent Opposition.

In addition, the revelation of the Port Klang Free Zone fiasco, where a development budgeted for RM2.5 billion escalated to over RM10 billion, has left the public angry over the sheer waste of the project.

More to the point, some analysts actually question the viability of the convention centre project, pointing out that the site does not have the critical mass — hotels, restaurants, etc — to sustain such a development.

The convention centre in Putrajaya, for example, has proved to be a colossal failure. Oppositionists have estimated that the project, built for close to RM700 million, would take 300 years, assuming zero maintenance cost, for the project to break even.

The most successful convention centre is the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre which was built by Petronas near the site of the twin towers. It is booked solid for the next nine years but, even so, it took Petronas 10 years to go ahead because it felt that it would be difficult to get back its investment. — Business Times Singapore smaller c

*************************************

Here's CAPitalism at its showingOFFbestA, and DEsi was NOT invited all because he's an avowed "socialist" -- I should have missBELT it as sociaLITE!:(


Obamas welcome guests with curry at state dinner
AP



By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer Darlene Superville, Associated Press Writer – 3 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The first state dinner of the Obama White House had it all: Oscar-winning entertainers, Hollywood moguls, a knockout guest chef and even a wardrobe malfunction.

Traditional evening gowns vied with saris of vibrant colors Tuesday night at the high-glitz dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. There were turbans and bindis as well as diamonds and brocades.

"Everyone looks great; we're feeling great," White House social secretary Desiree Rogers told a phalanx of cameras as she arrived, betraying no hint of nerves at the biggest social event of the Obama presidency.

First lady Michelle Obama had been a little more forthcoming earlier in the day when she described the trick to pulling off the event as sort of like being a swan: calm and serene above the water but "paddling like mad, going crazy underneath."

The 338-person guest list was a mix of wonky Washington, Hollywood A-listers, prominent figures from the Indian community in the U.S., and Obama friends, family and campaign donors.

Attorney General Eric Holder patted his pocket as he arrived and said his kids had prepped him with all sorts of questions for tablemate Steven Spielberg. U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, asked who she was most looking forward to chatting with, ventured, "I'd have to name four." Then didn't.

Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania had to scramble when his ensemble went rogue at just the wrong moment: His cummerbund dropped to the floor just as he and his wife stopped to pose before a scrum of about 40 reporters and photographers.

Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood provided the celebrity quotient, but neither could come up with a connection to India. Underwood said he was there because of Woodard. She said she was there because she's on the president's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Dinner guests were treated to an eye-catching scheme of green and purple, from the green curry surrounding the prawns to the purple floral arrangements paying homage to the peacock, India's national bird.

Pumpkin was on the menu, too, with Tuesday's dinner coming just two days before Thanksgiving.

Hours before guests arrived and in keeping with tradition, Mrs. Obama previewed the glamorous table settings in the State Dining Room. That's often the venue for such dinners, but not this time.

Instead, in an effort to show Singh how much the U.S. values relations with his country, the Obamas decided to serve dinner in a huge white tent on the South Lawn, with views of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial through clear panels.

It wasn't your everyday tent: This one had chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and beige carpet on the floor.

President Barack Obama, in his dinner toast, said the setting conjured images of India, where special events are "often celebrated under the cover of a beautiful tent." Singh, in turn, told the president he was overwhelmed by the Obamas' hospitality and said the president's election last year had been an inspiration to millions of Indians.

Magnolia branches native to both India and the U.S. adorned the tent's inside walls, along with ivy and nandina foliage.

Guests were seated 10 apiece at round tables draped in green apple-colored cloths and napkins, offset by the sparkle of gold-colored flatware and china, including service and dinner plates from the Eisenhower, Clinton and George W. Bush settings.

Floral arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and sweet peas in plum, purple and fuschia evoked India's state bird.

Mrs. Obama brought in award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, a Scandinavian restaurant in New York City, to help White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and her staff prepare the largely vegetarian meal. Singh is a vegetarian.

Samuelsson said being chosen to help whip up dinner was both "overwhelming and humbling."

The culinary offerings included potato and eggplant salad, arugula from the White House garden, red lentil soup and roasted potato dumplings or green curry prawns. Pumpkin pie tart and pear tatin were for dessert; the pears were poached in honey from the White House beehive.

The entertainment lineup was stellar.

Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson and jazz vocalist and composer Kurt Elling, both Grammy Award winners from the Obamas' hometown of Chicago, were performing. Hudson also won an Academy Award for her role in "Dreamgirls." Indian musician and singer A.R. Rahman, who won two Academy Awards for the music in "Slumdog Millionaire," also was in the lineup.

Among the other guests: Hollywood moguls David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Guests with ties to India included spiritual adviser Deepak Chopra, director M. Night Shyamalan and PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. Katie Couric of CBS News, Brian Williams of NBC News, Robin Roberts of ABC News and CNN Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta were among the media representatives invited. Oprah Winfrey was not on the list, but her best friend, Gayle King, was among the guests. Also there Obama friends Eric Whitaker and Martin Nesbitt, along with Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her husband, Konrad; and Marian Robinson, the first lady's mother.

Every aspect of Tuesday's events was fraught with meaning and symbolism, from the flower colors to Mrs. Obama's clothing designers.

For the dinner, Mrs. Obama wore a sleeveless, gold and cream colored sheath dress with an overlay of silver and matching shawl by Indian-born designer Naeem Khan. At the State Dining Room event earlier in the day, the first lady wore a skirt by Rachel Roy, who is Indian.

The dinner also was a debut of sorts for florist Laura Dowling, who's been on the job less than a month.

Communist legislator doesn't agree with Desi...

on ENJOYING life to its fullest, especially at the belly's level.

I was wandering in cyberspace after a heavy lunch today when an AFP report upset my wickedend's sense of indulgence. Faithfool readers here/hear would know that I'm an avowed "socialist" during weekdays/weakdies, working 12-hour days to earn my B&B, BUT during Saturdays and Sundaes (I call 'em wickedends because one is allowed in indulging in some wicked pastimes, NO?

Anyway, I've often told my well-intentioned loaded buddies who want to give me a treeat to wwait till the weekend as then I transform into a five-star capitalist. Hey, five days I slave for the community good, I think it fair-dinkum if I let my hair and tummy free for GOoD bytes in 2/7. IF MY CAPITALIST TENDENCY PROLONGS, then I would add another carefree 24 using the Beatles' Eight Days A Week runaway hit!

IF THOU ART LOST in my logic, it's Okay because I don't think straight on a full tummy, and I did say I had a huge lunch, didn't EYE?

China legislator seeks to criminalise banquets: report
A Chinese legislator fed up with lavish banquets and official wining and dining has proposed making the "squandering of public funds" a crime, according to state press.



China legislator seeks to criminalise banquets: report

A Chinese legislator fed up with lavish banquets and official wining and dining has proposed making the "squandering of public funds" a crime, according to state press.

"Public spending on eating and drinking is a waste of social assets," Zhao Linzhong, a delegate to the National People's Congress, China's parliament, told the Worker's Daily.

"We need to criminalise this by law, so I proposed amending the criminal law and introducing the 'crime of wantonly squandering public funds'."

Throwing lavish banquets has long been a Chinese tradition, both in government as well as business, a practice that besides wasting money, has also proven to be unhealthy, the report said.

According to the official People's Daily, China spends up to 200 billion yuan (29 billion dollars) a year on public wining and dining, a sum larger than the cost of the Three Gorges Dam, the world's biggest hydroelectric project.

"Although I myself am a victim of this tradition, at the same time I help advance this tradition by hosting meals and accepting invitations," Zhao, who also heads a leading Chinese textile company, said.

"For many years, the Communist Party and government have issued a series of restrictions and regulations on wining and dining are more and more detailed and severe, but such lavish traditions have not been curbed."

According to the newspaper, Zhao has handed a formal proposal to the parliament calling for debate on the amendment to the criminal law.

A cry in the dark...

Someone does cry
when a so-called friend dosn't behave like one

yes, a man does cry
when he gets burnt
holding out his hand to light a flame

so the mates could see the way

but he cannot even see his own way
they snuff out the light

and he continues to cry.

I float,I fly

Last night it rained cats, dogs and cows
Today it rains like conton flakes and dew drops
Brushing my face and kissing my shoulders

I felt like a boat adrift in wide, dark sea
Now I am floating, sometimes I try to fly

I laugh, I cry
I soar, then I sink

Into the depths of harrowing fright
Why art thou squeezing away my breath
I'm trying my very best

To take wings and fly
To touch that rainbow in the sky

And you throw cold water
Like raining cats, dogs and cows last night
I lost my way
I cried

But now I still want to fly

Freespirits

without care
wit' wings of freedom and dare

venture far,
beyond comforts and reality

i want to escape
from human madness and weakness
instigated by human wonts and wants
driven by greed
and evil forces lurking in idling minds

when some humans have nbothing better to do
but poke their nose into the neghbour's house
or worse, into the neighbour's wife's bedroom

chaos breaks out
an average day in the life

of a Malaysian idling because
he/she's quite not there yet

from the grave that beckons
and where his/her kind could lie in a warm bed
and continue their wonderful lies

another CUT&PASTRY -- this time dime from a YB...

