And the fight begins

Now that Pak Lah is not defending his post as the president of Umno, the top two posts are now open for contest.

The Malays being feudal, are expected to nominate Najib Tun Razak for president. We're now waiting to see if Umno veteran, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah a.k.a Ku Li is still going for presidency. He has offered to contest against Pak Lah in the upcoming Umno election. But now that Pak Lah has stepped down, we don't know if he's going to support Najib for president or he still wants to contest.

Ku Li made similar attempt in 1987 against incumbent Dr. Mahathir Mohamed then. That has created a fraction in Umno - Team A means you're in Dr.M's camp and Team B means you're Ku Li's men.

Even before 9 Oct when Umno divisions convene to nominate their candidates, three members have offered themselves for the number two post. Meanwhile, Muhyiddin Yassin, one of the most senior vice president is not making any move just yet. Muhyiddin has publicly asked Pak Lah to reconsider the 2010 transition plan because he thinks it's a bit too long.

It's going to be exciting times between 9 Oct and9 Nov. And after that, a very long campaign period leading to the March party election.

He surrendered

Pak Lah finally made the announcement we've been waiting for all these time. A wise decision to step down by March 2009 instead of in 2010 as planned earlier. Personally, I think he should just let go now. But I'm relieved that he decided to leave sooner than 2010.

He has five more months in office. Just a guessing game here. There are a lot of things which he can sign off within this five months. We just have to watch closely.

One thing that has grabbed my attention was the announcement of Eurocopter replacing our outdated Nuri right after Pak Lah switched portfolios with his deputy, Najib Razak. Hmm...how much would be the commission?

In my previous posting, I also mentioned that he is still holding the chairmanship of Khazanah Nasional although Najib is now the Finance Minister.

Think about it.

Not exclusively Umno's

I can't help but agree with Gerakan Youth chief candidate, Tan Keng Liang. The concern about the top two posts are not just an Umno matter. It is the concern of all parties in Barisan Nasional (BN).

And in the last general election, the people has spoken. Pak Lah should have taken the cue rightaway. What is the point of delaying the Umno AGM/party election to March next year when the division meetings will proceed as scheduled from 9 October till 9 November.

If Pak Lah cannot get enough numbers to be nominated, nothing he can do to change that March next year. He knows he cannot get the numbers. He just want to stay on as a PM for a little bit longer. At least, Umno Muar has got the guts to speak out.

I think, Keng Liang is being diplomatic. Gerakan acting president, Koh Tsu Koon is kinda fed up. Who doesn't? In fact, some Gerakan members have quit to join the opposition. However, they're not the MPs who can make up the numbers for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to take over the government. In fact, there's not enough MPs in Gerakan to fulfill that quota should they pullout of BN to join PR.

As far as I am concerned, I'm just tired of having a PM who doesn't pay attention to his surroundings and thinks everything is ok.

Fools rush in

I don't understand why Anwar Ibrahim is in such a rush to be a Prime Minister. I think, he should just focus on the current five states, do really well and in the next general election, they will at least win a simple majority if not 2/3 (not that I want him to be a Prime Minister).

You see, whenever Anwar makes a public appearance, the police force has to mobilise more personnels to the venue. His supporters can get out of control. The police is already having problem with shortage of men. That is why the crime rate has increased.

If I am Anwar, I will not ask the BN MPs to defect. If they can defect from BN today, they can defect again tomorrow. I will doubt their loyalty. But of course, I am not Anwar. All he wants is the numbers for him to take control of the government. So, he doesn't care about their loyalty and if they're men of principle.

Unfortunately, all the rakyat care about now is a change in leadership and they don't care who will be at helm.

Sounds like Danaharta

In 1997 when we had to face a severe economic downturn, the government under the stewardship of Mahathir Mohamed setup Danaharta to help bail out ailing companies.

Danaharta was our national asset management company. When the sick companies are back in black, Danaharta sold of the companies back to the rightful owners. When all is well, Danaharta was to be dissolved (remember it used public funds to damper the situation).

We were heavily critisised by the US for coming up with such radical solution. Our government then, among others instructed some banks to cut loss and merge to reduce losses and avoid bankruptcy.

This month, in the US, Lehman Brothers, an investment bank collapsed. And AIG is also filing for bankruptcy. Guess what the US government is doing to manage the situation? They copy us. When I read this story here, I told myself, this sounds very much like Danaharta which the US used to critisise.

I just smiled.

Hard to let go

Pak Lah has handover the finance portfolio to Najib Razak last week. But he's still holding on to the chairmanship of Khazanah Nasional, an investment holding arm of the government.

That is another indication that Pak Lah will not step down anytime sooner despite the advise by some senior Umno supreme council members.

However, from 9 October, Umno divisions will convene their meetings and will nominate the candidates of their choice.

There are 191 divisions and Pak Lah needs at least 30% of them to nominate him for the president's post. As it is now, apparently, he was given the heads up that he may not get the numbers (just like Anwar who has not got the numbers yet). So, he was advised to step down gracefully instead of being humiliated for the lack of nominations.

Nothing can make him quit now.

I've got the power

The boy who sang a parody of NegaraKu was questioned by the police. I thought it's settled and he has made a public apology.

The kid was just being creative and was having fun with it. Why question him now when the world has forgotten about him? I think, the government is on an arrest spree. They just want to tell people what they can do to you if you don't tow the line.

I saw Namewee on TV3 news tonight and he's a very cool guy. I think, his training in mass communications has helped him face the media very well. He said all the right things which couldn't possibly upset any parties including the police. Very PR-savvy.

For the government to suddenly want to investigate this boy under the Sedition Act after a year of his video on YouTube, it shows the government is really flip flop.

Ahmad is Brutus

Ahmad Ismail, the former Umno division chief of Bukit Bendera is Brutus in Umno. Why? Because he's actually a staunch supporter of Anwar Ibrahim.

He was one of Anwar's many beneficiaries when he was the Finance Minister. Ahmad is of course not the only sympathiser of Anwar in Umno. There are lot more in there who have not surfaced.

That is why Ahmad who uttered a racial slur during the Permatang Pauh by-election campaign was not arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Instead, Sin Chew's reported was detained. Umno top brass realised that it was a bait by Anwar. So, they had to thread with care. Remember, Ahmad supporters are standing behind him. And these people, being "ultra Malays", may rally behind him and makes matters even worse. Remember, Ahmad insisted he's right.

Ahmad made that racist remark in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister, Najib Razak. So, when the news spread like wild fire, Najib came forward to apologise on behalf of Umno, not Ahmad. He was there, and he heard it loud and clear. Najib had to do that because Ahmad told Pak Lah he didn't mean it. And Pak Lah, in his "tidak apa" attitude just brushed it aside, not realising the impact of Ahmad had on national security.

If Pak Lah, a leader of the ruling party thinks this is a small matter, then he's seriously wrong. He has insulted the feelings of the Malaysian-Chinese and the members of his alliance, MCA and Gerakan. If Pak Lah cannot control what comes out from his divisional Umno heads, he is a damn weak leader.

Gerakan is considering leaving BN. Perak MCA also suggested that it leaves BN. Pak Lah forgot, he's not only the president of Umno but also the president of BN. If he's not sensitive to the feelings of his member parties, then we don't want him as a leader.

Blah

Opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim didn't topple the government as scheduled on 16 September. Then he asked Pak Lah to convene parliament on 23 September, a day before his court case on the sodomy charge.

He said, he has the numbers but I know he doesn't have enough to takeover the government away from Barisan Nasional (BN). He doesn't even have a shadow cabinet yet. It's just another ploy of his.

He's just playing a game with the current leader. He wants the focus to be on him. And he's wasting the people's time for his own personal agenda. A trader in Penang was so fed up with Anwar's antic that he lodged a police report saying that he caused fear among the people.

Yes, we don't have a strong leader and Pak Lah should step down. But Anwar is not going to make the situation better. However, I understand that the people wants change so badly. It's not because they love Anwar more, but they love BN less.

If Anwar becomes the prime minister, we'll be aligned with the U.S. Do we want to be told by the U.S what to do? We want to be friendly with the U.S but we don't want our friend to be telling us what to do. We don't want to be like the Philippines during Ferninand Marcos' rule. We also don't want to be like Indonesia when they were taking orders from the U.S. What happens when the U.S pulls the carpet under your feet? You'll fall flat on your face.

Do we really want to rush to make Anwar the prime minister just because we're not happy with Pak Lah?

During the regional economic crisis in 1997, Anwar wanted to take the rescue package offered by the Internatioanl Monetary Fund (IMF). Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed was very against it because he doesn't want us to suffer like Mexico. Mexico went through an economic crisis and took the IMF offer. Even when their economy recovered, its people are still paying through their nose. So, they never really get to enjoy the country's economic prosperity.

