Yesterday -- when all my troubles seemed so far away -- my ancient friendly mariner Capt Yusof eh came ashore to have a VK-tion at Lingam's in Paul Street, no, not at Laka kita-Tipu-pura or somethin'; being samy and retired, VVee can't afford wan! Another mariner always mindful of his "floating ship"compared with another "sinking" wan, was awesomely on both our minds, as VVe chomped away at the bestA kambing in the small A*'hole of Furong. Where all the nicest burung fly, sum small poor wans land up in the poorrich pot! The chinoserie with their funny sense of humour call it "chook", which can also mean "Catch", which in the ltd ingeeris that I know after mixing wit' one ex-MB -- no, not NS, Selnagor-lah, the most advanced state wit' many affairs! -- means "chicken". At night, some locals call it Ayam! But now that a Britisher named Sofar Yusof -- not related to my aforesaid mariner -- has joined these ranks, it has acquired Hi-IQ status. I ars'd Ancient Mariner if he could write me a cheque for 1,000 pounds, he replied he weighs in at 200 -- so another 800 to wait. Sterlling mate thou art, and I had to pay for runch. (Defined: a quick lunch made on the run on pocket empty!:)
Anyway, Capt and Desi ate three helpings of Lingam's kambing -- the extra was on b-1/2 of the wanresiding, or re-cycling, or sailing, watever! -- at promptus.blogspot.com!
I left a A*note that I would be stealing his menu, or woman-u! Viva:)
Arsicons
Now hear this!
Emoticons, or Smileys, are commonplace these days, you know the ones-
;-] :-( : -) :-D :-o etc.
Now here are some arsicons which you can used as expressions, or to refer to those people to whom they may be appropriate. Given the increasing numbers of arseholes evident these days, these 'arsicons' may be useful as abbreviations and foot notes in SMS text messages, email, etc.
An Assortment of 'Arsicons'
Here are some "ARSICONS" (Desi ~~ I think this Capt Karim left ooouch a "e", did he?:(
(_!_) is an arse
(__!__) is a fat arse
(!) is a tight arse
(_*_) is a sore arse
{_!_} is a swishy arse
(_o_) is an arse that's been around
(_x_) is kiss my arse
(_X_) is leave my arse alone
(_zzz_) is a tired arse
(_E=mc2_) is a smart arse
(_$_) is money coming out of his arse
(_?_) is a dumb arse
(_U_) is 'You arse'
(_Q_) is 'couldn't give a rat's arse'
(_Oui_) is Arsenal
You could perhaps add them to your sms texts, emails, etc., as e-moons!
e.g. of usage:-
'I (_Q_) what you do with them!'
Dramatis personae
- Characters of the play
Posted by mindful mariner at 00:05 1 comments
Labels: Jokes
As "2nd matey comment", Desi left this on the sandy shore:
"I'm stealing this in BROAD --(__!__) is a fat arse -- daylight!:)--Desi
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A Question Surely Taxing Many Malaysian Minds
Guest writer KIM QUEK asks:
MAHATHIR STILL UNTOUCHABLE BY THE LAW?
16.04.2008
Despite being out of power for almost five years, former autocrat Mahathir Mohamad appears to be still enjoying immunity from the long arms of our law enforcement bodies, just like in the good old days of the Mahathir rule. This is the irresistible conclusion from events surrounding the revived controversy over Mahathir’s alleged interference in an Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigation on a former Director General (DG) of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) during Mahathir’s reign.
During the second trial (on sodomy) on Anwar Ibrahim, former DG of ACA Shafee Yahya testified on 12th June 2000 that Mahathir angrily told Shafee to stop investigating then DG of EPU Ali Abu Hassan Sulaiman. Shafee had earlier (in 1998) raided Ali’s office and found large amount of unaccounted for cash (RM 100,000) in the latter’s drawer.
Former United Nation Special Rapporteur Param Cumaraswamy took up Mahathir’s recent challenge for any foreign agency to investigate his misdeeds, and exposed this incident.
In defence, Mahathir refuted the allegation by giving his side of the story in a letter published in the Sun on 8th April 2008 . However, this letter appears more like an attempt to distract rather than to take on the real issue which is the finding of large amount of unaccounted for cash in Ali’s office drawer. Mahathir claimed that in the meeting with Shafee in his office (on 19th June 1998), it was Shafee who lost his temper on Mahathir after being asked a series of questions, angrily and loudly accusing Mahathir of interfering with his works.
MAHATHIR’S DEFENCE WEAK
Never mind about who is angry against who, what about the meat of the issue which is the finding of the unaccounted for cash? Is it true that there was such a large amount of cash in Ali’s drawer? Is it true that Ali could not account for it? Mahathir being Ali’s immediate superior, what did Mahathir do upon being confronted with such alleged misdeed by his top official? Did Mahathir pursue this serious allegation to the very end? If he didn’t, why? If he did, can he tell us now the true story of this cash in Ali’s drawer? I think Mahathir owes the nation true answers to these questions.
As regards whether Mahathir did or did not order Shafee to stop investigation, the test of the pudding is in the eating. What happened to the investigation? Did Shafee continue to investigate diligently after the said meeting with Mahathir and brought the investigation to a swift conclusion?
The answer is an emphatic no. ACA’s director of investigation Mohd Shukri Abdul said that it took three years (1988 to 2001) to complete the investigation on Ali. Is it not strange that a simple case like this – either Ali could or could not justify the cash on him – which should have taken only days or weeks, had actually taken 3 years to complete? What possible justification could there be for this long delay if not for the fact that the case had in fact been put on cold store after the fateful Mahathir-Shafee meeting?
Such suspension of investigation would surely have been reflected in ACA’s report, the conclusion of which is certainly of great interest to the public. So, can we ask what the finding of this report is? No, according to Mohd Shukri. Reason? He could not give details as investigation was conducted before his time. What kind of nonsensical answer was that? By Mohd Shukri’s logic, if his position is taken over by some one today, the new officer would be in the ridiculous situation of not being able to answer any question at all on any case, as he has only taken the new position this day. ACA’s naked attempt to hide the skeletons in the cupboard is only too obvious.
Perhaps the greatest weakness of Mahathir’s defence is his failure to appear in court to refute Shafee’s allegation. Contrary to Mahathir’s claim that he was not allowed the opportunity to refute the accusation, Mahathir in fact took the opposite course. He fought tooth and nail to resist a subpoena to appear in court. Even on the very day that Shafee testified against Mahthir – 12th June 2000 – , Anwar’s counsel Christopher Fernando had a clash with High Court Judge Arifin Jaka arising from this subpoena. Arifin asked Christopher to close the case at the end of the day, but Christopher objected on the ground that he was still awaiting a decision from the Federal Court (the highest court) on Anwar’s appeal against the Court of Appeal decision upholding Judge Arifin’s ruling to allow Mahathir not to testify in the trial.
When a prime minister is accused by his top corruption buster in court of having stopped an investigation on the pm’s top aide, and the pm steadfastly refused to take the stand in the same court to refute the accusation, what conclusion can we draw other than the pm is guilty as charged? That is what the common people would think, but not our attorney general and police.
HIDING SKELETONS?
On 8th April 2008 , Attorney General Gani Patail said police investigated Mahathir for the alleged misdeed, and the investigation papers were received by the Chambers in February 2000. He said however “the Chambers had found no evidence to suggest Mahathir had interfered in investigations”. (Param pointed out in a letter to Malaysiakini published on April 11 that it was impossible for AG to receive the investigation papers in February 2000 when Shafee only testified in June 2000, but AG has not made any public clarification to date).
