My Anthem

Saturday, July 30, 2011

On Hiatus...

Desi goes on 'long' hiatus post BUM2011.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Desi has issued a PRESS INVITE!:)

Dear esteemed Editor, Correspondent, Reporter and Photographer:


Greetings to you and colleagues at the news organisation.


This is an invitation to cover the Bloggers Universe Malaysia Event from the Organisers of BUM2011 Luncheon Forum on July 24 featuring the Selangor Menteri Besar in a keynote address plus a Four-member Panel Dicussion that follows the Buffet lunch from 12.15pm -- 1.15pm.

From our dedicated website bum4msia.wordpresss.com are some details:

BUM2011 LUNCHEON FORUM UPDATE
Theme: Nation Building Across The Political Divide

Date: Sunday, 24 July 2011
Time: 10.30am to 2.30pm

Venue: Maju Palace Restaurant, Maju Junction, Kuala Lumpur

ADMISSION: Open to the Public, Fee Payable at RM50 per pax with Table booking at RM500 per table for 10 most welcome

Programme Outline:
10.00AM: Registration of Guests starts
10.45AM: Welcoming Speech
by BUM 2011 Organising Committee Chairman, YL Chong, Desi
11.00AM: Keynote Address by YB Menteri Besar of Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on a ***TOPIC related to the Theme wrt Selangor Experience
Q and A to follow: 20 minutes

**************BUFFET LUNCH TO BE SERVED 12.15PM to 1.15PM***********************

Forum: 1.15PM to 2.30PM on Topic “Transformation&Reform: Sloganeering, Lip Service and Performance” featuring:
Panel of 4 to 5 Speakers to speak 10-12minutes each.

1. MP of Batu YB Tian Chua, “You haven’t heard of him? Thou art weird!”
2. Sdri Maria Chin Abdullah, CEO, Enpower, Bersih 2.0 leader
3. Dr SM Yeoh, Maverick, Blogger-lawyer-management guru who gives free advice with a wit’ a dosage of Malaysian profanities
4. Sdr AB Sulaiman, malaysiakini.com columnist



Q and A to follow …

Kuala Lumpur
11 July, 2011


***NOTE: Topic to be finalised by Selangor MB’s Office

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


If you need more information, don't hesitate to call any of the following:


YL Chong, aka Desiderata
Chairman, BUM2011 Organising Committee
012-9702285

Dr SM Yeoh,aka Maverick
Co-chair,
012-2312626

ES Shankar, aka DonPlayPuks,
Moderator
012-3202242

Monday, July 18, 2011

superb bum4msia.wordpress.com webadmin picks this UP!

From the Press: Nanyang Siang Pau on BUM 2011 luncheon

宇宙部落格午餐论坛24日揭幕
2011/07/16 7:09:51 PM
●南洋商报

(吉隆坡16日讯)2011年第5届马来西亚宇宙部落格午餐论坛将于本月24日早上10点半举办在吉隆坡万宝城,由雪兰莪州务大臣丹斯里卡立依布拉欣主讲 “国家建设跨越政治鸿沟”并为论坛揭开序幕。

2011年第5届大马宇宙部落格午餐论坛筹委会主席钟仁隆说,“国家建设跨越政治鸿沟”是该论坛的主题,灵感来自我国政治境况。

“部落客将不时根据国家现况设定主题,发言于各自的部落格上。因此,有关的部落客们可出席该论坛进行交流,演讲人将以英语或华语主讲。”

他于2011年第5届大马宇宙部落格午餐论坛记者会上,这么说。他补充,筹委会尝试邀约净选盟主席安美嘉作演讲人。

“我们希望能邀请不同政治背景的主讲人,包括来自巫统、国阵、马华、印度人国大党等,但此论坛绝无政治成分。”

欲知详情可浏览网站bum4msia.wordpress.com,可上网购票,截止日期至本月21日。

s'x day countdown to bum2011 lunceheon forum starts nOW!

dear readers if you have to ask what bum2011 is about, please take leave of here for you have been on mars too long!

ok, come back hear, for all the nformation, surf to bum4msia.wordpress.com or just click on the artwork above reading BUM2011)

desi's writes are all in lower case cos someone tampered with my keyboard and rendered the caps useless mostly. chow, no innovative writhings untul july 25!)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

from clarityofnight.blogspot.com an sexciting conets has started!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

"Elemental" Short Fiction Contest



Welcome to Summer 2011!