Anwar was the one who opposed former Prime Minister Tun Razak Hussein when he wanted to establish Petronas. He said, it's too expensive for the government to invest in oil exploration. Today, we're a net petroleum exporter. And Anwar wants to reduce the price of oil when he becomes the prime minister. How? The price of oil was increasing and so does the cost of oil exploration when you're not guaranteed of oil discovery when you drill. He's not the prime minister. That's why he can make this promise.

When Anwar was the Education Minister, he refused to table the bill to protect the vernacular schools.

It was Anwar, even as an ordinary minister then, who put his cronies in the media. He was the one who was controlling the media and not Mahathir.

He also awarded contracts to his cronies, mostly from his alma mater, the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) and made them instant millionaires. Now, to gain popularity among the non-Malays, he's suggesting that the National Economic Policy (NEP) to be dismantled. But is this his top priority? Anwar cannot commit.

Remember when Mahathir said Anwar was enriching his cronies? Anwar challenged Mahathir to release the list. Mahathir published the list in the papers the very next day. Pak Lah also made the same claim. But when challenged, he did not make the list public. That's how Anwar looks good. Pak Lah should just dig out the archive.

Anwar is not the Prime Minister. He can make all kinds of promises just to garner support from all quarters.

It was Anwar who inculcated Islamic values in the government. He's the one who encouraged tudung wearing in government departments.

And now, the secular DAP and the Islamic PAS together with PKR formed a coalition called the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). I think, it's just a marriage of convenience.

Remember, PAS and Umno top guns met right after the general elections. Although PAS is an Islamic party, it's still very much a Malay-based party. They were having dialogues about the future of Malays.

How does Anwar intends to balance the demands of DAP and PAS when he becomes the PM? PAS has always wanted an Islamic state. But Anwar denied that saying that PAS wants the Muslims to be allowed to practise Islam. Errr....like they're not allowed to do that all these while?

Last month, after Anwar won the Permatang Pauh by-election, he was interviewed by Al-Jazeera on East 101. He was asked how he's going to balance the demands of the secular DAP and the Islamic PAS and that there might be some tension. Anwar said, definitely there will be tensions. If there's no tension, life would be dull.

And you want Anwar to be our PM? He likes tensions. He likes havoc. He likes street demonstations. He loves drama.

In 1987, Anwar defended the "Ops Lalang" where many personalities from DAP, PAS, Umno and MCA were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA). I really hate racial tensions but remember, Anwar was the Education Minister then and it has something to do with the Chinese school controversy.

When Selangor senior state exco, Teresa Kok was arrested under ISA, Anwar urged for her release. What a hypocrite Anwar is?

Nelson Mandela was jailed for many years under the apartheid regime in South Africa. When he was released, it was his country he fought for and not for a position. But when Anwar, was released, all he do is to seek revenge.

I know we all want change. So, did the people of Iran. They were so oppressed under the rule of Shah Reza Pahlavi and wanted change, they got the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to topple the royal ruler. Then, they had to suffer with the Ayatollah fanatic Islamic shiite rule and bilateral trade became practically non-existant.

In Poland, Lech Walesa, a charismatic orator like Anwar, brought "change" the Polish want. But Walesa could not manage the country as well as he claim to move the country forward.

Anwar wants to seize power through the backdoor. Think about it. Is it proper?

So, be careful what you're wishing for.

No weekend break

The new Finance Minister, Najib Tun Razak is busy working this weekend. He has asked all the agencies under the Ministry of Finance to give him briefings today (21 September) and tomorrow.

Apparently, some projects worth hundreds of millions of ringgit which was rejected by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and other relevant agencies but was given the greenlight by an invisible hand, have to be put on hold now that Najib is in charge. The agencies find the projects were not feasible.

It seems, Najib will not agree to those projects which would benefit only certain people with strong cable to some people in power.

Najib will have to watch his back.

He's staying

Pak Lah is staying put. He's not leaving sooner than 2010 as speculated by some. Some even said that it could be as early as 9 October. That is an utter rubbish because it's only a date when Umno division meetings will convene.

In July when Pak Lah announced the transfer of power to his deputy, Najib Tun Razak in 2010, he said that it would give them both sometime to complete various projects and programmes which they've planned together.

However, last Thursday, Pak Lah handover the finance portfolio to Najib while he takes over the Defence Ministry from his deputy.

My first take, the warning made by Malaysian Armed Forces chief, General Abdul Aziz Zainal about the racial issues sparked by the then Bukit Bendera's Umno division chief, Ahmad Ismail may have sent jitters to Pak Lah. Is he afraid of military coup if he did not take it over from Najib?

It is very rare for an armed forces chief to make a remark in relation to the country's political situation. We have never been under a military rule. It was something of concern when Aziz made that remark. But he assured us that the armed forces will remain apolitical.

But then Pak Lah also said, he will leave office with a sound economy so that Najib will not have any problems.

Now that the world economy is looking gloomy, the finance portfolio is handed over to Najib. Why? So that Najib can be blamed if our economy slides down? Is this the kind of leader we want? When the going gets rough, he just finds a scapegoat?

I can only hope that the people in Umno can just forget about giving Pak Lah the nominations to contest for the top post this December. That is the only way to get him to step down.

After all, despite the transition plan, Najib has said that it should be decided by the Umno delegates when they start their division meets from 9 October.

Anwar the drama maker

Anwar Ibrahim was arrested before the 2pm deadline on 16 July. This morning on 17 July, he has been released on bail.

Of course, the people are furious about the arrest. The police explanation is not satisfactory. But this is very typical of Anwar. He wants to be arrested by the police. He wants to go to jail. He wants to the police to manhandle him. Remember, Anwar is a drama king.

The police however, shouldn't nab him outside his house because it's not yet 2pm. It is very common for people to detour somewhere else en route to his original destination. The police should have at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

Anwar was arrested at 1pm outside his house at Bukit Segambut which is less than 20km away from the police HQ. The deadline was 2pm. The police HQ is accessible via Jalan Kuching from Bukit Segambut. Even with a bad jam, presuming Anwar went home to quickly pick up something, he can still make it to the police HQ on time.

The police may seem to be acting in a rush to arrest him before the deadline. The fact that they are already on standby near his house means they've suspected that Anwar might head home instead of going straight to the police HQ from Putrajaya after giving statement to ACA. It was a risky but necessary decision to arrest Anwar. Again, remember, Anwar is a drama king.

You see, Anwar is playing a game with all of us. When he can immediately come forward to give his statement about the alleged sodomy to facilitate investigation, he chose not to do it. He decided to politicise it instead. Anwar is not cooperating at all. A police report has been lodged against him and he wants to play politics. This delays the process of investigation. And this case will never be closed if he's playing hard to get.

Yes, the police action was an uncalled for. It was a risky step because the police will be heavily criticised by the public and human rights bodies. But they need Anwar to help close the case.

Now, do you want a case to linger around without being settled?

Juicy, twisted tales

I'm not a supporter of any politician. But one thing I know, I don't like Anwar Ibrahim. He's full of malice and manipulative.

When private investigator, Balasubramaniam Perumal made a statutory declaration (SD) earlier this month in relation to the murder case of Altantuya Shaaribuu, I sense that it was a political ploy. What more when he had a press conference about the SD with people from PKR around him.

Now, the public loves sensational news like this especially if it's anti establishment and anti government. So, they like to believe this is true despite the SD was based on hearsay.

Why I don't believe Bala's first SD? Because he was wearing a cap during the press conference, as if to avoid the public from recognising him. What he thinks he's Bollywood star trying to evade papparazzi? Also, with PKR top guns around him, it seems dodgy.

The South China Morning Post recent article on the matter strenghten my thoughts about Bala. It seems, he can be bought. I think, the second SD was made on his own accord (after getting a huge pay cheque from maybe PKR or whoever, I don't know), he can afford to hire his own lawyer to bail him out.

While Najib Tun Razak might be relieved with the second SD, I don't think it was his sidekicks who orchestrated it. Najib is just lucky that it now turned out to be in his favour. But by then, the public still believe the first SD.

People loves to speculate. It's okay if there's no proof. It's juicier that way.

Fools rush in

Don't trust Saiful Bukhari Azlan. He is desparate to be a politician. And a lousy one, too. Politics is dirty. But it's made dirtier by people who use slander and defamation to run down their opponents.

DPM, Najib Razak revealed last night that Saiful the fool went to his house to seek his help after the alleged sodomy by Anwar Ibrahim. Saiful has no shame at all. Why can't he go straight to the police if it's true that he's being sodomised by Anwar? Why must he see Najib at his house? Because Najib is Anwar's competitor? What a lame excuse.

Najib said, Saiful's hand was "seram sejuk" and traumatised by the incident. For all you know, his hand was "seram sejuk" because he's got to get this thing right or he could be squashed. He's playing a fool with strong public figures here.

There's a conspiracy here. I strongly believe there's someone else, whose name has not surfaced, using Saiful the fool to create an alibi that he indeed saw Najib. So, Anwar's camp can point fingers towards Najib. It's a conspirary to bring both Anwar and Najib down.