Throwing Pies at another YB, Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen. Once upon a dime she had one foot in Malaysia when appointed a Senator, and another foot Down Under. A common practice among top BN-MCA -- UMNO2? -- politicians who want the cake and eat it too!

From weechookeong.wordpress.com:


Jawapan YB Menteri Pelancongan mengenai dengan skandal yang terlibat dengan Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd dan Grace Chen Oyan Yun Shai.

November 13, 2009 by weechookeong

Pada 5hb November 2009, semasa perbahasan Bajet 2010, saya telah menyeru Menteri Pelancongan, YB Dato’ Ng Yen Yen untuk memberi jawapan kepada soalan-solan seperti berikut:

Venturepharm Asia Bhd dan Madam Chen Oyan Yun Shai bukanlah menipu MOSTI sahaja ia juga ada terlibat dengan Kementerian Pelancongan.

Saya menyeru Menteri Perlancongan untuk memberi penjelasan:

1. Memandangkan pembantu peribadi terdahulu Menteri, iaitu Madam Ivy See adalah seorang pengarah eksutif Daley PR, adakah ia mempunyai satu “conflict of interest” terhadap Menteri semasa memberi kontrak pengiklanan kepada Daley PR untuk kerja-kerja pengiklanan di China?
2. Apakah alasan-alasan tender pertama Malaysian Pavilion Project dibatalkan selepas Menteri mengambil jawatan sejak April 2009?
3. Apakah alasan-alasan sementara akhir bulan June 2009 Venturepharm telah dianugerahkan dengan kerja pembinaan Malaysian Pavilion di mana ia tidak mempunyai rekod dalam kerja pembinaan semasa Venturepharm telah didedahkan di Parlimen dengan terlibat dengan penipuan MOSTI untuk mendapatkan TechnoFund?
4. Adakah ia mempunyai apa-apa perbezaan (variation order) dengan jumlah RM10 to 20 million untuk Malaysian Pavilion project?


Soalan diatas tidak dijawab dengan sempurna oleh Menteri. Padan 12-11-2009 semasa Menteri menjawab saya meminta beliau menjawab soalan diatas dan saya mengulang seklai latar belakang perkara ini. saya menegas bahawa Grace Chen Oyan Yun Shai, yang berasal dari Taiwan, adalah sahabat karib YB Mneteri Pelancongan. Beliau tidak menafikan perkara ini dan beliau mengatakan bahawa beliau ada ramai kawan.

Saya juga meminta YB Menteri memberi penjelasan kenapakah tender pertama untuk projek Malaysian Pavilion di Shanghai Expo 2010 telah ditutup dan Ventruepharm Asia Sdn Bhd tidak mengabil bahagain dan selepas beliau dilantik sebagai Menteri Pelancongan pada 9hb April 2009 beliau membatalkan tender tersebut dna membuka tender kedua dan Venturepharm Asai Sdn Bhd mengambil bahagian. Pada akhir bulan Jun 2009 Kementerian memberikan projek tersebut kepada Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd dengan harga tender RM19.99 9,999-00 ( harga resserve projek ini adalahRM20 juta).

Saya juga menegaskan bahawa pada 24hb Jun 2009 (Session Parlimen yang lepas) saya telah menminta penjelasan daripada YB Timbalan Mentri Science, Teknologi dan Inovasi mengenai denagan kes Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd dimana ia telah mengunakan sebuah syarikat palsu, XLW Inc USA, untuk mendapatkan dana TechnoFund untuk penyilidikan biofeed. YB Timbalan Menteri tersebut memaklumkan kepada Dewan Yang Mulia bahawa Kementerian telah “frozen” baki TechnoFund berjumlah lebih kurang RM2 juta dan seisatan telah dijalankan terhadapa Venturepharam Aisa Sdn Bhd. Memandangkan keadaan sedemikian, bagaimanakah Kementerian boleh memberikan projek tersebut kepada Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd dan Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd tiada rekod untuk membina satu tandas atau tangga rumah. YB Menteri tidak memberi apa-apa jawapan terhadap soalan ini.

YB Menteri memberi jaminan bahawa tiada ada “variation order’ terhadap projek Malaysian Pavilion di Shanghai Expo 2010.

Saya juga memaklumkan kepada Dewan Yang Mulia bahawa Grace Chen Oyan Yun Shai, shabat karib YB Menteri, adalah orang yang mengawal syarikat Daro Worldwide Sdn Bhd yang diawadkan dengan projeck Tourism Call Centre, Syarikat Daley PR communication Ltd di Guang Zhou (China) diawadkan dengan semua projek advertising di negeri China tanpa tender terbuka. Jawapan YB Menteri adalah awad yang diberikan menurut prosedur.

Saya juga menanya YB Menteri bagaimankah Fuji Property Management Co Ltd (Hong Kong) yang juga terlibat dengan Grace Chen Oyan Yun Shai diawadkan projek untuk mengurus semua harta/bangunan Kerajaan Malaysia di Hong Kong, kerjaan pengubahsuaian (rennovations) harta tersebut tanpa tender terbuka? YB Menteri tidak memberi apa-apa jawabpan terhadap soalan ini.

Saya juga menuduh YB Menteri terlibat dengan “conflict of interest” dengan projek-projek tersebut yang diawadkan kepada syarikat, Daro Worldwide Sdn Bdn – Tourism Call Center, Venturepharm Asaia Sdn Bhd – Malaysian Pavilion di Shanghai Expo 2010 dan Fuji Property management Co Ltd – mengurus harta dan bangunan Kerajaan Malaysia di Hong Kong? YB Menteri terus meminta bukti daripada saya dan saya terus membangunan memberi bukti tetapi YB Menteri enggan memberi jalan kepada saya untuk memberi bukti-bukti. Saya berdiri beberapa kali tetapi beliau enggan memberi jalan. Saya seterusnya mengatakan bahawa YB Menteri adalah bodoh. Tuan Speaker meminta saya menarik balik perkataan bodoh kerana unparliamentary. Saya menarik balik perkataan bodoh dan saya menegaskan bahawa YB Menteri “kurang cerdik” kerana meminta bukti-bukti tetapi tidak memberi jalan.

Saya juga cabar YB Menteri untuk mencabar saya untuk mengulang perkara diatas di luar Dewan Yang Mulia. YB Menteri tidak berani menerima cabaran tersebut.

nota:

Saya tidak mempuas hati dengan jawapan YB Menteri diatas dan saya akan membangkit semula perkara diatas semasa perbahasan Bajet 2010 peringkat Jawatan Kuasa minggu depan.


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Posted in wee choo keong | Tagged Daley PR Communication Co Ltd, Daro Worldwide Sdn Bhd, Fuji Property management Co Ltd, Grace Chen Oyan Yun Shai, Kementerian pelancongan, Malaysia Pavillion, Menteri Pelancongan, ministry of tourism, Shanghai Expo 2010, Venturepharm Asia Sdn Bhd, YB Dato" Ng Yen Yen | 8 Comments
8 Responses

DESIDERATA: I took the liberty of extracting just ONE of the comments -- pls surf' dare for others'!:( -- in English, which helps to understand the post in BM better. I have never done this before, extracting word-for-word comment from another Blog, but there's aweways a first time eh!:) I hope the Commenter would bear with Desi for this liberty taken!:) Come to Furong and I offer endless cuplets of tehtarik at Lingam's, maybe some Puerh leftover2!:):)


(xtract: on November 13, 2009:


"Of course, all of us in Ministry of Tourism knew for a fact that Grace Chen Oyan Yun Shai is a very close friend of Ng Yen Yen for donkey years since her days as deputy Minister of Tourism.

Grace Chen is a very powerful personality in Ministry of Tourism. The cancellation of the 1st tender after Ng Yen Yen was appointed Minister was to get Venturepharm to bid. We all knew that Venturepharm will definitely get the Malaysia Pavilion project in Shanghai Expo 2010.

YB was spot on on all the facts that he revealed in Parliament in connection with the Grace Chen Oyan Yun Shai and Minister of Tourism and all the projects have been awarded to companies connected to Grace Chen like: Daro Worldwide Sdn Bhd, Venturepharm, Daley Pr Communications Co Ltd, Fuji Property Management Co Ltd in Hong Kong.

