Letter to Malaysiakini....

Posted in Malaysiakini
Ember of hope at PKR national congress
Meng Yee Dec 4, 08 3:58pm
I refer to the Malaysiakini report Victory glee, hero worship dominate PKR meet.
Amidst the ugliness Malaysian politics; its racial undertones, fighting for communal interests, sexual allegations, money politics and mudslinging; something beautiful is emerging on the Malaysian political landscape. Something which appears in its infancy; an ember of hope which must be publicised and highlighted to all Malaysians.

During the recently concluded PKR national congress of which I attended as a representative, I was pleased to see the fervency and zealousness of the speakers in defending the rights, not of their own races, but that of the other races. This, to me, was a dream come true for Malaysia. A skeptic would say its all politics, but in Umno politics, defending the rights of the other races would be seen as suicidal.

During the PKR congress, an MP from Kedah spoke vehemently about the rights of minorities to study their own mother tongue. He, a Malay, spoke of the rights of minorities such as the Malaysian Thais, the Indians and the Chinese to learn their mother tongue in vernacular schools. As such, these schools must be lifted from the wastelands and the run-down conditions in which they are in currently. The Malaysian Thais, many of whom do not have their own vernacular schools, are also covered under the Malaysian constitution.

An Indian MP then spoke up in defence of Islam as the state religion as provided in the constitution and the Malay language as the national language. There is no compromise on this as it is provided for and protected under the Malaysian constitution.
The Malay language must continue as the medium of instruction while the standard of English in improved by studying literature and the great classics. There is also no issue of Islam or the Malays being threatened as painted by Umno.

A Chinese lawyer from Sarawak then spoke up passionately over the loss of native customary rights land by the Dayaks and the Ibans. She represents over 200 people who year after year, see their land and long houses taken away by the state government.
These fellow Malaysians are voiceless and downtrodden. Yet an ethnic Chinese has taken up their cause.

Such is the future of Malaysian politics and if this little ember of hope is given the chance to ignite into the flame of freedom for all Malaysians, this will be a dream come true for us all.
One which Onn Jaafar, the great Malaysian, envisioned Malaysia to be. God willing we shall put our petty differences aside and build a united Malaysia which can compete in the global arena.
What I saw during the PKR national congress brought new hope for a truly united Malaysia.
May God protect and bless this little ember of hope.

Hope in Congress hope for Malaysia

It's hope we get from PKR congress - Malaysiakini
Meng Yee Dec 15, 08 6:13pm
Since the PKR national congress received little positive coverage, I feel it important to share a message of hope for fellow Malaysians. Anwar Ibrahim in his closing speech at the congress last month encouraged members with the following three reminders:
1) People - In the end, it is the people or rakyat who will remove the corrupt regime. The people are not blind and neither are they deaf. As injustice, corruption and oppression are blatant in government, the rakyat will not sit quietly to watch this. This is true in Sarawak and Sabah where poverty is rampant their leaders are enjoying the fattened calf. Land and businesses are being taken away by our leaders. In the end, as in March 8, the rakyat will remove the arrogant government.
2) Patience - We’ve struggled 10 years. What’s another few months or a couple of years? We must be patient to realising a civil and mature democratic society - one where the constitution is respected. It will not be long in coming.
3) Prayer - We as Malaysians of all faiths must not underestimated the power of the Almighty and must together pray for an end to a corrupt government. We must pray for justice and for righteousness. We must pray that God will judge those who are evil and who have committed murder and corruption.

Window closing

The Perfect storm which swept Malaysia in March 2008 may soon unwind. Pakatan Rakyat may lose their opportunity to form the next government and to end 51 years of BN rule. Assuming Pakatan Rakyat waits till the next General Elections in 2012, the elements which helped the opposition gain ground may be reversed.

In 2012, the world economy would be just turning around, trouble causers will be in jail and controversial cases like the murder of the innocent Mongolian girl and commission at the defence ministry will all be buried long before 2012. There may not be a vocl critic like Mahathir and the democratic space will be greatly curbed. The general public will return to their busy life of making money, too afraid to rock their rice boat. The BN race parties will continue to play each race against the other.

Scary thought.
Carpe diem!

God and Politics

Many Malaysians are god fearing people. Although we hail from different religions, by and large we believe in god who brings justice and many believe that the March 8th calamity upon the Barisan Nasional government is nothing short of the hand of god. Christians, malays, hindus and Budhists have been praying for justice and to many justice was carried out on March 8th 2008.

I believe that most religions see murder and the taking of a human life as wrong and evil. As a Christian, I recall a passage in Genesis 4, God said to Cain after he had murdered his brother Abel; “Where is your brother, Abel?” After pleading innocence and indifference, God said; ”What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” Whether this is figuratively or literally is besides the point. God goes on to state Cain’s curse that the land will no longer be fruitful or furtile to him. “When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer.” God said.

Where am I going with this? Well, to me, the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu and the subsequent high level cover up of the murder on Malaysian soil is something that has brought a curse on Malaysia. If Pak Lah is a God fearing man, then he must listen and right the wrong by exposing without fear or favour those who were involved in the murder of this innocent woman in such a violent way. If he truly wants what is best for UMNO then he must do what is right before leaving office.

Her blood cries out from the land, and God will bring His judgment upon the leaders and Malaysians. If Pak Lah will not do anything then March 8th is only the foretaste of the end for UMNO and the Barisan Nasional government. UMNO and the Barsian Nasional government will be relegated to history and this will only be possible by the divine hand of a God of justice.

Pak Lah's 2 minute Warning

In American Football, the losing team is within reach of the end zone and the clock is ticking down. The team waits for the last 2 minutes known as the “2 Minute warning”. The Quarterback throws deep into the end zone hoping his wide receivers will catch the ball and score a final touchdown without anytime left for the opponent to come back. This is known as throwing a “Hail Mary.”

