In the spirit of CNY, a li'l ratty but mainly mousey, Desi apologises to all and sunny sometimes he likes to use BIGWORDS when he himself ain't sure of what he wants to mean. Smallwords like Eat, Drink and Be Merry, VVe even in the Opposition front know by heART. Easy meat, Karaoke, chinadolls and cinapuerhteh.The MCA Youth-way,or is it wayward? Wanna be a billinaire by 27, join LingAding. Wannabe as golden SIL or DIL, join KJ. If you know not who KJ is by now, they may take away your citizenship.
In the spirit of Bloggers camaraderie for the lads/cameradearie for the ladies, Desi now runs an important COMMUNITY SERVICE MESSAGE-- don't mix up wit' Communist Servile Massage, that's only at Wisma MCA*A when the LingAding taketh over (may GOoD save their souls, if they have many...).
From a fellow chair who gave thee bum2007.wordpress.com, Howsy like mousey Desi hyde-ing away in Olde New Yorke, or feminine Manhattan, here cometh:
a mghty scary and hairy BIGWORD
from the hoRst of howsy.blogspot.com
compendium
From thefreedictionary.com:)
com·pen·di·um (km-pnd-m)
n. pl. com·pen·di·ums or com·pen·di·a (-d-)
1. A short, complete summary; an abstract.
2. A list or collection of various items.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Latin, a shortening, from compendere, to weigh together : com-, com- + pendere, to weigh; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. (In the spirit of the Year of De Rat 4706, Desi bollowed the rights, of what's leftovers after the mice have eat'n:)
Thesaurus: Synonyms Related Words AntonymsNoun
1. compendium - a publication containing a variety of works
collection
publication - a copy of a printed work offered for distribution
anthology - a collection of selected literary passages
archives - collection of records especially about an institution
compilation, digest - something that is compiled (as into a single book or file)
2. compendium - a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work
sum-up, summary - a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form; "he gave a summary of the conclusions"
______________________________________________________
Pak Lah's Compendium of Flowery Quotes and Slogans
" Dear all,
Hope this e-mail finds you all in good spirits and Happy CNY (to those celebrating) and Happy Holidays to all. It's been a while since I've written to you all since BUM 2007 ( I heard BUM 2008 is coming up soon).
Sorry to bother you all, but let me angkat bakul sendiri here a little bit. For your information, I have created a blogsite compiling all the flowery quotes and slogans that you have heard from our beloved PM. Yes, Malaysians mudah lupa but our PM mudah tipu instead (you may disagree with me); hence the blog address www.paklahmudahtipu.blogspot.com. I'm not sure whether I'll be dragged by Shaw Brothers, so let us just say 'I Say Amen'. Here's the background of the blog:
Do you know that the biggest flower in the world (co-incidentally also found in Malaysia) stenches? Aren't you tired sniffing the stench over and over again for too long? Our PM says the darndest things indeed (to adopt the book title of Amir Muhammad). All the quotes here are sourced from Google News (mainly NaSTy archives via Highbeam), the PMO website, Doc Mave's Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin and The Sensintrovert.
The list is not exhaustive, and it only covers the quotes or news related to the quotes that are actually mentioned by our beloved No.1. Therefore, there are only 323 posts to date instead of zillions of posts on f**k-ups during his administration. Nonetheless, you can get the idea of how many times he had actually say 'I am fair to all' or the more popular ones like 'Work with me, not for me'. And here's the categories available in the compendium:
18 Big Fish (1)
Abuse (3)
All Malaysians Are Equal (2)
Alternative Media (5)
Anwar Ibrahim (2)
Approved Permits (2)
Australia (2)
Barang Naik (12)
Berani Kerana Benar (4)
Beyond 2020 (1)
Biadap (3)
Blogs (10)
BN (1)
bureaucracy (6)
Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin (3)
Can You Speed It Up? (1)
Cemerlang (3)
Change Lifestyle (5)
Chinese Schools (2)
Christianity (2)
Chua Soi Lek Sextape (1)
Cincai Attitude (1)
CJ-gate (1)
CNBC Interview (1)
CNN Interview (1)
Cobra Yacht (2)
Collect rainwater (1)
Committee (2)
corruption (29)
Crime Rates (15)
Criticism welcome (1)
Cronyism (1)
Cut Red Tape (1)
Demonstration (1)
Disctinction (1)
Do I Deserve This (1)
Don't Question (2)
Doses of Venom (1)
Education (4)
Elections (5)
Elegant silence (2)
Endon (2)
Environment (3)
Et tu Najib (1)
Excellence (1)
Face Up To Mistakes (1)
facilitating business (1)
Fair To All (8)
Fairuz (1)
Feel Good Economy (9)
First Class Infrastructure Third Class Mentality (2)
First Class Parliament (5)
flip-flop (16)
Flood (1)
Fly Kite (1)
Freedom of Speech (21)
friendly (1)
Gemilang (3)
GLCs Bailout (1)
Glory (1)
Haze (1)
He Can Say What He Wants (1)
Honeymoon Is Over (3)
Housewives (1)
human capital (1)
Human rights (1)
I Am Not Arrogant (1)
I Am Not One-term PM (1)
I Am PM (2)
I Am PM For All Malaysians (9)
I Am The Finance Minister (2)
I Command Majority Support (1)
I Don't Know (4)
I Don't Remember (2)
I Don't See It As A Crisis (1)
I Don't Think I Can Wait Too Long (1)
I Failed My Statistics Paper (1)
I Have A Job To Do (6)
I Have Big Ears (1)
I Have My Own Way (4)
I Have No Interest In Iraq Scheme (1)
I Need More Time (3)
I Still Have A Lot of Time To Deliver Promises (5)
I Will Monitor Them (1)
I Won't Disappoint The People (1)
I'll Run In Next Elections (1)
I'll Serve With Integrity Efficiency and Fairness (1)
I'm Aware (1)
I'm Happy Ministers Don't Fight (1)
I'm Here For Long (2)
I'm Well Don't Worry (1)
Illegal Immigrants (1)
Indian (5)
IPCMC (23)
IPTA Rankings (1)
ISA (9)
Islam (6)
Islam Hadhari (15)
Islam-as-I-say-nation (8)
It's Time To Deliver (1)
Jeanne Danker (5)
Johari Baharum (2)
JPA (7)
Kalau Betul Tulis Surat (2)
Keep your promises to people (1)
KJ (9)
Lawatan Sambil Belajar (1)
Lembut (2)
Little Napoleon (16)
mahathir (19)
Malaysia Belongs To All Races (5)
Maybank (1)
mega projects (21)
Migrant Workers (1)
mr (1)
mr. nice guy (1)
Multi-racial ties (11)
My Goats Were Stolen (1)
My Son and SIL Never Get Govt Projects (6)
My Son Is Rich (1)
Namewee (1)
Nasi Kandar (1)
national intergrity plan (1)
Negarakuku (1)
NEP (14)
Next time must listen to wife (1)
No Excuse (1)
Nothing to fear from the truth (1)
Open Tenders (2)
openness (8)
Pantang dicabar (1)
Patrick Badawi (1)
Pay up Contractors (1)
PM Wants/Orders (2)
Police (23)
Pope Must Apologise (1)
postponement (1)
Poverty (3)
press freedom (11)
Private Jet (2)
Proton (2)
public service (7)
Rally (10)
Rent-seeking Mentality (1)
right (1)
RTM Interview (2)
Sad (1)
Scomi (5)
Semuanya OK (1)
SIL (9)
Skodeng (1)
Sports (2)
Squatgate (3)
Stop Being Afraid (1)
Stop Spying (1)
Stop The Bias (1)
Stop The Rumours (11)
Super-sized Cabinet (8)
Support Me and I'll Support You (2)
Task force (2)
Tell Me The Truth (7)
Terbilang (3)
thank you (4)
There's Nothing More Can Be Done (1)
Thinkers Wanted (1)
Tidur (2)
Towering (1)
Tragedy (1)
TV3 Interview (8)
UMNO (17)
Use more dignified ways (1)
Walk The Talk (7)
We'll Investigate (1)
We're Ready (1)
Work With Me Not For Me (4)
Zakaria Mat Deros (1)
Yes, 'corruption', 'IPCMC', 'Police', 'Freedom of speech' and interestingly, 'mega projects' all top the list. You could even find darnder quotes from "My goats were stolen" to "I failed my Statistics paper" in there too!
There has never been a freer (and cleaner) Malaysia under him? Think again.
Spread the news and bookmark the links if you like them. :-)
I do not claim sole credit for the blog as most of the posts are nipped from Doc Mave's Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin blog. I do not wish to do a Brendan here, so all posts and scans (if any) are and will be appropriately credited with links and if you find that I have missed out any, please inform me.
Sincerely,
Howsy."
PS: Wrt bum2008, let's say it's all in the mind, mine, thyne, it's awe rhyme.
Wait for de announcement.Miss Patience is also Ms or Mr Virtuous.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Friday, February 08, 2008
Li'l Gals, Don't Go to Fleet Street!
This Post is specially dedicated to the li'l host of noshwithme.blogspot.com:).
I couldn't shake off Johnny Depp after watching It as that Demonic Barber on Fleet Street and singin' as Sweeney Todd, or was it supposed to read aSs Toad? Never mind, just a warning before you proceed reading this serving on the Second Day of the year 470S'X (I had to boast about this according to the Lunar Calendar, told me at BF myGOoDIfriend M Selvaraja:).
As I was saying before, Desi is a greAt believing in re-cycling. Like using Nian Gao from the olde years not downed for to be made anew by hyde-ing in a new clothes made of stolen flour from CheeCheongKai.
Now where am I? Oh yes, along Petaling Street where I once told mGf Helen of Ipoh about a Tailor's story which she was too shy to re-cycle.Desis too Hi to re-recycle, so let's stick to our bicycle. Made for a Barber and his secret admirer also the lady who made the seetest-tasting Meat Pies along Flee' Street. If thou art a papuper writer, you just ate as quickly as hunger pangs rushed you, you had not money to pay, so you flee...You got the drift WHY desi renamed the jalan now?
For my li'l NIeCE from south of Melbourne, Ozland, who secretly writes a block downunder, this is an uncle's knotty TEAser, to be downed after much minch meat and Pu-erh tea. No wan tan (it has got funny connotations for the Chinoeserie superstitiouslyexpialidocious…) please, not on CYN dies.
******************* ReGurgled______________________________
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Curiousity Kills The Cat
Pretty kittens too.
Whether thou art from Kuching or Ipoh, Furong or Penang, this warning applies.
Kittens below the age of 18 should stop reading this Post, as some mentions may cause thee to vomit.
ALSO, those above 18 with heartly any sense of humour are advised not to proceed beyond this sentence. IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ ON, IT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH, AND SHORTEN THY NINE LIVES. Which is fine by me, I only have one; I am an Ass-cum-poet-pirant.
Please treat this as a wickedend TeAser like the one popularised by my sifool Mark Twain publicising that his mentee, Huckleberry Finn, or izZIT Tom Sawyer? I forget-lah! "had died prematurely and had the privilege to listen to his own eulogy".
If you have not heard of this American author, it's not too late to start, as he also was responsible for the vice-crack~~
"Age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
If Mark had not been borne earlier than Desi, I could have cooked up that cracker except some CheeCheongKai chick would've plagiarised it at the blink of an I. Lord Horatio Nelson's left one:) And if you have to ask what is this about, Desi advised that you go back&study some hiss! or hers-story!:(
Desi was rumoured to be spied caught in his birddie suit, according to an unnamed ER's goodgling. Apparelly, in answer to one Helenic DESIRE to know this poet-ass more intimidatedly. Or so I believe, after I passed on an autographed memo with exquisite lines to her via 4Fei:) Thanks to the messenger based in some Solo-woman's Isle, what was the tip?
I self-invited some Bloggers to meet for "din" last week plus at Jalan Alor to welcome this De De@seefei.wordpress.com (Why the blardy hell is everyone moved to this more expensive joint I don't know; higher status ah? Jest because you earn Cat's or Sin-dollars?:(
Mave SM indicated interest in coming, or going, but chicken he backed out once Desi asked him not2leAvehomewithouthisplatinumkad. Or BePrepared to be p(R)awned by 4f! Helen did not RSVP as expected of IpohVIP keeping Desi in suspense as to how BIG a banquet table I had to order. Finally it was a tit-A-tete between a "Kat and a Pussycat". As for pix, Helen asked 4f to show-show wan; I held 4f to his word of No-Can-Can, We only do it in Gay Paree!Howsy's waiting dare!
Now here's the Starters:
The Malay Male Sept 29, 2006 offered on page 14 this fishy art-ickle:
ART TEACHER'S
STRIP RAPPED
BEIJING: A Chinese Culture Ministry of-
ficial denounced a university professor
who stripped naked in front of students
and teachers during an art class, a Chinese
newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Mo Xiaosin, a 56-year-old assistant profes-
sor at a university in Changzhou, in easterrn
Jiangsu province, shockd students by strip-
ping during a lecture on 'body art' to empha-
sise the 'power' of the body and to 'challenge'
taboos', the Beijing News said.
"There are no taboos in the field of re-
search, but to do this directly in te course
of teaching is obviously not appropriate," the
paper quoted Tian Junting, a Culture Ministry
official, as saying.
The lecture was part of a course within a
newly established human body art and cul-
ture research institute -- China's first -- at
Jiangsu Teachers' University of Technology,
the paper said.
MO arranged for four other models, includ-
ing a man and woman in their 70s or 80s,
and a younger couple, to strip nakd in front
of the class while he lectured, the paper said.
During the nearly hour-long class, Mo also
invited students to take their clothes off.
"Professor Mo appeared emotionally excited
at the time," the paper quoted a student as
saying.
"As he was talking, he undid his belt and
took off his pants, and stood naked in the
middle of the lecture podium."
The naked lecture made many of the 30 or
so students feel "unesay", the paper said.
"Some kept their eyes trained on the ceil-
ing, some awkwardly bowed their hads and
stared at the ground." -- Reuters
DESI: AS I typed the last three paragraphs, I followed the lecturer's actions step by step. I spied Mave SM and Howsy feeling "uneasy"; Anak Merdeka trained her eyes on the ceiling, and Helen's awkwardly staring at the ground. Then Reuters chief, Joe Keeper of the Peace, yelled: CUT!
I obediently exercised the Sub-Editor's privilege to circumcise.
~~~~~~~~
Now I tll you another true story closer to home. My home. Not yours; maybe AM's!
Once upon a time in The Negeri of Nine States,
there was a household in Mambau with sirname Mo.
It was by Chinese fengsui unlucky to be born into such a family.
Everything also No. Mo Xiaosin -- my limited Mandarin says it means NO smallheart, or NO careful -- could have been a runaway from Mambau; I dunno, just my gas.
Not to digress too mush, the Mo family did not propsper until one brave son -- from among four sons and three daughters -- desided he was through with tapping rubber and selling fish.
He had run to town over the wickedends and knew all the townsfolk in Furong -- five miles away -- enjoyed Dim Sum. It means literally "Touch your heart". So if a blardy howsy wants taruk the hussy, he takes her for Dim Sum. Showing off his Pound Sterling. (And what else that's sterlin', darlin'.That's howsy's thinking allowed, but Desi's sees thru.)
Within a year, MO-sunny was grinning from ear to ear. The business was so good that people travelled from out-of-state to seek out Mambau's Dim Sum shop named Kedie Sunny Dim Sum.
Jest outside the kitchen was hung this plaque: "Englishman and Dogs Not Allowed".
It was Mo Sunny's way to do justice to avenge the sign board outside The Dog's restron in Kuala Lumpur which yelled: "No Chinaman and Dogs Allowed".
The business prospered, and allthe Mambau folks paid their respects to Mo family for making good. Making good Dim Sum. Everyone of the outsiders who enjoyed a meal at Sunny's would return the week after for more. Amore!The Dim Sum seems to spice up their sex life -- the Kwai Poh would swear by the 'holey book it's true and through.