This boy is probably trying to find his political footings. It's either PKR or Umno. He wants to be a crony of somebody. And that somebody must be powerful enough to give him projects so that he can be rich in an instance. After all, his grades are falling.

I'm sorry. But I know too many losers who want a shortcut to wealth and power by pulling cables. All these losers want to be seen with ministers so that they can show off to people that they know somebody in the cabinet. Cos there are people who'd be impressed with such "credentials".

We'll see who else is going to make a statutory declaration cos that seems to be the order of the day of late.

SD is the buzzword of the year

Statutory declaration (SD) seems to be hip these days. First, it was done by the editor of Malaysia Today, Raja Petra Kamarudin. And now, Balasubramaniam Perumal, the private investigator (PI) to political analyst, Razak Baginda is on riding on the SD bandwagon.

Just like Raja Petra, Bala's SD was also based on hearsay and not hard evidence.

I don't think Razak is that stupid to share such intimate details with Bala even if it's true. Who is Bala, man?

I think, if we have the National Enquirer magazine in Malaysia, Raja Petra and Bala wouldn't have to resort to SD to make some pocket money.

Bala can make any claim he wants in the SD. Altantuya is no longer around to facilitate with the investigation. No proof. Poor soul.

In the meantime, I'll go and talk to Karangkraf or BluInc to see if they're interested to publish the Malaysian version of the National Enquirer. The one with bigger paid up capital should consider publishing the National Enquirer here.

Cleaning up the closet

Former PKR Youth chief, Ezam Mohd Nor is not surprised over the new allegation of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim.

Ezam quit PKR last year due to some misunderstanding with Anwar and PKR vice-president, Azmin Ali. Ezam and Anwar were very tight. Ezam was Anwar's confidant.

Do you think Ezam was referring to Anwar's sexual preferences when he said, that he's not shocked with the fresh allegations? No, I don't think so. I think he knows Anwar is a drama king. And that Anwar is cry baby, too. He cried at the Turkish Embassy. And he whined over the phone call to Washington D.C. He said, he received death threats but never made an official police report.

I will believe what Ezam will have to spill when he decides to do so. Because Ezam knows too much about Anwar.

But in charting his personal political move, I have doubts about Ezam. I'm going to watch him very closely. Ezam is as smart as Anwar. He may not be a drama king, but he's plotting the movement of his pawns and knights carefully. It looks like he's aiming for a checkmate.

Drama blockbuster

Suhaini Aznam of The Star is one of the few political analysts that I respect. She has direct access to most political figures on both side of the fence. She has the privilage to see things from different angles.

Her comments in The Star today should provide some ideas of what is happening in the Anwar Ibrahim drama. I cannot write as well as Suhaini. But I would also present the same facts. It's your prerogative to believe me or not. But what Suhaini said in her comments is what Anwar is all about.

On top of that, Anwar likes to twist and turn his word to suit his agenda. There's no national agenda for Anwar except that he wants to be the PM.

Mr. Who?

Anwar Ibrahim lodged a police report against IGP, Musa Hassan and Attorney-General, Gani Patail. Still, there's no report on the death threat.

And why is the US meddling with our internal affairs? What right does the US have to 'warn' us against any politically-motivated investigation of Anwar?

Anwar was known to be an anti-capitalist before he joined Umno in the early 1980s. When he became a minister, he said capitalism is good.

When he was a student leader (hmmm....Saiful Bukhari Azlan was also a student leader), he was "fighting" for the poor. When he had the power to improve the standard of living of the poor while he's in the cabinet, nothing was really done for them to prosper.

Anwar didn't believe in IT. While still in cabinet, he said, he doesn't understand all the buzz about "information superhighway" advocated by the then PM, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Later, it was IT that helped spread his "reformation" movement through Keadilan.

So imagine, if he eventually become the PM after Dr. Mahathir, we won't be able to enjoy technology as much as we do now (although the broadband service is not so efficient) because Anwar don't have any technology inclination.

Just in case our non-Muslim friends forgot, Anwar was brought in to help Dr.Mahathir with his effort to inculcate Islamic values in his administration. This was also the deal that Anwar agreed upon for him to join Umno instead of Pas.

Yes, Anwar almost joined Pas then. Anwar is a Muslim fundamentalist. He has a strong following during his varsity days and it's not just limited to the university where he studied. Dr.Mahathir thought that it's better to bring Anwar into Umno instead of Pas. But later, I heard that it was Anwar who wanted to join Umno and he was never pursued by Dr. Mahathir.

From my personal experience with one of Anwar's sidekicks, I was told that it's a sin for a Muslim to vote for Umno. By right, as a Muslim, they should be voting for Pas. I'm referring to the 1986 general election and subsequently the 1987 Umno party election.

Anwar had strong support from Muslim students in other higher learning institutions as well. And through Anwar's influence (as a student leader then), these higher learning institutions introduced "kuliah subuh" or the morning religious sermons in campuses all over the country.

Anwar's education policy while he was the Minister of Education was skewed to benefit the Malays. His policy allows more Malays to score straight As. That's why the quality of our education is dwindling.

Sorry, I'm being long winded here and strayed from the original topic. But these are among reasons why I'm doubtful about Anwar although I don't believe the sodomy allegation against him.

New drama series

It's very typical of Anwar Ibrahim to craft a drama at the international stage. That's why he seeked refuge at the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Apparently, he was offered to stay there after he received a death threat. But according to Turkish Daily News, that is not the case.

I wonder why Anwar has not lodge a police report about the death threat. And I don't understand why the ruling government did not offer to send a police officer to facilitate that report for Anwar? I know Anwar is just another citizen and rightfully, he should go to the police station. But he did not. He went to the Turkish Embassy instead.

Now that he's left the embassy, the government should take Anwar's allegation seriously and assign the police to go get the report done. This is an exceptional case. Assurance of his safety by both the PM and DPM is not enough.

I am saying this despite my indiferences with Anwar's ideology because the story of the alleged sodomy made it into the headline of CNN over the weekend. My friends who live overseas said, "so malu". Yes. It is really embarassing to kill Anwar's political career this way. That shows that our politicians are not very smart. They just rehatch an old idea.

One Malaysian abroad asked me what would happen if Anwar is assasinated? I'm not a soothsayer. So, I can't predict although I can speculate. I have some theories but I just don't want to give my readers any ideas.

Although I agree that this is an attempt to destroy Anwar's political career, I don't think it's Najib Razak's doing. I believe, this is the working of someone who wants to also kill Najib's chances to be the next PM. But we don't know who.

Najib learned from Anwar's fall-out with Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 that he should not be in a hurry to takeover the leadership from Pak Lah. He's being patient cos he doesn't want to ruin his chances. But Najib has many enemies within Umno.

So what that Saiful Bukhari Azlan has taken a picture with Najib's officer and other cabinet ministers? Our ministers are very obliging when asked to be photographed with the people. More often than not, the ministers don't even know the names of people they're being photographed with.

There are so many theories about this latest incident. Mostly said it's Najib's doing. It's just a convenient accusation just because he's the DPM and people are tired of Pak Lah.

Another theory is that, a supporter of Pak Lah might have planned this to prevent Anwar from becoming the PM. He or she could do this without Pak Lah's consent. After all, Pak Lah is not smart enough to strategise his next political move.

This month, Anwar is supposed to announce which parliamentary area he's going to contest in. He's confident of winning the seat. And there are rumours saying that there will be at least four MPs from BN who will crossover to join the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). That would give PR a majority and the license to form a government.

IGP, Musa Hassan was the investigating officer in Anwar's sodomy case in 1998 and Attorney-General Gani Patail was the prosecuting officer then. That's the reason why some people have reasons to believe that Saiful could have been arrested to make that allegation under duress.

There will be more dramas to come. Forget about the Venezuelean drama series. This is 'the' drama that we all should follow closely.

Now, who's the dead meat?

I don't like Anwar Ibrahim. I don't want him to be our Prime Minister. But I don't believe he sodomised his aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan either.

However, I do think that Saiful have been "sodomised" by Anwar's political foes. Whatever Anwar's sexual orientation is, he's not that stupid to sodomise his assistant. He wants to make a political come back and this is the last thing he'll do.

Both Saiful and the people "behind" him are stupid. This is the worst political strategy in history. Now, a photo of Saiful posing in front of the office of the Deputy Prime Minister is being circulated on the internet. He was with a DPM's officer.

Now, who's a dead meat?

Shut up and blast?

Don't you think Pak Lah is quite predictable? Whatever he denies is usually the truth. That is scary.

To the police force, if you want to redeem your dignity, please act on Raja Petra Kamarudin's (RPK) statutory declaration.

To Rosmah Mansor, if RPK is lying in his statutory declaration, you need to clear your name.

To RPK, it's very brave of you to make that declaration. It is something you should have done much earlier.