On 9th April 2008 , Federal CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin said he would obtain the files containing the investigation papers submitted to the Attorney General and go through it to ascertain whether the probe was properly done. If the case needed to be re-opened, he would refer his findings to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Musa Hassan.
On 10th April 2008 , Musa Hassan was asked whether the case would be re-opened. He answered: “What for? Are there any witnesses? It would be the same thing.” With that, we take it that Musa had already made up his mind the case would not be looked at, and the CID director could therefore save his time by not looking at the files.
On the same day, Gani Patail said the Mahathir case was officially closed and would not be considered for re-opening unless fresh evidence surfaced.
With that, it looks like AG and police have acted in concert to block current effort to re-open this Mahathir abuse-of-power case.
Then what about the Ali Abu Hassan’s cash-in-drawer case? ACA’s Shukri said that then AG Mohtar Abdullah had asked for the case to be closed due to “inconsistent witness statements and lack of supporting statements”. Doesn’t this smell fishy - an officer caught red-handed with unaccounted for cash by the chief of ACA himself personally, and yet the ACA could have bungled with such mangled statements as to cause the AG to reject them after three long years of investigation? Since our ACA could not be so hopelessly inefficient, what choice do we have except to conclude that either ACA or AG or both have been less than honest?
AG’S SHADY ROLE
That both the previous AG Mohtar and current AG Gani appeared to have acted dubiously with regards to these scandals involving Mahathir should come as no surprise, if we know their questionable role in the sham trials of Anwar Ibrahim. Mohtar and Gani, (who was then the leading prosecutor), were accused in an affidavit by lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon to have blackmailed Manjeet’s client S. Nallakaruppan with threat of the death penalty to concoct evidence against Anwar. In fact on the same day that Shafee testified against Mahathir ( 12th June 2000 ), counsel Christopher examined Manjeet (a former Bar Council Chairman) on Gani’s attempt to blackmail Nalla. I reproduce below the relevant section of an AFP news report dated 12th June 2000 touching on this part of the court proceeding:
Fernando, seeking to prove that witnesses against Anwar had been coerced, then called lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon.
Manjeet was the lawyer for Anwar’s one-time tennis partner S. Nallakaruppan (better known as Nalla).
Nalla was initially charged with possessing live ammunition under an act which carries a mandatory death sentence. Prosecutors later reduced the charge and Nalla in February 1999 was jailed for 42 months.
Manjeet said he met state prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail in October 1998.
There was a “blatant attempt by Abdul Gani to extort and blackmail evidence from a man (Nalla) by using his life as a bargaining chip,” he said.
Manjeet said Abdul Gani told him that prosecutors “were looking into the matter on behalf of the prime minister and that he wanted evidence from Nalla concerning (Anwar’s affairs with) women.
“In the course of mentioning that fact he moved in numbers and finally settled for five women.”
Manjeet said Abdul Gani told him “that I had to impress on Nalla to bear in mind that he could die.” Nalla did not give evidence against Anwar.
Both Mohtar (famous for his selective prosecution) and Gani had perverted justice to serve the personal interests of Mahathir, and it is certainly not unreasonable to suspect that they have done likewise in theses cases, considering that the circumstances surrounding this scandal have overwhelmingly pointed to Mahathir’s guilt.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi vowed in a major post-election speech on Mar 25 to renew efforts to fulfill his pledges of reforms made in his 2004 election manifesto. Now is the time to honour this renewed pledge by restoring some shine to our tarnished law-enforcing bodies by accepting Mahathir’s challenge to invite an international body to investigate the allegations against Mahathir. Does Abdullah have what it takes to fulfill the yearnings of the electorate so eloquently expressed in the Mar 8 election?
Kim Quek
MAHATHIR STILL UNTOUCHABLE BY THE LAW?
16.04.2008
Despite being out of power for almost five years, former autocrat Mahathir Mohamad appears to be still enjoying immunity from the long arms of our law enforcement bodies, just like in the good old days of the Mahathir rule. This is the irresistible conclusion from events surrounding the revived controversy over Mahathir’s alleged interference in an Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigation on a former Director General (DG) of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) during Mahathir’s reign.
During the second trial (on sodomy) on Anwar Ibrahim, former DG of ACA Shafee Yahya testified on 12th June 2000 that Mahathir angrily told Shafee to stop investigating then DG of EPU Ali Abu Hassan Sulaiman. Shafee had earlier (in 1998) raided Ali’s office and found large amount of unaccounted for cash (RM 100,000) in the latter’s drawer.
Former United Nation Special Rapporteur Param Cumaraswamy took up Mahathir’s recent challenge for any foreign agency to investigate his misdeeds, and exposed this incident.
In defence, Mahathir refuted the allegation by giving his side of the story in a letter published in the Sun on 8th April 2008 . However, this letter appears more like an attempt to distract rather than to take on the real issue which is the finding of large amount of unaccounted for cash in Ali’s office drawer. Mahathir claimed that in the meeting with Shafee in his office (on 19th June 1998), it was Shafee who lost his temper on Mahathir after being asked a series of questions, angrily and loudly accusing Mahathir of interfering with his works.
MAHATHIR’S DEFENCE WEAK
Never mind about who is angry against who, what about the meat of the issue which is the finding of the unaccounted for cash? Is it true that there was such a large amount of cash in Ali’s drawer? Is it true that Ali could not account for it? Mahathir being Ali’s immediate superior, what did Mahathir do upon being confronted with such alleged misdeed by his top official? Did Mahathir pursue this serious allegation to the very end? If he didn’t, why? If he did, can he tell us now the true story of this cash in Ali’s drawer? I think Mahathir owes the nation true answers to these questions.
As regards whether Mahathir did or did not order Shafee to stop investigation, the test of the pudding is in the eating. What happened to the investigation? Did Shafee continue to investigate diligently after the said meeting with Mahathir and brought the investigation to a swift conclusion?
The answer is an emphatic no. ACA’s director of investigation Mohd Shukri Abdul said that it took three years (1988 to 2001) to complete the investigation on Ali. Is it not strange that a simple case like this – either Ali could or could not justify the cash on him – which should have taken only days or weeks, had actually taken 3 years to complete? What possible justification could there be for this long delay if not for the fact that the case had in fact been put on cold store after the fateful Mahathir-Shafee meeting?
Such suspension of investigation would surely have been reflected in ACA’s report, the conclusion of which is certainly of great interest to the public. So, can we ask what the finding of this report is? No, according to Mohd Shukri. Reason? He could not give details as investigation was conducted before his time. What kind of nonsensical answer was that? By Mohd Shukri’s logic, if his position is taken over by some one today, the new officer would be in the ridiculous situation of not being able to answer any question at all on any case, as he has only taken the new position this day. ACA’s naked attempt to hide the skeletons in the cupboard is only too obvious.
Perhaps the greatest weakness of Mahathir’s defence is his failure to appear in court to refute Shafee’s allegation. Contrary to Mahathir’s claim that he was not allowed the opportunity to refute the accusation, Mahathir in fact took the opposite course. He fought tooth and nail to resist a subpoena to appear in court. Even on the very day that Shafee testified against Mahthir – 12th June 2000 – , Anwar’s counsel Christopher Fernando had a clash with High Court Judge Arifin Jaka arising from this subpoena. Arifin asked Christopher to close the case at the end of the day, but Christopher objected on the ground that he was still awaiting a decision from the Federal Court (the highest court) on Anwar’s appeal against the Court of Appeal decision upholding Judge Arifin’s ruling to allow Mahathir not to testify in the trial.