More intriguing revelations by PI Bala on Altantuya's mystery

... you can do your own Agatha Christie's or Sherlock Holmes' trailbustling followuo eh!; I will stick to my newshound -- not from Baskervilles! -- forte:)--YL

From freemalaysiatoday.com...


Report: Bala links Najib’s family member to Altantuya cover-up

Tue, Nov 17, 2009
National

More damning details implying the involvement of a family member of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak have begun to emerge in private investigator P.Balasubramaniam’s allegations of a cover-up in the Altantuya muder.

The allegations included blackmail and threats made against Bala, his wife and children, to force him into withdrawing his first statutory declaration and sign a second statutory declaration which he never read.

Immediately after the second declaration was released to the media on July 4, Bala claimed arrangements were made for him and his family to flee Malaysia and they were forced into hiding until Najib was sworn in as Prime Minister in April.

Such details of the threats by the VVIP and the already reported RM5 million bribe, along with the involvement of military intelligence in keeping Bala’s home under surveillance has added more intrigue – and speculation – about the gruesome murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006.

In its latest edition of Suara Keadilan, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat newspaper, reported on the alleged involvement of Najib’s family member and a carpet businessman named Deepak in forcing Bala and his family to go into hiding in Singapore, Bangkok and Kathmandu before ending up in India.

That, along with more other details of Bala’s 15 month ordeal of living as a fugitive, are expected to surface in the coming days as the opposition parties call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Suara Keadilan cited Bala as saying that he was forced to retract his first statutory declaration of an alleged links between Najib and Altantuya who had a sexual relationship with Najib’s adviser Abdul Razak Baginda.

Razak Baginda has also confessed in an affidavit that Altantuya was his lover while Najib denies knowing the Mongolian model.

Suara Keadilan cited Bala as saying that that the member of Najib’s household teamed up with carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishan in using a carrot and stick approach to “persuade” him into withdrawing the first statutory declaration.

Deepak, who is said to be associated to Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, allegedly offered the private investigator RM5million to retract the statutory declaration, according to Suara Keadilan which obtained a transcript of the interview.

Deepak then ordered Bala to be brought to see a “Datuk” on the same day he made public his first statutory declaration, according to the newspaper.

Bala, a former Special Branch officer, identified the Datuk as a family member of the Prime Minister.

According to Bala, the first statutory declaration, in which he claimed that Najib had a relationship with the Mongolian model, was true.

But Bala withdrew it and signed a second declaration after he was taken to see the Datuk at the Curve in Damansara on July 3 2008 when he was told by the VVIP to “follow Deepak instructions if he (Bala) loves his family,” Suara Keadilan reported.

Bala said the specific instruction to him was to withdraw the first July 3 statutory declaration and leave Malaysia immediately.

Hours after that meeting, Bala signed a second statutory declaration which was prepared for him and later issued to the media.

He and his family were then taken by road to Singapore before being flown to Thailand and and Nepal and eventually landed in India where he has been hiding.

Suara Keadilan reported that Bala gave the startling account of the alleged threats made by Najib’s family member in which he concluded saying: “As a family man, I want to have a normal life. I want to put a stop to all this. ”

In the course of their numerous conversations, Bala said Deepak had related to him how he came to know Rosmah and had even offered to arrange a breakfast meeting with the Prime Minister’s wife.

Although Najib’s smooth ascension to power took place as scheduled in April this year, Bala saw little to suggest that he would be allowed to return to Malaysia to lead a normal life with his family, according to the Suara Keadilan report.

Part 2 of PI Bala’s interview-- Please surf to malaysia-today.net-lah, yopur lazey, hazey BUMmer like Desi -- YL:)

News extracts to make you ponder...

Art thou a passive reader of news?
OR YOU ARE ONE WHO CAN BE INSPIRED TO STAND UP TO PARTAKE OF PROACTIVE ACTIION?

Malaysia is a budding democracy, and the CHOICE IS YOURS AS A CITIZEN OF NEGARAKU. - Desi


From freemalaysiatoday.com:
Anwar to Umno: I’m ready for battle
Sun, Nov 15, 2009
National

IN his first public remarks since being appointed as economic adviser to Selangor, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he would do battle “to the end” against Umno-Barisan Nasional forces bidding to destabilize and wrest power from the state’s Pakatan Rakyat government.

“I have officially now entered the ring,” Anwar said in reference to his new job. “If you try (to seize power), we will go all out and fight to the end,” Anwar said in Shah Alam when opening the


state-level National Justice Party convention.

On Friday, Anwar, a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, was appointed Selangor’s economic advisor, a job for which he will be paid a norminal salary of RM1 a month.

The appointment is to help the state government formulate new economic initiatives as well as improve the implementation of existing policies that directly and holistically benefit people.

Anwar used the convention to galvanise party members into ensuring the state remained in opposition control despite simmering diffirences within Pakatan ranks which, according to insiders, the coalition has been able to contain so far.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who recently took over as Selangor Umno chief, has made public his party’s intention to retake Malaysia’s most developed state by the next general elections.

The Selangor state government has since become a punching bag in the mainstream media on several issues, ranging from the relocation of a Hindu temple to the sale of beer in 7-Eleven outlets.

Anwar admitted that despite some success, the opposition has been unable to deliver all of its promises to the people.

He attributed the problem to elements within Pakatan who still practise what he called the “Barisan Nasional politics” of corruption and racial based politics.

“This culture and way of thinking is outdated and must be rejected at all costs,” he said. “We will also not tolerate corruption within our ranks. Those caught will be sacked, make no mistake about this.”

At a press conference after his speech, Anwar said he had received positive response from investors abroad, especially in the Middle East, on his appointment as Selangor’s economic adviser.

He said a group of Arab investors had asked to meet him after the Hari Raya Aidil-Adha on November 27.

“Bala’s latest disclosure merits in-depth probe”
ANWAR Ibrahim is pressing for a professional and independent probe into the latest disclosure by a private investigator in the Altantuya case, calling on those in authority to “walk the talk.”

However, he acknowledged that his call and that of others in the opposition coalition would make little impact on the authorities, as it meant investigating Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.

P. Balasubramaniam, a private investigator hired by Abdul Razak Baginda, an aide of Najib, claimed he was offered RM5 million to retract a statutory declaration that the Prime Minister had a relationship with murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Sharibuu.

In an interview posted on Youtube recently, Bala claimed the offer was made by a carpet businessman known as Deepak, who is said to be associated with Rosmah.

Anwar said Bala’s latest disclosure should be enough for the authorities to conduct further investigations but he doubts if the police, the Attorney-General or the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission were up to the challenge.

“Yes , there must be an in-depth investigation,” he told reporters. “This is just one statement from Bala. The problem with this country is that any investigation affecting Umno leaders will be trivialized.”

Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin’s website last Friday carried what he said was the first video excerpt of an interview Bala had with lawyers. He told readers to expect more clips in the coming days.

Bala claimed he was forced to flee the country on July 4, 2008, one day after issuing a statutory declaration retracting the first declaration. He is expected to name public figures who played a role in forcing him to withdraw his accusation against Najib.

Altantuya was murdered in October 2006. Her body was blown up using C4 explosives in a dense jungle in Selangor state.

She was said to be in Malaysia to collect US$500,000 in commissions for a French-Scopene submarine deal involving the Malaysian government. Najib was then Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Asked what he thought about Bala’s decision to surface after 15 months in a tell-all interview, Anwar said: “I do not want to arrive to any conclusion. Let there be a free and independent investigation.”

From Sdr KIM QUEK, one of those rare Malaysians who always satnd up to be counted! His latest thoughts via several channels BY POPULAR DEMAND! -- YL



MB vs MB: Federal Court of Judicial Pillars or Political Stooges?

Mon, Nov 16, 2009


By Kim Quek


THERE was deep disappointment and angry resignation when the Federal Court panel of five sat on Nov 5 to hear the Nizar vs Zambry appeal, immediately after rejecting Nizar’s request for a full panel to hear the case.

The appearance of the five judges alone was sufficient to impart the sense of foregone conclusion, for these are familiar faces that appeared in the series of hearings of the Federal Court held in respect of the current Perak constitutional crisis, and they all seemed to lean towards the Barisan Nasional.

The first three – Alauddin Sheriff, Arifin Zakaria and Zulkefli Makinudin – are virtually permanent fixtures in the ‘Perak cases’, while the remaining two – Ghazali Yusoff and Hamid Embong – have also been involved. One cannot help but wonder: what happened to the rest? Why can’t we have fresh faces to also impart their wisdom over such a grave constitutional crisis?


What about the eminent Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Richard Malanjum, whose seniority was only next to Alauddin Sheriff (President of the Court of Appeal), and whose judgments often won admiration of the legal fraternity and the general public alike. He has not sat in a single case. Why should the country be deprived of the opportunity of tapping into his rich experience and much valued judgment?

