My Bru Café

When it's a crime to save your home - non fiction

2011-09-09T12:42:00.000+08:00

Picture this. You are a doctor who has been faithfully serving the government in a hospital in Pahang for more than a decade. You remained in service all these years to serve the people, save lives and give back to the community. Being the ever grateful son, you never left home even after getting married. As a doctor in the government service you live a life that is hectic, stressful and demanding. The only thing you look forward to at the end of the day is going back home, back to a home filled with loud and cheerful children, a loving and dedicated wife, ever accommodating and understanding parents, a faithful mongrel that you walk every night after dinner, and not forgetting your X Box of course. You look forward to the weekends that you spend fishing, hiking and swimming in the river, all at the comforts of your backyard.

One morning you wake up to a news that will most probably change your life forever. Rumor has it that a rare earth processing plant is going to be built by an Australian company called Lynas some 2 kilometers away from the house you've lived in all your life.You think nothing of it and carry on with your daily routine, having faith that the government of the day will not indulge in anything that would be detrimental to the safety of the people of Kuantan. 5 months down the line, after a comfortable hiatus, a bomb shell drops in Kuantan. The rare earth processing plant is nearly half complete and everyone you know in Kuantan is crying foul. The state and federal government remain quiet. There's nothing much on the main stream media. The electronic media on the other hand is uncovering loads of dirt about the plant and the radioactive waste that will be dumped at your backyard. You worry of the possible misfortune that might just befall your place of birth. You start participating in activities opposing the plant. Saving lives might be second nature to you but the fight to save your home is something new and alien to you. You join civil movements and organizations to try to stop this plant. You buy t-shirts and stickers and stick them on your car with much pride.You join hands with other citizens of Kuantan to save your home and soon hope builds as the struggle starts gaining momentum and support from Malaysians all around the country and even from Australians themselves. Legal actions have been initiated against the Lynas plant here in Malaysia and soon to be in Australia. A team of Malaysians have left for Australia to start legal ground work there. You start to feel that your home might just be saved from the wrath of Lynas after all.

You wake up and go to work the next morning feeling extra zest and motivated. You feel empowered. Then all of a sudden a spanner is thrown into the works. In a turn of events you receive a notice from the director of the hospital and the state health department prohibiting you from participating in any anti Lynas activities, including the stickers on your car. They tell you that whatever you have been doing all this while is wrong and you risk facing disciplinary action if you are found to be involved in such activities. A junior doctor you know brushes this warning off, calling the state health director a dick and vows to carry on fighting against Lynas. He is a bachelor with no commitments. You on the other hand, have mouths to feed, bills to pay and the list goes on. You are a senior doctor in your hospital, one who commands much respect and holds a considerable amount of authority. You can ill afford breaking ranks with those above you. You are in a dilemma. Does anyone have the right to stop you from saving your home?

The above story is non fiction

Read the report in The Malaysian Insider: Pahang civil servants barred from anti-Lynas protests.

With courtesy or in bad taste? - 8TV - Updated

2011-08-02T14:33:00.003+08:00

You be the judge. Are these PSA videos by 8 tv courteous or insulting? Watch...

Lynas Advanced Material Plant - What Has MMA Pahang Done?

2011-08-01T17:09:00.002+08:00

Click on image to enlarge...

Taken From Berita MMA July 2011.

SABM Inaugural Rakyat Voices Series

2011-07-27T21:19:00.001+08:00

For all those stricken by the Bersih 2.0 Yellow Fever, come one come all to SABM's Inaugral Rakyat Voices Series launch this Saturday, 30th July 2011 at Rumah Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, No. 66 Lorong Setiabistari 1, Bukit Damansara. Come share your thoughts and opinions on what's happening in Malaysia with other peace loving fellow Malaysians. Click image below for more info.

Rumah SABM Google Map here.

Beyond The Submarines.

2011-07-23T14:15:00.005+08:00

Something i feel worth reproducing. Taken From masterwordsmith-unplugged without permission (sorry friend, sometimes piracy can be accepted ya). You tube videos were uploaded by me...

Beyond The Submarines (Posted by masterwordsmith On Friday, July 22, 2011)

This evening, more than 600 people turned up for the Ops Scorpene Fund Raising Dinner that was held at the Sunshine Square Banquet Hall. Speakers of the evening were Cynthia Gabriel (Suaram), William Bourdon, Tian Chua, Lim Kit Siang and Mohamad Sabu (PAS). Judging by the strong support for the event this evening, more and more Malaysians are not only more politically conscious and seeking truth and justice, but they are also impatient to see the end of corruption in our country!

Cynthia Gabriel of Suaram announced that donations and ticket sales in Penang surpassed the 100k target that they had set. That for Kuala Lumpur was higher by 50k. However, much more is needed to finance the court case as William Bourdon had informed her that the translation fees for one document was about 20 000 Euros. As such, the fundraising effort is ongoing and not confined to the dinners alone.

The speaker of the evening, William Bourdon, is a lawyer based in Paris who works with Sherpa, a non-profit organisation. Bourdon specialises in the defense of human rights and victims of crimes against humanity. It was to be expected that he could not reveal anything new due to the ongoing court case. Most sincerely, he confessed that when he took on the case, he was initially filled with pessimistic thoughts but throughout the period, he acknowledged that there has been progress in the case and believed that the day will come when we will have access to truth and justice. Most emphatically, he reiterated the necessity of completely obliterating corruption - which if left unchecked, leads to impunity. He ended his speech with the following words, "There is no democracy if there is no eradication of corruption."

Tian Chua gave a detailed rundown of the Scorpene submarine issue and raised many pertinent questions including:

1. Why wasn't coordination and training of staff included in the purchase of the submarines?

2. How was the 114 million Euros spent?

3. Does Perimekar Sdn Bhd pay tax?

4. Why didn't the cost of the submarines come with provision of spare parts and rescue services?

5. He disclosed a staggering amount for both rescue services and maintenance of the two submarines just so they can sail in our waters for 136 days a year. And to think that such a huge amount can be spent on that whilst the government cuts subsidies and tells us to tighten our belts, take less sugar and save electricity!

6. The submarines also did not come with torpedoes and missiles so the government has to pay extra. On 22 June 2010, the Defence Minister revealed that the government has paid Euro 219.265million (about RM890 million) for 40 units of Exocet SM39 missile and 30 units Black Shark torpedo - to be delivered by 2013.

So this means we have two submarines which we know at one point in time could not dive, and which came without spare parts, maintenance services and sans missiles and torpedoes until 2013.

In the mean time, we have to pray that no one attacks us before 2013 for if so, what use are the submarines which were purportedly purchased to boost our nation's defense?

7. Incidentally, what is the progress like for the infrastructure for the submarine base in Sabah?

8. Tian Chua highlighted that what Malaysia really needs include speedboats to deter and to arrest would-be smugglers/illegal immigrants, a good patrol system to guard our waters, higher salaries for our police and soldiers and most of all a better social system so that our people do not turn to crime.

Mohamad Sabu of PAS created a furore when he entered the banquet hall in his wheelchair. Clearly, he was a personality much loved by the people. With a sardonic expression, he informed the audience that he had been accused of pretending to be injured during the Bersih rally. Humbly, he took out his X-ray slides that showed his injury after which he shared candidly about his operation.

Popularly known as Mat Sabu, he gave the crowd a battle cry and his exact words which I copied copiously:

"Pergilah ke kampung. Loceng kecemasan sudah berbunyi. Kita mestilah selamatkan Malaysia."

Yes, we all have to do our part to increase awareness not just in the urban areas but also in rural areas where many are still unconverted.

The final speaker of the evening was Lim Kit Siang who looked pretty cool in his shades as he sauntered to the pulpit to speak. With a flourish, he took off his dark glasses and started to address the crowd. It has been some time since I last saw him and I could not help but notice the bags under his eyes, the wrinkled face. Contrastingly, his voice was just as crisp as the time I heard him speak decades ago - when I resolved even as a young girl to always vote for the Opposition. And now, that fire in him still burns brightly and the crowd was agog to hear him express indignation over the TBH RCI. He warmed the hearts of those in the crowd when he declared that Bersih 2.0 is the real 1Malaysia to moot for a clean Malaysia, free of corruption!

The underlying message of the evening was crystal clear. Whilst over 600 had gathered to raise funds for Ops Scorpene, beyond the submarine issue is the pressing need for a new Malaysia - one that upholds standards of accountability, transparency and justice. The crooks cannot keep strutting around in their arrogance and think they can get away with it. Yes, the government has to have a full audit and enquiry into this issue to account for every single cent that has been spent on it - which is your money, my money - OUR MONEY!!!

It is clear that people power is rising and we want a government that is free of any form of corruption! Any expenditure must be made solely and wholly for the rakyat and not for any other persons/reason. Corruption is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal. Now is the time for us to ensure our government returns to democratic ideals for the people. Vote wisely in the next election to make that a REALITY!

Free the PSM EO6...i've done mine, have you?

2011-07-21T15:25:00.003+08:00

Went to the Sentosa police station in Klang to lodge my report yesterday. Upon arrival i showed them the draft copy of my report to be. I was the first to lodge a report as such at that police station it seemed (i checked with the officers there). Two police officers took turns reading the draft and paced suspiciously in and out of their office numerous times (verifying with their superior on the next mode of action i guess) before i was allowed to lodge my report. I was given the choice of either letting the attending officer type my report or i do it myself. I chose the later. Upon the completion of my report i stumbled upon a striking red notice at the bottom of the screen that read: "Adakah laporan ini berkaitan dengan perhimpunan haram BERSIH 2.0 pada 9 July 2011?" with two ya & tidak check boxes below it. The officers there, otherwise, treated me with due respect and courtesy. I was then given a copy of my report and after a brief teleconversation was instructed (by the attending officer), for reasons unknown to me, to got to IPD Klang to give my statement to one Inspector Azhar who was the I.O (investigating officer). I stopped for a drink with my friend on the way to IPD when i received a call from Insp. Azhar informing me politely that it was not necessary for me to go give my statement to him and that Dr. Xavier had just done his report and did not give a statement either. I called up Nalini (from SUARAM) to verify this fiasco. Apparently the police are attempting to intimidate people by trying to arrest those who are called in to give their statements. Why? why are they doing this? What, now we don't even have the right to lodge a police report? Simply ridiculous and outrages. The BN regime has lost all sense of humility and it's time to take them out...

KFC?...not for me! - updated

2011-07-13T13:02:00.001+08:00

Just clearing my emails and stumbled upon this mail forwarded to me by a friend. Disgusting...

Read the full news from Yahoo News here.

N.B: KFC Malaysia replied very promptly to this post. Please read KFC Malaysia's reply in comment.

Rakyat vs BN...we won!

2011-07-11T13:23:00.001+08:00

What a day it was. The first half of the day appeared rather lull and baron, but as the clock ticked pass 12:00 PM, i started seeing brave Malaysians taking it to the streets. My journey with a fellow doctor started at 11:30 am. We parked my car at the Seputeh station and boarded a train to Brickfields. We were at Brickfields by 12:15 pm. All was relatively quiet there with people standing around in small groups waiting for the next thing to happen. Not having had my breakfast, we stopped over at a restaurant for a quick 'aloo pratta' with spicy chicken.

By 12:30 pm people started pouring in from every possible side of Brickfields and the march to Stadium Merdeka commenced. By then tears gas and water canons had already come into play at Daya Bumi and Menara Maybank. Both of us (my friend and i) were then directed to Menara Maybank attend to anyone who might be needing medical assistance. By the time we reached Menara Maybank the police had already cordoned off the road leading to Pudu Raya and the crowd had moved into Petaling Street. At Petaling street we joined two suaram members monitoring the crowd and looking out for any police violations and for any one needing medical attention. To make a long story short, we witnessed the water canons, the tear gas, the pepper sprays and the police brutality. Other than a foot cramp, my front fortunately did not see any serious injuries.

I was, on the 9th of July 2011, proud to be a part of and in solidarity with some 40-50 odd thousand peace loving Malaysians from all walks of life who marched in defiance of all possible harm that would have come their way and i admire how they did it with much decorum and restraint. It was also a privilege having served as member of the BERSIH 2.0's medical team.

All i can tell Najib right now is...we won!

N.B:
I would like to thank Faridah Ibrahim, Edmund Bon, Wong Chin Huat and the SUARAM team (Nalini, Hasbee Abu Bakar and Andika) for coordinating and giving me the opportunity to serve BERSIH 2.0

Also a word of thanks to my fellow doctor (who is still in government service), who despite being warned by his Heads of Departments, risked everything to attend the rally and help out. Cheers to you mate!