Pak Lah is in his final 2 minutes of the game. Will he have the tenacity to fight like a wounded tiger? Pak Lah, I hope you are reading this. You can leave office with your head down and tail between your legs or you can go with a legacy and guns blazing. For your name and for the country this is what you should do:

1) Insist that the trial of the decade be completed by December. Expose whoever was behind the murder of Altantuya and bring justice for the family of the deceased. Whoever it maybe even if it includes any VVIP.
2) Unleash the ACA fully and give them the green light to bring to book any corruption involving the Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the last 5 years. Prosecute those who have plundered and robbed from the citizens.
3) Reshuffle your cabinet and bring back Zaid Ibrahim. Remove all those who challenged your Presidency. Give Zaid Ibrahim a free hand in reforming the judiciary
4) Revisit and call for a Royal Inquiry into the 1988 judicial crises and prosecute those who have wronged the nation.
5) Investigate and prosecute all those involved in Project “M” where illegal immigrants flooded Sabah and were given Malaysian IC
6) Repeal the ISA and free all ISA detainees or bring to court those who are truly criminals.
7) Implement the IPCMC at the Royal Malaysian Police

Pak Lah must be firm to complete these reforms. He must carry it out swiftly and quickly. Do not even hesitate for a minute. It must all be completed or at least half way there by December 2008. Listen to nobody and each day focus on these reforms. You will be the best Prime Minister Malaysia has ever seen yet,. if you are courageous enough to complete these task. For all you know, you may lengthen your days as Prime Minister. Good luck.

Prime Minister in waiting did more for the economy today

Honestly; the world is literally at the door step of a financial meltdown with eyes on Washington and what they will do. At home; UMNO huddles not to discuss financial battle plans and how to shield ourselves from an impending crises but to chatter about how to remove their President and Prime Minister of Malaysia. These pictures taken today speaks volumes about who, in my mind is the more competent leader to take Malaysia forward and through this looming crises.

UMNO top leaders; Pak Lah and Najib giving a press conference after an Emergency UMNO Supreme Council meeting. It appears Pak Lah has only till March before he transfers power to his Deputy Najib.

The Malaysian leaders were busy this morning and perhaps the last 6 months staying afloat amidst growing discontent.

Prime Minister in waiting; Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this morning was in Hong Kong addressing as key note speaker at CLSA Asia Pacific forum. He spoke to Analysts from around the world, over a thousand investors from 30 countries and over 400 CEOs from the region.

He is competent or at least appears to be so and speaks confidently on the world financial situation and his plan for a new Malaysia. He is well respected and a much sought after speaker.

You can read Anwar Ibrahim's key note address to CLSA- Asia Pacific here:

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2008/09/26/us-financial-turmoil-–-systemic-failure-or-reaping-the-whirlwind/

I think the choice is quite obvious - wouldn't you say?

I want a change in government - letter to Malaysiakini

Letter to the Editor, Malaysiakini (unedited version):
The night YB Teresa Kok was arrested, I was with some friends having teh tarik. One friend commented; "whats happening to Malaysia?" Another friend replied; "The same thing thats been happening the last 20 years."

The difference is that the "new rakyat" have now a renewed sense of power and hope. By "new rakyat" I mean a young generation of Malaysians born a few years before 1969 and after, who are not scarred by the May 13 riots and have no first hand recollection of how bad it was. These are the ones, perhaps 45 years and below who stood up on March 8th 2008 to make a difference. On March 9th, many of their elders were afraid to leave their homes for fear of a race riot - but to the relief of all nothing happened.

Tengku Razaleigh in his description of the state of Malaysia and in his defence of the political party he had served all his life, today said; "Malaysians faced a dangerous situation where the rule of law was uncertain and the constitution was not being upheld." The truth is, Malaysians in the last 20 years have been facing a dangerous situation with the constitution being amended at the whims and fancies of a crazed, racist despot. Mahathir's sad description of the Parliament - "a mere rubberstamp". As a result of the BN government control of Parliament; our constitution in 51 years of history has been amended 42 times with a total of 650 amendments (more than one amendment at each time). The United States of America with over 200 years of history has amended the constitution a mere 27 times. Tell me when was the constitution never under any threat?

The BN's continued use of ISA shows a disregard for the rule of law. Since 1957, the BN government has detained 3,200 Malaysians under the ISA. Among victims of the ISA are opposition leaders; Lim Kit Siang, Anwar Ibrahim, Tian Chua and many activists who can hardly be considered a threat to "National Security". Unless "National security" is synonymous to "Barisan Nasional". There are now a total of 120 detainees who are languishing under the ISA.

The BN's constant reminder of May 13 1969 and the use of racial segregation to justify the existence of race based parties like UMNO, MCA and MIC are a stumbling block to a trully united Malaysia. BN's formula worked on the notion that only a malay can look after the interest of a malay and similarly a chinese for the chinese etc. As such each political party within BN worked in opposite directions fighting for the rights of their individual race. This rarely worked towards the good of Malaysia as a whole.

So after reading Tengku Razaleigh's desperate plea as a result of his observation of a nation under crisis; I must say that what we see today is the fruit of a callous generation of Malaysians who allowed UMNO and the BN to rule for 51 years without challenge and accountability. The last 20 years especially under a despot who would stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. Tengku Razaleigh will not disagree with me; him being a victim of injustice many times before.

In conclusion, ethics or morality aside; 51 years is too long and after 20 years of abusing the constitution and the various institutions of government that provide checks and balance I for one cannot wait to see a change in government.

Sent to http://www.malaysiakini.com/ 24th Sept 2008

Press Statement 18th Sept 2008

Press statement in full:


Today Pakatan Rakyat leaders have submitted a letter to the Prime Minister requesting him to call an emergency session of Parliament to deliberate a motion of censure against the leadership of YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi no later than Tuesday 23 September 2008.
This is in accordance with Order 11(3) of the Standing Orders of Parliament and warrants an immediate response given the gravity of today’s political impasse. A delay in his response would be interpreted as nothing short of a further sabotage of the democratic process and abuse of Executive Power.
The Prime Minister’s haggling on the syntax of our first letter is puerile at best. The intent of our meeting as described in that letter was clearly to discuss the future course of the nation’s leadership – though in deference to his position and in accordance with acceptable norms we remain considerate and polite in our approach.
I find the Prime Minister’s comment about me in his press conference yesterday to be reckless and irresponsible in light of the disastrous outcome of last Friday’s ISA raids.
He has conflated what is essentially an issue of democracy, freedom and the rule of law with national security. The use of the ISA to harass and detain duly elected political opponents is a grave transgression of the law and its continued use would further erode confidence in the current government and exacerbate political instability.
As the incumbent Prime Minister actively holding office and exercising all Executive powers, and as the outgoing Finance Minister, we hold him fully accountable for the current political turmoil and mismanagement of the nation’s economy. His accusation that I have had an adverse impact on the nation’s economy is entirely without basis.
I have met with the key fund managers in the region, representing over USD 1 trillion in assets, and on multiple occasions they were unanimously in support of comprehensive reforms in Malaysia including judicial independence, a free media, a more professional police force and anti-corruption agency, investor friendly laws and assurances on the non-interference of politicians in the governance of Bank Negara. These are policies Pakatan Rakyat has promised to implement– and initiatives that the current administration has done virtually nothing to advance since March 8th.
ANWAR IBRAHIM
Leader of Opposition
De-facto leader, Keadilan

press conference 18th sept

Watch live video from anwaribrahim on Justin.tv

"Calm and hopeful"

Lets hunker down and remain calm...

