Just to prove to some doubting Thomases about this scribe's claim to being not 100% a Banana. Today I bring thee a news headline from the only paper available in town ~~ Tung Fang Jih Pau (Oriental Daily News) frontpage:
"I don't need to apologise" said Dr Ling Liong Sik, in an EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with the paper who never sleeps.
If you expect Desi to provide a translation or precis of the said news, please wait the Kart Lembu to deliver It (a slight adaptation of Till the cows come home...) because this poor, mousey writer can't afford DHL.
Now go pay RM1.30 for a copy; furthermore, you can start that journey to lerning some Mandarin and prove to the world -- like Anak Merdeka -- you can appreciate Li Bai's poems in the original script. I of course AP2 in Black as well as in White, and I go a 1,000 Li doing It! This is of course another adaptation of a Chinese sying THAT a journey of 1,000 Li starts with one small step.
Confess, though it's not Sundae yet: I am promoting this li'l marketing effort NOT totally out of altruism, but in AP. I know one mGf who is closely Associated with the paper, not AP (which is for Approved Permit, or Associated Press); Desi's for APpreciation:).
DESI: In passing, just recall that this ex-MCA president once sent in a resignation letter as Transport Minister, saying it was a "irrevocable" decision. He left for a hiatus in Perth, Australia, came back with an Epiphanic awakening ~~ irrevocable became a Go-stan, don't you remember? Continued to listen to the Chinese community, he said, who wanted him so much to serve them he withdrew that R letter. So you contiued to enjoy the A*Ride ... transport miniSTER in word and deed. Now his pet son Ling "EAt, Drink and Be Merry" will continue with those Rides, A* or X* now? Let's wait and see, he wants MC Youths to become Instant millionaires. Not bad ~~ leaderSHIP/s by example, LISTing, anyone?
Now we have got the formalities out of the way, here's a reprinting of my central message of Malaysiana 1,001 k-Nights stories we have been seeing lots of being realised, to prove that Indeed, FACT IS STRANGER THAN FICTION, in some fanny land.
ORI:
You see the speck in thy neighbour's eYe but not the plank in one's own eye.
ADaptation for the Politikus' benefit:
You see the chicken in thy neighbour's backyard but not the bull in one's frontyard.
A poor satay hawker with licence has his stall demolished for a minor By-law infringement after two days' notice from the Town Council.
The State Exco builds a palatial mansion with no planning or zoning approvals (out-law?) is allowed to enjoy high and rarified residence with a mere slap on the wrist, and some warning love letters.
You blardy commoner suspected of a minor bribe offence is put under jailhouse rock conditions for longterm interrogation.
But taiko politikus and son are invied to a hotel suite for quiet discussin on blatantly outrageous breachess of the law ... Oh, he's not yet a suspect.
'Semuanya Okay!' -- MB
"Semuanya Tak Okay!" ~~ Retort by (..)
Rakyat: BUT WHAT THE HELLLA ARE YOU DOING ABOUT it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WISHING ALL OUR READERS
OF THE HINDU FAITH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"AP Deepavali
"HAP Deepavali
"HAPPY DEEPAVALI!"
Have a Safe, and Enjoyable A*Ride Home...
Drive with Caress in mind/e...
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
A faerie tale with AP Ending
Among Desi's green fields of forest, trees and bushes, and yes, flowers like when I need to send a boucake of SE7EN DAFFODILS is Primrose's Bloom, Flower, Bloom @primroses.blogpsot.com. She seems like A Li'l Girl Lost recently, and hence spoke her mind of yesterday's fairie tails2:
"Usually fairy tales have happy ending. How come this one doesn't? I didn't know.
You don't break fast with a pulled tea now??
By Primrose, at 7:22 PM "
Part of my response is as follows ~~
Primrose:
I tried vely hard to spin a AP ending, butt the Malaysian players refuse to cooperate. They co-opt thee, then try to CoPuLate, butt Desi doesn't play A-long...
:
:
PS: Hey, I'm steal on TheTarik!:(Some leggy ones prefer I switch to CafeChinoRoserie:)
By desiderata, at 8:28 PM "
So to oblige on a Friday -- which traditionally is for gifting and l'ving! -- I am spinning (ADAPTED, K!) a Love-Is-Not-Bind fairie tale witha traditional AP Ending, because some ER dared ars'(k) for It!
NOTE that the following is an adaptation of a widely-circulated Email story entitled "Love is blind" - if the ORI creator can coe forward with authnticated ownership, I would salute him/her/in-between with a golden goblet of TehTarik, with Miss Sunthi thrown in, or an additional option for Aromatic&fragrant (C)CafeChinoroseriefrom Cheras, KL.
Here comes or goes or into thin airie fairie, whatever, we are teetotally democratic at Desi's:)
"There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she's blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He's always there
for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would
marry her boyfriend.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her, and when she opened her eyes after surgery, she can see!
She looks at the mirror, and realises she can only see with her right eye. The eye on the right appears like a glass ball embedded in her doe's eye.
Then she looks at everything around her, and she feels she's in heaven. Everyting appears three-dimensional. So beautiful.
She then sets eyes on her boyfriend. The girl was initially shocked when she saw that her boyfriend is partially blind too. Like her, he's having only one regular eye on the left. His right eye is like hers -- a glassy one.
Her boyfriend asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?"
"Before I give my answer, please tell me why all your family members have two regular eyes each? How come, BF, you also have one glass eye like me?"
With tears streaming down his left eye, the BF replied: "I donated one yes to you, my loved one, so you can see. Just take care of my socialist eye, dear."
Of course, they married and l'ved AP-ily ever after, with lots of bloom, flowers, bloom, streaming, dreaming, creaming with Daffodils and Marigolds in their Gardnern called L'VE. ~~ Desi @11.53AM, Oct 20, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To make my ER AP, AP, SEmuanya AP! ~~~~~~~
A CONTRASTING FAIRIE TAIL (Contd from yesterday, with a suggested Traditional AP Ending, can?)
This news report is from theSun's Webedition; its print edition is on the frontpage today. I advise you pay 30sen to read more interesting bites with fishhead-turning-churnig-burning
headlines like "Ling owes party and Chinese apology: Ah Lek"(Page 1)
and "45 groups voice objection to deal" (Page 2),
PLUS, yes, that Guy Again!
"Zakaria's satay stall illegal: Council chief"(Page 4)
See, you people can't say Bumiputeras did not receive aids under the NEP!
Someone is proving hiself as a humble satay seller,a house-cum-mansion builder, and a dedicated Councillor. He's here, there, everywhere, serving you people in the "most developed" prescinct in NegaraKu. A house, a palace, even a hawker stall. Truly, a Man of All Seasons.
I'm sorry you can't or you won't get the juiciness of the above brewing teas and coffees in self-claimed The People's People.
What do you expect when an MSM is in the control of a political party?
This can be both a rhetorical and NON-rhetorical question: I'm also cafetotally democratic. You pick your own Drink, Eat and Be AP!
Unacceptable!
KEPALA BATAS (Oct 19,2006): The action of the Port Klang Assemblyman who built his mansion without planning permission has roused the ire of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Acknowledging the people's anger with Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros, he said the Selangor government will act according to the relevant laws.
"From the people's perspective, this action is not acceptable as we are the ruling government and he holds a position representing the government," he said.
"Of course, the people will be unhappy about this. Even if he wanted to do (build his mansion), he should have obtained permission. When he went ahead to build without permission, of course people will be upset and angry about such incidents."
Zakaria, who was slated to be reappointed Klang Municipal Councillor, is building the four-storey mansion among low-cost houses in Pandamaran on land alienated to his wife. The swearing-in ceremony has since been postponed till after Hari Raya.
He also owed annual assessment for his existing house, which occupies two lots, for 12 years, amounting to RM5,433.60.
It is learnt that Zakaria paid up all assessment he and two Umno offices owed to the council. A council official said Zakaria's representative issued a cheque yesterday afternoon for RM46,118.60, reports Terence Fernandez.
Zakaria paid up following a warning by Klang Municipal Council president Abdul Bakir Zin that he should settle the arrears or face seizure of his property.
Asked about this earlier, Abdullah said Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo briefed him on Tuesday on actions that would be taken against Zakaria, who had also been informed.
"I leave it to him (Khir) to take the appropriate action against Zakaria according to the necessary laws," he said.
(On Wednesday, Khir said Zakaria could be fined only 10 times the submission fee of RM2,400 for not getting planning permission).
Asked if Umno would act against Zakaria since it was the party who appointed him to the council, the Umno president said the offences committed by Zakaria were not related to party matters, but were against local government laws.
Asked for his views on the report that three members of the same family (Zakaria, his son and his daughter-in-law) would be appointed to the MPK, Abdullah said: "This is usually left to the council and state government to decide. There is nothing wrong if all of them have the necessary qualifications to serve in the council.
"However, they must ensure that while serving, they must not be involved in decisions related to the family. Khir informed me that all three of them have the necessary criteria to serve."
In Putrajaya, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who chairs the cabinet committee on local government, said the government will review the appointment of family members to one local council. He said such a thing had never happened and the government would evaluate the situation.
"We will have to review this thing, of certain local councils having many of their family members in it," he said after chairing the first cabinet committee meeting on investment.
On Wednesday, Khir had said there was nothing prohibiting law-breakers (as in failure to submit building plans) from becoming councillors and the political system allowed those who hold party positions to be made councillors.
Zakaria's daughter in-law is slated to serve a second term and his son is to be appointed councillor.
DESI'S fairy tale ending:
*******Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi orders Khir Toyo to order the local council to immediately demolish the masnsion that Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros has built.
It's equally UNACCEPTABLE to the Rakyat that he only said: ""I leave it to him (Khir) to take the appropriate action against Zakaria according to the necessary laws," he said.
*******Next, Pak Lah must order that all the three members of the Zakaria family NOT to be re- appointed KLang Municiapl councillors. It's NOT just the law allowing it, or UMNO prodcedure and traditions. IT'S THE ETHICS, you ......... (I allow my ER the privilege to fill in the blanks here. You can let off steam-lah. Also, it's again democracy in motion at Desi's:)
*******Next, Pak Lah must tell Zakaria to hand in his RESIGNATION LETTER, failing which, UMNO must "sack" him -- to demostrate that the PM means every word he promised at the 2004 GE -- Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency in Governance.
PS: I think Desi will rest his case here because an overdose of AP endings may just put my ER into a state of Reverie. We may all wake up as Rip, Vain, Winkle @2401 hours. Hey, I need to get back to earning my B&B, throw in some kaya some times with the Good Lord's blessings. He's listening you know, all the time; but I don't know about our esteemed PM, Pak Lah.
"Usually fairy tales have happy ending. How come this one doesn't? I didn't know.
You don't break fast with a pulled tea now??
By Primrose, at 7:22 PM "
Part of my response is as follows ~~
Primrose:
I tried vely hard to spin a AP ending, butt the Malaysian players refuse to cooperate. They co-opt thee, then try to CoPuLate, butt Desi doesn't play A-long...
:
:
PS: Hey, I'm steal on TheTarik!:(Some leggy ones prefer I switch to CafeChinoRoserie:)
By desiderata, at 8:28 PM "
So to oblige on a Friday -- which traditionally is for gifting and l'ving! -- I am spinning (ADAPTED, K!) a Love-Is-Not-Bind fairie tale witha traditional AP Ending, because some ER dared ars'(k) for It!
NOTE that the following is an adaptation of a widely-circulated Email story entitled "Love is blind" - if the ORI creator can coe forward with authnticated ownership, I would salute him/her/in-between with a golden goblet of TehTarik, with Miss Sunthi thrown in, or an additional option for Aromatic&fragrant (C)CafeChinoroseriefrom Cheras, KL.
Here comes or goes or into thin airie fairie, whatever, we are teetotally democratic at Desi's:)
"There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she's blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He's always there
for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would
marry her boyfriend.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her, and when she opened her eyes after surgery, she can see!
She looks at the mirror, and realises she can only see with her right eye. The eye on the right appears like a glass ball embedded in her doe's eye.
Then she looks at everything around her, and she feels she's in heaven. Everyting appears three-dimensional. So beautiful.
She then sets eyes on her boyfriend. The girl was initially shocked when she saw that her boyfriend is partially blind too. Like her, he's having only one regular eye on the left. His right eye is like hers -- a glassy one.
Her boyfriend asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?"
"Before I give my answer, please tell me why all your family members have two regular eyes each? How come, BF, you also have one glass eye like me?"
With tears streaming down his left eye, the BF replied: "I donated one yes to you, my loved one, so you can see. Just take care of my socialist eye, dear."
Of course, they married and l'ved AP-ily ever after, with lots of bloom, flowers, bloom, streaming, dreaming, creaming with Daffodils and Marigolds in their Gardnern called L'VE. ~~ Desi @11.53AM, Oct 20, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To make my ER AP, AP, SEmuanya AP! ~~~~~~~
A CONTRASTING FAIRIE TAIL (Contd from yesterday, with a suggested Traditional AP Ending, can?)
This news report is from theSun's Webedition; its print edition is on the frontpage today. I advise you pay 30sen to read more interesting bites with fishhead-turning-churnig-burning
headlines like "Ling owes party and Chinese apology: Ah Lek"(Page 1)
and "45 groups voice objection to deal" (Page 2),
PLUS, yes, that Guy Again!
"Zakaria's satay stall illegal: Council chief"(Page 4)
See, you people can't say Bumiputeras did not receive aids under the NEP!
Someone is proving hiself as a humble satay seller,a house-cum-mansion builder, and a dedicated Councillor. He's here, there, everywhere, serving you people in the "most developed" prescinct in NegaraKu. A house, a palace, even a hawker stall. Truly, a Man of All Seasons.
I'm sorry you can't or you won't get the juiciness of the above brewing teas and coffees in self-claimed The People's People.
What do you expect when an MSM is in the control of a political party?
This can be both a rhetorical and NON-rhetorical question: I'm also cafetotally democratic. You pick your own Drink, Eat and Be AP!
Unacceptable!
KEPALA BATAS (Oct 19,2006): The action of the Port Klang Assemblyman who built his mansion without planning permission has roused the ire of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Acknowledging the people's anger with Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros, he said the Selangor government will act according to the relevant laws.
"From the people's perspective, this action is not acceptable as we are the ruling government and he holds a position representing the government," he said.
"Of course, the people will be unhappy about this. Even if he wanted to do (build his mansion), he should have obtained permission. When he went ahead to build without permission, of course people will be upset and angry about such incidents."
Zakaria, who was slated to be reappointed Klang Municipal Councillor, is building the four-storey mansion among low-cost houses in Pandamaran on land alienated to his wife. The swearing-in ceremony has since been postponed till after Hari Raya.
He also owed annual assessment for his existing house, which occupies two lots, for 12 years, amounting to RM5,433.60.
It is learnt that Zakaria paid up all assessment he and two Umno offices owed to the council. A council official said Zakaria's representative issued a cheque yesterday afternoon for RM46,118.60, reports Terence Fernandez.
Zakaria paid up following a warning by Klang Municipal Council president Abdul Bakir Zin that he should settle the arrears or face seizure of his property.
Asked about this earlier, Abdullah said Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo briefed him on Tuesday on actions that would be taken against Zakaria, who had also been informed.
"I leave it to him (Khir) to take the appropriate action against Zakaria according to the necessary laws," he said.
(On Wednesday, Khir said Zakaria could be fined only 10 times the submission fee of RM2,400 for not getting planning permission).
Asked if Umno would act against Zakaria since it was the party who appointed him to the council, the Umno president said the offences committed by Zakaria were not related to party matters, but were against local government laws.
Asked for his views on the report that three members of the same family (Zakaria, his son and his daughter-in-law) would be appointed to the MPK, Abdullah said: "This is usually left to the council and state government to decide. There is nothing wrong if all of them have the necessary qualifications to serve in the council.
"However, they must ensure that while serving, they must not be involved in decisions related to the family. Khir informed me that all three of them have the necessary criteria to serve."
In Putrajaya, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who chairs the cabinet committee on local government, said the government will review the appointment of family members to one local council. He said such a thing had never happened and the government would evaluate the situation.
"We will have to review this thing, of certain local councils having many of their family members in it," he said after chairing the first cabinet committee meeting on investment.
On Wednesday, Khir had said there was nothing prohibiting law-breakers (as in failure to submit building plans) from becoming councillors and the political system allowed those who hold party positions to be made councillors.
Zakaria's daughter in-law is slated to serve a second term and his son is to be appointed councillor.
DESI'S fairy tale ending:
*******Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi orders Khir Toyo to order the local council to immediately demolish the masnsion that Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros has built.
It's equally UNACCEPTABLE to the Rakyat that he only said: ""I leave it to him (Khir) to take the appropriate action against Zakaria according to the necessary laws," he said.
*******Next, Pak Lah must order that all the three members of the Zakaria family NOT to be re- appointed KLang Municiapl councillors. It's NOT just the law allowing it, or UMNO prodcedure and traditions. IT'S THE ETHICS, you ......... (I allow my ER the privilege to fill in the blanks here. You can let off steam-lah. Also, it's again democracy in motion at Desi's:)
*******Next, Pak Lah must tell Zakaria to hand in his RESIGNATION LETTER, failing which, UMNO must "sack" him -- to demostrate that the PM means every word he promised at the 2004 GE -- Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency in Governance.
PS: I think Desi will rest his case here because an overdose of AP endings may just put my ER into a state of Reverie. We may all wake up as Rip, Vain, Winkle @2401 hours. Hey, I need to get back to earning my B&B, throw in some kaya some times with the Good Lord's blessings. He's listening you know, all the time; but I don't know about our esteemed PM, Pak Lah.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Two homespun fairie tails
Sisdar Helen@allofhelen.blogspot.com flippantly 50% and seriously 50% asked Desi jest days ago:
Why the sudden obsession with rhymes, fairy tales and heroes? :-)
She also added a mousey remark which I'm still trying to fathom to this day, the depth of its true meaning, then this morning the light shone:
As for rats, it is found in 'rubbish'.
Someone is "rubbing" us Malaysians in.