P/S:
After the crowd had dispersed, we went over to the other side of the divide to see if any of the police officers required any medical attention before taking leave for the day

What do i need to know before attending the Bersih 2.0 rally

2011-07-08T17:58:00.000+08:00

What to Wear
 -comfortable, protective shoes that you can run in
 -clothing covering all your skin to protect from sun and pepper spray
  exposure.
 -shatter-resistant eye protection (i.e. sunglasses, swim goggles,or 
  gas mask)
 -zip-lock with bandana soaked in cider vinegar (water if nothingelse).
  It can aid in breathing during chemical exposure
 -weather-related gear (i.e. rain gear or sun hat)
 -heavy-duty gloves if you plan to handle hot tear gas canisters
 -fresh clothes in plastic bag (in case yours get contaminated by
  chemical weapons)
 -a cap or a hat to protect you from the sun and from chemicalweapons

What to Bring
 -lots of water in a plastic bottle with sport-top, to drink and to 
  wash off your skin or eyes, if needed
 -energy snacks
 -identification and/or emergency contact information ONLY if you 
  want to be cited out of jail in the event of arrest
 -just enough money for pay-phone, food, transportation
 -watch, paper, pen for accurate documentation of events, police 
  brutality, injuries
 -water- or alcohol-based sunscreen
 -inhaler, epipen, insulin or other meds if applicable
 -several days of prescription medication and doctor's note in case 
  of arrest
 -menstrual pads, if needed. Avoid using tampons - if you're 
  arrested you may not have a chance to change it (tampons left in 
  more than six hours increase your risk of developing toxic shock 
  syndrome)

What not to do
 -Don't put vaseline, mineral oil, oil-based sunscreen or
  moisturizers on skin as they can trap chemicals.
 -Don't wear contact lenses, which can trap irritating chemicals 
  underneath.
 -Don't wear things which can easily be grabbed (i.e. dangly 
  earrings or other jewelry, ties, loose hair).
 -Don't go to the demo alone, if you can help it. It is best to go 
  with an affinity group or some friends who know you well.
 -Don't forget to eat food and DRINK LOTS OF WATER.

Of Pepper Sprays and Tear Gas:
The first thing to remember about exposure to these chemical weapons 
is that it is not the worst thing that could happen to you. The hype
and fear surrounding them is enormous, but in reality, if you are
careful and smart, you should survive it with little problem. This
information is the result of conversations with experts, pepper spray
trials done by the Black Cross, and our combined experiences of
treating thousands of people in various actions, including the WTO in
Seattle, and the IMF/WB in DC.

What They Are:
Tear gas (also called CS, CN, or CX) and pepper spray (OC) are chemical
compounds that are weapons designed to be used by the military and
police to disperse crowds and subdue individuals. They are mucous
membrane (the inside of your mouth and nose, among other places, are
ined with mucus membrane) and skin irritants. They are mixed with
solvents, and delivered through the use of propellants. Some people think
some of these can cause cancer, birth defects and genetic mutations.
In Seattle, one batch of tear gas contained methylene chloride, a highly
toxic solvent which can cause mental confusion, headache, tingling of the
limbs, rapid heartbeat, visual and auditory hallucinations, menstruation 
cycle disruption, spontaneous abortion, and varying effects on lungs and 
the digestive system.

How They Are Deployed: 
Tear gas and pepper spray can be sprayed from small hand-held 
dispensers or large fire-extinguisher size tanks. Tear gas is most 
commonly deployed via canisters, which are fired into crowds, 
sometimes directly at people. Don't pick up the canisters without
gloves as they are extremely hot. Be aware that the time it takes
you to throw it will allow you to be heavily exposed.

How They Affect You: 
Both tear gas and pepper spray are skin irritants, causing burning 
pain and excess drainage from eyes, nose, mouth and breathing passages. 
Pepper spray is more popular with authorities as an agent of control 
because of its immediate pain-causing qualities. It is harder to 
remove from the skin and has the capacity to cause first degree burns.
If you are exposed to either,you may experience stinging, burning in 
your eyes, nose, mouth and skin excessive tearing, causing your vision
to blur, runny nose, increased salivation, coughing and difficulty 
breathing, disorientation, confusion and sometimes panic.

Some people report feeling intense anger. This can be useful if you are
prepared and able to focus it towards recovery and returning to the 
action. The good news is that the effects are temporary. Discomfort 
from tear gas usually disappears after 5-30 minutes, while the worst 
pepper spray discomfort may take 20 minutes to 2 hours to subside. 
The effects of both diminish sooner with treatment. Because pepper 
spray penetrates to the nerve endings, its effects may last for hours 
after removal from the skin. 

There are many myths about treatment and prevention. Much of this 
misinformation is potentially dangerous. Some of it, if applied, 
could greatly increase or prolong a person's reaction to exposure, 
or at the very least provide a false sense of security.

Prevention:
For most healthy people, the effects of tear gas and pepper spray 
are temporary. However, for some people the effects can be 
long-lasting and life-threatening. People with the conditions 
listed below should be aware of these risks and may want to try 
and avoid exposure. Please be aware that intense actions, 
police behavior can be unpredictable, and avoidance is not 
always possible.Folks with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, 
emphysema, risk exacerbation or permanent damage if exposed.
Vulnerable people such as infants, the elderly, and the immune 
compromised,risk intensified and possibly life-threatening 
responses. Anyone with chronic health conditions or those on 
medications that weaken the immune system, (ie: chemotherapy, 
Lupus, HIV, radiation, or long-term corticosteroids such as 
prednisone) risk exacerbation of illness,intensified response
and possible delayed recovery.
Women who are or could be pregnant, or who are trying to get 
pregnant may be at risk of spontaneous abortion or increased
risk of birth defects. 
Nursing mothers risk passing toxins on to their infant.
Folks with skin (ie: severe acne, psoriasis, or eczema) and 
eye(ie: conjunctivitis or uveitis) conditions risk an 
intensified response. People wearing contact lenses may 
experience increased eye irritation and damage due to 
chemicals being trapped under the lenses. 

Protection:
 Avoid the use of oils and lotions because they seem to "trap" 
the chemicals and thereby prolong exposure. We recommend using
a water or alcohol-based sunscreen (rather than oil-based). If
your choice is between oil-based or nothing, we advocate using 
the sunscreen. Pepper spray on top of sunburn is not good.  We
also recommend minimizing skin exposure by covering up as much
as possible. This can also protect you from the sun, as can a 
hat. Gas masks provide the best facial protection,if properly
fitted and sealed. Alternatively, goggles (with shatter-proof
lenses), respirators, even a wet bandana over the nose and 
mouth will help. 

How to deal: 
 STAY CALM. Panicking increases the irritation. Breathe 
slowly and remember it is only temporary. If you see it 
coming or get a warning, put on protective gear, if able, 
try to move away or get upwind. Blow your nose, rinse your 
mouth, cough and spit. Try not to swallow. If you wear 
contacts, try to remove the lenses or get someone to remove
them for you, with CLEAN, uncontaminated fingers. DO NOT RUB IT IN. 

Remedies:
There are some things that you can do after being sprayed to help 
minimize the discomfort. None of these are miracle cures: using 
these remedies will help people to feel better faster, but it will 
still take time. 

For the eyes and mouth:
 We recommend an eye flush using a solution of half liquid antacid
(Maalox) and half water. 
 A bottle with a squirt cap is ideal for the eye flush. Always 
irrigate from the inside corner of the eye towards the outside, 
with head tilted back and slightly towards the side being rinsed. 
It needs to get into the eye to help. You may need to help open 
the victims eye for them - they most likely wont be able willing
to open it themselves, and opening will cause a temporary increase 
in pain, but it does help. This works great as a mouth rinse too, 
as long as the victim is alert and breathing normally. Spit it 
out after rinsing.

For the skin:
 We recommend treating small areas at a time with MOFIBA (mineral 
oil followed immediately by alcohol)Caution: in order to perform 
this procedure correctly, you need to be trained. If done 
improperly, harm can be done. Carefully avoid the eyes at all times.
Afterward, remove contaminated clothing and take a shower in the 
coldest water you can stand. Wash your clothes with strong 
detergents as soon as you are able. This shit is toxic, and will 
continually contaminate you and everyone around you until you get 
rid of it. Until then, try not to touch your eyes or your face, 
or other people, furniture, carpets etc. to avoid further 
contamination.

Remember, it is only temporary, and we are extremely strong.

(Taken from Black Rose Collective)

Some important telephone numbers:

Bersih police violation sms report: 013 2102002

Legal Aid: 03 26913005, 03 26932072, 03 55107007, 
03 32812428

Legal Aid sms: 019 3255825 (Ravin), 0122841895 (Leena), 
0163435202 (Stephanie), 019 6353151 (Jeeva)

Jabatan Undang Undang & Hak Asasi Manusia (JUHAM): 
016 3126463, 016 3126473, 014 6451753, 012 2392879

Suaram: 03 77843525

It's a date...at Stadium Merdeka!

2011-07-07T11:32:00.002+08:00

It's confirmed then. See you all at Stadium Merdeka this Saturday, 9th July at 2pm. Come one come all. Come in yellow, come in white, come in black, come in your favorite psychedelic pink or any other color. All colors are welcomed. Let not the fear of color deny you and generations to come the right to a better future. This nation was built on pillars of many colors. Let all colors come together in solidarity for a better nation.

See you there!

A little help for the people of Kuantan

2011-06-10T11:19:00.000+08:00

The people of Kuantan are trying their very best to stop Lynas rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan. This project was approved by our Department Of Environment and our government in February 2008 in a record breaking 2 months. Notwithstanding the Bukit Merah tragedy, it is rather apparent that the government is going to bulldoze this project through. This plant is expected to start operations in September 2011. In their efforts to stop this disaster in the making, the people of Kuantan are appealing for all help possible. They have kick-started a signature campaign to encourage an online Australian community advocacy organization to help us take up this issue to the Australian government. If this is important and relevant to your aspirations, please go here to show your support. All you have to do is vote for the campaign and leave a comment if you want. You are allowed up to three votes. I used all my 3 votes.

Who are the Directors of Lynas Malaysia?

2011-06-01T13:06:00.002+08:00

So far the identity of the Malaysian directors of Lynas Malaysia have been unclear. I did some searching and found out the below:

1) Tan Ai Ning (Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia) - Ms. Tan is a Manager of Corporate Secretarial of Securities Services (Holdings) Sdn. Bhd. Read here

2) Chua Siew Chuan (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) - Ms.Chua is a Managing Director of Securities Services (Holdings) Sdn. Bhd. Read here

3) Pan Seng Wee (Shah Alam, Malaysia) - Ms. Pan is a Manager of Securities Services (Holdings) Sdn. Bhd. Read here.

4) Tan Hor Seng (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) - The only Tan Hor Seng that surfaced in my search was a director of the Reco Group who own 48% of the Sunway Resort, Hotel, Lagoon, Tower, City. Read here

5) Mash’ Al Bin Ahmad (Kuantan Pahang, Malaysia)- unable retrive any info

Some interesting facts that were noteworthy:

All three from Securities Services Sdn Bhd are joint secretaries for Sino Hua An International Berhad. In addition, Ms. Tan Ai Ning even served as a Director of Sino Hua An International Berhad until 2007 (DOE approved Lynas in 2008). Sino Hua An International owns one of the largest metallurgical coke plants in China's Shandong province and is into mining, production and sale of metallurgical coke. Sino Hua An International was the company that came to the rescue of Antah Holdings Bhd when it was at the verge of getting delisted. See who sits on the on Sino Hua An's board of directors here.

Are Sino Hua An International and Reco Group stakeholders in Lynas Malaysia? Are the above mentioned just proxies? What i have uncovered may be relevant / irrelevant, accurate / inaccurate. So, please feel free to do your own research and correct / update me.

Cheers

Of rare earth and a greedy government

2011-05-27T18:30:00.006+08:00

As i was having a conversation with my wife a couple of days back and i stumbled upon how oblivious she was of the latest happenings in Kuantan. A day later, she calls me up from the office and says "you know what? none of my colleagues knew anything about the rare earth fiasco either and i being the knowledgeable one briefed them on the matter". A proud moment for my wife indeed i presume. It then dawned upon me that my wife should not be fully blamed for her ignorance on the matter. In today's Malaysia acid splashers, the great achievements of Najib and his government, who married who, who got divorced from who and the likes get more media attention and space as opposed to real issues plaguing the society. I write this for my dear wife and for the knowledge of those who want to know...

Some Background

Rare earth elements / metals are a set of seventeen elements in the periodic table. However, because of their geochemical properties rare earth elements are typically dispersed and not often found in concentrated and economically exploitable forms. It was the very scarcity of these minerals (previously called "earths") that led to the term "rare earth" (Taken from Wikipedia). Rare earth metals and other materials that contain them are used to manufacture hi tech devices that people use every day such as computer memory, DVD's, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, car catalytic converters, magnets, fluorescent lighting and many others.

The refining process of rare earth metals unfortunately, can leave behind thousands of tons of low-level radioactive waste. Malaysia, a victim of one of the biggest rare earth disaster ever known should know better than to indulge in another rare earth project. In 1982 Asian Rare Earth (ARE), a joint-venture between Mitsubishi Chemical industries Ltd, Beh Minerals, Lembaga Urusan dan Tabung Haji and several bumiputera businesses began operating a rare earth mining and processing plant in Bukit Merah, Perak. In 1992 the plant was closed down due to higher than normal levels of leukaemia and birth defects in the area. Mitsubishi Chemicals is still cleaning up what is said to be one of the largest contaminated sites in Asia. This is also believed to be the largest radiation cleanup (RM303 million) yet in the rare earth industry. Ipoh residents blamed the rare earth refinery for birth defects and eight leukemia cases within five years in a community of 11,000. Read about this in the New York Times.