It's hot, it's fun, and it's going by too quickly. So let's pump it up even more with a good contest, shall we? (Cue the guitar riff.)

The Challenge

Here's how the contest works. Using the photograph for inspiration, compose a short fiction (or poetry) piece of no more than 250 words in any genre or style. Send your entry to me by email at jevanswriter at yahoo dot com. At the very latest, the contest will close at 10:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 20th (Eastern Time, United States). HOWEVER, since I once again will be posting all entries for everyone to enjoy, I'm going to set a limit on entries. Read on.

I'd prefer attachments formatted in Microsoft Word (please see the format request below), but if you have something more exotic, you can paste the text into the body of an email.

The Final Countdown

Yes, The Final Countdown was a very cheesy song from the 80's, but it is also the new way that I am going to ensure that the contest doesn't get too big for everyone to enjoy (and if you participated in the contest I ran in winter 2010, you know what too big looks like!!). Here's how it will work. Once I receive 95 entries, I will declare FINAL COUNTDOWN. At that point, I will post a countdown clock here at Clarity with 12 hours on it. Once FINAL COUNTDOWN is in effect, you must submit your entry before the 12 hours expire. Everyone who submits in time will make it in. Everyone who doesn't, well...sorry about that.

Prizes

Now for the goodies. Here are the prizes you a competing for:

  • 1st Place: $50 Amazon gift certificate
  • 2nd Place: $35 Amazon gift certificate
  • 3rd Place: $30 Amazon gift certificate
  • 4th Place: $25 Amazon gift certificate
  • 5th Place: $20 Amazon gift certificate
  • Readers' Choice Award: $40 Amazon Gift certificate

But this is about more than prizes. I hope you take advantage of the opportunity to meet and interact with your fellow writers. Our different perspectives, styles, and skills shine when we all start at the same place. It's a great opportunity to learn from each other.

Rules:
  1. 250 words maximum.
  2. Titles are optional, but encouraged. Titles do not count toward your word count.
  3. One entry per person.
  4. Any genre or style is welcome. If you choose to submit poetry, you must have narrative movement within the poem if you wish to compete with the prose pieces for the prizes.
  5. You grant me non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide electronic rights to your entry. All other rights remain with you.
  6. Scoring will be conducted by me, Jason Evans. For an explanation of the judging criteria and scoring system, click HERE. For specific guidance on winning, click HERE. You can also read the winning entries from past contests.
  7. Please provide a name for your byline. If you have a website or a blog, let me know the address, and I'd be happy to link your site to your byline. If you don't have a website or blog, feel free to include a short bio. A bio does not count towards your word count.
  8. At the close of the contest, I will give the date and time for the announcement of winners.
  9. The Readers' Choice Award is awarded by vote of the contest participants. The entry with the highest number of votes wins. The rules for this portion of the contest will be posted after the entry period closes.
  10. Public critiques in comments are encouraged, but must remain respectful. I reserve the right to delete comments and ban participants who do not abide by the collegial spirit of Clarity of Night contests.
  11. For prior contests and their results, see the links on the sidebar.
Request to my esteemedreaders see updates on clarityofnight.blogspot.com!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

MP William Leong Has Important Piece on Bersih2.0 Rally


BERSIH 2.0 EXPOSED NAJIB’S ERODING LEGITIMACY TO GOVERN

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in using brute force and spin doctors in the BN-controlled media to stop the Bersih 2.0 rally lost the game even before it started. Ambiga Sreenevasan, chairman of the coalition of NGOs, told the press conference in the early afternoon of 9th July that Bersih 2.0 had achieved its objectives even before the first step in the march for electoral reforms was taken. Najib’s attempt to derail the rally exposed the eroding legitimacy of his administration to govern. Just like all the King’s horses and all the King’s men could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again, all of Najib’s police and spin doctors cannot repair the damage he has done to his own administration.