Without fail, a group of expatriates would take leave of Sungei Ujong Club every Sunday to drive in their Hillman's and Mountwoman's to Mambau where Mo Sunny would welcome them to a special table marked "Reserved for Kwailoh!" After each satisfying meal, the Mat Salleh would debate among themselves:
"Why is the Dim Sum here so tasty? Beat even those in Seremban town and Kuala Lumpur wans!"
Another question on their minds but no one dared to speak allowed:
"Why the blardy UNFRIENDLY SIGN fronting the kitchen?
On Saturday back at the Club, the expatriates debated what "ingredients" that went into the Dim Sum that had bewitched their wives they couldn't wait for Saturday night to pass, over. The group, which comprised an Italian, a Dane, a Scot, a Canadian, an American, a Dutchman, and an Englishman, decided to run a "wager" by pooling 100 pouns and whoever guessed rightthe "prime ingredient/s" would win the total sum of 700 pounds, aprincely sum in those days, just pre-Merdeka.
So the following day, a Beautiful Sunday -- non-CON BF for these capitalist kwailoh -
the hungry bunch arrived at Mambau, greted by all the JinjangJoes&Janes, for these angmoh brought them good dollars and sense.
As they revelled on the "Touching Heart" dim sum, and summore dish after delicious dish, until it cometh the time to guess the "ingredients". All the six of the seven partakers wrote on a piece of white paper, folded it and handed it to a Witness, the prettiest gal among the spouses, who also held the 700 pounds. All the men were hoping she would become Da Dessert for half the pool.
The Englishman excused himself at tis juncture to go visit The John's. Those days it meant the Loo aka the Washroom aka the Toilet. (Off spring of toil, yes?)
The Loo had a tiny partition that allowed one doing the business to sneak a look into the kitchen, from where the smells, trhe frangarnces and oh, ah, oomp, came filtering through to titillate the Englishman, who was here to do busines, of course, But he was curious, so he told himself "One look wouldn't kill!"
He took on peep -- Strung along a few rows of wooden beams were the carcasses of dogs, bitches and puppies, with fresh blood still dripping from the dismembered bowels.
~~~~~~~~
Epilogue: The Englishman won the bet of 700 pounds which he gifted to the Frenchgal to keep -- he could not accept Dog's Money. And from that Sunday onwards, the Mat Salleh stopped their rendezvous with Mo Sunny's dim sum shoppe.
The above SS is adapted from Edgar Allen Poe's macabre tales, remember The Pit and The Pendulum?I think Orson Welles also made dim sum of his tails.
POST-logue: Rumour has it that one writer named Ming Lar of the Mo family line was so "disgusted" with the "Dog or Cat being let out of the beg", he changed his surname to Chong. Howsy said he spied Chong Ming's Lar(Go read Yesterday's Comments:) in London, yes, prospering on a Eu Dian Sin shoppe on Beggar's Street. Outside the kitchen was the sign paintd in red, the Chinoserie colour of Prosperity: "No Cats and Dogs Allowed. Chinaman and Englishman got discount".
Posted by desiderata at 12:24 AM 6 comments
I couldn't shake off Johnny Depp after watching It as that Demonic Barber on Fleet Street and singin' as Sweeney Todd, or was it supposed to read aSs Toad? Never mind, just a warning before you proceed reading this serving on the Second Day of the year 470S'X (I had to boast about this according to the Lunar Calendar, told me at BF myGOoDIfriend M Selvaraja:).
As I was saying before, Desi is a greAt believing in re-cycling. Like using Nian Gao from the olde years not downed for to be made anew by hyde-ing in a new clothes made of stolen flour from CheeCheongKai.
Now where am I? Oh yes, along Petaling Street where I once told mGf Helen of Ipoh about a Tailor's story which she was too shy to re-cycle.Desis too Hi to re-recycle, so let's stick to our bicycle. Made for a Barber and his secret admirer also the lady who made the seetest-tasting Meat Pies along Flee' Street. If thou art a papuper writer, you just ate as quickly as hunger pangs rushed you, you had not money to pay, so you flee...You got the drift WHY desi renamed the jalan now?
For my li'l NIeCE from south of Melbourne, Ozland, who secretly writes a block downunder, this is an uncle's knotty TEAser, to be downed after much minch meat and Pu-erh tea. No wan tan (it has got funny connotations for the Chinoeserie superstitiouslyexpialidocious…) please, not on CYN dies.
******************* ReGurgled______________________________
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Curiousity Kills The Cat
Pretty kittens too.
Whether thou art from Kuching or Ipoh, Furong or Penang, this warning applies.
Kittens below the age of 18 should stop reading this Post, as some mentions may cause thee to vomit.
ALSO, those above 18 with heartly any sense of humour are advised not to proceed beyond this sentence. IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ ON, IT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH, AND SHORTEN THY NINE LIVES. Which is fine by me, I only have one; I am an Ass-cum-poet-pirant.
Please treat this as a wickedend TeAser like the one popularised by my sifool Mark Twain publicising that his mentee, Huckleberry Finn, or izZIT Tom Sawyer? I forget-lah! "had died prematurely and had the privilege to listen to his own eulogy".
If you have not heard of this American author, it's not too late to start, as he also was responsible for the vice-crack~~
"Age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
If Mark had not been borne earlier than Desi, I could have cooked up that cracker except some CheeCheongKai chick would've plagiarised it at the blink of an I. Lord Horatio Nelson's left one:) And if you have to ask what is this about, Desi advised that you go back&study some hiss! or hers-story!:(
Desi was rumoured to be spied caught in his birddie suit, according to an unnamed ER's goodgling. Apparelly, in answer to one Helenic DESIRE to know this poet-ass more intimidatedly. Or so I believe, after I passed on an autographed memo with exquisite lines to her via 4Fei:) Thanks to the messenger based in some Solo-woman's Isle, what was the tip?
I self-invited some Bloggers to meet for "din" last week plus at Jalan Alor to welcome this De De@seefei.wordpress.com (Why the blardy hell is everyone moved to this more expensive joint I don't know; higher status ah? Jest because you earn Cat's or Sin-dollars?:(
Mave SM indicated interest in coming, or going, but chicken he backed out once Desi asked him not2leAvehomewithouthisplatinumkad. Or BePrepared to be p(R)awned by 4f! Helen did not RSVP as expected of IpohVIP keeping Desi in suspense as to how BIG a banquet table I had to order. Finally it was a tit-A-tete between a "Kat and a Pussycat". As for pix, Helen asked 4f to show-show wan; I held 4f to his word of No-Can-Can, We only do it in Gay Paree!Howsy's waiting dare!
Now here's the Starters:
The Malay Male Sept 29, 2006 offered on page 14 this fishy art-ickle:
ART TEACHER'S
STRIP RAPPED
BEIJING: A Chinese Culture Ministry of-
ficial denounced a university professor
who stripped naked in front of students
and teachers during an art class, a Chinese
newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Mo Xiaosin, a 56-year-old assistant profes-
sor at a university in Changzhou, in easterrn
Jiangsu province, shockd students by strip-
ping during a lecture on 'body art' to empha-
sise the 'power' of the body and to 'challenge'
taboos', the Beijing News said.
"There are no taboos in the field of re-
search, but to do this directly in te course
of teaching is obviously not appropriate," the
paper quoted Tian Junting, a Culture Ministry
official, as saying.
The lecture was part of a course within a
newly established human body art and cul-
ture research institute -- China's first -- at
Jiangsu Teachers' University of Technology,
the paper said.
MO arranged for four other models, includ-
ing a man and woman in their 70s or 80s,
and a younger couple, to strip nakd in front
of the class while he lectured, the paper said.
During the nearly hour-long class, Mo also
invited students to take their clothes off.
"Professor Mo appeared emotionally excited
at the time," the paper quoted a student as
saying.
"As he was talking, he undid his belt and
took off his pants, and stood naked in the
middle of the lecture podium."
The naked lecture made many of the 30 or
so students feel "unesay", the paper said.
"Some kept their eyes trained on the ceil-
ing, some awkwardly bowed their hads and
stared at the ground." -- Reuters
DESI: AS I typed the last three paragraphs, I followed the lecturer's actions step by step. I spied Mave SM and Howsy feeling "uneasy"; Anak Merdeka trained her eyes on the ceiling, and Helen's awkwardly staring at the ground. Then Reuters chief, Joe Keeper of the Peace, yelled: CUT!
I obediently exercised the Sub-Editor's privilege to circumcise.
~~~~~~~~
Now I tll you another true story closer to home. My home. Not yours; maybe AM's!
Once upon a time in The Negeri of Nine States,
there was a household in Mambau with sirname Mo.
It was by Chinese fengsui unlucky to be born into such a family.
Everything also No. Mo Xiaosin -- my limited Mandarin says it means NO smallheart, or NO careful -- could have been a runaway from Mambau; I dunno, just my gas.
Not to digress too mush, the Mo family did not propsper until one brave son -- from among four sons and three daughters -- desided he was through with tapping rubber and selling fish.
He had run to town over the wickedends and knew all the townsfolk in Furong -- five miles away -- enjoyed Dim Sum. It means literally "Touch your heart". So if a blardy howsy wants taruk the hussy, he takes her for Dim Sum. Showing off his Pound Sterling. (And what else that's sterlin', darlin'.That's howsy's thinking allowed, but Desi's sees thru.)
Within a year, MO-sunny was grinning from ear to ear. The business was so good that people travelled from out-of-state to seek out Mambau's Dim Sum shop named Kedie Sunny Dim Sum.
Jest outside the kitchen was hung this plaque: "Englishman and Dogs Not Allowed".
It was Mo Sunny's way to do justice to avenge the sign board outside The Dog's restron in Kuala Lumpur which yelled: "No Chinaman and Dogs Allowed".
The business prospered, and allthe Mambau folks paid their respects to Mo family for making good. Making good Dim Sum. Everyone of the outsiders who enjoyed a meal at Sunny's would return the week after for more. Amore!The Dim Sum seems to spice up their sex life -- the Kwai Poh would swear by the 'holey book it's true and through.
Without fail, a group of expatriates would take leave of Sungei Ujong Club every Sunday to drive in their Hillman's and Mountwoman's to Mambau where Mo Sunny would welcome them to a special table marked "Reserved for Kwailoh!" After each satisfying meal, the Mat Salleh would debate among themselves:
"Why is the Dim Sum here so tasty? Beat even those in Seremban town and Kuala Lumpur wans!"
Another question on their minds but no one dared to speak allowed:
"Why the blardy UNFRIENDLY SIGN fronting the kitchen?
On Saturday back at the Club, the expatriates debated what "ingredients" that went into the Dim Sum that had bewitched their wives they couldn't wait for Saturday night to pass, over. The group, which comprised an Italian, a Dane, a Scot, a Canadian, an American, a Dutchman, and an Englishman, decided to run a "wager" by pooling 100 pouns and whoever guessed rightthe "prime ingredient/s" would win the total sum of 700 pounds, aprincely sum in those days, just pre-Merdeka.
So the following day, a Beautiful Sunday -- non-CON BF for these capitalist kwailoh -
the hungry bunch arrived at Mambau, greted by all the JinjangJoes&Janes, for these angmoh brought them good dollars and sense.
As they revelled on the "Touching Heart" dim sum, and summore dish after delicious dish, until it cometh the time to guess the "ingredients". All the six of the seven partakers wrote on a piece of white paper, folded it and handed it to a Witness, the prettiest gal among the spouses, who also held the 700 pounds. All the men were hoping she would become Da Dessert for half the pool.
The Englishman excused himself at tis juncture to go visit The John's. Those days it meant the Loo aka the Washroom aka the Toilet. (Off spring of toil, yes?)
The Loo had a tiny partition that allowed one doing the business to sneak a look into the kitchen, from where the smells, trhe frangarnces and oh, ah, oomp, came filtering through to titillate the Englishman, who was here to do busines, of course, But he was curious, so he told himself "One look wouldn't kill!"
He took on peep -- Strung along a few rows of wooden beams were the carcasses of dogs, bitches and puppies, with fresh blood still dripping from the dismembered bowels.
~~~~~~~~
Epilogue: The Englishman won the bet of 700 pounds which he gifted to the Frenchgal to keep -- he could not accept Dog's Money. And from that Sunday onwards, the Mat Salleh stopped their rendezvous with Mo Sunny's dim sum shoppe.
The above SS is adapted from Edgar Allen Poe's macabre tales, remember The Pit and The Pendulum?I think Orson Welles also made dim sum of his tails.
POST-logue: Rumour has it that one writer named Ming Lar of the Mo family line was so "disgusted" with the "Dog or Cat being let out of the beg", he changed his surname to Chong. Howsy said he spied Chong Ming's Lar(Go read Yesterday's Comments:) in London, yes, prospering on a Eu Dian Sin shoppe on Beggar's Street. Outside the kitchen was the sign paintd in red, the Chinoserie colour of Prosperity: "No Cats and Dogs Allowed. Chinaman and Englishman got discount".
Posted by desiderata at 12:24 AM 6 comments
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
In the Steal of the Night
By now, you would have heard of the phrase "Go Tell It to the Marines" when you don't believe the story-teller and you tellhim off politely.
But in my vocab, there are two mariners whose tales are sometimes tall -- one Ancient and his mate Mindful -- they have a whiff of the saltiness of a Pu-erh quality around the tail, so I'm happily a list'ner when the boat is not listing. And the kambing at Lingam's tastes just right and not too salty. And tehtarik flows like sailor's boy's blue/brew if you don'tget entangled in the sails and ropes and whiskers of long-john Silver or Gold. Johny Depp can be a killer, on the HI seas or at the Barber Shoppe at Flee' Street. If you don'tfollow what Desi's telling so far,it doesn't matter because the teller is steal at the bank and I'm on CNY eve, a li'l drunk on Pu-erh, eh!:)
So here's that STEAL of the night I told the hoRst at promptus.blogspot.com I would commit, as any mousey writHer worth his 3sen's salt:
Politicians
Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.
Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~ Plato
During a campaign the air is full of speeches - and vice versa.
Some Political Quotes:
One ought to recognize that the present political chaos is connected with the decay of language, and that one can probably bring about some improvement by starting at the verbal end.
If you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy. You cannot speak any of the necessary dialects, and when you make a stupid remark, its stupidity will be obvious, even to yourself.
Political language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.
One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one's own habits, and from time to time, one can even, if one jeers loudly enough, send some worn-out and useless phrase - some jackboot, Achilles' heel, hotbed, melting pot, acid test, veritable inferno or other lump of verbal refuse - into the dustbin where it belongs. ~~ George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," Shooting an Elephant, 1950
An election is coming. Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry. ~~ T.S. Eliot
When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become Prime Minister; I'm beginning to believe it. ~~ after Clarence Darrow
Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~~ Ronald Reagan
Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. ~~ George Jean Nathan
Politics, n: [Poly "many" + tics "blood-sucking parasites"] ~~ Larry Hardiman
The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to put makeup on two faces. ~~ Maureen Murphy
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. ~~ Aesop
All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field. ~~ Albert Einstein
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~~ Richard Armour
Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks. ~~ Doug Larson
The problem with political jokes is they get elected. ~~ Henry Cate, VII
Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party. ~~ Winston Churchill
Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct. ~~ Thomas Jefferson
A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation. ~~ James Freeman Clarke
We have, I fear, confused power with greatness. ~~ Stewart Udall
Truth is not determined by majority vote. ~~ Doug Gwyn
"Pura Vida"
Posted by mindful mariner at 10:32 PM
DESIDERATA:
Putting on now the best traditonal behaviur,
YL Chong and family VVishes Awe Malayasians, especially
My EsteemedReaders and families,
wit' the slighest whiff of Chinoserie blood in 'em, Ahem,
an A*ce (when you play de Card game, remember!)
"ap ap ap AP ap ap ap
Chinese New Year."
Don't be ratty!