Current scenario

Over the past twenty years or so, the demand for rare earth metals have grown exponentially with 95% of the worlds supply coming from China. China is now cutting down rare earth exports to the rest of the world (up to about 50%) to protect it's own back yard. This is going to effect a large part of the world that consumes China's rare earth, namely Japan, U.S and the EU. Thus, we now see the global race for rare earth, with China joining in the race (to look for rare earth outside of its country). And that is how Malaysia got involved in this rare earth mess all over again. The stakes are high, and so are the payoffs. It's this exorbitant returns that has clouded the eyes of the greedy and foolhardy BN government. Despite high chances of history repeating itself, the BN government (ignoring the welfare of the people) proceeded to sign up with Lynas Corporation to set up a rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan. In this arrangement, rare earth ore will be brought to Malaysia from Mount Weld in Australia, processed and exported throughout the world. The bad news is we get to keep the radioactive by-product in Malaysia. In another unrelated incident, the Perak state government signed an MOU with CVM Minerals Limited from Hong Kong on 18 April 2011 to conduct exploration and mining of rare earth and other potential minerals in Bukit Merah...again. After much uproar from the people, news portals, bloggers etc, the perak state government came out in full damage control mode and allegedly stopped the project. Something tells me we've not seen the last of Bukit Merah yet. Right now the people of Kuantan can use all the support they can get. You can join their Pahang Don't Need "Hazardous" Project facebook group to show support.

It really intrigues me...are we Malaysians really such suckers to allow the BN government to bend us over and bang us from our behinds again, again and yet again. Have we no shame? Have we no pride? Have we no dignity? Let's vote BN out of parliament and save our nation. Kuburkan BN!

RPK - Good guy or bad guy?

2011-04-29T12:02:00.000+08:00

The Malaysian news and blog world is a buzz with news of RPK and his latest antiques. Many of RPKs fans and supporters feel dejected and let down after his TV3 interview and the dramas then unfolded subsequently. Many have now labelled him a turncoat with BN empathizers joining in the 'free for all bash RPK sessions' that seems to be unfolding rather disturbingly. Even Harris was not spared the rain of saliva on his post about 'the Bangkok incident' (read Here). It simply amazes me how Malaysians change their mind and opinion of someone based on pure emotions. From the little i have read of the comments posted on the numerous news portals and blogs, i might just be correct in deducing that these comments reflect poor emotional intelligence amongst the readers (Emotional Intelligence, or EI, describes an ability or capacity to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, and of others). To me it's just a case of much ado about nothing.

I stand corrected, but from the little i know of RPK and his ways, it is highly possible that he is a subtle adrenaline junkie. Subtle adrenaline junkies tend to create drama and crises in their lives, either on a conscious or unconscious level to trigger the body’s stress response and get the rush that comes with the excitement. They have dramatic conflicts with people in their lives, exploding in anger and otherwise causing unnecessary 'drama'. Now that he (RPK) is away in self exile, away from the action, away from the conflicts and danger, away from his stressors, he misses the adrenaline rush. Thus, making him consciously or otherwise create stressful environments around him. On the other hand, Adrenaline a.k.a 'fight or flight' hormone (that is created in large amounts during the adrenaline rush) by its very nature creates a response system that bypasses our rational mind where our more well thought out beliefs exist. This, i believe to a certain extent, answers the questions of why RPK gave the TV3 interview, why he insisted on going to the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok knowing the possible dangers awaiting him there, why he made the SD without fully verifying it's content and substance, etc.

Question: Is RPK a good guy or bad guy?

My verdict: RPK is a good guy. He just needs to learn how to be less hard headed, consult and discuss with other wise people before making important decisions. One good person would be none other than his loyal wife Marina. Women have this natural ability to smell trouble. By heeding his wife's advise, RPK might just be saving himself from lots of trouble. Nevertheless he is still a good guy.

Japan's Nuclear Nightmare : Lessons For Malaysia

2011-04-21T09:30:00.005+08:00

by Dato' Dr. Ronald S. McCoy at a public forum on “Eleven Days After Japan’s Nuclear Fallout: Selangor’s Perspective,” organised by the Selangor state government on 22^nd March 2011 at PJ Hilton.

Introduction

For the past eleven days, Japan has been reeling from an unprecedented human disaster of awesome proportions. First, a record-breaking earthquake, 8.9 on the Richter scale, off the north-eastern coast of the Japanese island of Honshu. Then, a towering ten-metre tsunami which killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed almost everything in its path, and wrecked the cooling systems of a nuclear power plant.

The earthquake automatically shut-down the six nuclear reactors of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant. But it also knocked out the power grid, forcing operators to use back-up generators to keep coolant flowing into hot reactor cores. Then the tsunami swept in, knocked out the generators, cut off power, and finally knocked out the plant’s cooling systems. All at once, four out of its six nuclear reactors were in dire trouble from overheating and in danger of emitting radioactive particles into the environment. Three reactors are threatening a meltdown and a fourth reactor’s spent fuel storage pool on fire and threatening to release deadly radiation into the environment.

Latest reports indicate that significant levels of radioactive iodine-131 have been detected in Tokyo’s tap water and caesium-137 in soil 40 km from Fukushima.

Radioactivity is the spontaneous emission of particles from the unstable nuclei of atoms, such as uranium. There are three main types of radioactivity, easily distinguished by their different penetrating powers. They are alpha, beta and gamma particles.

There are few environmental dangers more lasting or more fearsome than radiation from a nuclear accident. We have experienced such dangers at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. The truth of Murphy’s Law has been revealed once again at Fukushima: “If something can go wrong, sooner or later it will go wrong.”

Beginning of the nuclear age

The nuclear age began during the Second World War, when the twin terrors of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy were spawned by scientists working secretly on a military project. The Manhattan Project scientists succeeded in splitting the nucleus of the uranium atom, unlocking a secret of nuclear physics, and releasing the unimaginable power of nuclear energy lurking within. This nuclear energy was then used to prime the two atomic bombs which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. This indiscriminate, instant obliteration of the two cities was an unpunished war crime by the victors of the Second World War.

Nightmare at Fukushima

Japan, the only country to have experienced nuclear warfare, now faces another nuclear nightmare. Months may pass before we can fully understand and learn from the Fukushima nuclear accident. It has rekindled fading memories of Chernobyl and shifted the balance in the debate on climate change and the risks and benefits of nuclear energy.

It is forcing many countries to review the safety of their nuclear facilities and their energy policies. Germany has responded to strong public anti-nuclear sentiment by reinstating and accelerating its nuclear phase-out policy, and temporarily shutting down the oldest seven of its seventeen reactors. Both India and China, with their expanding economies and energy needs, are reviewing nuclear safety measures, but have not shelved plans to build more reactors in the next ten years. But there is a growing conviction worldwide that nuclear power should be phased out and a serious commitment made to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy conservation.

Malaysia’s nuclear energy plans

In Malaysia, the government’s plan to build two 1,000 MW nuclear reactors continues. In responding to the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water covered his back politically when he said that the decision to build two nuclear reactors will only be made after his colleagues in cabinet have evaluated a paper to be submitted by the new Malaysian Nuclear Power Corporation, a creature of the Economic Transformational Programme.

Questions are in order. Is it possible that the green minister believes that nuclear energy is green? Does the government not think that such a crucial issue as nuclear energy deserves a national debate? Does the government think that it can make a responsible, unilateral decision and then justify it by claiming that it has studied and accepted a report from the very company that will be a beneficiary? How does the government square this with the fact that Malaysia has a forty percent surplus energy supply and does not need nuclear power? Is the government unaware of this fact or is it beginning to believe its own propaganda and misinformation?

Public distrust

The nuclear industry has carried the stamp of secrecy like a birthmark. From its very beginning, the nuclear industry has had a long history of cover-ups and downright deception, with the occasional lapse into silence - the silence of guilt. Public trust in the promoters of nuclear power is almost non-existent. In Britain, America, Germany, Russia, Japan and many other countries, people have not been told the truth about nuclear mishaps and near-misses.

The stricken Japanese population is well aware of the culture of nuclear cover-ups. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), Asia’s biggest utility company, owns and operates the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant. In 2002, TEPCO’s chairman and senior executives had to resign when the Japanese government discovered that they had covered up the existence of structural damage to reactors. In 2006, TEPCO admitted that it had been falsifying data about reactor coolant materials over a long period.

Vexing questions

Radiation is invisible. In a nuclear crisis, there will be many questions about radiation. As the Japanese people are now discovering, it is a nightmare trying to make sense of the uncertainties.

· How do you know when you are in danger?

· How long will this danger persist?

· How can you reduce the danger to yourself and your family?

· What level of exposure is safe?

· How do you get access to vital information in time to prevent or minimise exposure?

· What are the potential health risks and consequences of exposure?

· Whose information can you rely on or trust?

· How do you rebuild a healthy way of life in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster?

These questions are difficult to answer, and they become even more complicated when governments and the nuclear industry maintain tight control of information, technological operations, scientific research, and the bio-medical lessons that shape public health response.

Transparency and accountability

Transparency and accountability do not sit well with the nuclear industry. The filtering or, in effect, the censoring of information has been present from the beginning. It explains why there is no clear consensus on the local and global health consequences of Fukushima.

Immediately after the earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese government and TEPCO issued statements reporting minor damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Later, government and industry officials reported “venting of hydrogen gas”, but asserted that there was “no threat to health.” When hydrogen gas explosions were announced, there were more reassurances of health safety.

In fact, the hydrogen gas released is tritium water vapour. Tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, is a low-emitter of radiation which can be absorbed into the body through breathing or by drinking contaminated water. Tritium decays by beta emission and has a radioactive half-life of about 13 years. Once tritium enters the body, it is uniformly disseminated and is excreted through urine within a month after ingestion. It is toxic and produces low-level radiation that could damage the kidney. As with all ionising radiation, exposure to tritium increases the risk of cancer.

The claim that exposure to low-level radiation does not pose a risk to health is a myth, generated by governments and the nuclear industry. During the nuclear arms race of the Cold War, scientific findings on health risks from nuclear fallout that contradicted the official narrative were censored. Scientists with integrity were discredited, punished or blacklisted. In 1994, the US Advisory Commission on Human Radiation Experimentation concluded that the literature on radiation and health during the Cold War was heavily sanitised and scripted to reassure and pacify public protests.

Decades of official censorship have reinforced the false core message: Human beings have evolved in a world where background radiation is present and is natural, and that any adverse health effect of radiation exposure is the occasional and accidental result of high levels of exposure.

There are other sources of conclusive data that allow a very different interpretation of the health hazards posed by a nuclear disaster. These are several declassified records of US and Soviet human radiation experiments, Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission records, long-term research on Chernobyl survivors, and proceedings of the Marshall Islands Nuclear Claim Tribunal. From these records, some important facts have emerged. For example, nuclear fallout and radioactive contamination of ocean and land ultimately enter the food chain and the human body, and therefore represent significant health risks. Chronic exposure to radiation does more than increase the risk of cancers. It threatens the immune system, exacerbates pre-existing conditions, affects fertility, increases the rate of birth defects, and can retard physical and mental development.

Japan’s ongoing nuclear crisis demonstrates the degree to which the state prioritizes security interests over the fundamental rights of people and their environment. Similar to other government responses to catastrophic events, such as Chernobyl and Katrina, Japan’s response to Fukushima has been to control the content and flow of information to prevent panic and the inevitable loss of trust in the government, reduce legal liability, and protect nuclear and other industry agendas.

It is more than likely that the Malaysian government will respond to a similar crisis in the same way. We still remember its disgraceful attempt to cover up the 1992 illegal and reprehensible dumping of radioactive thorium near Bukit Merah New Village by Mitsubishi’s Asian Rare Earth company.

There are many lessons to be learnt from Fukushima, not least of which is how to respond, adjust, and adapt to dangers and health risks associated with radiation leaks. At all times, there must be strong public demand for transparency and accountability, which can only come from a government that truly believes in and genuinely secures the fundamental rights of its citizens and the rule of just law.

Misleading information

Nuclear energy is not cheap. It is not clean. It is not safe. Just take the problem of nuclear waste, which remains radioactive for thousands of years. Plutonium has a half-life of 24,000 thousand years. There is absolutely no method of safe disposal. All over the world, lethal radioactive waste is accumulating in open casks in nuclear power plants. If medieval man had used nuclear energy, we today would still be burdened with managing his nuclear waste. This is not a legacy to leave future generations.

Yet, vested interests in the government and the nuclear industry are attempting to override common sense and reason. Nuclear power plants, like nuclear weapons, do not forgive mistakes of judgement, simple human negligence, mechanical error, or human error. Despite dire warnings, the Malaysian government continues to trumpet the virtues of nuclear energy and persists in its plans to build nuclear power plants, on the incredible argument that nuclear energy carries no risks and that no mistakes will be made. No one can guarantee that human error will not cause a nuclear accident in Malaysia, which has a suspect construction safety record and a poor maintenance culture.

The nuclear industry has a history of making misleading claims about nuclear safety that have often confused and misled the uninformed. Genuine debate and critical examination have been avoided, evidence ignored, opponents silenced or marginalized, and critical issues of public health and welfare have been answered with standard bland platitudes. Nuclear regulatory bodies have too often acted out of expediency and ignored the health and protection of the public.