If you find Desi speaking again in DDC,-- for the uninitiated here, it's Da Desi Code, a moniker given DEsi by several ER, including not=too=reticent Helen -- please get used to It because in NegaraKu now trying to tell a straight tale to a crooked audience you won't connect. You ask Citizen Nadeswaran whose MSM columns shine through all the verbiage, or izzit garbage? whatever! -- it's like speaking to the four grey walls which don't have ears. So it's back to spinning some Malaysian-made fairie tails. As gooder as the Arabian 1001 Nights, or Hans C Andersen. I didn't spell out "C" in full because that would demean the intelligence of sensitive readers here that I need to remind them of a certain gospel truth. Truth be told, it's nothing to do with the Gospel but it has a moral to It.
OKay, enough of Digression which is a Blogger's right and privilege, let's get to the pointed Aggression, which is a Blogger's ... ah, never mind, it's not relevant, at hand.
From my fave MSM daily, the Sun, frontpage at the BF, my Indian-Muslim PP Nazi Kandar got stuck in my throat, when I spied TWO FAIRIE TAIL HEADLINES! at one go. It's like eating durian and bakGOODteh at one go ~~ and I was almost snuffed out by a fishbone... Merci, God says Desi's time is not up yet. Maybe I need to get to that 200million mark to qualify. I promise to try harder. With advancing age and dying heritage, it's getting harder. But I still play Da Beatles anthems like A Hard Day's k-Night to spur me A-long.
Okay, fairie tail1~
Ling: It
was a
good buy
PETALING JAYA : Former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, who pushed for the party's controversial takeover of Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd five years ago, maintains that "it was a good buy".
He said the decision to buy the newspaper company was a party decision, proposed by the (then) presidential council and endorsed by the central committee and an extraordinary general meeting.
"Obviously, at that point of time, about five or six years ago, it was a good buy. You know when The Star was suspended, it was in a bad situation. But today it's a good thing.
"Circumstances will change things. You don't make the same judgmental opinion at two diffrerent time frames as things had changed," he told a press conference at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman campus in Section 13 here.
Ling said he had to call for the conference as there were many requests for press interviews after MCA decided to sell down its equity in Nanyang from 41% to 20% on Tuesday.
"I leave it to whoever who wants to make any judgment. But it (the buy) went through a total democractic process."
When told the MCA only secured a narrow 157-vote majority at the EGM, Ling said: "Even if it's only one vote, it's the party decision. It's the majority decision."
He refused to say whether the party's decision now was wise since he had no access to figures and facts when he retired more than three years ago.
Ling also denied talks that MCA was asked by the then Umno leadership to buy Nanyang because Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press - the two strongest vernacular papers in its stable - were said to be unfriendly to the government.
"Of course we need permission from the PM (prime minister) since it's a major media institution. If we have the PM's backing, it would be very, very helpful. I think without the PM's okay ... and knowing the sensitivity of the media, I dont think it would have been possible to buy.
"But to say we were told to buy ... If we don't have the money, how to buy? We cannot be told to buy," he retorted.
He said the party's then decision to acquire a controlling stake in Nanyang was both commercially and politically motivated.
"As a political party, which political party will reject the chance to own a media? Because your main job is to spread the news, to convince people. What better way than owning a media?"
On Tuesday, MCA endorsed its investment arm (Huaren Holdings Sdn Bhd)'s proposal to cut its stake in Nanyang to 20%.
The shares were sold to Ezywood Options Sdn Bhd which is controlled by the family of Sarawakian timber and media tycoon Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King who also owns Sin Chew Media Corp Bhd, publishers of Sin Chew Jit Poh and Guang Ming Daily.
On wide-spread speculation that MCA was working together with Tiong to control Nanyang, he declined to join in the rumour mill "because it will create more rumours and speculations".
On criticisms that MCA had created a monopoly in the Chinese newspaper industry today, he appeared evasive.
"All of you are trying to draw me into making judgmental decisions. You should not as I have retired and no longer within those corridors. So we should give them freedom to make judgmental decisions."
Pressed on who should be held responsible for the losses that Huaren had suffered, he said: "I am sure the board is resposible for the action because it's a commercial decision. I believe they are empowered."
When asked whether the sale was a move to dismantle his legacy in MCA, Ling said: "My legacy stopped when I retired. After that, it's for others to carry on what is the best."
In response to another question, Ling said he met MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting at a wedding about two weeks ago and was told about the sale.
Asked whether he gave any advice to Ong, Ling said: "When someone succeeds you, then you must have confiedence in him to bring the party to greater heights. Obviously, you will trust him to make good judgment.
"I am happy with the way the party is progressing. My personal feelings are not important. I am retired , don't interfere."
Former MCA deputy president Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, who led the then Team B to oppose the purchase, reserved his comments.
PS: In both reports reproduced in full here, the highlights (THUS BOLDED), are all mine, Desi's, and I bear fool responsibility for the morals of it awe. Like the Tan Sri mentioned above, I'll also reserve my comments until inspired (come back mayhaps @5.00pm?)
DESI's long-awaited comments ~~
Firstly, former MCA chief Dr Ling obviously did BN community service at the beck and call of UMNO big brother; this could explain why he was bestowed the TUN-ship earlier than past MCA performers like Tan Sri Lee San Choon, NO? The sharp doctor gave IT away non-too-subtly when he said:""Of course we need permission from the PM (prime minister) since it's a major media institution. If we have the PM's backing, it would be very, very helpful." PLUS "I think without the PM's okay ... and knowing the sensitivity of the media, I dont think it would have been possible to buy." and also this, ~~ "He said the party's then decision to acquire a controlling stake in Nanyang was both commercially and politically motivated." Whch was merely a facade or if you know not what facade is, under the guise of a "commercial venture" that almost 45% of MCA delgates could see was doomed to failure from the start! Ask Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, who must have yum-sing-ed last night for a Last Hurray? My wild imgaination, thus don't accept this as fact! I'm writing a fairie tail comment, OK!
Second point:
That the present Chinese MSM is a near MONOPOLY situation except for new-kid-on-the-block Oriental Daily News (owned by the Sarawak-based KTS group)is a fait accompli created by a party -- or its head as some parties claim -- which in name is supposed to represent the interests of the Chinese community. The reality is that even with the selldown to 20% equity in Nanyang, the MCA through HUaren still works in cahoots with the Tan Sri Tiong (an ex-senator, so it can be safely inferred he's also a Government man/arm, but more so, a personal friend of Dr Ling, Ooops, TUN Dr Ling. So the myth, or Malaysian fairie tail that the ex-MCA head spins, continues that the Nanyang paper "was a good buy" five years ago. It was a political move at the behest of big brother UMNO, can be more, but no less.
And I hear this could be a payback for getting a certain Ling Jr out of some troubled waters during the 1997/98 financial crisis...No?
I wonder if I asked for an interview from Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, would he oblige?Howsy, Mave SM, and Anak Merdeka ~~ do you guys come from Pahang and have the fish cables to pull. Thetarik?
Okay, fairie tale2~~
MB: System lets
law-breakers
be councillors
SHAH ALAM: There is nothing prohibiting law-breakers from becoming councillors and the political system allows undesirables to creep in because of the positions they hold in the party.
This frank admission came from Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo in the wake of reports concerning Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros, who built his mansion without planning permission and had not been paying the annual assessment for his existing house for 12 years.
At a press con ference after the state executive council meeting yesterday afternoon, Mohd Khir said: "In the regulations, it does not say that people who break the law cannot be appointed as councillors. We appoint councillors according to party positions. This is decided by the party, so anything concerning the party, we will refer back to the party management committee.
"I will follow orders which state that the appointment of councillors should be according to party positions."
Zakaria's daughter-in-law is slated to serve a second term and his son is to be appointed councillor.
However, the swearing-in of councillors scheduled for today has been postponed due to, according to Mohd Khir, "possible problems in the list".
After meeting with Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Abd Bakir Zin on Tuesday morning, Mohd Khir headed for Putrajaya for another round of meetings. Before breaking fast, the news was already out -- the swearingin will be postponed until after Hari Raya next week.
Officially, Mohd Khir maintained that "the municipal council president is empowered to postpone any meeting" and Abd Bakir's response was equally officious ?one sentence reaffirming what theSun reported on Tuesday ? postponement of the ceremony.
Which leaves us with the inevitable question: Why?
While Mohd Khir was evasive, the postponement, is said to be linked to Zakaria, who is said to have caused embarrassment to the Barisan Nasional leadership by his acts and omission.
Under the law, Mohd Khir said, Zakaria can be fined only 10 times the submission fee of RM2,400. He said any additional punishment against Zakaria will depend on the party leadership.
As for defaulting on assessment, Mohd Khir pointed the finger at the council. MPK, he said should take appropriate action. Local authorities, he said, should enforce the law uniformly and take care of the welfare of the people.
DESI (Comments reserved~~unreserved@1.05PM):
The Chief Executive Officer of the most developed prescinct/State, Khir Toyo, is indeed a very frank and forthright man -- without blinking one or two eyelids, he admits that his hands are tied as far as the ongoing "Councillor appointment" issue is concerned as "There is nothing prohibiting law-breakers from becoming councillors..."
First, it was a case of "Semuanya Okay" wrt Taman Cahaya Agricultural Park fiasco until he had a helicopter flight/fright with Federal CEO Pak Lah who could not believe his eyes that he saw there was hardly a blade of grass in what was supposed to be parkland...So the remark from the higher CEO: "Semuanya Tak OK!"
Then it was "The officers did it with good intentions..." to justify the variation of clauses in Billboards contract and letting the culprit/s go scot free.
Then a State Exco building a palace worth millions withOUT (DESI: mY apOLOgy for leaving out OUT in first instance; I volunteer a fine of 50sen for a genuine misstake, can?) the proper building plans. And he was merely slapped with a RM5,000 fine. Poor stall hawkers in a similar bind had had their stalls demolished even before you could blink three eye-lids. A hawker's loss of several hundred ringgit was his whole month's pay -- but do you think the likes of Khir Toyo care?
So a Malaysian fairie tale is spun -- mayhaps RTElm can start a series of homespun Fairie Tails. The fish rots from its head -- Top Down.
I can't remember who often used this parable, do you? Be patient, I'd check Muzium Negara archives...I promise I'd be back. First I have to stop at Sentul to break fast at its femes fishhead curry ... You Know, that one has not yet started its rot.
I know because every time I visit, the crowd gets bigger, and my pocket gets smaller...
Why the sudden obsession with rhymes, fairy tales and heroes? :-)
She also added a mousey remark which I'm still trying to fathom to this day, the depth of its true meaning, then this morning the light shone:
As for rats, it is found in 'rubbish'.
Someone is "rubbing" us Malaysians in.
If you find Desi speaking again in DDC,-- for the uninitiated here, it's Da Desi Code, a moniker given DEsi by several ER, including not=too=reticent Helen -- please get used to It because in NegaraKu now trying to tell a straight tale to a crooked audience you won't connect. You ask Citizen Nadeswaran whose MSM columns shine through all the verbiage, or izzit garbage? whatever! -- it's like speaking to the four grey walls which don't have ears. So it's back to spinning some Malaysian-made fairie tails. As gooder as the Arabian 1001 Nights, or Hans C Andersen. I didn't spell out "C" in full because that would demean the intelligence of sensitive readers here that I need to remind them of a certain gospel truth. Truth be told, it's nothing to do with the Gospel but it has a moral to It.
OKay, enough of Digression which is a Blogger's right and privilege, let's get to the pointed Aggression, which is a Blogger's ... ah, never mind, it's not relevant, at hand.
From my fave MSM daily, the Sun, frontpage at the BF, my Indian-Muslim PP Nazi Kandar got stuck in my throat, when I spied TWO FAIRIE TAIL HEADLINES! at one go. It's like eating durian and bakGOODteh at one go ~~ and I was almost snuffed out by a fishbone... Merci, God says Desi's time is not up yet. Maybe I need to get to that 200million mark to qualify. I promise to try harder. With advancing age and dying heritage, it's getting harder. But I still play Da Beatles anthems like A Hard Day's k-Night to spur me A-long.
Okay, fairie tail1~
Ling: It
was a
good buy
PETALING JAYA : Former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, who pushed for the party's controversial takeover of Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd five years ago, maintains that "it was a good buy".
He said the decision to buy the newspaper company was a party decision, proposed by the (then) presidential council and endorsed by the central committee and an extraordinary general meeting.
"Obviously, at that point of time, about five or six years ago, it was a good buy. You know when The Star was suspended, it was in a bad situation. But today it's a good thing.
"Circumstances will change things. You don't make the same judgmental opinion at two diffrerent time frames as things had changed," he told a press conference at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman campus in Section 13 here.
Ling said he had to call for the conference as there were many requests for press interviews after MCA decided to sell down its equity in Nanyang from 41% to 20% on Tuesday.
"I leave it to whoever who wants to make any judgment. But it (the buy) went through a total democractic process."
When told the MCA only secured a narrow 157-vote majority at the EGM, Ling said: "Even if it's only one vote, it's the party decision. It's the majority decision."
He refused to say whether the party's decision now was wise since he had no access to figures and facts when he retired more than three years ago.
Ling also denied talks that MCA was asked by the then Umno leadership to buy Nanyang because Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press - the two strongest vernacular papers in its stable - were said to be unfriendly to the government.
"Of course we need permission from the PM (prime minister) since it's a major media institution. If we have the PM's backing, it would be very, very helpful. I think without the PM's okay ... and knowing the sensitivity of the media, I dont think it would have been possible to buy.
"But to say we were told to buy ... If we don't have the money, how to buy? We cannot be told to buy," he retorted.
He said the party's then decision to acquire a controlling stake in Nanyang was both commercially and politically motivated.
"As a political party, which political party will reject the chance to own a media? Because your main job is to spread the news, to convince people. What better way than owning a media?"
On Tuesday, MCA endorsed its investment arm (Huaren Holdings Sdn Bhd)'s proposal to cut its stake in Nanyang to 20%.
The shares were sold to Ezywood Options Sdn Bhd which is controlled by the family of Sarawakian timber and media tycoon Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King who also owns Sin Chew Media Corp Bhd, publishers of Sin Chew Jit Poh and Guang Ming Daily.
On wide-spread speculation that MCA was working together with Tiong to control Nanyang, he declined to join in the rumour mill "because it will create more rumours and speculations".
On criticisms that MCA had created a monopoly in the Chinese newspaper industry today, he appeared evasive.
"All of you are trying to draw me into making judgmental decisions. You should not as I have retired and no longer within those corridors. So we should give them freedom to make judgmental decisions."
Pressed on who should be held responsible for the losses that Huaren had suffered, he said: "I am sure the board is resposible for the action because it's a commercial decision. I believe they are empowered."
When asked whether the sale was a move to dismantle his legacy in MCA, Ling said: "My legacy stopped when I retired. After that, it's for others to carry on what is the best."
In response to another question, Ling said he met MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting at a wedding about two weeks ago and was told about the sale.
Asked whether he gave any advice to Ong, Ling said: "When someone succeeds you, then you must have confiedence in him to bring the party to greater heights. Obviously, you will trust him to make good judgment.
"I am happy with the way the party is progressing. My personal feelings are not important. I am retired , don't interfere."
Former MCA deputy president Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, who led the then Team B to oppose the purchase, reserved his comments.
PS: In both reports reproduced in full here, the highlights (THUS BOLDED), are all mine, Desi's, and I bear fool responsibility for the morals of it awe. Like the Tan Sri mentioned above, I'll also reserve my comments until inspired (come back mayhaps @5.00pm?)
DESI's long-awaited comments ~~
Firstly, former MCA chief Dr Ling obviously did BN community service at the beck and call of UMNO big brother; this could explain why he was bestowed the TUN-ship earlier than past MCA performers like Tan Sri Lee San Choon, NO? The sharp doctor gave IT away non-too-subtly when he said:""Of course we need permission from the PM (prime minister) since it's a major media institution. If we have the PM's backing, it would be very, very helpful." PLUS "I think without the PM's okay ... and knowing the sensitivity of the media, I dont think it would have been possible to buy." and also this, ~~ "He said the party's then decision to acquire a controlling stake in Nanyang was both commercially and politically motivated." Whch was merely a facade or if you know not what facade is, under the guise of a "commercial venture" that almost 45% of MCA delgates could see was doomed to failure from the start! Ask Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, who must have yum-sing-ed last night for a Last Hurray? My wild imgaination, thus don't accept this as fact! I'm writing a fairie tail comment, OK!
Second point:
That the present Chinese MSM is a near MONOPOLY situation except for new-kid-on-the-block Oriental Daily News (owned by the Sarawak-based KTS group)is a fait accompli created by a party -- or its head as some parties claim -- which in name is supposed to represent the interests of the Chinese community. The reality is that even with the selldown to 20% equity in Nanyang, the MCA through HUaren still works in cahoots with the Tan Sri Tiong (an ex-senator, so it can be safely inferred he's also a Government man/arm, but more so, a personal friend of Dr Ling, Ooops, TUN Dr Ling. So the myth, or Malaysian fairie tail that the ex-MCA head spins, continues that the Nanyang paper "was a good buy" five years ago. It was a political move at the behest of big brother UMNO, can be more, but no less.
And I hear this could be a payback for getting a certain Ling Jr out of some troubled waters during the 1997/98 financial crisis...No?
I wonder if I asked for an interview from Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, would he oblige?Howsy, Mave SM, and Anak Merdeka ~~ do you guys come from Pahang and have the fish cables to pull. Thetarik?
Okay, fairie tale2~~
MB: System lets
law-breakers
be councillors
SHAH ALAM: There is nothing prohibiting law-breakers from becoming councillors and the political system allows undesirables to creep in because of the positions they hold in the party.
This frank admission came from Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo in the wake of reports concerning Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros, who built his mansion without planning permission and had not been paying the annual assessment for his existing house for 12 years.
At a press con ference after the state executive council meeting yesterday afternoon, Mohd Khir said: "In the regulations, it does not say that people who break the law cannot be appointed as councillors. We appoint councillors according to party positions. This is decided by the party, so anything concerning the party, we will refer back to the party management committee.
"I will follow orders which state that the appointment of councillors should be according to party positions."
Zakaria's daughter-in-law is slated to serve a second term and his son is to be appointed councillor.
However, the swearing-in of councillors scheduled for today has been postponed due to, according to Mohd Khir, "possible problems in the list".