The real meaning of the nursery rhyme is illustrative of what happened to Malaysian society on 9th July 2011:-

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,

All the King’s horses and all the King’s men,

Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Joyce and Barry Vissell in their website, Support4Change.com, gave a very interesting explanation on the real meaning of Humpty Dumpty which I would like to share with some adaptation on what I see is the real meaning of Bersih 2.0.

Humpty Dumpty was an egg. It is a symbol of fertility, creation and also fragility. The egg holds the potential for the complete life process. The egg is also a symbol of the earth, which is not round but is egg shaped. Humpty Dumpty represents our earth, the Malaysian society. Malaysian society is in an infant stage of development. Like the egg, it has the potential to mature into a developed nation.

Humpty Dumpty was sitting on a wall. A wall always has a deeper meaning. A wall separates two areas. A wall separates the two political ideologies of BN and PR. BN advocates the rigid divisiveness of racial politics, continuation of the NEP and Ketuanan Melayu. PR advocates the liberal integration of multi-racial politics, structural reforms under the New Economic Agenda and the policies of change contained in the Orange Book. Sitting on a wall is like sitting on a fence. The fence sitters are those who are indecisive or who have not decided to take sides. Humpty Dumpty represents the Malaysian “silent majority”. This is the majority of the Malaysian society who until now has not decided which side of the political wall they want to be.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. A fall represents a fall from grace, the descent into darkness, into an abyss of immorality. The actions taken by the Najib administration were wrongful. They have caused distress to Malaysian society. They violated the agreement upon which each of us as citizens have made with our government. Political legitimacy is the belief by the governed in the ruler’s right to issue commands and the people’s corresponding obligation to obey such commands. The citizens agreed to give power to the government and to obey its commands in exchange for the government providing us security, welfare and opportunity to earn a living. The moral authority to use this power is lost when the power is used not for collective good of the people but for personal gain or advantage. To use the government’s powers and authority to stay on in power against the people’s will is an abuse of the power. An example of the illegitimate use of power is the situation where the police carry out a search. The police have the legal power to carry out a search. It is a legitimate use of the power if the search is to investigate a crime. It is an illegitimate use of the power if the search is not to investigate a crime but for some ulterior motive. The moral authority to use the power is lost when its use is illegitimate. Najib lost the moral authority to govern by the actions he had taken to stop the Bersih 2.0 rally:-

a) Najib’s decision to stop the people from gathering is wrong. It was done in keeping with his call for BN to hold on to Putrajaya at all costs. Such a call offends the basic principles of democracy. Only autocrats hold on to power at all costs. Strong democratic leaders know when it is time to change. Autocrats think that to give up power is akin to surrender or death. Abraham Lincoln said “… Nearly all men can withstand adversity, if you want to test a man’s character, give him power”. Autocrats do not lack power but their use of it demonstrates a failure of character. Strong leaders show character in the ultimate test by handing over power according to the will of the people. The call to hold on to Putrajaya at all costs exposes a failure of character ;

b) Najib’s decision to reject Bersih’s call for electoral reforms is wrong. All right thinking persons are aghast that a “democratic professing government” refused to accept Bersih 2.0 demands for electoral reforms. A system of government can only draw legitimacy from the free choice of people expressed through the ballot box. Regimes such as those in the Middle East and Africa lack legitimacy because they do not represent the people. The Arab Spring has shown that such illegitimate regimes are quickly swept away upon the awakening of the people to stand for their rights. Legitimacy is a regime’s most precious asset. Only through legitimacy can its decisions have compelling moral authority for the people to obey. Regimes that cling on to power through false elections or unconstitutional means lack legitimacy. Such regimes can only impose their will on the people through naked and brutal force and oppression. Such regimes do not enjoy the mandate of the people ;