When a prime minister is accused by his top corruption buster in court of having stopped an investigation on the pm’s top aide, and the pm steadfastly refused to take the stand in the same court to refute the accusation, what conclusion can we draw other than the pm is guilty as charged? That is what the common people would think, but not our attorney general and police.
HIDING SKELETONS?
On 8th April 2008 , Attorney General Gani Patail said police investigated Mahathir for the alleged misdeed, and the investigation papers were received by the Chambers in February 2000. He said however “the Chambers had found no evidence to suggest Mahathir had interfered in investigations”. (Param pointed out in a letter to Malaysiakini published on April 11 that it was impossible for AG to receive the investigation papers in February 2000 when Shafee only testified in June 2000, but AG has not made any public clarification to date).
On 9th April 2008 , Federal CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin said he would obtain the files containing the investigation papers submitted to the Attorney General and go through it to ascertain whether the probe was properly done. If the case needed to be re-opened, he would refer his findings to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Musa Hassan.
On 10th April 2008 , Musa Hassan was asked whether the case would be re-opened. He answered: “What for? Are there any witnesses? It would be the same thing.” With that, we take it that Musa had already made up his mind the case would not be looked at, and the CID director could therefore save his time by not looking at the files.
On the same day, Gani Patail said the Mahathir case was officially closed and would not be considered for re-opening unless fresh evidence surfaced.
With that, it looks like AG and police have acted in concert to block current effort to re-open this Mahathir abuse-of-power case.
Then what about the Ali Abu Hassan’s cash-in-drawer case? ACA’s Shukri said that then AG Mohtar Abdullah had asked for the case to be closed due to “inconsistent witness statements and lack of supporting statements”. Doesn’t this smell fishy - an officer caught red-handed with unaccounted for cash by the chief of ACA himself personally, and yet the ACA could have bungled with such mangled statements as to cause the AG to reject them after three long years of investigation? Since our ACA could not be so hopelessly inefficient, what choice do we have except to conclude that either ACA or AG or both have been less than honest?
AG’S SHADY ROLE
That both the previous AG Mohtar and current AG Gani appeared to have acted dubiously with regards to these scandals involving Mahathir should come as no surprise, if we know their questionable role in the sham trials of Anwar Ibrahim. Mohtar and Gani, (who was then the leading prosecutor), were accused in an affidavit by lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon to have blackmailed Manjeet’s client S. Nallakaruppan with threat of the death penalty to concoct evidence against Anwar. In fact on the same day that Shafee testified against Mahathir ( 12th June 2000 ), counsel Christopher examined Manjeet (a former Bar Council Chairman) on Gani’s attempt to blackmail Nalla. I reproduce below the relevant section of an AFP news report dated 12th June 2000 touching on this part of the court proceeding:
Fernando, seeking to prove that witnesses against Anwar had been coerced, then called lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon.
Manjeet was the lawyer for Anwar’s one-time tennis partner S. Nallakaruppan (better known as Nalla).
Nalla was initially charged with possessing live ammunition under an act which carries a mandatory death sentence. Prosecutors later reduced the charge and Nalla in February 1999 was jailed for 42 months.
Manjeet said he met state prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail in October 1998.
There was a “blatant attempt by Abdul Gani to extort and blackmail evidence from a man (Nalla) by using his life as a bargaining chip,” he said.
Manjeet said Abdul Gani told him that prosecutors “were looking into the matter on behalf of the prime minister and that he wanted evidence from Nalla concerning (Anwar’s affairs with) women.
“In the course of mentioning that fact he moved in numbers and finally settled for five women.”
Manjeet said Abdul Gani told him “that I had to impress on Nalla to bear in mind that he could die.” Nalla did not give evidence against Anwar.
Both Mohtar (famous for his selective prosecution) and Gani had perverted justice to serve the personal interests of Mahathir, and it is certainly not unreasonable to suspect that they have done likewise in theses cases, considering that the circumstances surrounding this scandal have overwhelmingly pointed to Mahathir’s guilt.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi vowed in a major post-election speech on Mar 25 to renew efforts to fulfill his pledges of reforms made in his 2004 election manifesto. Now is the time to honour this renewed pledge by restoring some shine to our tarnished law-enforcing bodies by accepting Mahathir’s challenge to invite an international body to investigate the allegations against Mahathir. Does Abdullah have what it takes to fulfill the yearnings of the electorate so eloquently expressed in the Mar 8 election?
Kim Quek
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tuesdays with Morrie, Thinking of Civil Society
I re-read Mitch Albom's TWM to understand myself and my journey called Life better, learning from a discerning elder who was generous to share before breathing his precious last.
I am also moved to think of Civil Society in Malaysia, and sometimes my blood pressure goes up.
I wish to cite a fictional anecdote to demo my point. Okay, to be honest, it's not all fictional, just that I must mask the Players' identities so I won't be sued as I can't afford to lose whatever I have, or plan to have by the time the suit gets to court. This is from a Malaya episode. A second Malaysian episode will follow,if thou be patient!
The story, in screen-play form:
A neighbour organises a kenduri to celebrate his daughter's wedding, and sends out invitations to the people he regards as friends. One Taiko in the neighbourhood feels insulted he did not receive one. The invitation, not the bride.
Puffing and heaving at the happy Dad's frontdoor, TaikO arrives with three saikos.
TaikO: Hey, you there, old man, why you no invite me to your daughter's diner? Why Sochai and Lengchai got invite, I no wan?
Dad: Eh, do I know you, ah? You my daughter's ex-BF, ah? Mui-Mui invites Sochai because he was schoolmate, mah. She invites LengChai because cousin, mah. Who are you? I dunno you-lah!
(looks at TaiKo's red shirt, hge gold chain around his neck hardly visible because of accumulated dafts...)
TaikO: So you tink I no impotant in this village, ah? Kau tim this cokky fella! (Pointing to his three balding saikos, dressed in similar red shirts with uneven collars and shirt sleeves half-rolled up to unequal lengths right and left.)
SaikO1: (Twisting Dad's arm)...Why you show no respeck to my TaikO? Wanna die, izzit?
SaikO2: (Pulling the hands of Dad's bride-to-be)... Come here, Lenglui, give TaikO a hug to show you are solly!
Dad: Mui-Mui, don't. These village idiots have no real balls, bully gals only.
SaikO3: (Punching Dad's face, as Mui-Mui rushes to Dad's side)...You shuddap! Idiot!
Mui-Mui: My Dad is right. You people have no balls! Bully young gals and old men only!
Just then, Dad's son armed with a shot-gun appears from the kitchen.
Dad'sSunny: Now you bastards, wang pak tan. I count to ten and you badder get the hell outa here!
One, two, three ...
Before reaching the lucky umber 8, TaikO and SaikOs all became Whatkos, slithering out into the nearest bushes and river.
************************ Inter-mission ******************
Come back for aMore later, if this Host is in the mood, Okay!
A matsalleh expatriate was driving his car "unrushed and unsure" along Jalan Rasah, out of Furong headed for the outskirts. He sometimes comes to PeytonPlacesque Seremban -- where Desi hydes! -- from wolfish Koala Lumpuh, and he thinks he has peace on his mind away from big bad wolfish capital city of Malaysia...