A li'l mousey like this blardy writHer okay-lah.-- Desi
But in my vocab, there are two mariners whose tales are sometimes tall -- one Ancient and his mate Mindful -- they have a whiff of the saltiness of a Pu-erh quality around the tail, so I'm happily a list'ner when the boat is not listing. And the kambing at Lingam's tastes just right and not too salty. And tehtarik flows like sailor's boy's blue/brew if you don'tget entangled in the sails and ropes and whiskers of long-john Silver or Gold. Johny Depp can be a killer, on the HI seas or at the Barber Shoppe at Flee' Street. If you don'tfollow what Desi's telling so far,it doesn't matter because the teller is steal at the bank and I'm on CNY eve, a li'l drunk on Pu-erh, eh!:)
So here's that STEAL of the night I told the hoRst at promptus.blogspot.com I would commit, as any mousey writHer worth his 3sen's salt:
Politicians
Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.
Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~ Plato
During a campaign the air is full of speeches - and vice versa.
Some Political Quotes:
One ought to recognize that the present political chaos is connected with the decay of language, and that one can probably bring about some improvement by starting at the verbal end.
If you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy. You cannot speak any of the necessary dialects, and when you make a stupid remark, its stupidity will be obvious, even to yourself.
Political language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.
One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one's own habits, and from time to time, one can even, if one jeers loudly enough, send some worn-out and useless phrase - some jackboot, Achilles' heel, hotbed, melting pot, acid test, veritable inferno or other lump of verbal refuse - into the dustbin where it belongs. ~~ George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," Shooting an Elephant, 1950
An election is coming. Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry. ~~ T.S. Eliot
When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become Prime Minister; I'm beginning to believe it. ~~ after Clarence Darrow
Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~~ Ronald Reagan
Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. ~~ George Jean Nathan
Politics, n: [Poly "many" + tics "blood-sucking parasites"] ~~ Larry Hardiman
The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to put makeup on two faces. ~~ Maureen Murphy
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. ~~ Aesop
All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field. ~~ Albert Einstein
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~~ Richard Armour
Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks. ~~ Doug Larson
The problem with political jokes is they get elected. ~~ Henry Cate, VII
Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party. ~~ Winston Churchill
Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct. ~~ Thomas Jefferson
A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation. ~~ James Freeman Clarke
We have, I fear, confused power with greatness. ~~ Stewart Udall
Truth is not determined by majority vote. ~~ Doug Gwyn
"Pura Vida"
Posted by mindful mariner at 10:32 PM
DESIDERATA:
Putting on now the best traditonal behaviur,
YL Chong and family VVishes Awe Malayasians, especially
My EsteemedReaders and families,
wit' the slighest whiff of Chinoserie blood in 'em, Ahem,
an A*ce (when you play de Card game, remember!)
"ap ap ap AP ap ap ap
Chinese New Year."
Don't be ratty!
A li'l mousey like this blardy writHer okay-lah.-- Desi
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
GE CSM: PEOPLES' DECLARATION
Yesterday I received a special SMS ALERT from the king of Bloggers to spread an important
DEKLARASI RAKYAT
in view of the impending 12th General Elections.
This is the premier Community Service Message I am more than glad to convey to ll concerned Malaysians, across race, colour and creed, above gender and age too.
For the coming weeks, Desiderata-YL Chong would be more than happy to welcome as Guest Bloggers writing on the GE as I believe it is one of those crossroads the People must stop, ponder then act with wisdom, then hold thy tongue and bear the consequences of their action/inaction/non-action.
So for mGf dear Raja Petra, the dogged determined Blogsworld flagship director at malaysia-today.net, here's a trumpet call for all concerned parties to heed the:
PEOPLES' DECLARATION
Posted by Raja Petra
Monday, 04 February 2008
Ask the candidates and the political parties they represent to adopt this DEKLARASI RAKYAT/PEOPLE'S DECLARATION as their election pledge and promise to the voters. Better still, ask them to agree that this will be the backbone or foundation of their Election Manifesto, which must be irrevocable and which must be implemented within 12 months of the new government taking office.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
The next general election will soon be upon us. Tomorrow, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be having an audience with His Majesty The Agong. This can only mean one thing, Abdullah is going to seek The Agong's consent to dissolve Parliament.
Parliament is expected to be dissolved on 12 February 2008 followed by Nomination Day on 21 February and Polling Day on Saturday, 1 March 2008. On 1 March 2008, 10.6 million Malaysians will be able to vote in the government of their choice, although it is expected that three million Malaysians will just stay home and not bother to come out to vote, while another four million have not even registered to vote.
According to intelligence agency reports, the 12th General Election will be the first election in Malaysian history where the voters will vote based on candidates rather than parties. The right candidate will not only be crucial in determining who gets voted in but where that candidate contests will also have a bearing. As much as that candidate could be a suitable candidate, but in the wrong constituency it would be disastrous.
Who the candidates are and in which constituency they contest is up to the 22 or so political parties that will contest the election. And who gets voted in is up to the voters. But what Malaysia Today would like to do is to present the DEKLARASI RAKYAT or PEOPLES' DECLARATION to the 22 political parties that will be contesting this coming election.
DAP says, the people are the boss. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says, vote for credible candidates who are not tainted and do not vote for the political parties if they put tunggul kayu (block of wood) as candidates. Barisan Nasional says, vote in the ruling party that has been running this country for 50 years since Merdeka and has a proven track record. The opposition says, deny the ruling party its two-thirds majority so that there can be checks and balances in the government.
Whoever we ultimately vote for and for whatever reason it may be, let the rakyat have the final say in how this country is going to be run -- whoever it may be that will be running this country.
In the spirit of the people are the boss, Malaysia Today, together with friends from various civil society movements, has come out with this DEKLARASI RAKYAT or PEOPLES' DECLARATION in four languages. The 1999 AGENDA PERUBAHAN or AGENDA FOR CHANGE was used as the basis of this DEKLARASI/DECLARATION. We want you, the rakyat, to present this DEKLARASI/DECLARATION to whoever it is who may be contesting in your constituency, be they ruling party or opposition party, and tell these candidates that this is how we wish our country to be run when the new government is formed, whichever government it may be.
Ask the candidates and the political parties they represent to adopt this as their election pledge and promise to the voters. Better still, ask them to agree that this will be the backbone or foundation of their Election Manifesto, which must be irrevocable and which must be implemented within 12 months of the new government taking office.
The DEKLARASI RAKYAT or PEOPLES' DECLARATION is as below. The PDF version in FOUR languages will be uploaded over the next couple of hours. Get these circulated far and wide and tell the candidates and the political parties they represent that they will get our vote subject to their agreement and adoption of this DEKLARASI/DECLARATION.
1a) PEOPLES' VOICE (PDF IN ENGLISH)
1b) PEOPLES' DECLARATION (PDF IN ENGLISH)
2) DEKLARASI RAKYAT (PDF IN BAHASA MALAYSIA): to be uploaded later
3) PEOPLES' DECLARATION (PDF IN CHINESE): to be uploaded later
4) PEOPLES' DECLARATION (PDF IN TAMIL): to be uploaded later
The People’s Voice
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
A. We, the rakyat of Malaysia, being a people of diverse races and faiths but bonded together as one by shared history, experience and a commitment to a united Malaysia, note that:-
1. since independence up to the present, Malaysia has been governed by reference to, and with keen awareness of, race and in accordance with a race based system of power sharing within, initially, the Alliance coalition and, since the early 70s, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. This system is premised on the notional representation of the Malay, Chinese and Indian rakyat by UMNO, MCA and MIC respectively, and the other communities, including the indigenous communities in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, by the other BN coalition partners;
2. whilst the exigencies of the independence campaign and the early post-Merdeka period may have required a race-based approach to the question of governance, it has become apparent that the political arrangements that allow for such a system of governance, and the system itself, are increasingly undermining the unity that has made Malaysia an exemplar on the question of race relations. The recent concentrated efforts of the government to address issues of unity are a recognition of a need to address those features of our society that have allowed for deepening fissures, not just in matters of race relations but also of economics and the equitable distribution of wealth. The system, and all that it allows for, is one such, if not the only, key feature. Its divisiveness is the main impediment to a committed and shared effort on the part of all Malaysians to meet the challenges of our times, both within the nation, as well as in the increasingly globalizing and competitive world; and
3. though the New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced in 1970 with the principle self-dcclared aim of “eventually eradicating poverty, irrespective of race, and to undertake economic restructuring so as to eliminate the identification of ethnicity with economic function”, its implementation, within the framework of the race based system of governance, has led to a state of affairs where poverty and the inequities persist, within the Malay community as well as within other communities to an extent that it cannot be said that the NEP, and its successor policies, have successfully achieved their stated aim. The indisputable enrichment of a small community of elites, of diverse racial backgrounds, at the expense of the overwhelming majority and the creation of a belief of racial supremacy on the part of some conclusively show that it is imperative that the Malaysian system of affirmative action be seriously reconsidered. The failings of the systems in play are glaring, having a direct causal link with the following effects:
3.1 a significant percentage of the population, of diverse racial background, are still living in poverty by any definition and face serious difficulties in fulfilling the most basic of needs and expectations including the acquisition of places of residence. In particular, in the East Malaysian States of Sabah and Sarawak, some rural communities live in absolute poverty with no access to basic needs including potable and clean water, electricity, and other essential amenities;
3.2 the rising incidence of urban poverty is leading to an alarming increase in the crime rate;
3.3 the poverty cycle threatens to self perpetuate due to a lack of opportunities for higher education for those from the lower economic segment of the population
3.4 there is a serious deficiency in the quality and capability of human capital within the nation with, for this reason, a rising number of local graduates finding it difficult to find employment; and
3.5 a denial of access to opportunities has led to a growing disenfranchisement that can potentially become a serious threat to stability and the Malaysian way of life in the very near future. The system of governance having emphasized the differences amongst the racial communities, it is not unlikely that in the event of any unrest, such unrest may manifest along racial and religious lines.
B. And we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and faiths, note with grave concern, that :-
1. that the key institutions of the state have suffered a decline in their effectiveness over the years so as to have allowed for a greater concentration of power in the Executive than envisaged by the Federal Constitution and an obscuring of the systems of checks and balances considered essential for the true working of democracy;
2. that the actions of the Executive have become increasingly less transparent, and consequently less accountable, through laws though perhaps aimed at ensuring efficient of governance have allowed for a shielding from scrutiny of the various aspects of government as well as a mistaken belief that a representative form of government vests absolutely all power in the hands of the Executive and allows for control along majoritarian lines ;
3. in this way, and through majority control of Parliament, the role of Parliament has been reduced to rubber stamping the will of the Executive. The mistaken belief has resulted in the similarly mistaken rejection of the need for the debates in Parliament that will allow for a wider representation of viewpoints essential to sound decision making as envisaged by the Federal Constitution. This alarming state of affairs has been exacerbated by the erroneous belief that debates in Parliament should be shaped by the political relationships of the political parties concerned to the extent that views are rejected not on the basis of merit but on the basis of the political party of the parliamentarian espousing the view concerned. The politicizing of the processes of Parliament are amongst the key threats to democracy having allowed for the furtherance of political agendas through Parliament and the laws enacted therein. Laws must be reflective of policy and not politics;
4. the integrity of the Judiciary has similarly been compromised through the purported suborning of the Judiciary to Parliament by way of a constitutional amendment to Article 121(1) that has resulted in the declaration by the apex court that the doctrine of separation of powers is of no relevance to Malaysia even though this doctrine is a pillar of the democratic processes. The Judiciary has also been rendered in effective through a promotion and appointments process that have resulted in unmeritorious appointments and promotions to the extent that the quality and impartiality of the judicial process has become highly suspect, and confidence in the Judiciary and the Rule of Law in Malaysia has declined to serious levels, both nationally and internationally;
5. despite the Election Commission being a body established by the Federal Constitution in such a manner so as to be impartial, a vital feature of the said commission for it to fulfill its function under the Federal Constitution, the said commission has demonstrated itself as being partisan to the interests of the Barisan Nasional, in part through a general reluctance to take concrete steps towards the reforming of the electoral process into a free and fair one, in response to cogent evidence of serious deficiencies in the electoral process. In this regard, the minimal steps taken towards reforming the electoral process have been taken only with the approval of the Executive notwithstanding the clear mandate of the said commission. As a consequence, the Election Commission cannot be said to have the confidence of the people in the manner to the level expected of the said commission by the Federal Constitution. As a further consequence, it cannot be said that the rakyat fully view the electoral process as being a free and fair one;;
6. the continued use of repressive anti-expression and anti-assembly laws such as the [PPPA], the [Sedition Act] and the [Police Act] as well as the draconian Internal Security Act have allowed for the governing of the country arbitrarily, by stealth and without due accountability in a manner that has concentrated power in the Executive absolutely, Such laws have also impeded the effective voicing of opinions by civil society through the climate of fear that they have created. This has regrettably created the perception that despite being the primary stakeholders in the national interest, the rakyat have no valid say in the process of governance except through their right to vote;
7. the control of media houses through subjective issuance of permits and the imposition of conditions, and the selective presentation of news and viewpoints that this approach creates, have by denying access to varied viewpoints and news further interfered with the ability of the rakyat to form coherent and comprehensive views on matters of national interest. This hs not only skewed the processes of democracy but have also resulted in a significant part of the Malaysian community being incapable of the critical analysis that is essential for a growing democracy and a fast developing nation competing on the global stage. The rakyat have a right to information;
8. the foregoing has created an environment that encourages corruption, a state of affairs that is borne out by the increasing levels of corruption in the nation, levels that indicate that corruption is fast becoming institutional, it has not already become so. Thus far, notwithstanding the welcomed rejection and condemnation of corruption by the Prime Minister as a policy position, efforts undertaken to address corruption in having merely selectively attacked the symptoms of this disease have not successfully addressed the root causes of the same. There is a growing perception that corruption, cronyism and nepotism in all sectors of government, at the Federal and State levels as well as at the Local Government level has been on the rise over these past few years; and
9. the poverty gap is widening and many more Malaysians are now falling through the gaps of a security net that requires a reconsideration more so for the gradual liberalizing of the Malaysian market as the nation embraces the global free market. As a consequence, despite the continued economic growth of the nation an increasing number of Malaysians are being marginalized. Further, the pursuit of economic development through privatizations and other free market strategies have resulted in less priority being attached to developing the efficiency and quality of the public services with the result that standard of such services, including the civil service, healthcare, education and the Royal Malaysian Police, to name a few, have suffered a worrying decline, This has made the nation less competitive and insufficiently prepared to meet the full chanllenge of globalization.;
C. And we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and of various faiths, note with regret :-
1. that the Executive has without adequate consideration, due regard and public consultation rejected the suggestion that steps be taken to dismantling the race based system of governance, such suggestion having even been received the endorsement of Gerakan, a member party of the Barisan Nasional. Conversely, the Executive has through its inaction continued to endorse the system and the supremacist notions it allows for;
1.1 that the Executive continues to defend its position on the various matters of concern noted above by reference to the majoritarianism and its control of Parliament notwithstanding the validity of such concerns.
D. And we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and of various faiths, now declare that we :-
1. reject race-based systems of governance of the country in favour of non race-based, integrated systems of governance;
2. reject the polticising of the key organs of the state, in particular Parliament and the Judiciary;
3. we desire an independent and competent Judiciary such as that Malaysians had the benefit of prior to 1988;
4. we desire a Parliament that allows for a discharge of parliamentary function in manner contemplated by the Federal Constitution and whose members recognize that though political affiliations may have a bearing on their roles as Member of Parliament, their oath to defend, uphold and protect the Federal Constitution obliges them to place the national interest over their party interests where matters of Parliament are concerned;; and
5. desire that the policy of affirmative action be reconsidered with a view to establishing a system that ensures that the objective of poverty eradication be be achieved efficiently, effectively and inclusively. We believe that the protections afforded to the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are sufficient to protect and promote the interests of these special communities.
E. Wherefore we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and of various faiths, having now rejected the race-based political governance of the country and now making known our desire to have in its place a non race-based system of governance and making further known that we desire that the original aims of the NEP be immediately given effect to and implemented, now:-
1. declare our belief that a mandate for governance should be given to such individuals and political entities that recognize as legitimate the concerns and aspirations set out above; and
2. call upon all stakeholders to to come together for a better Malaysia to adopt this declaration [and the People’s Charter attached] as foundation for the governance of this nation.