c) Najib’s decision to declare Bersih 2.0 illegal, the organizers an illegal organization and the wearing of yellow T-shirts an offence is wrong. The arbitrary arrest of elected representatives such as Dr Lee Boon Chye, MP for Gopeng, Chan Ming Kai state assemblyman for Simpang Pulai and hundreds of others for wearing yellow T-shirts and distributing Bersih flyers cannot be condoned. The raid by 20 policemen including one armed with an assault rifle on Bersih secretariat and arrest of seven volunteers from the women’s rights group, Empower and seizing of 314 yellow, 90 orange and 136 cream Bersih T-shirts was announced as if it was the seizure of a large consignment of contraband or dangerous drugs. Such actions are not only wrong but are evil when the liberty of Dr Jeyakumar and the 6 others were taken away by detention under the Emergency Ordinance or the Internal Security Act. No one can accept that having T-shirts of any particular colour or with imprints of whosoever person amounts to waging war or the revival of communism. The unlawful detentions carried out in the attempt to stop the rally are reviled by Malaysians. Since the time of Thomas Aquinas and John Locke, all right thinking person accepts that power and authority are given by the people to the government for the purpose of protecting the citizens. The use of power and authority for the personal agenda to stay in government is an abuse of power. The abuse of power in the run up to the rally offended right thinking Malaysians ;

d) The brutal use of force by the police during the rally was wrong. The police shot tear gas canisters directly at the heads of the Pakatan and Bersih leaders. The injuries to Khalid Samad’s head, to Anwar Ibrahim and to his body guard who was hit are clear evidence of the wrong done. The police used a Land Rover to ram into the motorcycle Mat Sabu was riding pillion. Khalid Samad needed 6 stitches to his head. Anwar a neck brace. His body guard surgery to repair the broken cheek bone. Mat Sabu surgery to his knee. This is an example of wanton brutality. The firing of tear gas into Tung Shin Hospital and the maternity wing is a further act of unwarranted and irresponsible use of force. The death of Baharuddin Ahmad is a tragic example of the needless costs incurred for not allowing the people to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of assembly.

All these actions and abuses of power by the Najib administration pushed the silent majority to defy the ban on Bersih 2.0. In the nursery rhyme, we do not know whether the King pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall but in our case, Najib pushed the Malaysian society off the wall. The Malaysian society has been pushed to fall on the side of what will be described in the future as the right side of history.

All the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

The King’s horses represent the brute strength of the police. No amount of police intimidation could frighten the people. No amount of tear gas, water cannons, police beatings and arrest could deter the people. Pictures and videos taken show the brutality and unwarranted use of force on the peaceful and orderly participants. The beatings carried out by the police on the peaceful demonstrators brought back reminders of the same scene at the salt mines of India. Mahatma Gandhi’s followers were physically beaten by the brute force of the British. In the end the might of the British Empire was beaten by the force of peaceful resistance known as “Ahimsa” – non-violent resistance. The people’s right will prevail over BN’s might.

The King’s men represent human cleverness in the use of disingenuous arguments. It represents the use of the King’s men to spin and stretched the truth by propaganda, misinformation and disinformation. The BN controlled media went into overdrive before and after the rally. Unfortunately for them the truth always prevails and lies are soon exposed. The IGP reported that only 5,000 attended. Pictures of the rally published in the next day’s papers showed the multitudes at the scene. No one believes it was fewer than 50,000. The denial that Tung Shin hospital had been attacked by the police was again contradicted by pictures, videos and testimonies of those who were present at the time. Everyone knows that the traffic jams were caused by the police road blocks. There was no necessity to close the shops. No property was vandalized, destroyed or looted. The attempt to demonize the rally and the participants is proven wrong by the peaceful and orderly behavior of the demonstrators walking hand in hand. The participation of persons like Annie Ooi Siew Lan, a 65 year old retired English teacher who took a bus from Setapak waving a flower throughout the march, dubbed as “Auntie Bersih”, the old, the young and the disabled who came in wheelchairs and on crutches, showed the warnings that the rally was a gathering of troublemakers and vandals were nothing more than lies. These denials, misstatements and lies only serve to undermine the police and the administration’s credibility.