Suddely he (MSexpat) hears a "bang" as a motor-cyclist on a huge bike passes his rickety car, and here follows the episode 50 years later -- now in this proud nation called Malaysia -- from the first episode in Malaya. Note MR stands for Mat Rempit, not mister!
MR1: Hoi, gilake? Driving like bullok kart! If no kuasa to go, don come to Malaysia-lah, we advanced cuntry!
MSexpat: I'm sorry. I don'tknow this place well. I therefore drive slowly. I hope you understand... I just came from KaYel.
MR2: Heh, you stupid mat salleh -- don tok to my fren like that. You banged your car to ask move faster -- you blokking our way-lah!
MSexpat: I'm sorry. As I was saying, I am not familiar ...
MR1: Don say sori, sori-man. Just make way when you hear us horn-lah. You deaf, ah?
The two Mat Rempit block Mat Salleh Expat's car...
MR2: (moves to MSexpat's side, as the latter winds down window)... Get out you stupid man, let me see you got licence or not!
MSexpat: (rolls down car-window, waves hands in exasperation)... I don't want to quarrel with you guys. Let me move on...
Luckily a Polis patrol car arrives at this moment, waves the Mat Remit away, who move on ahead roaring their huge bikes with narry a care in the wolrd. No, the MR did not receive any warning from the men-in-blue fro bullying a foreigner who is a Guest Worker in Malaysia, heading towards Developed Nation status in 2020. The MIB wave to the shaken MSexpat who also moves on ... gostans at the next Shell station, heads back to B'g,B'd, Wolfish Koala Lumpuh...
DESIDERATA: The above is to illustrate that while certain parts of Malaysia can boast the most canggih physical infrastructure -- PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, Palace Of Justice in Petrajaya -- that rival developed nations like USA, UK and any European country's, the people's mindset in 2006 isn't much different from then Malaya before Independence in 1957. Hence , I sigh, and wonder where have we as a nation gone wrong is the last FIVE LONG DECADES?
Come 2020 in 12 years, I believe Desiderata would be still writing his Laments of a half-broken spirit? I hope not. 'Cos post March 8, 2008 there is some glimmer of HOPE at the end of Jalan Rasah, Seremban. I see CHANGE.
*************************** Another Theft *************************
From a sweetspirit Down Under...
"Could we but draw back the curtain, that surrounds each others lives, see the naked heart and spirit; know what spur the action gives; often we would find it better, purer then we think we would. We would love each other better, if we only understood. "
Author Unknown :) from nigh Redhead Beach?
I am also moved to think of Civil Society in Malaysia, and sometimes my blood pressure goes up.
I wish to cite a fictional anecdote to demo my point. Okay, to be honest, it's not all fictional, just that I must mask the Players' identities so I won't be sued as I can't afford to lose whatever I have, or plan to have by the time the suit gets to court. This is from a Malaya episode. A second Malaysian episode will follow,if thou be patient!
The story, in screen-play form:
A neighbour organises a kenduri to celebrate his daughter's wedding, and sends out invitations to the people he regards as friends. One Taiko in the neighbourhood feels insulted he did not receive one. The invitation, not the bride.
Puffing and heaving at the happy Dad's frontdoor, TaikO arrives with three saikos.
TaikO: Hey, you there, old man, why you no invite me to your daughter's diner? Why Sochai and Lengchai got invite, I no wan?
Dad: Eh, do I know you, ah? You my daughter's ex-BF, ah? Mui-Mui invites Sochai because he was schoolmate, mah. She invites LengChai because cousin, mah. Who are you? I dunno you-lah!
(looks at TaiKo's red shirt, hge gold chain around his neck hardly visible because of accumulated dafts...)
TaikO: So you tink I no impotant in this village, ah? Kau tim this cokky fella! (Pointing to his three balding saikos, dressed in similar red shirts with uneven collars and shirt sleeves half-rolled up to unequal lengths right and left.)
SaikO1: (Twisting Dad's arm)...Why you show no respeck to my TaikO? Wanna die, izzit?
SaikO2: (Pulling the hands of Dad's bride-to-be)... Come here, Lenglui, give TaikO a hug to show you are solly!
Dad: Mui-Mui, don't. These village idiots have no real balls, bully gals only.
SaikO3: (Punching Dad's face, as Mui-Mui rushes to Dad's side)...You shuddap! Idiot!
Mui-Mui: My Dad is right. You people have no balls! Bully young gals and old men only!
Just then, Dad's son armed with a shot-gun appears from the kitchen.
Dad'sSunny: Now you bastards, wang pak tan. I count to ten and you badder get the hell outa here!
One, two, three ...
Before reaching the lucky umber 8, TaikO and SaikOs all became Whatkos, slithering out into the nearest bushes and river.
************************ Inter-mission ******************
Come back for aMore later, if this Host is in the mood, Okay!
A matsalleh expatriate was driving his car "unrushed and unsure" along Jalan Rasah, out of Furong headed for the outskirts. He sometimes comes to PeytonPlacesque Seremban -- where Desi hydes! -- from wolfish Koala Lumpuh, and he thinks he has peace on his mind away from big bad wolfish capital city of Malaysia...
Suddely he (MSexpat) hears a "bang" as a motor-cyclist on a huge bike passes his rickety car, and here follows the episode 50 years later -- now in this proud nation called Malaysia -- from the first episode in Malaya. Note MR stands for Mat Rempit, not mister!
MR1: Hoi, gilake? Driving like bullok kart! If no kuasa to go, don come to Malaysia-lah, we advanced cuntry!
MSexpat: I'm sorry. I don'tknow this place well. I therefore drive slowly. I hope you understand... I just came from KaYel.
MR2: Heh, you stupid mat salleh -- don tok to my fren like that. You banged your car to ask move faster -- you blokking our way-lah!
MSexpat: I'm sorry. As I was saying, I am not familiar ...
MR1: Don say sori, sori-man. Just make way when you hear us horn-lah. You deaf, ah?
The two Mat Rempit block Mat Salleh Expat's car...
MR2: (moves to MSexpat's side, as the latter winds down window)... Get out you stupid man, let me see you got licence or not!
MSexpat: (rolls down car-window, waves hands in exasperation)... I don't want to quarrel with you guys. Let me move on...
Luckily a Polis patrol car arrives at this moment, waves the Mat Remit away, who move on ahead roaring their huge bikes with narry a care in the wolrd. No, the MR did not receive any warning from the men-in-blue fro bullying a foreigner who is a Guest Worker in Malaysia, heading towards Developed Nation status in 2020. The MIB wave to the shaken MSexpat who also moves on ... gostans at the next Shell station, heads back to B'g,B'd, Wolfish Koala Lumpuh...
DESIDERATA: The above is to illustrate that while certain parts of Malaysia can boast the most canggih physical infrastructure -- PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, Palace Of Justice in Petrajaya -- that rival developed nations like USA, UK and any European country's, the people's mindset in 2006 isn't much different from then Malaya before Independence in 1957. Hence , I sigh, and wonder where have we as a nation gone wrong is the last FIVE LONG DECADES?
Come 2020 in 12 years, I believe Desiderata would be still writing his Laments of a half-broken spirit? I hope not. 'Cos post March 8, 2008 there is some glimmer of HOPE at the end of Jalan Rasah, Seremban. I see CHANGE.