Lipstick, powder and paint

It's not the song of Shakin' Steven that gave me the inspiration to write this posting. It's the latest directive from the Kota Baharu Municipal Council (MPKB) that prompted me to blog this.

Again, women are being blamed for rape cases and illicit sex. How convenient. What about more and more children who are being molested and rape these days? Some of them were committed by the father or a male relative.

I don't know if I should laugh or cry when the directive also includes the prohibition of high-heeled shoes with tapping sound. Do men get aroused with tapping high-heels? Is sex the only thing in men's mind?

Read more about it here:

June 23, 2008 20:54 PM

No Lipstick And High-heeled Shoes For Female Muslim Employees In Kota Baharu
KOTA BAHARU, June 23 (Bernama) -- Female Muslim employees in business premises in the Kota Baharu Municipal Council (MPKB) area are forbidden to wear lipstick and high heel shoes to work.This directive is contained in a MPKB circular, dated May 25 and signed by its president, Shafie Ismail, which has been distributed to business premises under its area of jurisdiction.A check by Bernama at the premises found that only a few tenants had received the circular this week while some have yet to receive them.The circular stated that the directive, targetted at female Muslim employees working in food outlets and other business premises, was issued to prevent incidents like rape and illicit sex as well as to safeguard the moral and dignity of Muslim women in Kelantan.It states that Muslim women are forbidden to wear thick make-up, like bright coloured lipstick and high-heeled shoes that gave a tapping sound.For those who insist on wearing high heel shoes, they can do so but with rubber heels.Attempts by Bernama to contact Shafie for clarification on the directive were futile.The directive on the wearing of lipsticks and high-heeled shoes are in addition to the wearing of scarves which should cover the chest and not of transparent material, blouse with long sleeves, long and loose blouses and socks.Those who do not adhere to the regulation can be imposed a compound fine not exceeding RM500.-- BERNAMA

Who dunnit?

Raja Petra Kamarudin, the editor of Malaysia Today, made a statutory declaration alleging that Najib Razak's wife was at the murder scene of Altanyuya Shaaribuu. This is something he should have done much earlier instead of making wild accusation on his website and got the police put him in jail briefly.

We all want a just trial. It must be very daunting for the victim's family. Any small evidence that can take the murderer(s) to the gallow is very, very important. Thus, I don't agree with him when he posted those accusations on his website.

IGP, Musa Hassan said, the matter could be subjudice as the murder trial was on going. But then Mr. IGP, sometimes, during a trial, there could be new developments to the case.

Besides calling up Raja Petra to investigate his allegations, the police should also immediately question the names of the individuals mentioned in the statutory declaration and act on the "new" lead.

Yong da man

I really don't like Anwar Ibrahim. But I'm not mad when the president of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Yong Teck Lee had a secret meeting in Hong Kong to discuss "the political dynamics affecting the nation and Sabah".

We don't know what actually transpired during those meetings. We don't even know who initiated those meetings. We can only speculate.

Knowing Anwar's style (but I might be wrong), he might have invited Yong over to Hong Kong to discuss the possibility of SAPP crossing over to PKR. He knows that Sabah is not in Pak Lah's priority list. So, Anwar might have been courting SAPP. And Yong is man enough to admit that he met up with Anwar.

Whatever it is, I still cannot comprehend why Pak Lah is still holding on despite all these sequence of events starting from the general election. I don't know where his conscience is. The fate of millions of Malaysians is in his hand. But we don't have confidence in him anymore.

And if Pak Lah don't take Yong seriously, I don't know what can happen. This is serious. Pak Lah should resign "gracefully".

Fit only to be a Tok Penghulu

I was skyping with a Malaysian friend of mine who lives in NYC just now. We're talking about old times and also the current politics.

Thanks to technology, she keeps herself abreast with the happenings in the country via internet. And she reads Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's blog regularly.

She's also frustrated with Pak Lah. She said, Pak Lah is too nice and only fit to be a Tok Penghulu. I had a good laugh. And then she continued, "he can only fulfill requests for a new telaga by the kampung folks in Ulu Tobiar".

I think so, too lah Pak Lah.

Pak Lah, the fallen angel

I'm appalled when Pak Lah said that the president of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Yong Teck Lee made that announcement because of "personal greed".

Yong listed down the pressing issues concerning Sabah which was deliberately overlooked by Pak Lah. They're all very important matters to Sabah and the country on the whole. How can the nation's leadership ignore that?

As far as I am concern, my friends in Umno are the ones who join politics for personal gains. If you tell them about problems faced by the rakyat, they don't care. They're more concern about failing the Opposition instead of improving the livelihood of the rakyat. Datuk Azhar Ibrahim is one of the Umno men who urged the federal government to cease projects for the rakyat when DAP conquered Penang in March.

By highlighting the problems in Sabah, what does Yong in return? What kind of monetary rewards does he get?

BN is calling for an emergency meeting to discuss about SAPP's stand. I noticed none of the party leaders in BN who call for SAPP to be sacked in response to the announcement by Yong earlier. They dare not do so. But when an individual demands for Pak Lah to step down, they want to impose severe disciplinary action. What difference does SAPP made? None.

If SAPP leaves BN, it's a catastrophy for Pak Lah's leadership. While Myanmar and China suffered natural disaster, the aftermath of Malaysia's political tsunami will see recurring "tremors" in the next few months, leading to Umno party election in December.

I wonder what kind of action Pak Lah will take against SAPP. This is what happens when a leader sleeps on his job. And when someone gave a tip off to him in public, he ignores it.

Who wants an ignorant PM? I don't.

Bravo Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) for making an official announcement that it has lost confidence in Pak Lah. Read this.

What now Pak Lah? Call for a snap election? You'll lose everything should you do that. I'd like to echo what SAPP said in the press conference today - step aside and let another leader take over.

And then, Minister at the Prime Minister's Dept, Nazri Aziz said that SAPP cannot table vote of no-confidence in Parliament this Monday. But the Speaker can call for an emergency motion. Read more here.

Malaysian politics have never been this exciting.

How do you solve a problem like Sabah?

If you ask me what I think about Pak Lah, I'll say that he's lazy. He's too lazy to think; he's too lazy to check the temparature of the people's sentiment; and he's too lazy to work even.

Pak Lah just don't have the foresight a leader should have.

When two Sabah MPs declined appointments as Deputy Ministers at the federal level in March, Pak Lah should have taken the cue from there. To him, it's okaylah if they don't want to be Deputy Ministers. He can appoint other MPs.

Pak Lah failed to see that the portfolio does not help the MPs in their effort to forge the relationship between Sabah and the federal government. Shafie Apdal, the Umno man from Sabah was appointed as Minister of National Unity, Cultural, Arts and Heritage. In layman's term, he's a penjaga muzium or museum caretaker. That role given to Shafie wasn't enough to reflect the importance of Sabah in the federal government.

In fact, there is no suitable portfolio that can ensure an even distribution of wealth in Sabah and Sarawak.

Thus, if I am Pak Lah, I would certainly be alarmed with the allegations saying that a party within BN is opting to leave the coalition. And today, 18 June, 2008, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is going to make a very important announcement which could affect the whole country.

SAPP's president Yong Teck Lee even referred to his deputy's statement earlier, denying rumours that the party is pulling out of BN as "politicking".

This is politics. In politics, you cannot be nice. You can be "polite" but never nice. However, Pak Lah's style of politics is being nice. He was known as Mr. Nice Man. He still is. Within a month, he visited Sabah twice. During the first visit, he gave out a lot of goodies to Sabah. He thinks, that'll do.

Wrong. There is still no active participation of Sabah politicians in the federal administration. The federal law is also not doing justice to Sabah. The Labuan issue and oil royalty are other matters which remains unsolved.

Wake up, Pak Lah. It's the dawn of a new era. If you want to sleep and continue dreaming, let other people do the job. Sabah cannot be taken lightly.

It's a tough life

The people are already paying more for their essential food before the fuel price hike. Last week, I noticed that the prices of my favourite food has increased, too.

The government can throw some big figures to our face, on how much it has to subsidise us on oil. But the people on the streets cannot comprehend those new subsidy structure. If it's really true that the subsidy is a lot while Petronas cannot give further discounts, then show the accounts to us.

We cannot accept that Malaysia, a net oil exporter, is denying its citizens of their rights to the subsidy. If the government's excuse is that they can't afford it anymore because they've been subsidising us for way too long and needs the money to fund other developments, then it should consider raising the corporate tax of oil companies operating in the country. Create new types of taxes just to get more money from them. They won't ditch Malaysia. The whole world needs gas. They'll have to explore for the black gold at every corner of the world, if they have to.

Oil companies are making tonnes of money from the increase of global oil price. But they pay the usual corporate tax. And they still have excess. Tax them.

Another thing, I don't understand why we're sticking to some ancient ruling that could dampen the effort to have clean and fuel efficient vehicle in the country. For example, the import of a hybrid vehicle is an expensive affair. The tax you have to pay for such a vehicle is costlier than the cost of the car itself. This is so ridiculous.

