What Every Literate Person Needs to Know

WoW!

mGf Din Merican yesterday -- when all our troubles seemed so far away -- gifted Desi a wonderful book titled THE ENGLISH READER, and its subheader promises what's stated in the Post Title.
For starters, an extract from the inner book flap says:

"IN THIS SEQUEL TO THE BEST-SELLING
The American Reader, mother-and-son team
DIANE RAVITCH and MICHAEL RAVITCH
have gathered together the best and most
memorable poems, essays, songs, and orations
in English history,capturing in one volume
writings that have shaped not only England,
but democratic culture around the globe.

Here are words that changed the world, words
that inspired revolutions as well as lovers, dreamers,
and singers, words that every educated person once
knew -- and shouldknow today. Framed by two
inspiring speeches -- Queen Elizabeth before the
invasion of the Spanish Armada and Winston
Churchill during the dark daysof World War II -- the
book features work by William Wordsworth and W.H.
Auden, Thomas Hobbes and John Stuart Mill, Mary
Wollstonecraft and Virginia Woolf, Lewis Carroll and
Edward Lear, and many other equally eminent writers.

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:
::)"

Now DESIDERATA must pause before I continue my copying in copious and unstoppable manner, and I join the famous league of Plagiarisers, and then mfGOoDfriend in the singular
and plural wouldn't enjoy my fine company anymore! I actually meant I wouldn't be able to enjoy such finer company as Din Merican's. Both of us quote The Bard , First Paraphrase -- "To pray-play or not to pray, that's the question!" -- and Lord Alfred Tennyson, Second Paraphrase -- "Theirs is not to question why, Theirs is but to do and Die!" .

Din and Desi can quote more from Western authors, than we can from Asian writers'-- at least in my case! -- so much so I think in the olde days, they called this blardy species like us WOGs!

To be continued while Desi goes off for aMore food -- we must take goode care
of our physical bodies too -- even as I rumnate on Sundaes to provide my
lazy-BUMmer readers some food for thy soul. I don't mean any of you soul'd out,
'cos I know for sure even some UMNO members peeping in at this Opposition-inclined
writer's block -- recall +++A VOICE I fondly bantered with about being a Socialist? --
care as much as DAP and PKR members for NegaraKu. Yes, I learn that the multi-minded,
and multi-political ideological voices in Blogosphere are truly diverse -- such a beautiful and enriching requisite for democratic discourse, yes! Yes, I was taken by the closing phtrase in the book's flap introduction, viz: "... democratic culture around the globe".
Hence, someone says BUM should read BLOGGERS' UNIVERSE MALAYSIA as such a world is occupied by residents of various hues, civil, political and what-have-you.

Back @11.07PM, after searching my own Archives to retrace this:+++
Minta maaf, I was presumptious that I spotted the olde entry, which refers to somethin' aong the lines of:

If you are not a socialist before 20, you have no heart.

If you are still a socialist at 40, you have no head!

The Voice tried to but Desi's favour by qualifying the last with "You are all heart" -- It's not redemption enought, brudder Another midnight voiz; So I am asking that he pay USD50 to gain entry to BUM2008:(

I was then brought back to once-upon-a-time when one buddy of mine and I used to quote Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade when we imagined ourselves as the heroes who would win fair maidens' hearts while playing Cowboys and Indians, and we thought we bore some resemblance to John Waned and Roy Rogered-out...(The gals would think themselves Marilyn Monroe or Angie Dickinson -- they don't make heroines like them anyAmore...Dino and Desi sigh:)

Extracting from page 254, a favourite of Din's plus mine2:


ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

To strive, to seek, to fnd and not to yield ...

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (18909 - 1892) eventually became the most popular poet
of his age. The picture of him with his long gray beard represented the
quintessense of the poetic for Victorian England. He had not always been
the sage old, however. The failure of his first book and the death of his
closest friend, Arthur Hallam, had sent him into a long period of depression.

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:
:

DESI's observation is that that it's quite commoon for eminent writers and artists to suffer depression at some point of their life. Is it due to the fact such people over-exercised their mind and let their imagination run too wild? Sometimes I too run into a depressive mood -- am I then by extension falling,or rising, into the company of greats like Tennyson and Vincent van Gogh?(Sing the lyrics of Starry, starry night...Don McLean)

We are told (by sages of your) that we can tell a person's character by the company he/she keeps. So I also postulate, by logical extension (WARNING: my logic sometimes takes quantum leaps!) we can tell a friend's character by the books he reads...and the passages he adores.

So here's peep into mGf Din's like/love, and I hope he's not too exposed ~~
from page 261, Din highlights this bud of Tennyson's poem Ulysses:

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come,my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The souding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that te gulfs wil wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And, see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Mov'd earth and heaven, that which we are, we are:
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

PS: As Desi hears the midnight music of the insects song
and the catty meows and the nightingales' serenade
It's time to rest my soul, my spirit too:
That my good freinds, I remember you
Even as I say Adieu ~~
I pause and seek thy patience
Come back seven night hence
and I will on Din's loves aMore tell...

STAR Metro Spotlights - BUM 2008

mGf whom I endear as AweOfHelen resident mostly @allofhelen.blogspot.com but sometimes hyding out at Koala Lumpuh anonymously has been acting as Webmaster for BUM2008 very efficiently to bump UP the numbers of particpants to the Hap Bloggers' Universe Malaysia Gathering of the Year cometh May 1. Hopefully by end of third week of April, we reach 110 guests who readily invest RM50 for a meaningful event of discourse and camaraderie -- yes, we have time for FUN-d, Humour and Rumour! -- and by next week, the Organising Committeee may announce a BIG surprise to make you rush to book a plavce before Warren Buffet's table of roast lamb runs off, wit' Mary!:)

"See ya, *mGf and some-nyet-2B," Chow!:)

* In DDC, stands or sits as myGOoDfriend!

Saturday April 12, 2008

Change mindset on blogging

By SALINA KHALID

salina@thestar.com.my

THE negative perception about bloggers and blogging should be changed, said Centre for Policy Initiatives chief executive officer Dr Lim Teck Ghee.

Dr Lim said blogging could be seen as an alternative media to the masses.

“It provides a platform for public discourse irrespective of their background. The notion that bloggers mainly have negative intentions including bringing down the government and destroying the country's racial harmony is an erroneous view and politically motivated,” he said.

He added that most bloggers were concerned about the nation.

“Having a healthy public discourse will help unify the nation and build the country as well,” he added.

Therefore, the Centre for Policy Initiatives is organising a half-day public discourse at Lake View Club, Subang Jaya, on May 1.

The BUM2008, will carry the theme Towards A Civil Society and it will feature well-known bloggers, academician and journalists.

The afternoon session will talk about Fostering Civil Society – Various Voices with the National Alliance of Bloggers president Ahirudin Attan, ex-judge Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid, academician Dr Azmi Sharom, journalist Jacqueline Ann Surin as well as Dr Lim.

Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, lawyer-cum- Selayang MP William Leong, Human Rights Advocate Haris Ibrahim, Malaysiakini.com editor-in-chief Steven Gan and journalist R. Nadeswaran will talk during the evening session.

Registration fee is RM50 per person and is limited for 120 on first come first serve basis. The fee includes buffet dinner.

For more information, log on to http://bum2008-desiderata.blogspot.com/.

Article taken from the Star.

Shall the Rakyat Go for Former Sports Minister's Hide?

TheSun's investigative team headed by R NADESWARAN must be congratulated for their persistent and gallant efforts to fight against the emptying of public coffers by high officials for white elephantine projects.

And as heart-warming reward for their determined efforts to serve the Fourth Estate well, their latest triumph which must be shared by THE RAKYAT is reported in the paper's frontpage story today, headed aptly:

HPTC -- The End!

SPORTS MINISTRY BURIES PALN FOR TRAINING CENTRE IN BRICKENDONBURY

by R Nadeswaran
and Terence Fernandez

PUTRAJAYA: The much-criticised plan to build a High Performance
Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury outside London is buried
for good.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob drove the final nail
into the coffin yesterday when he said there would be no appeals against
the local council's rejection of the plan as they would be futile. But more
importantly, he gave an assurance that the days of extravagance and unnecessary
expenditures are over as all projects and programmes that involved huge
expenses will be reviewed or stopped.

:::

DESIDERATA: From among the English MSM for the year past, only theSun team
persevered in their relentless efforts in exposing the wastage and potential millions
of Malaysian taxpayers' dollars being drained in a project that the former Minister,
encouraged by the Deputy Prime Minister, had been fighting tooth-and-nail, to press ahead
with the million-dollar project, FOR REASONS ONLY A FEW OF THESE HIGH OFFICIALS KNOW!

This seems like a case for another Inquiry on how much money had been spent to date
under Azalina Othman's watch, and who were the main beneficiaries of what from
the start -- to common folks and hawk-eyed journalists like citizen-nades --
appeared a useless project that would benefit a very small section of athletes, if
any at all!

TheSun expressed regret, however, the new minister would not be able to save RM17million --
the "bidding fee" for the Champions Youth Cup -- which Malaysia will host in August.

The report also stated that National Sports Institute director-general Datuk Ramlan
Abdul Aziz, told a press conference that a report would be submitted to Najib on the failed
project and the expenses incurred.