If we read the constitution, we'll understand what Anwar's plans are....

Here's a note from a friend I received this morning:

I'd like to encourage everyone to stay calm and hopeful. There is a process that is required for the change of government in mid term and the agenda as laid out by Anwar Ibrahim is compliant to the procedure.
To put it simply .. if Anwar has the numbers he just needs to advise the Speaker of the House and the PM and seek an audience with the Agung. The Agung then notifies the Speaker to undertake a head count of members for and against the Government and the PM either survives the motion or a new PM and cabinet is elected.
He has done the first bit, ie. advice the Prime Minister and now we're waiting on the second half of the process.

This is a perfectly legal process which is provided for in Article 43 (4) of the Federal Constitution:
"If the Prime Minister ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives, then, unless at his request the Yang di-Pertuan Agong dissolves Parliament, the Prime Minister shall tender the resignation of the Cabinet."

This is probably the most prudent way at the moment to avoid any unrest or excuse to create any.
There will be rumours going around over the next few days and my advice would just be to sit tight and wait it out. Some of us have been waiting for this day for more than a decade, and some like Syed Husin Ali, since 1959!. So a few more days or weeks wouldn't really hurt.
Salam Reformasi

We're maturing...

Just got back from the Malaysia Day Rally. Many including myself agreed that at the closing we sang our National Anthem with much gusto and pride!! Its been a long journey and we're almost there. I wanted to post an old blog posting......and to say perhaps we're trully seeing the dawn of a new Malaysia and the beginning of a 2 party system of democracy. We're maturing into a democracy...

Monday, February 20, 2006
Who hijacked democracy in Malaysia?
Submitted to Malaysiakini but never made it. It is odd to hear people say that Anwar Ibrahim will never have a chance at being Prime Minister outside of UMNO. It is even funnier to hear people say that we should be grateful for our government. In Malaysia, we have only seen one political party in government and as a result we the people do not understand the fundamentals of democracy and our parliamentary system. We have not realized that we, the people elect the government to serve and to uphold the constitution of the country. We are fearful to understand what may lie ahead should we ever have a change in government.

However, a mature democracy ensures the right of the people to change governments according to the majority of the people. The US alone had a republican in office in 1980 (the same time as Dr Mahathir), a democrat in 1992 and now a republican again in 2000. We not only had the same government we had the same leader in that 20 year span! This is nothing really to be proud off.

By having a change in government, it puts the onus on the government and his leader to perform. To govern with the highest calling of his office.The opposition in Malaysia in the last 2 decades have been seen as subversive elements and many have been arrested under the Internal Security Act. A threat to national security it seems. Now, our Dr Mahathir says it is not good to have too weak an opposition.

In the UK, the opposition is known as Her Majesty’s Opposition party. They are recognized as government in waiting. It is not impossible therefore for Malaysia who claims parliamentary democracy to have a change in government one day for the mark of a mature democracy is smooth transition of power.

This is only possible if the police and the Royal Malaysian army and armed forces and civil services understand their role as civil servants in nation building and protecting the constitution.

The result of almost 5 decades of rule is the blurriness between BN the political party and the seat of government which is an elected office. The blurriness extends to the civil servants who see themselves as BN officers rather than the Malaysian government. We must educate our young on the freedom of choice and with it comes the responsibility of electing a government that truly upholds and protects the freedom of all Malaysian people through the rule of law and ensures the sacredness of the Constitution of Malaysia.

So it should never be said that it is impossible for Anwar Ibrahim to be Prime Minister. He who says that, says democracy is dead in Malaysia. That our election is a farce and the rakyat will never have a say. I would like to believe that elections in Malaysia is free and fair and that any party can one day hold office in government and on the flip side any government who fails to protect the constitution and the Malaysian people by protecting their rights could be removed from government.
# posted by Meng @ 1:33 PM 3 comments links to this post

SPR giving us headache!!!

BN is rather quiet on the ground. Their pondok's are quiet and they are not seen around much. Unlike Ijok where the whole national machinery converged on Ijok, it is very quiet. We are unsure if there is something else up their sleeve or is it just that there is a lack of interestwith the BN component parties. Whatever it is, we are working hard to prepare for Tuesday! PACA and Pondok panas.

Whatever it is, we are all hopeful that Anwar will be sitting in front of Badawi in Parlimen on Friday when he reads his budget speech.

Cherok Tok Kun

We had a short time to do our pilgrimage to Galeri Pejuangan and to Anwar's family house this afternoon. Did the touristy thing.

25th August Eve of D-Day

Carnival like atmosphere Jalan Baru, Seberang Jaya!!
20,000 at least. Heavy drizzle

How to believe?

In 1998, Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy accuser named a place and time of the alleged sodomy offence; a place and time which did not even exist at that time. The building was not even completed and still under construction. The accuser; Azizan retracted his earlier statement and changed his report several times. During the trial, he even commented that he was never sodomised. Sukma Dermawaan and Munawar Anees were the other two who had later written affidavits of their forced confession under police custody. These were the 3 men the Police produced to nail Anwar.

However in the end as we all know, the judiciary, the police, the PMs Department and vitually every government machinery was used to secure an arrest, convict and sentence Anwar to 6 years incarceration.

This very same episode is now happening. An accuser who is incommunicado and whose family makes statements through lawyers, a police report which Anwar and his lawyers have never seen, however Khairy (the PM’s son-in law) who has nothing to do with the case, supposedly, has seen the police report. Anwar and his lawyers have no clue as to when the alleged sodomy took place. We suppose the police would like to have Anwar’s complete diary together with the DNA samples as a noose to hang himself with.

Notwithstanding that the accuser has met the DPM twice before this allegation. Once to supposedly ask for a scholarship eventhough he is a University dropout and the second time to say that he was sodomised. The DPM held his hands and comforted him.

The Prime Minister, the home affairs minister, and several other leaders are all urging Anwar to give the police the noose.

All this surfacing just days before Anwar was to announce his bid for a by-election and the defection of a few BN top guns.