Uncertain geological knowledge

Nuclear power requires stability – political stability and geological stability. Countries considering the option of nuclear power need to soberly assess their plans, particularly if they are located in active volcanic regions.

But geological knowledge is incomplete and imperfect. And we rely on such knowledge too heavily when making policy decisions about locating hazardous technologies, such as nuclear power plants.

Nuclear power plants need geologically stable and physically secure environments in which to operate. And nuclear reactors need to be designed and built to withstand what is termed “design basis accidents”. What happened at Fukushima was a “beyond design basis accident.” The nuclear industry gauges its design basis accidents on “credible events,” which are determined by an analysis of probabilities. The Fukushima disaster happened because they got their analysis wrong. The “credible event” or the event that was “reasonably expected to occur” in Fukushima was gauged to be an earthquake of a magnitude no greater than 7.9 and a tsunami no higher than 6.7 metres. It was not anticipated that Fukushima would be struck by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake or a 10-metre high tsunami. But geologists, like all human beings, sometimes get it wrong and cannot always be accurate in their predictions.

So, if a nuclear reactor’s safety margin is based on specific predictions of geological phenomena, then there is a problem, because geologists are not always correct in their bounding assessments. In addition, there are a number of geological processes that come into Donald Rumsfeld’s category of “unknown unknowns.” Geologists, and therefore the nuclear industry, do not know what these geological processes are and therefore cannot make accurate predictions about so-called “credible events.” In other words, it’s very much a guessing game. Perhaps intelligent guessing, but nevertheless guessing!

Interestingly, the 6.3 magnitude Christchurch earthquake occurred on an unknown and unexposed geological fault. In fact, damaging earthquakes have been known to originate from unknown faults.

Malaysia has so far not been traumatized by earthquakes or tsunamis, although placed on the western margins of the Pacific Rim of Fire and close to earthquake prone Indonesia and the Philippines. So, the chances of an earthquake and a biblical tsunami occurring together in a Malaysian coastal area containing nuclear reactors are extremely low. But given geological unpredictability, one cannot completely rule out an earthquake or a tsunami.

Conclusion

The Malaysian government has approached the crucially important issue of nuclear energy in its customary authoritarian manner. It smacks of a domineering, arrogant, undemocratic, corrupt government that has been in power for too long.

There has been no attempt to engage the people of this country in a balanced, rational, informed dialogue on a form of energy that could have the same life-threatening consequences of a nuclear accident which Japan now faces.

Going to the polls periodically is not democracy, when freedom of speech and freedom of the press are constrained and intimidated by arbitrary laws such the Printing Press Act and the Internal Security Act.

In the same way, funding of vested commercial and political interests in the local nuclear industry to disseminate misinformation about nuclear energy to captive audiences cannot be equated with public education about one of the most dangerous forms of energy.

Everything is being done to persuade the public that nuclear energy is good for the economy, the climate and the country. Malaysians must insist on their democratic right to an honest, comprehensive national debate and a national referendum on nuclear energy, with independent oversight. I call on the people of Malaysia to form a people’s coalition to mount a national campaign against the introduction of nuclear energy into Malaysia.

Bibliography:

Dato’ Dr.R.S.McCoy was born in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, in 1930. He received his primary education at Pasar Road School, Kuala Lumpur, and continued his secondary education at the Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur. He was among the first group of students to be admitted to the University of Malaya in Singapore when it was founded in 1949. After his graduation, he worked at the General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur for ten years, during which time he obtained his Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London in 1963. In 1965, he joined the Assunta Hospital as a consultant and nine years later continued his work at Pantai Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur. He retired from practice in February 1996.

Dato’ McCoy is married to Susheila and has two sons, Stephen and David, and a daughter, Ruth. He is a life member of the Malaysian Medical Association and was its President in 1995. He is a founding member of Malaysian Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (MPPNW) and has been its chairman since 1989. He is Co-President of International Physicians for the Preventive of Nuclear War (IPPNW), a Federation of 83 national physicians’ groups, representing 200,000 doctors world wide and dedicated to the elimination of nuclear weapons. He is also a founding member of Physicians for Peace and Social Responsibilty (PPSR). Dato’ McCoy is currently a member of the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, a group of seventeen distinguished and eminent persons from 12 countries appointed by former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating to propose practical measures for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

In addition to these, he is also a member of the Teoh Beng Hock Royal Comimission Watch panel alongside Ambiga Sreenevasan, Dr.Azmi Sharom, Irene Fernandez, Toh Kin Woon, Wong Chin Huat and Yeo Yang Poh.

The price we pay for keeping BN in parliament

2011-04-20T16:00:00.007+08:00

Barely 24 hours after defending it's 2/3rd majority at the Sarawak elections, BN (Najib) announced a new scam to rape the tax payers off their money, millions of it. And for what?...for a freaking eMail Project. The purpose of this eMail project?...to enhance the delivery of government services to consumers and businesses. Dei Najib!, email-email yang saya hantar dari akaun Yahoo! saya ke pejabat-pejabat kerajaan, termasuk Jabatan Perdana Menteri, dah bertahun-tahun masih belum terbalas. Ini pulak nak buat 1 Malaysia email. Podah! Ini sekadar nak samun duit rakyat sahaja! Tak malu ke?

It irks me to see how those who walk the corridors of power can, so non chalantly, rob the tax payers off their hard earned money at their whims and wishes. I can give Najib more than 50 different suggestions on ways to spend that RM50 million in a more beneficial manner. Why do we need to use an exclusive and non cost effective method when the existing free emails can serve the purpose? Who is going to pay for the operating and service cost for this rubbish if not the tax payers? This current BN government seems worse than the previous i would say. Subsidies are being rapidly slashed, existing taxes are being raised, new taxes are being created and implemented, fuel and food prices uncontrolled, new useless exorbitant projects and consignments worth billions are being approved and implemented / purchased.

In addition, the BN government is also planning to set up an electrical home appliances manufacturing hub and international distribution network for Pensonic Holdings Sdn Bhd in Penang worth RM250 million. Does anyone still remember the multi million ringgit MEC city in Gambang (Pahang), one of TDMM's pet projects which ended up a failure and was abandoned only to be taken over by University of Pahang?

This is the price we pay for keeping BN in parliament. Do we still want to go on giving them mandate after mandate after every elections? I wonder how any Malaysian with a sound and rational mind would want to vote for BN the next GE? I hope we do the right thing.

SABM Annual fund-raising dinner

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000+08:00

It was a full house attendence, attended by some very beautiful people. It was very heart warming indeed to see Malaysians of various religions and backgrounds gather and mingle as a single race...the Malaysian race. Reminded me of my good old schooling days.
Bravo to all Anak Bangsa Malaysia who made this a very memorable and successful night. Hats off to the SABM core team who gave their all to make it an unforgettable night. I leave you with a video shot and edited by Strauslite and a video of our own Dr.Azmi Sharom performing a Rock Number. There were many? other performances, such as the 'very very witty' stand up performed by Jit Murad and some very talented students who performed some very 'inspiring' numbers to much of my envy. Don't be fooled by the half empty hall in these videos. Many had stepped out for their 'fresh air'and were found mingling outside the hall...

A reason good enough to get BN out of Parliament

2011-04-14T20:50:00.003+08:00

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, one of Malaysia's renowned human rights lawyer and activist, and the current president of the Malaysian National Human Rights Society speaks about ISA...

Video by mixcolours

The latest casualty of this draconian law is disabled Kadir Hashim. He was arrested on 1st April 2011 for reasons that appear very vague to me. He was denied legal representation and also visitors from his immediate family. Read here, here and here

Here's my piece to the oxymoron Home Minister of Malaysia Hishammuddin Hussein:
"If he (Kadir Hashim) was not arrested for terrorism or terrorism related activities, then charge him in court and give the man a chance to defend himself!"

I say no to BN for this one!

Whose to blame?

2011-04-12T14:35:00.005+08:00

Unsure where to place my emotions, i decided to blog about this very sad and unfortunate incident. 8 children have been barred from entering their school for one too dumb a reason...not having birth certificates. My head is still swimming trying to figure the rationale behind this absurd decision made by the Negeri Sembilan's Director of health Tuan Abdul Halim Bin Abdul Razak.

Tuan Halim Bin Abdul Razak Pengarah Pelajaran Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri Sembilan

The Star quoted the headmaster of SJKT Ladang Linsum, A. Gracy as saying that she had to bar the children after a directive from the Negeri Sembilan State Education Department failing which she would be slappped with a personal fine of RM1000 per pupil.

These children, like fish out of water, are now left stranded with almost no knowledge of their fate, with one of them who is suppose to sit for her UPSR examination this year. Dumb gets even dumber when the question on how these children got enrolled into school in the first place, and why bar them only now half way through their studies arises. The girl who is supposed to sit for her UPSR has already been studying there the past six years for crying out loud. Why choose to bar her now? Tuan Halim, please have a heart. Children are like sheets of blank papers. What we write or scribble on them will determine who and what they become in society when they grow up.

These 8 children obviously come from poor families. It is most probably their education, which the state education department is denying them currently, that is going to bring them out of poverty given the opportunity. It is well within the capacity of the state education department to help them back into their classrooms, but not a finger has been lifted so far. Why, isn't this a screaming example of Najib's 1 Malaysia where 'Rakyat Di Dahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan'!

Read the full news from The Star here

Did someone bribe Newsweek?...

2010-08-24T01:30:00.001+08:00

I'm flabbergasted...

Malaysiakini today reported Malaysia as being the 37th best country out of 100 as ranked by Newsweek (read more here). Wonder how that happened. Wouldn't be surprised if BN paid their way through to get up there for BN to improve it's standings, just like how i suspect they secured a place in the UNHCR council in May this year (read here if you don't know what i'm talking about).

See newsweek's full list of countries here and don't forget to check the details of the ranking especially when you have countries like Estonia, Latvia, Chile, etc scoring better than us. Also take not of the per capita income of USD7,230.00 ( approximately RM22,630 - based on BNM's exchange rate yesterday). That comes up to about RM 1,885.00 per month. How far does RM1,885.00 a month get us with the current high living cost? Do the math.
I'm still wondering how we got ranked 37...

Of Hajahs, Munusamys and Chongs...

2010-08-22T15:52:00.001+08:00

I guess that's why most non-bumis just simply can't afford to own a proton and are forced to own cars of other makes...

Does Najib still want teachers to indulge themselves in politics?

On another unrelated matter, Malaysiakini reported ( read here and here ) of a HM of a school in Kedah who also uttered some racial slur against some Chongs (chinese students) who had their breakfast in the school canteen during this Ramadhan. It made my head swim trying to figure out whether they (the Chongs) earned the wrath of the HM for eating in the canteen or for actually not fasting. If it was the earlier, then i think the HM was wrong as the Chongs were being very considerate to actually have their breakfast in the canteen as that's the most unlikely place for a Muslim student to be during the fasting month. If it was the later, then the HM was definitely wrong again to expect the Chongs to fast alongside their fellow Muslim schoolmates. Either way the gist of the matter is...the damn HM was wrong! As for the remark about Airasia flying cheap to China, it's a compliment actually, as budget airlines usually fly high traffic routes (the more lucrative routes). The jokes on you Jack/Jill HM!

Is it fast becoming a trend for Bumi teachers and HMs to make asses out of themselves by passing such racial remarks and slurs? I for one would want to treat these incidences as isolated as i have many of very decent and respectable Malay friends. I long for the good old days where we knew each other just by our different names as opposed to different races. Back then there was only one race in school...the Malaysian race.

Another 1 Malaysia hog wash...

2010-08-21T14:40:00.001+08:00

'Cakap tak serupa bikin'...again. The (BN) regime is out rightly conning the people with all their 1 Malaysia rhetoric and antics. And as far as the Merdeka Centre is concerned, Malaysians actually seem to be buying all this hog wash.

There it was, staring me at my face when i opened up The Star at the restaurant where i was having my breakfast...

Source:
The Star

Got back to the clinic and clicked on The Star Online to get the image above and i bumped into Najib Mahu Kepimpinan UMNO Utamakan Perpaduan on mstar. Read further here.

It intrigues me to see such blatant discrimination being practiced so openly despite all the beating BN took during the 12th GE. Even if this was an exclusive scholarship for the Bumiputeras ( by Maxis), why be so ignorant to put it on print for all Malaysians to see? ...And the you find these kind of hog wash in the Newspapers: Be careful not to hurt others, Najib tells BN leaders

It's quite obvious that the BN regime is not interested and the least bothered about the country and the people.

Hey Musa! Care to do some real police work?

2009-06-11T15:18:00.005+08:00

I'm just disgusted with the sky rocketing crime rate in Malaysia. Ask the IGP and he will start producing statistics stating otherwise. For the IGP, trying to sniff out RPK's ass seems to be more of a priority job as opposed to real crime busting. IGP Musa Hassan should realize that RPK is last of any Malaysian's worries. I am very saddened and disappointed to see how the BN regime along with their lapdogs are willing to go the extra mile, using tax payers' money to go after a dissident who quite obviously is much smarter than any of them.