*************************** Another Theft *************************
From a sweetspirit Down Under...
"Could we but draw back the curtain, that surrounds each others lives, see the naked heart and spirit; know what spur the action gives; often we would find it better, purer then we think we would. We would love each other better, if we only understood. "
Author Unknown :) from nigh Redhead Beach?
Monday, April 14, 2008
theSUN Highlights Hap Blogospheric Residents' Event!
Friday April 11, 2008 Taken from The Sun
Bloggers To Discuss Their Roles
by Joshua Foong
SUBANG JAYA: The increasingly relevant role of bloggers as part of the new media will be examined and built upon at “Bloggers Universe Malaysia Gathering 2008” (BUM 2008) to be held next month.
In the wake of the general election, which saw the ruling party losing its two-thirds majority and control of four states, underlining the influence of the alternative media, bloggers are gathering to discuss and re-evaluate their roles.
BUM 2008, with the theme “Towards a Civil Society” is organised by blogging individuals in association with the Centre for Policy Initiatives, to focus on building civil society via interaction among bloggers. BUM 2008 will be held at the Lake View Club, Subang Jaya from 3pm to 8pm on May 1.
The two dialogue sessions include “Fostering Civil Society: Various Voices” and “The Fifth Estate (Bloggers) as Agency for Change”. Panel speakers are National Alliance of Bloggers president Ahirudin Attan aka Rocky, former judge Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid, academician Dr Azmi Sharom, and theSun deputy editor (special reporting) R. Nadeswaran aka Citizen Nades. Others are journalist Jacqueline Ann Surin, blogger-turned-MP Jeff Ooi, lawyer-MP William Leong, human rights advocate Haris Ibrahim, Malaysiakini. com editor-in-chief Steven Gan and Centre for Policy Initiatives director Dr Lim Teck Ghee.
“Bloggers are part of the growing new media. It is incumbent on the bloggers to mature along with the civil society,” said organising committee chairman Chong Yen Long. “Although the existence of blogs in Malaysian media is still at a stage of infancy, many have recognised that blogs are a channel that cannot be ignored. This awareness is shown by leaders notably the newly appointed information minister who has laid plans to engage bloggers through dialogue,” he added.
Those wishing to attend are required to pay RM50 per head to Yew Wei Keat 1-12080-24112-4 (Maybank) and email a note to tonyyew@gmail.com, stating the name to be registered and date of payment. Participation is limited to 120 people. For details, call 012-9702285 or visit bum2008-desiderata.blogspot.com.
Bloggers To Discuss Their Roles
by Joshua Foong
SUBANG JAYA: The increasingly relevant role of bloggers as part of the new media will be examined and built upon at “Bloggers Universe Malaysia Gathering 2008” (BUM 2008) to be held next month.
In the wake of the general election, which saw the ruling party losing its two-thirds majority and control of four states, underlining the influence of the alternative media, bloggers are gathering to discuss and re-evaluate their roles.
BUM 2008, with the theme “Towards a Civil Society” is organised by blogging individuals in association with the Centre for Policy Initiatives, to focus on building civil society via interaction among bloggers. BUM 2008 will be held at the Lake View Club, Subang Jaya from 3pm to 8pm on May 1.
The two dialogue sessions include “Fostering Civil Society: Various Voices” and “The Fifth Estate (Bloggers) as Agency for Change”. Panel speakers are National Alliance of Bloggers president Ahirudin Attan aka Rocky, former judge Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid, academician Dr Azmi Sharom, and theSun deputy editor (special reporting) R. Nadeswaran aka Citizen Nades. Others are journalist Jacqueline Ann Surin, blogger-turned-MP Jeff Ooi, lawyer-MP William Leong, human rights advocate Haris Ibrahim, Malaysiakini. com editor-in-chief Steven Gan and Centre for Policy Initiatives director Dr Lim Teck Ghee.
“Bloggers are part of the growing new media. It is incumbent on the bloggers to mature along with the civil society,” said organising committee chairman Chong Yen Long. “Although the existence of blogs in Malaysian media is still at a stage of infancy, many have recognised that blogs are a channel that cannot be ignored. This awareness is shown by leaders notably the newly appointed information minister who has laid plans to engage bloggers through dialogue,” he added.
Those wishing to attend are required to pay RM50 per head to Yew Wei Keat 1-12080-24112-4 (Maybank) and email a note to tonyyew@gmail.com, stating the name to be registered and date of payment. Participation is limited to 120 people. For details, call 012-9702285 or visit bum2008-desiderata.blogspot.com.
Thievery of the Honourable Kind...
Committed by Desiderata -- at A*Maverick's, and A**Mariner's.
Because the mens rea is not wilful or for personal profit, I guess the Judge will at mostsend the offender to stand at that corner at an Ipoh church where the roof leaks,
root beer.
Yes, quite often Desi pleads guilty to committing theft in cyberspace, because the laws governing Blogosphere are infant and hence a Crook of the honourable kind is normally let off the Hook. This is a mitigating factor - the honour I defend. In the steal of lust night, I roamed to two of my fave blogger-mates' abodes, and the menus matched my taste. So good food must be spread and shared, as VVVee believe there is a byte of Socialist in most of my buddies. OtherVise, attribute this thievery to Socialite habitat!:):):)
***************** First Theft from maverickysm.blogspot.com*******************
On the Social Contract
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.
One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they.
- Jean Jacques Rousseau
Social order is a sacred right which is the basis of all other rights. Nevertheless, this right does not come from nature, and must therefore is founded on convention.
The most ancient of all societies, and the only one that is natural, is the family, and even so the children remain attached to the father only so long as they need him for their preservation. As soon as this need ceases, the natural bond is dissolved. The children, released from the obedience they owed to the father, and the father, released from the care he owed his children, return equally to independence. If they remain united, they continue so no longer naturally, but voluntarily; and the family itself is then maintained only by convention.
This common liberty results from the nature of man. His first law is to provide for his own preservation, his first cares are those which he owes to himself; and, as soon as he reaches years of discretion, he is the sole judge of the proper means of preserving himself, and consequently becomes his own master.
The family then may be called the first model of political societies. The whole difference is that, in the family, the love of the father for his children repays him for the care he takes of them, while, in the State, the pleasure of commanding takes the place of the love which the chief cannot have for the people under him.
Men in order to co-exist have to reached the point at which the obstacles in the way of their preservation in the state of nature shows their power of resistance to be greater than the resources at the disposal of each individual for his maintenance in that state.
But, as men have no other means of preserving themselves than the formation, by aggregation, of a sum of forces great enough to overcome the resistance. These they have to bring into play by means of a single motive of power, and cause to act in concert.
This sum of forces can arise only where several persons come together: but, as the force and liberty of each man are the chief instruments of his self-preservation, how can he pledge them without harming his own interests, and neglecting the care he owes to himself?
The problem is to find a form of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before. This is the fundamental problem of which the Social Contract provides the solution.
The clauses of this contract are so determined by the nature of the act that the slightest modification would make them vain and ineffective; so that, although they have perhaps never been formally set forth, they are everywhere the same and everywhere tacitly admitted and recognized, until, on the violation of the social compact, each regains his original rights and resumes his natural liberty, while losing the conventional liberty in favor of which he renounced it.