Then, what about our very senior Justice Gopal Sri Ram – an appellate court judge since 1994 – who is distinguished by his deep legal knowledge and sound judgment delivered without fear or favour.

Surely, the participation of Malanjum and Sri Ram will restore some credibility to a judicial system already teetering on total mistrust, thanks to the long string of judicial decisions which have been perceived as blatantly biased and politically partisan since the crisis started in March this year.

SHOW OF ‘ARROGANCE’ TO REJECT FULL PANEL

This is the third time that the Federal Court rejected Nizar Jamaluddin’s request for a full panel. And what irked the public is the court’s perceived arrogance in rejecting the lawyers’ earnest, compelling and unassailable plea without bothering to offer the reasons of rejection.

That the coming court decision will be of paramount importance is underlined by the fact that it is expected to define the power limits and the inter-relationships of the triangle of King-Prime Minister-Parliament, though the case is over the Perak constitutional crisis. This is because the state constitution and federal constitution are similar in these aspects of the law.

An affirmative decision in favour of Zambry will mean that in future the King is vested with the power to sack a Prime Minister. More than that, he can do so without the involvement of Parliament. This of course will mean the negation of the fundamental principles of democracy upon which this nation was founded.

Facing such a potentially momentous decision, is it too much to ask for a full panel, or at least as wide a spectrum of judges as possible, to deliberate on an issue which may make or break our democratic system of government?

Since the Federal Court has convened panels of seven judges to hear drug related cases in the past, why can’t it convene an even bigger panel for the current case, since the issues involved are many times more important?

And why make the ‘Perak cases’ the exclusive domain of the few judges who are already looked upon with increasing dismay by the public for their perceived political partisanship? Why meticulously keep these cases out of bound to the well regarded judges?

Doesn’t Chief Justice Zaki Azmi, who only a short while ago was an Umno stalwart, owe the nation answers to these perplexing questions?

COURT OF APPEAL ERRED

The court completed hearing in one single day of Nov 5, the submissions from the lawyers of both the Appellant (Nizar) and the Respondent (Zambry) as well as from Attorney-General Gani Patail. The latter appeared as intervener to help interpret the Perak and federal constitutions, though in actual fact, he acted more like an attorney for the Respondent.

The arguments from both sides are largely repetitions of those presented in May in the lower courts, with the exception of the Appellant putting in some fresh arguments. A new input was that the Sultan should not have taken upon himself to interpret the constitution like what he did in his press statement of Feb 5 that considered the posts of Menteri Besar and his exco vacant if they refused to resign. Interpretation of the constitution should be left to the court.

Another point was that as a constitutional monarch, the Ruler was duty bound to take advice only from his Menteri Besar – not any other including then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The bulwark of the Appellant’s case, as submitted in the lower courts, remains that the Sultan is not empowered under the constitution to dismiss a Menteri Besar, and that only the assembly, through a vote of confidence, can dismiss him. The Appellant also hammered home the point that the Court of Appeal’s rejection of Nizar as the rightful MB was flawed in that it had failed to take cognizance of the fundamental findings of High Court judge Aziz Rahim.

And the Respondent continues to maintain its contention that BN had the support of the majority of assemblymen and that the Sultan is entitled to determine which party had the majority support, stressing that nothing in the Perak constitution stipulates that such determination of support must be made in the assembly floor.

AG Gani Patail said the Ruler had taken upon himself to determine who had the majority support. He said: “A press statement issued by the Perak ruler revealed this, where he was satisfied that BN had the majority, and therefore, Nizar’s post – despite his refusal to resign – was deemed vacant”.

Note how Gani avoided using the word “dismiss” on Nizar. In fact, none of Zambry’s lawyers or Appellate Court judges had claimed that the Ruler had the power to dismiss Nizar. They only claimed that Nizar’s post had become vacant.

But without Nizar resigning, how could the post become vacant, and how could the Ruler appoint another Menteri Besar? This is the mother of all questions that the judges must answer before any one can rule that Nizar has lost his post.

EXTREME TREATMENT AGAINST NIZAR UNJUSTIFIED

On reflection of the Respondent’s case, perhaps we should explore a new perspective. Let us ask: what has Nizar done to deserve such extra-ordinary treatment – his support being ascertained by the Ruler personally, ordered to resign immediately, failing which his post was “deemed vacant”? Had Nizar caused our democratic system of government to come to a dead end, which would have been the case if he had lost the majority support and yet

a) He failed to advise the Ruler to dissolve the assembly, and

b) He refused to subject himself to a vote of no confidence?

Did Nizar do any of these? No! In fact, he did the opposite. He repeatedly advised the Ruler to dissolve the assembly due to a stalemate, but was turned down. He wanted an emergency session of the legislature to resolve the stalemate; that was also turned down.

Since Nizar had committed none of the sins against the letter and spirit of our constitution so to speak, what justification was there to subject him and his cabinet to such extreme treatment as described?

That begs these further questions: Why was the Ruler in such a hurry that he couldn’t wait for a short while longer to let the assembly meet to resolve the impasse? And why did he reject his Mentri Besar’s advice to dissolve the assembly when it was apparent that there was a political impasse – a classic case of instability which is always resolved by returning the mandate to the electorate? Granted that the Ruler has the discretionary power to withhold consent to a disolution of legislature, but should a constitutional monarch exercise that power without accountability?

The time has come for our highest court to put things right. This is a rare opportunity for our judiciary to redeem its tattered image and for the judges to shine with their judicial integrity.

The stake involved is so grave that whatever decisions they make, each and every one of the panel should have the courage and dignity to stand up for their views for which they must write their individual judgments, unlike the recent practice of hiding under a single judgment, claiming that to be unanimous.

Clowns at work...

I saw some clowns today
They did not build a big top my way

A few years ago they staged the shows at the
Putra World Trade Centre

Today the stage has moved to Jalan Ampang
Where stands a building rock solid reading Wisma MCA
But inside it houses first class
Second class
and No class clowns

Claiming to be leaders
champion the cause
of the community classified under "Chinese"
No, I'm a different species
You don't represent Desi

I'm a Malaysian
If they would allow me

If not then another
CLOWN

I'll be showing off my writHings
doing single headstand double summersalts
triple winterturns on stilleto slippers

Ah, believe you me
I trained once at the PJ Academie of *Ballet

Defined: as "et" means the "small version of", and the other is the "Round Thing that Bounces", or more crude example, those two hanging below if thou art male!:(:(

*Ballet in my vocab is "small ball" clowning act:(
If you beg to differ, You think I care?
You badder defer to me, I'm a clown
Wearing a crown invisible to you but ME:)

Four days into freemalaysiatoday.com launch, we have an ...

EXCLUSIVE on PI BALA DROPS BOMSHELL3!

Don't be lazy BUMmer, go see it in full at:

freemalaysiatoday.com.

LINK:

http://freemalaysiatoday.com/english/?p=1059




Exclusive
Thu, Nov 12, 2009
National

PI Bala surfaces
to drop Bombshell 3

MISSING private investigator P. Balasubramaniam (picture ) has broken his 15-month silence, claiming that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s younger brother, Nazim, met and threatened him into withdrawing his first statutory declaration.

Bala alleged that carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishan, an aide of the Prime Minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, instructed him to meet Nazim on the day he made public his statutory declaration.

He said the first statutory declaration in which he claimed that Najjib had a relationship with murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibuu, a lover of the Prime Minister’s associate Abdul Razak Baginda, was true.

But he withdrew it and signed a second declaration after he was taken to see Nazim at the Curve in Damansara on July 3 2008 when he was told by the Prime Minister’s architect brother to “follow instructions if he loves his family.”

According to Bala, the specific instruction to him was to withdraw the July 3rd statutory declaration and leave Malaysia immediately.

Hours after that meeting, Bala signed a second statutory declaration which was prepared for him and later issued to the media.

He and his family were then taken by road to Singapore before being flown to Thailand and and Nepal and eventually to India, where he has been hiding since.

Bala gave the startling account of the alleged threats made by Nazim in a tell all interview done overseas which concluded with him saying: “As a family man, I want to have a normal life. I want to put a stop to all this. ”

FreeMalaysiaToday was provided with excerpts of the interview done in the presence of three lawyers including Bala’s.

In the hour long interview, Bala gave an account of money allegedly promised by Deepak, whose orders Nazim told him to follow.

He claimed Deepak offered him a RM4 to RM5 million deal to sign the second statutory declaration retracting his allegation against Najib, and to remain overseas until Najib was installed as Prime Minister.

In the course of their conversations, Bala said Deepak related to him how he came to know Rosmah and even offered to arrange a breakfast meeting with the Prime Minister’s wife.