After meeting with Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Abd Bakir Zin on Tuesday morning, Mohd Khir headed for Putrajaya for another round of meetings. Before breaking fast, the news was already out -- the swearingin will be postponed until after Hari Raya next week.
Officially, Mohd Khir maintained that "the municipal council president is empowered to postpone any meeting" and Abd Bakir's response was equally officious ?one sentence reaffirming what theSun reported on Tuesday ? postponement of the ceremony.
Which leaves us with the inevitable question: Why?
While Mohd Khir was evasive, the postponement, is said to be linked to Zakaria, who is said to have caused embarrassment to the Barisan Nasional leadership by his acts and omission.
Under the law, Mohd Khir said, Zakaria can be fined only 10 times the submission fee of RM2,400. He said any additional punishment against Zakaria will depend on the party leadership.
As for defaulting on assessment, Mohd Khir pointed the finger at the council. MPK, he said should take appropriate action. Local authorities, he said, should enforce the law uniformly and take care of the welfare of the people.
DESI (Comments reserved~~unreserved@1.05PM):
The Chief Executive Officer of the most developed prescinct/State, Khir Toyo, is indeed a very frank and forthright man -- without blinking one or two eyelids, he admits that his hands are tied as far as the ongoing "Councillor appointment" issue is concerned as "There is nothing prohibiting law-breakers from becoming councillors..."
First, it was a case of "Semuanya Okay" wrt Taman Cahaya Agricultural Park fiasco until he had a helicopter flight/fright with Federal CEO Pak Lah who could not believe his eyes that he saw there was hardly a blade of grass in what was supposed to be parkland...So the remark from the higher CEO: "Semuanya Tak OK!"
Then it was "The officers did it with good intentions..." to justify the variation of clauses in Billboards contract and letting the culprit/s go scot free.
Then a State Exco building a palace worth millions withOUT (DESI: mY apOLOgy for leaving out OUT in first instance; I volunteer a fine of 50sen for a genuine misstake, can?) the proper building plans. And he was merely slapped with a RM5,000 fine. Poor stall hawkers in a similar bind had had their stalls demolished even before you could blink three eye-lids. A hawker's loss of several hundred ringgit was his whole month's pay -- but do you think the likes of Khir Toyo care?
So a Malaysian fairie tale is spun -- mayhaps RTElm can start a series of homespun Fairie Tails. The fish rots from its head -- Top Down.
I can't remember who often used this parable, do you? Be patient, I'd check Muzium Negara archives...I promise I'd be back. First I have to stop at Sentul to break fast at its femes fishhead curry ... You Know, that one has not yet started its rot.
I know because every time I visit, the crowd gets bigger, and my pocket gets smaller...
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Da Lighthouse
Like a Lighthouse
When I have doubt
You provide direction
When I need light
You give of your wisdom
You've travelled in Life's journey 'fore me
You share your learning experiences
ever so willingly
So the student would not repeat your mistakes
Such lessons are invaluable
Worth more than glittering gold
or silver tongue
What's this instruction if not given
With love and sincerity
I'd have remained at the mercies of the elements
Toss'd by stormy seas and
Beaten by Nature's untold winds and
Man's unthinking ways
But like a lighthouse
Teacher, you make my day!
PS: this poem is dedicated to the many TEACHERS I've met since I started Blogging about 1-1/2 years ago.
But Not the following teachers -- from the mostdeveloped prescinct in NegaraKu, remember that FAMILY COUNCIL -- or from the following State of the Malay Sultanate fame, and the Mat Skodeng Ill-repute ~~~~~~~
From The Star,
Wednesday October 18, 2006
Man in JP row now a datuk
MALACCA: A police report was once lodged against him for using the Justice of the Peace (JP) title last year although he was not accorded the status. This year, he is one of the recipients of a state award that carries the title ‘datuk’.
Without naming the recipient, Goh Leong San (DAP – Bandar Hilir) said he had lodged a police against the man on March 18 last year for allegedly using the JP title.
“He was not a JP recipient,” Goh told the state assembly here yesterday, adding that the man had been listed this year for the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) award, which carries the title 'datuk’.
“Why is this person, who is a bogus JP, receiving a datukship?” he asked, disclosing that he had also lodged five police reports against six other persons for allegedly using the titles ‘datuk’, ‘JP’ and ‘PJK’ (Pingat Jasa Kebaktian).
Responding to the allegations, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said prior to releasing the list of recipients, the state government sent it to the police headquarters in Bukit Aman for vetting.
Since Goh had raised the issue, Mohd Ali said, he would refer the matter to the police.
The state assembly also heard about the problems in expanding the Batu Berendam airport, although Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had officiated at its ground-breaking ceremony in April.
Mohd Ali said the companies involved in the project were ironing out the details with the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).
He said that while a budget of RM130mil had been allocated for the expansion, the companies had quoted the work at more than RM200mil.
“The EPU does not agree to the increase in the budget. So, the facilities to upgrade the airport has to be tailored around RM130mil,” he said.
The chief minister gave an assurance that Boeing 737 aircraft and Airbus 320 would be able to land at the airport.
The airport is only able to handle Fokker 50s at the moment due to its short runway.
On another issue, state Housing, Local Government, Environment and Transport Committee chairman Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam said Jasin district had been upgraded to a municipality.
The state Cabinet decided on this at its meeting on Wednesday, he said.
Welcoming the move, Datuk Chong Tam On (BN – Bemban) said Jasin lagged behind Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah.
He hoped more development would come to the new municipality, suggesting that a public university be set up in Jasin.
When I have doubt
You provide direction
When I need light
You give of your wisdom
You've travelled in Life's journey 'fore me
You share your learning experiences
ever so willingly
So the student would not repeat your mistakes
Such lessons are invaluable
Worth more than glittering gold
or silver tongue
What's this instruction if not given
With love and sincerity
I'd have remained at the mercies of the elements
Toss'd by stormy seas and
Beaten by Nature's untold winds and
Man's unthinking ways
But like a lighthouse
Teacher, you make my day!
PS: this poem is dedicated to the many TEACHERS I've met since I started Blogging about 1-1/2 years ago.
But Not the following teachers -- from the mostdeveloped prescinct in NegaraKu, remember that FAMILY COUNCIL -- or from the following State of the Malay Sultanate fame, and the Mat Skodeng Ill-repute ~~~~~~~
From The Star,
Wednesday October 18, 2006
Man in JP row now a datuk
MALACCA: A police report was once lodged against him for using the Justice of the Peace (JP) title last year although he was not accorded the status. This year, he is one of the recipients of a state award that carries the title ‘datuk’.
Without naming the recipient, Goh Leong San (DAP – Bandar Hilir) said he had lodged a police against the man on March 18 last year for allegedly using the JP title.
“He was not a JP recipient,” Goh told the state assembly here yesterday, adding that the man had been listed this year for the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) award, which carries the title 'datuk’.
“Why is this person, who is a bogus JP, receiving a datukship?” he asked, disclosing that he had also lodged five police reports against six other persons for allegedly using the titles ‘datuk’, ‘JP’ and ‘PJK’ (Pingat Jasa Kebaktian).
Responding to the allegations, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said prior to releasing the list of recipients, the state government sent it to the police headquarters in Bukit Aman for vetting.
Since Goh had raised the issue, Mohd Ali said, he would refer the matter to the police.
The state assembly also heard about the problems in expanding the Batu Berendam airport, although Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had officiated at its ground-breaking ceremony in April.
Mohd Ali said the companies involved in the project were ironing out the details with the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).
He said that while a budget of RM130mil had been allocated for the expansion, the companies had quoted the work at more than RM200mil.
“The EPU does not agree to the increase in the budget. So, the facilities to upgrade the airport has to be tailored around RM130mil,” he said.
The chief minister gave an assurance that Boeing 737 aircraft and Airbus 320 would be able to land at the airport.
The airport is only able to handle Fokker 50s at the moment due to its short runway.
On another issue, state Housing, Local Government, Environment and Transport Committee chairman Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam said Jasin district had been upgraded to a municipality.
The state Cabinet decided on this at its meeting on Wednesday, he said.
Welcoming the move, Datuk Chong Tam On (BN – Bemban) said Jasin lagged behind Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah.
He hoped more development would come to the new municipality, suggesting that a public university be set up in Jasin.
Some Ships are Listing ...
And a Light House?
As a business journalist at a certain MSM for some years, Desi has had some opportunities to interact a li'l with a well-quoted but forthright economist who has distinguished himself as a voice many quarters listen to...as the MIER executive director.
From theedgedaily.com, Oct 18, 2006~~
18/10: Examine actual wealth distribution, says academic
Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) executive director Dr Mohd Ariff Abdul Kareem wants to see a more equitable distribution of wealth among the people so that no one will be marginalised.
He personally believed it was imperative to discover whether the wealth accumulated through the equity ownership actually trickled down to the community as a whole, both bumiputra and non-bumiputra.
He said immaterial of the ethnicity, it was important that wealth distribution must be enjoyed by all. "Nobody should be marginalised," he said.
"There must be an examination of how corporate equity ownership averages translate into actual distribution of wealth into the community as a whole," he said, adding that there is no such thing as a flawless or impeccable methodology for calculating equity ownership.
"Certain data constraints do affect the methodology," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today after chairing the MIER third quarter 2006 economic outlook briefing.
On the controversy surrounding the study by Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute's (Asli) Centre for Public Policy Studies, which found that bumiputra corporate equity ownership could be as high as 45%, instead of the government's figure of 18.9%, Mohd Ariff said it would be unethical for one institute to comment on another.
"As an academic, however, I think the inclusion of government-linked companies (GLCs) in the calculation of bumiputra equity ownership is questionable," he said, reiterating that the views were his own capacity.(DESI: I urge my ER to note this point.)
He said it would be good if the government disclosed its methodology in calculating the contested equity ownership to put the issue to rest.
Asli had included government-linked companies (GLCs) in its calculation of bumiputra equity ownership.
Following objections from the government, and a statement by Asli president Mirzan Mahathir that the report - Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy - was flawed in its methodology and assumptions, its research director Dr Lim Teck Ghee tendered his resignation.
Lim stood by the report which stated that bumiputra corporate equity ownership could be as high as 45% and not 18.9% as stated in government statistics.
"There is nothing wrong if the government wants to take affirmative action to help a particular segment of the community. However, the real issue is that the particular community as a whole has access to the wealth and that it is not confined to a privileged few," Mohd Ariff said.
DESIDERATA:
Here is one economist who has given a "balanced" view to the ongoing ASLI-Dr Lim Tech Ghee saga, though he said he's speaking in his personal capacity, not as an MIER executive director.
And too certain parties saying such issues are best debated out of public eye, Desi says that we are no more living in the 1970s-1980s of fixed line telecommunications. It's the Internet Age, when communications is almost "instantaneous" around the world, remember? Global Village, remember?
Information and Rational Discourse should be expanded, not narrowed, or to be treated as an Elitist privileged domain. Even the villager now has access to the PC/Internet via the Cyber cafes in the city centre a bus-ride away, and why do these "privileged" quarters think the rural voice is less eduacted than his urban one? Rural is not necessary raw, neither is urban naturally urbane.
Yesterday I offered The TITANIC; today I think I see some listing ships:
From theedgedaily.com again, Oct 18, 2006 about 11.25AM as I copied this from its webpage:
Tiong takes control of Nanyang Press (Updated)
The control of one of Malaysia’s oldest Chinese newspapers, Nanyang Siang Pau , has changed hands after Huaren Management Sdn Bhd sold a 21.01% stake in Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd to Ezywood Options Sdn Bhd, a company believed to be closely associated with the family of Sarawak tycoon Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King.
The price tag for the block of 15.4 million shares is RM64.68 million or RM4.20 each. Nanyang Press has a paid-up capital of RM77.45 million. There was no trade of Nanyang Press shares on Oct 17. Its last traded price was RM4.
In a statement on Oct 17, Nanyang said upon the completion of the proposed acquisition, the collective interest of Ezywood and persons acting-in-concert in Nanyang would increase to 44.76% from 23.74%.
The proposed transaction triggers a mandatory general offer (MGO) for the remaining shares in Nanyang. Ezywood will serve the notice of MGO on the Nanyang Press board upon the conditional share sale agreement becoming unconditional.
Following the sale, Huaren Management’s stake in Nanyang was reduced to about 20% from 41.95%. Huaren Management is the investment arm of political party MCA.
Meanwhile, Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd announced on Oct 16 that it had sold its entire investment of 243,250 shares or a 0.6% stake in Nanyang Press to Tiong for RM3.80 cash per share. Tiong is also the executive chairman of Sin Chew.
The latest development confirms persistent talk of Tiong’s interest in taking control of the 83-year-old newspaper.
Sin Chew, which is controlled by Tiong, is the publisher of the country’s largest circulated Chinese newspaper, Sin Chew Daily , and Guang Ming Daily .
Besides Nanyang Siang Pau, which was established in 1923, the group also owns China Press and 20-odd magazines.
For the year ended June 30, 2006, Nanyang Press reported a net loss of RM6.41 million compared with a net profit of RM10.43 million in the previous year on the back of a lower revenue of RM313.53 million.
***The sale of the Nanyang Press shares came some five years after Huaren bought into the company in 2001, amid strong protest by various Chinese associations. ****
Huaren paid RM296.56 million for a 92.14% stake in Nanyang Press, which it bought from Hume Industries (M) Bhd and through a general offer.
Following the 2001 changes in the controlling shareholders, Nanyang Press’ fortunes in terms of circulation and financial performance had declined.
DESIDERATA:
Note that all the highlights in the news report (THUS BOLDED) are DEsi's. My first comment relates to this highlight~~
***The sale of the Nanyang Press shares came some five years after Huaren bought into the company in 2001, amid strong protest by various Chinese associations. ****
At that time, the MCA was led by president Dr Ling Liong Sik (then Datuk Seri, now Tun, but these titles have no bearing on this story...but of course, ytou are allowed to beg to disAgree, butt do you think I care?) whose views were the key to Huaren's final decision to buy into Nanyang DESPITE the striong protests registered by the Chinese community -- plus non-Chinese media interested parties too, if I may add!
After five years, the stakeholders in Huaren and other related concerns would have paid a heavy price, in terms of monetary loss. But the price is heavier in the loss of the newspaper's integrity and reputation which one can't put down in dollars and senSE.
Desi still holds reservation that the present buyer is an INDIVIDUAL who of course is a friednly party to the MCA (to Dr Ling too, my educated guess, though some ER may think this point is not important, butt I believe is relevant, so you can still beg and beg to differ, but you finally have to defer, No?)
I have called for legislation to restrict ownership in any press by political parties, or in concert with politicians, to less than 5.00% (that is, trigger point for being a "substantial" shareholder) so tha the media/press can truly play an independent and meaningful role as the Fourth Estate member.
Just in passing, it is to be noted that The New Straits Times, controlled by UMNO and parties acting in concert, never recovered from its heyday circulations peak following the gigantic split flowing from Mahathir-Razaleight fight for UMNO presidency. This point is raised by Desi to posit my view that The Star (yes, whose major shareholder is again MCA-controlled Huaren...)became, and still is, the leading circulating English daily BY DEFAULT ... One universally-agreed feature among readers (including Desi-lah!) is its horrible English comapred with The NST's which still shows that it has maintained some quality control in language ...)
Now, back to Nanyang: My view is that it would suffer the same "credibility" problem as the NST, and will "never" recover its credibility and its circulation of its heydays from pre-Huaren buy five years ago. Even after the conclusion of this block fo shares sale to Tiong (once a Senator!), HUaren still remains a substantial stakholder with about 20%. Maybe Huaren should negoatiate to sell the remaining 20% to the DAP for a song. Okay, two songs, one in Mandarin, the other in "The Star*"-English! (What a revolution that would be!)
PS:Did I use "ship" inthe plural? Oh S***! I have to C&P another item, but jest one-line comment okay?
Lustily, from theedgedaily.com, from across the South China Sea, or the Indian Ocean -- Desi's geography not good-lah! -- ?~~
HWGB ceases casino ops
Ho Wah Genting Bhd (HWGB) has ceased the operations of its three-year-old gaming operations due to the lack of patronage to the casino-cum-hotel in Poipet, Cambodia, as well as competition from other casino operators in the same area.
In a statement on Oct 17, HWGB announced the cessation of the loss-making business operations of its 60% owned subsidiary Ho Wah Genting Casino Resorts Co Ltd (HWG Casino), with effect from Oct 16.
HWG Casino started operations on April 11, 2003. HWGB said HWG Casino had been suffering losses for the past two years.
It was of the view that it was not viable to continue operating the casino-cum-hotel, which required constant cash flow and support from the holding company.
As the group has ventured into other business ventures, it makes commercial sense for the board of HWGB to concentrate on its new businesses," it said.
HWGB said HWG Casino would surrender the casino-cum-hotel building to the landlord, Anco Brothers Co Ltd and would sell the assets and settle its debts in due course.
It said there would not be any significant financial impact on the group's results as the losses had been accounted for in the accounts of the holding company progressively upon consolidation.
DESI:
This follows many earlier Chinamen companies -- Magnum in China, another listed company I can't recall its blardy name also in China, and yes, another listed company I can't ...... in Cambodia: WHY DO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST REAP (rip off?) PROFITS FROM JUST EMERGING ECONOMIES through GAMBLING? Ooops, it should read GAMING?
As a business journalist at a certain MSM for some years, Desi has had some opportunities to interact a li'l with a well-quoted but forthright economist who has distinguished himself as a voice many quarters listen to...as the MIER executive director.
From theedgedaily.com, Oct 18, 2006~~
18/10: Examine actual wealth distribution, says academic
Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) executive director Dr Mohd Ariff Abdul Kareem wants to see a more equitable distribution of wealth among the people so that no one will be marginalised.
He personally believed it was imperative to discover whether the wealth accumulated through the equity ownership actually trickled down to the community as a whole, both bumiputra and non-bumiputra.
He said immaterial of the ethnicity, it was important that wealth distribution must be enjoyed by all. "Nobody should be marginalised," he said.
"There must be an examination of how corporate equity ownership averages translate into actual distribution of wealth into the community as a whole," he said, adding that there is no such thing as a flawless or impeccable methodology for calculating equity ownership.
"Certain data constraints do affect the methodology," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today after chairing the MIER third quarter 2006 economic outlook briefing.