Do you smell a rat or what? In light of all this how are we Malaysians to belive the government and Royal Malaysian Police? Aiyoh, the economy is in shambles and they're so preoccupied with Anwar!! For goodness sake GOVERN!

RPK and DSAI arrested - coincidence or orchestrated?

The arrest of these 2 very public figures are bound to arouse much anger and restlesness on the part of the rakyat. I believe that the timing of these 2 seperate cases and the arrest made today is a deliberate attempt to re create 1969.

May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969 by academic, former Democratic Action Party member and former Member of Parliament Kua Kia Soong — was published by Suaram. Based on newly declassified documents

at the Public Records Office in London, the book alleged that contrary to the official account which had blamed the violence on opposition parties, the riot had been intentionally started by the "ascendent state capitalist class" in UMNO as a coup d'etat to topple the Tunku from power.[10][11

With chaos in Kuala Lumpur and Reformasi and PR supporters on the streets; an Emergency could be announced and the very events in 1969 leading to the ousting of Tunku may repeat itself. Afterall is not one of the architect still around and will not the son learn from the father in repeating history !> Who will gain from all this....? I wonder?

http://sloone.wordpress.com/ posted this 2 photos comparing Statutory Declaration 1 and Statutory Declaration 2. The body language speaks for itself:

Human beings can lie, SDs can lie. Pictures don’t lie.
Consider these two pictures of PI Balasubramaniam who retracted his statutory declaration claiming Najib Tun Razak was linked to the Altantuya Shariibuu murder - just 24 hours after he made it.
SD 2 ommitted all the parts which mentioned the involvement of Najib in the affair and murder. Only a fool can’t see what pressure Bala must have been in for him to retract his earlier statement.
Bala has been in the police force for 17 years. He would know how important and damaging a SD can be, but perhaps he failed to take the necessary protection for himself and family.
Look closely at the photos and it is crystal clear when he was under duress. His 1st SD was made on 1 July, the second on 4 July.
The STAR has done us a service to the nation by giving us these 2 pictures of the same man in different and difficult times.

Seri Setia Church leaders meet with Nik Nazmi

Just returned from a meeting with Church pastors and leaders in the constituency of Seri Setia. Nik Nazmi asked me during a thanksgiving lunch at his house if there were any churches in the SS constituency and I said I'd find out. I called NECF, which subsequently led to a meeting with 5 different churches in the area. After a month long planning, we finally got it to happen.

Several issues were raised especially the question about meeting in shophouses which is not gazetted as a place of worship. Many Christian churches in malaysia have no land to built their church and so resort to meeting and worshipping in shop houses. Realising that getting land may not be a simple task for all the churches (perhaps impossible); the church leaders asked for an official recognition for them to meet in their respective shoplots and asked if they could get a relief for cukai pintu and assessment for being a religous place of worship.

Nik Nazmi has had much exposure having had a primary school education in La Salle PJ, a catholic missionary school and having read law in the UK in a very anglican (or church of England) university showed that he was very comfortable engaging with the Christian leaders. Putting forward his islamic principles and teaching, he assured them that he wanted to be fair and just in providing and protecting the christian (and other religion's) right to worship.

Nik Nazmi and several church leaders discussed about the possibility of working together in doing social work like free tuition for the under privelege; which Keadilan has already started in Desa Mentari and Praise Emmanuel not too far away. Life Sanctuary did a blood donation drive and Nik Nazmi was keen to participate the next time they have it.

Nik Nazmi said he was willing to speak with their congregations as well if the opportunity arises during any social events.

If anything this has opened door for greater dialogue betwee the churches and their state representative. I am just glad that I've had the oppotunity to help the churches in bringing their fears and concerns to Nik and in breaking down some walls....created by the last regime! One wall at a time......

Untuk Kakitangan MPSJ Sahaja

There is a beautiful kindergarten situated in USJ3C equipped with playground, a small tarred parking lot which would be a wonderful facility for the neighbourhood.

Unfortunately; its not for the public. The sign says "TASKA - Untuk kakitangan MPSJ Sahaja"
MPSJ is a very good employer to provide such facilities to their staff however, if they use public funds (from cukai pintu etc) then such facilities should be open to USJ residents as well.



For those who have no transport, the MPSJ children are fetched to this kindergarten using a beautiful tourist type MPSJ bus each morning.
This MPSJ Bus, whatever its for is definitely not for public use. Once again, something the residents of USJ cannot enjoy.


AUDITORIUM
I do not have a picture of the beautiful Auditorium inside the MPSJ building, but a recent call to MPSJ to book the auditorium for a non profit event was turned down. Once again, USJ residents who pay cukai pintu and all kinds of Municipal taxes are not able to enjoy such facilities.

I believe that we should encourage volunteerism and social work among residents in urban cities and such work should be supported by the local municipals. Thus whatever public resources available should be channeled to encourage, fund and promote these non profit work. It is not right that public funds are used exclusively for a certain group of people. While a case could be made for stewardship of such facilities and limiting its public use falling under that reason; these public facilities could limited for non profit or community building work in the Municipality.

I hope the new ADUN and the state government would look into issues such as this.

Malaysiakini story "16th April" on pig issue

It was reported in www.Malaysiakini.com last week that "M'cca CM flamed over blog-post on pig farm". Today I overheard on RTM Propoganda news once again trying to play up this story again declaring that the malays in Selangor are angry at Pakatan Rakyat. It has been made public, however that an UMNO man, a MALAY UMNO MAN; if not clear I will say it again, Badawi's Islam Hadhari party and UMNO MAN; Karim Mansor; former state assemblyman of Tanjung Sepat approved the project.

Not only did he approve the project but, Karim Mansor made a trip to Germany to visit a PIG FARM already using this technology. He was standing in a Pig pan...something I (a Kafir) would not even do. Now he leads the state opposition party in a protest against this Centralised Pig Farm in Sepang. Now suddenly he is the good muslim inciting religous and racial sentiments.

Is this not typical BN style politics, the very politics we as in ALL MALAYSIANS (Malay, Chinese, Indians) voted out. We said enough of dividing us, enough of inciting racial sentiments; we love each other too much and we love Malaysia too much.

This Centralised Pig Farm is going to consolidate the many pig farms in the Klang Valley and Selangor into one location; using modern technology to ensure clean and hygenic disposal of waste and water. I thought it was a great idea and credit should go to the former Selangor government but since they deny any knowledge of it; well then GOOD JOB Tan Sri Khalid and gang!