Bersih 2.0 has shown that the Police, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Najib administration have violated the accepted, proper and valid use of power. The powers were not used for the promotion of the collective interest and welfare of the community but for the ruling elite. The moral legitimacy of these institutions has been eroded. Many Malaysians are disturbed about the unjust use of powers exercised by these institutions. Their moral compass tells them something is seriously amiss. The worst thing that can happen to a regime is to lose its legitimacy and with it the respect of the whole world. We do not need to be rocket scientists to know that something is terribly wrong with the Malaysian administration. We know it is wrong because it is as simple as ABC or the nursery rhyme we learned when young. We may not have known the true meaning of Humpty Dumpty when we learn the nursery rhyme but we are taught to know right from wrong. The thousands who attended the rally is testament to this.

Anwar Ibrahim at a dialogue session with young professionals the day after the rally referred to Ambiga’s quote of Mahatma Gandhi; “The right will always prevail over might”. Anwar added a qualification to this. It also requires the courage of conviction. We salute the 50,000 who braved the administration’s actions to stop the rally. The question is what about the millions of other Malaysians that did not. Edmund Burke said “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. If evil is to be stopped then the good men and women in Malaysia will have to do something.

William Leong Jee Keen

Member of Parliament Selayang

13th July 2011.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

from ousel.blogspot.com comes another global perspective on Bersih rally...

This Blog
Linked From Here







Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Malaysia: Government risks undermining democratic progress, say UN experts

“The right to freedom of opinion and expression, including in the form of peaceful protests, is essential for democracy. By declaring the demonstration illegal, sealing off parts of the capital in advance and responding in such a heavy-handed manner against peaceful demonstrators, the Government of Malaysia risks undermining democratic progress in the country,” said Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

GENEVA – UN human rights experts* on Monday expressed their dismay at the use of tear gas and water cannons by security authorities against peaceful protestors in Malaysia on Saturday, reportedly leading to injuries and one death, and the arrest of more than 1,600 people at the Bersih 2.0 rally.

“The right to freedom of opinion and expression, including in the form of peaceful protests, is essential for democracy. By declaring the demonstration illegal, sealing off parts of the capital in advance and responding in such a heavy-handed manner against peaceful demonstrators, the Government of Malaysia risks undermining democratic progress in the country,” said Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Tens of thousands of people gathered near the Medeka Stadium on Saturday despite the announcement made by the police that no gathering would be permitted that day on the basis of the Malaysia Police Act, which requires organizers of public gatherings of three or more persons to seek permits beforehand. The protests were called by Bersih, a coalition of more than 60 non-governmental organizations seeking to promote free and fair elections in Malaysia.

“Actions taken by the authorities prior to and during the rally unduly restricted the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association,” said La Rue. “Declaring Bersih illegal based on claims that it is trying to topple the Government or is a risk to national security and public order - in the absence of any credible evidence to substantiate such claims – is also an unnecessary restriction of civil and political rights.”

According to Malaysian police, all of those arrested on Saturday have been released. But the UN experts noted that six leaders from the Socialist Party of Malaysia reportedly remain in detention. These individuals include Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, Sukumaran Munisamy, Letchumanan Aseer Patham, Choo Chon Kai, Sarasvathy Muthu, and Satat Babu Raman.