On the controversy surrounding the study by Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute's (Asli) Centre for Public Policy Studies, which found that bumiputra corporate equity ownership could be as high as 45%, instead of the government's figure of 18.9%, Mohd Ariff said it would be unethical for one institute to comment on another.
"As an academic, however, I think the inclusion of government-linked companies (GLCs) in the calculation of bumiputra equity ownership is questionable," he said, reiterating that the views were his own capacity.(DESI: I urge my ER to note this point.)
He said it would be good if the government disclosed its methodology in calculating the contested equity ownership to put the issue to rest.
Asli had included government-linked companies (GLCs) in its calculation of bumiputra equity ownership.
Following objections from the government, and a statement by Asli president Mirzan Mahathir that the report - Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy - was flawed in its methodology and assumptions, its research director Dr Lim Teck Ghee tendered his resignation.
Lim stood by the report which stated that bumiputra corporate equity ownership could be as high as 45% and not 18.9% as stated in government statistics.
"There is nothing wrong if the government wants to take affirmative action to help a particular segment of the community. However, the real issue is that the particular community as a whole has access to the wealth and that it is not confined to a privileged few," Mohd Ariff said.
DESIDERATA:
Here is one economist who has given a "balanced" view to the ongoing ASLI-Dr Lim Tech Ghee saga, though he said he's speaking in his personal capacity, not as an MIER executive director.
And too certain parties saying such issues are best debated out of public eye, Desi says that we are no more living in the 1970s-1980s of fixed line telecommunications. It's the Internet Age, when communications is almost "instantaneous" around the world, remember? Global Village, remember?
Information and Rational Discourse should be expanded, not narrowed, or to be treated as an Elitist privileged domain. Even the villager now has access to the PC/Internet via the Cyber cafes in the city centre a bus-ride away, and why do these "privileged" quarters think the rural voice is less eduacted than his urban one? Rural is not necessary raw, neither is urban naturally urbane.
Yesterday I offered The TITANIC; today I think I see some listing ships:
From theedgedaily.com again, Oct 18, 2006 about 11.25AM as I copied this from its webpage:
Tiong takes control of Nanyang Press (Updated)
The control of one of Malaysia’s oldest Chinese newspapers, Nanyang Siang Pau , has changed hands after Huaren Management Sdn Bhd sold a 21.01% stake in Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd to Ezywood Options Sdn Bhd, a company believed to be closely associated with the family of Sarawak tycoon Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King.
The price tag for the block of 15.4 million shares is RM64.68 million or RM4.20 each. Nanyang Press has a paid-up capital of RM77.45 million. There was no trade of Nanyang Press shares on Oct 17. Its last traded price was RM4.
In a statement on Oct 17, Nanyang said upon the completion of the proposed acquisition, the collective interest of Ezywood and persons acting-in-concert in Nanyang would increase to 44.76% from 23.74%.
The proposed transaction triggers a mandatory general offer (MGO) for the remaining shares in Nanyang. Ezywood will serve the notice of MGO on the Nanyang Press board upon the conditional share sale agreement becoming unconditional.
Following the sale, Huaren Management’s stake in Nanyang was reduced to about 20% from 41.95%. Huaren Management is the investment arm of political party MCA.
Meanwhile, Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd announced on Oct 16 that it had sold its entire investment of 243,250 shares or a 0.6% stake in Nanyang Press to Tiong for RM3.80 cash per share. Tiong is also the executive chairman of Sin Chew.
The latest development confirms persistent talk of Tiong’s interest in taking control of the 83-year-old newspaper.
Sin Chew, which is controlled by Tiong, is the publisher of the country’s largest circulated Chinese newspaper, Sin Chew Daily , and Guang Ming Daily .
Besides Nanyang Siang Pau, which was established in 1923, the group also owns China Press and 20-odd magazines.
For the year ended June 30, 2006, Nanyang Press reported a net loss of RM6.41 million compared with a net profit of RM10.43 million in the previous year on the back of a lower revenue of RM313.53 million.
***The sale of the Nanyang Press shares came some five years after Huaren bought into the company in 2001, amid strong protest by various Chinese associations. ****
Huaren paid RM296.56 million for a 92.14% stake in Nanyang Press, which it bought from Hume Industries (M) Bhd and through a general offer.
Following the 2001 changes in the controlling shareholders, Nanyang Press’ fortunes in terms of circulation and financial performance had declined.
DESIDERATA:
Note that all the highlights in the news report (THUS BOLDED) are DEsi's. My first comment relates to this highlight~~
***The sale of the Nanyang Press shares came some five years after Huaren bought into the company in 2001, amid strong protest by various Chinese associations. ****
At that time, the MCA was led by president Dr Ling Liong Sik (then Datuk Seri, now Tun, but these titles have no bearing on this story...but of course, ytou are allowed to beg to disAgree, butt do you think I care?) whose views were the key to Huaren's final decision to buy into Nanyang DESPITE the striong protests registered by the Chinese community -- plus non-Chinese media interested parties too, if I may add!
After five years, the stakeholders in Huaren and other related concerns would have paid a heavy price, in terms of monetary loss. But the price is heavier in the loss of the newspaper's integrity and reputation which one can't put down in dollars and senSE.
Desi still holds reservation that the present buyer is an INDIVIDUAL who of course is a friednly party to the MCA (to Dr Ling too, my educated guess, though some ER may think this point is not important, butt I believe is relevant, so you can still beg and beg to differ, but you finally have to defer, No?)
I have called for legislation to restrict ownership in any press by political parties, or in concert with politicians, to less than 5.00% (that is, trigger point for being a "substantial" shareholder) so tha the media/press can truly play an independent and meaningful role as the Fourth Estate member.
Just in passing, it is to be noted that The New Straits Times, controlled by UMNO and parties acting in concert, never recovered from its heyday circulations peak following the gigantic split flowing from Mahathir-Razaleight fight for UMNO presidency. This point is raised by Desi to posit my view that The Star (yes, whose major shareholder is again MCA-controlled Huaren...)became, and still is, the leading circulating English daily BY DEFAULT ... One universally-agreed feature among readers (including Desi-lah!) is its horrible English comapred with The NST's which still shows that it has maintained some quality control in language ...)
Now, back to Nanyang: My view is that it would suffer the same "credibility" problem as the NST, and will "never" recover its credibility and its circulation of its heydays from pre-Huaren buy five years ago. Even after the conclusion of this block fo shares sale to Tiong (once a Senator!), HUaren still remains a substantial stakholder with about 20%. Maybe Huaren should negoatiate to sell the remaining 20% to the DAP for a song. Okay, two songs, one in Mandarin, the other in "The Star*"-English! (What a revolution that would be!)
PS:Did I use "ship" inthe plural? Oh S***! I have to C&P another item, but jest one-line comment okay?
Lustily, from theedgedaily.com, from across the South China Sea, or the Indian Ocean -- Desi's geography not good-lah! -- ?~~
HWGB ceases casino ops
Ho Wah Genting Bhd (HWGB) has ceased the operations of its three-year-old gaming operations due to the lack of patronage to the casino-cum-hotel in Poipet, Cambodia, as well as competition from other casino operators in the same area.
In a statement on Oct 17, HWGB announced the cessation of the loss-making business operations of its 60% owned subsidiary Ho Wah Genting Casino Resorts Co Ltd (HWG Casino), with effect from Oct 16.
HWG Casino started operations on April 11, 2003. HWGB said HWG Casino had been suffering losses for the past two years.
It was of the view that it was not viable to continue operating the casino-cum-hotel, which required constant cash flow and support from the holding company.
As the group has ventured into other business ventures, it makes commercial sense for the board of HWGB to concentrate on its new businesses," it said.
HWGB said HWG Casino would surrender the casino-cum-hotel building to the landlord, Anco Brothers Co Ltd and would sell the assets and settle its debts in due course.
It said there would not be any significant financial impact on the group's results as the losses had been accounted for in the accounts of the holding company progressively upon consolidation.
DESI:
This follows many earlier Chinamen companies -- Magnum in China, another listed company I can't recall its blardy name also in China, and yes, another listed company I can't ...... in Cambodia: WHY DO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST REAP (rip off?) PROFITS FROM JUST EMERGING ECONOMIES through GAMBLING? Ooops, it should read GAMING?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Want To Raise The TITANIC?
With Desi?
Oh, you can't! You are blardy patriotic Malaysians, eh?
Then how about Raising the m.v. ASsLI?
Before I proceed, can I as this ship m.v. DesiErrata's FirstMate commmand thee, my obedient EsteemedReaders, to first detour to a resurrected shipmate MaVerick's cabin who logged a damned blardy long entry thus:
Monday, October 16, 2006
Law, Command or Orders
Was ASLI coerced or did they voluntarily withdraw?
DESIDERATA: That's only the opening line.
Here is the last but one closing lines:
For as long as human equality is limited by race difference, whether you like it or don't like it, whether you value it or seek to negate it, whether you stake it out as a grounds of humanism or occupy it as a terrain of misoneism, meritocracy and justiciability will be born, degraded and die.
I commanded the scribe to XXplain what the blardy hell It means.
Desi with his erratic understanding of English, although he asspires towards poetic licence, is trulyLOST at sea. I don't know about my Second Mate, Helen, who seconded MV's last line, butt I have no problem with her or him, if you know what I mean(t): ~~
"As a nation, we should settle for nothing less than equal protection of the laws for everyone, under which one would be born, live, and die, in a country where protection is not a dirty word and equality is not a special privilege."
Now, to start at the starting point, the 'hole controversy started with this report sighted in theSun:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lim stands by report, quits Asli (updated)
PETALING JAYA (Oct 11, 2006): The research director of the Asli report which concluded that bumiputra corporate equity ownership was much higher than what government statistics showed has resigned after the think tank distanced itself from the findings.
Dr Lim Teck Ghee, director of Asli's Centre for Public Policy Studies, said he stood by the report which stated that bumiputra corporate equity ownership could be as high as 45% and not 18.9% as stated in government statistics.
The resignation came a day after Mirzan Mahathir, the president of Asli or the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, issued a statement that the report - Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy - was flawed in its methodology and assumptions, and its conclusions could not be "vigorously justified".
"Since I cannot agree with Mirzan's statement, and because of the need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship, I regret to inform that I will be stepping down from my position as director at the end of the month," Lim said in a media statement today.
He said as the centre's director, he bore full responsibility for the study, and stood by its findings, and the findings of the other studies the centre submitted to the government in February on the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP)
"I hope the public space opened up by the centre's work on this particular issue, as well as other important issues, will be expanded on and vigorously defended by others.
"It is the fundamental right of the Malaysian public to question all government statistics and policies, more so when these are not transparent or defensible," said Lim, a former United Nations regional adviser and World Bank senior political scientist, and the recipient of many international academic awards.
The corporate equity report was part of a bigger report the centre worked on called Proposals for the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) which was submitted to government.
The centre's report had concluded that the National Economic Policy (NEP) target of 30% bumiputra equity ownership had already been exceeded, and said the official methodology inherited from the 1970s to measure corporate equity distribution was "narrowly-based" and "unrealistic".
According to the 9MP, bumiputra equity ownership in 2004, as measured by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), stood at 18.9%.
The Asli centre report also said it was clear that "selective patronage" had resulted in "serious intra-ethnic Malay cleavages", and the continued promotion of the NEP would only increase antagonisms among bumiputras that some are more favoured than others.
The centre did not receive any feedback from government until the corporate equity chapter was widely reported on a few weeks ago.
Since then, Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has described the report as "rubbish" and challenging the government's authority, following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's statement that the report was "baseless", "inaccurate" and "irresponsible".
On Monday (Oct 9, 2006), Utusan Malaysia also quoted former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying the centre's findings were "illogical" because bumiputra economic control was far below that of other races.
Mirzan was also quoted in the same paper on Wednesday as saying the report's quality did not reflect Asli's expectation, and had undermined the institute's reputation and diverted attention from its other positive recommendations.
He was also quoted as proposing that an editorial board be set up to vet the quality of future Asli research so that its work would not be undermined.
*******Contacted by theSun on Wednesday night, Mirzan denied that he issued the statement on Tuesday due to political pressure.*******
“My concern is the good name of Asli. Obviously, I need to correct the misconception of people about Asli,” he said, adding that it was his responsibility as Asli president to protect its reputation.
Asked about speculation that the statement was solely his and did not reflect the views of other Asli directors, he said: “We should not jump to any conclusion. I issued the statement as president. So my statement would be Asli’s statement.”
On Lim’s resignation, he said: “If he disagreed with the centre and if he feels very strongly about it, he’s free to do it (resign). We wish him well in the future.”
Asli CEO Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh said he respected Lim's decision to resign, adding that he stood by Mirzan's statement.
Asli director Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said Lim's resignation was unfortunate. "I hope it does not send out the wrong signal to others who want to undertake honest and sincere research on the challenges facing Malaysia," he told theSun.
Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said Mirzan had failed to explain how the centre's methodology was flawed, and how the Economic Planning Unit's methodology was valid.
On criticisms of the report, he said: "It is a triumph of brawn over brain and a major setback towards creating a 'first class mentality'."
The DAP adviser called on Abdullah to direct the EPU to make public the methodology it had used to measure corporate equity ownership in the interest of openness, accountability and transparency.
DESIDERATA:
I am sure many of my ER are familiar with the 1997's Hollywood blockbuster TITANIC which won a lot of money besides treasure for director/writer Cameron. You would be forgiven if yopu could only recall two names -- Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) is a 17-year-old, upper-class American suffocating under the rigid confines and expectations of Edwardian society who falls for a free-spirited young steerage passenger named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) -- who were immortalised as the new First Couple as last century headed for its end. But there is one other character that IMHO you should salute -- to some people, she's known as The Unsinkable Molly Brown. acted by Oscar winner Kathy Bates. To me, she's the heroine of the story. (Maybe I'd tell her story on Sundae's Inter:Lude, if you promise to buy Desi CON BF?)
And WHO do you think is the HERO/heroine in the event of m.v. ASsLI sinking?
Or you are telling Desi that this ship is "unsinkable", like The TITANIC?
~~~~~~~~~~
To help you decide,
I have highlighted the Protagonists quoted in the news report (THUS BOLDED by DEsi).
Also, I wish to draw your attention to the following, which is led by the seven starred sentence:
*******Contacted by theSun on Wednesday night, Mirzan denied that he issued the statement on Tuesday due to political pressure.*******
“My concern is the good name of Asli. Obviously, I need to correct the misconception of people about Asli,” he said, adding that it was his responsibility as Asli president to protect its reputation.
Asked about speculation that the statement was solely his and did not reflect the views of other Asli directors, he said: “We should not jump to any conclusion. I issued the statement as president. So my statement would be Asli’s statement.”
On Lim’s resignation, he said: “If he disagreed with the centre and if he feels very strongly about it, he’s free to do it (resign). We wish him well in the future.”
The above points (ALL BOLDED) well quoted by the media attributed to Mirzan which is the main question that Maverickysm.blogspot.com tried to tackle in a long, long THESIS which I wished I had the pleasure of Socrates and Albert Camus to help Desi to desipher through the fog and mist still at sea. But these two genteel men declined Desi's invite to join the resurrected MaVerick. They sent their APologies, off course!
Now back on course, the above citation is the core of Mave's Post yesterday.
I told Mave in his Blog just a few hours ago, as my summation as follows (with slight editing for typos mainly):
"Can I summarise my CONtention which means I beg to dis-Agree, can? "~~~~~
"Mirzan's only and sole motivation is Oh My Papa's legacy. Nothing more -- the statement is mere pulling wool over the Rakyat's eyes. I am amazed that many citizens still harbour great nostalgia of 22 years under the Great Dictator and can't see through the attempt to perpetuate the dynasty -- or issit DieNASTY?~~~~~~~
Another thinktank (Gerakan associated) head Khoo Kay Peng had countered the government's stand, and indeed posed a relevant question:
"If the New Economic Policy (NEP) has been a great success, what has contributed to the contraction of the income pie of the lowest 40% of the society? The drop of almost 2%, from 15% to 13%, is recorded in the Ninth Malaysian Plan. The richest 20% has expanded their wealth by almost the same quantum. Is the government trying to hide from the fact that it has failed to build a bumiputera commercial and industrial community, to expand the individual/private bumiputera's participation in the economy? "
This enhances the premise I posited that if indeed the Government's figures and conclusions were correct, it also means the NEP has "failed miserably" -- the bumi equity (percentage-wise) having stagnated for 20 years (from 1985-2005) hovering at the 20%-mark. So why do you want to maintaing and perpetuate a policy that has failed until one has suicidal tendencies, or it's for political expediency?"
DESIDERATA: Maybe Mave wandered off course a li'l, but it's Okay! The best sailor can sail into icebergs sometimes. Just that Desi sees many RATS scurrytng for cover at the signs of the first storm and the appearance of that humongous iceberg.
Now, can you now tell Desi who is the Hero/Heroine, and who are the Rats, scurrying out of the ship's hole/hold?
If you're shy to spell out the name/s via Comments, how about Emailing to LOST@Sea ~~~~~~~chongyl2000@yahoo.com~~~~~~~.
SEE, these are the waves ~~~~~~~ Se7en on either side ~~~~~~~, of course, the 14 Seas, divided by 2.
The malaysian vessel broke into two, remember?
If your list conincides with Desi's. I may buy you (or Us) a cruise holiday on the m.v. Superstar VIRGO come December, provided ...
I:
S:
A:....
Oh, you can't! You are blardy patriotic Malaysians, eh?
Then how about Raising the m.v. ASsLI?
Before I proceed, can I as this ship m.v. DesiErrata's FirstMate commmand thee, my obedient EsteemedReaders, to first detour to a resurrected shipmate MaVerick's cabin who logged a damned blardy long entry thus:
Monday, October 16, 2006
Law, Command or Orders
Was ASLI coerced or did they voluntarily withdraw?
DESIDERATA: That's only the opening line.
Here is the last but one closing lines:
For as long as human equality is limited by race difference, whether you like it or don't like it, whether you value it or seek to negate it, whether you stake it out as a grounds of humanism or occupy it as a terrain of misoneism, meritocracy and justiciability will be born, degraded and die.
I commanded the scribe to XXplain what the blardy hell It means.