There are a lot of ways where we can save but it's not easy to save. Another example is the lack of petrol stations with NGV refuelling. This is a deterrant for people to convert their vehicle into an NGV-powered one where the cost is extremely low. And I wonder why, only Petronas has the exclusive rights to have NGV refuelling stations.

It seems to me, the government is telling us, "sorry folks. We are not going to make it easy for you".

The "fuel-out" guy

If there is a key performance indicator (KPI) for our Prime Minister, he failed miserably. The latest snafu he committed is the fuel price increase. Not just that, he's hiking the tariff of electricity, too.

I noticed there's a lot of inconsistency in the statements made by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs, Shahrir Samad prior to the announcement on 4 June. In fact, the announcement was postponed from 30 May to 4 June.

The decision made by the government was a very shortsighted one. At first, they wanted to ban foreign registered cars from filling up gas within 50km of the north and south borders. Then, they wanted foreign registered cars or foreigners to pay market rate.

Following that, there were a lot of protests from various quarters. Obviously, the government was just thinking out loud. They didn't have the subsidy structure ready. Or maybe they have no clue of how to do it. Really. Read on.

On 4 June, all the information officers of the government machineries were gathered for a briefing on the fuel hike and the new subsidy structure. Apparently, they were told that there will be a 50 sen increase for gas. There were no mention of new electricity tariff.

Later in the day, when the announcement was finally made, the government informations officers themselves were stunned.

This is very alarming. How can the sharing of information within the government be distorted? This is a very important public information. How do the government expect their information officers to manage the perception for them if they're not consistent with their decision? If the material for the information officers was correct for the briefing, then someone might have made the PM changed his mind at the 11th hour. Who's the culprit?

Even if I don't know what's behind the scene, I still believe that the current government is so indecisive.

I suspect that when the government decided on a flat rate for all, perhaps the gas station operators didn't have the system to do the double tier pricing. The government should have spoken to the association of gas operators in Malaysia and check with them on ways to tackle this issue. They shouldn't make any public statements, only to get the affected parties to object to the proposal and in the end, we the Malaysians have to suffer.

I was initially very grateful that Malaysians will get to pay a decent rate for gas while the foreigners will have to pay at market price. It's fair (or selfish) because we're the taxpayers. But then, it wouldn't be fair to foreigners who pay tax to the Malaysian government.

If I could advise the government, the price of gas will have to be at market rate. However, MyKad holders will get a discount. Of course, not a 30 sen discount. The discount should translate back to the old price. So, when the foreign cars from Thailand and Singapore or foreigners not issued with Malaysian ID come to the country, they'll have to pay full price. I believe foreigners who reside here have their own Malaysian ID. They can use that ID to purchase gas at a discount, too.

That way, we're not depriving foreigners from filling gas in our country. They're most welcome here. But they cannot take advantage of our subsidy. That's all.

If the government cannot implement that now because of lack of instruscture, they can always postpone it to a later date. After all, Shahrir earlier leaked the information that the price hike would only be in August. He must have a good reason to say so. Meaning, the government can afford to wait till August, if they want to. In the end, the increase is now.

If Aquaria can have two tier admission fee, so can the gas stations. No infrastructure in place? Ask Aquaria for advise. It's not a new technology. It's a matter of installing them at the premise.

It really made me sick when I read a news piece quoting the Singaporeans who are relieved with the rates. It makes me wonder if this whole thing is to please the Singaporeans. And I just can't believe that our government had the heart to say that the new rate is still lower than Singapore. But their the per capita income is three times higher than ours.

I read with great interest, the remark made by Petronas that it could go bust by 2018 if they keep giving money to the government to buffer the local economy. It claimed that while the price of oil has increased globally, the expenditure for exploration is getting expensive.

Points taken. I know that oil exploration in our region is no longer on shallow waters. But there's potential in deepwater exploration. And yes, it's very costly. However, I don't believe that Petronas' profit margin is slim. They can still make money with the global price increase and they should give Malaysians some discounts. After all, we're a net oil exporter.

Petronas remarks about "giving money" to the government also gives me the impression that our national reserve is not very healthy. As if, the government has to rely on Petronas alone for money. It makes me shiver. No wonder Hassan Merican of Petronas is referred to as the de facto Finance Minister.

Pak Lah is so unbelievable. He wants to continue "serving" the rakyat despite calls for him to quit after the general election. But he's messing the country even more. He's not a problem solver. He creates more problems for the whole nation.

The increase in price of food globally is inevitable. So does the price of oil. But we need to find ways to buffer the impact. Instead, our government wants us to suffer. And then, they use the gangster tactic to school bus operators for example - "don't increase your fare." How do the government expect people to function and do business?

I know Pak Lah is not going to call for a snap election although the Election Commission has issued a standby notice to its officers. This is in view of MPs jumping ship. But with this latest development, Pak Lah will fall flat on his face if there's a snap election.

For someone who has lived to witness May 13, I don't want to see an unrest that will force a snap election. It's better for Pak Lah to step down and give way to others who can think more objectively.

Nice gambit

Dr. Mahathir Mohamed quit Umno. To me, it's just an "opening gambit". Am anxious to know his "expected outcome" of this stunt.

Rice from the lab

The MP of Mambong in Sarawak, Dr. James Dawos Mamit just mesmerised me this morning. As I was switching the TV channels, I tuned into RTM 1 which was showing live telecast from the parliament. Dr. James was on air talking about the climate change and its effect on rice production. He was so full of facts.

I'm not really a rice eater. But topics on the shortage of food globally which include wheat (which is the ingredient to make pasta which I love a lot) and corn does attract my attention. So, I stayed tune to listen to what Dr. James has to say.

Dr. James was saying that if there's a change in temperature, it would hamper the growth of a rice crop. You'd get smaller grains or you may find that the paddy husk is empty when you harvest it. Therefore, the climate change has affected the production of rice all over the world. I supposed, we all know this fact already.

But what we don't know yet is, in Malaysia, Mardi apparently has conducted a lot of research on how to increase rice production locally. It seems, all the research are very fruitful. They've developed new rice species which could be harvested in a very short time. There are also rice species which eliminate the use of water. Thus, you don't need the traditional method of flooding the field to grow paddy for rice.

Dr. James highlighted that all these new species of rice should be passed on to the local farmers. This would expedite rice crops in the country.

This is so exciting. I hope Mardi will not wait any further to come forward and train the farmers to grow the new species of rice. Food is a national security. We must be able to grow sufficient food for local consumption.

I feel the earth move under my feet

What happened in Myanmar and China is unlike what Carole King described in her song, "I feel the earth move under my feet". And no, the faces of the victims are not mellow as in the lyrics of the song. They're all panic stricken.

Chile is another casualty in a series of recent natural disasters. A volcano somewhere in Chile (didn't catch the name of the village during TV news) was erupting and the authorities has issued warning to the villagers to evacuate their homes.

The villagers, mostly farmers fled abondaning their pets and livestock upon receiving the evacuation notice.

Guess what? Some animal rights group somewhere in the world (obviously not affected by the disaster) held a demonstation because the animals were not rescued from the village in view of the eruption. It was reported on TV news that the Chilean police and army personnel had to take turns to feed the abandoned animals amidst pressure from the animal rights group (or groups).

This is so disturbing. I mean, you'd run for your lives first in situation like this. You'd ensure that your love ones (in this case your family members first) are on safer grounds. People scrambled to get out of that area. They're scared, traumatised. They have no time to take the dogs out of the kennel. They have no time to herd the cows.

I'm just appalled at how people are so insensitive to human lives and emotions. This is just as bad as the Myanmar Junta who refused international help following Cyclone Nargis which killed thousands of its citizen. They don't care about rescue mission offered by various international bodies. All they care about is the referendum to seek support for a pro-military constitution. They just have to do it during the aftermath of a natural disaster.

I don't know if the climate change phenomena has also changed human rational judgement.

At least, in China, a country without a regulated human rights law, any kind of help is most welcome following an earthquake in Sichuan. Whether China is trying to be politically correct or not for accepting international aid, that's beside the point. We have no time to be political when disaster strike.

Raja Petra and freedom of speech

A friend asked me if I support Raja Petra, the editor of Malaysia Today. Raja Petra was arrested and then released for his article, "Let's send the Altantuya's murderers to hell" which was published in his website.

I told my friend that I don't support Raja Petra but I'm also against him being charged under the Sedition Act. The reason why I don't fancy him is because most of the time, his writings are just hogwash.

I am all for freedom of speech and freedom of expression. But I am also against irresponsible writings. My favourite quote is, "you are free to choose your actions but you are not free to choose the consequences".

Raja Petra made a very serious allegation in that particular article. But I don't think the authorities should remand him for that. Why can't they just question him about his allegation and find out if he has hard evidence to support that?