Boasting one of the best intelligence in the world, the Malaysian police force has let the citizens of Malaysia, especially me down as they claim to not know the whereabouts of a single individual, RPK...or do they? I am starting to do doubt Musa's capabilities as a police officer, leave alone chief police officer. Anyone can play the role of the chief police of Malaysia. What more when acting runs in the family. Hey! Give me a uniform and i'll show you what an outstanding chief of police i can be. After all, isn't my job going to be just receiving orders (from my masters) and passing them down to my subordinates to be carried out? Come to think of it, even a random postman in Malaysia would probably make a good chief of police.

Here's a letter to the editor that was published in The Star yesterday by two British tourists in Malaysia. I was surprised that The Star actually published this letter. I strongly suggest that the IGP & Police Force stop playing politics and do some real policing! Letters like this can be disastrous to country's reputation and economy. Furthermore it reflects the state of neglect we are in. Buck up Musa! Buck up PDRM!

Wednesday June 10, 2009

Britons’ holiday ruined by snatch thieves

WE are two British female tourists in our 40s who have fallen prey to snatch thieves in Kuala Lumpur.

We arrived on Saturday for a three-day stay in the city. On Sunday afternoon as we were walking back to our hotel from the KL Tower, my friend’s shoulder bag was ripped from her by two men on a motorcycle coming from behind.

It was a shocking experience and made us feel both angry and sick to the stomach at such a violation. Since then, we have not felt at all safe and have spent the last two evenings in our hotel room.

It has indeed given us a terrible impression of Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur itself and we cannot wait for our flight out.

Those of you who live here, please petition whoever you need to in order to do something about these types of crimes, especially if you want tourists to keep coming here.
Neither of us will ever come here again, nor will we advise any of our friends or family to do so.

We have been travelling for over a year now in several countries (including South Africa) and have never experienced anything like this before.

I would also like to point out that we are not rich tourists who can afford to lose their possessions.

We worked hard all our lives so that we could take a career break and fulfil an ambition to travel around the world for 18 months.

And when we return home later this year, we will be working hard again.

However, this experience has ruined what so far has been a fantastic trip. We no longer feel safe here and regret that we decided to include this part of the world in our trip.

I know there are no doubt plenty of honest Malaysians and it’s sad that these criminals are giving your country a bad reputation. That’s exactly what they have done.

Please do what you can to deal with this problem so that other innocent tourists do not suffer the same fate.

JULIE & CONNIE,

Kuala Lumpur.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/10/focus/4081622&sec=focus

The eighth continent

2009-06-09T18:05:00.002+08:00

A huh!, and you thought you knew your geography. Well, whatever you studied in school is ole skool (hip hop for old school). Here's some new school stuff: Ever wondered where all that trash and plastic that we see floating in the drains, rivers or at some corner of the beach end up? Wrong! only part of these trash get collected and find their way to landfills. The rest, sooner or later end up in the sea. For the past 60 years or so most of these trash have been gradually accumulating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in an area known as the Plastic Vortex. The Plastic Vortex, AKA “the Asian Trash Trail”, the “Trash Vortex”, “Eastern Garbage Patch” or the "8th continent" lies in the North Pacific sub-tropical gyre, a vast area in which the water circulates clockwise in a slow spiral forcing any floating material into the low energy central area of the gyre (like a whirlpool). These floating materials got beached and started accumulating around the islands nearby and have finally formed a huge mass which some believe could be twice the size of the state of Texas.

Image taken from www.buffaloreadings.com

Watch this youtube video to know what kind of damage we have created:

A team of concerned intellectuals and professionals, with the support of the United Nations have now come together and will be going on an expedition to the North Pacific gyre to study how to capture plastic waste in the ocean, detoxify and recycle it into diesel fuel.

On our front, since the lack of political will is rather apparent, i think it's about time that we, the people, started taking some serious efforts to curb the free and wide usage of plastic products in Malaysia. We need to educate our children on the consequences of using non-biodegradable products as opposed to biodegradable ones. We need to educate them on the importance of recycling and how littering damages our environment and health.

The perception that plastic is recyclable is not exactly accurate. Plastic can be recycled, but remember that for any material that is recycled there will be a byproduct of waste that cannot be recycled. There is no way of recycling anything 100%. There will always be a byproduct and thereby always creating waste. For more misconceptions about plastic and its recycling go here.

Information on how to reduce use and recycle plastic is all over the internet. Google it!

For more info on plastic vortex, you can visit Project Kaisei, Greenpeace, Buffaloreadings.

What you need to know about Swine Influeanza (Swine Flu)

2009-04-28T20:01:00.000+08:00

Key Facts about Swine Influenza (Swine Flu)

What is Swine Influenza?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

How many swine flu viruses are there?

Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Swine Flu in Humans

Can humans catch swine flu?

Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.How common is swine flu infection in humans?In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?

The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F (70°C) kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

How does swine flu spread?

Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?

In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.
In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.

How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?

To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.

What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?

There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent swine influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

What other examples of swine flu outbreaks are there?

Probably the most well known is an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. The virus caused disease with x-ray evidence of pneumonia in at least 4 soldiers and 1 death; all of these patients had previously been healthy. The virus was transmitted to close contacts in a basic training environment, with limited transmission outside the basic training group. The virus is thought to have circulated for a month and disappeared. The source of the virus, the exact time of its introduction into Fort Dix, and factors limiting its spread and duration are unknown. The Fort Dix outbreak may have been caused by introduction of an animal virus into a stressed human population in close contact in crowded facilities during the winter. The swine influenza A virus collected from a Fort Dix soldier was named A/New Jersey/76 (Hsw1N1).

Is the H1N1 swine flu virus the same as human H1N1 viruses?

No. The H1N1 swine flu viruses are antigenically very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection from H1N1 swine flu viruses.

Swine Flu in Pigs

How does swine flu spread among pigs?

Swine flu viruses are thought to be spread mostly through close contact among pigs and possibly from contaminated objects moving between infected and uninfected pigs. Herds with continuous swine flu infections and herds that are vaccinated against swine flu may have sporadic disease, or may show only mild or no symptoms of infection.

What are signs of swine flu in pigs?

Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed.

How common is swine flu among pigs?

H1N1 and H3N2 swine flu viruses are endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely. Outbreaks among pigs normally occur in colder weather months (late fall and winter) and sometimes with the introduction of new pigs into susceptible herds. Studies have shown that the swine flu H1N1 is common throughout pig populations worldwide, with 25 percent of animals showing antibody evidence of infection. In the U.S. studies have shown that 30 percent of the pig population has antibody evidence of having had H1N1 infection. More specifically, 51 percent of pigs in the north-central U.S. have been shown to have antibody evidence of infection with swine H1N1. Human infections with swine flu H1N1 viruses are rare. There is currently no way to differentiate antibody produced in response to flu vaccination in pigs from antibody made in response to pig infections with swine H1N1 influenza.

While H1N1 swine viruses have been known to circulate among pig populations since at least 1930, H3N2 influenza viruses did not begin circulating among US pigs until 1998. The H3N2 viruses initially were introduced into the pig population from humans. The current swine flu H3N2 viruses are closely related to human H3N2 viruses.
Is there a vaccine for swine flu? Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu. The seasonal influenza vaccine will likely help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses.

Swine Influenza and You

What is swine flu?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.

Are there human infections with swine flu in the U.S.?

In late March and early April 2009, cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses were first reported in Southern California and near San Antonio, Texas. Other U.S. states have reported cases of swine flu infection in humans and cases have been reported internationally as well. CDC and local and state health agencies are working together to investigate this situation.

Is this swine flu virus contagious?

CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does swine flu spread?

Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?

Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?

First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?

Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?

People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?

Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

How long can viruses live outside the body?

We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?

There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?

If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?

If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?

Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. We recommend that when you wash your hands with soap and warm water & that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

What should I do if I get sick?

If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.

If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting

How serious is swine flu infection?

Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death.

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

Antiviral Drugs and Swine Influenza

Antiviral Drugs:

Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs can be used to treat swine flu or to prevent infection with swine flu viruses. These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional. Influenza antiviral drugs only work against influenza viruses, they will not help treat or prevent symptoms caused by infection from other viruses that can cause symptoms similar to the flu.

There are four influenza antiviral drugs approved for use in the United States (oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine and rimantadine). The swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses that have been detected in humans in the United States and Mexico are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine so these drugs will not work against these swine influenza viruses. Laboratory testing on these swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses so far indicate that they are susceptible (sensitive) to oseltamivir and zanamivir.

Benefits of Antiviral Drugs:

Treatment:
If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious influenza complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started as soon after getting sick as possible, and might not work if started more than 48 hours after illness starts.
Prevention:
Influenza antiviral drugs also can be used to prevent influenza when they are given to a person who is not ill, but who has been or may be near a person with swine influenza. When used to prevent the flu, antiviral drugs are about 70% to 90% effective. When used for prevention, the number of days that they should be used will vary depending on a person’s particular situation.

CDC Recommendation:

CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu ®) is approved to both treat and prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people one year of age and older.

Zanamivir (brand name Relenza ®) is approved to treat influenza A and B virus infection in people 7 years and older and to prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people 5 years and older.

Recommendations for using antiviral drugs for treatment or prevention of swine influenza will change as we learn more about this new virus.

Clinicians should consider treating any person with confirmed or suspected swine influenza with an antiviral drug.

-Taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA.-

For more info on Swine Influenza from CDC, go here.

For updates on Swine Influenza in Malaysia, go here.

Ismail Merican and his sham gang

2009-04-11T09:00:00.001+08:00

Ismail Merican could be portraying himself as a righteous D-G (of the Ministry of Health), but he was not speaking with hand on his heart when he declared that there was no foul play in A.Kugan's death. This unethical man who had once taken the Hippocratic Oath turns out yet again, to be a hypocrite of the highest order. He is another political carpenter who just applied another layer of veneer full of lies and deceit onto Kugan's coffin with evil intentions of covering up yet another custodial death.

Some points to ponder:

1. The Malaysian Medical Council does not have the jurisdiction to hear or conduct such independent investigations, especially on post mortem and post mortem reports. By virtue of legality, this was an illegal investigation and the findings and verdict of this investigation should by right have no legal bearing. If the A-G's chamber does acknowledge the findings of this committee, then i am keen to know on what grounds.

2. The list of doctors in this sham panel are:

Dr. Mohd Shah Mahmood (chairman) - Senior Consultant Forensic Pathologist, HKL

Dr. Phang Koon Seng - Consultant histopathologist (HUKM)

Datuk Dr. Bhupinder Singh - Senior Consultant Forensic Pathologist & H.O.D (Penang Hospital)

Datuk Jeyaindran Sinnadurai - Senior Consultant Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician, HKL

Ass. Prof Dr.Shahrom Abdul Wahid - Senior Consultant Forensic Pathologist & H.O.D (UKM)

Dr.Mohd Suhani Mohd Noor - Consultant Forensic Pathologist (UKM)

Dr.Tan Chwee Choon - Senior Consultant Nephrologist & H.O.D (HTAR, Klang)

Datuk Dr. Zaki Morad Nohd Zaher - Consultant Nephrologist, Ampang Puteri Specialist Centre (Independent observer from MMC)

Dr.Paul Chui Peng Sun (external expert) - Director, Forensic Medicine Division, Health Science Authority, Singapore

Prof. Om Prakash Murty (external expert) - Professor, Forensic Medicine, King Faisal University, Dammam Saudi Arabia

Out of the 10 doctors above, 7 are doctors working with the Ministry of Health & Ministry of Education Malaysia. How independent can these six doctors be? How was the selection process done? Who carried out the selection?

Then you have one doctor who is said to be an independent observer from MMC. How can you call a doctor who is representing MMC, which is directly under the wings of KKM, independent? He is definitely not an independent observer.

Then there are two external experts, the director of forensic medicine, Singapore and a university professor from Dammam University, Saudi Arabia. What were their roles in the panel?
Anyone who thinks that the Singaporean doctor is going to stick his neck out for this so called investigation is an idiot.
As for the Professor from Saudi, one must know that for a foreign medical univesity to be recognized and stay recognized in Malaysia, they need to be in the good books with MMC who is the deciding body on recognition of foreign medical universities. Furthermore, during the recognition, MOUs are almost always signed by government representatives from both sides to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. What more between two fellow Muslim nations. Anyone who thinks that this one professor is willing to jeopardise all that for this case is an idiot too.

3. What were the terms of reference of this committee and who decided on them?

4. Why did the police seize the toxicology samples from Dr Prashant's office if not to hide the truth from being revealed?

5. Why were there no medico legal experts in the committee?

6. The only way to compare and confirm the findings of both post mortem without bias would have been to exhume Kugan's body and do a third post mortem sampling. Otherwise it's just Ismail Merican's words against Prashant Sambekar's.

7. According to Ismail Merican, Kugan had a pre existing condition of myocarditis and the injuries on Kugan’s back were the result of repeated trauma by a blunt but flexible object, like a folded rubber hose. This blunt force trauma then led to acute renal failure, which in turn aggravated the myocarditis causing his lungs to get swollen (Pulmonary Edema), taking Kugan to his final resting place.