Desi wonders if the Prime Minister should re-consider this non-performing minsiter's appointment to the Tourism portfolio, for a leopard, male or female, is unlikely to change its spots. Even away from the spoRts centre!

Can the Rakyat initiate for this minister who already roughed up feathers at PR-controlled States by withdrawing the Federal tourism budgets already assigned for those states' tourism activities.

"Dear fellow Citizens, Let's go for a piece of her hide!" -- Make it a national sport fro 2008?

TEAser: Come May 1, you can meet your hero-journo Citizen-Nades just for a RM50 investment! Come to BUM2008 -- you get more than fair value for this investment as the Chairperson heard a rumour that Mary would bring more than two lambs to Warren Buffet's table IF MORE THAN 100 BUMmers turn up at De Lake View to celebrate Labour Day!

Sin Chew Daily: Press Coverage on BUM2008 Press Conference dated 10th April 2008

林德義：影響社會政治發展‧部落格成國人訊息來源
星洲日報‧2008.04.11



（雪蘭莪‧首邦市）政策倡議中心主任林德義博士認為，大選成績顯示，部落格已經成為大馬人批評國家政治及經濟課題及接收相關訊息的主要平台，這影響未來社會及政治發展。

他說，和大部份亞洲國家比較，大馬部落客顯然非常關心國家發展，擁有許多社會及政治發展為主題的部落格，大馬網民在這些部落格中針對許多政策進行省思和批判，也檢討如何為國家帶來改革。

林德義週四（4月10日）在政策倡議中心及2008大馬部落客世界聯合召開的新聞發佈會上這麼表示。這兩個組織將聯辦集合多名著名部落客主講的“朝向公民社會前進”論壇。

有關活動將配合勞工節，在5月1日下午2時15分至晚上8時，在梳邦再也Lake View俱樂部舉行，主講者包括行動黨日落洞國會議員黃泉安、公正黨士拉央國會議員梁自堅、《當今大馬》總編輯顏重慶、前高庭法官拿督賽阿末艾迪、林德義、哈里斯依布拉欣等。

有關論壇只公開給約120人，報名費50令吉（包括一頓自由餐）因此有意參加者可通過電郵：tonyyew@gmail.com報名，並通過其戶口（Yew Wei Keat，1-12080-24112-4，maybank）付款。
詳情可致電劉慧妹（016-976-4653）詢問詳情。


鍾仁隆：正面發展
歡迎新聞部部落客交流

2008大馬部落客世界主席鍾仁隆表示，他歡迎新聞部長拿督阿末沙比里表示要與部落客會談，並認為這是一個正面的發展。

他說，與其打壓部落客，不如與部落客交流及瞭解部落客的想法。

詢及部落客是否應該透明化，包括不隱瞞自己身份時，他表示，大多數的部落客都透露其真正身份，所以指部落客沒有透明的說法是不對的。

不過，他認為，有關部落格是否透明與部落客的責任是息息相關的，有一些有動機的部落客的確會匿名發表一些文章，而不匿名的部落客如拉惹柏德拉在部落格文章卻面對法律的控訴，所以部落客還是應該慎言。

Merdeka Review: Press Coverage on BUM2008 Press Conference dated 10th April 2008

部落客推动社会发展
五一研讨会商第五权

《独立》新聞在綫

■日期／Apr 10, 2008 ■时间／04:35:54 pm
■新闻／家国风云 ■作者／本刊曾薛霏


【本刊曾薛霏撰述】“2008年部落客世界”（Bloggers' Universe Malaysia，BUM2008）筹委会与政策创议中心将于5月1日联办《迈向公民社会》（Towards A Civil Society）研讨会，讨论部落客在推动公民社会发展和营造论述的角色。

“2008年部落客世界”筹委会主席钟仁隆及政策创议中心（Centre for Policy Initiatives）主任林德义今早在雪州首邦市湖景俱乐部召开记者会，呼吁公众人士出席这场配合劳动节及世界新闻自由日的研讨会，并共商作为“第五权”（Fifth Estate）的部落客在扩张国内议论空间的角色。

林德义（左图）表示，许多政治分析员都肯定部落客在第12届全国大选期间所发挥的作用，甚至首相阿都拉巴达威也承认忽略了部落客的角色是国阵败选原因之一。不过，他认为，部落客在开拓议论空间扮演重要角色，不是因为部落格这个媒介，而是部落客所写的内容。

林德义说，由于互联网比平面媒体享有相对自由的空间，他们可在部落格上更自由地撰写分析和评论；部落书写的内容水准非常高，并为社会发展提出许多重要的看法，而这类内容更是鲜少在主流媒体上读到。

部落客被喻为“第五权”

林德义也指出：“不过这种现象并没有得到深入的分析和讨论。我国的社会政治部落客在亚洲排名相当高，我们有的部落客，不一定能在菲律宾找到。他们不断地在国家未来的方向及如何改革社会的议题上提出批判性的讨论。”

钟仁隆（右图）表示，部落客是新兴媒体之一，美国更称之为“第五权”，我国现有的社会政治部落客希望能与公民社会一起成长。

本身也以Desiderata撰写部落客的钟仁隆也认为，部落客确实促使我国的议论空间日益生机勃勃，尽管他强调不愿过度扩大部落客的影响力，但部落客所撰写的内容确实向主流媒体施压，迫使他们顺应时势改变写新闻的方式。

他以去年由干净与公平选举联盟（Bersih，净选盟）号召的“万人诉求大游行”为例，主流媒体仅报道有四千人出席，但部落客和网络媒体的报道，只要贴上照片即可知道主流媒体所报道的仅是“部分的真相”（half truth）。

匿名发表不成问题
记者问部落客是否应公开其姓名，而不是匿名写部落格？林德义回答道，我国许多著名部落客如Rocky Bru（原名阿西鲁丁，Ahirudin Attan）、黄泉安、哈里斯依布拉欣（Haris Ibrahim）等都以真实姓名写部落格，没有匿名写部落格的问题。至于回应留言者是否应以真实姓名示人，应由当事人自行决定，无法强制，这与读者用笔名投书报章的情况相似。

钟仁隆的看法与林德义相似，不过他强调，部落客发表言论时必须小心，别惹上官非。最近《今日马来西亚》（Malaysia Today）编辑拉惹柏特拉（Raja Petra Kamaruddin）遭马来西亚北方大学校长诺丁卡迪（Nordin Kardi）起诉诽谤，必须赔偿马币400万元。

虽然这项活动乃由一群部落客自发举办，谈论的议题也以部落客为主，但是主办当局希望公众人士积极参与，将于5月1日下午三时在首邦市湖景俱乐部（Lake View Club）举行，共有两场座谈会及晚宴，报名费为马币50元，仅限120名额，先到先得，有意参加者可联络刘慧妹，电话：016-9764653。

两场座谈会分别请到国内知名部落客和学者主讲，第一场主题为《打造公民社会——多元声音》（Fostering Civil Society——Various Voices），主讲者是全国部落客联盟（National Alliance of Bloggers）主席阿西鲁丁（Rocky Bru）、前高等法院法官赛阿末依迪（Syed Ahmad Idid）、马来亚大学法学院讲师阿兹米沙隆姆（Azmi Sharom）、林德义及《票选大马》编辑洁珂琳（Jacqueline Ann Surin）。

第二场座谈会的主题为《第五权（部落客）促成改变的机构》（The Fifth Estate(Blogger) as Agency for Change），主讲者为黄泉安、士拉央国会议员梁自坚、人权律师哈里斯（Haris Ibrahim）、《当今大马》总编辑颜重庆及《太阳报》专题报道副编辑纳德斯瓦然（R.Nadeswaran）。

政策创议中心也将推介其网站，并在网站中贴上该中心的政策研究文章，供网民阅读。

The first lamb has arrived at Warren Buffet's ...

Table at the Lake View Club., the Venue for a VVIP Event for Bloggers and Friends cometh MAY the FIRST< which is also a public holiday. That's the rumour that Desi heard when he bumped into buddy Sdr Chai Huat this morning before a Press Conference scheduled at 11AM but started only 20minutes later because as is wont of media people, the gossip and rumour came first.

Due to bum2007's tsunami of complaints (omitted for Civil Society promotion sake from bum2007.wordpress.com 'cos of the expletives flying here and there:( that certain participants -- including Desi! -- missed a second helping of finger-lickin' gooder than KFC chicks, the first lamb reported for duty early at BUM2008.

The second lamb had gone for a walk with Mary, so if you people could track them down before 8.30pm May 1, I am sure the obedient lamb will ensure your AP is fulfilled. I know our house artist, MOB1900 -- yes, he's 118 years old, but looks a chickenny 17, hence advised not to go to Malacca, (FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, I add), has captured the image of the lambs in their naked, roasted glory to w'et thy APpetite! See the saliva-inducing draw up dare!

MOB SAYS: (en)JOY! repeatedly.

Back to business, I wish to state for the record YL and saudara TECK GHEE, director of CPI, arrived at the Press Conference room right on time i.e. at 10.30AM. I reharsed a byte on what we would say to the MSM, which stands for mainstream media -- a term of endearment coined by Howsy, who's also rumoured to have come back from the US jest for the lamb! -- who later turned up in full force.