There are so many theories about the Altantuya's case out there. We all can speculate about what happened. But it's already a court case. If Raja Petra has some hard evidence, good. He can blog about it if he wants but at the same time, he should surrender whatever evidence to the authorities so that they can investigate further. I also want Altantuya's murderer(s) to go to hell. However, we don't know for sure whodunnit yet.

I hope, I don't sound like I'm protecting anybody here. The point is, when we publish something for public consumption, it has to be a responsible one. We don't want make blind allegations unless there are prove.

I also don't like the drama Raja Petra pulled by not eating in jail, not wanting to meet his wife and the collection blog readers collected for his bail.

But I salute his wife, Marina Abdullah when she said, "I want you home".

Jumping ship?

Being the head of government in Malaysia is a tough job. There's a lot of balancing job to do. But this does not mean that I sympathise with Pak Lah over the recent development in the Malaysian politics.

The appointment of ministers in the federal government requires a great deal of consideration. You've got to make sure that there's a right composition of appointments from all the member parties. And then, you got to have the right number of representatives from every state.

Now, Sabah and Sarawak were the best performers in BN during the recent general election. And they're not given enough seats in the current cabinet.

Thus, the demands by politicians in those two States. Good thing they made it public. And Pak Lah must respond to their demands before 11 April.

Pak Lah must act fast. The allegations that some BN MPs are expected to jump party must be taken seriously if BN wants to retain its simple majority in the Parliament.

Are these politicians in Sabah and Sarawak giving Pak Lah the indication that they might switch camp if not enough seats given to them in the cabinet?

Then, Pak Lah must think real hard.

I think Pak Lah should just say that he's not going to defend his post in Umno in December.

Where are you running to?

After a terrible performance in the general election, Pak Lah the president of Umno and BN, didn't bother to call for a post-mortem.

Now, there's a proposal for the Umno AGM which is scheduled to be held this August, to be postponed to next year. He's obviously avoiding something.

Why can't Pak Lah end all these dramas now and forever? And now, another deputy minister resigned from cabinet. This is really a shitty situation. Already, two other MPs declined appointment as deputy ministers when the cabinet lined-up was announced. It's like these people are disappointed with Pak Lah and don't want to be associated with him anymore.

Pak Lah should have made the effort to call for an EGM or post-mortem to find out what went wrong during the 12th general election and not wait for someone like Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to make that suggestion.

Even Ong Ka Ting publicly asked not to be reappointed as a minister because he wants to concentrate on party matters. And G. Palanivel also realised how the BN machinery has undermined the people's wish.

I think, Pak Lah should have the decency to at least stick to the AGM date in August and not postpone it. And he should allow for the posts of President and Deputy President to be contested. In other words, he should step down. Let the party members decide for themselves. After all, already a lot of members who are not happy with the current leadership.

Pak Lah is not effective. He must do something smart now. Urgently. We cannot have a PM which keeps on making mistakes.

Ah...Ku Li again

Once upon a time, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah a.k.a Ku Li was seen as the prince who could bond various sects in Umno. In Gua Musang where he is the MP, Ku Li can't be shaken there. It's like his very own little kingdom.

Following the letter he sent to Umno division leaders by Ku Li, yesterday he made a statement offering himself to lead Umno and that he'll contest for the presidency post in Umno's AGM this August.

Ku Li's quest to be Umno's president will never end. It was a close fight in 1987. Too bad, the internet was not around yet back then. Otherwise, Ku Li could have won. Then, he too didn't have access to the mainstream media or his speeches were heavily butchered. Pretty much like cut a paste to make him look bad.

Anwar Ibrahim used to ridicule what was known in the early 1990s, as information superhighway. Today, it's better known as internet. Anwar used to say, "I only know how to push the button to switch on the computer. I don't even know how to switch it off." He just couldn't understand the hype about "information superhighway" and the usage of computer. And you expect this guy to lead us into the digital world? No way.

Sorry, sidetracked a bit. Anyway, I hope Anwar now realised that it was the power of the internet that helped him launched Reformasi. He should thank the internet for allowing him to use it as a platform to communicate his "ideology".

It is the power of the internet, too, that provides the rakyat with alternative source for news to help them make informed decisions.

So, Ku Li, I don't know if you still have the charm to unite the Malays in Umno. But if you insist, remember, you have a powerful tool, now.

Crippling ripples

Pak Lah in his lets-test-your-popularity a la Akademi Fantasia sans sms way, dropped Rafidah Aziz from the cabinet. She's a performer and she was excluded. I just realised that Pak Lah wasn't being fair to her.

At her age, asking her to contest in the general election when he doesn't have the intention to keep her in the cabinet is a very bad taste. What's worse is that, she's the Wanita Umno head. I suspect, during the Umno elections in August, Rafidah is expected to withdraw from the race because she's no longer a minister. That is very typical of Umno.

Shahrizat Jalil lost in the general election. But she's been appointed as an advisor to the PM on women's issues with the status of a minister. What is this? What about Dr Ng Yen Yen who's been appointed as Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (is that the official title?)? Shahrizat's appointment is an insult to Dr Ng, I think.

Looks like Rafidah will have to give way to Shahrizat for the post of Wanita Umno in August. While Azalina Othman Said will be the deputy. It's so funny how Rafidah asked the media to check with Umno HQ if Azalina is in Wanita Umno.

To me, this act of Pak Lah is ripping Umno apart. But it's okay. Someday, Umno and other racial based party in BN must be dissolved to form a truly Malaysian party.

Crackey Umno

Pak Lah can deny this, but there's definitely a crack in Umno. Here's why:

• Poster war among Umno sects. Some asked him to quit (with the Umno emblem on the banners) and some (obviously apple polishers) want him to stay.
• Pak Lah appointed Shahidan Kassim as Perlis' MB but some quarters in the state must have lobbied the palace to appoint Md Isa Sabu
• As I write this, there's ding dong as to who will be appointed Terengganu's MB
• Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (the power broken in Perlis), quit as Umno and BN's sec-gen. Read his statements in the past few days prior to his resignation
• Mukhriz Mahathir's personal letter to PM (as an Umno member, I believe he has the right to let his leader know how he feels. He's not a hypocrate)
• Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's letter suggesting an EGM not accepted by some Umno members (EGM is a good venue to find out what's wrong)

The gap in the crack is getting bigger. Don't wait till August to mend that.

And the casts are....

It's a trimmer cabinet line-up. But Pak Lah increased the number of ministers in the PM's Dept. I'm not surprised Nazri Aziz gets to keep this portfolio. He should have been dropped. The appointment of Zaid Ibrahim and Amirsham Aziz are most welcome. My only hope is that Pak Lah will listen to their advise. And of course, Zaid and Amirsham are expected to give Pak Lah quality counsel.

But what is Muhammad Muhammad Taib a.k.a Mike Tyson doing in the cabinet? Why him? I disagree with his appointment. He makes stupid remarks. For example, in response to the letter sent by the MP of Gua Musang, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to Umno division leaders with a suggestion to have a party EGM to study what went wrong in the recent general election, Mike Tyson said not to listen to such thing.

If not all, most of the division leaders of Umno know about the letter. And what is wrong about calling for an EGM? Usually, a leader would avoid having a post-mortem if he fails miserably. And in this case, Pak Lah couldn't be bothered to hold one. He's in denial. He refused to acknowledge his flaws.

I had a big laugh when I heard Pak Lah said in a press conference today after announcing his cabinet line-up that he read reports that his policies are good but lack on implementation. Obviously, he was fed only with good feedbacks by his apple polishers.

I'm glad that Shahrir Samad is back after over a decade out of the cabinet. He's in a really tough portfolio - Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. Not easy keeping prices of essential goods as low as possible.

Rafidah Aziz did a very good job while at MITI. It's sad to see her go because I heard, only the directors under her ministry had to work within a short turnaround time compared to other ministries. Will Muhyiddin Yassin work as fast as her?

Lets see how they perform.

Going to the streets, again?

Pak Lah, you ignored Bersih, and Hindraf. They had to go to the streets to express themselves.

When the Opposition took control of five states during the recent election, I received calls from friends asking if the situation was calm. Checks with reliable sources said, everything is under control, no riots, no demonstrations.

The rakyat is clearly pleased with the outcome of the elections. No need to be emotional that BN lost in those states.

And your homestate lost to the Opposition as well. What does that tells you? BN not just lost five states to the Opposition, you win simple majority in Parliament. You fielded candidates who are not efficient at all. They all lost. You know that people hate them, but you let them contest anyway. Because you wanted the rakyat to decide, right? Well, the rakyat has decided.

Now, the Umno banners around the city asking you to quit is just the beginning. If you don't quit, they'll go to the streets just like Bersih and Hindraf. What say you? You want to accuse them as trouble maker? You're the trouble maker, Pak Lah. You incited street demonstrations.

Listen to them. Don't wait. Quit.

Glitches, glitches

We don't know now, who's going to be the new Perak MB. And as I write this, I'm also confused as to who is actually the MB of Perlis now. Shahidan Kassim or Dr. Md Isa Sabu?