Let's work backwards: Kugan would not have developed pulmonary edema if his myocarditis was not exacerbated. His myocarditis would not have been exacerbated if he did not developed kidney failure. He would not have developed kidney failure if he was not inflicted with all the blunt trauma injury as mentioned by Isamil Merican. He would not have sustained blunt trauma injury if the police did not beat him up terribly.

N.B: for Kugan's to have developed renal failure in 5 days, he must have suffered some massive blows to his body that led to the breakdown of muscle tissue. This itself explains the he was indeed beaten up barbarically by the police during interrogation.

So, those who beat Kugan up should be charged with at least manslaughter if not murder. Anything less shall be deemed sub judice. But can we expect justice to be served in Malaysia?

A satus not so quo

2009-04-08T21:43:00.008+08:00

Might i start this with a sincere laughter coming all the way from my belly?...Ha! Ha! and...Hah!

The MSMs were screaming the theme of "status quo" on their front pages today referring to the just concluded tri by-elections that witnessed BN receiving some massive kick in the butt. I don't blame the MSMs actually as they are being held by their balls by the powers-that-be.

Whether it was a referendum for Najib or otherwise, the elections saw BN losing the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau constituencies with larger vote differences as compared to the previous election. It was an auspicious election for the Bukit Selambau PKR candidate S. Manikumar despite all the odds stacked against him; An unknown greenhorn who garnered 12,632 votes notwithstanding the fact that he was up against BN's powerful machinations (i.e money politics, setting all 3 by-elections on the same day and on a tuesday, etc) and competing with 14 other candidates. And let's not forget that Arumugam contested as an independent candidate in March 08 and not as a Pakatan candidate.

The results of the Bukit Selambau polls March 2008 GE & April 2009:

8 March 2008 GE:

Total turn out: 25,798
BN - 10,863 votes (42%)
Independent (later PKR): 13,225 votes (51%)
Spoilt Votes: 1,694

7 April 2009 by-election:

Total turn out: 24,687
BN - 10,229 (41%)
PKR - 12,632 (51%)
Independents - 1,326 (5%)
Spoilt votes: 415

Comparing both the election results, it seems BN's score has taken a slight dip this time. So what status quo?

In Bukit Gantang, it was sweet revenge all the way. Najib's coup d'etat with the support of Sultan has clearly sparked some vengeance among the people and they returned the favour by slapping Najib smack on the face by giving Nizar an even more victorious win. This very clearly underscores the sentiments of the people of Perak and i dare say that a fresh state election will see BN losing even more constituencies. Boy oh! boy, what mess has BN got itself into.

The results of the Bukit Gantang polls March 2008 GE & April 2009:

8 March 2008 GE:

Total turn out: 40301
BN:18449 (46%)
PAS: 20015 (50%)
Independent: 872 (2%)
Spoilt votes: 851

9 April 2009 by-election:

Total turn out: 41,626
BN: 19,071 (46%)
PAS: 21,860 (53%)
Independent: 62 (0.15%)
Spoilt votes: 456

Again, what status quo? PAS did better this by-election.

I shall not comment on how Batang Ai fared. It would be like comparing an apple to an orange.

Finally i would like to also thank the BN regime for:

1) all the false reforms, political spinning and rhetorical promises.
2) all the machinations to cheat the people whom they think are so stupid and are unable to distinguish truth from falsehood, honesty from deception and sincerity from hypocrisy.
3) upkeeping the principles of racial politics and playing the race cards in every election without fail.
4) releasing 13 ISA detainees, but holding the rest back as proof of selective persecution and as proof that BN is still arrogant
5) releasing 13 ISA detainees and holding back the rest as proof that the BN politicians are above the law, play god with the lives of Malaysians and make decisions according to their whims and fancies with no regards to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
6) mending ties with Mahathir and sending him over to campaign for BN. It helped us win Bukit Gantang.
7) letting Ismail Merican release the "No foul play in Kugan's death" verdict to the press just before the election day. It got the non-Malay fence sitters going.
8) using the Police force as BN's lapdogs and thugs who used excessive use force during Pakatan's ceramahs prior to the by-elections. It helped.
9) setting 7th April, Tuesday, a working day as polling day with malicious intent. It made the voters even more determined to return home to vote, vote against BN. It helped too.

Here's a more descriptive image of what happened to BN at both the Bukits:

3 cheers to BN's misgovernance of Malaysia. I'm most definitely looking forward for more. How about you?

Bukit Selambau: An Urgent Call for Calm & Understanding, and Suggestions for a Way Forward.

2009-04-01T21:52:00.001+08:00

This was a comment made by a reader called Malaysian on my 'Come on Indians, don't lose the plot' post. I feel it deserves to be put up as a post. A very well articulated comment with an in depth analysis of the happenings in Bukit Selambau...

I’m writing this with deep concern over the Pakatan Rakyat’s prospects in the Selambau Election as well as for the future of the alternatif movement as well. Just over a month ago we were quite united, and so confident that BN could never win, even against goats & cows. Today the situation has changed dramatically, as the conflict that is apparently brewing within the AM over the choice of candidate for the Bukit Selambau by election threatens our chances there as well the achievement of our aspirations for Malaysia. I say apparently, because my only sources of information are news reports & blogs postings, some from the MSM, some from bloggers & journalists whose agendas I don’t know about. I have no way of verifying what is the real situation, & given the Standard Operating Procedures of our opponents in the past, I cannot stress enough the importance of getting to the TRUTH.

What I find especially distressing is the tone of the anger that has been directed at Hindraf & the PKR dissenters, in the comments & reports in our blogosphere. On page after page they have had so many insults, threats & stereotypes hurled at them, it is as if BN’s propaganda in the MSM & blogs designed to demonize, demoralize & discredit them has done its job. I don‘t doubt that most of our comments have been made with good intentions & end in mind, i.e. victory for PR, and were sparked by that sense of urgency & alarm that we all feel as the elections approach. Nevertheless, I cannot but feel that such a tone is unworthy of anyone who shares in the values that I believe PR stands for.

Have we forgotten the role that Hindraf played in making 8/3/08 possible? These are the people who, in their pain & desperation could do nothing else but put their bodies & their lives in the path of the FRU & their chemical cannons. True, dissatisfaction with BN had been growing for a long time, but for me, seeing the blood that they shed when they stood their ground & embraced the truncheon’s blows over & over again, deeply changed the way that I thought & felt about my country & myself. They led the way, they electrified us, even shamed us into action; but sadly, to this very day, they and their families still bleed for it. Some are locked away & forgotten; some prosecuted & persecuted. Many know now what it is to be without Father, Husband or Family. Some, ill, uncared for and forsaken, deteriorate day by day; and one, in exile, may never get to return home, not even to die. Then, there’s that deepest & most painful of wounds that they all bear: the subtle racism, overt ostracism & slur; a wound to which we can now safely say, we have rubbed in our own little “contribution” of salt. Whatever you or I may think about Hindraf or their apparent position on Bukit Selambau, let us agree that at the very least, we owe them our respect & gratitude.

I’ve organised the rest of my thoughts under 4 headings:

A. Our Current Situation
B. What’s really at stake here
C. Suggested Way Forward
D. Final Thoughts

A. Our Current Situation

On the face of it we have Hindraf & PKR grassroots leaders are unhappy with PKR leaders’ decision to nominate S. Manikumar as PKR candidate for Bukit Selambau. Both (Hindraf & PKR) had prepared shortlists of their preferred candidates but none were chosen. Their main reasons for this unhappiness seem to be:

 Disappointment at not being chosen themselves, as a “reward” for past hard work
 Manikumar’s youth, inexperience, lack of record and not being a local, being a “crony”
 Not being involved in the selection process
 Lack of transparency in the process
 Disagreement with process & selection criteria itself
 Perceived double standards in selection
 Possible issues with Manikumar’s allegedly fraudulent business dealings
 Perception of there having been backroom deals with V. Arumugam with the involvement of DSAI’s friends (one Datuk Ravi?)

Other longer standing grouses with PR may be:

 Lack of democracy in PKR & PKR Kedah, who have not held state-level elections since he joined in 2004
 Perception of having been deceived by false promises and lack of progress on various development issues e.g. land for schools, citizenship documents, social issues, business opportunities & training
 Perception of a lack of respect and appreciation

One thing I want to note here is these reasons, with the exception of the one regarding personal disappointment, are not racist (ala ketuanan UMNO/MCA/MIC) but actually speak to root issues of common concern.

As a result of this dissatisfaction:

 3 ex PKR members are standing in Bukit Selambau as independents
 Hindraf is not supporting PKR’s campaign in Bukit Selambau
 PKR’s Jerai division has disbanded itself & Kalaivanar has thrown his support for BN
 Various commentators have condemned Hindraf & the PKR Kedah dissidents, with growing perception of Hindraf as an unworthy organisation with a agenda driven by racist or personal concerns

This conflict must be seen in the context of of PR’s growing list of problems & challenges (partly self inflicted, partly BN’s doing):

 Abortive takeover of Parliament & our perceived loss of the moral high ground
 Fall of Perak and PR’s subsequent tactical errors resulting in emotionally sensitive charges of derhaka and the attendant publicity
 Perception amongst rakyat (not just Hindraf) that PR has not been effective & efficient, that PRU 12 promises have not been kept
 Various scandals (real or engineered) surrounding PR personalities, accompanied by doubt’s about integrity of PR reps
 Lack of a coherent common vision accompanied by bouts of discord between & within PR component parties

Add to all that a perceived BN “resurgence” due to Mahathir’s return to a “united” UMNO, Samy Vellu’s “new mandate” at MIC, Najib’s repressive countermeasures and we may just be seeing the beginnings of a “perfect storm”.

B. What’s really at stake here

Superficially, at stake is the victory in Bukit Selambau as well as in Bukit Gantang & Batang Ai. However we must go below the surface, and acknowledge that even if we win all three, given the current situation as outlined above, this conflict within us will slow down the momentum of our movement, perhaps even allow BN to begin rolling back the clock to pre-PRU 12. To regain forward momentum, as well as to help build a strong foundation for our struggle, a careful consideration of the deeper root issues raised by this conflict is needed within PR. What’s really at stake here is our movement’s identity, vision, direction & indeed future viability. These issues, all which overlap with real Hindraf/PKR grouses identiified above, are:

 Vision & leadership• What is our vision for all Malaysians?• Is this vision a shared one? How do we create this consensus?• What are our strategies & policies to achieve this vision?

 Values, Principles & Political Culture• What are our values & principles?• Are these values & principles practiced by our current leaders at all levels?o Do we want feudal “warlords” as leaders who know everything & cannot be questioned & seem to seek personal interests? Are there old BN habits & paradigms that still infect us?• Are we open, consultative, empowering, engaging & transparent?• Do we play the politics of race, patronage, feudalism, cronyism & nepotism, backroom dealmaking, numbers, rewards for loyalty? In other words business as usual BN style?• What is the true nature of the relationship between PR & rakyat?

 Delivery & execution• How do we select & develop a truly representative cadre of leaders in such a way that no group feels left out?• Do we select leaders by ability, or as a reward for loyalty? Do we place unfair standards of class, formal education or wealth? • Is our leader selection process transparent, fair, where all have had a say in it and agreed the rules? Are there double standards?• How have we delivered on our promises since 8/3/08? A lot was promised.• Have we been fair & equitable or have we been busy fighting fires, living from crisis to crisis (some of our own making), & neglected to lead in the truest sense of the word?• How do we work with marginalized groups who bear the brunt of BN’s failed policies? Takeovers of Parliament & long term political goals are all well & good but what do we do to ease their suffering here & now?

 Communication (most of the misunderstanding is really attributable to poor communication & engagement)• How do we inform & educate stakeholders, understand & manage expectations, & get our message across?• How do we work with multiple stakeholders, with common broad goals but diverse cultures & perspectives?• How do we raise the level of political discourse beyond race & patronage?• How do we work with the various groups who are at different levels of political maturity, thanks to our political monoculture of the last 50 years?

C. One Way Forward

The thing to do is to sit down together & share one’s thoughts & feelings openly. The main purpose of this meeting should be to find & develop a common vision, set of values, principles and goals that we truly share. When that is done, consider & address the dissatisfaction & disagreements that have been the cause.

I suggest that Tuan Guru Nik Aziz (probably the most respected leader in Malaysia) be the host or convenor. The leadership of both sides must come with open minds & most importantly open hearts. There can be no place for personal egos, posturing & rhetoric or trying to gain concessions ala BN’s old politics. All talks must be firmly based on mutual respect and objective truth that can be verified. If we only plaster over cracks by merely soothing tensions while ignoring the real issues, we are setting ourselves up for future disaster.

There will not be enough time to cover every detail, but there is enough to begin to repair the relationship. It may be too late to undo some mistakes if mistakes have been made. If both sides decide that we can work together, come out of that room together & share with all of Malaysia what you have just achieved. Make it crystal clear that no effort will be spared to achieve victory, make it plain that errors have acknowledged, bonds have been mended, wrongs have been set right and changes have been committed to. Then let us each do what we do best.