BUM2008 Organising Committee member Liew Hui Mei passed me the following list -- please don't pass on to the SpecialBrunch,okay! Welcome all, thanks for the writing which will appear tomorrow, I was promised! I may line up at the nearest SE7EN11 when the sun rises to retrieve 13 copies of theSUN:)

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

Press roll-call, who were cordially invited by CPI to come join the fun on May 1:)

1. Kwong Wah - Ms Lim Poh Hui

2. Sin Chew - Mr Tan Wei Tee + Photographer Mr. Teh Chin Hooi

3. The Sun - Joshua Foong

4. MerdekaReview - Ms. Chen Shaua Fui

5. Oriental Daily - Ms "Yay" Chang "Ia" Fen + Photographer Mr. Lim Swee Giok

6. The Star - Ms. Salina Khalid

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

WHY 13? Don't you know it's a lucky number?Some of you readers here are pretty slow, aren't you, not reading the Blogs!:)

As I do not wish to MIS-quote myself and/or Dr Lim, I am not penning a long report about the Press Con. Just a couple of lines:

Dr Lim said the influence and impact of Bloggers and civil socity action groups was telling in the recent GE2008, a fact belated acknowledged by BN leaders, right up,or down, to the Prime Minister. However, he stressed that like the Fourth Estate, which is represented by the MSM present, the alternative and new media, including Blogging, which constitute the Fifth Estate, are just instruments for channelling the news, information and points of view by the writers. IT IS THE MESSAGE/CONTENTS THAT TRULY MATTERS AT THE END OF THE DAY.

I parried some difficult questions, and as I said earlier, I would look silly reporting about what I said if I committed any faux pax (Saudara TG, is that the right spell?), so I refrained. I urge you wait from an UPDATE at the first dawn tomorrow when I will do a Cut&Paste, a skill I have mastered since taking to Blogging three years ago.

Meanwhile, I heard someone -- is he/she myGOoDfriend? -- whisper: "How about a third lamb for late-comers as some of us come from outstation like Ipoh and Miri?"

Give some people one inch, they want the 'hole barn yard!:) Signing off, Blogger's fave style, LOL! For starters, LOL is "laffing out loud", which taiko-Blogger-cum-MP Jeff 001 states loudly enought, although he's now resient in Penang, "It's still aloud!"

For some of the Speakers, try to recognise their "FACES" eh! If there is any
mix-up, complain to Ms Helen Hoh of Ipoh, to whom I owe
barrels of Tehtarik.

Those "MISSING" from the stated lists, my APologies as I suspect they have joined Mary for her walk to school, making sure the second lamb does not go missing! Serious mode,those who have the missing persons' pix, forward to hohhelen@gmail.com please!

As for MOB1900 aka Chris Chew -- chomping on the first leg! -- have you found Mary, nyet? Hope it's not Bloody.:) VVe angry Bloggers and Friends want the lambs wellA roasted!

And here are some of the FAMOUS people you will meet -- get their autographs, they will be worth a tidy sum by the time next BUM2009 cometh around! YL is a collector, he speaks with authority! ~~ Desi

1. Sdr Ahiruddin Atan aka rockybru,

President, National Alliance of Bloggers

2. Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid,

Ex-Judge

3. Dr Azmi Sharom,

Academic

4. Dr Lim Teck Ghee

Director, Centre for Policy Initiatives

5. Sdri Jacqueline Ann Surin

Journalist

1. Sdr Jeff Ooi, Blogger-MP

2. Sdr William Leong, Lawyer-MP

4. Sdr Haris Ibrahim, Human Rights Advocate
5. Sdr Steven Gan, Editor-in-chief, Malaysiakini.com

CHANGE

I change
You change
The third party changes

Because the environment has changed
From pre-March 8 winter of general discontent
To post-March 8 springtime of great expectations

Will the journey towards The Abyss be abated
Gostan-ed?
This is the minimum expectation

A higher expectation is the nation marches forward with confidence
Doing Catch-up with immediate neighbour Singapore

The highest expectation is that we the Rakyat
have made a quantum leap of growing up
perhaps even reaching maturity as inhabitants of a
freer and more informed society
a vibrant democracy as is deserving of Malaysians
if only the Politicians behave themselves

I hope VVe have all changed for the better.
Time will tell.
And normally Time waits for nobody
So let's peddle the wheels of progress together
And not slip again, heading for The Abyss.

VOLTAIRE's most quoted...and Desi's thots

"I may disagree with what you say but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it."

Yes, I have quoted Voltaire's dictum a thousand times since my student days -- those blissful wanton days of yore eon years ago, but I do remember, the kind of April showers and May poems, and September love, reformasi too? -- and today I am jogged into thinking deeply about it. Philosophical. To make penance for mssingout Desiderata.English rumination last Sunday. So no DDC (Da Desi Code to new comers, for an explanation, please remit RM50 into Bum2008 Organising Committee Treasurer Tony Yew's Mayban AC and come for BUMers do, did at bum2007.wordpress.com, with kambing thrown in. Go check our bum2008-desiderata.blogspot.com!

VOLTAIRE CAME BACK TO MIND AS I READ nst, aPRIL 8, 2008 (I BROKE THE PICKET LINE WIT' BLOGGERS BOYCOTTING MSM ON TUESDAYS; "Minta maaf, Sdr Haris I and Zorro-cum-CatZJones!" ~~ Desi's excuse is he couldn't meet wit' Morrie today!)

Young chappie (by his picture there!) UMAPAGAN AMPIKAIPAKAN has some interesting thoughts (not thots in Blogspeak as in my blogspot Title, but that's an entitlement of Blogging, so get ye on board: "ye" here as Desi is a The Bard fan. If you have to ask who is this The Bard, can you please ask of former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his ex-deputy, former DPM Saudara Anwar Ibrahim!)

__________________________________________________

Okay, a few quotes from
"Timeto make a stand for what is right":

"I understand thatwe can’t all be as enlightened as Voltaire when he wrote: “Monsieur l'abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.”


Or even Chomsky, when he points out: “Goebbels was in favour of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re in favour of free speech, then you’re in favour of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise.”


:
:
:


But at some point, something has got to give. The whole notion of doing unto others was meant to inspire understanding, not to cultivate injustice.


Instead, we insist on matching misdeed with misdeed.

:
:
:
:)"

________________________________________________

DESIDERATA: urges you, dear Esteemed Readers, to invest RM1.20 on a copy, to expand thy mind, and at least learn by heart this dictum, the two versions, before dropping by at BUM2008 cometh May 1 as Bloggers, representing the 5th Estate, and MSM resoidents, representing the 4th Estate, and civil society members, engage in discourse. Invest another RM50 for a mind-bending explosion to celebrate YOUR DAY mainly, as it's a public holiday to recognise Labour Day!)(REF:http://bum2008-desiderata.blogspot.com/)

This dictum expounded by Voltaire has been promoted as a guiding light to civil society engagement and discourse, though MIC and Taiwan Parliament members used to, still do, and will, resort to throwing chairs and fistfights to amplify their points of view. Even local folk hero DAP state assemblyman for a fourth term now, lawyer Teng Chang Khim, has a story to tell about once getting a slap (or 2?) from the late Zakaria Mat Deros, of that RM7-10million small hut in Port Klang fame/infamy, whatever...

So my thoughts today -- after trying to cat-nap riding a cosy bus for one hour from Furong to the SCAH nearest bus stop, Central Market, and after two cups of tehtarik, which is standard journalists' brew -- traverse with great minds like the French and Malaysian philosophers; sometimes, one claims greatness by association by dropping BIG names!:)

I emailed mGf Umapagan seeking information on where he sighted his version of that quote, that is:

“Monsieur l'abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.”


I will share with you when he responds ... meanwhile just mention I have sighted slight variations to what I have been using, that is:

"I may disagree with what you say but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it."

I do believe one must NOT (minta maaf, I left out this key word in the first instance, and it could be a fatal mistake if you took Desi seriously! ~~ Desi @6.38pm) take Voltaire's advice LITERALLY, especially like defending "to the death". Hey, I have only one blardy life -- WHY do I need to sacrifice my precious life for some moron's right ot ramble on nonsensically, ad nauseum.

I am sure you have come across many conversationists who insist they were always right, right down to the last digit of their ten little toes starting with their right thumb. Desi starts with his LEFT thumb, and being a born diehard DEMOCRAT, I do sincerely believe in, and try my darndnest to practise Voltaire's credo in my oral and written exchanges with fellow Homo sapiens. As I often have vowed, I believe I have Socialist aka leftisttendencies from a very young age, which I also believe are in concord with my Democratic ideals.

But as Malaysia progresses up the Developing Nations league, even Socialists like Desi are attracted by Capitalist indulgences, hence my CONtinental breakfasts breakaway during the weekends, and the occasional weekdays when my more affluent buddies invite Desi to meet up for dinner at the five or six-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur. Actually I don't trust wolfish Koala Lumpuh as I hail from small town PeytonPlaceque Seremban, but I digress... Which is another Blogger's privbilge to abuse, so there is no reason why you shouldn't join the Blogsbandwagon!