These clauses, properly understood, may be reduced to one – the total alienation of each associate, together with all his rights, to the whole community; for, in the first place, as each gives himself absolutely, the conditions are the same for all; and, this being so, no one has the interest in making them burdensome to others. The alienation being without reserve, the union is as perfect as it can be, and no associate has anything more to demand.
Finally, each man in giving himself to all, gives himself to nobody; and as there is no associate over which he does not acquire the same right as he yields others over himself, he gains an equivalent for everything he loses, and an increase of force for the preservation of what he has.
Discarding those of which is not of the essence in the social compact, we shall find that it reduces itself to the following terms:
“Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and, in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole.”
At once, in place of the individual personality of each contracting party, this act of association creates a moral and collective body composed of as many members as the assembly contains voters, and receiving from his act its unity, its common identity, its life, and its will.
The public person formed by the union of all other persons, formally took the name of city, and now takes that of Republic or Body Politic; it is called by its members: State when passive, Sovereign when active, and Power when compared with others like itself. Those who are associated in it take collectively the name of people, and severally are called citizen, as sharing in the sovereign power, and subjects, as being under the laws of the State. These terms are often confused and taken one for another; it is enough to know how to distinguish them when they are being used with precision.
Instead of destroying natural inequality, the fundamental compact substitutes for such physical inequality an equality that is moral and legitimate, and that men, who may be unequal in strength or intelligence, become every one equal by convention and legal right.
As soon as this multitude is so united in one body, it is impossible to offend against one of the members without attacking the body, and still more to offend against the body without the members resenting it.
Duty and interest therefore equally oblige the two contracting parties to give each other help; and the same men should seek to combine, in their double capacity, all the advantages dependent upon that capacity.
Each individual may have a particular will contrary or dissimilar to the general will which he has as a citizen. His particular interest may speak to him quite differently from the common interest: his absolute and naturally independent existence may make him look upon what he owes to the common cause as a gratuitous contribution, the loss of which will do no less harm to others than the payment of it is burdensome to himself.
In order then that the social compact may not be an empty formula, it tacitly includes the undertaking, which alone can give force to the rest, that whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. In this lies the key to the working of the political machine; this alone legitimizes civil undertakings, which, without it, would be absurd, tyrannical, and liable to the most frightful abuses.
What man loses by the social contract is his natural liberty and an unlimited right to everything he tries to get and succeeds in getting; what he gains is civil liberty and the proprietorship of all he possesses.
As nature gives each man absolute power over all his members, the social compact gives the body politic absolute power over all its members also; and it is this power which, under the direction of the general will, bears the name of Sovereign.
Besides the public person, we have also to consider the private persons composing it, whose life and liberty are naturally independent of it. We are bound then to distinguish clearly between the respective rights of the citizens and the Sovereign, and between the duties the people have to fulfill as subjects, and the natural rights they should enjoy as men.
Each man alienates, by the social compact, only such part of his powers, goods, and liberty as it is important for the community to control, but it must also be granted that the Sovereign (which ultimately transcend to become the Constitution of a State) is sole judge of what is right and accepted as equal and just.
The Sovereign for its part, cannot impose upon its subjects any fetters that are useless or unjust to the community; nor can it even wish to do so; for no more by the law of reason than by the law of nature can anything occur without a cause.
The undertakings which bind us to the social body are obligatory only because they are mutual; and their nature is such that in fulfilling them, we cannot work for others without working for ourselves.
Equality of rights and the idea of justice which such equality creates originate in the preference each man gives to himself, and accordingly in the very nature of man.
It proves that the general will, to be really such, must be general in its object as well as its essence that it must both come from all and apply to all; and that it loses its natural rectitude when it is directed to some particular and determinate object.
As soon as a question of particular fact or right arises on a point not previously regulated by a general convention, the matter becomes contentious.
From whatever side we approach our principle, we reach the same conclusion, that the social compact sets up among the citizens an equality of such a kind, that they all bind themselves to observe the same conditions and should therefore all enjoy the same right.
Thus, from the very nature of the compact, every act of the Sovereign binds all the citizens equally, so that the Sovereign recognizes only the body of the nation, and draws no distinctions between those of whom it is made up.
We can see from this that the sovereign power does not and cannot exceed the limits of general conventions, and that every man may dispose at will of such goods and liberty as these conventions leave him; so that the Sovereign never has a right to lay more changes on one subject than on another, because, in that case, the question becomes particular, and ceases to be within its competency.
By the social contract we have given the body politic existence and life; we have now by legislation to give it movement and will. For the original act by which the body is formed and united still in no respect determines what it ought to do for its preservation.
Doubtless, there is a universal justice emanating from reason alone; but this justice, to be admitted among us, must be mutual.
The law of justice is ineffective among men: they merely make for the good of the wicked and the undoing of the just, when the just man observes them towards everybody and nobody observes them towards him.
Conventions and laws are therefore needed to join rights to duties and refer justice to its object. In the state of nature, where everything is common, I owe nothing to him whom I have promised nothing; I recognize as belonging to others only what is of no use to me.
The object of laws is always general. The law considers subject en masse and actions in the abstract, and never a particular person or action. Thus the law may indeed decree that there shall be privileges, but cannot confer them on anybody by name. It may set up several classes of citizens, and even lay down the qualifications for membership of these classes, but it cannot nominate such and such persons as belonging to them. In other words, no function which has a particular object belongs to the legislative power.
As the law unites universality of will with universality of object, what a man, whoever he be, commands of his own motion cannot be a law; and even what the Sovereign commands with regard to a particular matter is no nearer being a law, but is a decree, an act, not of sovereignty, but of magistracy.
Laws are, properly speaking, only the conditions of civil association. The people, being subject to the laws, ought to be their author: the conditions of the society ought to be regulated solely by those who come together to form it.
If each citizen is nothing and can do nothing without the rest, and the resources acquired by the whole are equal or superior to the aggregate of the resources of all the individuals, it may be said that legislation is at the highest possible point of perfection.
He who has command over man ought not to have command over the laws. He who has command over the laws ought not any more to have it over man; or else his laws would be the ministers of his passions and would often merely serve to perpetuate his injustices; his private aims would inevitably mar the sanctity of his work.
He, therefore, who draws up the laws has, or should have, no right of legislation, and the people cannot, even if it wishes, deprive itself of this incommunicable right, because, according to the fundamental compact, only the general will can bind the individuals, and there can be no assurance that a particular will is in conformity with the general will, until it has been put to the free vote of the people.
Thus in the task of legislation we find together two things which appears to be incompatible: an enterprise too difficult for human powers, and, for its execution, an authority that is no authority.
Conceptions that are too general and objects that are too remote are equally out of its range: each individual, having no taste for any other plan of government than that which suits his particular interest, find it difficult to realize the advantages he might hope to draw from the continual privations good laws impose.
The legislator therefore, being unable to appeal to either force or reason, must have recourse to an authority of a different order, capable of constraining without violence and persuading without convincing; that man might obey freely, and bear with docility the yoke of the public happiness.
All peoples have a kind of centrifugal force that makes them continually act one against another, and tend to aggrandize themselves at their neighbor’s expense. Thus the weak run the risk of being soon swallowed up; and it is almost impossible for any one to preserve itself except by putting itself in a state of equilibrium with all, so that the pressure is on all sides practically equal.
“Legislation is made difficult less by what it is necessary to build up than by what has to be destroyed; and what makes success so rare is the impossibility of finding natural simplicity together with social requirements.”