D. Final ThoughtsTo PR:

Most of Hindraf’s & PKR’s grouses seem to be real & most are based on one or more of the common issues stated above. Granted, 1 or 2 personalities seem to be pushing for personal gain & “reward”, but once the underlying grouses are addressed, those with personal interests in mind will be clearly identifiable & obvious to all. I disagree with Neil Khor & others who say that Hindraf has a “radical race based agenda” and I do not believe that there is any fundamental unbridgeable ideological difference between PR & Hindraf. With their leaders behind bars & the perception that we have forsaken them, what we are seeing is not a racial agenda ala UMNO/MCA/MIC but frustration over the issues raised, coupled with the vestiges of BN thinking & political paradigm. As I said before, old habits die hard. The right question to ask is how do we engage them? Let us start by acknowledging that some of us have been treating Hindraf as the Greeks treated Philoctetes, good enough to fight for us but not good enough to be in our company & to engage with fully. The day we start ignoring constitutents we will start becoming BN hoping to win based on a not BN USP. PR same as BN. However, under no circumstances must you compromise your non-sectarian agenda”.

To Hindraf & PKR dissidents:

I won’t pretend that I understand the depth of your pain. But I will say this: the Chinese have a saying: “tong zhou gong ji” which means “when people are in the same boat, they should help each other”. Right now, except for the BNputras & their cronies, we are all in the same boat, and our boat is now leaking. If we do not help each other now, we will all sink together. So in this emergency with 8 days left it’s time to get our boat safely across. True, your community has been marginalized by BN and I won’t try to lessen or underestimate your suffering, but you must acknowledge that you are not the only one in pain. Poor Malays & orang asli still face conditions just as bad. I’m not asking you to sacrifice your principles or tolerate unfair dealing from anyone, PR included. Ask the tough questions and hold PR accountable for whatever they have promised. But at the same time be prepared to honestly reexamine Hindraf’s struggle. Do not be chained to old BN ways of thinking, and do not be afraid to think out of the box. Please take the opportunity to make your voice heard. The overwhelming perception out there is that some amongst you are seeking personal position or that you are only fighting for a narrow racist agenda. This is a golden opportunity to set the record straight. Supporting BN now will only harden & solidify the this negative perception.

Make no mistake, a vote for any of the independents or a even spoilt vote will be a vote for BN. It would be a real loss for all if people who have the same overall goals fail to work tohgether & hand victory to those who have been oppresing all of us these many years. And while you are considering your next course of action, do be aware of those in your midst whose may not have your best interests at heart.May I also humbly remind you of Waythamoorthy’s words, that I believe ring so true today: “Many see Hindraf as an opportunity to gain leverage and dictate their own benefits. This is totally against our principles. Hindraf is you and me who are battling a war for better policies and governance for the Malaysian Indian as a society with equal and fair treatment as opposed to individual glamour and glory."

To both PR & Hindraf:

Don’t let BN exploit this division by spreading more lies & confusion. Their MSM & blogs have already begun. We only help BN more when the tone of our discourse deteriorate to the level of provocations, threats & insults. To see that happen will be BN’s ultimate victory.

Let me be very clear - I voted for PR not to see 1 BN replaced by another. I did not vote for PR for special treatment for myself, my family or my race. I did not vote for PR to be their crony. I voted for PR for an end to corruption, cronyism, imbalanced development, mismanagement of national resources, authoritarianism, intitutionalised & societal racism. But I want a government that is more than just a mere negation of BN or “the lesser of 2 evils”. I want a government that is responsive, tolerant, respects the rakyat, transparent, fair & equitable, that promotes individual freedom & human rights. I strongly believe that these are the common bonds that unite us. Let us show that we can overcome conflicts, rediscover what really holds us together & emerge victorious together.

Lest we lose hope in our struggle, let us remember that in politics, conflict among partners is common, due to the political culture that is dominant. We need a new political culture & after 50 years, old habits die hard. Ever since 8/3/08 we have had to undergo a steep learning curve, and we cannot expect too much in 1 year & must not delude ourselves that all our leaders are all angels who will know instinctively what we the rakyat want. It is up to all of us to ensure that our leaders know what we want & to keep them on the straight path.

Now, what can we do as individuals about this. Consider carefully what is right, then communicate it to your family, friends, leaders. Get involved, for our future, the future of our country is too important to be left to chance, to in the hands of politicians.

Come on Indians, don't lose the plot!

2009-04-01T15:20:00.006+08:00

Is it ignorance? Is it greed? These are among the questions playing in the back of the minds of many Indians who are disappointed with the way the Indians, especially the sympathizers and supporters of Makkal Sakthi in Kedah, are carrying themselves. Has anyone of them taken a moment to sit back and think why is it that a new face, Manikumar, was introduced by DSAI? Loyalty is good, but blind loyalty can be very destructive. I really hope the Makkal Sakthi movement doesn't end up going down the passage of self destruction all because of blind loyalty and the lack of foresight.

I'll try to make this as simple and as objective as possible. There are many patriots, champions and heroes of sorts among the Makkal Sakthi and these group of people have sacrificed a lot by putting their own lives at stake to champion the rights of the downtrodden and marginalized Indians in Malaysia. This is a matter of fact and i would never doubt or question it. Thus, the cry for some appreciation and recognition by some for the sacrifices made is only fair. But let's just do some reality check here and analyse the happenings in the Malaysian political arena over the past 3 months. We all know that Najib is taking over and we are all bracing for another round of 'Mahathirism' that appears to have already been set into motion. We are seeing waves of undesirable changes unfolding before our very own eyes. One after another, blow after blow being thrown at the PR by the BN regime to destabilize them gradually. To mention a few:
-Gobind suspended for one year for passing a personal remark linking Najib to the Altantuya murder, witout been given a chance to defend himself.
-Karpal charged for sedition, for merely repeating what was stated in the Federal Constitution.
-The coup d'etat that unfolded in Perak where Najib in cohort with the Sultan of Perak overthrew the Pakatan state government with the help of the 3+1 unethical ADUNs.
-The unfortunate case of Elizabeth Wong and her private life and how it was used by government controlled media to blow it out of proportion all for political gains. In other words, gutter politics.

Rumor has it that Najib is now scheming to destabilize Kedah and god knows which other states. For this they will try their very best to dig up dirt against the PR representatives and utilize it to bring them down or make them jump ship and/or pressure them to vacate their position. Many speculate that this was what happened to V.Arumugam until he was forced to vacate his ADUN portfolio in Bukit Selambau. Do we want more Arumugams? Do we want more coup d'etats? Do we want to let BN snatch back all four new PR states? Do we want to let BN dig up more dirt from under the feets of the PR representatives all for the wrong reasons? Do we want to see BN retaining power for another 50 years? So, my dear Indian brothers and sisters, please ponder on what might just be unfolding if any of our high profile HINDRAF or Makkal Sakthi champions were to be elected as our next ADUN. The simple fact remains that all our heroes carry some form luggage with them that can and will only be used against them by the BN regime to bring about another downfall.

We all know some of them such as Kalaivanar and Jayagopal have pending court cases and lot's of other luggage with them. Jayagopal, to add on, has high tendencies to betray PKR for the right price because of his pre existing internal problems with PKR. Even R.S.Thanenthiran & Jayathas, the Malaysian coordinators for Policewatch Malaysia, would not be spared too if elected. They would be sitting ducks for BN. In this light, it is only fair that we go for a candidate with less publicity, less political dirt and someone that BN would find very difficult to penetrate. I stand corrected, but i think Manikumar makes a good candidate.

The 500 people who resigned from PKR en bloc with Kalaivanar should reconsider their move and i hope they don't blindly follow their 'leader' to the BN grave. They should contemplate the fact that their 'leader' is willing to abandon the struggle for a better future for the Indians and Malaysians as a whole just because he was not the chosen candidate for PKR. That makes him less selfless and more a selfish person. That makes him a dangerous candidate.

Come on Indians, let's start thinking out of the box. We have been in oblivion the past 51 years. Now we have a chance to do something to change that. Let's not blow it away for blind loyalty. Stop thinking as 'us Indians'. Start thinking as 'us Malaysians'. Why are we still sticking to the racial lines of struggle when that is exactly what we are trying to remove from the current system? The only way forward for the Indians in Malaysia is to stay united and support the PR to rid Malaysia of the BN regime once and for all. We also need to be patient with PR. They are only one year old. They didn't expect to take over five states last March. They are learning from their mistakes and we should allow them to do so.

Come on Indians, don't lose the plot!

The past, the present & the urge for action

2009-03-30T19:42:00.004+08:00

Time seems to change its nature for people like me. I leave home while most of Malaysia is still deep in slumber and I return home when most of Malaysia is again deep in slumber. The present hardly exists. I sit in the clinic from dusk to dawn and feel the absence, the absence of feeling and sensation separating the present from the past. Even news of the happenings in the country and around the world has a certain dreamlike unreality and immobility. Unlike the present, the past can be visualized by one as a paradigm filled with stillness, an everlasting stillness. Unlike the present, the past never changes. It remains the past for eternity, like a painted picture as some say. Carved in stone, the past is never affected by the storms of time and the conflicts of the present. It maintains its dignity and repose and creates a feeling of peacefulness and security to the mind that ponders on it.

As the world moves ahead in lightning speed, here I am seated torn between the urge to action and the need to put bread on the table. Being unable to act on my urge for change, i very much long to find some form of sustenance for my starved and locked up emotions. Much injustice is happening around me and all I can do is sit and bitch about it. Have I become a prisoner of the past?

I do not usually burden my mind with such philosophical/metaphysical problems which escape solution. It is usually action and the thought of action that fills me and when action is denied I imagine that I am preparing for action. Day in day out I travel through my mind the passages of change and revolution.

There was a time, prior to the March 8^th GE, when I lived for considerable periods in a state of emotional exaltation, wrapped up in the action that absorbed me. Those days seem far away now, not merely because of the passage of time, but far more so because of bread and butter issues. Even now, the call for action stirs strange depths within me, and often a brief tussle with thought. I seek to experience that Adrenaline rush once again, though many invisible barriers have grown around me. Many have cautioned me of my wishes as they might just come true. Here's me saying cheers to that.

God save this nation and her children.

You will not remain big forever!

2009-03-25T15:34:00.001+08:00

This is a gentle reminder to the BN regime that they will not remain big forever. Thus, it is only wise that they learn some humility and start being nice to the people, the very people who elected them. The way they have been behaving of late has been rather distasteful, brash and annoying, not to mention inhumane.

Those who walk the corridors of power should bear in mind that the portfolio they hold and the powers that come along with the portfolios were given to them by the people. It is a privilege and not their innate right.

I hereby demand that the BN regime comply with the wishes of the people and give due respect to the Federal Constitution.
I demand that BN:
-Stop abusing the power given to them by the people.
-Stop the crackdown on dissidents and peaceful gatherings.
-Stop the selective persecution of bloggers, the New Media & Opposition media.
-Stop silencing freedom of speech and expression.
-Abolish the ISA, OSA & the Sedition Act.
-Stop plundering the nation for personal gains. The wealth of the nation rightfully belongs to all citizens of Malaysia and not to certain well connected individuals.
-Stop violating the civil and human rights of Malaysians and refugees.
-Stop racial politics and start practicing good governance for the well being of the nation and its people.

If the BN and UMNO politicians insist on carrying on with their ways, they will be soon finding themselves in an predicament similar to that of this American Spaniel...

Malaysians running out of cheeks

2009-03-20T16:23:00.001+08:00

The New Straits Times Online reported yesterday that Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim had asked UMNO members and the Malays in general to give UMNO and the new leadership a chance to set things right in the party and regain the people's confidence.

Intriguing? yes indeed. It's definitely making my head swim listening to the same song that is being sung by other BN component party leaders as well (except for MIC). They are making it sound like this was the first time that they had made a mistake and deserve a second chance. Rais even mentioned, "Now we know what the shortcomings are and we are correcting them." I'm rather unsure if it was a tongue-in-cheek statement as i was not there, but it sure did tickle me just reading it.

BN has forgotten the numerous occasions when the people turned the other cheek when they (BN) screwed up. Well, now Malaysians are running out of cheeks. I personally have run out of cheeks. We turned the other cheek for eleven consecutive General Elections. Did we see any improvement? Finally the people gave them a whipping on March 8th 2008. Still, did they correct themselves? No. In fact, they just became worse.

Not withstanding the whipping they (BN) received, Malaysians saw how revengeful the BN government was with more clampdowns on dissent, bloggers, Internet users, blog readers, peaceful demonstrators, vigilers and on social activism. They saw Permatang Pauh, Ahmad Ismail and how lackadaisical UMNO was towards the racial slurs made by him.
They saw the Perak debacle and everything surrounding it. They are witnessing more indiscriminate spending of tax payers' money on bail outs and buy outs despite the global financial slow down. They are seeing more cronyism, corruption and nepotism. Instead of reforms, Malaysians are witnessing further rot in the judiciary system. They are also witnessing further decline in standards of education, and the environment, an increase in crime rates, racial polarization, custodial deaths and cover ups, a police force that is not only the BN's bodyguard, but also trigger happy.

My fingers are getting tired so i'll stop here for now, but there's more from where all the above came from.

So, is Rais asking Malays and Malaysians to give another chance for all the above? Hell no! We are not going to turn the other cheek anymore.