“(Deepak said) I can come back to Malaysia after Najib become the PM. (Also) he will make arrangements to have breakfast with Rosmah (for her to ) thank me ,” for retracting the first SD, Bala added.

However, no breakfast meeting took place with Rosmah, and Bala said he never received the RM5million sweetener promised to him.

Although Najib’s smooth ascension to power took place as scheduled in April this year, Bala saw little to suggest that he would be allowed to return to Malaysia to lead a normal life with his family.

Bala said Deepak gave him about RM750,000 in total to cover expenses for him and his family during their stay overseas. The money was mostly banked into his account with cheques issued by Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd, of which Deepak is a director.

Another revealation by Bala was his meeting with a Malaysian Police Special Branch team which tracked him to Bangkok in July last year.

Bala said the officer in charge of the Special Branch team, ASP Muniandy, asked him which of the two statutory declarations was true.

“ I told him the first SD was the true SD. Then he just shook my hand and said ‘You are really brave,’” Bala quoted Muniandy as saying.

He said the police team then proceeded to record a statement from him for nearly seven hours on the contents of the first statutory declaration and events leadings to the release of the document.

Given the circumstances of fear and continued harrassment against him and his family, Bala indicated he wanted to start his life afresh overseas with his family rather than returning to Malaysia as long as Najib and his people were in power.

Efforts to contact Nazim and Deepak were unsuccessful.

MP Dzulklefly Ahmad Has Sweet/Sweat Pie

to throw at Minister Nazri's face!

From the MP's blogsite:
http://drdzul.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/it%E2%80%99s-dangerous-to-be-right-when-the-government-is-wrong/

It’s Dangerous to Be Right, When the Government is Wrong!

HUBUNGI:
PUSAT KHIDMAT RAKYAT AHLI PARLIMEN No 10A, Tingkat 2, Jalan Bendahara 1/1 45000 Kuala Selangor, Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: +603 3289 6575
Fax: +603 3289 7300 It’s Dangerous to Be Right, When the Government is Wrong!
Posted on November 11, 2009 by admin
Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, MP Kuala Selangor.

As if the rots that have plagued the judiciary weren’t enough to erode the confidence of the people towards this critical institution, the de facto Law Minister, DS Nazri Aziz, on Monday, stunned the House when he said that there’s no law to criminalize brokering for judicial appointment. Despite all the hue and cry, VK Lingam is after all going to be scot-free as no crimes were established.

This has surely brought utter disrepute to the already tainted judiciary, now badly in need of a ‘total overhaul’ of its image and integrity. While the claim of an absence of a legislation or an act to ‘illegalise’ and ‘criminalise’ may be unfortunately true, his suggestion that ‘Lingham might have just acted to fix the appointment of judges to impress’ was really a very bad joke. I almost wanted to say that he has turned himself into a clown. But I would reserve it for another day.

But this decision has made a huge mockery of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on VK Lingam’s fiasco. I stood in that august house on that day, to make the minister to commit saying that ‘what may be morally wrong could be legally or politically right’ in this country of ours.

He answered in the affirmative without hesitation. He wanted to lecture us on that. He chose to be oblivious of the saying of Abraham Lincoln and many a great mind on the subject of “Philosophy of Law”, “Moral Foundation of Law” and “Theory of Law” 101.

Admittedly also, the acrimonious debate is a long standing one, from time immemorial. Notwithstanding, the case of Lingam is surely so obviously ‘wrong’ as much as it is ‘immoral’. When an action could not, but be interpreted, as brokering or lobbying for an appointment of the highest position of the office of the judiciary, it indeed is an open assault on the integrity of the judiciary.

And that is almost subversion and ‘treason’ to the state. The entire act of those involved in the Lingam’s case is despicable as it inevitably brings one to the next logical conclusion. If judges’ appointment could be fixed than logically verdicts/judgments of judges could as well be similarly fixed, at a ‘certain price’ of course.

Most atrocious in the Lingam’s case is the fact that, while the ‘brokering’ may be immoral but legal, the latter ie writing judgment, while both immoral and illegal, also escaped the long arm of the law. The nation must not take all these assaults lying down. This will be elaborated later.

Nazri had in fact earlier said that further investigations into the Lingam’s case cannot be undertaken by the MACC as the key witness could not be located. The MACC had subsequently classified the case as ‘no further action’ (NFA).

In an effort to counter the various indiscriminate claims of the law minister, the Opposition MPs have brought a key witness sought by the Malaysian Ant-Corruption Commission (MACC) to Parliament yesterday (Tuesday 10). Jayanthi L.G Naidu was Lingam’s former secretary at the time of the royal commission’s probe into Lingam’s alleged involvement in brokering the appointment of judges.

Reading from her written statement, Jayanthi explained that she has been available to assist MACC in their investigations at all times and was very willing to cooperate with the ant-graft body. She was also called in as a witness by the commission to testify about Lingam’s holiday with the former Chief Justice Eusoff Chin to New Zealand.

She had given a full statement in 1998 regarding the trip to the former Anti-Corruption Agency (now MACC). She repeated this at the royal commission’s proceedings. She had told the ACA and the royal commission that Lingam and Chin’s family holiday trip to New Zealand in 1994 was arranged and paid for by Lingam. She stands her ground to date. Kudos Jayanthi! Her safety is now the responsibility of the nation.

However, the commission found that no crime has been committed as both parties had paid for their own respective holidays and that further investigations cannot be undertaken as a key witness could not be located. The rakyat now wishes to know who the person is, as only he or she is capable of putting the case to rest for ever.

But most appalling, the MACC and Nazri had both refused to name the witness that could not be located. If it’s not Jayanthi, they must now name the person as it is critical to safeguard the integrity of the judiciary. Their actions are indeed at best irresponsible and at worst amounting to ‘subverting’ the judiciary. Is that both moral and legal?

Inter alia, Jayanthi also divulged information pertaining judgment delivered by Judge Mokhtar Sidin in the Vincent Tan vs MGG Pillai ’s libel case that was written in the office of Lingam. Besides, on various occasions, she confessed having withdrawn large sums of cash between RM100,000 and RM300,000 under Lingam’s instructions which then were wrapped in gift boxes with the understanding that they were to be hand-delivered by others to individual judges.

“On one occasion I saw one of these money boxes being placed with a box containing a cake to be delivered to a judge,” she testified.

Despite the commission’s recommendation to conduct fresh investigations into the Lingam’s case, authorities decided to close two of the investigation documents and another was marked as ‘no further action’.

The Pakatan MPs and the rakyat the nation over, now unequivocally demand that the MACC and the relevant authorities would re-think their position.. The buck must stop at the premier. Pak lah, as a reminder to all and particularly to Najib, has now left a ‘legacy of lost opportunity’.

Najib had equally pronounced high-sounding rhetoric, ever since he took over the premiership in the same tradition of his predecessors. But slogans without substance undermine trust.

This is an opportune time to placate grouses against himself and vindicate his claims of People’s First. If he insists of doing it wrongly again, let him be reprimanded that, (quoting Voltaire), ”It’s dangerous to be right, when the government is wrong”!.

He shall be duly punished come next 13th GE!

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PS: Does myGOoDfriend DonPlayPuks have another PIE?

"Believe it or not", ala-Malaysia Boleh!

Ripley's would be alarmed -- Rip him in his ribs and he'd yellar "What?"
if you were to read him the lastest from NAZRI, on behalf of MACC's findings:

Courtsey of themalaysianinsider.com, another C&P:)

MACC clears Eusoff and Lingam of wrongdoing in NZ trip

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 – Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz revealed today that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations had found no elements of corruption when Tun Eusoff Chin and lawyer V. K. Lingam went for a holiday to New Zealand together.

The opposition had attempted to use the 2000 holiday trip to back its claim that former chief justice and the senior lawyer had enjoyed a close relationship and link it with the scandalous video recording of the latter fixing the appointment of judges.

Nazri, while giving his ministerial winding-up speech on the 2010 Budget, said though the Royal Commission had shrugged off explanations by Eusoff and Lingam that the trip was “coincidental”, MACC investigations showed that Eusoff had paid for all of his own expenses, contrary to the opposition’s allegations.

“Both the flight tickets and accommodation had been paid by Eusoff, either using cheque, cash or credit card. The flight tickets of his entire family were paid using cheque and cash amounting to RM23,704,” the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department told Parliament.

He also said that Eusoff had arranged for the holiday himself through an agency while Lingam had made separate arrangements but had instructed his aide to use the same agency used by the judge.

“It is important to explain that there is nothing wrong with taking holidays together. Investigations have been launched into this and no laws have been found to be broken and therefore no action will be taken,” Nazri said.

His explanation, however, contradicts testimony by Lingam’s former secretary, L.G. Jayanthi, who claimed she was instructed by her boss to make travel arrangements for him and his family, together with Eusoff’s family, to New Zealand.