“Wise men, if they try to speak their language to the common herd instead of its own, cannot possibly make themselves understood.”
It is impossible to translate wisdom into popular language.
Reference:
Jean Jacques Rousseau; On the Social Contract
Posted by Maverick SM at 4/12/2008 10:06:00 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Justice, Law, Philosophy
************************** Second Theft ***********************
"Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics!"
[Photo]The gap between the rich and the poor? "Not very much!"EPU Household Income Report: see BERNAMA report HEREThe report from the Star Business Section entitled "Correct structural issues involving household incomes" HERE is an eye opener, and gives a good analysis the statistics churned out by the Malaysian Statistics Department which are often used as propaganda food by the BN Federal Government, and by subservient agencies of the civil service (e.g. Economic Planning Unit) to produce dubious reports, these reports invariably are unrealistic when compared to the ‘real world’ situation. Since the beginning of 2008, prices of many foodstuffs have increased tremendously in Malaysia, just ask any housewife who is trying to feed her family, the ends often do not meet now! In some cases prices have gone up by up by 50%, for example check yourselves the increase retail prices of the following products compared to what they were in the last quarter of 2007. Butter (and all milk products), liquid and powdered milk, bread and cakes, flour, cereals, rice and other grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, the list goes on and on. On the other hand, household incomes have been stagnant, (the influx of foreigners who are very low paid, they could even be called 'slave labour' has depressed wages and reduced job opportunities for Malaysians) of course the statistics say the average household income is RM 3,686 but there must be a huge percentage of families with a household income of less than RM 1,000 per month , this means that a very small percentage of the population gets most of the money. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer!
Conclusion: Stagnant wages + Less employment + Retail price increases = Greater poverty for more people
What Benjamin Disraeli said holds true,[Photo]
THERE ARE LIES, DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS!
Fallaces sunt rerum species - The appearances of things are deceptive.
posted by mindful mariner at 10:18 on 13-Apr-2008
Because the mens rea is not wilful or for personal profit, I guess the Judge will at mostsend the offender to stand at that corner at an Ipoh church where the roof leaks,
root beer.
Yes, quite often Desi pleads guilty to committing theft in cyberspace, because the laws governing Blogosphere are infant and hence a Crook of the honourable kind is normally let off the Hook. This is a mitigating factor - the honour I defend. In the steal of lust night, I roamed to two of my fave blogger-mates' abodes, and the menus matched my taste. So good food must be spread and shared, as VVVee believe there is a byte of Socialist in most of my buddies. OtherVise, attribute this thievery to Socialite habitat!:):):)
***************** First Theft from maverickysm.blogspot.com*******************
On the Social Contract
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.
One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they.
- Jean Jacques Rousseau
Social order is a sacred right which is the basis of all other rights. Nevertheless, this right does not come from nature, and must therefore is founded on convention.
The most ancient of all societies, and the only one that is natural, is the family, and even so the children remain attached to the father only so long as they need him for their preservation. As soon as this need ceases, the natural bond is dissolved. The children, released from the obedience they owed to the father, and the father, released from the care he owed his children, return equally to independence. If they remain united, they continue so no longer naturally, but voluntarily; and the family itself is then maintained only by convention.
This common liberty results from the nature of man. His first law is to provide for his own preservation, his first cares are those which he owes to himself; and, as soon as he reaches years of discretion, he is the sole judge of the proper means of preserving himself, and consequently becomes his own master.
The family then may be called the first model of political societies. The whole difference is that, in the family, the love of the father for his children repays him for the care he takes of them, while, in the State, the pleasure of commanding takes the place of the love which the chief cannot have for the people under him.
Men in order to co-exist have to reached the point at which the obstacles in the way of their preservation in the state of nature shows their power of resistance to be greater than the resources at the disposal of each individual for his maintenance in that state.
But, as men have no other means of preserving themselves than the formation, by aggregation, of a sum of forces great enough to overcome the resistance. These they have to bring into play by means of a single motive of power, and cause to act in concert.
This sum of forces can arise only where several persons come together: but, as the force and liberty of each man are the chief instruments of his self-preservation, how can he pledge them without harming his own interests, and neglecting the care he owes to himself?
The problem is to find a form of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before. This is the fundamental problem of which the Social Contract provides the solution.
The clauses of this contract are so determined by the nature of the act that the slightest modification would make them vain and ineffective; so that, although they have perhaps never been formally set forth, they are everywhere the same and everywhere tacitly admitted and recognized, until, on the violation of the social compact, each regains his original rights and resumes his natural liberty, while losing the conventional liberty in favor of which he renounced it.
These clauses, properly understood, may be reduced to one – the total alienation of each associate, together with all his rights, to the whole community; for, in the first place, as each gives himself absolutely, the conditions are the same for all; and, this being so, no one has the interest in making them burdensome to others. The alienation being without reserve, the union is as perfect as it can be, and no associate has anything more to demand.
Finally, each man in giving himself to all, gives himself to nobody; and as there is no associate over which he does not acquire the same right as he yields others over himself, he gains an equivalent for everything he loses, and an increase of force for the preservation of what he has.
Discarding those of which is not of the essence in the social compact, we shall find that it reduces itself to the following terms:
“Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and, in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole.”
At once, in place of the individual personality of each contracting party, this act of association creates a moral and collective body composed of as many members as the assembly contains voters, and receiving from his act its unity, its common identity, its life, and its will.
The public person formed by the union of all other persons, formally took the name of city, and now takes that of Republic or Body Politic; it is called by its members: State when passive, Sovereign when active, and Power when compared with others like itself. Those who are associated in it take collectively the name of people, and severally are called citizen, as sharing in the sovereign power, and subjects, as being under the laws of the State. These terms are often confused and taken one for another; it is enough to know how to distinguish them when they are being used with precision.
Instead of destroying natural inequality, the fundamental compact substitutes for such physical inequality an equality that is moral and legitimate, and that men, who may be unequal in strength or intelligence, become every one equal by convention and legal right.
As soon as this multitude is so united in one body, it is impossible to offend against one of the members without attacking the body, and still more to offend against the body without the members resenting it.
Duty and interest therefore equally oblige the two contracting parties to give each other help; and the same men should seek to combine, in their double capacity, all the advantages dependent upon that capacity.
Each individual may have a particular will contrary or dissimilar to the general will which he has as a citizen. His particular interest may speak to him quite differently from the common interest: his absolute and naturally independent existence may make him look upon what he owes to the common cause as a gratuitous contribution, the loss of which will do no less harm to others than the payment of it is burdensome to himself.
In order then that the social compact may not be an empty formula, it tacitly includes the undertaking, which alone can give force to the rest, that whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. In this lies the key to the working of the political machine; this alone legitimizes civil undertakings, which, without it, would be absurd, tyrannical, and liable to the most frightful abuses.
What man loses by the social contract is his natural liberty and an unlimited right to everything he tries to get and succeeds in getting; what he gains is civil liberty and the proprietorship of all he possesses.
As nature gives each man absolute power over all his members, the social compact gives the body politic absolute power over all its members also; and it is this power which, under the direction of the general will, bears the name of Sovereign.
Besides the public person, we have also to consider the private persons composing it, whose life and liberty are naturally independent of it. We are bound then to distinguish clearly between the respective rights of the citizens and the Sovereign, and between the duties the people have to fulfill as subjects, and the natural rights they should enjoy as men.