The People’s Declaration
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The People’s Mission
1. We, Malaysians of all races and of various faiths, are resolute in our desire for change and are determined to give birth to a system of governance, built upon the fundamental, spiritual and ethical values that are part of the teachings of all the great religions, that:
is honest, dynamic and truly accountable;
has a truly democratic parliamentary system that represents the interests of the people;
has truly independent and clean judicial institutions;
has a police force which is professional and executes its duties in a just and fair manner, according to the tenets of law;
has a mass media that is free and not beholden to those in power;
values accountability and transparency as its fundamental elements;
respects differences of views; and
supports a dynamic, resilient and just economy which is also internationally competitive.
2. We, Malaysians of all races and of various faiths, pledge to uphold at all times the foundational principles of the Malaysian Constitution, namely:
the supremacy of the Constitution over all other laws;
the Yang DiPertuan Agong as the Constitutional monarch;
the separation of the powers of government and in particular the independence of the judiciary;
that fundamental liberties and freedoms guaranteed the rakyat shall not be interfered with, denied, or rendered illusory;
one man, one vote, both of equal value;
that Islam is the religion of the Federation, and all other religions shall be practiced in peace and harmony;
Bahasa Melayu as the national language, whilst safeguarding the unfettered right to use and learn other languages;
the special position of the Malays and the indigenous rakyat of West Malaysia, of Sabah and Sarawak, and the legitimate rights of all other races; and
A federal administrative system that fulfills its responsibilities, and protection and respect for the special position of Sabah and Sarawak.
3. We, Malaysians of all races and of various faiths, pledge to collectively :
work to create a just and prosperous Malaysian nation based on a truly democratic system of government;
protect and defend the rights and dignity of all the people and guarantee justice for all;
act to enhance economic prosperity through greater productivity, efficiency, and sound economic management in order to enable the country to face global challenges;
channel the country’s resources not only to meet the basic needs of the people but, more importantly, to ensure that the quality of life and social harmony are enhanced;
distribute wealth and opportunities fairly among all; and
develop quality social infrastructure and a clean and comfortable physical environment; enhance the quality of education, health and other social services; build mosques and other places of worship; build public parks and libraries; build arts and cultural centres; and provide the widest opportunities for information technology and other methods of communication.
The People’s Plan
1. We will initiate measures towards a democratic, transparent, accountable and ethical system of government that will provide the environment for a strong and sustainable economic recovery, for social harmony and prosperity, and justice and equality for all. To that end, we will institute measures to:
promote national unity;
build a genuine democracy;
enhance administrative transparency and accountability;
strengthen the national economy; and
give full effect to our social contract.
A. Promote National Unity
1. We will initiate measures to build and foster unity among the various ethnic and religious groups, having as our aim the evolution of a people with the common aspiration of justice and equality for all. To that end, we will :
immediately dismantle any and all remaining practices of “divide and rule” in public administration from the days of the BN administration;
cause to be established a Ministry in charge of Non-Islamic Religious Affairs;
put in place an affirmative action programme at Federal and all State levels to eradicate poverty and marginalization from amongst the weak and backward groups irrespective of race, social background and religion;
pay special attention to the Orang Asli in the Peninsula and all the indigenous groups in Sabah and Sarawak, and amend various laws and regulations pertaining to them so that justice is served, including establishing a Commission to protect Native Customary Rights (NCR) land and to resolve disputes relating to such lands while respecting their traditions and customs;
strengthen national integration by restoring the rights and privileges that were promised to the people of Sabah and Sarawak;
establish an independent Ethnic Relations Council, reporting directly to Parliament to help in building a united Bangsa Malaysia;
establish a Commission for Shari’ah Law at the Federal level;
reduce the influence of party politics in the respective State Religious Councils, mosques and other religious institutions;
allocate land for graves and places of worship for all faiths without any discrimination;
increase inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogues to strengthen mutual understanding among the people; and
encourage the development of a Malaysian culture based on common moral values and ideals. This requires an open attitude towards the diversity of cultures of the various ethnic and sub-ethnic groups in the country, taking account of the country’s history and evolution.
B. Build A Genuine Democracy
1. Genuine democracy must provide meaningful space for the people to express their views and to participate in various processes of daily administration and not merely to voting once in five years. All interest groups must be allowed to present and debate their views. Information will be free available subject to strictly defined restrictions. To that end, we will :
repeal the Internal Security Act and and all laws that presently permit detention without trial;
form an Independent Commission to consider if any form of preventive detention laws are necessary and, if thought so, to draft a bill to provide for the same and the necessary checks and balances;
form an Independent Commission to review all acts and laws (such as the Official Secrets Act, Sedition Act, Police Act, University and University Colleges Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, etc.), with the objective of repealing whatever violates basic human rights;
take the necessary measures to ensure and safeguard the freedom of the press and the rights of peaceful assembly, expression and organisation, by amending the appropriate acts and laws and RTM will be corporatised and subject to an independent Broadcasting Commission;
ensure that the Human Rights Commission is independent and has representation from all major groups;
formulate a Freedom of Information Act to guarantee transparency and free flow of information from the government to the people;
to pass the necessary legislation to provide for local council elections;
so at to allow for more certainty in the electoral process, thereby affording to all parties participating in that process the most equitable opportunity to make preparation for the same and to remove any and all elements of surprise, make all necessary amendments to the law so that the date of dissolution of Parliament and general elections following thereafter shall respectively occur and be held every 5 years on a date or within a fixed period stipulated by law;
review and, where necessary, revise all previous redelineation of constituencies so as to ensure that differences in the numbers of registered voters in any two constituencies shall not exceed 20%;
enact a law to protect “whistle-blowers” of official misconduct and corruption;
sign and ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
improve the quality and effectiveness of human rights education at all levels of education and institutions of higher learning as well as training centres for public servants; and
improve prison administration and conditions in line with with international standards.
C. Enhance Administrative Transparency & Accountability
1.The need for more transparent governance is pressing. Transparency and accountability must be integrated into all aspects of administration, without damaging efficiency. We will work towards the decentralization of power to the local level so that state governments will be more involved in their respective states’ development. To that end, we will :
establish a Royal Commission to review the judiciary and legal administration in the country, and to recommend proposals to enhance the independence of the judiciary, to regulate appointment and sacking of judges and to end abuse of the law on contempt of court;
strengthen the authority of Parliament by a system of all-party permanent committees with the power to name the Attorney General, the Chief Justice and other judges, the Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Bank Negara, who will be appointed by the Yang diPertuan Agong according to the Constitution;
limit the term of office of the Prime Minister, the Menteri Besar and Chief Minister to two terms;
guarantee freedom of the press so that they can monitor and expose any corruption and abuse of power;
implement effectively all existing laws that presently require a public hearing before any project is implemented or any regulation amended, such as the Environmental Protection Act, property re-valuation, and so forth;
review the method of appointing members to the Senate with the objective of introducing a method which reflects the interests of all the people;
reintroduce elections for local government so that local leaders can be made accountable;
introduce an ombudsman system for a more independent and effective public complaints body;
protect by law any individual or group that exposes mismanagement, abuse of power and corruption especially at the highest levels;
make the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) an independent body protected by the constitution and directly responsible to Parliament, and headed by a prominent person of standing;
make compulsory annual public declaration of assets by the people’s representatives;
enhance the independence and authority of the Elections Commission by giving full power to Parliament to appoint the Chairman and other members of the Commission through a process of open hearing;
clean up the voter register so that it is free from “phantom” voters, “overlapping” voters and foreign citizens;
reduce the voting age for Malaysian citizens to 18 years and introduce automatic registration for all citizens;
abolish postal balloting;
restore the image and status of the Royal Malaysian Police by means of a permanent committee as the Police Commission to receive and consider petitions by the people on police behaviour;
introduce legislation so that the Attorney General will no longer be a voting member of the Pardon’s Board, but will only act as advisor and resource person to the board;
separate the lower judiciary from the legal services so that they are not both controlled by the Attorney General;
strengthen the system of checks and balances by amending all laws, such as the Printing and Publication Act etc., that presently deny the power for judicial review;
review the position, administration and implementation of the Shari’ah laws to guarantee that justice is implemented and the beliefs of the Muslims are protected;
restore the integrity of the public services, by fully utilising its expertise and experience;
recognise members of the public services as equal partners in the effort to develop the country;
institute public sector reforms to raise efficiency and improve morale, work ethics, and working conditions within the public sector;
attempt to abolish the gap in service conditions between the public and private sectors, especially among those who have equal qualifications and carry out similar functions;
narrow the salary gap between the highest, medium and lower levels to set an example to the private sector; and
encourage members of the public services to a renewed determination to serve the people and country, and not the political leaders.
D. Strengthen The National Economy
(1) Reducing the people’s burden
(a) Reduce the tax burden
Raise the level of personal income tax exemption, in addition to increasing child allowance to a reasonable level;
Raise the level of personal income tax deduction for wives who are full-time home makers in recognition of their important contribution;
Raise the level of service tax exemption to a turnover exceeding one million ringgit a year;
Review the tax system with the objective of strengthening government revenues while reducing the tax burden on the people, especially the low- and middle-income groups.
(b) Eradicate absolute poverty
Eradicate absolute poverty by the middle of the next parliamentary term;
Reduce poverty levels in the next parliamentary term to half the levels of 1999;
Improve poverty eradication programmes so that they are free from political interference and truly help the poor;
Streamline various existing poverty eradication programmes;
Narrow the income and wealth gap without infringing on legitimate rights.
(c) Assist petty traders and hawkers
End the practice of using the licensing of small traders and hawkers as a source of revenue and as a party political tool, and instead use it purely for management and regulatory purposes to safeguard the well-being and health of the people, small traders and hawkers;
Provide comfortable, clean and attractive infrastructure and facilities for hawkers.
(d) Improve public transport services
Improve the quality of public transport and reduce fares to a level commensurate with the people’s living standards;
Issue taxi permits to individual entrepreneurs and their cooperatives, rather than to large companies;
Enhance the efficiency and quality of taxi services by private entrepreneurs through the establishment of cooperatives, associations, councils and the like;
Reduce the fares of domestic flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak to promote national unity and domestic tourism;
Modernise and enhance rail services in Peninsular Malaysia;
Develop the road system in Sabah and Sarawak;
Provide suitable facilities and regulations to reduce of road accidents and enhance public road safety;
Study the possibility of new forms of public transport in the main towns to improve the quality of urban life;
Provide more orderly and reasonably-priced school services bus to reduce the burden on parents.
(2) Just economic growth
(a) enhance domestic demand and productive, not wasteful, domestic investment
Review the existing regulatory framework and address its weaknesses;
Enhance private sector corporate governance, transparency and responsibility, and end the abuse of the banking and finance sector;
Give priority to projects which generate the greatest benefit to the people, projects such as medium and low-cost housing, modernisation of the railway system, road projects in Sabah and Sarawak, and others;
Halt mega-projects which are wasteful, environmentally destructive and of little or no benefit to the people;
Enhance economic opportunities for all by giving specific emphasis and appropriate support to groups that are weak, and effective support to local businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.
Ensure that economic development is equitable and sustainable, and does not threaten social integrity or destroy the environment and natural resources;
Develop special development programmes for the poor and the low income in traditional villages, new villages and estates so that they are brought into the mainstream of development and provided with better income sources, jobs and title to land;
Ensure that special privileges are not abused to enrich only a small elite of those in power and their cronies.
(b) strengthen competitiveness, greater geographical dispersal of industry, develop resource based and hi-tech, information- and knowledge-based industries
Modernise and expand high productivity industries to increase the country’s economic competitiveness and to encourage high-value exports;
Address our technological weaknesses, in particular the technology gap between the backward and the advanced industries;
Ensure that large projects, including heavy industry projects, are managed in an integrated manner and in line with a practical industrial development master plan;
Provide incentives and greater support for small and medium-sized industries;
Encourage, by means of appropriate incentive schemes, further linkages between local, especially small and medium-sized industries, and large international corporations in order to accelerate technology transfer to local industries and increase the use of local inputs;
Support local entrepreneurs and encourage the upgrading of local skills and human resource capacity;
Utilise foreign capital, expertise, markets and technology in order to reinforce local economic fundamentals;
Enhance the role of science and technology by strengthening basic science education and developing appropriate technical training facilities;
Increase and improve the efficiency of financial allocations and other incentives for scientific and technological research and development.
(c) Strengthening small and medium-sized agriculture and fisheries
Enhance food production for the security and stability of the country;
More research in agriculture, particularly in areas of high technology, food crops and the industrial use of agricultural output;
Protect biodiversity and encourage research in biodiversity conservation and the use of natural products;
A review of FELDA, FELCRA, RISDA, MAJUIKAN and other agriculture and fisheries development agencies to improve management and technology use for the benefit of settlers, farmers and fishermen;
Restructuring government monopolies to become more efficient, effective and market-driven;
Firm implementation of laws regulating fisheries exclusion zones to protect in-shore fishermen against encroachment by large fishing vessels and trawlers which cause extensive damage to coastal fisheries resources;
Development of idle land.
(d) Information technology and economy for all
Speed-up the installation of telecommunications and electricity infrastructure nationwide and seek to reduce usage costs;
Expand information technology (IT) education in all schools, beginning with primary schools;
Develop more effective IT appreciation programmes for the general public;
Launch a “One Village, One IT Centre” programme by giving appropriate incentives to encourage the dissemination of information technology facilities to small towns and rural areas;
Make compulsory information technology infrastructure planning in all new housing schemes, including low and medium cost housing, and push for the modernisation of the infrastructure in existing housing schemes;
Negotiate with software manufacturers to obtain cheaper software for the local market.
(e) Prioritising small and medium enterprises
Establish an investment fund, under-written by the government, for the development of small and medium enterprises and allocated according to performance and not political favouritism.
(f) Reorganising the privatisation policy framework
Details of privatisation contracts to be made public in the interests of transparency. The interests of consumers and workers, and the rights of the people, will be safeguarded. All future privatisations to be conducted on the basis of competitive bids;
Ensure that public monopolies do not become private monopolies;
Basic public facilities and services – such as water, education, health and public housing – will only be corporatised to improve management but will not be privatised;
Public enterprises that have already been privatised will be monitored closely to safeguard public interests. Enterprises that have been privatised will not be re-nationalised but any invalid contracts can be terminated in the interest of the people and the country;
Establish an independent commission to audit all large privatised projects in the interests of transparency and accountability.
(g) Strengthening the financial system
encourage and promote investment and credit facilities to productive sectors and not to speculation;
rehabilitate the image, prestige and integrity of Bank Negara;
ensure that Federal expenditure is channeled particularly to enhance the standard of living of the poor, and to interior and rural areas which are still marginalised.
E. Give Full Effect To Our Social Contract
(1) Education
Education is a fundamental responsibility of the state, although private education is allowed;
Establish a National Education Consultative Council to ensure that the practice and implementation of the national education policy and philosophy is both effective and just;
Stop the privatisation of public institutions of higher learning and review the implementation of the corporatisation policy so that it adheres to the principles of education and not financial gain;
Allocate the education budget in a fair and equitable fashion, without neglecting any group;
Provide more scholarships and other financial assistance on the basis of need;
Increase nursery and kindergarten facilities, especially for the lower income group;
Guarantee access to compulsory and free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary levels;
Improve standards and facilities for schools in the interior, especially in Sabah and Sarawak;
Review the schemes of service for teachers and introduce additional incentives for serving in the interior;
Raise the standard of teacher training for all levels of schools and increase the number of trained teachers according to demand;
Increase advanced training opportunities for teachers and lecturers so that they are always current in their respective knowledge and skills;
Strengthen the position of Malay language as lingua franca among the people;
Encourage and develop the Malay language as a dynamic literary and cultural language, which is accepted and used by all communities in Malaysia;
Recognise the right to study the mother tongue like Chinese, Tamil, Iban, Kadazandusun and others in schools, and improve the implementation of policies on mother tongue education, so that it is more efficient and responsive to the demands of parents. Trained mother tongue language teachers must be supplied by government schools when at least ten students need such teachers, and the training of mother tongue teachers must be improved at teacher training colleges and public institutions of higher learning;
Retain the various language streams in primary schools while encouraging greater integration among students of different ethnic groups, for example through co-curriculum activities;
Increase the number of mother tongue schools and upgrade their facilities according to need and demand;
Improve the teaching and learning of international languages, especially English and Arabic languages;
Improve the quality of and facilities in primary and secondary religious schools;
Strengthen the position of the existing public institutions of higher learning and improve their performance;
Systematically increase the number of public institutions of higher learning without weakening the existing ones, so that more qualified students have access to higher education at minimum fees or for free;
Guarantee the autonomy and standards of universities and other institutions of higher learning by establishing a Universities Commission as an independent supervisory body, and amend the University and University Colleges Act to ensure the fundamental rights of the academic community, including students;
Provide an educational television channel to complement formal education and to encourage life-long continuing education, with the help of the private corporate sector as well as public and private educational institutions;
Widen the scope of the National Accreditation Authority to monitor, investigate and propose recognition of certificates, diplomas and degrees outside the national education system. Degrees from institutions of higher learning in Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, China and other countries, and local educational certificates such as the United Independent Schools Examination (UISE) will be considered based upon academic standards.