Nazri also repeated MACC’s claim that it was unable to proceed with the investigation into the New Zealand trip because it could not locate a key witness.

But opposition leaders claim the government is lying and is trying to cover up the fiasco.

PKR vice-president and Subang MP R Sivarasa says party officials have been in contact with the key witness, and he promised to present the key witness at a public appearance soon.

DESIDERATA: If you are a malaysiakini.com subscriber, go SEARCH there under "Bowman papers":)

My second job in cyber-space is as Pastry-maker

So here's another one, Cut&Pastry to serve Thee -- my most esteemed Readers! -- at thy breakfast table.Or maybe brunchtime -- you lazy BUM -- ooops -- BUMmer!

From the newest kid on the blog, freemalaysiatoday.com with some sweet icing on the fresh kambing, courtesy of my matey heart at work for the past month to bring the babe into this harsh, cruel world called REALITY:



PR Registration Marks Beginning of Two-party System

Sat, Nov 7, 2009

National

Zaid_IbrahimPakatan Rakyat (PR) coordinator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim says he is confident the authorities will approve the coalition’s registration.

“There’s no reason for the government to reject the application, now that all three parties (in the informal coalition) have agreed to merge into a single entity,” he said.

The three are Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Islam sa-Malaysia (PAS).

Zaid is a member of the PKR supreme council and protem chairman of the proposed coalition. He submitted his application for PR registration to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) last Nov. 6.”We’re following the procedures that the ROS has prescribed as well as all legal requirements, and we’re now only awaiting approval,” he said.With the registration, the public can expect to see a written constitution and a common symbol for PR.

“We have agreed on the basic principles and these will be tabled at the PR convention his December, he said.He said the registration would mark the beginning of a two-party system for Malaysia, pointing out that it is a system adopted by all developed and democratic countries.

PAS Central Committee member Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar also expressed confidence that ROS would approve the registration.kamaruddin

He said: “ROS has announced that there are no legal impediments, that only technical matters remain to be sorted out. Although we expect BN (Barisan Nasional) to launch all kinds of attacks, we are confident the registration will be successful.”

He added that the formalisation of the coalition would kill off all accusations about he three parties being at odds with one another. “Gone too are all those other issues raised in order to destabilise PR, such as the question of PAS cooperating with UMNO.”

teng DAP’s Teng Chang Khim, who is the Speaker of the Selangor Legislative Assembly, said the formalisation would result in a strengthened PR.”BN will see the registration as a threat,” he said. “They have been saying that the three parties have no common philosophy or purpose. The emergence of PR as a single entity will show in black and white that we indeed have similar objectives.”

He also said the coalition’s formalisation would not prevent other political parties rom joining it as long as there were no objections from any of the founding parties.The registration of PR is a step in the direction of a two-party system,” he added.

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SECOND HELPING, anywan?


Surf to freemalaysiatoday.com/chinese :)


马华的存在价值？
07-11-09 19:05 PM
0 Comments

刘国伟

作为已经历满60年的华基政党，从1949年成立以来，经历过不下于6次的大小党争，在每一次的党争中虽深明必有所失，但是却依然未能吸取历史教训，引发了一场又一场的党争，没错，这就是我们熟悉的马华。


不管是有史以来最剧烈的梁陈党争或历时最久的双林AB队党争，都说明马华在『内斗』方面有着其他政党望尘莫及的本事。

当人民终日遭受电动火车的拥挤煎熬，当公立医院的设备与素质无法提升，而医务人员态度傲慢时，当国家的旅游美食的专利都可以出现争议时，我们的马华领袖却只不过正在忙着拜票，铲除异己。

详文。。。


***************************************

Self-help helping jest For THE Record -- I still spin the 45rpm His Master's Voice vynl, favourite tune as we look into the mirror every morn,who's that Man in the mirror? which every Malaysian involved or committed to the AGENDA4CHANGE must ask of themselves, OCCASIONALLY. Yes, only on occasions I llok into that mirror to check on the dwindling number of Einstein lookalike hair on the bald plate:)


BLOGORHYTHMS
Sun, Nov 1 redated 8 (cun ah?), 2009
Opinion

A Fifth Estater Shares Some Personal Bytes


By YL Chong aka Desiderata


I am sure my esteemed readers would know what the Fourth Estate refers to in general. Just for the education of ignoramuses, digressing a little for your benefit –- modern commentators seem to interpret the term “fourth estate” as meaning the fourth “power” which checks and counterbalances the three state powers of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.




Hence ,the Fourth Estate encompasses the traditional media like the Press, manifested by their products that is the papers on your breakfast table represented by the The Star, The New Straits Times and theSun, and in the background the television stations like RTM and TV3, and radio networks like 89.9 and LiteFM resounding with their visual and sound bytes. I know many of you refer to newspapers as MSM (mainstream media) with unspoken disdain – I can tell from the special intonation in thy voice in your less guarded moments of exuberance, my *BUMmer friends!


My virginal column today is about a younger Estate called the Fifth, a term coined by the American press to describe a new breed of writers riding the wave of Internet journalism, who don’t need much capital but just time and some basic writing skills to start a weblog, shortened to blog, generously hosted gratis by providers such as Blogger.com and Wordpress.com. A blog is essentially an amateur’s journal comprising entries, which could be newsy, or just lifestyle or personal diary jottings, normally entered into a logbook in the old days, but now enabled by the world wide web to be posted on the Internet almost instantaneously.

My articles here will mostly concern a subset of this species called Bloggers, i.e. those Bloggers specialising on socio-political topics — termed “SoPo” by one buddy who runs his posts at howsy.blogspot.com, and then-London-based budded the idea to organise a gathering of such specimens which resulted in my involvement, and as they say, the rest is history called *BUM2007.

These Bloggers and their commenters often render the www another “wild, wild west” where there is hardly any law in operation, comparable to the law at the end of the barrel of the gun in early United States frontiers inhabited by colourful legends like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the Clanton brothers, and now the cyber frontiers by the loudmouthed conversationists who also shoot from their hips. Yes, we have fearless Malaysians who enjoy letting steam off in their OK Corral, and their motto is that “No holes are barred” – not the Prime Minister and his cronies, definitely not The Beauty and the Beasts, and not the Opposition Leader, and yes, his cronies too! The only restrain with the modern-day pioneers may be a Court Order or a letter from the aggrieved subject’s lawyers for a few million quid and to “cease and desist” from further defamation. Such “Officialese” these modern cyber combatants would collectively greet with four-letter words which I won’t dignify spelling out here because some under-aged girls from Malacca may be my fans, hear. LOL! That’s blogspeak for Laughing out loud!

At present, most people of the senior age group still depend on the daily newspapers or TV channels for coverage of current events, local and international. The new media will see mostly the younger set who will wield growing influence in opinion shaping, and hence local political developments, as the Bloggers and their readers step up in engaging in "interactive" debate. Even the Barisan Nasional component parties have wakened up to this new turf for warring, with the UMNO Youth setting up cyber troopers to join the battle field. This will only augur well for the country, for a more informed citizenry who benefit from critical intellectual discourse across political divides will aid the process of a democratising nation committed to a freer Malaysia.

Citizen journalism will continue to grow as long as the MSM are constrained by restrictive laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Official Secrets Act, and an Information ministry that oversees information and the media more as a propaganda machinery as self-confessed by a former Barisan Nasional Information Minister. A recent Star report titled “ The truth emerges” quoted former Information Minister Mohamed Rahmat in a book that was released on Oct 12 admitting to the fact “… that his job was really as a Propaganda Minister”.
In his political memoirs, Umno: Akhir Sebuah Impian (Umno: The End of a Dream), he explained how his ministry’s campaigns, such as Setia (Loyalty), were actually a response to the Team A versus Team B split in Umno in 1987.

Tok Mat also admitted in his book that he first used Information Ministry staff in 1977 on a “mission” to topple the PAS State Government of Kelantan. He also revealed that in 1995, during the Sabah state elections, he sent 500 ministry staff members to “campaign for Umno” against PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah, which was controlling the state government then).

To a question by the Star interviewer, if he considered what he did an abuse of power, Tok Mat, as the minister is popularly called, replied: “You could say I abused radio and TV, but it was a privilege I had. I could not depend on TV3, (The New) Straits Times, Berita Harian or Utusan Malaysia because they were then controlled by Anwar Ibrahim’s boys. I had no choice but to use RTM.

“I was asked to bring PBS down. I shut the media off, there were no reports. People didn’t know what the Sabah Government was doing, so it looked like they were doing nothing. It was a very dirty tactic,” he now confessed.

This has given rise to the much entrenched “self-censorship” practice by the MSM Editors trying to outdo each other to be His Master’s Voice, as disclosed by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at *BUM 2009.