But sometimes I bump into not so pleasant conversationists ... I describe them as BLOCKHEADS, who would argue with you till the cows come home that the Zakarias of Port Klang had/have not done any wrong. That they stll would disagree with Desi and Ancient Mariner's positions the Port Klang Free Zone was bailed out for RM4.6BILLION using tax-payers' money...etc, etc.

While I would like to act in accordance with the spirit of Voltaire's dictum, I sometimes would just seek solace with my little Inner Voice and pen some poetic lines, flaunting some greatness imitating The Bard's ... and perhaps, Voltaire's too.
And I then tell mGf Helen of Ipoh, who recently helped Desi lots in promoting Bum2008 via graphics -- and by way-of-mouth at Ipoh's white-coffee shops, yes? -- -- that another famous dictum, paraphrasing here, just doesn't work:

If your neighbour spanks thee on the right cheek, turn to him your left cheek.

Here's some knotty words as Desi's pastry-parting shot, to all ye YoungOnes out here!:)


Thank you!

When Auntie gives you a cookie
You learnt from young to say "Thank you!"

When you are handed a red packet on New Year's Day
You wish the giver: "Happy New Year, thank you!"

When Boss gives you a raise
You gush: "Thank you, thank you!"

So one is taught civil behaviour
At school, at work and at the dinner table

Also, Elders beseech you:
If someone slaps you on the left cheek
Please turn him your right cheek

But I wouldn't advise you thus
In my wisdom gotten in golden years
I would beseech you, shout back:
"No, no thanks!
I don't fire blanks!"

UPDATEd @6.38PM, even after a taxing journey Furong-KL-Seremban, I labour hard/heart to please my loyal readers ... I presume there's at least one out dare?YES< I spied a soliatry Commenter, Anon no doubt, I thank thee wit' all my heart (I broke the rule about not using DDC, but this section is a PS, doesn't count!:)

I am posting an UPDATE thanks mainly to mNf (N stand for new, replacing G which stood for GOoD...) who signs off as "Uma" who responded to my Email, and I gavemy word I would keep you posted, so a writer's word is his bond ... or is it bondage, 007?I hope you don't mind my reprising your write here!:)

"
Hello there.

Thank you very much for the email.

The popular rendition of the quote is actually from Evelyn Beatrice
Hall (writing as Stephen G. Tallentyre) in the biography "The Friends of Voltaire". It's from the passage:

"The men who had hated [the book], and had not particularly loved
Helvétius, flocked round him now. Voltaire forgave him all injuries,
intentional or unintentional. 'What a fuss about an omelette!' he had
exclaimed when he heard of the burning. How abominably unjust to
persecute a man for such an airy trifle as that! 'I disapprove of what
you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,' was his
attitude now."

So, in essence, Voltaire didn't actually say the words: "I disapprove
of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

It is widely believed that Hall was paraphrasing Voltaire's beliefs
from a letter that he wrote to M. le Riche in 1770, in which he is
supposed to have said:

"Monsieur l'abbé, je déteste ce que vous écrivez, mais je donnerai
ma
vie pour que vous puissiez continuer à écrire"

Which roughly translates to what I had in my piece. I can't remember
the exact source of the French quote as it was from something I had
read when at University.

The Chomsky quote is from his book Manufacturing Consent.

FYI: There is also a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes which goes
something like "The principle of free thought is not free thought for
those who agree with us but freedom for the thought we hate". The
sentiment is similar.

I'll be sure to check out your blog as soon as I get home.

I hope you enjoyed the piece.

Thanks again for the feedback.

All the best.

Uma."

NB: The emphasis in the email response (BOLDED thus) is mine -- Desi. Thanks Uma again, come over to BUM2008 and we will banter in the spirit of Voltaire, or one can play solitaire with the pretty gals who are coming for the lamb minus Mary, not bloody.

Let's Sing "Goosey, Goosey Gander"...

Altogether now, Pak Lah and little UMNO-oh-No!, MCAeh and MICC4 boys; I'm leaving out thegals because they are seldom forggies/froggies!:)

From The Star online:

Monday April 7, 2008

Pak Lah: Party-hoppers have no integrity

KUALA LUMPUR: Elected Barisan Nasional representatives who want to defect to the Opposition are “devoid of integrity,” said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He added that they were despicable for wanting to cross over to the Opposition because they have won their seats in the general election based on support from their constituents.

The Barisan Nasional chairman said such representatives could not deny the fact that they won their seats based on the people’s wishes.

“But, they don’t seem to care about the people. If money had been used (to buy them over) then this is a form of corruption.

“This does not reflect integrity on their part while being involved in a political democracy,” he told reporters after speaking to about 1,000 Umno grassroots leaders in a closed-door briefing session at the PWTC yesterday.

Abdullah was asked to comment on reports quoting PKR vice-president Mohd Azmin Ali as claiming that the party had persuaded nearly 30 Barisan MPs to reject the Prime Minister’s leadership.

Barisan won 140 parliamentary seats while the Opposition took 82. It lacks eight seats to form the two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Pakatan Rakyat claims it has enough Barisan MPs to cross over to its side and form the new Federal Government.

Azmin said these Barisan MPs could back the Opposition with a motion of no confidence against Abdullah.

He had said the MPs wanted someone who is strong and credible to lead the country, adding that they felt PKR de facto Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the best candidate.

To this, Abdullah said: “Their leader cannot wait to become the Prime Minister.”

Anwar could return to active politics on April 15 after the expiry of a five-year ban following a corruption conviction.


DESIDERATA:

Actually, I was referring to a saying that's goose-related:

What's Sauce for the Goose,
Is Sauce for the Gander.

INTEGRITY -- is that a new word in ex-MB double Muhammad's vocab?

In this case, what was Pak Lah's stand -- was he asleep awe the time? -- when the ilks of Tiger Lee, Khoo Seng Hock and Lim Fui Ming, all elected on DAP ticket, jumped ship to MCA?

If Time Could Speak

It will remind many people to be quick
You are late, again

If Time could speak
It will wake thee up at 6am sharp
You can take the alarm clock to the pawn shop
That is, if the pawn shop is still alive

If Time could speak
All these people who would not be punctual
With their appointments with others
Would get a shelling so hard
Their ears would split into two
And then they will have four

But what good if a man has four ears
He remains slothful
and expects Others to wait for Him
Almighty with no sense of consideration
If Time could speak
It won't make a difference to a Sloth

UMNO finally hears the Reformasi calls...

Is it a bit/byte too late?

I recently wrote that "Even the MSM is capable of CHANGE". The recent days we raed even in the MSM even the UMNO leaders are capable of CHANGE.

This is a demonstration of the immutable law of the jungle -- ONLY THE FITEST SURVIVE. If you are a believer of the Theory of Evolution to explain the arrival of the species called Homo sapiens, you must also believe the Human as we know him/her/in-between today had among his/her/hisher ancestors the MONKEY or APE or BABOON. One shades his eyes, he doesn't see, another shades his ears, he doesn't hear, one shades his mouth, he doesn't speak. Is that a good allegory of UMNO leaders and members the past TEN YEARS? This is a rhetorical question, which means it's for banter among mGf at tariktarik only. Seek Desi out at Men Kee, or Lingam's.

Poor Paul Street's Lingam, it was forced to take a VKtion -- yesterday mu three buddies had to miss its mouth-salivating kambing. Yes, we went going to Lucky Plaza instead. Captain Yusof said he saw a Notis from the Majlis Perbandaran Furong saying somethin' of the Curry House lacked sanitary pads!

Now where was I?
Okay, so the monkeys are capable of CHANGE.
Some heard the People's Call for CHANGE. The majority "VOTED"4CHANGE.
Some saw the People's Power being demonstrated for CHANGE.
Some later, like now, "V"OICED out -- they join the Chorus one decade later! -- the Song of Reformasi.

Just a demo hear! I am no subscriber of Mkini's, so I reprise a few headlines and opening paras:

Ku Li calls for a party purge
Apr 4, 08 4:04pm

breaking news In a hard-hitting speech, the former Umno VP attacks the party leadership and outlines the drastic remedies needed to ensure the party's survival.
MORE
*Thinly-veiled attack on Oxford grads
*Raising the keris for unknown reasons

Umno infested with 'crocs and sharks'
Apr 4, 08 5:05pm

It's a party which is corrupt, infested with 'buaya darat' (land dwelling crocodiles) and 'yu-yu laut' (sharks), says Razaleigh.MORE
*Party hated by all races, not just Malays
*Leaders 'arrogant and talked big'

Gua Musang seeks sweeping changes in Umno
Apr 4, 08 4:04pm

Division EGM The proposed changes will bring democracy back to the party, according to the division led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
MORE
*Abolish the quota system
*Bigger role for supreme council

*Gua Musang kick-starts party reform with EGM


PS: Even Desi is capable of CHANGE.
I once was a diehard Socialist -- EIGHT DAYS A WEEK!

Now I am a Socialist on weekdays, but a Kapitalist-cum-Socialight during the wickedends.ON THE EIGHT DAY, I R n R n R!

PPS: Okay, one detailed sample from an MSM, the Star Online, not too starry-eyed nowadays but wit' its journalists' ears closer to the ground:), which can only be gooder than the days before March 8, No?