(2) Health
Establish a National Health Council, with the objective of protecting the interests of the people and advancing the quality of health;
Abolish all programmes to privatise the public health system;
Review the cost and quality of service of all the health support services that have been privatised;
Increase expenditure allocations for the health sector;
Restructure the scheme of service for government medical staff to be more commensurate with their work load and responsibility;
Maintain low cost healthcare services for all the people;
Establish a commission to study the deficiencies in the existing health system and to make recommendations for improving the public health system;
Monitor private medical services and check any abuses;
Establish a national centre for disease control;
Increase continuing educational and specialist training opportunities for doctors, nurses and laboratory staff;
Review the possibility of incorporating complementary healthcare menthods such as homeopathy and traditional medicine within the Malaysian health system;
Step up health promotion activities, health education, preventive measures and monitoring of diseases;
Encourage the greater involvement of women in the health sector, including training more women doctors to handle female patients.
(3) Housing
Increase the number of good and comfortable low cost houses which meet household space and environmental needs;
Overcome the “squatter” problem as quickly as possible, preferably through development of housing in situ and/or land sharing;
Mandate a system of consultations between the “squatters”, developers and the authorities to reach settlement on matters of alternative housing or land or other compensation;
Provide public facilities around flats to ensure a balanced and healthy personality development;
Carry out efforts to provide easy and cheap credit facilities to help “squatters” to buy and own their houses.
(4) Social Services
Carry out the responsibility of the government to provide comprehensive social services that are fair and efficient;
Ensure that every housing project above a particular size provide social facilities, such as playing fields, public recreational clubs, libraries and so forth, for the use of the general public;
Provide a systematic and comprehensive arrangement to protect and provide assistance to the poor, orphans and single parents;
Ensure equal opportunities for the disabled to achieve self-improvement, education, careers, social participation and the provision of the necessary facilities to enable them to be independent in all public areas, facilities and buildings.
(5) Environment
Formulate a long term sustainable development policy involving all strata of society, to promote full support from all levels of government, non-governmental organisations, political parties and the public at large;
Amend the Environmental Protection Act so that no project can be started without the approval of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and the written commitment of the project proponents to implement all provisions for mitigation, as determined by the Department of Environment, with clear procedures for providing information and for consultations in the Environmental Impact Assessment process involving the main stakeholders;
Coordinate the environmental protection laws at the state and federal levels so that enforcement and supervision can be more efficient and cost-effective;
Implement laws relating to the protection of the national heritage, and increase fines for breaching the Environmental Protection Act and laws to protect our natural heritage;
Ensure that every state gazettes a reasonable number of national parks, conservation parks, sites for new urban centres and housing development areas in its master plan;
Work towards the standardisation of laws relating to forestry and logging among the various states and establish an independent inspection system to ensure that all these laws are firmly implemented;
Encourage all the states to immediately gazette sufficient water catchment areas to meet the needs of the future;
Consult with the state governments so that they implement the existing conservation plans and provide new conservation plans wherever necessary.
(6) Consumerism and Prices
Strengthen consumer protection laws, especially those relating to price control, cost of services and their quality, particularly during festive seasons;
Review the Consumer Act so that an independent Tribunal can be established, with participation from non-governmental organisations, to identify the list of necessary products and control price increases by establishing a price index for the purpose;
Encourage the cooperative movement for production and distribution of necessary goods;
Encourage consumer organisations to be more active in raising the awareness of consumers regarding their own rights;
Regulate advertisements so that they will not degrade the dignity of women or other groups.
(7) Workers
Form a framework of tripartite consultation that is effective, just and democratic, and amend laws relating to labour, trade unions and industrial relations consistent with it;
Repeal or amend laws which restrict the right of workers to form, participate and be active in trade unions;
Review and update retrenchment benefits and study the establishment of a national retrenchment fund to help retrenched workers;
Fix a reasonable minimum monthly wage for daily paid workers;
Fix a reasonable monthly wage for estate workers and seriously implement a housing scheme for estate workers;
Provide an example for a five day work week with normal working period of not more than 40 hours a week;
Review methods of recruitment and pay for foreign workers and reduce dependency on them;
Recognise the right of trade unions and union leaders to participate in national politics;
Increase the retirement age to 60 years for the public sector, consistent with the improvement of health and life span;
Ensure equal pay and benefits for men and women doing equal work or performing similar duties;
Increase maternity leave in the public sector to 90 days and introduce leave of 7 days for the husband;
Develop programmes with the private sector for continuing education and training in order to improve flexibility, expertise and productivity of workers;
Introduce retraining programmes for retrenched workers;
Review the effectiveness of the National Institute for Work Safety and Health and overcome its deficiencies.
(8) Women
Enforce strictly laws regarding the rights, interests and dignity of women and abolish laws and regulations that discriminate against women;
Protect the rights and welfare of women who have been abandoned by their husbands without any reasonable support;
Continue payments of pensions for widows even after they remarry;
Provide creches within the community and also at places of work;
Introduce flexible working hours for working women;
Study the Women’s Agenda for Change in order to implement appropriate recommendations therein.
(9) Youth
Give encouragement and facilities to youths in order to improve their talents in the fields of arts, sports and culture;
Provide projects aimed especially at discovering leadership talent in individual, cultural, entrepreneurial and social development;
Overcome problems, such as unemployment, drug abuse, drop-out and moral questions, faced by some youths with innovative methods;
Provide greater opportunities for youths of different social backgrounds to participate in skills training and in economic projects;
Provide more effective rehabilitation centres and work opportunities for youths that have become victims of social problems, so that they can be absorbed back into the community.
(10) The elderly and pensioners
Fix a minimum pension level that will enable pensioners to sustain themselves;
Encourage pensioners who are still able to work to contribute towards national development;
Have a half fare system for the elderly and pensioners for all types of public transport;
Make it obligatory for children or close relatives to look after the aged and support such moves by tax exemptions or some other incentives;
Ensure that the elderly are given priority to go on the pilgrimage;
Encourage non-governmental organisations to develop programmes and courses for the elderly and pensioners to improve their talents, develop new skills, participate in study tours; language courses, physical education and so forth.
DEKLARASI RAKYAT
in view of the impending 12th General Elections.
This is the premier Community Service Message I am more than glad to convey to ll concerned Malaysians, across race, colour and creed, above gender and age too.
For the coming weeks, Desiderata-YL Chong would be more than happy to welcome as Guest Bloggers writing on the GE as I believe it is one of those crossroads the People must stop, ponder then act with wisdom, then hold thy tongue and bear the consequences of their action/inaction/non-action.
So for mGf dear Raja Petra, the dogged determined Blogsworld flagship director at malaysia-today.net, here's a trumpet call for all concerned parties to heed the:
PEOPLES' DECLARATION
Posted by Raja Petra
Monday, 04 February 2008
Ask the candidates and the political parties they represent to adopt this DEKLARASI RAKYAT/PEOPLE'S DECLARATION as their election pledge and promise to the voters. Better still, ask them to agree that this will be the backbone or foundation of their Election Manifesto, which must be irrevocable and which must be implemented within 12 months of the new government taking office.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
The next general election will soon be upon us. Tomorrow, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be having an audience with His Majesty The Agong. This can only mean one thing, Abdullah is going to seek The Agong's consent to dissolve Parliament.
Parliament is expected to be dissolved on 12 February 2008 followed by Nomination Day on 21 February and Polling Day on Saturday, 1 March 2008. On 1 March 2008, 10.6 million Malaysians will be able to vote in the government of their choice, although it is expected that three million Malaysians will just stay home and not bother to come out to vote, while another four million have not even registered to vote.
According to intelligence agency reports, the 12th General Election will be the first election in Malaysian history where the voters will vote based on candidates rather than parties. The right candidate will not only be crucial in determining who gets voted in but where that candidate contests will also have a bearing. As much as that candidate could be a suitable candidate, but in the wrong constituency it would be disastrous.
Who the candidates are and in which constituency they contest is up to the 22 or so political parties that will contest the election. And who gets voted in is up to the voters. But what Malaysia Today would like to do is to present the DEKLARASI RAKYAT or PEOPLES' DECLARATION to the 22 political parties that will be contesting this coming election.
DAP says, the people are the boss. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says, vote for credible candidates who are not tainted and do not vote for the political parties if they put tunggul kayu (block of wood) as candidates. Barisan Nasional says, vote in the ruling party that has been running this country for 50 years since Merdeka and has a proven track record. The opposition says, deny the ruling party its two-thirds majority so that there can be checks and balances in the government.
Whoever we ultimately vote for and for whatever reason it may be, let the rakyat have the final say in how this country is going to be run -- whoever it may be that will be running this country.
In the spirit of the people are the boss, Malaysia Today, together with friends from various civil society movements, has come out with this DEKLARASI RAKYAT or PEOPLES' DECLARATION in four languages. The 1999 AGENDA PERUBAHAN or AGENDA FOR CHANGE was used as the basis of this DEKLARASI/DECLARATION. We want you, the rakyat, to present this DEKLARASI/DECLARATION to whoever it is who may be contesting in your constituency, be they ruling party or opposition party, and tell these candidates that this is how we wish our country to be run when the new government is formed, whichever government it may be.
Ask the candidates and the political parties they represent to adopt this as their election pledge and promise to the voters. Better still, ask them to agree that this will be the backbone or foundation of their Election Manifesto, which must be irrevocable and which must be implemented within 12 months of the new government taking office.
The DEKLARASI RAKYAT or PEOPLES' DECLARATION is as below. The PDF version in FOUR languages will be uploaded over the next couple of hours. Get these circulated far and wide and tell the candidates and the political parties they represent that they will get our vote subject to their agreement and adoption of this DEKLARASI/DECLARATION.
1a) PEOPLES' VOICE (PDF IN ENGLISH)
1b) PEOPLES' DECLARATION (PDF IN ENGLISH)
2) DEKLARASI RAKYAT (PDF IN BAHASA MALAYSIA): to be uploaded later
3) PEOPLES' DECLARATION (PDF IN CHINESE): to be uploaded later
4) PEOPLES' DECLARATION (PDF IN TAMIL): to be uploaded later
The People’s Voice
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
A. We, the rakyat of Malaysia, being a people of diverse races and faiths but bonded together as one by shared history, experience and a commitment to a united Malaysia, note that:-
1. since independence up to the present, Malaysia has been governed by reference to, and with keen awareness of, race and in accordance with a race based system of power sharing within, initially, the Alliance coalition and, since the early 70s, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. This system is premised on the notional representation of the Malay, Chinese and Indian rakyat by UMNO, MCA and MIC respectively, and the other communities, including the indigenous communities in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, by the other BN coalition partners;
2. whilst the exigencies of the independence campaign and the early post-Merdeka period may have required a race-based approach to the question of governance, it has become apparent that the political arrangements that allow for such a system of governance, and the system itself, are increasingly undermining the unity that has made Malaysia an exemplar on the question of race relations. The recent concentrated efforts of the government to address issues of unity are a recognition of a need to address those features of our society that have allowed for deepening fissures, not just in matters of race relations but also of economics and the equitable distribution of wealth. The system, and all that it allows for, is one such, if not the only, key feature. Its divisiveness is the main impediment to a committed and shared effort on the part of all Malaysians to meet the challenges of our times, both within the nation, as well as in the increasingly globalizing and competitive world; and
3. though the New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced in 1970 with the principle self-dcclared aim of “eventually eradicating poverty, irrespective of race, and to undertake economic restructuring so as to eliminate the identification of ethnicity with economic function”, its implementation, within the framework of the race based system of governance, has led to a state of affairs where poverty and the inequities persist, within the Malay community as well as within other communities to an extent that it cannot be said that the NEP, and its successor policies, have successfully achieved their stated aim. The indisputable enrichment of a small community of elites, of diverse racial backgrounds, at the expense of the overwhelming majority and the creation of a belief of racial supremacy on the part of some conclusively show that it is imperative that the Malaysian system of affirmative action be seriously reconsidered. The failings of the systems in play are glaring, having a direct causal link with the following effects:
3.1 a significant percentage of the population, of diverse racial background, are still living in poverty by any definition and face serious difficulties in fulfilling the most basic of needs and expectations including the acquisition of places of residence. In particular, in the East Malaysian States of Sabah and Sarawak, some rural communities live in absolute poverty with no access to basic needs including potable and clean water, electricity, and other essential amenities;
3.2 the rising incidence of urban poverty is leading to an alarming increase in the crime rate;
3.3 the poverty cycle threatens to self perpetuate due to a lack of opportunities for higher education for those from the lower economic segment of the population
3.4 there is a serious deficiency in the quality and capability of human capital within the nation with, for this reason, a rising number of local graduates finding it difficult to find employment; and
3.5 a denial of access to opportunities has led to a growing disenfranchisement that can potentially become a serious threat to stability and the Malaysian way of life in the very near future. The system of governance having emphasized the differences amongst the racial communities, it is not unlikely that in the event of any unrest, such unrest may manifest along racial and religious lines.