It is generally acknowledged –- especially by the Opposition and civil society groups, and also belatedly by the federal ruling government’s leaders – that the tsunamic electoral swing towards the Opposition in the last General Election was in substantial part caused by the presence of a thriving Internet media including the Sopo Blogs. Here I will cite three Sopo buddies who have influenced Desi in blogosphere — Jeff Ooi of screenshots.com, who graduated to become a DAP member of Parliament, Ahirudin Attan of rockybru.com, alleged by some quarters to have “sold” out, but that’s for a brighter day), and I will be forced into committing harikiri if I omitted Raja Petra Kamarudin of malaysia-today.net.

Digressing a byte, which is a Blogger’s privilege to abuse, I note that at RPK’s, some regular commenters over-claim their joint “ownership" so much so they use “profanities” in every other sentence, not much different from my villager-mates used to at the basketball court some three decades back, and I thought I had progressed somewhat. One colleague is being kind describing these fifth estaters by association as “rabid”; I quickly add that, at least they are not labelled as “communist”. As a fifth estater, I adopt the policy of “Live and Let Live”, and it will be brotherhood if we end the day chorusing the Beatles’








About two years back, a group of Bloggers associated with the People’s Parliament launched a boycott of the mainstream media. Certain parties, including this writer, managed to “dilute” the action from a total boycott to just not buying the newspapers one day in a week, hence the initiative was renamed “Paperless Tuesdays” or something like that. I am happy to report most Bloggers I interact with are reasonable conversationists, making good sparring partners — they do listen to Other Voices. I believe dissenters on the Harlal MSM move, including myself, and the late Capt Yusof Ahmad (May his soul rest in peace) aka Ancient Mariner, who impressed on the organisers that boycotts of any kind must take into consideration the impact on fellow Malaysians dependent on that trade or product for a living. got a good hearing. A secondary point I raise too personally: frankly, are such boycotts sustainable in the long term?
In fact, most founders, especially the Editors, of current online news portals like malaysiakini.com and The Nut Graph, hailed previously from the MSM where they honed their journalistic skills, and like it or not, the reality is that many MSM newshounds have also carved a name for themselves in blogosphere. I believe having one foot in each of the 4th and 5th Estates brings along certain advantages as well as challenges. Ask the Protem president of the yet-to-be-registered National Alliance of Bloggers, Rockybru, who recently graduated back into Malay Mail as chief honcho careering as Ahirudin Attan and receiving lots of accusations by bloggers who once “walked with Rocky” as having “sold out”, but that rumour is for another day.

BUM refers to Bloggers Universe Malaysia, and a BUMmer is hence a resident of that universe by practice or association. Desiderata is proud to say for the record he and some fellow BUMmers organised the three annual outings — BUM2007, BUM2008 and BUM2009.

The columnist YLCHONG, who boasts three decades of journalism experience covering mainstream, alternative and diplomatic fields, will spin his Blogorhythms as and when the BUMmer heart beats in tandem with his newshound mind cells. He blogs at desiderata2000.blogspot.com where often he spices his posts with DDC, translated as Da Desi Code because he’s nowhere nigh Da Vinci. Those who know him well know he’s easily bought over by a cuppa of tehtarik, and Lingam’s kambing will be appreciated as a bonus.


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4.00PM: Equal 4th helping from My Malaysian buddiess -- Dr Nagappan with teammatey Nantha Kumar and Mageswari --who share in his mother tongue I will slowly learn to desipher!:)

மலேசியா கிண்ண இறுதியாட்டம்: வெற்றி யாருக்கு?
Fri, Nov 6, 2009
செய்திகள், விளையாட்டு

பா.நந்தக்குமார்

நாட்டின் புகழ்பெற்ற கால்பந்து போட்டியாக விளங்கும் மலேசியா கிண்ண இறுதியாட்டத்தில் கிளந்தான் நெகிரி செம்பிலானைச் சந்திக்கவுள்ளது. 39 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பிறகு இறுதியாட்டத்திற்குத் தகுதி பெற்று இருக்கும் கிளந்தான் குழு கிண்ணத்தை வெற்றி பெற்றே தீர்வது என்று முழு மூச்சில் களம் காணவுள்ள வேளையில் கிளந்தானை வீழ்த்தும் சூட்சமம் எங்களுக்குத் தெரியும் என நெகிரி செம்பிலான் மார்தட்டி வருகின்றது.

நாளை இரவு 8.45 மணியளவில் புக்கிட் ஜாலில் தேசிய அரங்கில் இரு குழுக்களும் பலப்பரிட்சையில் இறங்குகின்றன. 2006ஆம் ஆண்டில் பெர்லீஸ் குழுவுடன் இறுதியாட்டத்தில் தோல்வி கண்ட நெகிரி செம்பிலான் மூன்று ஆண்டுகளுக்குப் பிறகு இறுதியாட்டத்திற்குத் தேர்வாகியுள்ளது.

தங்களுக்குக் கிடைத்திருக்கும் இந்த இறுதியாட்ட வாய்ப்பை நன்றாகப் பயன்படுத்திக் கொள்வோம் என நெகிரி செம்பிலான் அணியின் கேப்டன் சாம்ரி யாயா தெரிவித்துள்ளார். நாளை நடைபெறவிருக்கும் இறுதியாட்டத்தில் கிளந்தான் வெற்றி பெறும் எனப் பலரும் கருத்துரைத்துள்ளதை நிராகரிக்கும் அவர் கிளந்தான் குழுவைக் காட்டிலும் நெகிரி செம்பிலான் மாநிலத்தில் இன்னும் திறமையான ஆட்டக்காரர்கள் இருக்கிறார்கள் எனக் கூறினார்.

இதனிடையே கிளந்தான் அணியின் புதிய கேப்டன் இந்திரா புத்ரா பேசுகையில், எப்.ஏ கிண்ண இறுதியாட்டதில் சிலாங்கூரிடம் தோல்வி கண்ட கிளந்தான் மலேசியா கிண்ணத்தை வெல்ல முழு வீச்சில் களம் இறங்கும் எனப் பதிலளித்தார். 39 ஆண்டுகளுக்குப் பிறகு இறுதியாட்டத்திற்கு தேர்வு பெற்றிருக்கும் வாய்ப்பை வீணாக்க மாட்டோம்.

மலேசியா கிண்ண வரலாற்றில் முதல் முறையாக கிண்ணத்தை வென்று கிளந்தான் மக்களுக்கு இன்ப அதிர்ச்சி வழங்குவோம் என அவர் மேலும் தெரிவித்தார். நாளை இரவு 8.45 மணிக்கு புக்கிட் ஜாலில் தேசிய அரங்கில் நடக்கவிருக்கும் இறுதியாட்டம் கால்பந்து ரசிகர்களுக்கு ஒரு விருந்தாக அமையும் என்பதில் ஐயமில்லை.

FREEDOM thoughts continue...

Peep into freemalaysiatoday.com/english at 8.00PM.

LINK2: http://freemalaysiatoday.com/english/?p=584

Is PAS stronger after seminar?
Sat, Nov 7, 2009
National

By Mohsin Abdullah

Question: Did PAS come out strengthened from its “Strengthening the party” seminar?

Answer: Yes if it takes all the things said at the seminar—fierce and hard words included—in good faith and acts upon them. No if it chooses to ignore the criticisms. In fact that can even result in a divided PAS.

To Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, PAS leaders including the ulamas must be willing to accept criticisms and handle them positively. That, he said, is precisely what the leaders have done.

MP Khalid Samad


The seminar itself was testimony to this, Khalid added. And he hailed it as a “key milestone in PAS’ history.” Many felt the seminar was held because of fierce criticism hurled at the PAS leadership by well-known political analyst Abdul Aziz Bari, in particular against party president Haji Abdul Hadi Awang and his “team.” Whether that was the sole reason for the seminar is debatable. But there’s no doubt Abdul Aziz’s onslaught was a big factor.

And it’s no surprise that Professor Dr. Abdul Aziz Bari was the star attraction at the day-long event, praised by some, condemned by others. The university lecturer, acknowledged by many as an expert in constitutional matters, has been accusing Abdul Hadi of being, among other things, “weak” and, together with “his men,” still harbouring hopes of realising the “unity government dream” with UMNO.

Anyway, Abdul Aziz, with fellow lecturer Dr. Abu Hassan Hasbullah and PAS vice president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, were invited to present their working papers at the seminar. In other words, Abdul Aziz was invited to face PAS delegates and he received quite an earful by those who were not happy with his take on the situation.

Abdul Aziz found himself accused of trying to topple Abdul Hadi, of picking up rumours to disrupt PAS and of being an UMNO agent.