Saturday April 5, 2008

Ku Li seeks policy change
By IAN MCINTYRE and C.A. ZULKIFLE
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

GUA MUSANG: Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has proposed three major policy changes for the party to remedy the electoral setbacks it suffered in the 12th general election.

The first is for Umno to monitor the role of the Federal Government and its appointed Cabinet members.

The second is to revamp policies which only dwell on race-based politics so Umno would not be perceived as a party that only champions the rights of the Malays.

The third is to abolish the nomination quota system.

With Umno monitoring the Government and Cabinet ministers, members holding government posts cannot become more powerful than the party that they belong to, he said when opening the Gua Musang Umno division extraordinary general meeting in Bukit Celati.

“The party must control, monitor and assess the performance of the Government. If the Cabinet carries out policies which run counter to Umno policies, the supreme council must be empowered to inquire why.

If the prime minister amends Umno policies and hurts the Malays and Islam, then the individual can be reprimanded and be disciplined by the party,” said Tengku Razaleigh.

Umno must introduce a suitable mechanism to check the Government, he added.

While calling for Umno to come across as a party which treasures the interest of all races in the country, he stressed that the party must also maintain its original struggle of fighting for the Malays, language and culture.

“We must revive the sense that Umno is a national party which is fair to all people regardless of race or religion,” he added.

Tengku Razaleigh said there was now a perception of Umno breeding corruption or having become an elite party for the rich only.

“All races – and not only Malays – hate such an image, so Umno must come out with a policy to redeem its image,” he said, adding that the party did badly in the polls not because its policies failed, but because of its members' attitude.

The quota system, he said, might have had merits earlier but now had reached a stage where it could be manipulated to prevent contests.

An Odd Ode to UMNO Chieftains, Past and Passing On...

by mGf KIM QUEK, wit' whomI share some -- Okay, quite a lot -- chemistry in our political writes. So be well seved today with his latest piece -- neither master nor mistress -- but good enough for Desi's munching with crunchy peanut butter layered three times on toaste bread. Yummy, I mean Kim's artcile, amore than the french toast without a cap:)

IS THE MALAYSIAN TITANIC (READ UMNO) STILL ON COURSE?



When former premier Mahathir relentlessly lashes out at Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi for the disastrous electoral setback suffered by Barisan Nasional, does Mahathir realize that that he is in effect slapping his own face?


BN was heavily punished by the electorate only because Pak Lah had failed to clean up the filth left behind by Mahathir. So, the latter is still the main culprit for having “destroyed UMNO and BN” - the very accusation he made of Pak Lah in an emotional outburst upon learning the election results.


For, was it not Mahathir who had perfected the art of dictatorial rule and transformed UMNO into a hegemonic power that has brought havoc to the country through massive corruption and abuse of power? Now that the people have grown wiser, they have emphatically rejected this corrupt hegemony, as demonstrated in the election results of Mar 8.


Almost one month after the election, the leadership of UMNO appears to be still groping, unsure what exactly has hit them so hard. While Mahathir and his supporters are still merrily baying after the blood of Pak Lah, former UMNO vice president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) is frantically sounding the alarm bell that Malays are loosing political power, and yet other UMNO leaders are vaguely talking about “reforms”, “reinventing” or “strengthening” the party without being specific what these mean.


Perhaps the nearest to any policy response to this election came from Pak Lah himself when he delivered his first major post-election speech during the Investment Malaysia 2008 Conference on Mar 25. Pak Lah admitted his failure to fulfill reform pledges as major factor of the electoral setback and vowed to energetically renew reform efforts – on corruption, crime rate, judicial rot etc. However, his reform resolve was thrown into question when in the same breath he said his “biggest mistake” was to have failed to wage a successful cyber-war as the opposition did. This reminds us of the doubtful admission of guilt by former minister Chua Soi Lek who recently resigned in disgrace from the exposure of a video clip secretly taken of his sex exploit. Chua said his biggest mistake was the stupidity of using the same room every time he had a sexual roam with the girl.




IT'S MISMANAGEMENT, NOT INTERNET!



Make no mistake, BN/UMNO is sunk due to atrocious mismanagement of the country, not due to the Internet, as the latter is only the messenger, not the message itself. If UMNO’s so-called reforms or rejuvenation or whatever you call is only the revamping of the long antiquated racist formula to run this country in this globalised age without genuine rehabilitation of the impaired democratic institutions, as it appears to be the case now, judging from the tenor of the present brewing rebellion, then the titanic is on course to meet the fateful iceberg.


In fact, UMNO should realize that, the opposition was still seriously handicapped in the dissemination of information to the masses, as all local newspaper and TV channels had been monopolized by BN to belt out completely one-sided election propaganda. If the media had been independent and truthful in their reporting, BN would have been erased from the political scene, considering the mountain of corruption and misdeeds that have been endlessly emanating from its leadership.


Indeed, the first indication of the shakiness of Pak Lah’s reform pledges came when his so-called “reform cabinet” rejected de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim’s maiden attempt to initiate judicial reform. Entrusted by Pak Lah to spearhead judicial reform, Zaid had proposed to apologise to former Lord President Salleh Abas and other judges in the Supreme Court who were unjustly sacked in the 1988 judiciary crisis which has caused the collapse of judicial integrity in our judicial system, the duration of which has lasted to this day. No less than the second and third highest leaders in UMNO, namely Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and International Trade and Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had publicly slapped down on this Zaid initiative. So much, for Pak Lah’s renewed effort at reforms under the “rejuvenated” “reform cabinet”.


And so, Pak Lah’s call for reforms looks destined to remain a “voice in the wilderness”, in line with its similar destiny in his previous term of premiership.


While there is no visible movement on the “reforms” front, actions seem aplenty in the camps that champion racial causes – presumably “revival” of Malay power through UMNO, with an apparent convergence of purpose between Mahathir and Ku Li. The latter is agitating for a party EGM and has declared his challenge for party presidency.




KU LI'S RACIAL LOGIC



It is pertinent to look into Ku Li’s line of thinking when he invokes the fear of “loosing political control to non-Malays”. He theorizes that Penang , Perak and Selangor are already under non-Malay control. He arrives at this conclusion by numerically adding the non-Malays in PKR to those in DAP in the respective state governments.


This narrow interpretation of racial power is both illogical and unhelpful in forging racial integration. First, a party member’s first allegiance is to the party (where members share the same ideology), not to his race. It is the policy of the party that determines the treatment accorded to the various races, not the racial identities of the officers executing the party policy, for a member that strays from party policy cannot survive within that party. Second, these state governments are ruled by coalitions of PKR, DAP & PAS, where none has won enough seats to govern alone. So, policy decisions are, by necessity, consensus under collective leadership.


In fact, Malays should be least worried of being marginalized under these coalition governments, for is it conceivable that PKR and PAS would allow Malays to be so treated?


Kuli Li has equated Malay power with UMNO, so in his logic, Malays loose political power when UMNO looses control of government. Why should it be so? Aren’t both PKR and PAS led and controlled by Malays? Is Anwar Ibrahim not a Malay? Is Hadi Awang not a Malay?


Malays should logically be more worried about whether the elected government is good or bad, rather than whether the government is or is not UMNO-controlled.



NEP AND MALAY RIGHTS



Perhaps the issue that invokes the greatest concern among Malays is the NEP, which has come to be identified with Malay privileges.


Admittedly, NEP had made considerable contributions towards uplifting the status of Malays in economic and educational field, particularly in the earlier stage, resulting in the creation of a respectable and sizable Malay middle class. However, as UMNO assumed increasing hegemonic power under Mahathir, NEP has degenerated into a gigantic camouflage for massive corruption and cronyism that sustain the political patronage system which in turn sustain the UMNO hierarchy with the party president and prime minister at the apex – a phenomenon we call Umnoputraism. The latter is now the plague of the country, causing the country to loose economic competitiveness while rule of law continues to slide.


When Pakatan Rakyat – an alliance of PKR, DAP & PAS - proposes to do away with NEP, it actually means to discard Umnoputraism. In place of NEP, a genuine affirmative policy known as the Malaysian Economic Agenda (MEA) will be implemented to uplift the economic and social status of those who are in such need, irrespective of race or creed, in an ambience of transparent and frugal rule that will surely revive investors’ confidence in this country.


Malay confidence in Pakatan Rakyat should further be re-assured by the avowed intent of the three component parties through their respective manifestos to uphold the Constitution, in which the special position for the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak is safeguarded under Article 153. There is no reason to believe that this status quo will change anytime in the future.




PAKATAN RAKYAT



The greatest urgency for Pakatan Rakyat now is to quickly bring into shape the style and substance of its liberal and pro-rakyat governance, as contrast to the BN’s self-enriching elitist rule. The perception of the goodness of PR’s rule must be quickly and firmly established so that PR can face off with confidence any sudden political challenge that may erupt in this time of transition and fluidity of political power.


In this connection, PR must follow through with determination its top-priority agenda of public declaration of assets of elected leaders, re-instatement of open and transparent tenders and legislative initiatives in judicial and electoral reforms and restoration of civil rights.


The people have spoken loudly in the election of Mar 8. Has BN understood the message and possess the political will to make the necessary changes? Is PR up to the challenge to fulfill the people’s wishes? The people are keenly watching for answers in the months ahead.