Desi with his erratic understanding of English, although he asspires towards poetic licence, is trulyLOST at sea. I don't know about my Second Mate, Helen, who seconded MV's last line, butt I have no problem with her or him, if you know what I mean(t): ~~
"As a nation, we should settle for nothing less than equal protection of the laws for everyone, under which one would be born, live, and die, in a country where protection is not a dirty word and equality is not a special privilege."
Now, to start at the starting point, the 'hole controversy started with this report sighted in theSun:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lim stands by report, quits Asli (updated)
PETALING JAYA (Oct 11, 2006): The research director of the Asli report which concluded that bumiputra corporate equity ownership was much higher than what government statistics showed has resigned after the think tank distanced itself from the findings.
Dr Lim Teck Ghee, director of Asli's Centre for Public Policy Studies, said he stood by the report which stated that bumiputra corporate equity ownership could be as high as 45% and not 18.9% as stated in government statistics.
The resignation came a day after Mirzan Mahathir, the president of Asli or the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, issued a statement that the report - Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy - was flawed in its methodology and assumptions, and its conclusions could not be "vigorously justified".
"Since I cannot agree with Mirzan's statement, and because of the need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship, I regret to inform that I will be stepping down from my position as director at the end of the month," Lim said in a media statement today.
He said as the centre's director, he bore full responsibility for the study, and stood by its findings, and the findings of the other studies the centre submitted to the government in February on the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP)
"I hope the public space opened up by the centre's work on this particular issue, as well as other important issues, will be expanded on and vigorously defended by others.
"It is the fundamental right of the Malaysian public to question all government statistics and policies, more so when these are not transparent or defensible," said Lim, a former United Nations regional adviser and World Bank senior political scientist, and the recipient of many international academic awards.
The corporate equity report was part of a bigger report the centre worked on called Proposals for the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) which was submitted to government.
The centre's report had concluded that the National Economic Policy (NEP) target of 30% bumiputra equity ownership had already been exceeded, and said the official methodology inherited from the 1970s to measure corporate equity distribution was "narrowly-based" and "unrealistic".
According to the 9MP, bumiputra equity ownership in 2004, as measured by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), stood at 18.9%.
The Asli centre report also said it was clear that "selective patronage" had resulted in "serious intra-ethnic Malay cleavages", and the continued promotion of the NEP would only increase antagonisms among bumiputras that some are more favoured than others.
The centre did not receive any feedback from government until the corporate equity chapter was widely reported on a few weeks ago.
Since then, Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has described the report as "rubbish" and challenging the government's authority, following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's statement that the report was "baseless", "inaccurate" and "irresponsible".
On Monday (Oct 9, 2006), Utusan Malaysia also quoted former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying the centre's findings were "illogical" because bumiputra economic control was far below that of other races.
Mirzan was also quoted in the same paper on Wednesday as saying the report's quality did not reflect Asli's expectation, and had undermined the institute's reputation and diverted attention from its other positive recommendations.
He was also quoted as proposing that an editorial board be set up to vet the quality of future Asli research so that its work would not be undermined.
*******Contacted by theSun on Wednesday night, Mirzan denied that he issued the statement on Tuesday due to political pressure.*******
“My concern is the good name of Asli. Obviously, I need to correct the misconception of people about Asli,” he said, adding that it was his responsibility as Asli president to protect its reputation.
Asked about speculation that the statement was solely his and did not reflect the views of other Asli directors, he said: “We should not jump to any conclusion. I issued the statement as president. So my statement would be Asli’s statement.”
On Lim’s resignation, he said: “If he disagreed with the centre and if he feels very strongly about it, he’s free to do it (resign). We wish him well in the future.”
Asli CEO Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh said he respected Lim's decision to resign, adding that he stood by Mirzan's statement.
Asli director Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said Lim's resignation was unfortunate. "I hope it does not send out the wrong signal to others who want to undertake honest and sincere research on the challenges facing Malaysia," he told theSun.
Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said Mirzan had failed to explain how the centre's methodology was flawed, and how the Economic Planning Unit's methodology was valid.
On criticisms of the report, he said: "It is a triumph of brawn over brain and a major setback towards creating a 'first class mentality'."
The DAP adviser called on Abdullah to direct the EPU to make public the methodology it had used to measure corporate equity ownership in the interest of openness, accountability and transparency.
DESIDERATA:
I am sure many of my ER are familiar with the 1997's Hollywood blockbuster TITANIC which won a lot of money besides treasure for director/writer Cameron. You would be forgiven if yopu could only recall two names -- Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) is a 17-year-old, upper-class American suffocating under the rigid confines and expectations of Edwardian society who falls for a free-spirited young steerage passenger named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) -- who were immortalised as the new First Couple as last century headed for its end. But there is one other character that IMHO you should salute -- to some people, she's known as The Unsinkable Molly Brown. acted by Oscar winner Kathy Bates. To me, she's the heroine of the story. (Maybe I'd tell her story on Sundae's Inter:Lude, if you promise to buy Desi CON BF?)
And WHO do you think is the HERO/heroine in the event of m.v. ASsLI sinking?
Or you are telling Desi that this ship is "unsinkable", like The TITANIC?
~~~~~~~~~~
To help you decide,
I have highlighted the Protagonists quoted in the news report (THUS BOLDED by DEsi).
Also, I wish to draw your attention to the following, which is led by the seven starred sentence:
*******Contacted by theSun on Wednesday night, Mirzan denied that he issued the statement on Tuesday due to political pressure.*******
“My concern is the good name of Asli. Obviously, I need to correct the misconception of people about Asli,” he said, adding that it was his responsibility as Asli president to protect its reputation.
Asked about speculation that the statement was solely his and did not reflect the views of other Asli directors, he said: “We should not jump to any conclusion. I issued the statement as president. So my statement would be Asli’s statement.”
On Lim’s resignation, he said: “If he disagreed with the centre and if he feels very strongly about it, he’s free to do it (resign). We wish him well in the future.”
The above points (ALL BOLDED) well quoted by the media attributed to Mirzan which is the main question that Maverickysm.blogspot.com tried to tackle in a long, long THESIS which I wished I had the pleasure of Socrates and Albert Camus to help Desi to desipher through the fog and mist still at sea. But these two genteel men declined Desi's invite to join the resurrected MaVerick. They sent their APologies, off course!
Now back on course, the above citation is the core of Mave's Post yesterday.
I told Mave in his Blog just a few hours ago, as my summation as follows (with slight editing for typos mainly):
"Can I summarise my CONtention which means I beg to dis-Agree, can? "~~~~~
"Mirzan's only and sole motivation is Oh My Papa's legacy. Nothing more -- the statement is mere pulling wool over the Rakyat's eyes. I am amazed that many citizens still harbour great nostalgia of 22 years under the Great Dictator and can't see through the attempt to perpetuate the dynasty -- or issit DieNASTY?~~~~~~~
Another thinktank (Gerakan associated) head Khoo Kay Peng had countered the government's stand, and indeed posed a relevant question:
"If the New Economic Policy (NEP) has been a great success, what has contributed to the contraction of the income pie of the lowest 40% of the society? The drop of almost 2%, from 15% to 13%, is recorded in the Ninth Malaysian Plan. The richest 20% has expanded their wealth by almost the same quantum. Is the government trying to hide from the fact that it has failed to build a bumiputera commercial and industrial community, to expand the individual/private bumiputera's participation in the economy? "
This enhances the premise I posited that if indeed the Government's figures and conclusions were correct, it also means the NEP has "failed miserably" -- the bumi equity (percentage-wise) having stagnated for 20 years (from 1985-2005) hovering at the 20%-mark. So why do you want to maintaing and perpetuate a policy that has failed until one has suicidal tendencies, or it's for political expediency?"
DESIDERATA: Maybe Mave wandered off course a li'l, but it's Okay! The best sailor can sail into icebergs sometimes. Just that Desi sees many RATS scurrytng for cover at the signs of the first storm and the appearance of that humongous iceberg.
Now, can you now tell Desi who is the Hero/Heroine, and who are the Rats, scurrying out of the ship's hole/hold?
If you're shy to spell out the name/s via Comments, how about Emailing to LOST@Sea ~~~~~~~chongyl2000@yahoo.com~~~~~~~.
SEE, these are the waves ~~~~~~~ Se7en on either side ~~~~~~~, of course, the 14 Seas, divided by 2.
The malaysian vessel broke into two, remember?
If your list conincides with Desi's. I may buy you (or Us) a cruise holiday on the m.v. Superstar VIRGO come December, provided ...
I:
S:
A:....
Monday, October 16, 2006
Once upon a modern ...
dime.
There was once a li'l toad who had high aspirations. She told her Mum that she wished to become a pretty princess one day and of course, would marry the handsomest prince in the land.
Mummy Toad was not so sure her li'l gal could make it. Papa Toady had some sprinkling of hope as he had been reading some Christian lit. Some Hans Andersen fable about how one day a tired Prince rested by a river bank, and he woke up to some croaking sound nearby. A li'l toady Voice cried out: "Please my saviour Prince, kiss me on the lips and I'd make thee a pretty bride!"
The Prince, still a li'l dazed, closed his eyes, planted a maiden kiss on the toady lips. Hey Presto! on opening his eyes, he saw in front of him the "prettiest lass" he had had set eyes on since he started travelling the kingdom the lust se7en years looking for his pride.
So the Prince married the li'l Princess named Toad-A1 and they lived with many AP ever after. ~~ Desi, with AP to HC HandThemSome.
Jest a spining to chase away Mondae blues.
I feel high this morn, how about you and Us?
NB: Us is pronounced to rime with blues -- it's the 'plural' of you, OK!
If I speak alONE with Helen, it's You.
If I speak with Helen and Anak Merdeka, it's Us!
If you still can't get it, no one can help you except
brudder Mave SM, but I hurt he's gone on a Sabbatickle
to seek out the medSin to antidote the Oligarchy.
Me, I prefer to deal with damn wordily (worthily?).
From theSun (the boldest print paper in the land ... IMHO-lah, for its 3sen worth!)frontpage.
Open to scrutiny
NAJIB: GOVT WILLING TO REVEAL METHODOLOGY OF CALCULATING BUMIPUTRA EQUITY SHARE
by B. Suresh Ram and Kimberley Lau
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is willing to make public the methodology used by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) to calculate the corporate equity ownership of various communities.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said this would dispel any lingering doubts about the authenticity of the figures by EPU, which comes under the Prime Minister's Department.
"If there are still doubts (on the figures), we can reveal the methodology used," he said yesterday after launching the national level Road Safety Campaign in conjunction with the coming Deepavali and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
Najib stressed that the government was transparent when it came to such economic data.
"We have no problems [revealing the methodology] but there should be no insinuation as if the government is not being transparent," he said.
He added that the government was transparent and that the EPU's figures were based on objective research.
"We want to make sure that whatever figures we use is for the country on the whole. The figures are not `adjusted' for the benefit of any particular community," he said, when asked to comment on Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik's statement on Saturday that EPU should reveal its methodology in determining the percentage of bumiputra equity ownership in order to defend the government's integrity.
Lim, who is energy, water and communications minister, said this would leave no room for any party to question the government's figures. He said the EPU should make the information public since questions have been raised on the issue.
Continued on page 2~~
Groups call for open discussion on methodology
Doubts over the government's data were raised after a study by Asli's Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) concluded that bumiputra equity ownership could be as high as 45% ?compared with the EPU's 18.9% figure.
The centre came under attack from Umno leaders and Malay groups. Following that, Asli president Mirzan Mahathir admitted that its methodology was "flawed" last Tuesday. Najib had also said that the EPU's data are accurate and should not be questioned.
Several political parties and organisations have called for an open discussion of the issue and for transparency on the EPU's methodology.
In a statement last Friday, Aliran's executive committee said: "Putting a stop to discussions and dialogue on the pretext that it is a `sensitive' or `seditious' issue suggests that the government is unable to defend its figures and stand by them." It said the government should provide convincing arguments backed by facts, figures and an academically acceptable methodology.
"This is the mark of a society that is rational, scientific and democratic as envisaged in the much-touted Vision 2020," it said.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called for an independent committee to evaluate equity holding and poverty to assess the real status of the economy.
"Even though many, including myself, have doubted the research methods used by Asli that led to a much higher equity holding for bumiputras, the right action would be through transparent efforts to obtain complete figures and data," he said in a statement on Saturday.
Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang said the party would raise the issue of marginalised communities in Parliament next month.
We want to know what the government has done with regard to recommendations in the CPPS study to end marginalisation of the new Indian underclass under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, he said in a statement on Saturday.
He said the CPPS study on marginalised Indians argued that development strategies, policies, programmes and the distribution of benefits in the past 35 years have been highly skewed, causing numerically small and economically weak ethnic minorities to feel increasingly alienated and neglected.
MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the methodology for any research should be disclosed so that the public can have a better understanding of the findings.
He said Asli's findings were based on a scientific research and every scientific survey had its own assumptions.
He was speaking to reporters yesterday after flagging off the Our Family Fun Run, organised by the Selangor Yoga Ananda Marga Association.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DESIDERATA:
I've is reproduced theSun report in full because I believe THIS ISSUE is the core challenge faced by NegaraKu -- its resolution would determine largely the rise or fall of Malaysia on its journey towards Vision 2020. For your sake, my sake, our future generations', I hope it's still V2020 we are focusing on. NOT THE OLIGARCHY again! as brother Maverick SM's hovering line bedevils us in absentia.
But Desi's elegantly muted retort: But generally Malaysians suffer from varying degress of MASOCHISM.
The DPM defends the Government's stand using what I term "inverted" logic, viz ~~ "We have no problems [revealing the methodology] but there should be no insinuation as if the government is not being transparent," he (Najib) said. Najib had also said that the EPU's data are accurate and should not be questioned.
He wanted the citizenry to accept without doubt all the Government's pronoucements and decrees. Insinuation, Mr PM-to-be?An academic report by ASLI's think tank headed by a world-renowned Doctorate holder is hardly anywhere near "Mat Rempit" field to be turned ito Mat Cemerlang by the kiss of a toadie, or is it?
The call that the Rakyat should not "question" the EPU's data is "inverted" in the first place because the so-called "data" was never disclosed in the first place. It is like "Putting the cart before the horse", Mr DPM?
AS for Dr Lim Keng Yaik and all his underlings like Penang state Exco Dr Toh Kin Woon, can I ask a simple question? (the same is directed to the MCA poli-tikus-tikus who jump onto the bandwagoin like Johnny-come-lately...)
Q: How long has Gerakan been in the Barisan Nasional?
Have they been in deep sleep like Rip van Winkle?
Hey, by Parliamentary practice, the BN government is a collective one, so all the Coponent parties including Gerakan and MCA (did someone whisper MIC?) are collectively responsible for all the policies, like the NEP, formulated by the Government.
As for the other Players stated in the news report, generally they reflect the voice of the people.
But will the BN Government listen?
Will the Electorate continue to inflict upon themselves Masochistic tendencies at the polls?
Nowadays, in NegaraKu, I don't know which standards we are aspiring towards.
Remember the FAMILY COUNCIL in the most developed prescinct in the land?
Some UMNO putra believes the Hans Christian Andersen fable can be replicated in modern Malaysia and Mat Cemerlang come by as cheap as dozens a dime.
No, my dear princes and princesses, it's hard work, brain work and yes, with some good luck, and God's blessings. That's why Iurge my dear ER to join me in saying ISA... constantly.
Oh, every good children's tale must have a tail, yes?
"So as the Papa and Mama Toadies and their baby Li'l Malaysian Toad wait by Tasik Titiwangsa for the Prince Charming to pass by, their patience one day pays off.
Here comes a Putra riding abig killer bike, lies down as tired as hell to take a snooze by the lake. He is tired by all the parytyuing and dancing and lamsing and yumsing in the night before, and the night before that, and also ... you get the drift, shrift...
Suddenly, the Putera is awakened by some croaking sound nearby. A li'l toady Voice cried out: "PLease my saviour Prince, kiss me on the lips and I'd make thee a pretty bride!"
The Putera, half dazed, gentleman that he is, obliges, with one eye open.
THE Putera TRANSFORMS INTO the most handsome crocodile this land has ever seen.
And the best meal such a Prince Crocodile enjoys is... Yeah, Mama, Papa and Anak Toadies of the land.
Alternative ending. Yes, Hollywood productions sometimes come with two endings, to suit the market, you stupid!
So my more compassionate and soulfool nephews reading this cript overlooking my shoulders (NO, the script was not looking, it's da nephews, you stoopid!( See the joys of returning afresh to Blogging!~~
"The Putera, half dazed, gentleman that he is, obliges, with one eye open. Kissing the Li'l Toad on the toady lips.
Hey Presto! The Putera is TRANSFORMED into the most handsomest Toadie the land has ever seeen. He marries the Li'L ToadA2 and they rule the ArmNOPutera watery kingdom. and as far as their toady eyes can see. Yes, the second Couple and Papa and Mama ToadAO live APily ever after. In Lake Titiwangsa."
PS: If you don't believe me, join me in a snooze dare this Sundae. Bring two CON BF! But remember to say your prayers.
:
:
:
God save your souls, if you have any.
I:
S:
A:...
Desi says from the start he's in hi-spirits, didn't he?
He finally found his soul'd mate.
"I L'VE Us."
There was once a li'l toad who had high aspirations. She told her Mum that she wished to become a pretty princess one day and of course, would marry the handsomest prince in the land.
Mummy Toad was not so sure her li'l gal could make it. Papa Toady had some sprinkling of hope as he had been reading some Christian lit. Some Hans Andersen fable about how one day a tired Prince rested by a river bank, and he woke up to some croaking sound nearby. A li'l toady Voice cried out: "Please my saviour Prince, kiss me on the lips and I'd make thee a pretty bride!"
The Prince, still a li'l dazed, closed his eyes, planted a maiden kiss on the toady lips. Hey Presto! on opening his eyes, he saw in front of him the "prettiest lass" he had had set eyes on since he started travelling the kingdom the lust se7en years looking for his pride.
So the Prince married the li'l Princess named Toad-A1 and they lived with many AP ever after. ~~ Desi, with AP to HC HandThemSome.
Jest a spining to chase away Mondae blues.
I feel high this morn, how about you and Us?
NB: Us is pronounced to rime with blues -- it's the 'plural' of you, OK!