While Pak Lah has already sworn in as our new PM for the second term, will he be sitting there for long? Pressure is mounting for him to quit even in Umno. Banners by Umno are hoisted all over Kuala Lumpur, expressing their demand for Pak Lat to resign.

So Pak Lah, you still want to stay on? Even people in Umno wants you to go. For once, do the right thing. Quit now.

Good for you

Lim Kit Siang issued a statement apologising to the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah over the issue of Perak MB. Read this http://www.thestar.com.my/election/story.asp?file=/2008/3/13/election2008/20080313104151&sec=election2008

Hope all is well. We want to see change. We want the new government to study all the top secret files. We want to know why the multi-million aluminium smelting plant which was supposed to be built in Lumut was moved to another state. Also, why the multi-million bio-technology hub was scrapped.

Perak is in dire need of investment.

It's time to start working

I'm so glad that Lim Guan Eng is not like his father, Lim Kit Siang. Kit Siang is forever making noise. Guan Eng is the rational politician. I'm saying this because Kit Siang shouldn't ask the DAP reps in Perak to boycott to the swearing in of the new Perak MB, PAS man, Nizar Jamaluddin.

The DAP reps in Perak are comfortable with the choice. And I applaud them because they're focus in their mission. They contested, won and ready to form a mixed government using the allowance in the existing state constitution. So what if PAS has the least number of reps. The constitution said that the MB must be a Malay. For as long as they can form a government, it really doesn't matter who's the MB.

After all, there's a deputy MB from DAP. Nizar and his deputy MB, Ngeh Koo Ham can always have a gentleman's agreement about the State affairs. And PAS has no intention to implement hudud in Perak because it's not in absolute power.

I guess, Kit Siang is just being Islamic-phobic. That's why he'd rather have someone from PKR to be the MB.

Say a little prayer

Let us all pray that Pak Lah will not appoint Khairy Jamaludin to be a cabinet minister. But if he does, lets pray it would be the end of his premiership in Malaysia.

Lets pray for all BN component leaders, to have the strength and guts to protest against Khairy's appointment as a minister.

Lets also pray that Samy Vellu and his gang step down from holding the top posts in MIC. I hope he's biting his fingers now. Even M.Manoharan, the Hindraf leader currently detained under ISA won in Kota Alam Shah state seat.

So, pray hard. Pray very hard.

Just being thankful

We all should be thankful that Samy Vellu has made a statement that he will not accept any offer to the Senate. And hopefully, Pak Lah will not harass him to take up that post (who knows, right?).

Condolences to the family of the late Zakaria Deros of "Istana Zakaria" in Klang. They should also be thankful that he passed away just after BN crashed in the hands of PKR-PAS-DAP coalition in Selangor. If he's still alive, he might have to go to jail if the new Government decides to probe his case and take him to court. So, let him rest in peace.

Of course, I'm thankful to all Malaysian voters who made a very wise choice in the recent election. You all made better decision that Pak Lah, you know.

Tears in Umno

Samy Vellu's defeat is Malaysian Indians' victory. For Umno, the greedy cronies are crying their hearts out.

A whole new world

After Perak was conquered by DAP-PKR-PAS in the recent general election, it was quite apparent that Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin of PAS would be the new MB for the state.

Today, the three parties had an audience with the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah but they came out with their lips sealed as to who will be the MB.

Did they submit several names for the royal consent? They must have been overwhelmed with the results of the election which favours them that they kinda fumbled.

As we all know, the Sultan will never meddle in the political affairs. I guess, that's why the Regent advised them to submit to him the definite names (for the post of MB and exco members) and he will exercise his royal duty to give his consent.

We still don't know if Nizar is still going to be the MB. But because the Perak constiutution says that its MB must be a Malay, I suspect, there'll be a deputy MB from the DAP sect. After all, DAP won most of the state seats.

Hopefully, Tajol Rosli will be an effective "opposition" in the state assembly. As a former MB, he should be able to come up with constructive criticism. It's really a nice change. Really.

He ain't heavy, he's my son-in-law

It wasn't a rumour that Pak Lah would quit and give way to Najib Tun Razak to helm the Government yesterday. I'm not surprised if Khairy Jamaludin told Pak Lah to change his mind. So, he sworn in this morning to be the PM for the second term.

Since that's the case, I hope Pak Lah will appoint Khairy as a full minister. Because, Khairy has been assistant PM for way too long now. Give him a portfolio and let him focus on his new responsibility while Pak Lah should spend time away from Khairy and think for himself over his favourite teochew porridge.

What can I say? Pak Lah is still the PM and Khairy won the Rembau parliamentary seat. Do you think Khairy wants to be an ordirnary MP? Do you think he'll settle for the post of parliamentary secretary? Of course not.

I still don't understand why Pak Lah has to listen to Khairy. The people has spoken. Why can't he listen to the voice of the people. Look what happened to Samy Vellu, his deputy and vice presidents. It's no longer an indication that people don't want them. The message is loud and clear.

Lucky for the MCA leaders that they survived the strong current. Other MCA candidates along with some Umno personalities were toppled.

If only Pak Lah listened to Bersih and Hindraf, and dropped all the dirty fellows from contesting in the recently concluded election, Barisan Nasional could have got the 2/3 majority. But no. He prefers to listen to Khairy.

Better still, if Pak Lah himself withdrew himself from contesting. Or is he waiting for the Umno election in August to test his popularity?

But since he's sworn in this morning, we'll see how he's going to redeem himself. It should be easy now that there's no more Samy Vellu, Zainuddin Maidin, Aziz Shamsuddin, Shahrizat Jalil dan lain-lain.

Can't wait to follow the debates in Parliament with more voice from the Opposition (and Khairy).

Drop, drop, drop

Whoever forms the Government after the elections must not pick someone who's racist and sexist. Please find out, who's the cheeky MCA representative who put up the sexist billboard.

And I wonder why Melaka Chief Minister, Mohd Ali Rustam is contesting. Nevermind. Pak Lah, I give you another chance. If Ali Rustam wins, please don't let him hold the office.

Ali Rustam told off the Malaysian Indians to "balik India" if they don't like it here. How to "balik India"? Their birthplace is probably in the Hawthethorne estate (now known as Wangsa Maju) or Golden Hope estate at Perang Besar (now known as Putrajaya).

So, please. For the sake of Malaysia, we don't need someone like Ali Rustam. Oh by the way, he's given out too many Datukship to the media people lah. As if the Datukship is a door gift at a press conference.

Enemy Side?

Who coined the term "opposition party" in Malaysian politics? Whoever came up with the terminology was very smart indeed. It could be someone from the then Alliance pact (now Barisan Nasional).

In Britain, the Conservative and Labour Parties sort of alternated to rule the government. There's no such thing as "opposition party".

Likewise in the United States of America, the Republican and Democratic parties are the popular ones. Whichever party is in power never refer the other parties as "opposition".

In Malaysia, when you use the term "opposition party", psychologically, the ruling Government can scare the rakyat that the other party is a trouble maker.

That's why BN can control the mainstream media. And the opposition parties will never get a fair share of coverage.

Too bad, the Barisan Alternatif did not take off. Otherwise, we can already abolish the term "opposition party" and they could alternate with BN or takeover BN for the next 50 years.

Do you know what "opposition party" is called in Tamil? The "enemy side". And the "opposition parties" in Malaysia are not enemies.

How much is enough?

The Malays are pathetic. They think they can be like the Japanese. If the Japanese can rebuild Hiroshima from ashes without the ability to speak in English, the Malays think they can do the same.

But they forgot that the Japanese would commit harakiri if they feel they're the source of failure of a certain effort. Even that, they would give their all to make their effort a success.

The Malays are always complaining. They objected when English was chosen to be the second language after Bahasa Kebangsaan (back in the 1960s). But they didn't realise, that the Government of the day then was only thinking of the interest of the Malays.


No academic books were written in Malays. There were no or not enough Malay academicians. Then, English was a tool to acquire more knowledge. The Malays were expected to master English so that they can acquire the necessary knowledge to then educate they're own people. When the Malays are knowledgable enough, there will be a day where R&D, journals, case studies and textbooks be written in Malay.


Today, the Malays are still making a big fuss about English language being used in schools. When Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed directed that maths and science to be taught in English, he was thinking of the Malays. A lot of Malay students rejected offers to study abroad although they'll be financed by the Government. This is because they're weak in English.


And they still think they can be like the Japanese.


In Japan, there's no such thing as bumiputra privilage. But they presevere. They don't have to pay Ford to transfer its technology to them. The Japs developed their own car. First they copy (yes, Japanese used to be copycat), and improvised them. If continental cars are petrol guzzlers, Japs' car are gas-saving. That's their selling point.

Now, I'm not about to bash Proton. The point I want to make here is that the Malays lack of business mentality. They prefer to be spoon fed. No matter how much handouts you give to the Malays, it'll never be enough.