Each man alienates, by the social compact, only such part of his powers, goods, and liberty as it is important for the community to control, but it must also be granted that the Sovereign (which ultimately transcend to become the Constitution of a State) is sole judge of what is right and accepted as equal and just.
The Sovereign for its part, cannot impose upon its subjects any fetters that are useless or unjust to the community; nor can it even wish to do so; for no more by the law of reason than by the law of nature can anything occur without a cause.
The undertakings which bind us to the social body are obligatory only because they are mutual; and their nature is such that in fulfilling them, we cannot work for others without working for ourselves.
Equality of rights and the idea of justice which such equality creates originate in the preference each man gives to himself, and accordingly in the very nature of man.
It proves that the general will, to be really such, must be general in its object as well as its essence that it must both come from all and apply to all; and that it loses its natural rectitude when it is directed to some particular and determinate object.
As soon as a question of particular fact or right arises on a point not previously regulated by a general convention, the matter becomes contentious.
From whatever side we approach our principle, we reach the same conclusion, that the social compact sets up among the citizens an equality of such a kind, that they all bind themselves to observe the same conditions and should therefore all enjoy the same right.
Thus, from the very nature of the compact, every act of the Sovereign binds all the citizens equally, so that the Sovereign recognizes only the body of the nation, and draws no distinctions between those of whom it is made up.
We can see from this that the sovereign power does not and cannot exceed the limits of general conventions, and that every man may dispose at will of such goods and liberty as these conventions leave him; so that the Sovereign never has a right to lay more changes on one subject than on another, because, in that case, the question becomes particular, and ceases to be within its competency.
By the social contract we have given the body politic existence and life; we have now by legislation to give it movement and will. For the original act by which the body is formed and united still in no respect determines what it ought to do for its preservation.
Doubtless, there is a universal justice emanating from reason alone; but this justice, to be admitted among us, must be mutual.
The law of justice is ineffective among men: they merely make for the good of the wicked and the undoing of the just, when the just man observes them towards everybody and nobody observes them towards him.
Conventions and laws are therefore needed to join rights to duties and refer justice to its object. In the state of nature, where everything is common, I owe nothing to him whom I have promised nothing; I recognize as belonging to others only what is of no use to me.
The object of laws is always general. The law considers subject en masse and actions in the abstract, and never a particular person or action. Thus the law may indeed decree that there shall be privileges, but cannot confer them on anybody by name. It may set up several classes of citizens, and even lay down the qualifications for membership of these classes, but it cannot nominate such and such persons as belonging to them. In other words, no function which has a particular object belongs to the legislative power.
As the law unites universality of will with universality of object, what a man, whoever he be, commands of his own motion cannot be a law; and even what the Sovereign commands with regard to a particular matter is no nearer being a law, but is a decree, an act, not of sovereignty, but of magistracy.
Laws are, properly speaking, only the conditions of civil association. The people, being subject to the laws, ought to be their author: the conditions of the society ought to be regulated solely by those who come together to form it.
If each citizen is nothing and can do nothing without the rest, and the resources acquired by the whole are equal or superior to the aggregate of the resources of all the individuals, it may be said that legislation is at the highest possible point of perfection.
He who has command over man ought not to have command over the laws. He who has command over the laws ought not any more to have it over man; or else his laws would be the ministers of his passions and would often merely serve to perpetuate his injustices; his private aims would inevitably mar the sanctity of his work.
He, therefore, who draws up the laws has, or should have, no right of legislation, and the people cannot, even if it wishes, deprive itself of this incommunicable right, because, according to the fundamental compact, only the general will can bind the individuals, and there can be no assurance that a particular will is in conformity with the general will, until it has been put to the free vote of the people.
Thus in the task of legislation we find together two things which appears to be incompatible: an enterprise too difficult for human powers, and, for its execution, an authority that is no authority.
Conceptions that are too general and objects that are too remote are equally out of its range: each individual, having no taste for any other plan of government than that which suits his particular interest, find it difficult to realize the advantages he might hope to draw from the continual privations good laws impose.
The legislator therefore, being unable to appeal to either force or reason, must have recourse to an authority of a different order, capable of constraining without violence and persuading without convincing; that man might obey freely, and bear with docility the yoke of the public happiness.
All peoples have a kind of centrifugal force that makes them continually act one against another, and tend to aggrandize themselves at their neighbor’s expense. Thus the weak run the risk of being soon swallowed up; and it is almost impossible for any one to preserve itself except by putting itself in a state of equilibrium with all, so that the pressure is on all sides practically equal.
“Legislation is made difficult less by what it is necessary to build up than by what has to be destroyed; and what makes success so rare is the impossibility of finding natural simplicity together with social requirements.”
“Wise men, if they try to speak their language to the common herd instead of its own, cannot possibly make themselves understood.”
It is impossible to translate wisdom into popular language.
Reference:
Jean Jacques Rousseau; On the Social Contract
Posted by Maverick SM at 4/12/2008 10:06:00 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Justice, Law, Philosophy
************************** Second Theft ***********************
gifteth me a break, so here's another Cut&Paste from promptus.blogspot.com:
"Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics!"
[Photo]The gap between the rich and the poor? "Not very much!"EPU Household Income Report: see BERNAMA report HEREThe report from the Star Business Section entitled "Correct structural issues involving household incomes" HERE is an eye opener, and gives a good analysis the statistics churned out by the Malaysian Statistics Department which are often used as propaganda food by the BN Federal Government, and by subservient agencies of the civil service (e.g. Economic Planning Unit) to produce dubious reports, these reports invariably are unrealistic when compared to the ‘real world’ situation. Since the beginning of 2008, prices of many foodstuffs have increased tremendously in Malaysia, just ask any housewife who is trying to feed her family, the ends often do not meet now! In some cases prices have gone up by up by 50%, for example check yourselves the increase retail prices of the following products compared to what they were in the last quarter of 2007. Butter (and all milk products), liquid and powdered milk, bread and cakes, flour, cereals, rice and other grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, the list goes on and on. On the other hand, household incomes have been stagnant, (the influx of foreigners who are very low paid, they could even be called 'slave labour' has depressed wages and reduced job opportunities for Malaysians) of course the statistics say the average household income is RM 3,686 but there must be a huge percentage of families with a household income of less than RM 1,000 per month , this means that a very small percentage of the population gets most of the money. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer!
Conclusion: Stagnant wages + Less employment + Retail price increases = Greater poverty for more people
What Benjamin Disraeli said holds true,[Photo]
THERE ARE LIES, DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS!
Fallaces sunt rerum species - The appearances of things are deceptive.
posted by mindful mariner at 10:18 on 13-Apr-2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
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.
:
:
::)"
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.
:
:
:
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...
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.
:
:
::)"
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.
:
:
:
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...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
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
"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
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.
Friday, April 11, 2008
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!
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。
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。
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。
Thursday, April 10, 2008
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
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
- Sdr Ahiruddin Atan aka rockybru,
President, National
- Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid,
Ex-Judge
- Dr Azmi Sharom,
Academic 
- Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Director, Centre for Policy Initiatives
5. Sdri Jacqueline Ann Surin
Journalist
- Sdr Jeff Ooi, Blogger-MP
- Sdr William Leong, Lawyer-MP
- Sdr Haris Ibrahim, Human Rights Advocate
- Sdr Steven Gan, Editor-in-chief, Malaysiakini.com
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, April 07, 2008
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?
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
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
Saturday, April 05, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, April 04, 2008
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?
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?
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