“We remain deeply concerned about the detention of six individuals since 25 June under the Emergency Ordinance, which allows for detention without trial for up to 60 days,” said El Hadji Malick Sow, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention also reiterated its recommendation, made to the Government of Malaysia following a visit to the country in June 2010, to repeal the Emergency Ordinance and other preventive laws, on the grounds that they significantly hinder fundamental human rights, such as the right to fair trial.**

The independent experts reminded the Government of Malaysia of its obligation to fully respect the rights to peaceful assembly, association, and expression, as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They also recalled that as a member of the Human Rights Council, Malaysia has pledged to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.

“Malaysia, as a dynamic, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and pluralistic nation, should remain open to legitimate political discourse on democracy, including the expression of dissent,” the experts said. “We urge the Government to allow all individuals to enjoy their human rights, and to address the problem of preventive detention. Likewise, we call upon the Government to ensure that there will not be any punitive measures taken against peaceful demonstrators.”

* Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Mr. Frank La Rue; and Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Mr. El Hadji Malick Sow.


PS: Dear readers, FOR NEXT TWO WEEKS it will be mainly Cut&Pastrying from "friendly" blogs I have struck up arrangement to reproduce their writes. Desi to "too bee-sy"on a work of passion" if you haven't heard!:) It's to do wit' BUM or pronounced by Zunar as BooM!:)

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

And the next C&T from MalaysiansMustKnowTheTruth!:)

Bar Council: Tung Shin Hospital was hit

Even with Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai vehemently denying that police fired tear gas and water cannons into Tung Shin Hospital during last Saturday's rally, the Bar Council monitoring team is backing the many witness accounts that this happened.

Presenting the observation report compiled from some 100 observers deployed during the rally, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said police had used indiscriminate and excessive tear gas and water cannons against peaceful protesters.

NONEWater from the cannons fired by the police, Lim told a press conference at Bar Council office in Kuala Lumpur today, went into the compound of Tung Shin Hospital, and according to eyewitness accounts, tear gas canisters also landed in the compound.

He also screened a footage taken by one of the observers, showing the hospital being hit by water cannons during the rally.

The Bar Council went on to urge Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to drop his "siege mentality" against the allegations of police brutality during the Bersih 2.0 rally.

Lim also called on the minister to conduct an independent internal investigation into the allegations and to find ways to improve the conduct of the police, instead of warning the media.

Yesterday, Hishammuddin had warned that action would be taken against those whose reports on police brutality and misconduct during the rally were found to be untrue, and that this included the media.

[More to follow]

Monday, July 11, 2011

Post-Bersih rally, it's instructive to read a foreign news agency's analysis...

Desi acknowledges with deep and humble gratitude to REUTERS! Sorry I can't pay any royalty-eh! Tehtarik if writer cometh down to Furong K! -- YL, Desi

Monday, July 11, 2011

What next for Malaysian PM after anti-govt rally?

What next for Malaysian PM after anti-govt rally?