But he was allowed to defend himself. And that he did. He told delegates and Abdul Hadi and the president’s men that he brought up the unity government issue because he believed it was still alive among some in .

But Abdul Aziz has his share of defenders too. Khalid, of course, is one of them.

Question: Did Abdul Aziz achieve his objective? Well if he had wanted to make sure that PAS would stay clear of the unity government dream, then he ought to listen to what Abdul Hadi had to say in his opening address.

The party president said PAS would remain in Pakatan Rakyat. But he has said this before. Even said the door to unity talks with UMNO had been tightly shut.

Whether Abdul Aziz or, for that matter, anybody else is satisfied with that is another matter.

**********************************

For Desi and a few cyber soulmates from the Fourth Estate,
Another new journey begins.
This newshound again feels some 10 years younger -- raring like a dark horse
charging at that rainbow on the horizon.

Strawberry fields forever?

Or, the answer my friend,
Is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin'

When under stress, take a Chow ..

OR A HOLIDAY IN HAITI...

A weeklong Hiatus or Haiti is...

Easier said than done.

Easy when you were born with a silver spoon, and lots of Genting shares inherited from your Dad or great auntie.

Easy when you just struck Magnum jackpot or Sports Toto's specials lotto games, but Lady Luck is never the common man's second name. Not his/her third either.

For poor mousey writHers, what choice do you have for a holiday?

So when in doubt, you poor blighters take a tea break; go for second, or third Continental breakfast! Just round the blog..oops, block!

For Desi, I'm leaving for my second break fast.. it's 1.09PM, and it's ayam, kambing, or udang with cooked redhot, curry style. Then wash down with tehtarik, kopi brew, what else...?

Ah, lunch should follow at 3.00PM!

PS: now you caring buddies why I'm postponing my medical -- weeeks ran into months, then into years. I rather live life counting 24 by 24.

Chow!

which can mean

Seeya!

or

Come, let's eat!:)

***********************************************

After my Chow, the re-energised Self in Desi compels him in anoth Cut&Pastrying to serve as dessert. If as a guest, you turn me down, it's Okay, I'll help myself:)


From www.anwaribrahimblog.com :)

01
Nov

Wawancara Majalah Diplomat
By Anwar Ibrahim 16 Comments
Categories: Agenda Baru, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Demokrasi, Ekonomi, Hebahan, Isu Semasa, Malaysia and Pakatan Rakyat

From The Diplomat

The BOLDED sections (thus:) are questions posed by The Diplomat,
and the UNBLODED sections that follow are DSAI's answers.

Let’s start by talking about the current situation in Malaysia. In a recent interview you described it as being almost a failed state, particularly in the context of its neighbours. What makes you say that and what in your opinion has caused that situation?

The issue of governance and in terms of failing to deal with the issue of endemic corruption, the judiciary is still questionable, so their decisions and independence and the absence of control; the media is so pervasive. For example, in the latest campaign there is a resurgence of the communist party. These are signs, you know, that [Malaysia] is becoming so authoritarian and so repressive. Why is there a need now to have a massive campaign in the government-controlled media – which is entirely, fully controlled by them – to suggest that there is a resurgence of communism?

There has also been a great deal of talk in Australia in particular about this being the Asia-Pacific Century. Do you agree with that? How do you see Malaysia benefiting from any possible shift in global economic and political power?

Well, I don’t have an issue against that, in terms of there’s a need to fortify and even strengthen the economic cooperation within the region. I think we should be all-encompassing in the region. So I think that now there has been eagerness, particularly in the light of the latest financial and economic crisis. But we have to move on first by putting our own house in order. Yes the impact is felt by all countries and the countries have to take measures with these stimulus packages, but the way it is being done is questionable. It must be transparent. And [in Malaysia] we have to look at how it’s being done in Malaysia compared to China. China focussed 40 per cent [of its stimulus] on infrastructure in the earthquake-affected areas; another 30 per cent on rural infrastructure…

I am no great friend of China, but still there are issues that I think we have to look [at] and study. Now compare this to Malaysia. Out of the $70 billion so-called package, the funds allocated for infrastructure per-say is only $15bn. But I charge there are embellishments to push the figure upwards: $10bn for the stockmarket; another $15-20bn for bank guarantees in case there are problems. So you are not talking about a proper stimulus package; we do not know where it is spent or how it is going. Even at a time of crisis, I would use this creative destruction because you can use this to improve and build anew, not to fortify and strengthen the auxiliary and corrupt practices.

So is there a real danger in your eyes of Malaysia slipping behind its neighbours, particularly in light of the current global financial crisis?

In terms of the fundamentals, I must admit that Malaysia is on a much stronger footing, partly because of better infrastructure and the financial services. In light of the last crisis of 1997-98, I think some of the measures have been adopted to strengthen the position of the financial institutions, including the banking sector. That I concede, and I think is something positive that will help us. Similarly there are a lot of reserves, which are quite strong, although, I think, slipping really fast.

Our concern is more with the issue of governance. If you fail to improve the institution of governance, including the casting of an economic policy and preparedness to move so that Malaysia becomes more competitive, then we will certainly lose out. In some sectors we have lost out even to Indonesia and Thailand, to China, of course, and even Vietnam now. So I think that we have to depart from the obsolete economic policies. Now I think some positives measures have been implemented – in the services sector, for example. But liberalising and bringing in foreign investors [counts for nothing when you] fail to deal with the more substantive issues, like the need for affirmative action. Then these policies can never be fully endorsed by the general public.

I am for the market economy and for liberalisation, but we cannot ignore the grinding poverty and we cannot ignore the importance for affirmative action based on need, not on race. And more important still, the need to strengthen the system of government; the judiciary must be independent. The media must be free. How do you then evaluate and assess the success of policies if the statistics are all questionable. The government says ‘Our growth is two per cent, inflation is 2.5 per cent.’ [But those figures are] generally not well accepted. The people still have doubts and questions and are cynical, and this is dangerous in a modern government.

So is a fundamental overhaul needed in Malaysia? Not just a change of political party being in power, but in terms of overhauling the judiciary, overhauling the bureaucracy in order to eliminate an endemic culture of nepotism and corruption and cronyism?

Yes. But what has this result been instead? Racism – the problem of the Chinese and the Hindus. And then there is this new threat, including communism. Some rural sectors remember what it was like to suffer under militant communist activities in the ’50s and ’60s.

Last year you set a number of deadlines for the transfer of power. That was when Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was there. Now that there is a new, or relatively new, prime minister in Najib Razak, are you still confident that transfer will happen in the next year or two?

We have to hope it will happen. We have won every single by-election [since the general election], despite the fact that we have to struggle without any exposure in the media. In the mainstream media in this country – TV, newspapers – you cannot see any photograph of myself or my wife or my daughter at all. To win under those trying circumstances, with questionable conduct of the election commission and the judiciary is extraordinary. So I’m still optimistic that given the chance, we would prove ourselves.

Quite clearly your opponents aren’t going to give in without a fight. You’re currently facing renewed allegations – similar allegations to the ones that were eventually dismissed after you spent six years in solitary confinement. It must take an enormous personal, physical and emotional stress on you and your family.

Yes, this isn’t an easy thing, particularly when it becomes so vicious and scurrilous a personal attack and dealing with exactly the same players. It is tough, but I am confident enough that it will be a very good fight inside and outside the court. But I’m not too optimistic about the issue of the conduct and independence of the court based on the previous decision and the influence the executive has on the courts.

What is of course is disconcerting to us and other opposition leaders is that the personal attacks on me and others have increased, using all agencies. The media has always been controlled, but the manner is different. We thought things might change with the new prime minister and his pronouncements of change and the separation of powers, but the media has become a sort of propaganda tool for the ruling party.

You’ve clearly got the ruling party and the prime minister rattled at the minute, because as you say, you’re winning by-election after by-election and clearly the general sense in the country is of the desire for change from all the people; from the native Malays, and also the Chinese, Indian elements of the population as well. Which must give you confidence and a degree of strength as you’re going through this?

Yes, it does. But it’s also becoming a joke – all this time and resources being spent to deflect from the central issue of poor governance. It’s strengthening our opposition forces.

If your worst-case scenario eventuates and you’re found guilty and sent to prison, what will that mean for those opposition forces? Will they be able to survive, to progress, without your unifying presence?

I have been told by very reliable sources that close to the ruling clique that one way out for that clique is to send me back to prison. I don’t know whether that involves Najib himself; I just hope that sanity prevails. But the fact that they proceed with charges so frivolous is shocking to say the least. But, of course, they’ve done it before. This is clearly a politically machination by a desperate group, so I have to be very prepared to fight.

But assuming the worst does happen – and I don’t believe it will happen because now I am even better prepared [with medical reports from government doctors] – we have made preparations to ensure the opposition coalition survives.