And because of them, our cost of living is high. Too many "atas angin".

Excuse me, we're Kelantanese

Awang Adek who's been promised to be the Mentri Besar in Umno-led government in Kelantan if BN wins the election this Saturday was telling the folks there that there'll be multi-million development if mandate is given to BN.

You think the Kelantanese will buy that? BN can throw the whole country's budget into Kelantan but they're not bothered with physical development in their state.

Kelantan is a self-contained state. The Malays there are very enterprising. They're born to do business. They have their own industries - fishery, textile (batik, songket, silk), food (budu, keropok, salted fish), gold, woodworks etc unlike other states.

They're happy that business is thriving without the support of the Federal Government. They probably pay RM30 per month for a stall to hawk their goods. If they have to move to a nice, huge building with air-conditioning built by an Umno crony, they'll have to pay RM300 or even RM3,000 per month. They have to hike the price of their products and they'll find it difficult to pay the rent.

Because to BN, development means providing avenues to for Umno cronies to make a quick buck. BN, or Umno to be precise, is always on the lookout for opportunities to enrich their families and friends.

If BN wants to win in Kelantan, it should use a different approach. The word "development" in Kelantan is cliche. It should offer Kelantan "pembangunan ummah" or human development. That is the true sense of development.

Smart Men Don't Join Umno

One of the most respectable Malay is Royal Professor Ungku Aziz. But he's not an Umno member. Good for him.

Hot, hot Khairy

Khairy Jamalaudin is hot. Not politically hot. But sexy hot. His intelligence makes him hot, at least to me when I first saw him on Dateline Malaysia long time ago. He was wearing an oversized blazer. Poor boy, I thought then.

When he got hitched with Nori Abdullah, I didn't know it was the "Khairy" formerly of Dateline. Only when there's a lot of noise about him I came to realise that it's the "Khairy" I "fell in love with" before even Nori knows of his existance.

Anyway, going back to his Dateline days, he just blew my mind away. I could see the rawness of his youth but he asked matured questions.

Unlike other young broadcast journalists or comperes, Khairy didn't rely on a set of prepared questions by his producer. He posed questions like a veteran. He peeled the subject of discussion layer by layer.

If you watch Undi 2008 on Astro Awani, you'll know what I mean. Those young punks other than Suhaimi Sulaiman and Amir Mahmood Razak, would have been yelled at by Ghazali Shafie aka King Ghaz during this heyday. They're so hopeless. Don't know the issues well.

I didn't know then that Khairy was from Oxford. So, I wasn't influenced by his academic qualification. He does seem like a refreshing addition to Umno.

But his intelligence has also hurt him, at least partially. In his hurried effort to reach the top, he has made a lot of mistakes. Khairy being away from the country for way too long, detached him from the values of the local politics.

In Umno, you have to have the grassroot. If you're up there by appointment, it's a lot of hardwork just trying to be accepted. And Khairy can't even use his fingers to eat rice like the Malays. That makes him an alien to the heartland Malays for a start.

So, he thinks by making ultra Malay statements would make him more Malay. That's the saddest part. When I thought that there's finally a Malay who could inject fresh ideas into Umno, he wants to be just one of them.

Khairy courted and later married Nori while her father was the Deputy Prime Minister. He was following the footsteps of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed who married Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali who comes from a very prominent family in Selangor then.

The wedding of Dr. Mahathir to Dr. Siti Hasmah came out on the front page of Straits Times not because he's Dr.Mahathir. But because Dr. Siti Hasmah's father who was a very respectable man. Khairy even quoted what apparently was said by Dr. Mahathir once upon a time. "You must marry into a good family to gain respect for yourself," was Dr. Mahathir's quotable quote, Khairy's favourite.

Hmmm.....seems like this is how you launch yourself into a grand political career if you don't come from the family of historically important people.

Dirty Laundry

I have very high regards for Johor Baru incumbent, Shahrir Samad. When he was dropped from the cabinet line up, Anwar Ibrahim who was then the Deputy Prime Minister said, "look what happened to him (Shahrir) now. He has to wash people's clothes." I think, this was after the shakeup in Umno in 1987.

I can never forget Anwar's words. So rude and arrogant. I don't like him at all. I'm glad that Anwar, too is out of the cabinet.

But at least, Shahrir has a lot of dignity. He left the cabinet and started a laundry business. And he was hands on. He wasn't a chairman of a public listed company like other pensioned government officers or retired ministers who are usually guaranteed of such post upon retirement.

Shahrir didn't have a laundry chain like 5 a sac. He operated his Dynawash from a small space in the old wing of Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC). He also had another outlet along Jalan Damansara, in the same block as Victoria Station. I can't remember which one was opened first.

Anyway, his staff misplaced my clothes which were sent for dry cleaning one day. It took them days to locate my clothes. When they finally found them, it was Shahrir who called me to say that he's sending the clothes over to my house. He took down my address and we agreed on a delivery date.

What a surprise I had. It was really Shahrir himself. He's a former minister. I felt so flattered and honoured.

Dynawash is now a history. Shahrir sold off the laundry shop invest in another business. But still, the only chairmanship I know of held by Shahrir is the Public Audit Committee (PAC).

I'm telling you this story because it is difficult to find a humble man like Shahrir. If only other ministers can be as down to earth like Shahrir. Malaysia will be a better place.

Samy Vellu Is A Bumiputra

As expected, Samy Vellu will be defending his seat in this year's election although the Indian community wants him out. Umno still needs him. That's why, this man is always smiling.

Years ago, during Dr. M's era, Samy Vellu said, "Dr. Mahathir berkata bahawa saya lebih bumiputra dari bumiputra sendiri kerana saya telah memberi banyak kontrak kepada bumiputra daripadaa bumiputra sendiri."

Yeah, he said that long time ago. Can't remember the year but it was when he just had his hair implant.

So folks, don't ask him to resign if there's another JKR project which goes wrong. Pressure his boss to quit. He only takes directive from his boss, the Umno man.

Remember the Kepong bridge snafu? There were pressures for him to quit. But Samy Vellu kept his usual cool. "Saya sudah ada laporan di tangan saya," said Samy Vellu while holding up the report on the investigation of the cracked bridge.

The report was never made public. Why? Because it contains the names of contractors, consultants who are Umno cronies.

The same thing with the Matrade building in Jalan Duta. And many other projects, especially building of schools. All were given to cronies with no experience or enough working capital to execute the projects.

Now you know why Samy Vellu has not done anything for the Indians.

P.S: Why lah DAP put an Indian candidate against Samy Vellu? The majority there is Chinese, followed by Malay and then only Indian.

The Night Before Nomination Day

If Pak Lah had problems eliminating some dodgy figures in his cabinet, this is clearly the time he should drop them, if he wants to keep his promise four years ago to have a clean government.

Here's one of the conversations I wish had taken place between Pak Lah and whom ever he wants to drop. This one is with Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor that never happened.

Pak Lah: Ku Nan, I've been covering for you for far too long man.

Ku Nan: Thank you so much, Pak Lah. I don't know what I'd do without you. So, what's up? You think I still stand a chance this time?

Pak Lah: That's why I'm calling you. You know, this Lingam's case.....doesn't look good on you lah Ku.

Ku Nan: Sorry lah, Pak Lah. I didn't expect it to happen.

Pak Lah: I have been heavily criticised on so many things. There were just too many rumours about you. How am I going keep a clean government like this.

Ku Nan: Yeah, I know. So how now?

Pak Lah: I have a proposition for you. This is for your own sake ok. Please don't get me wrong. This election, you don't have to bertandinglah ya. Take a break.

Ku Nan: Hmmm....Take a break?

Pak Lah: Well....yeah. Take a break from bertandinglah. But you're still an Umno member and can still contribute what.

Ku Nan: Okaylah Pak Lah. If Soi Lek is gentleman enough to admit his mistakes, I think I should be man enough to quit with all these cases and rumours to save the Government. Besides, Soi Lek sent a strong message during his resignation. Clean government means clean moral, clean from bribery etc.

Pak Lah: I wish I had more men with guts like Soi Lek. We're all human. We all make mistakes. But we should not repeat the mistakes. So, deal. Although you tak bertanding, come and support us lah ya.

Ku Nan: Okay. Good luck. I'm going to miss being a YB.

But this conversation only happened in my dream.

General Election 2008 - Status Quo?

The General Election has been scheduled for 8 March. It looks like a status quo.

I'm very disappointed with DAP. I thought they'd move Lim Kit Siang to Penang to poke BN a bit harder there. Even Jagdeep Singh Deo Karpal Singh who was initially slotted to stand in Johor has been moved to Penang for a State seat. With Lim Guan Eng in a State (and Parliament) seat there, DAP had the potential to create a government there should Kit Siang contest and win in Penang to add to the number.

What is new in BN? Nothing, really. Do they respond to the rakyat's wish for change? Looks like they don't care. It looks like the same old line up with some small movement here and there.