Malaysiakini: Anwar - The man with a mission harbours no bitterness

On eve of political liberation, Anwar is in a forgiving mood
Terence Netto Apr 14, 08 11:59am
Malaysiakini
On the eve of his liberation from elective constraints, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim chose to ruminate on his predicament through the lens of Roman stoic philosopher Epictetus who warned that every human situation is like a vase with two handles. For instance, if you are the victim of some injustice, you can either grasp the handle of your victimisation or you can grasp the handle that looks behind the injustice to its causes and aim to remove them. “I see all my efforts since my release from prison as grasping the handle that looks to the factors behind my victimisation and the need to remove them,” he said in remarks to Malaysiakini during a pause in a hectic schedule as chairman-in-waiting of the newly formed Pakatan Rakyat, or People’s Alliance, the fledgling coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS that jointly holds 82 seats in Parliament and controls five state legislatures.

Tomorrow, the PKR leader is freed of a five-year ban that disqualified him from elective office following a conviction for corruption handed down on April 14, 1999. In opposition circles, the earlier date has come to acquire an aura of infamy, in the way perhaps June 4, 1989, the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre is to Chinese students, or similar episodes in recent history that are markers highlighting the beginning of a new epoch or new consciousness. The reformasi movement in Malaysia took its rise from Anwar’s travails in September 1998 and PKR, the political party it spawned, got its start in April 1999.

Anwar said he had no reason to pick at the scab of his recent past of six years in jail and expose the wound of his incarceration on what now increasingly seem trumped-up charges of corruption and sodomy. “While it’s true that life must be understood backward, it must be lived forward,” said Anwar, quoting the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard. “I’ve no desire to dwell on the past to fault-find or fix the blame,” he continued. “Life is too short to be small.”

As an indication of his thinking, Anwar, who last week delivered the keynote address on the centenary of the birth of Hamka (below), the renowned Indonesian Islamic scholar, cited a quotation from Hamka with which he closed his speech at Muhammadiyah University in Jakarta: “The shifting sands of time render all things impermanent. Some will rise and some will fall. As for me, just as I have come, I too shall leave this worldly life which alternates between joy and grief… and even as I fall victim to my oppressors’ wrong, whose tyranny knows no bounds drunk as they are with power, they ought to know that they too will also fade into oblivion… as for those who have vilified me and sullied my name and my honour with their boundless hate and envy … this much I can offer them: to err is human, to forgive divine…”Hamka (1908-81), who was imprisoned by Sukarno on trumped-up charges of being a traitor to the country, forgave his nemesis and moved on to become one of the leading lights in the cultural and political reform movement of the region.

Nearing the end of his period of exclusion from elective office, Anwar, in quoting this passage, has shown his magnanimity of spirit, harbouring neither ill-will nor animosity towards his detractors and adversaries.

Poetic Justice

This last month our country has seen a reversal of fate of sorts. One such example is the current MP for Batu, YB Tian Chua!

Pictures like these have been a common sight for the last 8 years. Pictures of Tian Chua being dragged away, roughed up and abused by police and FRU. Just recently, a week before the 12th General Elections Tian Chua was dragged away from parliament when he was there in show of support for the Hindraf 5 held under ISA. (Imprisonment without charging in court)


YB Tian Chua will on April 28th, will go to Parliament as a elected MP for the seat of Batu.
He will represent Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance) to seek the end of ISA, the implementation of Independent Police Commission and other unjust laws in Malaysia.


This is poetic justice in Malaysia.

who SABOTAGED the BN?

Najib was seen standing behind Pak Lah yesterday at the press conference with a target bull eye's on his batik, maybe subtly sending a message "SHOOT ME".



Pak Lah and Najib fighting the fiery darts from everywhere; from the opposition and from within his own party....its falling apart. Its crumbling. Years of arrogance, greed, corruption, cronyism...its all catching up with UMNO. Like the twin towers..ITS IMPLODING

The president claims that he was sabotaged...emmmmm it may turn out that he was the sabotager without him even realising it....yes minister!

Why MCA

Why MCA by comedy court - Too funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BBD-aRp9Jw

Pak Lah :The Greatest Malaysian Reformer

The online dictionary provided the definition of a Reformer as :
1. To improve by alteration, correction of error, or removal of defects; put into a better form or condition.
2.
a. To abolish abuse or malpractice in: reform the government.
b. To put an end to (a wrong). See Synonyms at correct.

I would say that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is the greatest Reformer Malaysia has ever seen. Never in the history of Malaysia has such widespread reform in government from local municipal to state wide politics been undertaken as it is now. Don’t look at this in wrong way, but allow the facts to speak for itself – under the “watchful” eye of PM Abdullah:
1) There is greater space for discourse in the media, internet and coffee shops

2) A lesser fear of retribution from Special Branch, as compared to previous administration.
3) Allowed opposition to control a record number of states (5) to allow for greater reform
4) As a result of opposition controlling these 5 states there will local council elections in a few years- Not since 1964
5) Malaysian Parliament has a record number of opposition MPs which will allow for greater accountability and reform in Parliament.
6)Penang will have drastic changes and reform in government as they review past abuses.

Call him the “Accidental Reformer” if you will but Pak Lah is definitely the man for the times! A hero from the rank and file of UMNO!

Check Mate

I am not good at chess partly because I don’t have the capacity to think too far ahead. I cannot see too many steps ahead. However, if I launch an attack, I expect to win or at least take some guys out.

The last 2 weeks we see PM Abdullah insist on his candidate Datuk Idris Jusoh over the royal preference of Ahmad Said. That he insisted and said that the Sultan of Terengganu’s appointee of Menteri Besar to Terengganu is unconstitutional is equivalent to launching an attack and confrontation with the palace. Any person with some stuff between the ears knows that unless you truly expect to win or have something very good up your sleeve; don’t engage in a zero sum game with the royal house.

The PM did and we all thought, maybe he had some “files” on the royal house (Tun Mahahthir’s style) and that is why he was so bold as to challenge the Sultan’s council. Little did we know that after the meeting with The Sultan; and His Royal Highness insisted on YB Ahmad as the MB, the PM simply retreated.

The question that is left in my mind is why in the world did Pak Lah challenge the Royal Palace in the first place and why did he insist on Idris Jusoh if he didn’t think he was going to stand up to the Sultan. He could have met privately with the Sultan first and then come out publicly with the sultan’s choice and the public will have been none the wiser.