If I speak alONE with Helen, it's You.
If I speak with Helen and Anak Merdeka, it's Us!
If you still can't get it, no one can help you except
brudder Mave SM, but I hurt he's gone on a Sabbatickle
to seek out the medSin to antidote the Oligarchy.
Me, I prefer to deal with damn wordily (worthily?).
From theSun (the boldest print paper in the land ... IMHO-lah, for its 3sen worth!)frontpage.
Open to scrutiny
NAJIB: GOVT WILLING TO REVEAL METHODOLOGY OF CALCULATING BUMIPUTRA EQUITY SHARE
by B. Suresh Ram and Kimberley Lau
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is willing to make public the methodology used by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) to calculate the corporate equity ownership of various communities.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said this would dispel any lingering doubts about the authenticity of the figures by EPU, which comes under the Prime Minister's Department.
"If there are still doubts (on the figures), we can reveal the methodology used," he said yesterday after launching the national level Road Safety Campaign in conjunction with the coming Deepavali and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
Najib stressed that the government was transparent when it came to such economic data.
"We have no problems [revealing the methodology] but there should be no insinuation as if the government is not being transparent," he said.
He added that the government was transparent and that the EPU's figures were based on objective research.
"We want to make sure that whatever figures we use is for the country on the whole. The figures are not `adjusted' for the benefit of any particular community," he said, when asked to comment on Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik's statement on Saturday that EPU should reveal its methodology in determining the percentage of bumiputra equity ownership in order to defend the government's integrity.
Lim, who is energy, water and communications minister, said this would leave no room for any party to question the government's figures. He said the EPU should make the information public since questions have been raised on the issue.
Continued on page 2~~
Groups call for open discussion on methodology
Doubts over the government's data were raised after a study by Asli's Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) concluded that bumiputra equity ownership could be as high as 45% ?compared with the EPU's 18.9% figure.
The centre came under attack from Umno leaders and Malay groups. Following that, Asli president Mirzan Mahathir admitted that its methodology was "flawed" last Tuesday. Najib had also said that the EPU's data are accurate and should not be questioned.
Several political parties and organisations have called for an open discussion of the issue and for transparency on the EPU's methodology.
In a statement last Friday, Aliran's executive committee said: "Putting a stop to discussions and dialogue on the pretext that it is a `sensitive' or `seditious' issue suggests that the government is unable to defend its figures and stand by them." It said the government should provide convincing arguments backed by facts, figures and an academically acceptable methodology.
"This is the mark of a society that is rational, scientific and democratic as envisaged in the much-touted Vision 2020," it said.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called for an independent committee to evaluate equity holding and poverty to assess the real status of the economy.
"Even though many, including myself, have doubted the research methods used by Asli that led to a much higher equity holding for bumiputras, the right action would be through transparent efforts to obtain complete figures and data," he said in a statement on Saturday.
Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang said the party would raise the issue of marginalised communities in Parliament next month.
We want to know what the government has done with regard to recommendations in the CPPS study to end marginalisation of the new Indian underclass under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, he said in a statement on Saturday.
He said the CPPS study on marginalised Indians argued that development strategies, policies, programmes and the distribution of benefits in the past 35 years have been highly skewed, causing numerically small and economically weak ethnic minorities to feel increasingly alienated and neglected.
MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the methodology for any research should be disclosed so that the public can have a better understanding of the findings.
He said Asli's findings were based on a scientific research and every scientific survey had its own assumptions.
He was speaking to reporters yesterday after flagging off the Our Family Fun Run, organised by the Selangor Yoga Ananda Marga Association.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DESIDERATA:
I've is reproduced theSun report in full because I believe THIS ISSUE is the core challenge faced by NegaraKu -- its resolution would determine largely the rise or fall of Malaysia on its journey towards Vision 2020. For your sake, my sake, our future generations', I hope it's still V2020 we are focusing on. NOT THE OLIGARCHY again! as brother Maverick SM's hovering line bedevils us in absentia.
But Desi's elegantly muted retort: But generally Malaysians suffer from varying degress of MASOCHISM.
The DPM defends the Government's stand using what I term "inverted" logic, viz ~~ "We have no problems [revealing the methodology] but there should be no insinuation as if the government is not being transparent," he (Najib) said. Najib had also said that the EPU's data are accurate and should not be questioned.
He wanted the citizenry to accept without doubt all the Government's pronoucements and decrees. Insinuation, Mr PM-to-be?An academic report by ASLI's think tank headed by a world-renowned Doctorate holder is hardly anywhere near "Mat Rempit" field to be turned ito Mat Cemerlang by the kiss of a toadie, or is it?
The call that the Rakyat should not "question" the EPU's data is "inverted" in the first place because the so-called "data" was never disclosed in the first place. It is like "Putting the cart before the horse", Mr DPM?
AS for Dr Lim Keng Yaik and all his underlings like Penang state Exco Dr Toh Kin Woon, can I ask a simple question? (the same is directed to the MCA poli-tikus-tikus who jump onto the bandwagoin like Johnny-come-lately...)
Q: How long has Gerakan been in the Barisan Nasional?
Have they been in deep sleep like Rip van Winkle?
Hey, by Parliamentary practice, the BN government is a collective one, so all the Coponent parties including Gerakan and MCA (did someone whisper MIC?) are collectively responsible for all the policies, like the NEP, formulated by the Government.
As for the other Players stated in the news report, generally they reflect the voice of the people.
But will the BN Government listen?
Will the Electorate continue to inflict upon themselves Masochistic tendencies at the polls?
Nowadays, in NegaraKu, I don't know which standards we are aspiring towards.
Remember the FAMILY COUNCIL in the most developed prescinct in the land?
Some UMNO putra believes the Hans Christian Andersen fable can be replicated in modern Malaysia and Mat Cemerlang come by as cheap as dozens a dime.
No, my dear princes and princesses, it's hard work, brain work and yes, with some good luck, and God's blessings. That's why Iurge my dear ER to join me in saying ISA... constantly.
Oh, every good children's tale must have a tail, yes?
"So as the Papa and Mama Toadies and their baby Li'l Malaysian Toad wait by Tasik Titiwangsa for the Prince Charming to pass by, their patience one day pays off.
Here comes a Putra riding abig killer bike, lies down as tired as hell to take a snooze by the lake. He is tired by all the parytyuing and dancing and lamsing and yumsing in the night before, and the night before that, and also ... you get the drift, shrift...
Suddenly, the Putera is awakened by some croaking sound nearby. A li'l toady Voice cried out: "PLease my saviour Prince, kiss me on the lips and I'd make thee a pretty bride!"
The Putera, half dazed, gentleman that he is, obliges, with one eye open.
THE Putera TRANSFORMS INTO the most handsome crocodile this land has ever seen.
And the best meal such a Prince Crocodile enjoys is... Yeah, Mama, Papa and Anak Toadies of the land.
Alternative ending. Yes, Hollywood productions sometimes come with two endings, to suit the market, you stupid!
So my more compassionate and soulfool nephews reading this cript overlooking my shoulders (NO, the script was not looking, it's da nephews, you stoopid!( See the joys of returning afresh to Blogging!~~
"The Putera, half dazed, gentleman that he is, obliges, with one eye open. Kissing the Li'l Toad on the toady lips.
Hey Presto! The Putera is TRANSFORMED into the most handsomest Toadie the land has ever seeen. He marries the Li'L ToadA2 and they rule the ArmNOPutera watery kingdom. and as far as their toady eyes can see. Yes, the second Couple and Papa and Mama ToadAO live APily ever after. In Lake Titiwangsa."
PS: If you don't believe me, join me in a snooze dare this Sundae. Bring two CON BF! But remember to say your prayers.
:
:
:
God save your souls, if you have any.
I:
S:
A:...
Desi says from the start he's in hi-spirits, didn't he?
He finally found his soul'd mate.
"I L'VE Us."
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Once upon a crooked...
rime.
There once was a crooked man
He walked a crooked mile
He found a crooked sixpense
in a crooked stile
He returned to his crooked house
Greeted by his wife in a golden blouse
His wife excitedly told how A-men
She had met an ol' lamp salesman
Who traded her a new lamp for olde
She then rubbed on the nu'e lamp
And appeared a smilin' genie
Promise her a nu'e destiny
"I give thee one wish, ma'am,
But there is a price I claim."
She said Yes and asked that their house
be turned into a huge and sately mansion
So the olde man returned to a new abode
A palace in the place of the crooked lot
The price? Ah, not a surprise
He became the first crooked President
and she the first crooked Lady
Of the most developed prescient
The first Couple have attained vision 2020
Desi:
An AP for adaptation of a NURSEry Rime
I learnt in primary school
I hope it's no crime
That my memory is not so cool
I could not recall the rhyme in full
So I added in some shit and bull
I spied this in The NST web edition,
I hope it's of the right (that is, as same as the print) rendition:
Politicians and those in authority
will be investigated
if suspected of abusing power: DPM
PEKAN, SAT.:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone, including politicians from the Barisan Nasional coalition parties, will be investigated if there is suspicion of abuse of power.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said it did not matter if they occupied positions of influence in the Government or party.
Appropriate action will be taken against those involved, irrespective of their position," he told reporters after distributing dividends to participants of integrated farming projects here.
Najib, who is also Umno deputy president, was commenting on the controversy surrounding the building of a mansion by Port Klang state assemblyman, Datuk Zakaria Md Deros.
Zakaria is said to have bought the land for his house in Pandamaran at a very low price from the Selangor Government.
He is also alleged to have ignored building regulations in its construction.
Assuring that investigations will be impartial, Najib added that wrongdoings by VIPS are the work of individuals and do not implicate the government.
Desiderata: REALly?
From theSun web edition,
continuing the UMNO tradition~~
Family council
Terence Fernandez
KLANG (Oct 12,2006): Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros, the councillor who is involved in the controversy over building his mansion without approval, is slated to be re-appointed to the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), making it a family affair of sorts.
Joining him and his daughter-in-law, Roselinda Abdul Jamil who are already councillors, will be his son - Zainuri. Roselinda is married to another son of Zakaria.
Zainuri's appointment marks the second time in MPK's history that the council includes three members of the same family.
It would have been four in the family if Zakaria's wife, Datin Zizah Ngah had not declined a nomination for a councillor's post, sources said.
"Apparently she had asked that her name be withdrawn as she feels uncomfortable that there are so many of her family members in the council," said a Barisan Nasional source.
Senator Datin Paduka Nor Hayati Onn, who is ending her term as councillor this month, used to serve along with her father Tan Sri Onn Ismail, and Onn's son-in-law Faizal Abdullah, who is being retained.
Several councillors were less than pleased with the present developments.
"This is unhealthy. How can you have three people from one family sitting in the council? It is an attempt to consolidate power and bulldoze things through," said one councillor. Another councillor said having such "dynasties" in a local council raises questions of neutrality and vested interests when deciding on issues. "How are the people going to have any faith in us?" he asked.
Zakaria has been in the news lately for building a mansion among a cluster of low-cost homes in Kampung Idaman, without planning approval. The land on which the four-storey building, known among locals as Istana Idaman or Istana Zakaria, was alienated to Zizah three years ago.
On Wednesday, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said the full list of councillors in Selangor will be announced after Hari Raya Aidilfitri. He said while some names have been announced, there are still two or three people who have "yet to be cleared" by the police and Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).
DAP assemblyman for Sungai Pinang Teng Chang Kim said the appointment is a testimony to the feudalistic history in the governing of Klang.
"I dont know how Umno can approve this. What message is it sending out? Is it trying to say that there is no one else outside this family capable of becoming a councillor?" asked Teng who, in 1999, was involved in a widely-publicised scuffle at the state assembly with Zakaria.
Zakaria had allegedly slapped Teng at the lobby, after he took offence to Teng's usage of the terms haram and halal during a debate. The two shook hands after the mentri besar intervened.
Desiderata: "He (Mentri Besar Khir Toyo) said while some names have been announced, there are still two or three people who have "yet to be cleared" by the police and Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).
REALLY?
There once was a crooked man
He walked a crooked mile
He found a crooked sixpense
in a crooked stile
He returned to his crooked house
Greeted by his wife in a golden blouse
His wife excitedly told how A-men
She had met an ol' lamp salesman
Who traded her a new lamp for olde
She then rubbed on the nu'e lamp
And appeared a smilin' genie
Promise her a nu'e destiny
"I give thee one wish, ma'am,
But there is a price I claim."
She said Yes and asked that their house
be turned into a huge and sately mansion
So the olde man returned to a new abode
A palace in the place of the crooked lot
The price? Ah, not a surprise
He became the first crooked President
and she the first crooked Lady
Of the most developed prescient
The first Couple have attained vision 2020
Desi:
An AP for adaptation of a NURSEry Rime
I learnt in primary school
I hope it's no crime
That my memory is not so cool
I could not recall the rhyme in full
So I added in some shit and bull
I spied this in The NST web edition,
I hope it's of the right (that is, as same as the print) rendition:
Politicians and those in authority
will be investigated
if suspected of abusing power: DPM
PEKAN, SAT.:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone, including politicians from the Barisan Nasional coalition parties, will be investigated if there is suspicion of abuse of power.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said it did not matter if they occupied positions of influence in the Government or party.
Appropriate action will be taken against those involved, irrespective of their position," he told reporters after distributing dividends to participants of integrated farming projects here.
Najib, who is also Umno deputy president, was commenting on the controversy surrounding the building of a mansion by Port Klang state assemblyman, Datuk Zakaria Md Deros.
Zakaria is said to have bought the land for his house in Pandamaran at a very low price from the Selangor Government.
He is also alleged to have ignored building regulations in its construction.
Assuring that investigations will be impartial, Najib added that wrongdoings by VIPS are the work of individuals and do not implicate the government.
Desiderata: REALly?
From theSun web edition,
continuing the UMNO tradition~~
Family council
Terence Fernandez
KLANG (Oct 12,2006): Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros, the councillor who is involved in the controversy over building his mansion without approval, is slated to be re-appointed to the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), making it a family affair of sorts.
Joining him and his daughter-in-law, Roselinda Abdul Jamil who are already councillors, will be his son - Zainuri. Roselinda is married to another son of Zakaria.
Zainuri's appointment marks the second time in MPK's history that the council includes three members of the same family.
It would have been four in the family if Zakaria's wife, Datin Zizah Ngah had not declined a nomination for a councillor's post, sources said.
"Apparently she had asked that her name be withdrawn as she feels uncomfortable that there are so many of her family members in the council," said a Barisan Nasional source.
Senator Datin Paduka Nor Hayati Onn, who is ending her term as councillor this month, used to serve along with her father Tan Sri Onn Ismail, and Onn's son-in-law Faizal Abdullah, who is being retained.
Several councillors were less than pleased with the present developments.
"This is unhealthy. How can you have three people from one family sitting in the council? It is an attempt to consolidate power and bulldoze things through," said one councillor. Another councillor said having such "dynasties" in a local council raises questions of neutrality and vested interests when deciding on issues. "How are the people going to have any faith in us?" he asked.
Zakaria has been in the news lately for building a mansion among a cluster of low-cost homes in Kampung Idaman, without planning approval. The land on which the four-storey building, known among locals as Istana Idaman or Istana Zakaria, was alienated to Zizah three years ago.
On Wednesday, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said the full list of councillors in Selangor will be announced after Hari Raya Aidilfitri. He said while some names have been announced, there are still two or three people who have "yet to be cleared" by the police and Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).
DAP assemblyman for Sungai Pinang Teng Chang Kim said the appointment is a testimony to the feudalistic history in the governing of Klang.
"I dont know how Umno can approve this. What message is it sending out? Is it trying to say that there is no one else outside this family capable of becoming a councillor?" asked Teng who, in 1999, was involved in a widely-publicised scuffle at the state assembly with Zakaria.
Zakaria had allegedly slapped Teng at the lobby, after he took offence to Teng's usage of the terms haram and halal during a debate. The two shook hands after the mentri besar intervened.
Desiderata: "He (Mentri Besar Khir Toyo) said while some names have been announced, there are still two or three people who have "yet to be cleared" by the police and Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).
REALLY?
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
For a few good men
Like Dr Lim Teck Ghee,
Desi extends one Salute.
We need more such men of integrity
Lest the Malaysian atmosphere by iblis pollute
It's with a heavy heart I wrote the precedent post
That it's a hiatus for Mave SM, just an adieu at most
But an intellectual like Dr Lim says he's resigning
I know that Malaysia continues its slide, without any ending?
Fro theSun frontpage~~
Asli backs
down over
NEP data
Sharon Kam and Jacqueline Ann Surin
PETALING JAYA: Under pressure from Umno politicians and certain segments of the Malay community, think tank Asli has backed down and agreed to withdraw a contentious report on the New Economic Policy (NEP).
Asli or the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute president Mirzan Mahathir issued a statement yesterday saying the findings by its Centre for Public Policy Studies that bumiputra equity ownership could be as high as 45% cannot be "vigorously justified".
Mirzan also expressed deep regret over the "hurt and confusion felt by all Malaysians caused by the Centre's report."
"On re-examining the methodology and conclusions of the report, Asli has concluded that there are shortcomings in assumption and calculation that led to conclusions that cannot be vigorously justified," he said.
"As such, Asli feels that this report does not fairly reflect the true picture of total equity ownership by bumiputras in Malaysia."
Mirzan noted that the report - Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy - was part of a larger study undertaken by a multi-racial group of scholars and consultants in connection with the Ninth Malaysia Plan. It was submitted to government in February, but the centre did not receive any feedback.
However, since its findings were widely reported on a few weeks ago, Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin described it as "rubbish" following a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that said the report was "baseless", "inaccurate" and "irresponsible".
Today, a Malay daily quoted former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying the centre's findings were "illogical" because bumiputra control of the economy was far below that of other races.
The centre's report had concluded that the NEP target of 30% bumiputra equity ownership had already been exceeded, and said the official methodology inherited from the 1970s to measure corporate equity distribution was "narrowly-based, unrealistic and has resulted in an underestimation of the true volume and value of bumiputra equity."
It also said it was clear that "selective patronage" had resulted in "serious intra-ethnic Malay cleavages", and the continued promotion of the NEP would only serve to raise antagonisms among bumiputras that some are more favoured than others.