Kim Quek

04.04.2008

UPDATEd @5.55pm: wit' Hi-Tea and Lunch combined because Ancient Mariner sailed in at short notice; Mindfull Mariner was fool of girth, and Desi,knottyaSsusual, hosted by Furongknight Lawrence Mon -- we bantered about Socialism, Capitalism and Bloggerithm and other mind-challneged Malaysiaana sighted at Hotel SinggahSanaSini where some ex-UMNO bigwigs escorted an Anwarite out of the meeting cause he dared arse for IT!:(

In awe this din, mGf Sabrina Tan felt she wanted in, so we do have time, after downing cow's milk wit' White Coffee at Lucky Plaza -- how lucky can Bloggers get eh? Tea all paid for, we only spewed Bloggers' vicedom in return! -- we steal have Time4Cow'sMirth, all da way from LOTR terrortry, eh?

SOCIALISM : You have 2 cows, so you
give one to your neighbour.

NOTE: THis is so Desisque!:)

COMMUNISM : You have 2 cows. The State
takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM : You have 2 cows. The State
takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM : You have 2 cows. The State
takes both and shoots you.

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM : You have two
cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy
grows. You sell them and retire on the
income.

MALAYSIAN BUMIPUTRAISM : You have two
cows, the State takes one and gives it
to your bumiputra neighbour. From the
milk you sell from the remaining cow
you buy a bull and mulitply your herd.
The State takes 30 per cent of your
herd as it grows and give them to your
bumiputra neigbour. Your bumiputra
neighbour has a kenduri each time they
receive a cow.

UMNOPUTRAISM : The State takes 30 per
cent of your herd and parks them in
Switzerland in the name of some UMNO
official or close relatives, friends
and sons-in-law.

MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT LINKED OR
BUMIPUTRA CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You employ mainly bumiputras to
milk them. But both cows have been
sent to the kenduri, so the State
gives you more cows and write off the
losses of the first two. After several
kenduris later, you invite an American
or German Corporation to turnaround
the losses. The Japanese have however
already taken their two original cows
back home to Japan.


AN AMERICAN CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You sell one, and force the
other to produce the milk of four
cows. Later, you hire a consultant to
analyse why the cow has dropped dead.

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM : You have two
cows. You sell three of them to your
publicly listed company, using letters
of credit opened by your brother-in-
law at the bank, then execute a
debt/equity swap with an associated
general offer so that you get all four
cows back, with a tax exemption for
five cows. The milk rights of the six
cows are transferred via an
intermediary to a Cayman Island
Company secretly owned by the majority
shareholder who sells the rights to
all seven cows back to your listed
company. The annual report says the
company owns eight cows, with an
option on one more. Sell one cow to
buy a new president of the United
States , leaving you with nine cows.
No balance sheet provided with the
release. The public buys your bull.

A FRENCH CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You go on strike, organise a
riot, and block the roads, because you
want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You redesign them so they are
one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow
and produce twenty times the milk. You
then create a clever cow cartoon image
called 'Cowkimon' and market it
worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You re-engineer them so they
live for 100 years, eat once a month,
and milk themselves.


AN ITALIAN CORPORATION : You have two
cows, but you don't know where they
are. You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You count them and learn you
have five cows. You count them again
and learn you have 42 cows. You count
them again and learn you have 2 cows.
You stop counting cows because you're
sobering up and open another bottle of
vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION : You have 5,000
cows. None of them belong to you. You
charge the owners for storing them.


A CHINA CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You have 300 people milking
them. You claim that you have full
employment, and high bovine
productivity, and arrest the newsman
who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION : You have two
cows. You worship them

A BRITISH CORPORATION : You have two
cows. Both are mad.

PS: AN UMNO-OH NO! CORPORATION

One MCAeh cow was first to coop into UMNO-arms
Next MICC4 cow was asked to collaborate
Then the and Other minors all were quietly copulated
And thus was born the BN political consolate
~~ De Lust Wan By Desi, who blardy else?

Sometimes even an UMNO Minister can say sensible things

Page 7, NST April 3,2008:

Minsitry
can't help
Sufiah

PUTRAJA: There is nothing
much that the Higher Education
can do forSufiah Yusof as she is
not a Malysian citizen.

DESIDERATA:

If thou be patient, I'l take out a subscription to Malaysiakini,
or hack into a friend's access, and give thee the fool story
one YL Chong wrote/or edited about SE7EN or Eight years ago.

OR if you want the story faster, you pay for my subs, K!:):):):):):):)

seven s-miles, one for each of the seas you need
to cross to get at Desi!:(

DESIDERATA UPDATEs @9.43pm, after spending considerable time doing research like a journalist would, but mainly because I get very angry when POLITIKUS appear on the scene and talk through their a*seholes without any knowledge of what went on before, and why a similar case resulted in TRAGEDY because of ar'ehole politicians who failed our Malaysian child geniuses like CHIANG TI MING. Do you remember him?

I do, because I covered his story as it unfolded. And he hailed from Furong aka Seremban, my hometown; but Chiang's greatest setback was he was born into a society still steeped in RACIST POLITICS, mainly promoted by UMNO, and now a few decades later, they don't seem to learn the MAIN LESSON FROM GE2008, that in gist, paraphrasing an American President:

You can cheat some of the electorate all the time, all the electorate some of the time, BUT NOT ALL THE ELECTORATE ALL THE TIME.

Some disparate notes I searched and reproduced from some ARCHIVES -- I will come back to thread them together when I am freer. Miss Patience is also Mr/Ms Virtuous.

Extract1:

There should be a national awareness and concern that for decades, our national education policy and system had failed to recognise, foster and nurture the gifts and talents of our children.
Malaysia should not wait for another blaze of publicity about the discovery of another child prodigy related to the country, whether Sufiah Farooq, 12, who has been admitted to Oxford University to read mathematics, or Chiang Ti Ming who obtained a place at the California Institute of Technology in 1989 when he was 12 and who is now finishing his Ph.D. in Particle Physics on “Super String Theory” at Cornell University or Loh Chang Shiung, another boy wonder who read for a physics degree at the age of 12 at the National University of Singapore, before there is another brief but fruitless concern about the national neglect of the hundreds of thousands of gifted and talented children in our schools.
:
:
:
Chiang had achieved many firsts while at CalTech, including being the youngest ever student to receive the Undergraduate Students Merit Award two years in a row.
He was also an honorary member of the Tau Beta Phi, a national engineering society.
He had been accepted to study for the second year of the four-year Physics degree course at the university in 1989 when he was 13 after sponsorship from several organisations.

The prodigy later pursued and graduated with a doctorate in particle physics at Cornell University in New York.

The above was extraced when I googled, and the extract was from a Blogsite called Tempenis ...or something, whatever - just stating that the above helps to put some backdrop to current news involving Sufiah.

Extract2:

I guess this was an news item from a local daily -- the Star? -- someone who'ssure, please drop via Comments a line:)

Monday January 8, 2007
‘Boy genius’ Chiang dies

SEREMBAN: Chiang Ti Ming, the boy genius who was the youngest student ever to be admitted into the prestigious California Institute of Technology (CalTech) almost two decades ago, has passed away on Saturday morning.

“He passed away peacefully,” said a family member yesterday.

The family declined to reveal other details while Chiang’s parents, father Chiang Chick Liam and mother Lee Soo Hoon, were too distraught to talk to the press.
Only his family members were seen entering the house here yesterday afternoon and requested that privacy be given to them.

Press reports in 2002 said that he had been admitted into a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, for depression and withdrawal symptoms. The family also suffered a tragic loss when his sister Eei Wern, drowned at the swimming pool of the Seremban International Golf Club in 1993. Eei Wern was then four.



2008/04/02


Extract3:

Related stories you can read from NST, I reprroduce some lead lines from its Online edition:

I'm Every Woman: Why Sufiah why?
By Zaharah Othman



ZAHARAH OTHMAN had been in the home of Sufiah Yusof witnessing how her parents had hot-housed the math prodigy and her siblings — and her heart goes out to the mother reeling from her daughter’s tragic downfall.

"THE last time I met her, we were both in the surau.

It was the Ramadan of 2005. She was in her black jubbah and hijab and was a picture of sweetness and confidence..."



* Zaharah Othman is a Malaysian writer who lives in London.

Extract4:


8/04/02
Moves afoot to help Sufiah

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister's Department and the Malaysian Missionary Foundation (Yadim) will try to assist former child mathematics genius Sufiah Yusof, now aged 23 and fending for herself as a prostitute in Salford, Manchester.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Zahid Hamidi said they would help the gifted girl return to the right path through the "Save Sufiah Programme".
"The first thing we should try to do is to contact her mother or arrange a meeting with Sufiah to find out the reason she turned to prostitution, offering her services through the Internet, using the name 'Shilpa Lee'," he said.
It was reported in the News of the World that Sufiah is now a $130 (RM821)-an-hour hooker operating from her dingy flat.
The "Save Sufiah Programme" is headed by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim who will come up with strategies to assist Sufiah.

Sufiah created news when she was accepted into Oxford University at the age of 13. Her mother, Malaysian-born Halimaton Yusof from Muar, Johor, and her father, Farooq Yusof from Pakistan, tutored her and her siblings at home.