Bersih 2.0 Reports More Photos

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will likely hold off on calling a snap election any time soon and rethink tough economic reforms to consolidate support after a rare anti-government protest highlighted the opposition's growing strength.
More than 10,000 people took to the streets on Saturday to demand more transparency in the voting process, which they say is riddled with irregularities that favour the ruling coalition, and to urge the election commission to be impartial.
The rally was Malaysia's biggest anti-government protest since 2007, and took place despite a heavy police presence and the use of tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators. More than 1,400 people were detained.
Analysts say the unusual public display of discontent could embolden the opposition and erode the political gains Najib has achieved since taking office in 2009. It may also delay economic reforms seen as essential to draw investment.
The following are possible ramifications on the timing of the general election as well as the fate of Najib's promised political and economic reforms:
ELECTIONS - SOONER, OR LATER?
Since taking office in 2009, Najib has seen his approval rating rise from 45 percent to 69 percent in February this year with promises of political and economic reforms.
This, coupled with the Malaysian economy's strong growth, has led to speculation that Najib could call for snap polls late this year although elections are not due until mid-2013.
Holding polls later rather than sooner will give Najib more room to rebuild support following the rally and to deliver results from a series of economic programmes designed to boost growth. But analysts say Najib also risks seeing the opposition gain further traction if he holds out for too long.
Despite fallout from the rally, national polls are not expected to be held before Najib tables a "pre-election" budget on October 7 with populist measures aimed at placating voters with polls likely to be called next year.
HOW WILL NAJIB COME OUT OF THIS?
The best case scenario for the ruling National Front coalition in the coming elections would see it regaining its two-thirds parliamentary majority and control of at least two of the five states that it lost to the opposition in 2008.
A strong mandate would give Najib fresh impetus to pursue promised economic reforms. To achieve that, however, Najib will need to effectively deal with the fallout from Saturday's rally.
He could opt for a conciliatory approach but has so far chosen to take a tough stand, telling party members and supporters on Saturday that the National Front was not afraid of confronting the opposition in the next polls.
Adopting a hard line strategy against the opposition would bolster Najib's own standing as a strong leader within the coalition but risks polarising the electorate even further.
SOME OPPOSITION GAINS
The opposition People's Alliance scored a major upset in the last polls but has struggled to build on this momentum.
The opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been embroiled in a lengthy court battle involving a sodomy charge, which he says is a political plot to prevent his alliance from wresting power.
The three-party opposition alliance -- which comprises a motley crew of Islamists, secularists and urban reformists -- has also struggled to find common ground on several issues, including the implementation of Islamic law in Malaysia.
The rally on Saturday was mainly comprised of opposition members and failed to draw a large crowd of ordinary Malaysians, unlike the 1998 protests that followed Anwar's sacking as deputy prime minister, which gave birth to Malaysia's reform movement.
But analysts say the fact that more than 10,000 protesters defied weeks of warnings by police and managed to slip through a police lockdown of capital indicated a significant groundswell of unhappiness against the ruling coalition.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO PROMISED ECONOMIC REFORMS?
Najib will likely delay politically painful but economically crucial reforms such as implementing a goods and services tax and further cutting back fuel subsidies to avoid more voter backlash.
The government is expected to be wary of stoking public anger over rising prices to avoid becoming more unpopular after its dismal performance in the 2008 general elections.
In May, the ruling coalition raised electricity prices by an average of 7.1 percent but it has yet to move on the more politically sensitive issue of fuel subsidies which economists say would trigger increases in the price of food and transportation.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

melvin-mah.blogspot.com's GOoD coverage of BERSIH2.0 historic event...

A LITTLE TAFLER'S ROOM host MELVIN MAH is a real BUMmer -- he had NOT missed a single one of the five BLOGGERS UNIVERSE MALAYSIA ANNUAL OUTINGS. I hope he won't miss the second part of BUM2011's Forum series aaaaaaon July 24 at Maju Palace Restron, KL! REF: bum4msia.wordpress.com, CHEERS, CHOW! which can mean either

Seeya later:)

OR

Come, let's eat:):)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Bersih 2.0 Rally Pics

As I have promised at the start of the live coverage in the previous post, I will providing high-resolution pics that I have captured throughout the event, in places that I have covered. If the locations are not included in the areas of coverage, you can look at other picture galleries (Note: Malaysia Today has some other locations).

I must admit that two worst events occurred yesterday was how the cops beat protesters with a rotan until one got KOed at Puduraya. The second one was firing tear gas cannisters at the Tung Shin hospital, and cops violating private premises by going in and arresting those who can't come out.

I overheard a cop telling a Malay detainee: "Kau orang Melayu kah? Orang Melayu bukan macam begini." which gives me a picture that the cop got brainwashed with BTN shit, and the holier than thou picture.

As the saying goes, a pic tells a thousand words, so I am pretty exhausted now that it's time for me to hit the sack now. Thanks for those helping to comment on the coverage as well the well wishes. If I am to comment on key pics, I would go back and comment it later.