The Centre for Public Policy Studies is headed by Dr Lim Teck Ghee, a former United Nations regional adviser and World Bank senior political scientist, and recipient of numerous international academic awards.
"As the 30% ownership of Malaysian corporate equity by bumiputras is one of the key targets of the NEP, it is important to have a reliable methodology to measure the government's success in meeting this target," Mirzan said.
"All methodologies are at best good estimates of the true situation and due to the importance of the threshold to the public, should be a transparent as possible," he added.
However, he hoped that the report would lead to a better understanding of the current methodology's merits.
Mirzan said that in Asli's 13-year history, its agenda has always been to help create a better society through the promotion of strategic thinking and leadership qualities.
"We humbly take all criticisms levelled at Asli with an open heart in our quest to improve ourselves in order to serve Malaysia better," he said.
Sources said although Asli has officially agreed to withdraw the report, those involved in putting it together are standing by their work. However, they accept that the political reality left the institute no choice but to back down in order to stop the attacks on Asli.
Updated: 07:50PM Tue, 10 Oct 2006
LATEST BREAKING NEWS: I just read (@ about noon) from JeffOoi's Screenshots the sad news that Dr Lim had tendered his resignation (as head of ASLI's Centre for Public Policy Studies)as he did not agree with ASLI's president Mirzan Mahathir's backing down on the report by the Centre for Public Policy Studies. The decision by Dr Lim is expected from a man of intellectual integrity.
Desi does not know whether to laugh or cry for NegaraKu.
I may need to say more:
I:
S:
A:...!
DESIDERATA: Note that all the key Players (as highlighted, BOLDED THUS, in the news report, are present or past UMNO leaders. Do the rest of the Malaysian populace exist in their eyes? Do our views count? Even totalling just up to one-third or 33-1/3per cent?
As a "protest" against the political trends in NegaraKu that tend towards dictatorial rule and governance by absolute decrees (for instance, the utter "rubbish" coming out of apologists like Muhyiddin, who countered rational reports with just one "label") rather than towards more democratic discourse and transparency as promised by the Prime Minister in the GE 2004's BN Manifesto, I'm resting this Blog for a week.
Maybe Mave SM's decision has had an impact. Seriously, I also suffer from fatigue from all this months-long, energy-sapping and non-productive sandiwara and utter "rubbish" emerging endlessly from some asses' (did I leave out an 'r' somewhere?) holes. Maybe some is an understatement. Many, especially from out of PWTC. Or is it outa Putrajaya?
Desi extends one Salute.
We need more such men of integrity
Lest the Malaysian atmosphere by iblis pollute
It's with a heavy heart I wrote the precedent post
That it's a hiatus for Mave SM, just an adieu at most
But an intellectual like Dr Lim says he's resigning
I know that Malaysia continues its slide, without any ending?
Fro theSun frontpage~~
Asli backs
down over
NEP data
Sharon Kam and Jacqueline Ann Surin
PETALING JAYA: Under pressure from Umno politicians and certain segments of the Malay community, think tank Asli has backed down and agreed to withdraw a contentious report on the New Economic Policy (NEP).
Asli or the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute president Mirzan Mahathir issued a statement yesterday saying the findings by its Centre for Public Policy Studies that bumiputra equity ownership could be as high as 45% cannot be "vigorously justified".
Mirzan also expressed deep regret over the "hurt and confusion felt by all Malaysians caused by the Centre's report."
"On re-examining the methodology and conclusions of the report, Asli has concluded that there are shortcomings in assumption and calculation that led to conclusions that cannot be vigorously justified," he said.
"As such, Asli feels that this report does not fairly reflect the true picture of total equity ownership by bumiputras in Malaysia."
Mirzan noted that the report - Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy - was part of a larger study undertaken by a multi-racial group of scholars and consultants in connection with the Ninth Malaysia Plan. It was submitted to government in February, but the centre did not receive any feedback.
However, since its findings were widely reported on a few weeks ago, Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin described it as "rubbish" following a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that said the report was "baseless", "inaccurate" and "irresponsible".
Today, a Malay daily quoted former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying the centre's findings were "illogical" because bumiputra control of the economy was far below that of other races.
The centre's report had concluded that the NEP target of 30% bumiputra equity ownership had already been exceeded, and said the official methodology inherited from the 1970s to measure corporate equity distribution was "narrowly-based, unrealistic and has resulted in an underestimation of the true volume and value of bumiputra equity."
It also said it was clear that "selective patronage" had resulted in "serious intra-ethnic Malay cleavages", and the continued promotion of the NEP would only serve to raise antagonisms among bumiputras that some are more favoured than others.
The Centre for Public Policy Studies is headed by Dr Lim Teck Ghee, a former United Nations regional adviser and World Bank senior political scientist, and recipient of numerous international academic awards.
"As the 30% ownership of Malaysian corporate equity by bumiputras is one of the key targets of the NEP, it is important to have a reliable methodology to measure the government's success in meeting this target," Mirzan said.
"All methodologies are at best good estimates of the true situation and due to the importance of the threshold to the public, should be a transparent as possible," he added.
However, he hoped that the report would lead to a better understanding of the current methodology's merits.
Mirzan said that in Asli's 13-year history, its agenda has always been to help create a better society through the promotion of strategic thinking and leadership qualities.
"We humbly take all criticisms levelled at Asli with an open heart in our quest to improve ourselves in order to serve Malaysia better," he said.
Sources said although Asli has officially agreed to withdraw the report, those involved in putting it together are standing by their work. However, they accept that the political reality left the institute no choice but to back down in order to stop the attacks on Asli.
Updated: 07:50PM Tue, 10 Oct 2006
LATEST BREAKING NEWS: I just read (@ about noon) from JeffOoi's Screenshots the sad news that Dr Lim had tendered his resignation (as head of ASLI's Centre for Public Policy Studies)as he did not agree with ASLI's president Mirzan Mahathir's backing down on the report by the Centre for Public Policy Studies. The decision by Dr Lim is expected from a man of intellectual integrity.
Desi does not know whether to laugh or cry for NegaraKu.
I may need to say more:
I:
S:
A:...!
DESIDERATA: Note that all the key Players (as highlighted, BOLDED THUS, in the news report, are present or past UMNO leaders. Do the rest of the Malaysian populace exist in their eyes? Do our views count? Even totalling just up to one-third or 33-1/3per cent?
As a "protest" against the political trends in NegaraKu that tend towards dictatorial rule and governance by absolute decrees (for instance, the utter "rubbish" coming out of apologists like Muhyiddin, who countered rational reports with just one "label") rather than towards more democratic discourse and transparency as promised by the Prime Minister in the GE 2004's BN Manifesto, I'm resting this Blog for a week.
Maybe Mave SM's decision has had an impact. Seriously, I also suffer from fatigue from all this months-long, energy-sapping and non-productive sandiwara and utter "rubbish" emerging endlessly from some asses' (did I leave out an 'r' somewhere?) holes. Maybe some is an understatement. Many, especially from out of PWTC. Or is it outa Putrajaya?
Howsy asks Desi to say a few words...
Yeah, Desi's a man of few words. What an irony! Or izzit silvery? Platinumoney?
When I woke up this wedNURSEdae moUrn feeling fine;
then this piece of bad nu'es hit Desi on the head of mine~~
"Howsy said...
Loktor Mave's quitting blogging!!! Say a few words to stop him from doing that!
12:46 AM "
First thing I did was to get It from Da Horse's mouth, and it's indeed true.
The horst@maverickysm.blogspot.com aka Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin -- I have categorised him along with Sharir Samad MP for Johor Baru as da mavericks -- has been on my dietician's recommended list at BF, so I may now become more deprived with each passing day. I wanted to write 'die', Oz style, but this is too serious a topic tis morn to indulge myself.
So this is a special FEW WORDS to mGf mave sm, also an esteemed essayists who responded to my first call (to him as two Merdeka Days ago, we had not corresponded) for sharing Merdeka Day thoughts even though we have yet to meet up in person. But I seem to know you better than many people I meet daily, even for decades now. They call It chemistry. I call it soul-matey in wavelengths. Wave also rhymes with Mave, See the fun-D in cyber-space? I can even pull your legs without hurting/hearding. Hairy, scary, blardy housey...Mary, Eat, Drik and Be Merry, quite contrary.
But mGf, you cited some good reasons why you need to put up the DO NOT DISTURB sign.
This I can understand, partially, fully or wisely, foolly. But as a fellow writHer, I know you will be back because the word "hiatus" was mentioned by thee in closing.
"Hiatus" is a common enough inter:lude that Bloggers engage in to breakaway from it all. We all need such re-energising breaks. I had taken a few myself. So also fellow Bloggers like AM, Helen, and FAshionista. (I instantly recall fe-mails only because somehow they connect with Desi in cyber-frequency, which is another way to describe compatible cyber-wavelength, except frequency doesn't rhyme with Mave, but it does with Desi.
Now, where was I? Oh yes, a few words, and indeed,
"Words are all I have
To take your heart away..."
When I read Mave's from-the-heart message today his RAT-ionale, mousey-one also can!I can emphatise~~~~~~~
"I would had blog for 3 years by November 2006. I truly enjoy writing at CTSB; that's had always being my passion in life - writing essays. I had written many thesis, articles, and essays but yet to publish a book which I intended, maybe, in later years. The contents are half finish but finding it difficult to finish bcos of time...no time as of now. I had tried to write a book on project management in construction industry, a book on Money and a book on Quality Management.... all half-past-six (unfinished) bcos ...no sponsor/publisher yet.
Time passed fast..."
Had Desi arrived at That CROSSroads, he would have made a similar decision.
I too missed one DEADLine for my first own book last month (September promise to some ER miss'd, Miss Patience is a Virtue, remember! That's not a Q, rhetorical or non-, it's an XXclamation!)
Back from digression (a privilege for Bloggers to A-buse which Mave would miss by going away ...not for good please!), may I add that indeed I concur with Mave unreservedly that
TIME PASSED FAST, when you're enjoying a journey. With fellow travellers you deem as friends. Hence, I believe, it's a matter of Time when you hop back onto the train at the sext, oops, next stop. WE await with anticipation.
When I woke up this wedNURSEdae moUrn feeling fine;
then this piece of bad nu'es hit Desi on the head of mine~~
"Howsy said...
Loktor Mave's quitting blogging!!! Say a few words to stop him from doing that!
12:46 AM "
First thing I did was to get It from Da Horse's mouth, and it's indeed true.
The horst@maverickysm.blogspot.com aka Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin -- I have categorised him along with Sharir Samad MP for Johor Baru as da mavericks -- has been on my dietician's recommended list at BF, so I may now become more deprived with each passing day. I wanted to write 'die', Oz style, but this is too serious a topic tis morn to indulge myself.
So this is a special FEW WORDS to mGf mave sm, also an esteemed essayists who responded to my first call (to him as two Merdeka Days ago, we had not corresponded) for sharing Merdeka Day thoughts even though we have yet to meet up in person. But I seem to know you better than many people I meet daily, even for decades now. They call It chemistry. I call it soul-matey in wavelengths. Wave also rhymes with Mave, See the fun-D in cyber-space? I can even pull your legs without hurting/hearding. Hairy, scary, blardy housey...Mary, Eat, Drik and Be Merry, quite contrary.
But mGf, you cited some good reasons why you need to put up the DO NOT DISTURB sign.
This I can understand, partially, fully or wisely, foolly. But as a fellow writHer, I know you will be back because the word "hiatus" was mentioned by thee in closing.
"Hiatus" is a common enough inter:lude that Bloggers engage in to breakaway from it all. We all need such re-energising breaks. I had taken a few myself. So also fellow Bloggers like AM, Helen, and FAshionista. (I instantly recall fe-mails only because somehow they connect with Desi in cyber-frequency, which is another way to describe compatible cyber-wavelength, except frequency doesn't rhyme with Mave, but it does with Desi.
Now, where was I? Oh yes, a few words, and indeed,
"Words are all I have
To take your heart away..."
When I read Mave's from-the-heart message today his RAT-ionale, mousey-one also can!I can emphatise~~~~~~~
"I would had blog for 3 years by November 2006. I truly enjoy writing at CTSB; that's had always being my passion in life - writing essays. I had written many thesis, articles, and essays but yet to publish a book which I intended, maybe, in later years. The contents are half finish but finding it difficult to finish bcos of time...no time as of now. I had tried to write a book on project management in construction industry, a book on Money and a book on Quality Management.... all half-past-six (unfinished) bcos ...no sponsor/publisher yet.
Time passed fast..."
Had Desi arrived at That CROSSroads, he would have made a similar decision.
I too missed one DEADLine for my first own book last month (September promise to some ER miss'd, Miss Patience is a Virtue, remember! That's not a Q, rhetorical or non-, it's an XXclamation!)
Back from digression (a privilege for Bloggers to A-buse which Mave would miss by going away ...not for good please!), may I add that indeed I concur with Mave unreservedly that
TIME PASSED FAST, when you're enjoying a journey. With fellow travellers you deem as friends. Hence, I believe, it's a matter of Time when you hop back onto the train at the sext, oops, next stop. WE await with anticipation.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Voices of Innocence
The United States and Britain continue to claim innocence of having gone to war in Iraq uder false pretences of having evidence that the targeted country had WMD -- oh, many of you might have forgotten, WMD is "weapons of mass destruction".
Oh, the Mat Rempit claim they are law-abiding citizens who just wanna have fun, riding their killer bikes at beyond speed limits in large convoys that would endanger other road users. And UMNO Putra lend legitimacy to their claims by saying they could be moulded into Mat Cemerlang by becoming the "eyes and ears" for the Government. Eyes and ears for what, Desi cannot understand. Can you? Until the rival gangs of MR turn nasty among themselves ...and Death visits. Ad nauseum ... or Till infinity? BUT UMPNO Putra claims innocence.
And now, drum roll! ~~
From The Star, page 1, Oct 10, 2006:
AP Controversy
'I'm the senator and
I'm innocent'
Datuk Muhammad Abdul Ghani from
Kelantan has come forward to declare that he
was the senator implicated by two
newspapers as being involved in a cloned
Approved Permit scam. However, he ha
denied the accusation, saying he stopped
managing his car import company six
years ago. He claims the
company is now being managed by his son.
Dear ER: Don't be kedekut-lah,
claiming you're hard hit by inflation.
Spend RM1.20 and then Turn to Full report
in Page 3. The Star-lah, not the freebie,
you claimed victims of The Government's
purportedly very low CPI of just 4%.
Desi claims he's jest an innocent bearer
of bad nu'es. If you need to shoot me,
please use watery bullets -- yes, I need
Amore air,if I ain't gonna get
Au, Ag or Platinum kad. MyKad don't get me
Cash from ATM, I dunno why.
Now, finally Trumpet blast. Or iszit another
kindA blast? Wella, whatever, I'm not involved ~~
From the frontpage, which paper you asked, who do I ask?
Nuclear shockwave
NORTH KOREA annunced its first nuclear bomb test yesterday, defying
efforst to stop the secretive regime from joining the world's nuclear
poers and triggering global outrage and calls for tough UN action.
October 10, 2006
North Korea nuclear test condemned, U.N. ponders action
SEOUL (Reuters) - World powers condemned North Korea on Monday after it said it had conducted an underground nuclear test and Washington sought harsh U.N. sanctions that could further impoverish and isolate the communist state.
China, Pyongyang's strongest political and economic backer, denounced the test by its neighbor as "brazen," and urged it to avoid action that could worsen the situation.
South Korean protesters burn anti-North Korean banners at a rally in Seoul October 9, 2006 denouncing North Korea's reported nuclear test.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also condemned the test.
U.S. President George W. Bush called it a "provocative act" that threatened international peace and security and required an immediate response from the U.N. Security Council.
Monday's announcement by Pyongyang sharply escalated world concerns over North Korea's nuclear program and was a slap in the face for major regional and world powers engaged in six-party talks intended to prevent just such a test.
It delivered a sharp blow to Chinese President Hu Jintao's doctrine of using economic incentives and diplomatic coaxing to avert North Korea's drive to become a nuclear weapons state. Only seven states have acknowledged having nuclear weapons.
The Security Council discussed a U.S. proposal for tough measures including international inspections of cargo going in and out of North Korea to check for weapons of mass destruction and related materials, diplomats said. Other proposals included a total arms embargo and a freeze on assets associated with Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction.
"We're going to take all actions we can, working with our partners, to make it very difficult for North Koreans to get the equipment, get the technology and to get the funding ... to market these weapons around the world," Christopher Hill, the U.S. State Department's point man on North Korea, told CNN.
Britain and France said they would support sanctions.
"The discussion will be on sanctions," said France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere. American officials were hoping that even countries that have been cool to sanctions like China and Russia would now be supportive.
SANCTIONS IN WORKS
U.N. diplomats said a tough sanctions regime could be in place by the end of this week. "Our aim will be to try and adopt this as quickly as possible, perhaps this week," said Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry.
Israel worried that Iran, already the focus of multinational efforts to curtail its nuclear program, might be emboldened to follow North Korea's lead.
"Now that North Korea has proven nuclear capabilities, it is liable to collaborate with Iran and accelerate the Iranian nuclear program," Israel's ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon told Israeli army radio.
Financial market reaction was muted with oil rising slightly in New York to $59.96 a barrel despite the test and an OPEC plan to cut production. The dollar strengthened to an eight-month high against the yen and stocks rose.
Bush said North Korea had been a leading proliferator of missile technology, including transfers to Iran and Syria, and warned Pyongyang against such activity.
"The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States and we would hold North Korea fully accountable for consequences of such action," he said.
A U.S. military intelligence official, who declined to be named, said North Korea's possible possession of nuclear technology also raised troubling questions about its possible proliferation to extremist groups such as al Qaeda.
Bush said he spoke by phone to leaders of China, South Korea, Japan and Russia -- the other parties involved in long-stalled negotiations with North Korea -- and all agreed the test was unacceptable.
China's Hu, feted as a friend when he visited North Korea last year, said Beijing believed there was still room for negotiations to end Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
SMALL NUKE, OR SOMETHING ELSE?
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said there was no leak or danger from its test.
"It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People's Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability."
A U.S. official said it could take several days for intelligence analysts to determine whether the event was the result of an unsuccessful nuclear test, a small nuclear device or a non-nuclear explosion.