However, Farooq is now in jail after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two 15-year-old girls whom he tutored in maths.

In another development, Zahid urged Muslim bloggers to help counter the attack against Islam by Dutch legislator Geert Wilders through his video Fitna which was posted on the Internet.

"This is the time for bloggers to do something useful and not just use their blogs to condemn the government." -- Bernama

___________________________________

BLOG POST'S MAIN EXTRACT IN FULL under Desi's eyes, which is my premise for commentary as stated in my Post's TITLE!I delayed posting it because I need to C&P from NST Online-lah!

PUTRAJAYA: There is nothing much that the Higher Education Ministry can do for Sufiah Yusof as she is not a Malaysian citizen.

Sufiah, 23, is a British citizen, whose mother Halimathon Yusof is from Muar, Johor. Her father, Faroof Yusof, is a Pakistani citizen.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin said Sufiah was also of legal age and could do as she liked with her life.

Reports from Britain (one of them News of the World ) said the child prodigy had become a prostitute.

"We just can't bring her back. She is big now and can decide for herself. She has the right to do as she pleases, " he said yesterday, adding that the Malaysian Students Department in Britain had been asked to look into Sufiah's case.

DESIDERATA: I had to put in a lot of background because of the contrasts in the two cases referred to.

Sufiah:

* Not a Malaysian

** Given Malaysian government scholarship JUST BECAUSE HER MOTHER WAS BORN IN MALAYSIA (in Batu Pahat, I believe). In Sufiah's case, I remember the Government leaders "bent backwards" to claim Sufiah as one of Malaysia's own products and went on to offer her a scholarship... at the way the events progressed (I was covering the news as News Editor at an online news organisation then...), I don't think Sufiah or her parents even bothered to apply for one.

*** Now there are still misguided Malaysian leaders who think they could cash on a British girl's misery and downfall with their "high moral" purposes as if they were God-sent saviours to pull amisguided girl back "to the right path"

Ti Ming:

* Full fledged born-and-bred Malaysian

** Context of the family tragedy of his sister's drowning in a swimming pool was that the Dad had to accompany Ti Ming in the US (as he was a minor, and I believe US education rules required one parent's presence there...)

*** I don't remember any Malaysian leaders showing concern when Ti Ming or his father's application for a Government scholarship was rejected -- I still remember on SPURIOUS GROUNDS INCLUDING THAT THE CHILD HAD NOT SAT FOR THE STANDARD EXAMINATIONS -- I beleive the SRP at Secondary 3, and SPM at Secondary 5 (and some STPM assuming they proceeded to Form 6) as other "normal" pupils. Hey, morons at the Education Ministry -- Ti Ming would not have been a "prodigy" if he went through "normal" schooling and exams, would he?

I vividly recll some idiotic politikus - from the BN -- accompanied Ti Ming to solicit donations -- like a beggar going around with those round coconut shell bowls I can picturise! -- to enable Ti Ming to go to the US for tertiary studies. With such historical tragical trajectroies involving a Malaysian child-prodigy, do you now wonder how the POLITICAL TSUNAMI MADE POLITICAL PARTIES LIKE MCA and GERAKAN QUITE IRRELEVANT?

I am still celebrating the slow, but sure, demise of one or two or three BN component parties.

Shed no tears my friends -- there are still many of BN politicians who can't see beyond the colour of a child's skin. Other factors are secondary or inciental. Or accidental. Whatever -- it just does not matter as far as these fossilised minds, or borrowing from Dr Mahathir's vocab, MORONS, are concerned.

I sleep soundly tonight after letting out hot steam. I pray Ti Ming's soul rests in peace. And I hope nomore young Malaysians will undergo such baptism of fire, and premature calling nack to the ashes, as from ashes all Homo sapiens do cometh from. ~~ Amen/Amin

PS: To such idiotic Ministers dispensing unsolicited advice to Bloggers, viz:

""This is the time for bloggers to do something useful and not just use their blogs to condemn the government."

can I share a THINKING ALOUD:
Do you catch the MORAL IN MY POST, Mr Minister from UMNO?
Spell it out for thee, in case tyour English is as handicapped as one former MB-colleague of yours:

"CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME!"

One bad call, another still questionable...

BUT TIME WILL TELL.

What is Desi talking about? Okay, I wll start from the middle -- from M Bakri Musa's Post titled "Good Team, Bad Captian" dated March 30, 2008, I extract:

"Blemishes and Kudos

Abdullah’s commitment to combat corruption is made hollow by his bringing Muhammad Taib into the cabinet. He was the former Mentri Besar of Selangor who was caught at an Australian airport with literally millions in cash on his person. He was acquitted from the criminal charge of not declaring the currency, but he has yet to explain how he secured the loot in the first place.

If Abdullah has not asked Muhammad that pertinent question, then he (Abdullah) is derelict in his duties by not exercising due diligence in selecting his ministers. If Abdullah did ask and was satisfied with Muhammad’s answer, then Abdullah owes the public to share that explanation. Failure to do so would make Abdullah’s renewed call to combat corruption more than hollow; it would be hypocritical.

Yes, that incident took place over a decade ago, old story Muhammad would claim. However, there is no statute of limitation with criminal acts. Time does not make a corrupt act less corrupt.

I applaud Zaid Ibrahim’s appointment. He is one of the few independent minded and unafraid to challenge the leader, a rare quality especially among Malays. We are still feudalistic, blindly loyal to leaders regardless of circumstances. I also applaud him for his commitment to the rule of law. Also rare among Asian leaders and newly rich, Zaid is well known for his philanthropic works. Forbes magazine recently listed him as one of Asia’s top philanthropists.

Of interest here is that Zaid Ibrahim was only recently found guilty of “money politics” by UMNO’s Disciplinary Committee, whose esteemed members included Zaki Azmi, now Court of Appeal President, the second highest position. Zaid strenuously appealed his “conviction” right up to the President of UMNO, Abdullah, but to no avail. It reflects more on the credibility and prestige of that disciplinary committee (more correctly, the lack of both) that Abdullah would now appoint Zaid to the cabinet to be in charge of law and the judiciary!

I have the highest regard for Zaid’s personal integrity and professional honor. I bring this up merely to demonstrate Abdullah’s and also UMNO’s hypocrisy towards disciplining its members. The fact that members of UMNO Disciplinary Committee would choose to remain silent on Zaid’s appointment attests to the “seriousness” with which they executed their duties. Let us acknowledge openly what was previously simply alluded to, that disciplinary committee was nothing more than a kangaroo court, its deliberations not worth considering, not even by UMNO’s president.

Zaid should consider his “conviction” a singular badge of honor. When knaves and crooks rule and do the judging, the virtuous and honorable would be considered criminals..."

DESIDERATA: Go read the full article at bakrimusa.com, but here's my take on the two Cabinet APpointees. The first that Sdr Bakri decried, the second he applauded.

I have no hesitation in supporting Bakri's verdict on the double Muhammad.In fact I even offered my English tuition services to the ex-MB, I guess my 20mil fee was beyond him, poor bloke, caught wit' just a few million. A blardy young upstart at 27 years old could get BILLIONS in bank financing, and he's not even from UMNO -- oh,NO!

Can I venture to explain where and why the double Muhammad was selected by Mr "Nice Guy" after the former guy served his ten years in the wilderness. EMPATHY. Then PM now Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad "punished" the curent PM without any position -- yes, serving also a long term in political wilderness during which he had to sell off his only residence, I heard -- following Tengku Razaleign Hamzah's narrow defeat (43 votes only) by the doctor-turned-superb politikus. Digressing a byte, now Dr Mahathr wants the 30% divisions' nomination thingy he iitiatted to be removed so that the now not-so-Nice PM could be challenged for his UMNO presidency. This same guy insisted even if ... HE HAD WON BY ONE VOTE, HE WAS THE LEGITIMATE UMNO HEAD! UMNO politics surely amazes Desi, een Alice in Wonderland did not surprise Desi that much/mush ... I think my mind/e is all so muddled/muddied I can't no more amore! Furthermore, good riddance Khir Toyo was a pain-in-the-arse, accompanied by "small-house-only" RM7-10million hut-dweller Zakaria Mat Deros, a bigger ass, who combined so well in handing the jewel-in-the-crown, self-accredited "most-developed" state in NegaraKu to Parti Keadilan Rakyat-led coalition,now officially referred to as PAKATAN RAKYAT. Did you ntoce that the acronym is PR, which must have been crafted to remind Malaysians now permanently residing abroad (Dr Bakri, hear me, awe across the SE7EN Cs inthe US of A? ? Pavova aka Sabrina Tan in NZ? "Twin sister" twistedheels aka Crystal Tan in UK?)

Anyway, back from the lingest digression ever by Desi, I come to the point: The double Muhammad served like a lapdog quietly the Prez -- barking at King of Bloggers Raja Petra Kamarudin once a while for show-lah! Remember that report at Campbelle Polis Stasi followed by RPK and wife's sponsored study trips to Peace Hill? -- so after four years as UMNO Propaganda-ganda Wang Anda who learnt a little from ZAM, the doble Muhammad got his princely reward. Okay, wooden spoon via the backdoor of a body called Sinate, in a wooden cabinet, also somethin' to sing about-lah, Pak-lala, Jean Tralala...)