B. And we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and faiths, note with grave concern, that :-
1. that the key institutions of the state have suffered a decline in their effectiveness over the years so as to have allowed for a greater concentration of power in the Executive than envisaged by the Federal Constitution and an obscuring of the systems of checks and balances considered essential for the true working of democracy;
2. that the actions of the Executive have become increasingly less transparent, and consequently less accountable, through laws though perhaps aimed at ensuring efficient of governance have allowed for a shielding from scrutiny of the various aspects of government as well as a mistaken belief that a representative form of government vests absolutely all power in the hands of the Executive and allows for control along majoritarian lines ;
3. in this way, and through majority control of Parliament, the role of Parliament has been reduced to rubber stamping the will of the Executive. The mistaken belief has resulted in the similarly mistaken rejection of the need for the debates in Parliament that will allow for a wider representation of viewpoints essential to sound decision making as envisaged by the Federal Constitution. This alarming state of affairs has been exacerbated by the erroneous belief that debates in Parliament should be shaped by the political relationships of the political parties concerned to the extent that views are rejected not on the basis of merit but on the basis of the political party of the parliamentarian espousing the view concerned. The politicizing of the processes of Parliament are amongst the key threats to democracy having allowed for the furtherance of political agendas through Parliament and the laws enacted therein. Laws must be reflective of policy and not politics;
4. the integrity of the Judiciary has similarly been compromised through the purported suborning of the Judiciary to Parliament by way of a constitutional amendment to Article 121(1) that has resulted in the declaration by the apex court that the doctrine of separation of powers is of no relevance to Malaysia even though this doctrine is a pillar of the democratic processes. The Judiciary has also been rendered in effective through a promotion and appointments process that have resulted in unmeritorious appointments and promotions to the extent that the quality and impartiality of the judicial process has become highly suspect, and confidence in the Judiciary and the Rule of Law in Malaysia has declined to serious levels, both nationally and internationally;
5. despite the Election Commission being a body established by the Federal Constitution in such a manner so as to be impartial, a vital feature of the said commission for it to fulfill its function under the Federal Constitution, the said commission has demonstrated itself as being partisan to the interests of the Barisan Nasional, in part through a general reluctance to take concrete steps towards the reforming of the electoral process into a free and fair one, in response to cogent evidence of serious deficiencies in the electoral process. In this regard, the minimal steps taken towards reforming the electoral process have been taken only with the approval of the Executive notwithstanding the clear mandate of the said commission. As a consequence, the Election Commission cannot be said to have the confidence of the people in the manner to the level expected of the said commission by the Federal Constitution. As a further consequence, it cannot be said that the rakyat fully view the electoral process as being a free and fair one;;
6. the continued use of repressive anti-expression and anti-assembly laws such as the [PPPA], the [Sedition Act] and the [Police Act] as well as the draconian Internal Security Act have allowed for the governing of the country arbitrarily, by stealth and without due accountability in a manner that has concentrated power in the Executive absolutely, Such laws have also impeded the effective voicing of opinions by civil society through the climate of fear that they have created. This has regrettably created the perception that despite being the primary stakeholders in the national interest, the rakyat have no valid say in the process of governance except through their right to vote;
7. the control of media houses through subjective issuance of permits and the imposition of conditions, and the selective presentation of news and viewpoints that this approach creates, have by denying access to varied viewpoints and news further interfered with the ability of the rakyat to form coherent and comprehensive views on matters of national interest. This hs not only skewed the processes of democracy but have also resulted in a significant part of the Malaysian community being incapable of the critical analysis that is essential for a growing democracy and a fast developing nation competing on the global stage. The rakyat have a right to information;
8. the foregoing has created an environment that encourages corruption, a state of affairs that is borne out by the increasing levels of corruption in the nation, levels that indicate that corruption is fast becoming institutional, it has not already become so. Thus far, notwithstanding the welcomed rejection and condemnation of corruption by the Prime Minister as a policy position, efforts undertaken to address corruption in having merely selectively attacked the symptoms of this disease have not successfully addressed the root causes of the same. There is a growing perception that corruption, cronyism and nepotism in all sectors of government, at the Federal and State levels as well as at the Local Government level has been on the rise over these past few years; and
9. the poverty gap is widening and many more Malaysians are now falling through the gaps of a security net that requires a reconsideration more so for the gradual liberalizing of the Malaysian market as the nation embraces the global free market. As a consequence, despite the continued economic growth of the nation an increasing number of Malaysians are being marginalized. Further, the pursuit of economic development through privatizations and other free market strategies have resulted in less priority being attached to developing the efficiency and quality of the public services with the result that standard of such services, including the civil service, healthcare, education and the Royal Malaysian Police, to name a few, have suffered a worrying decline, This has made the nation less competitive and insufficiently prepared to meet the full chanllenge of globalization.;
C. And we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and of various faiths, note with regret :-
1. that the Executive has without adequate consideration, due regard and public consultation rejected the suggestion that steps be taken to dismantling the race based system of governance, such suggestion having even been received the endorsement of Gerakan, a member party of the Barisan Nasional. Conversely, the Executive has through its inaction continued to endorse the system and the supremacist notions it allows for;
1.1 that the Executive continues to defend its position on the various matters of concern noted above by reference to the majoritarianism and its control of Parliament notwithstanding the validity of such concerns.
D. And we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and of various faiths, now declare that we :-
1. reject race-based systems of governance of the country in favour of non race-based, integrated systems of governance;
2. reject the polticising of the key organs of the state, in particular Parliament and the Judiciary;
3. we desire an independent and competent Judiciary such as that Malaysians had the benefit of prior to 1988;
4. we desire a Parliament that allows for a discharge of parliamentary function in manner contemplated by the Federal Constitution and whose members recognize that though political affiliations may have a bearing on their roles as Member of Parliament, their oath to defend, uphold and protect the Federal Constitution obliges them to place the national interest over their party interests where matters of Parliament are concerned;; and
5. desire that the policy of affirmative action be reconsidered with a view to establishing a system that ensures that the objective of poverty eradication be be achieved efficiently, effectively and inclusively. We believe that the protections afforded to the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are sufficient to protect and promote the interests of these special communities.
E. Wherefore we, the rakyat of Malaysia of all races and of various faiths, having now rejected the race-based political governance of the country and now making known our desire to have in its place a non race-based system of governance and making further known that we desire that the original aims of the NEP be immediately given effect to and implemented, now:-
1. declare our belief that a mandate for governance should be given to such individuals and political entities that recognize as legitimate the concerns and aspirations set out above; and
2. call upon all stakeholders to to come together for a better Malaysia to adopt this declaration [and the People’s Charter attached] as foundation for the governance of this nation.
The People’s Declaration
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The People’s Mission
1. We, Malaysians of all races and of various faiths, are resolute in our desire for change and are determined to give birth to a system of governance, built upon the fundamental, spiritual and ethical values that are part of the teachings of all the great religions, that:
is honest, dynamic and truly accountable;
has a truly democratic parliamentary system that represents the interests of the people;
has truly independent and clean judicial institutions;
has a police force which is professional and executes its duties in a just and fair manner, according to the tenets of law;
has a mass media that is free and not beholden to those in power;
values accountability and transparency as its fundamental elements;
respects differences of views; and
supports a dynamic, resilient and just economy which is also internationally competitive.
2. We, Malaysians of all races and of various faiths, pledge to uphold at all times the foundational principles of the Malaysian Constitution, namely:
the supremacy of the Constitution over all other laws;
the Yang DiPertuan Agong as the Constitutional monarch;
the separation of the powers of government and in particular the independence of the judiciary;
that fundamental liberties and freedoms guaranteed the rakyat shall not be interfered with, denied, or rendered illusory;
one man, one vote, both of equal value;
that Islam is the religion of the Federation, and all other religions shall be practiced in peace and harmony;
Bahasa Melayu as the national language, whilst safeguarding the unfettered right to use and learn other languages;
the special position of the Malays and the indigenous rakyat of West Malaysia, of Sabah and Sarawak, and the legitimate rights of all other races; and
A federal administrative system that fulfills its responsibilities, and protection and respect for the special position of Sabah and Sarawak.
3. We, Malaysians of all races and of various faiths, pledge to collectively :
work to create a just and prosperous Malaysian nation based on a truly democratic system of government;
protect and defend the rights and dignity of all the people and guarantee justice for all;
act to enhance economic prosperity through greater productivity, efficiency, and sound economic management in order to enable the country to face global challenges;
channel the country’s resources not only to meet the basic needs of the people but, more importantly, to ensure that the quality of life and social harmony are enhanced;
distribute wealth and opportunities fairly among all; and
develop quality social infrastructure and a clean and comfortable physical environment; enhance the quality of education, health and other social services; build mosques and other places of worship; build public parks and libraries; build arts and cultural centres; and provide the widest opportunities for information technology and other methods of communication.
The People’s Plan
1. We will initiate measures towards a democratic, transparent, accountable and ethical system of government that will provide the environment for a strong and sustainable economic recovery, for social harmony and prosperity, and justice and equality for all. To that end, we will institute measures to:
promote national unity;
build a genuine democracy;
enhance administrative transparency and accountability;
strengthen the national economy; and
give full effect to our social contract.
A. Promote National Unity
1. We will initiate measures to build and foster unity among the various ethnic and religious groups, having as our aim the evolution of a people with the common aspiration of justice and equality for all. To that end, we will :
immediately dismantle any and all remaining practices of “divide and rule” in public administration from the days of the BN administration;
cause to be established a Ministry in charge of Non-Islamic Religious Affairs;
put in place an affirmative action programme at Federal and all State levels to eradicate poverty and marginalization from amongst the weak and backward groups irrespective of race, social background and religion;
pay special attention to the Orang Asli in the Peninsula and all the indigenous groups in Sabah and Sarawak, and amend various laws and regulations pertaining to them so that justice is served, including establishing a Commission to protect Native Customary Rights (NCR) land and to resolve disputes relating to such lands while respecting their traditions and customs;
strengthen national integration by restoring the rights and privileges that were promised to the people of Sabah and Sarawak;
establish an independent Ethnic Relations Council, reporting directly to Parliament to help in building a united Bangsa Malaysia;
establish a Commission for Shari’ah Law at the Federal level;
reduce the influence of party politics in the respective State Religious Councils, mosques and other religious institutions;
allocate land for graves and places of worship for all faiths without any discrimination;
increase inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogues to strengthen mutual understanding among the people; and
encourage the development of a Malaysian culture based on common moral values and ideals. This requires an open attitude towards the diversity of cultures of the various ethnic and sub-ethnic groups in the country, taking account of the country’s history and evolution.
B. Build A Genuine Democracy
1. Genuine democracy must provide meaningful space for the people to express their views and to participate in various processes of daily administration and not merely to voting once in five years. All interest groups must be allowed to present and debate their views. Information will be free available subject to strictly defined restrictions. To that end, we will :
repeal the Internal Security Act and and all laws that presently permit detention without trial;
form an Independent Commission to consider if any form of preventive detention laws are necessary and, if thought so, to draft a bill to provide for the same and the necessary checks and balances;
form an Independent Commission to review all acts and laws (such as the Official Secrets Act, Sedition Act, Police Act, University and University Colleges Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, etc.), with the objective of repealing whatever violates basic human rights;
take the necessary measures to ensure and safeguard the freedom of the press and the rights of peaceful assembly, expression and organisation, by amending the appropriate acts and laws and RTM will be corporatised and subject to an independent Broadcasting Commission;
ensure that the Human Rights Commission is independent and has representation from all major groups;
formulate a Freedom of Information Act to guarantee transparency and free flow of information from the government to the people;
to pass the necessary legislation to provide for local council elections;
so at to allow for more certainty in the electoral process, thereby affording to all parties participating in that process the most equitable opportunity to make preparation for the same and to remove any and all elements of surprise, make all necessary amendments to the law so that the date of dissolution of Parliament and general elections following thereafter shall respectively occur and be held every 5 years on a date or within a fixed period stipulated by law;
review and, where necessary, revise all previous redelineation of constituencies so as to ensure that differences in the numbers of registered voters in any two constituencies shall not exceed 20%;
enact a law to protect “whistle-blowers” of official misconduct and corruption;
sign and ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
improve the quality and effectiveness of human rights education at all levels of education and institutions of higher learning as well as training centres for public servants; and
improve prison administration and conditions in line with with international standards.
C. Enhance Administrative Transparency & Accountability
1.The need for more transparent governance is pressing. Transparency and accountability must be integrated into all aspects of administration, without damaging efficiency. We will work towards the decentralization of power to the local level so that state governments will be more involved in their respective states’ development. To that end, we will :
establish a Royal Commission to review the judiciary and legal administration in the country, and to recommend proposals to enhance the independence of the judiciary, to regulate appointment and sacking of judges and to end abuse of the law on contempt of court;
strengthen the authority of Parliament by a system of all-party permanent committees with the power to name the Attorney General, the Chief Justice and other judges, the Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Bank Negara, who will be appointed by the Yang diPertuan Agong according to the Constitution;
limit the term of office of the Prime Minister, the Menteri Besar and Chief Minister to two terms;
guarantee freedom of the press so that they can monitor and expose any corruption and abuse of power;
implement effectively all existing laws that presently require a public hearing before any project is implemented or any regulation amended, such as the Environmental Protection Act, property re-valuation, and so forth;
review the method of appointing members to the Senate with the objective of introducing a method which reflects the interests of all the people;
reintroduce elections for local government so that local leaders can be made accountable;
introduce an ombudsman system for a more independent and effective public complaints body;
protect by law any individual or group that exposes mismanagement, abuse of power and corruption especially at the highest levels;
make the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) an independent body protected by the constitution and directly responsible to Parliament, and headed by a prominent person of standing;
make compulsory annual public declaration of assets by the people’s representatives;
enhance the independence and authority of the Elections Commission by giving full power to Parliament to appoint the Chairman and other members of the Commission through a process of open hearing;
clean up the voter register so that it is free from “phantom” voters, “overlapping” voters and foreign citizens;
reduce the voting age for Malaysian citizens to 18 years and introduce automatic registration for all citizens;
abolish postal balloting;
restore the image and status of the Royal Malaysian Police by means of a permanent committee as the Police Commission to receive and consider petitions by the people on police behaviour;
introduce legislation so that the Attorney General will no longer be a voting member of the Pardon’s Board, but will only act as advisor and resource person to the board;
separate the lower judiciary from the legal services so that they are not both controlled by the Attorney General;
strengthen the system of checks and balances by amending all laws, such as the Printing and Publication Act etc., that presently deny the power for judicial review;
review the position, administration and implementation of the Shari’ah laws to guarantee that justice is implemented and the beliefs of the Muslims are protected;
restore the integrity of the public services, by fully utilising its expertise and experience;
recognise members of the public services as equal partners in the effort to develop the country;
institute public sector reforms to raise efficiency and improve morale, work ethics, and working conditions within the public sector;
attempt to abolish the gap in service conditions between the public and private sectors, especially among those who have equal qualifications and carry out similar functions;
narrow the salary gap between the highest, medium and lower levels to set an example to the private sector; and
encourage members of the public services to a renewed determination to serve the people and country, and not the political leaders.
D. Strengthen The National Economy
(1) Reducing the people’s burden
(a) Reduce the tax burden
Raise the level of personal income tax exemption, in addition to increasing child allowance to a reasonable level;
Raise the level of personal income tax deduction for wives who are full-time home makers in recognition of their important contribution;
Raise the level of service tax exemption to a turnover exceeding one million ringgit a year;
Review the tax system with the objective of strengthening government revenues while reducing the tax burden on the people, especially the low- and middle-income groups.
(b) Eradicate absolute poverty
Eradicate absolute poverty by the middle of the next parliamentary term;
Reduce poverty levels in the next parliamentary term to half the levels of 1999;
Improve poverty eradication programmes so that they are free from political interference and truly help the poor;
Streamline various existing poverty eradication programmes;
Narrow the income and wealth gap without infringing on legitimate rights.
(c) Assist petty traders and hawkers
End the practice of using the licensing of small traders and hawkers as a source of revenue and as a party political tool, and instead use it purely for management and regulatory purposes to safeguard the well-being and health of the people, small traders and hawkers;
Provide comfortable, clean and attractive infrastructure and facilities for hawkers.
(d) Improve public transport services
Improve the quality of public transport and reduce fares to a level commensurate with the people’s living standards;
Issue taxi permits to individual entrepreneurs and their cooperatives, rather than to large companies;
Enhance the efficiency and quality of taxi services by private entrepreneurs through the establishment of cooperatives, associations, councils and the like;
Reduce the fares of domestic flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak to promote national unity and domestic tourism;
Modernise and enhance rail services in Peninsular Malaysia;
Develop the road system in Sabah and Sarawak;
Provide suitable facilities and regulations to reduce of road accidents and enhance public road safety;
Study the possibility of new forms of public transport in the main towns to improve the quality of urban life;
Provide more orderly and reasonably-priced school services bus to reduce the burden on parents.
(2) Just economic growth
(a) enhance domestic demand and productive, not wasteful, domestic investment
Review the existing regulatory framework and address its weaknesses;
Enhance private sector corporate governance, transparency and responsibility, and end the abuse of the banking and finance sector;
Give priority to projects which generate the greatest benefit to the people, projects such as medium and low-cost housing, modernisation of the railway system, road projects in Sabah and Sarawak, and others;
Halt mega-projects which are wasteful, environmentally destructive and of little or no benefit to the people;
Enhance economic opportunities for all by giving specific emphasis and appropriate support to groups that are weak, and effective support to local businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.
Ensure that economic development is equitable and sustainable, and does not threaten social integrity or destroy the environment and natural resources;
Develop special development programmes for the poor and the low income in traditional villages, new villages and estates so that they are brought into the mainstream of development and provided with better income sources, jobs and title to land;
Ensure that special privileges are not abused to enrich only a small elite of those in power and their cronies.