"In terms of yield, we have it registering at less than four on the Richter scale. That's the kind of thing that could be the result of several hundred tons of TNT, rather than a nuclear test," the official said.
Australia's Seismology Research Center put the blast at about one kiloton, the equivalent of 1,000 tons of TNT.
John Pike, an independent U.S. intelligence expert, said the small yield could mean Pyongyang tested only the primary segment of a two-stage bomb. In such a device, a small primary implosion of perhaps a kiloton would emit a stream of X-rays to trigger a secondary fusion implosion.
"They basically need to see if they have correctly understood how to get the X-rays from the primary to the secondary. A full yield test of the secondary would not be necessary," said Pike.
The U.S. Air Force dropped a 12.5-kiloton bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945.
Analysts say North Korea probably has enough fissile material to make six to eight bombs but probably lacks the technology to devise one small enough to mount on a missile.
DESIDERATA: The various Countries and Players (highlighted in the Reuters report BOLDED THUS by Desi) must serach their own conscience, and ask of themselves: Are they really sincere in wanting peace, OR iszit a case of:
They see the speck of bullet dust in their neighbour's eye,
but not the cannon ball, or rocket, in their own eyes.
I plead guilty to plagiarising the above quote,
(IS THE ORI FROM THE bible?) but adapted, Okay!
At least I worked my brain cells a li'l!
Well, now NORTH KOREA claims innocence it's a threat to world peace because
Oh, the Mat Rempit claim they are law-abiding citizens who just wanna have fun, riding their killer bikes at beyond speed limits in large convoys that would endanger other road users. And UMNO Putra lend legitimacy to their claims by saying they could be moulded into Mat Cemerlang by becoming the "eyes and ears" for the Government. Eyes and ears for what, Desi cannot understand. Can you? Until the rival gangs of MR turn nasty among themselves ...and Death visits. Ad nauseum ... or Till infinity? BUT UMPNO Putra claims innocence.
And now, drum roll! ~~
From The Star, page 1, Oct 10, 2006:
AP Controversy
'I'm the senator and
I'm innocent'
Datuk Muhammad Abdul Ghani from
Kelantan has come forward to declare that he
was the senator implicated by two
newspapers as being involved in a cloned
Approved Permit scam. However, he ha
denied the accusation, saying he stopped
managing his car import company six
years ago. He claims the
company is now being managed by his son.
Dear ER: Don't be kedekut-lah,
claiming you're hard hit by inflation.
Spend RM1.20 and then Turn to Full report
in Page 3. The Star-lah, not the freebie,
you claimed victims of The Government's
purportedly very low CPI of just 4%.
Desi claims he's jest an innocent bearer
of bad nu'es. If you need to shoot me,
please use watery bullets -- yes, I need
Amore air,if I ain't gonna get
Au, Ag or Platinum kad. MyKad don't get me
Cash from ATM, I dunno why.
Now, finally Trumpet blast. Or iszit another
kindA blast? Wella, whatever, I'm not involved ~~
From the frontpage, which paper you asked, who do I ask?
Nuclear shockwave
NORTH KOREA annunced its first nuclear bomb test yesterday, defying
efforst to stop the secretive regime from joining the world's nuclear
poers and triggering global outrage and calls for tough UN action.
October 10, 2006
North Korea nuclear test condemned, U.N. ponders action
SEOUL (Reuters) - World powers condemned North Korea on Monday after it said it had conducted an underground nuclear test and Washington sought harsh U.N. sanctions that could further impoverish and isolate the communist state.
China, Pyongyang's strongest political and economic backer, denounced the test by its neighbor as "brazen," and urged it to avoid action that could worsen the situation.
South Korean protesters burn anti-North Korean banners at a rally in Seoul October 9, 2006 denouncing North Korea's reported nuclear test.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also condemned the test.
U.S. President George W. Bush called it a "provocative act" that threatened international peace and security and required an immediate response from the U.N. Security Council.
Monday's announcement by Pyongyang sharply escalated world concerns over North Korea's nuclear program and was a slap in the face for major regional and world powers engaged in six-party talks intended to prevent just such a test.
It delivered a sharp blow to Chinese President Hu Jintao's doctrine of using economic incentives and diplomatic coaxing to avert North Korea's drive to become a nuclear weapons state. Only seven states have acknowledged having nuclear weapons.
The Security Council discussed a U.S. proposal for tough measures including international inspections of cargo going in and out of North Korea to check for weapons of mass destruction and related materials, diplomats said. Other proposals included a total arms embargo and a freeze on assets associated with Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction.
"We're going to take all actions we can, working with our partners, to make it very difficult for North Koreans to get the equipment, get the technology and to get the funding ... to market these weapons around the world," Christopher Hill, the U.S. State Department's point man on North Korea, told CNN.
Britain and France said they would support sanctions.
"The discussion will be on sanctions," said France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere. American officials were hoping that even countries that have been cool to sanctions like China and Russia would now be supportive.
SANCTIONS IN WORKS
U.N. diplomats said a tough sanctions regime could be in place by the end of this week. "Our aim will be to try and adopt this as quickly as possible, perhaps this week," said Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry.
Israel worried that Iran, already the focus of multinational efforts to curtail its nuclear program, might be emboldened to follow North Korea's lead.
"Now that North Korea has proven nuclear capabilities, it is liable to collaborate with Iran and accelerate the Iranian nuclear program," Israel's ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon told Israeli army radio.
Financial market reaction was muted with oil rising slightly in New York to $59.96 a barrel despite the test and an OPEC plan to cut production. The dollar strengthened to an eight-month high against the yen and stocks rose.
Bush said North Korea had been a leading proliferator of missile technology, including transfers to Iran and Syria, and warned Pyongyang against such activity.
"The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States and we would hold North Korea fully accountable for consequences of such action," he said.
A U.S. military intelligence official, who declined to be named, said North Korea's possible possession of nuclear technology also raised troubling questions about its possible proliferation to extremist groups such as al Qaeda.
Bush said he spoke by phone to leaders of China, South Korea, Japan and Russia -- the other parties involved in long-stalled negotiations with North Korea -- and all agreed the test was unacceptable.
China's Hu, feted as a friend when he visited North Korea last year, said Beijing believed there was still room for negotiations to end Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
SMALL NUKE, OR SOMETHING ELSE?
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said there was no leak or danger from its test.
"It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People's Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability."
A U.S. official said it could take several days for intelligence analysts to determine whether the event was the result of an unsuccessful nuclear test, a small nuclear device or a non-nuclear explosion.
"In terms of yield, we have it registering at less than four on the Richter scale. That's the kind of thing that could be the result of several hundred tons of TNT, rather than a nuclear test," the official said.
Australia's Seismology Research Center put the blast at about one kiloton, the equivalent of 1,000 tons of TNT.
John Pike, an independent U.S. intelligence expert, said the small yield could mean Pyongyang tested only the primary segment of a two-stage bomb. In such a device, a small primary implosion of perhaps a kiloton would emit a stream of X-rays to trigger a secondary fusion implosion.
"They basically need to see if they have correctly understood how to get the X-rays from the primary to the secondary. A full yield test of the secondary would not be necessary," said Pike.
The U.S. Air Force dropped a 12.5-kiloton bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945.
Analysts say North Korea probably has enough fissile material to make six to eight bombs but probably lacks the technology to devise one small enough to mount on a missile.
DESIDERATA: The various Countries and Players (highlighted in the Reuters report BOLDED THUS by Desi) must serach their own conscience, and ask of themselves: Are they really sincere in wanting peace, OR iszit a case of:
They see the speck of bullet dust in their neighbour's eye,
but not the cannon ball, or rocket, in their own eyes.
I plead guilty to plagiarising the above quote,
(IS THE ORI FROM THE bible?) but adapted, Okay!
At least I worked my brain cells a li'l!
Well, now NORTH KOREA claims innocence it's a threat to world peace because
Monday, October 09, 2006
Playing heroes
When we were young, the most enjoyable games we played were "Cowboys and Indians" and Tarzan. There could be many cowboys, of course, and equal number of Indians, so splitting a dozen of 5- to 12-year-olds was easy enough. But being Tarzan there was just one role, with the privilege of him choosing the prettiest gal as Jane. This was indeed problematic. It's often overcome by picking a "lucky number". The "victor" gets to act tough and finally "slays" all the villains after they tried to seduce and ravage the "heroine" Jane, but of course, failing all the time, because Tarzan always prevailed.
Now we have many Malaysain leaders playing self-anointed "hero". Nobody asked them but they claim they act and speak on our behalf. See if you discern the hero from the villains. I am only the messenger. But if you like, I can also play Referee. But get the consent of those "self-acclaimed heroes", OK!
From The Star Oct 9, 2006, page N12 (Note the Highlights are Desi's, (BOLDED THUS)~~
Lim calls to focus on wealth creation, not equity dispute
PANTAI REMIS: Stop arguing over racial equity and wealth distribution and concentrate instead on wealth creation and transparency, said Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.
He said that the rich were merely squabbling amongst themselves as to who had more shares.
“The rich are arguing over what they have. What about those who don’t have anything?
“In my 30 years of political experience, the issue of racial equity usually crops up only when the country approaches a recession,” he told reporters after distributing Deepavali hampers in Pengkalan Baru here yesterday.
Lim, who is Energy, Water and Communications Minister, was commenting on the dispute over the figure cited by Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) that Bumiputras owned 45% of the country’s business equity.
He also urged leaders to stop challenging Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew over his remark that Chinese in Malaysia were being systematically marginalised.
“Stop worrying over racial equity as it will not solve the matter at hand – an impending recession and the lack of wealth creation for the country,” he said.
“We cannot afford any more wastage and leakage. What we need is a new system and more transparency. If you have the figures proving that the Bumiputras do not own 45% of equity, then show those figures and end the debate,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was recently quoted as saying that Asli’s 45% Bumiputra equity ownership result was wrong as it was based on a survey involving 1,000 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, while the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) had surveyed 600,000 companies to come up with its 18.9% figure for the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
Lim said that debates like these only fuel the perceptions that Malays always felt they did not have enough, the Chinese felt they had sacrificed too much, while the Indians felt that they did not have anything at all.
DESI: Mr Minister Lim, don't you think the two issues are closely related? You cannot expect the Malaysian populace to all focus on wealth creation when a large portion of this commonly created wealth" is siphoned off or distributed largely into privileged hands, a select group of UMNOputras and Yes-Men among the BN component parties.
Your pertinent point which I concur, Mr Minister Lim: ~~"Lim said that debates like these only fuel the perceptions that Malays always felt they did not have enough, the Chinese felt they had sacrificed too much, while the Indians felt that they did not have anything at all. The key question is that:
IS THIS QUANDARY SO WELL DISCERNED BY YOU LARGELY CREATED BY THE GOVERNMENT?
Do we want to accept the key weaknesses in Government policies and take remedial measures? OR
Let's keep on playing "HEROES" and quietly behave like Ostriches burying their heads ... where, my Dear ER, you choose the answers for Desi!
And aren't Barian Nasional leaders guilty as accomplices by perpetuating the MYTH of NEP's goals being not met when the Bumiputra equities total had far exceeded the 30%-target as several authoritative quarters, besides ALSI, had found in their studies? Maybe for a start, Pak Lah should disclose all the parameters and statistics the Goverbnment had been using that arrived at the finding the Bumiputra equity stakes ahd stayed stagnant at around 20% for the past two decades?
No, Mr Minister Lim (and the PM Pak Lah too), you can't play Tarzan and leave behind Jane.
Can there be the "Hero" Cowboys without the "Villain" Injuns?
PS: and When we finally grow up, the WWW citizens know that Not All the Cowboys are Heroes, and Not ALL the Indians are Villains.
From The Star, page N21~~
Clubs to woo brains back
KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA will use its network of overseas clubs to encourage Malaysians working abroad to return home in a move to help reverse the brain drain, its international affairs bureau chief Datuk Lee Hwa Beng said.
He said this could be done via the MCA overseas clubs in Australia, Japan and Britain, which has a total membership of 1,000.
Australia MCA Club chairman Chan Wei Ming said that a “clearer picture” of the country’s political landscape would help some overseas Malaysians decide whether to return home.
He welcomed the party leadership’s move to allow MCA overseas club members to attend the annual general assembly (AGM) from next year, and to take part in the debates at the AGM.
“By taking part in the debates, we can get first-hand information and not just secondary information via the media or internet,” he said.
Lee, who is Subang Jaya assemblyman, said the party’s central committee had agreed in principle to this move, which would be included in the party’s constitution.
:
:
:
DESI: I have written on this issue before; in gist, it's a case of "Bolting the stable's door after the horse has boilted."Why can't the Government prevent brain-drain by respecting their own nations and treat them as as ASSET and not like asses, driving them away with discriminative policies (including the first case cited here on the NEP-Wealth Creation issue?
The Science Ministry had had campaigned for scientists, academics, and specialist doctors to return, and in a certain batch of returnees, after a year or two, all but one went back overseas. You think these MCA "heroes" are realy interested in tackling the "core" issue? Or are they acting like Heroes?
PS: Thinking aloud, why is it Barisan Nasional components like UMNO and MCA can allow their parties to recruit students as members? I thought it's prohibited under the Universities and University Colleges Act? I am not a supporter of this repressive piece of legislation, but while it exists, can there be NO DOUBLE STANDARDS in enforcement?
Now we have many Malaysain leaders playing self-anointed "hero". Nobody asked them but they claim they act and speak on our behalf. See if you discern the hero from the villains. I am only the messenger. But if you like, I can also play Referee. But get the consent of those "self-acclaimed heroes", OK!
From The Star Oct 9, 2006, page N12 (Note the Highlights are Desi's, (BOLDED THUS)~~
Lim calls to focus on wealth creation, not equity dispute
PANTAI REMIS: Stop arguing over racial equity and wealth distribution and concentrate instead on wealth creation and transparency, said Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.
He said that the rich were merely squabbling amongst themselves as to who had more shares.
“The rich are arguing over what they have. What about those who don’t have anything?
“In my 30 years of political experience, the issue of racial equity usually crops up only when the country approaches a recession,” he told reporters after distributing Deepavali hampers in Pengkalan Baru here yesterday.
Lim, who is Energy, Water and Communications Minister, was commenting on the dispute over the figure cited by Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) that Bumiputras owned 45% of the country’s business equity.
He also urged leaders to stop challenging Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew over his remark that Chinese in Malaysia were being systematically marginalised.
“Stop worrying over racial equity as it will not solve the matter at hand – an impending recession and the lack of wealth creation for the country,” he said.
“We cannot afford any more wastage and leakage. What we need is a new system and more transparency. If you have the figures proving that the Bumiputras do not own 45% of equity, then show those figures and end the debate,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was recently quoted as saying that Asli’s 45% Bumiputra equity ownership result was wrong as it was based on a survey involving 1,000 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, while the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) had surveyed 600,000 companies to come up with its 18.9% figure for the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
Lim said that debates like these only fuel the perceptions that Malays always felt they did not have enough, the Chinese felt they had sacrificed too much, while the Indians felt that they did not have anything at all.
DESI: Mr Minister Lim, don't you think the two issues are closely related? You cannot expect the Malaysian populace to all focus on wealth creation when a large portion of this commonly created wealth" is siphoned off or distributed largely into privileged hands, a select group of UMNOputras and Yes-Men among the BN component parties.
Your pertinent point which I concur, Mr Minister Lim: ~~"Lim said that debates like these only fuel the perceptions that Malays always felt they did not have enough, the Chinese felt they had sacrificed too much, while the Indians felt that they did not have anything at all. The key question is that:
IS THIS QUANDARY SO WELL DISCERNED BY YOU LARGELY CREATED BY THE GOVERNMENT?
Do we want to accept the key weaknesses in Government policies and take remedial measures? OR
Let's keep on playing "HEROES" and quietly behave like Ostriches burying their heads ... where, my Dear ER, you choose the answers for Desi!
And aren't Barian Nasional leaders guilty as accomplices by perpetuating the MYTH of NEP's goals being not met when the Bumiputra equities total had far exceeded the 30%-target as several authoritative quarters, besides ALSI, had found in their studies? Maybe for a start, Pak Lah should disclose all the parameters and statistics the Goverbnment had been using that arrived at the finding the Bumiputra equity stakes ahd stayed stagnant at around 20% for the past two decades?
No, Mr Minister Lim (and the PM Pak Lah too), you can't play Tarzan and leave behind Jane.
Can there be the "Hero" Cowboys without the "Villain" Injuns?
PS: and When we finally grow up, the WWW citizens know that Not All the Cowboys are Heroes, and Not ALL the Indians are Villains.
From The Star, page N21~~
Clubs to woo brains back
KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA will use its network of overseas clubs to encourage Malaysians working abroad to return home in a move to help reverse the brain drain, its international affairs bureau chief Datuk Lee Hwa Beng said.
He said this could be done via the MCA overseas clubs in Australia, Japan and Britain, which has a total membership of 1,000.
Australia MCA Club chairman Chan Wei Ming said that a “clearer picture” of the country’s political landscape would help some overseas Malaysians decide whether to return home.
He welcomed the party leadership’s move to allow MCA overseas club members to attend the annual general assembly (AGM) from next year, and to take part in the debates at the AGM.
“By taking part in the debates, we can get first-hand information and not just secondary information via the media or internet,” he said.
Lee, who is Subang Jaya assemblyman, said the party’s central committee had agreed in principle to this move, which would be included in the party’s constitution.
:
:
:
DESI: I have written on this issue before; in gist, it's a case of "Bolting the stable's door after the horse has boilted."Why can't the Government prevent brain-drain by respecting their own nations and treat them as as ASSET and not like asses, driving them away with discriminative policies (including the first case cited here on the NEP-Wealth Creation issue?
The Science Ministry had had campaigned for scientists, academics, and specialist doctors to return, and in a certain batch of returnees, after a year or two, all but one went back overseas. You think these MCA "heroes" are realy interested in tackling the "core" issue? Or are they acting like Heroes?
PS: Thinking aloud, why is it Barisan Nasional components like UMNO and MCA can allow their parties to recruit students as members? I thought it's prohibited under the Universities and University Colleges Act? I am not a supporter of this repressive piece of legislation, but while it exists, can there be NO DOUBLE STANDARDS in enforcement?
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