As a result....last nights press conference with the tail between his legs.....so to speak.
The newspaper comes out to spin "BN has decided"...(to accept the Sultan's apointee) Lucky for the sultan :>

The Perfect Storm

Online newsportal, Malaysiakini's Steven Gan called it the perfect storm wherein all the forces came together at the right time and the right moment. Mahathir said there were push factors and pull factors. Neverthless this 12th General Elections in Malaysia can easily be likened to Phlippines “people power”. This is evident especially after the results were announced when a majority of Malaysians were patting each other on the back and congratulating each other. Even the owner of the Dim Sum shop I frequent on Sunday mornings told me how elated he was.

The people’s anger arose mainly because of being hard pressed and their businesses affected either because of increase in prices or because of the difficulty in doing business due to corruption. There was the hindu aggravation leading to HINDRAF’s rally. The unhappiness over the electoral process culminating in BERSIH’s 50,000 march in Kuala Lumpur. A former Gerakan loyalist told me, he was so angry when he put his “X” on the ballot paper the pencil nib broke and his hands were shaking. This is just an example of the emotion felt by the rakyat.

In short notice, thousands all over Malaysia volunteered as polling agents and counting agents for the opposition groups. Thousands of ringgit flowed into their coffers and suddenly it became clear change was not too far off.

External factors were the global slowdown and inflationary pressures due to escalating oil prices and global stock market turning bearish. The grand old man Mahathir could also be considered an external factor since he remained a thorn in the side of Pak Lah. Months before the GE, the Lingam case exploded which did not impress the public at all.

Internal push factors is of course the flip flop Prime Minister who does little to promote Malaysia in the international arena. His gaffs, his sleeping habits and his overall lack of leadership skills was bare for all to see. It was a major disappointment after 2004 when he retained many of the “expired” ministers from the Mahathir era.
There was also a sign of internal squabbling in the various components of BN leading to one senior minister being caught in a sensational sex scandal.

All these factors led to…..the perfect storm.

It would be good for the opposition if Pak Lah continues to stay as then winning over the Federal government would be much easier. Whatever brilliant ideas he has, he would have used it and we would have seen it.

A day to remember in the history of Malaysia

5 states in opposition hands : Penang, Kedah, Kelantan Perak and Selangor
82 seats in Parliament : 23 seats PAS. 28 seats DAP and 31 seats PKR
No longer can race be used as an issue - I hope we are on the way to burying race based politics forever!

A New Dawn for Malaysia -

My fellow Malaysians,

Today at the ballot box, you listened to your heart with the firm conviction that the time for change has arrived.
The people of Malaysia have spoken. This is a defining moment, unprecedented in our nation’s history.
Today a new chapter has opened. The people have voted decisively for a new era where the government must be truly inclusive and recognize that all Malaysians, regardless of race, culture and religion are a nation of one.
The people have expressed in no uncertain terms that they want accountability, transparency and the rule of law.
Today unity, consensus, and mutual respect triumphed.
Tomorrow, we start working to build a brighter future, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. This is a new dawn for Malaysia.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

The people have spoken

At 11;45 pm - Penang and Kedah is confirmed to have fallen into opposition hands. Perlis and terengganu hangs in the balance.

Samy and Zam, 2 ministers who have passed their useful shelf life is gone and for Samy this is his Birthday present from the Rakyat!!

I am especially happy for Nik Nazmi, Guoben and Hannah in Kelana. Well done guys!!

"change your lifestyle" - Ha easy to say!

Bersih slams Najib's jet campaign trips
Azreen Madzlan Mar 7, 08 12:36pm ,
Malaysiakini
Polls reform group Bersih has criticised Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak for making use of a government Fokker executive jet during the campaign period.
Last Tuesday, New Straits Times featured a photograph of Najib taking a nap with her daughter in the plane while on the way to campaign in Kelantan.
Bersih committee member and PKR candidate for the Batu parliamentary seat Tian Chua said it is illegal for Najib to use the jet for campaigning because the Fokker belongs to the government.

This is the kind of arrogance that the Rakyat are fed up with. Bad enough using government facilities for political purpose, but during the campaign period just shows a total disrespect for the EC, for the election process and the rakyat.

Nicely cuddling in with his daughter on a jet on UMNO business is hardly acceptable. I hope the people of Kelantan and the whole Malaysia rise up against this kind of arrogance.

It is this man who tells the rakyat to "change our lifestyle." Obviously he has lost touch with the rakyat's plight and pain. Very sad indeed that such a man can become a leader of the malay people and of Malaysia. If this is the future of Malaysia then we are to be in mourning now.

My first for a friend

My first Ceramah at Kelana Glomac...for a friend:

Nik Nazmi.
http://www.niknazmi.com/wordpress/




He's one of the good guys! He's humble, smart and hard working.







"Come out on March 8th and VOTE for Nik Nazmi and for Malaysia's future!"

Hannah Yeoh for Subang Jaya: Let's hop onto the right bus....

A rocket for all Malaysians not just one Malaysian! Well said Hannah:

Hannah Yeoh for Subang Jaya: Let's hop onto the right bus....

young and idealistic but thats what we may need now

Have gone to 2 ceramah's this week and I think I've fulfilled my quota for this week. On a weekday it gets quite tiring....especially after the DAP Ceramah with Hannah Yeoh and Guoburne Loh I suddenly feel very old :< - I think it is really good that we have an opportunity to vote some young blood with energy and restlesness.

One thing I am more convince off is that we need to see an end to race based politics. Communal politics - using race issues to incite or create negative emotions between the races. According to Lee Wah Beng MCA Kelana candidate; a multi racial setting will always have a majority malay representation. Therefore we need MCA (him) to represent and voice the needs of the chinese people.

Firtsly the MCA has been doing a lousy job if that is the rationale for its existence. It is subservient to UMNO and very carefully threads on issues which may deem sensitive. Loh Seng Kok found himself cut off when he raised issues that were "sensitive".

Secondly; Lee Wah Beng's premise is that a malay will never look after chinese interest and a chinese will never look after malay interest. This maybe true for the BN leaders, but I would like to think that as our dark side as Malaysians.

Thridly; We spent so much energy and time working fighting for "the struggle" in each of the communal parties. UMNO's struggle, MCA's struggle etc. We forget that there is a Malaysian agenda and that we are slipping economically. Who then looks after Malaysia as a whole?