(b) strengthen competitiveness, greater geographical dispersal of industry, develop resource based and hi-tech, information- and knowledge-based industries
Modernise and expand high productivity industries to increase the country’s economic competitiveness and to encourage high-value exports;
Address our technological weaknesses, in particular the technology gap between the backward and the advanced industries;
Ensure that large projects, including heavy industry projects, are managed in an integrated manner and in line with a practical industrial development master plan;
Provide incentives and greater support for small and medium-sized industries;
Encourage, by means of appropriate incentive schemes, further linkages between local, especially small and medium-sized industries, and large international corporations in order to accelerate technology transfer to local industries and increase the use of local inputs;
Support local entrepreneurs and encourage the upgrading of local skills and human resource capacity;
Utilise foreign capital, expertise, markets and technology in order to reinforce local economic fundamentals;
Enhance the role of science and technology by strengthening basic science education and developing appropriate technical training facilities;
Increase and improve the efficiency of financial allocations and other incentives for scientific and technological research and development.
(c) Strengthening small and medium-sized agriculture and fisheries
Enhance food production for the security and stability of the country;
More research in agriculture, particularly in areas of high technology, food crops and the industrial use of agricultural output;
Protect biodiversity and encourage research in biodiversity conservation and the use of natural products;
A review of FELDA, FELCRA, RISDA, MAJUIKAN and other agriculture and fisheries development agencies to improve management and technology use for the benefit of settlers, farmers and fishermen;
Restructuring government monopolies to become more efficient, effective and market-driven;
Firm implementation of laws regulating fisheries exclusion zones to protect in-shore fishermen against encroachment by large fishing vessels and trawlers which cause extensive damage to coastal fisheries resources;
Development of idle land.
(d) Information technology and economy for all
Speed-up the installation of telecommunications and electricity infrastructure nationwide and seek to reduce usage costs;
Expand information technology (IT) education in all schools, beginning with primary schools;
Develop more effective IT appreciation programmes for the general public;
Launch a “One Village, One IT Centre” programme by giving appropriate incentives to encourage the dissemination of information technology facilities to small towns and rural areas;
Make compulsory information technology infrastructure planning in all new housing schemes, including low and medium cost housing, and push for the modernisation of the infrastructure in existing housing schemes;
Negotiate with software manufacturers to obtain cheaper software for the local market.
(e) Prioritising small and medium enterprises
Establish an investment fund, under-written by the government, for the development of small and medium enterprises and allocated according to performance and not political favouritism.
(f) Reorganising the privatisation policy framework
Details of privatisation contracts to be made public in the interests of transparency. The interests of consumers and workers, and the rights of the people, will be safeguarded. All future privatisations to be conducted on the basis of competitive bids;
Ensure that public monopolies do not become private monopolies;
Basic public facilities and services – such as water, education, health and public housing – will only be corporatised to improve management but will not be privatised;
Public enterprises that have already been privatised will be monitored closely to safeguard public interests. Enterprises that have been privatised will not be re-nationalised but any invalid contracts can be terminated in the interest of the people and the country;
Establish an independent commission to audit all large privatised projects in the interests of transparency and accountability.
(g) Strengthening the financial system
encourage and promote investment and credit facilities to productive sectors and not to speculation;
rehabilitate the image, prestige and integrity of Bank Negara;
ensure that Federal expenditure is channeled particularly to enhance the standard of living of the poor, and to interior and rural areas which are still marginalised.
E. Give Full Effect To Our Social Contract
(1) Education
Education is a fundamental responsibility of the state, although private education is allowed;
Establish a National Education Consultative Council to ensure that the practice and implementation of the national education policy and philosophy is both effective and just;
Stop the privatisation of public institutions of higher learning and review the implementation of the corporatisation policy so that it adheres to the principles of education and not financial gain;
Allocate the education budget in a fair and equitable fashion, without neglecting any group;
Provide more scholarships and other financial assistance on the basis of need;
Increase nursery and kindergarten facilities, especially for the lower income group;
Guarantee access to compulsory and free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary levels;
Improve standards and facilities for schools in the interior, especially in Sabah and Sarawak;
Review the schemes of service for teachers and introduce additional incentives for serving in the interior;
Raise the standard of teacher training for all levels of schools and increase the number of trained teachers according to demand;
Increase advanced training opportunities for teachers and lecturers so that they are always current in their respective knowledge and skills;
Strengthen the position of Malay language as lingua franca among the people;
Encourage and develop the Malay language as a dynamic literary and cultural language, which is accepted and used by all communities in Malaysia;
Recognise the right to study the mother tongue like Chinese, Tamil, Iban, Kadazandusun and others in schools, and improve the implementation of policies on mother tongue education, so that it is more efficient and responsive to the demands of parents. Trained mother tongue language teachers must be supplied by government schools when at least ten students need such teachers, and the training of mother tongue teachers must be improved at teacher training colleges and public institutions of higher learning;
Retain the various language streams in primary schools while encouraging greater integration among students of different ethnic groups, for example through co-curriculum activities;
Increase the number of mother tongue schools and upgrade their facilities according to need and demand;
Improve the teaching and learning of international languages, especially English and Arabic languages;
Improve the quality of and facilities in primary and secondary religious schools;
Strengthen the position of the existing public institutions of higher learning and improve their performance;
Systematically increase the number of public institutions of higher learning without weakening the existing ones, so that more qualified students have access to higher education at minimum fees or for free;
Guarantee the autonomy and standards of universities and other institutions of higher learning by establishing a Universities Commission as an independent supervisory body, and amend the University and University Colleges Act to ensure the fundamental rights of the academic community, including students;
Provide an educational television channel to complement formal education and to encourage life-long continuing education, with the help of the private corporate sector as well as public and private educational institutions;
Widen the scope of the National Accreditation Authority to monitor, investigate and propose recognition of certificates, diplomas and degrees outside the national education system. Degrees from institutions of higher learning in Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, China and other countries, and local educational certificates such as the United Independent Schools Examination (UISE) will be considered based upon academic standards.
(2) Health
Establish a National Health Council, with the objective of protecting the interests of the people and advancing the quality of health;
Abolish all programmes to privatise the public health system;
Review the cost and quality of service of all the health support services that have been privatised;
Increase expenditure allocations for the health sector;
Restructure the scheme of service for government medical staff to be more commensurate with their work load and responsibility;
Maintain low cost healthcare services for all the people;
Establish a commission to study the deficiencies in the existing health system and to make recommendations for improving the public health system;
Monitor private medical services and check any abuses;
Establish a national centre for disease control;
Increase continuing educational and specialist training opportunities for doctors, nurses and laboratory staff;
Review the possibility of incorporating complementary healthcare menthods such as homeopathy and traditional medicine within the Malaysian health system;
Step up health promotion activities, health education, preventive measures and monitoring of diseases;
Encourage the greater involvement of women in the health sector, including training more women doctors to handle female patients.
(3) Housing
Increase the number of good and comfortable low cost houses which meet household space and environmental needs;
Overcome the “squatter” problem as quickly as possible, preferably through development of housing in situ and/or land sharing;
Mandate a system of consultations between the “squatters”, developers and the authorities to reach settlement on matters of alternative housing or land or other compensation;
Provide public facilities around flats to ensure a balanced and healthy personality development;
Carry out efforts to provide easy and cheap credit facilities to help “squatters” to buy and own their houses.
(4) Social Services
Carry out the responsibility of the government to provide comprehensive social services that are fair and efficient;
Ensure that every housing project above a particular size provide social facilities, such as playing fields, public recreational clubs, libraries and so forth, for the use of the general public;
Provide a systematic and comprehensive arrangement to protect and provide assistance to the poor, orphans and single parents;
Ensure equal opportunities for the disabled to achieve self-improvement, education, careers, social participation and the provision of the necessary facilities to enable them to be independent in all public areas, facilities and buildings.
(5) Environment
Formulate a long term sustainable development policy involving all strata of society, to promote full support from all levels of government, non-governmental organisations, political parties and the public at large;
Amend the Environmental Protection Act so that no project can be started without the approval of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and the written commitment of the project proponents to implement all provisions for mitigation, as determined by the Department of Environment, with clear procedures for providing information and for consultations in the Environmental Impact Assessment process involving the main stakeholders;
Coordinate the environmental protection laws at the state and federal levels so that enforcement and supervision can be more efficient and cost-effective;
Implement laws relating to the protection of the national heritage, and increase fines for breaching the Environmental Protection Act and laws to protect our natural heritage;
Ensure that every state gazettes a reasonable number of national parks, conservation parks, sites for new urban centres and housing development areas in its master plan;
Work towards the standardisation of laws relating to forestry and logging among the various states and establish an independent inspection system to ensure that all these laws are firmly implemented;
Encourage all the states to immediately gazette sufficient water catchment areas to meet the needs of the future;
Consult with the state governments so that they implement the existing conservation plans and provide new conservation plans wherever necessary.
(6) Consumerism and Prices
Strengthen consumer protection laws, especially those relating to price control, cost of services and their quality, particularly during festive seasons;
Review the Consumer Act so that an independent Tribunal can be established, with participation from non-governmental organisations, to identify the list of necessary products and control price increases by establishing a price index for the purpose;
Encourage the cooperative movement for production and distribution of necessary goods;
Encourage consumer organisations to be more active in raising the awareness of consumers regarding their own rights;
Regulate advertisements so that they will not degrade the dignity of women or other groups.
(7) Workers
Form a framework of tripartite consultation that is effective, just and democratic, and amend laws relating to labour, trade unions and industrial relations consistent with it;
Repeal or amend laws which restrict the right of workers to form, participate and be active in trade unions;
Review and update retrenchment benefits and study the establishment of a national retrenchment fund to help retrenched workers;
Fix a reasonable minimum monthly wage for daily paid workers;
Fix a reasonable monthly wage for estate workers and seriously implement a housing scheme for estate workers;
Provide an example for a five day work week with normal working period of not more than 40 hours a week;
Review methods of recruitment and pay for foreign workers and reduce dependency on them;
Recognise the right of trade unions and union leaders to participate in national politics;
Increase the retirement age to 60 years for the public sector, consistent with the improvement of health and life span;
Ensure equal pay and benefits for men and women doing equal work or performing similar duties;
Increase maternity leave in the public sector to 90 days and introduce leave of 7 days for the husband;
Develop programmes with the private sector for continuing education and training in order to improve flexibility, expertise and productivity of workers;
Introduce retraining programmes for retrenched workers;
Review the effectiveness of the National Institute for Work Safety and Health and overcome its deficiencies.
(8) Women
Enforce strictly laws regarding the rights, interests and dignity of women and abolish laws and regulations that discriminate against women;
Protect the rights and welfare of women who have been abandoned by their husbands without any reasonable support;
Continue payments of pensions for widows even after they remarry;
Provide creches within the community and also at places of work;
Introduce flexible working hours for working women;
Study the Women’s Agenda for Change in order to implement appropriate recommendations therein.
(9) Youth
Give encouragement and facilities to youths in order to improve their talents in the fields of arts, sports and culture;
Provide projects aimed especially at discovering leadership talent in individual, cultural, entrepreneurial and social development;
Overcome problems, such as unemployment, drug abuse, drop-out and moral questions, faced by some youths with innovative methods;
Provide greater opportunities for youths of different social backgrounds to participate in skills training and in economic projects;
Provide more effective rehabilitation centres and work opportunities for youths that have become victims of social problems, so that they can be absorbed back into the community.
(10) The elderly and pensioners
Fix a minimum pension level that will enable pensioners to sustain themselves;
Encourage pensioners who are still able to work to contribute towards national development;
Have a half fare system for the elderly and pensioners for all types of public transport;
Make it obligatory for children or close relatives to look after the aged and support such moves by tax exemptions or some other incentives;
Ensure that the elderly are given priority to go on the pilgrimage;
Encourage non-governmental organisations to develop programmes and courses for the elderly and pensioners to improve their talents, develop new skills, participate in study tours; language courses, physical education and so forth.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Missionary and Mercenary Politicians in Verse (3)
Amended slightly~~
The day after:)
"We complain about the government. We complain about the Barisan Nasional hegemony. We complain about the 'Malay' government. We complain about the Umno-led government. The Chinese and Indians complain that they are being sidelined in favour of the Malays. The Malays complain they are being sidelined in favour of the Umnoputras. We complain about the unfair election system. We complain about the gerrymandering that favours the ruling party. We complain about the rampant and blatant corruption. We complain about the abuse of power and police brutality. We complain about the non-independent and biased judiciary. We complain about the cronyism and wastage of public funds. Aiyah.... you name it and we will complain about it.
But what are we doing about it?..."
from WHY I KICK ASS
by Raja Petra @malaysia-today.net
Friday 1 Feb 2008.
Be an obedient ER, GO REaD-lah IN FULL
lazy bummer me! I won't pamper (you art knot a bayi!) thee by C&P in fool:)~ Desi, knotty aSs usual:(
____________________________________
I'm penning this as I promised A Voice, who you must visit at anotherbrickonwall.blogspot.com:"Hi a voice nigh midnight:
I write this response @10.59pm
Cos i am glad to hear from myGOoDfriend
Spreading muhibbah in blogosphere to bring such gooder cheer
It's like me layering on my bread
three times spread of peanut butter
THis one I'll try to poetise later:
____________________________________
"Desi, you missed out Anwar-Wan Azizah and will Nurul Izzah also be in? "
____________________________________
In 1988 if you are not one constant saying "I don't remember"
The skies rained down lightning but no thunder
A lord president was sacked because he did not toe the line
Five brotther judges who stood firm in integrity also had to taste poison'd wine
A decade later the common people then watched a deputy premier led through heaven and hell
Numero uno told the media: "You wanna me to hug An Ibrahim to show all is well?"
A week later the deputy's crown was smashed to pieces a million
And a person's nakedness and dignity was turned to ashes and dust
Just because the head could not stand any question
From a number two and others He demanded total loyalty and trust
So Anwar I. took his supporters to the streets
UMNO was torn asunder and the country was in upheavel
Then came the General Elections of 1999
The Reformation torch was lit and Malaysians caught on fine
And in lieu of her husband now in jail
Wan Azizah took on the mantle of leading the Opposition trail
In daughter Nurul was permaturely anointed a Princess/Puteri of reformasi
Can mother-and-child lead the quest for a Malaysia re-born to regain her dignity?
Meanwhile UMNO had a change of guards and the people sighed relief
The great doctor anointed His demure deputy as successor to a N. Razak's disbelief
Just one-term the ulama-PM was supposed to serve
But the holy-golly Badawi "gentlemen's agreement" did not observe
Beloved Pak Lah in His now elevated first-year mission
Declared Public Enemy Number One on corruption
Four years later It went from below to above the table, his predecessor declared
UMNO goons are still bolting the gates after the horses have fled the stable running mad
It's now almost a decade later the 22-year-old Master has left the PWTC stage
And the reformist Parti Keadilan Rakyat is again led by adviser cum de facto leader
Will the people wake up from their slumbder
Or will they follow the forever half-asleep premier?
Will the People give Anwar a second chance?
He had paid a heavy price for his UMNO crooked past
Would six years of incarceration reform a man who fell from grace
Or he would fail because this last chance the Voters fail to embrace?
Desi can only appeal
There's still some missionary zeal
If you won't support a Leader who wishes to abolish the root of the country's ills
That is represented by the NEP -- Never-ending Policy -- exploited by the top 10 UMNOputras in their overkills
Then I say: You deserve the government you get
Masochistic Voters, Desi bids thee farewell
Vote again the Dacing if you will, my 3-parter pome I write in vain
and pain
And wit' more than a byte of regret
But if thou want a Change
"V"ote Opposition for once
At least you can't go down any lower
If Anwar and PKR-PAS-DAP can't deliver
Send them the next term to Hell and high-water
I'll help thee my EsteemedVoters to drown these false warriors
Along with the Devils in te South China Sea
Then we will quietly join the Rip van Winkle terrors
Desi will then whisper: I surrender
God then save us from masochistic woes
Into the Abyss VVe fall, each deserving the never-ending burning holes.