Note: One of the hot spots was Tung Shin hospital and Kota Raya, which I covered as well.







More pics can be viewed here.
I left a little love note at his dedicated coverage of yesterday's KL happening, and am reprising

Saturday, July 09, 2011

BUM2011 Rocks In with a Luncheon Forum on July 24!

YES< keep a date with a group of intrepid Socio-Political Bloggers -- who call themselves BUMmers, but some pronounce it as BOOMmers because of its obvious hi-desibelles! -- who have been cooking up a new recipe to welcome all-comers with RM50 to spare to a beautiful Sunday lunch downtown Kuala Lumpur. On Sunday 24 July 2011 at MAJU PALACE RESTAURANT, MAJU JUNCTION,- -- yes, Malaysians like to talk while they eat or they never stop eating throughout the day. I guess tha's why 7ELEVENs are sprouting up around every street corner -- gifting real meaning to the term "convenience store".


So here's extracting details from the dedicated website to promo the luncheon forum -- bum4msia.wordpress.com-- come for a sit-back-and-rest-and-relax chowdown with almost-2B-disqualified-as-MP (I understand they hold his staus as a BUMmer in hi-stead, so he survives to march down Batu Road!) YB Tian Chua -- you haven't heard of him? "Art thou from planet Mars?", KimQuek -- whose real name is actually Yong Thye Chong-- but few people know his real professional background, accountant or engineer? -- author of banned book "March to Putrajaya" all the way from Johor Bharu!

But before lunch starts punctually at 12.15PM, let's gift a hearing to the CEO of the most advanced state in Malaysia, Selangor, YAB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim who will share some insights as Menteri Besar on a topic related to the forum's theme: ) Just add a rumour the BUM2011 Org Comm chair YL Chong, aka Desiderata, will be making the off-repeated SWANsong APpearance!:(

Okay, details from bum4msia.wordpress.com:



BUM2011 LUNCHEON FORUM UPDATE

Theme: Nation Building Across The Political Divide

Date: Sunday, 24 July 2011

Time: 10.30am to 2.30pm

Venue: Maju Palace Restaurant, Maju Junction, Kuala Lumpur

ADMISSION: Open to the Public, Fee Payable at RM50 per pax with Table booking at RM500 per table for 10 most welcome

Programme Outline:

10.00AM: Registration of Guests starts

10.45AM: Welcoming Speech

by BUM 2011 Organising Committee Chairman, YL Chong, Desi

11.00AM: Keynote Address by YB Menteri Besar of Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on a ***TOPIC related to the Theme wrt Selangor Experience

Q and A to follow: 20 minutes

**************BUFFET LUNCH TO BE SERVED 12.15PM to 1.15PM***********************

Forum: 1.15PM to 2.30PM on Topic “Transformation&Reform: Sloganeering, Lip Service and Performance” featuring:

Panel of 4 to 5 Speakers to speak 10-12minutes each.

1. MP of Batu YB Tian Chua, “You haven’t heard of him? Thou art weird!”

2. Sdr Kim Quek aka Yong Thye Chong, malaysiakini.com columist

Author of “March to Putrajaya” all the way from JB!

3. Dr SM Yeoh, Maverick, Blogger-lawyer-management guru who gives free advice with a wit’ a dosage of Malaysian profanities

4. Sdr AB Sulaiman, malaysiakini.com columnist

Q and A to follow …

Kuala Lumpur

7 July, 2011

***NOTE: Topic to be finalised by Selangor MB’s Office


Updated @11.26PM:

Registration

BUM 2011 participation fee is RM50 per head inclusive of buffet lunch.
Payment mode: Online/ATM transfer to Public Bank a/c: 3149149826 ( FNR2U.Com Sdn Bhd)
After remitting payment, kindly email Kenneth Cheok at globallink.industries@gmail.com with the following details:
Your name:
No of attendees:
Amount paid:
Date of payment:
your email address/contact no.