50 years of thinking this way is certainly not going to be easy to change. However we need to start somewhere and I think that somewhere is in our young leaders. Idealistic and naive as they may seem; they come with little baggage and their voices in government will be a fresh perspective on the future of Malaysia.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat has publicly stated that they will work towards an end to racial politics and DAP has consistently called for the Bangsa Malaysia concept.

Anwar Ibrahim has a message and you can find it here:

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-8665011592312376468&hl=en

The wonders of the internet, this is made available to all at anytime you want.

A new Malaysia for the next generation

I cannot imagine a Malaysia that is free of racial politics but I can celebrate when that day comes!! We can take on the world and be among the most progressive and competitive country when we cease to play petty little racial politics.


Anwar vows to dismantle racial politics
Feb 26, 08 7:19pm, Malaysiakini

Opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim has vowed to end race-based discrimination policies in Malaysia, making it one of the major planks of his party's manifesto ahead of March 8 polls.
Anwar, who was deputy prime minister until being sacked and jailed in 1998, said long-running policies favouring majority Malays had only benefited cronies of the ruling Umno.
"The New Economic Policy has been abused to enrich the family of Umno leaders and their cronies," said Anwar who is campaigning for the PKR formally led by his wife.
"If you really want to deal with the issue of poverty, why can't we just say we have an affirmative action policy helping the poor and the marginalised. It should not be racially based."
Malaysia has pursued an affirmative action program for Malays and indigenous groups known as bumiputeras since the 1970s to close a wealth gap with the minority Chinese community.
However, it has been criticised for failing to pull a large number of Muslim Malays out of poverty, and of ignoring the minority ethnic Indian community, which is also disadvantaged.

Battling rising inflation
The manifesto entitled 'A New Dawn for Malaysia', centred on battling rising inflation, which has triggered public anger and rare public protests as the prices of food and fuel edge higher.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said the government cannot afford to continue spending RM43.4 billion annually to subsidise essential items.Anwar said Abdullah was "in denial" over the state of the economy.
"PKR promises to lower the price of petrol ... as well as manage the prices of basic goods to ensure a consistent supply. Tolls and tariffs will also no longer be raised," he said.

Vote for the next generation

Was at SS 19 last night to listen to the Keadilan candidate GwoBurne Loh and DAP's Hannah Yeoh. Anwar Ibrahim arrived at 5 minutes to midnight. It was worth the wait. Anwar gave a passionate speech that had his 2000 + listeners leave feeling that the country needs change as it is going down hill. As I talked to people leaving they said, discontent is everywhere and many agreed change is what we need.

A good thing is a year ago many could not even understand that there is a difference between the government and the poltical party, the BN. They could not imagine another government except the one we have. Today, we talk about the BN being in the opposition....afterall is that not what emocracy is really about? Real choices for the people!

PKR's Manifesto

PKR manifesto: 'New dawn for M'sia'
Feb 26, 08 3:44pm, Malaysiakini

Opposition PKR today unveiled its election manifesto for the 12th general election with the slogan a 'new dawn for Malaysia'.

If elected into power, the party promises:

1) A constitutional state for all - upholding unity, integrity and human rights
2) A vibrant, prosperous economy for all - equitable distribution for better competitiveness
3) A safer Malaysia for all - a cleaner police force for safer streets
4) An affordable Malaysia for all - better control of prices for petrol and basic goods
5) Better education for all - universal access to higher quality education

PKR's New Dawn - Ceramah in Subang

Tonight February 26 2008
No. 135, SS19/6, Subang Jaya
Official time : 9pm but if you wanna catch Anwar...its probably a bit later as he has 4 stops to make in Kelana.

The "forgotten" ANWAR IBRAHIM is speaking tonight in Subang!
He has been deemed irrelevent ever since 1998, but yet remains a thorn in the side of the establishment.

It won'tbe covered by mainstream newspapers - perhaps Malaysiakini will cover it?? Malaysiakini afterall is reporting only "the news that matters."

Tonight, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be introducing our very own local boy for Seri Setia and fellow La Sallian; Sdr Nik Nazmi and for Parliament; GuoBurneLoh made famous by the Lingam case.

If you are around the area and a fellow Subang-ite...come hear Datuk seri and meet the candidates.

The flip flop PM

PM BAdawi yesterday said Parliament won't be dissolved tommorrow. Then in the afternoon on the next day he decides to dissolve parliament. 5 possible reasons for his flip flop decision:
1) He is a liar and makes empty promises
2) He doesn't know his plans from day to day and makes decisions on the move
3) He received urgent news which caused him to change his mind over night
4) He received inspirition last night which caused him to change his mind
5) He was misquoted

Whatever it is this PM loves to go back on his words...flip flop, u turns and all stcitches..


Parliament won’t be dissolved today, says PM - report : The STAR

BANGI: Parliament will not be dissolved today.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi put an end to such speculation, telling reporters here yesterday: “Esok tak ada (No, it won’t be tomorrow)”.

He also denied that today’s Cabinet meeting would be the last with his present team of ministers before Parliament is dissolved to pave the way for the next general election.

“What makes you think that? How do you know it’s going to be the last Cabinet meeting (before elections are called)?” he asked when responding to a question.

Asked if there would be more Cabinet meetings with the present team, Abdullah said: “Yes, there will be more.”

The Cabinet meets every Wednesday. The Prime Minister’s comments yesterday means it is still a guessing game as to when the polls would be called.

Abdullah, who is Barisan Nasional chairman, also said there would be no compromise in picking only clean candidates.

“In the last elections (2004), there were some people who were potential candidates, but they were being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA). Their files were with the ACA, so I did not choose them,” he said.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Thak goodness CNY celebration last for 15 days....perfect for procrastinators...

The spin has begun....

Tis the season of "spin" and we need to discern truth and propoganda. Here is an example as highlighted by blogger Jeff Ooi at http://www.jeffooi.com/

Your per capita income up 40%, now at RM22,345? 5:37pm, February 9.

I immediately connected with Tony Pua, DAP Sec-Gen's Economic Advisor, moments after the Star SMS Alert reached me.Bank Negara's rogue forex speculator, now Second Finance Minister, Nor Mohamed Yakcop was quoted as saying in Penang that Malaysia's per capita income rose by 40% in 2007 compared with 2004.

He said that per capita income was now RM22,345 compared with RM15,819 previously.

In other words, Nor Mohamed was implying that Malaysians from all walks of life are better off now than four years ago, when Abdullah took over from Mahathir.
Tony has this response:

Nor Mohamed Yakcop must either be completely out of his mind, or can no longer perform simple Mathematics or worse, attempting to insult the intelligence of ordinary Malaysians.

Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 5.0%, 5.9% and an estimated 6.0% in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively according to the Government's official statistics. (Source available here)
Based on the above growth rates over the past 3 years, Malaysia's GDP grew by approximately 17.9% from 2004 to 2007.
Income or GDP per capita is calculated by dividing the GDP with the total population. Therefore, it is completely inconceivable that our per capita income increased by 40% when our GDP grew by only 17.9%. Unless of course, the honourable Minister believes that our population shrunk by some 16%!
To achieve 40% growth, Malaysia must be growing in excess of 12% per annum. Hence, to grow by 40% over 3 years, with a population growing at just under 2% per annum, that will actually make Malaysia the fastest growing economy in Asia, outstripping even China and India.
The Second Finance Minister should refrain from getting intoxicated by the general election fever, in the attempts to paint a heavenly picture of the Malaysian economy. He must instead make an official public apology for his outrageous claims.

Equity Conditions for Investment into Malaysia

This set of conditions taken out of the Economic Planning Unit's (EPU) Foreign Investment Committee. In other words this is the document meant in providing guidelines for foreigners who wish to invest in Malaysia. If you had a million ringgit would you put it in Malaysia given these "guidelines"....
Equity Conditions
13.1 Companies which do not have any Bumiputera equity or having less than
30% Bumiputera equity, are required to have or to increase the
Bumiputera equity to at least 30%. The remaining equity shareholding
can be held either by local interest, foreign interest or by both;

13.2 Companies with Bumiputera equity shareholding of 30% or more, but
less than 51% are required to maintain at least 30% Bumiputera equity at
all times;

13.3 Companies which already have Bumiputera equity shareholding of 51%
or more, will be required to maintain at least 51% Bumiputera equity at all
times;

13.4 The requirement of at least 30% Bumiputera equity participation will be
applied uniformly except if expressly stated otherwise by the
Government; guidelines:

Go to:
http://www.epu.jpm.my/new%20folder/fic/GP_Properties.pdf

How attractive......emmmm

Malaysian NEP had Nobel goals

Upon greater investigation of the NEP, I must say that its goals are pretty nobel but I cannot see how it is to be fulfilled given the current trajectory it is in. It does speak volumes for the wisdom of our earlier leaders.
I put here an excerpt of the NEP goals taken from the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Dept.:

The NEP underscored the importance of achieving socio-economic goals alongside pursuing economic growth objectives as a way of creating harmony and unity in a nation with many ethnic and religious groups. The overriding goal was national unity. To achieve this goal, two major strategies were adopted:
1) To reduce absolute poverty irrespective of race through raising income levels and increasing employment opportunities for all Malaysians; and
2) To restructure society to correct economic imbalances so as to reduce and eventually eliminate the identification of race with economic function.

How did we get so far off tangent??
Emmmm.....

will they invest in Malaysia......

It is very obvious to many that we are losing competitiveness because of NEP. In the area of education and economics. We are shooting ourselves in the foot if we persist. Anwar Ibrahim reiterates here "NEP is OBSOLETE." Unfortunately asking for an end to such policies is like asking an end to the political party who started it...

AFP Malaysiakini,Jan 24, 08 3:08pm

A leading opposition figures today said the country was losing out economically to regional rivals because of long-running policies favouring ethnic Malays.Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia's ability to attract foreign investment had been compromised by keeping the country's affirmative action policies in favour of the Malay majority."That policy is obsolete... We are losing our competitiveness. Malaysia is less competitive than the 1990s," Anwar, whose PKR party is formally led by his wife, told reporters in Hong Kong."Foreign investments, we have lost. Growth, we have lost. Attractiveness, which is key to an emerging market, is lost."Not to China and India, but to Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia because of our obsolete policies. If you persist in pursuing this agenda, you do it not only at the expense of the Chinese and the Indians, but also of the Malays."Malaysia has pursued the policies for Malays and indigenous groups known as bumiputeras since the 1970s to close a wealth gap with the minority Chinese community.In recent months, the government has been shaken by rare public demonstrations which erupted last November, including against alleged discrimination against Malaysia's ethnic Indians.

Religious controversies

Anwar added that Malaysia's creeping "Islamisation" was also turning away foreign investors.Malaysia has experienced a string of religious controversies in recent months.A Catholic newspaper was banned from using the word "Allah", or "God", in its Malay language section, while a Hindu woman lost her bid to stop the conversion of her child to Islam after Malaysia's highest court ruled that her now-Muslim husband can convert their elder son.Anwar was sacked from the former government of Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 and then jailed for six years following sodomy and corruption charges.The sodomy charge was later overturned and Anwar was released but he is barred from public office or holding any position with a political party until April because of the corruption conviction.insist on going down this path.

Founding fathers had deep convictions

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Thomas Jefferson - Declaration of Independence

The foundation on which all [constitutions] are built is the natural equality of man, the denial of every preeminence but that annexed to legal office, and particularly the denial of a preeminence by birth.
Thomas Jefferson, April 16, 1784

The freedom and happiness of man...[are] the sole objects of all legitimate government.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thaddeus Kosciusko, 1810


The founding fathers of America had a conviction, obviously derived from their Christian heritage and the Bible. This in turn influenced the writing of the Constitution and the crafting of the United States.

The understanding that no preeminence was to be given to anyone, especially out of birth right as each individual was created equal in the eyes of God. Not only equal, but each individual was special and therefore to be respected and accorded the same Rights as the other. Rights which they belive were endowed by God. Psalm 139:14 Each of us are fearfully and wonderfully made

If we are mortal beings, sharing the same fate, living in the same land, drinking the same water - should we not seize to give support to any political party who uses race and religion as a dividing factor and who gives priveleges to those who are born of a certain race; irregardless of their wealth and social status.

Giving people something to hope for...

The Republican Party are setting their target on Obama after his successful stint at the caususes. This is what Republican candidate Huckabee had to say:

But there was also a sense that Mr. Obama had upended the race by using optimism and calls for change to draw support from first-time and independent voters. "We'd better be careful as a party, because if we don't give people something to be for, and only something to be against, we're going to lose that next election," said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

When I heard Obama on The Oprah Show in October last year, I thought this man is going far. He speaks with conviction and principles.

I presume in anything people are looking for hope. In Malaysia, apart from a corrupt and racist government, what can the people hope for? What can the opposition promise in terms of a brighter and better Malaysia?

This is what we have to make clear.