~~ Amen/Amin
___________________________________________________________
The day after:)
"We complain about the government. We complain about the Barisan Nasional hegemony. We complain about the 'Malay' government. We complain about the Umno-led government. The Chinese and Indians complain that they are being sidelined in favour of the Malays. The Malays complain they are being sidelined in favour of the Umnoputras. We complain about the unfair election system. We complain about the gerrymandering that favours the ruling party. We complain about the rampant and blatant corruption. We complain about the abuse of power and police brutality. We complain about the non-independent and biased judiciary. We complain about the cronyism and wastage of public funds. Aiyah.... you name it and we will complain about it.
But what are we doing about it?..."
from WHY I KICK ASS
by Raja Petra @malaysia-today.net
Friday 1 Feb 2008.
Be an obedient ER, GO REaD-lah IN FULL
lazy bummer me! I won't pamper (you art knot a bayi!) thee by C&P in fool:)~ Desi, knotty aSs usual:(
____________________________________
I'm penning this as I promised A Voice, who you must visit at anotherbrickonwall.blogspot.com:"Hi a voice nigh midnight:
I write this response @10.59pm
Cos i am glad to hear from myGOoDfriend
Spreading muhibbah in blogosphere to bring such gooder cheer
It's like me layering on my bread
three times spread of peanut butter
THis one I'll try to poetise later:
____________________________________
"Desi, you missed out Anwar-Wan Azizah and will Nurul Izzah also be in? "
____________________________________
In 1988 if you are not one constant saying "I don't remember"
The skies rained down lightning but no thunder
A lord president was sacked because he did not toe the line
Five brotther judges who stood firm in integrity also had to taste poison'd wine
A decade later the common people then watched a deputy premier led through heaven and hell
Numero uno told the media: "You wanna me to hug An Ibrahim to show all is well?"
A week later the deputy's crown was smashed to pieces a million
And a person's nakedness and dignity was turned to ashes and dust
Just because the head could not stand any question
From a number two and others He demanded total loyalty and trust
So Anwar I. took his supporters to the streets
UMNO was torn asunder and the country was in upheavel
Then came the General Elections of 1999
The Reformation torch was lit and Malaysians caught on fine
And in lieu of her husband now in jail
Wan Azizah took on the mantle of leading the Opposition trail
In daughter Nurul was permaturely anointed a Princess/Puteri of reformasi
Can mother-and-child lead the quest for a Malaysia re-born to regain her dignity?
Meanwhile UMNO had a change of guards and the people sighed relief
The great doctor anointed His demure deputy as successor to a N. Razak's disbelief
Just one-term the ulama-PM was supposed to serve
But the holy-golly Badawi "gentlemen's agreement" did not observe
Beloved Pak Lah in His now elevated first-year mission
Declared Public Enemy Number One on corruption
Four years later It went from below to above the table, his predecessor declared
UMNO goons are still bolting the gates after the horses have fled the stable running mad
It's now almost a decade later the 22-year-old Master has left the PWTC stage
And the reformist Parti Keadilan Rakyat is again led by adviser cum de facto leader
Will the people wake up from their slumbder
Or will they follow the forever half-asleep premier?
Will the People give Anwar a second chance?
He had paid a heavy price for his UMNO crooked past
Would six years of incarceration reform a man who fell from grace
Or he would fail because this last chance the Voters fail to embrace?
Desi can only appeal
There's still some missionary zeal
If you won't support a Leader who wishes to abolish the root of the country's ills
That is represented by the NEP -- Never-ending Policy -- exploited by the top 10 UMNOputras in their overkills
Then I say: You deserve the government you get
Masochistic Voters, Desi bids thee farewell
Vote again the Dacing if you will, my 3-parter pome I write in vain
and pain
And wit' more than a byte of regret
But if thou want a Change
"V"ote Opposition for once
At least you can't go down any lower
If Anwar and PKR-PAS-DAP can't deliver
Send them the next term to Hell and high-water
I'll help thee my EsteemedVoters to drown these false warriors
Along with the Devils in te South China Sea
Then we will quietly join the Rip van Winkle terrors
Desi will then whisper: I surrender
God then save us from masochistic woes
Into the Abyss VVe fall, each deserving the never-ending burning holes.
~~ Amen/Amin
___________________________________________________________
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Missionary and Mercenary Politicians in Verse (2)
desiderata.english
Today I was supposed to tag-along "A Voice" on a Goodwill Hunting.While the body is willing, the spirit protesteth, so Can I ask for mGf from whose VVall I stol' a B/:rick a week back to be Miss Patience, for goodwill also requires one to be Virtuous, yes?
Backgrounding:
A Voice said...
"Hi
I had written on something that touched my religous sensitivity but came to realised that it is an issue of muhibbah among the various races and religions.
I like to get others to discuss it so I am creating a tag to hear your view on an aspect of Muhibbah and how we as individual can promote Muhibbah. Tag at least 2 others after you're finished.
You can read mine and the simple tag rules here."
1:26 AM
11:20 PM
desiderata said...
a Voice midnight no Amore
thy tag wit' VK-tion I'll tarry
it's for a good cause like muhibbah
I'll ponder, saunter and yonder
I'll LOL I'll he he he and oso Ha ha ha:):):)
___________ Ends Bacgrounder _____________________
This eveing (it's 5.32pm as I type this time and there's swirling dark clouds overhead), I like to express in prose so you can read YL Chong better (Had I indulged in DDC, it would ead Beatles-Hey Jude style, "badder" but Desi promised exquisite English, so a genteelman's word is his bond, not James". Hope tou followeth Dei so far; even if you don't, it does not matter. So long as you pay for the next round of DIM sum, it maketh thee as Host brighter and the Guests dimmer.
However, I warn unwitting Malaysians not to venture to Mambau, NS, for the best Tai Pau in the world. If you have seen Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd -- or was it sweetest tooth? -- you have encounter some demonish recipe next to the barber shop. And some unlucky patrons adventurous or curious enough to pop into the kitche to see WHY the tai pau en=mits such fragrance, they may find themselves not appearing from the kitchen -- making their delicious way into the swirling flour or boiling pot.
Before I start the Post proper, let be detour to another dim sum ~~ Sdr Din Merican had a tale to tell.
"I was then in incorporate world and entertaining a Chinese delgation in Singapore at a upmarket restaurant (Yeah, I believe it's a booming stockk market time!). When one dish appeare, it caught my foreign guests, all nn-Muslims, by surprise.
"On the table with its big nostril cooked to a shining pinkish red was a suckling piglet.
'Why, Mr Din, you should not have ordered this dish,' the guests were quite direct in observation.
"No," the host (Din) replied, "You are my guests. What pleases my guests is more important than what is convenient to the host," he gently smiled.
Ah, that's the type of muhibbah I would like to serve next Sunday, dear A VOICE, midnight ke?
Emerging from Digression, which is a privilege of Bloggers to abuse, so if you are a non-Blogger, please get on board -- but still, don't enter that Mambau kitchen! -- and your Sundays will improve with time as you get as long-winded as Desi.
Okay, now bantering with thee in verse again, hence that (2) in header:
Oppositionist Opportunists
I have on and off dabbled in Opposition partisan politics
I still believe, despite all the Mission Statments they preach
It's mostly in vain, in pain and worse yet, in selfish gain
PAS with its didactic Islam or else
You promise Heaven as the ultimate prize
But many humans prefer hell and the virgins available in the present cell
So can ye party heads pull apart he State and Religion, please tell
As for DAP, its well-meaning original pact with the people
To build a Better Malaysia for All Malaysians
Have been hijacked by two Fathers and Sons to create dynasties
To serve their parties as Sdn Bhd and call the lords Hi Majesties
And their students after carrying balls to be elevated
For greener pastures in MCAA they departed
You don't believe Desi?
To Furong then thou shalt tarry
A Cowboi Hu hydeing in his lubang
After declaring he's a fighter huge and mighty
Also ask to see one Tiger Lee
He baed g=his fangs and teeth
It's just for all to see
Then he adjourn'd for Eat Drink and Be Merry partee
And another sidekick Khoo Songkok
He tried to follow the Tigress' crawl
The constituents now wiser got fedup with his ways so bengkok
They buried him and show'd him the writin' on the tombstone vvall
Such are mercenary wakil rakayt from DAPP
The latest was Lim Fart Ming
After bluffing the voters he's Bahau king
Hey, "V"oters in the coming election
Show him the midddle finger and downwards direction
So, what's the deal mate?
Wait for Desi to get some Inspiration
Make Monday or Tuesday me a date
I'll try to dish thee some goode medicine
Today I was supposed to tag-along "A Voice" on a Goodwill Hunting.While the body is willing, the spirit protesteth, so Can I ask for mGf from whose VVall I stol' a B/:rick a week back to be Miss Patience, for goodwill also requires one to be Virtuous, yes?
Backgrounding:
A Voice said...
"Hi
I had written on something that touched my religous sensitivity but came to realised that it is an issue of muhibbah among the various races and religions.
I like to get others to discuss it so I am creating a tag to hear your view on an aspect of Muhibbah and how we as individual can promote Muhibbah. Tag at least 2 others after you're finished.
You can read mine and the simple tag rules here."
1:26 AM
11:20 PM
desiderata said...
a Voice midnight no Amore
thy tag wit' VK-tion I'll tarry
it's for a good cause like muhibbah
I'll ponder, saunter and yonder
I'll LOL I'll he he he and oso Ha ha ha:):):)
___________ Ends Bacgrounder _____________________
This eveing (it's 5.32pm as I type this time and there's swirling dark clouds overhead), I like to express in prose so you can read YL Chong better (Had I indulged in DDC, it would ead Beatles-Hey Jude style, "badder" but Desi promised exquisite English, so a genteelman's word is his bond, not James". Hope tou followeth Dei so far; even if you don't, it does not matter. So long as you pay for the next round of DIM sum, it maketh thee as Host brighter and the Guests dimmer.
However, I warn unwitting Malaysians not to venture to Mambau, NS, for the best Tai Pau in the world. If you have seen Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd -- or was it sweetest tooth? -- you have encounter some demonish recipe next to the barber shop. And some unlucky patrons adventurous or curious enough to pop into the kitche to see WHY the tai pau en=mits such fragrance, they may find themselves not appearing from the kitchen -- making their delicious way into the swirling flour or boiling pot.
Before I start the Post proper, let be detour to another dim sum ~~ Sdr Din Merican had a tale to tell.
"I was then in incorporate world and entertaining a Chinese delgation in Singapore at a upmarket restaurant (Yeah, I believe it's a booming stockk market time!). When one dish appeare, it caught my foreign guests, all nn-Muslims, by surprise.
"On the table with its big nostril cooked to a shining pinkish red was a suckling piglet.
'Why, Mr Din, you should not have ordered this dish,' the guests were quite direct in observation.
"No," the host (Din) replied, "You are my guests. What pleases my guests is more important than what is convenient to the host," he gently smiled.
Ah, that's the type of muhibbah I would like to serve next Sunday, dear A VOICE, midnight ke?
Emerging from Digression, which is a privilege of Bloggers to abuse, so if you are a non-Blogger, please get on board -- but still, don't enter that Mambau kitchen! -- and your Sundays will improve with time as you get as long-winded as Desi.
Okay, now bantering with thee in verse again, hence that (2) in header:
Oppositionist Opportunists
I have on and off dabbled in Opposition partisan politics
I still believe, despite all the Mission Statments they preach
It's mostly in vain, in pain and worse yet, in selfish gain
PAS with its didactic Islam or else
You promise Heaven as the ultimate prize
But many humans prefer hell and the virgins available in the present cell
So can ye party heads pull apart he State and Religion, please tell
As for DAP, its well-meaning original pact with the people
To build a Better Malaysia for All Malaysians
Have been hijacked by two Fathers and Sons to create dynasties
To serve their parties as Sdn Bhd and call the lords Hi Majesties
And their students after carrying balls to be elevated
For greener pastures in MCAA they departed
You don't believe Desi?
To Furong then thou shalt tarry
A Cowboi Hu hydeing in his lubang
After declaring he's a fighter huge and mighty
Also ask to see one Tiger Lee
He baed g=his fangs and teeth
It's just for all to see
Then he adjourn'd for Eat Drink and Be Merry partee
And another sidekick Khoo Songkok
He tried to follow the Tigress' crawl
The constituents now wiser got fedup with his ways so bengkok
They buried him and show'd him the writin' on the tombstone vvall
Such are mercenary wakil rakayt from DAPP
The latest was Lim Fart Ming
After bluffing the voters he's Bahau king
Hey, "V"oters in the coming election
Show him the midddle finger and downwards direction
So, what's the deal mate?
Wait for Desi to get some Inspiration
Make Monday or Tuesday me a date
I'll try to dish thee some goode medicine
Friday, February 01, 2008
Missionary and Mercenary Politicians in Verse
YL Chong the political writer in me has lately been on semi-VKtion pondering long (partially living up to my name) and hard (which is not part of my character and hence I don't fare well in the political arena) on Malaysian political landscape and its political inhabitants. I caught up wit' mGf Saudara Din Merican yesterday for Dim Sum lunch at Nikko Hotel and VVe exchanged some P&C notes about PKR poliiotics which I won't detail here. You buy Desi and Sdr Din another dim some and we'll try to make the environment switch from dim to bright.
Some hints given in verse, so please tax thy God's gifted
unique mind of yours and make thyself useful or usefool.
Malaysian voters are masochistic
In the main.
They don't like the BN menu
So they gripe, groan and keep the ilks of Mike Chong seemingly busy
and rendering great public service
Such are actually welfare officers
Self-proclaimed do-gooders against a-long and now-move-thee-along
Enjoying name and fame helping out Malaysians
from self-inflicted pain, medically conditoned as masochists
After the cosntant coffe-shop or tehtarik mamak stalling and complaining
they enter the Polling Booth
mark against the Dacing
and give the Opposition the Boot
I'm no trained psychologist
but reading books by the pome and tome
I grade such Voters as masochists
They then lambast both the government of the day
and the Opposition on the die
That all wakil rakyat have let them down
They -- how cows -- are the only ones wit'
the wits about them
Their Vote for Dacing is for the Devil they know
Than try out one term wit' PKR-DAP-PAS who are devils in the deep blue sea
Now you know why I call Thee masochist, do you see?
One eye-closed, both eyes shut
What's the diff?
Led by numero uno
E'en asleep on the standing at offficial function
I call Thee "masochist" -- I got thy attention:(
desi: TO BE CONTINUED IF I AM ALSO INCLINED TOWARDS A BYTE OF MASOCHISM. So come back -- like oliver or Olivia Twist or twisted -- for more or aMore, a slight difference between masochism and love, for pain or gain, or bordering on suffering from Doomsday Syndrome.
Some hints given in verse, so please tax thy God's gifted
unique mind of yours and make thyself useful or usefool.
Malaysian voters are masochistic
In the main.
They don't like the BN menu
So they gripe, groan and keep the ilks of Mike Chong seemingly busy
and rendering great public service
Such are actually welfare officers
Self-proclaimed do-gooders against a-long and now-move-thee-along
Enjoying name and fame helping out Malaysians
from self-inflicted pain, medically conditoned as masochists
After the cosntant coffe-shop or tehtarik mamak stalling and complaining
they enter the Polling Booth
mark against the Dacing
and give the Opposition the Boot
I'm no trained psychologist
but reading books by the pome and tome
I grade such Voters as masochists
They then lambast both the government of the day
and the Opposition on the die
That all wakil rakyat have let them down
They -- how cows -- are the only ones wit'
the wits about them
Their Vote for Dacing is for the Devil they know
Than try out one term wit' PKR-DAP-PAS who are devils in the deep blue sea
Now you know why I call Thee masochist, do you see?
One eye-closed, both eyes shut
What's the diff?
Led by numero uno
E'en asleep on the standing at offficial function
I call Thee "masochist" -- I got thy attention:(
desi: TO BE CONTINUED IF I AM ALSO INCLINED TOWARDS A BYTE OF MASOCHISM. So come back -- like oliver or Olivia Twist or twisted -- for more or aMore, a slight difference between masochism and love, for pain or gain, or bordering on suffering from Doomsday Syndrome.
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