Conclusion1:

I agree with mGf saudara Bakri the APpointment of the double Muhammad was a bad call on Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's part.

Now what about Zaid Ibrahim, once chief of the largest law firm in Malaysia?

WOW! Suddenly, he woke up to the fact that the 1988 sacking of then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and five other Judges was a "wrong" commtted by the then UMNO-led administration under Dr Mahathir. Hey, can you come clean whether you were indeed accomplice to that "sinful" act now deserving an OPEN APOLOGY BY THE GOVERNMENT by supporting the setting up of the Rribunal that subsequently resulted in their sackings? (As I believe Dr Mahathir's version more than I believe yours because as a newshound my memory recall is still coincident wit Dr Mahathir's, however much I know he was the prime mover of many "wrong" acts in his latter half of 22 years rule of Malaysia.

And Zaid, how much UMNO-derived business led to the rabking of your former Law firm as the largest in NegaraKu? When I asked this question, I am not saying that any law firms in NegarKu may not act on behalf of UMNO or UMNO-related parties. But can you honestly tell the Malaysian public that your latest initiative on tendering an APOLOGY to the former Lord President and Others was not actually scratching Pak Lah's back back in exchange for another wooden spoon, ah, yes, via the SINate... Just like the double Muhammad.

And killing two-birds-wit'-one-stone (like Desi often does!:) -- deflection off Dr Mahathir's renewed attaccks on the current PM, including asking Datul Seri Abdullah to resign?

Conclusion2: Dr Bakri, mGf, I would beg to disagree on this second APpointment, as being worthy of a "Kudos". BUT TIME WILL TELL.

That time will soon come -- October 2008, or later, when the current Chief Justice, finishes his extended term of office.
Waiting in the wings quietly is the current secondin-command,"Zaki Azmi, now Court of Appeal President, the second highest position" that Sdr Bakri also referred to.

Recall-lah that Zaki Azmi was "helicoptered" into the third highest office in the Judiciary from the private legal sector -- and was widely believed and criticised, at least by the ilks of Desi species! -- as a "reward" for his outstanding services to UMNO ... Did I hear mGf from Ipoh whisper "Oh, NO!" heard quietly in Furong about 150 miles down South?

I rest my questioning mind.

God bless all Malaysians.

I:
S:
A: men,

less and less nowadays.
Because PR is now within my grasp. As RPK teased his ER often before March 8, I was also looking at going down UNDER! Where sweetspirits dwell.

Even the MSM is capable of CHANGE!

I commented at mGf Bernard Khoo's zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com -- I have to butter him UP a byte as he co-chairs wit' Desi at BUM2008. If you Ignoramus has to ask what BUM2008 is, please be an obedient reader, go now "click" on that nice Poster that our house-artist mob1900 spent midnight hours designing JUST4YOU! Just add that Chris Chew was enhanced wit' de besta tehatarik from Haridas aka hari-hari does it from Furong, which is Chinese name for Seremban,made famous by our first astronut, achieved in collaboration -- or cooption and copulation thrown in?-- with the Russain money-making space agency. Minta maaf, I digress. One goode reason why you must take up Blogging, you can Digress anytime, anywhere, but knot at Desi's, that's my terrortry! Even Khir Toyo has followed suit! No, he didn't file any suit against RPK, nyet -- he started a Blog!

Okay, lazy way out, I reprised my comment put dare several hours ago just to make known to my rickety chair I'm still around as a desk-bound newshound:

"Anonymous said...
Sdr Zorro:What globalisation does to countries economic systems opening up, the CHANGED political environs in a large -- or the majority -- sectionof NegaraKu will force theMSM to also change, maybe slowly, but they don';t have a choice if they are to survive the free market place.--DesiHOPE springs eternal in this Journalist's heart -- solet's give my brethren in MSM a chance for reform, Okay, because I know the 4th estaters in the main are passinate about this VVe Bloggers force them into a corner -- RED? -- from our blue or yellow ones, let's wait n see. Miss Patience is also Mr/Ms Virtuous:)
April 2, 2008 11:10 AM"

I seek zorro's indulgence in forgetting to sign off as Desi, knottyaSsusual, hence led off as Anonymous, , which is my blog signature just like As Always, Bernard.

Anyway, hear's evidence of the CHANGE I was talking about:

All the newspapers -- including NST! isn't that transcendental? --frontpaged PAKATAN RAKYAT! with Sdr Anwar Ibrahim as centrepiece. Sdr Zorro -- this BIG word, "transcendental" -- is it rightly used in this context? If I used it wrongly, I'm prepared, like a GalGuide, stand in that church corner in Ipoh where another mGf Helen -- homing at allofhelen.blogspot.com -- will gift me past&PRESENTries...:):) I add another layer of butter2!

Please note I'm ***PR-ing Helen not out of 100% ALTRUISM -- yeah, another BIG word, I'm feeling all puffed up todae! -- as she designed that BUM2008 banner. Hey, look up there -- it'snot a bird, it's not a plane, it's not Superman! It's blardy Bummers from NegaraKu staging a May Day Rally cometh First of May. When Helen was small, and Christmas trees were tall...
*** From todie, Desi will be using this acronym PR lots -- do you C WHY? No, why so dim some wan? PR is Paktan Rakyat-lah. Even wit' one eeyyee closed, the former MP for Jasin, could see the Red, Blue and Yellow colours of PR -- is there some GREEN, ah?

So I'm urging my fellow Bloggers out here to give the residents of the Fourth Estate a chance to CHANGE-lah! I have a soft spot for some of them -- like R Nadeswaran our Citizen Voiz of theSun, and mGf BMartin of Star-Metro -- they really try to do the best they can, under very challenging environs. But the environment has CHANGED, yes/no/mayhaps?

I have said several times that Malaysia, like Australia, is a Lucky Country. So like mateys down under, we must give our fellow citizens, even earning B&B at the MSM, a fair-dinkum chance...WRITE4CHANGE!

UPDATEd @12.47PM,cos Desi wants to UPlift thy mind which somedimes stays too comfy enjoying pastries without the icing. Raja Petra Kamatudin provides that ICE-sing! Go read malaysia-today.net's "Elementary, My Dear Watson" dated March 31, 2008.

Just a quote as APpetiser before lunch, knot SpecialBrunch:(:

"To say that the Malays would never reach the level of the Robert Kuoks, Queks and Tan Chin Tuans without the help of the NEP is an insult to the Malays. I, for one, believe I can make it with or without the NEP. To say I am who I am because of the NEP and that I would be nothing if not for the NEP is a great insult and I take it as an insult. I believe that without the NEP and without the unfair advantage given to the Umnoputeras there would be no ‘ceiling’ above my head and the sky would be my limit."

140.8th nation-member admitted to the UNO

GENEVA, TUESDAY: wit' Noble Prize winner-newshound Morrie reporting from the scene~~

The United Nations Organisation today in a special session admitted after much controversial debate the 140.8th nation-member to the august body as the clock was just sixty seconds about to strike midnight.

The youngest member named SARAWA consists of the former Malaysian states of Sabah, Sar awak, and former Australian state of Western Australia shortened as WA. In what could be regarded as a first in the Brave New World where commerce reigns supreme, three tycoons from the former Malaysian states -- usually termed poor cousins of peninsular Malaysia/West Malaysia comprising the 11 states of then Malaya before they ganged up to become Malaysia in 1963 -- led a buyout for the two states' independence using fun-DS from their coffers enriched by hard work, pure luck and brain-power. They hrad very the heart in their youth, lucky to strike oil off shore the three states, and their brains fertilised by belacan, sambai dan ganja aka manja.

One was a billionaire-at-27, another was the second-most powerful Malaysian by marriage into the Prime Minister's family, and a former Malaysian migrant to WA known to be a powerful IPP top leaguer who became even BUGger by setting up the largest chain of Nasi Berani cum bugger restrons across food-mad Ozland, too laid back to cook their western meals. It is said the nasi brerani tastes wild and orgasmic because some tropic weed caled ganja or manja is added to the gravy.

In a whole day debate at the Generous Assembly caled by the UN because the three tycoons offered to bail out the highly-indebted world body from three trillion USD -- with each of the said tycoons donating one trillion each -- the special resolution to recognise the 140.8th nation-member qualifed the membership by reserving 0.2th of the full membership a year from now, when the calendar cycle cometh foolcircle, and make laughing stocks of all the greedy 140-members who have each pocketed a million bucks each to put on a mock debate, with 50% arguing against, and one-half supporting SARAWA's membership entry.

The UNO day's special session was mainly spent in the three Guest speakers' deliberation of their dilemma of whether their new nation be called SARAWA or WASARA. Ultmately, it came from the Chairman's tie-breaker with his one solitary golden vote siding the two fromer Malaysian states because their presents amounted to two billion while the migrant greased him only one billion.

So let's pray SARAWA succeeds where it had failed as poor cousins due to neglect, and hardly worth any mention in the politkuses' vocab -- constantly it was only UMNO-oh-NO, MCA-EH, and MICC4. If they fail, at least they are honest, can stand tall, and can boast they are literally and figuratively down UNDER.

And unlike those other states who chose not to join them, awefoollyAPRILsissies, unlike Desi.