Of Hinduism & Indians

2009-03-16T14:13:00.000+08:00

The word 'Hindu' does not occur at all in the Indian ancient culture. The first reference to it in an Indian book is, i am told, in a Tantrik work of the 8th century A.C., where 'Hindu' means a people and not the followers of a particular religion. But it is clear that the word is a very old one, as it occurs in the Avesta and in old Persian. It was used then and for a thousand years or more later by the people of western and central Asia, or rather for the people living on the other side of the Indus river. The word is clearly derived from Sindhu, the old, as well as the present, Indian name for the Indus. From this Sindhu came the word Hindu and Hindustan, as well as Indus and India.

Map of the ancient Indus civilization (also shown here is the Saraswathy river that is believed to have dried up, forming the Thar desert)

Map of modern civilization surrounding the Indus and the Thar desert

The famous Chinese pilgrim I-tsing, who came to India in the 7th century A.C., writes in his record of travels that the 'northern tribes', that is the people of Central Asia, called India 'Hindu' (Hsin-tu) but , he adds, 'this is not at all a common name...and the most suitable name for India is the Noble Land (Aryadesha).' The use of the word 'Hindu' in connection with a particular religion is of very late occurrence.

An artist impression of I-Tsing

The old inclusive term for religion in India was Arya dharma. Dharma really means something more than religion. It is from a root word which means to hold together: it is the inmost constitution of a thing, the law of its inner being. It is an ethical concept which includes the moral code, righteousness, and the whole range of man's duties and responsibilities. Arya dharma would include all the faiths (Vedic and non-Vedic) that originated in India; it was used by Buddhists and Jains as well as by those who accepted the Vedas. Buddha always called his way to salvation the 'Aryan Path'.

Buddha

The phrase 'Vedic dharma' was also used in ancient times to signify more particularly and exclusively all those philosophies, moral teachings, ritual and practices, which were supposed to derive from the Vedas. Thus all those who acknowledged the general authority of the Vedas could be said to belong to the Vedic dharma.

Sanatana dharma, meaning the ancient religion, could be applied to any of the ancient Indian faiths (including Buddhism and Jainism), but the expression has been more or less monipolized to-day by some orthodox sections among the Hindus who claim to follow the ancient faith.

The symbol of Jainism

Buddhism and Jainism were certainly not Hinduism or even the Vedic dharma. Yet they arose in India and were integral parts of Indian life, culture and philosophy. A Buddhist or Jain in India is a hundred per cent product of Indian thought and culture, yet neither is a Hindu by Faith. It is, therefore, entirely misleading to refer to Indian culture as Hindu culture. In later ages this culture was greatly influenced by the impact of Islam, and yet it remained basically and distinctively Indian. To-day it is experiencing in a hundred ways the powerful effect of the industrial civilization, which rose in the west, and it is difficult to say with any precision what the outcome will be.

Hinduism as a faith, is vague, amorphous, many-sided, all things to all men. It is hardly possible to define it, or indeed to say definitely whether it is a religion or not, in the usual sense of the word. In its present form, and even in the past, it embraces many beliefs and practices, from the highest to the lowest, often opposed to or contradicting each other. Its essential spirit seems to be to live and let live. Mahatma Gandhi has attempted to define it: 'If i were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: Search after truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in god and still call himself Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth...Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God. Denial of God we have known. Denial of truth we have not known.' Truth and non-violence, so says Gandhi: but many eminent and undoubted Hindus say that non-violence, as Gandhi understands it, is no essential part of the Hindu creed. We thus have truth left by itself as the distinguishing mark of Hinduism. That, of course, is no definition at all.

It is, therefore, incorrect and undesirable to use 'Hindu' or 'Hinduism' for Indian culture, even with reference to the distant past, although the various aspects of thought, as embodied in ancient writings, were the dominant expression of that culture. Much more is it incorrect to use those terms, in that sense, today. So long as the old faith and philosophy were chiefly a way of life and an outlook on the world, they were largely synonymous with Indian culture; but when a more rigid religion developed, with all manner of ritual and ceremonial, it became something more and at the same time something much less than that composite culture. A Christian or a Moslem could, and often did, adapt himself to the Indian way of life and culture, and yet remained in faith an orthodox Christian or Moslem. He had Indianized himself and become an Indian without changing his religion.

The correct word for 'Indian', as applied to country or culture or the historical continuity of our varying traditions, is 'Hindi', from 'Hind', a shortened form of Hindustan. Hind is still commonly used for India. In the countries of Western Asia, in Iran and Turkey, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, and elsewhere, India has always been referred to, and still called, Hind; and everything Indian is called 'Hindi'. 'Hindi' has nothing to do with religion, and Moslem or Christian Indian is as much a Hindi as a person who follows Hinduism as a religion. Americans who call all Indians Hindus are not far wrong; they would be perfectly correct if they used the word 'Hindi'. Unfortunately, the word 'Hindi' has become associated in India with a particular script - the devanagari script of Sanskrit - and so it has become difficult to use it in its larger and more natural significance. Perhaps when present-day controversies subside we may revert to its original and more satisfying use. To-day, the word 'Hindustani' is used for Indian; it is, or course, derived from Hindustan. But this is too much of a mouthful and it has no such historical and cultural associations as 'Hindi' has. It would certainly appear odd to refer to ancient periods of Indian culture as 'Hindustani'.

Whatever the word we may use, Indian or Hindi or Hindustani, for our cultural tradition, we see in the past that same inner urge towards synthesis, derived essentially from the Indian philosophies outlook, was the dominant feature of Indian cultural, and even racial, development. Each incursion of foreign elements was a challenge to this culture, but it was met successfully by a new synthesis and a process of absorption. This was also a process of rejuvenation and new blooms of culture arose out of it, the background and essential basis, however, remaining much the same.

-Taken from The Discovery of India written by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1944 during his incarceration in Ahmadnagar Fort Prison Camp. Images and captions were added by the owner of this blog and is not part of the book-

God's Facebook Profile

2009-03-13T21:18:00.007+08:00

Ever wondered what it would be like if god had a Facebook profile? Well check this out (click on image to enlarge)...

Is death an inexorable logic of events?

2009-03-11T15:29:00.010+08:00

Men and women are dying all over the world and killing each other in battles and in war. Many die from acts of terrorism, famine, natural disasters, diseases and illness. Those who die in battle usually die a quick and often, brave death. This can be seen as, in some circumstances, dying for a cause. Death is common enough everywhere we look. Indeed, death is the end of life, the end that many amongst us fear. But taking it (death) as an inexorable logic of events that could not be moulded or controlled is negligent if not myopic.

Here, in Malaysia, death in the hands of the police force, as it seems to me, has no logic leave alone purpose & necessity. These deaths come as a result of their (the police force) incompetence and callousness. It is man made, a slow creeping thing of horror with nothing to redeem it. And it is thus, deemed improper and not right to be mentioned. It becomes an unsavoury topic to talk or write about and to do so was to dramatize an unfortunate situation. False reports can be issued by those in authority, but let me tell you, corpses cannot easily be overlooked; they come in the way!

Inflicting a suspect with barbaric, uncivilized, agonizing and torturous methods to extract information is and most probably will remain the main stay in police interrogation. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to know that anyone who is tortured will finally resort to anything that will make his/her sufferings go away. So can information obtained in such manner be accepted as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? In legal terms, would it prove beyond reasonable doubt that the alleged is guilty of committing the offence that he/she has been charged with? The maxim, 'Let Hundred Guilty Be Acquitted But One Innocent Should Not Be Convicted' is slowly but surely becoming an obsolescent phrase in the Malaysian legal system. I shudder to think of how many innocent men were forced into false confessions and were thrown into prison just so that the police force can make headlines of their accomplishments and become self acclaimed champions in the field of policing.

Matters are taking a turn for the worst i would say. It's not only the police force that's taking sides on the political divide, but the doctors too. Taking the Kugan's case as a yardstick, one can observe the stark contrast between the 2nd post mortem report and the 1st. It is even more saddening and disappointing to see how the director of the Serdang Hospital and the Health Ministry D-G have come to the defence of the doctor who performed the first post mortem. The Serdang Hospital director declared both the post mortems as being "weak evidence' as the body was allegedly tampered with prior to the first post mortem by people who barged into the mortuary on the night it was brought in. Health Ministry D-G, Ismail Merican on the other hand, went a step further to put both his feet in his mouth by claiming that new findings in the 2nd post mortem could have been due to the cuts and manipulation of the body during the first post mortem.

So when all these parties (the police force, the hospital and the ministry of health) tell the people that they are going to be impartial in the investigation of Kugan's death, the people simply know better. Let's take for example the eleven alleged perpetrators. Instead of relieving them of their duties and arresting them, the police force has instead offered them protection by giving them comfortable desk jobs at Bukit Aman. So if you are a policeman in Malaysia and you are fed up with your field job, just kill someone in custody and you will be given what you want...a desk job, working nine to five, Mondays to Fridays. How convenient!

God save this nation.

At the Palace of justice - in solidarity with RPK

2009-02-24T10:50:00.010+08:00

I was at the Palace of Justice, or Palace of Injustice as i would prefer to call it, yesterday in solidarity with RPK.

The case was supposed to be heard at 9:00AM. Judges stepped in coolly at 10:00AM, much to the annoyance of tax payers who were there to witness the hearing.

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar made his opening statement regarding Justice Augustine Paul's recusal. Then, there was some exchange of views and points between the prosecution and defence. I am not an expert in the field of law, but from my observation yesterday, Tun Majid Tun Hamzah was no match to Malik who ripped apart the Courts of Judicature Act (CJA) while arguing his points. Tun Majid on the other hand, stammered through most of his points and appeared relatively unprepared to me.

Court, then adjourned after an hour or so and did not reconvene. The panel of judges reserved their judgement without fixing any specific date for judgement. Below are some photographs taken outside the court house after the hearing.

The usual suspects as you can see:

I am not very clear as to why the court reserved it's judgement, but it sure does give room for one to speculate political hegemony in play here. While i still have my doubts on judiciary independence in Malaysia, i hope the learned judges take time to ponder on the technicalities of Justice Augustine Paul hearing this case and with all due respect recuse him.

The next most lucrative business in Malaysia

2009-02-20T11:39:00.007+08:00

Want to know what's the next most lucrative business in Malaysia after politics? It's the canopy business! And with numerous upcoming state by-elections, this is the best time to invest in this business. Unfortunately this offer is limited to bumiputera businessmen only and you stand a better chance of winning canopy contracts worth millions of RM if you are a crony or have links (cables) in UMNO.

The process is very simple. You make your bid for the canopies. The best bid will be approved, provided you are an UMNO crony as mentioned earlier. You will then supply us with required numbers of canopies. After usage, canopies will be returned to you and you shall invoice us for any amount ranging from RM 5 million up to 10 million. For this purpose, you are allowed to magnify and manipulate the specifications and qualities of these canopies in your invoices, i.e by adding such terms as "bullet proof canopies with stealth and UV filter qualities", or "battery powered, mobile, remote controlled canopies with in-built GPS navigation system", etc. Payment in full is guaranteed as the government will be using tax payers' money straight from the national coffers.
Grab this opportunity of a life time!

For further details, kindly contact Mr. Tuan Melayu at 03-xxxxxxxx or visit us at http://www.canopyketuananmelayu.com.my/

The above advertisement is just a pigment of my imagination and as at 1:51 PM (GMT +8) today (20 February 2009), the website above does not exist.

Does this ad sounds ridiculous to you? That's exactly what i thought when i saw this:

The list above was taken from Malaysiakini. I just can't seem to digest some of the ludicrous amounts that don't telly with the type of expenses mentioned.

RM6 million for canopies alone? Did they order canopies for the upcoming by-elections and the next general elections as well?

Why two separate claims "food stuff" and "dried food and beverages"?

"Fuel and spare parts" RM698,000.00! Did they launch a surveillance satellite into space during the by-elections that we are unaware of?

Why split "travelling" and "fuel" claims? Shouldn't fuel claims come under travelling expenses?

"Accommodation" and "living" expenses. Don't they mean the same?

"Raw materials"??? such as? used for?

"Maintenance and minor repairs" RM830,000.00! What were they repairing and maintaining? a space shuttle?

You still think BN & UMNO is going to change? Hah! Fat chance!

Read the full news in Malaysiakini.

It's in the Constitution

2009-02-19T15:20:00.008+08:00

With all the latest uproar on the Perak debacle and calls of treason made against Karpal Singh, i was in the midst of trying to pen down something non-caustic when i came across this relatively comprehensive write up by Azmi Sharom, who is an expert in the filed of law himself, in The Star online today. I haven taken the liberty of posting it here for your reading pleasure.

It’s in the Constitution

BRAVE NEW WORLD
By AZMI SHAROM (azmisharom@yahoo.co.uk)

Sultans and Rajas are constitutional monarchs and have powers determined by the Federal Constitution.

I wish that all those people calling for Karpal Singh’s head would just take a minute and pick up the Federal Constitution. Turn to Article 182 and you will see provisions for a “Special Court”.

The job of this Special Court is to try civil proceedings brought against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or any of the Sultans.

This was not always the case. Before 1993, the rulers had absolute immunity. And before 1984, they actually had the power to veto legislation. These powers were taken away by the Barisan Nasional government headed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh’s desire for the Sultan of Perak to be brought to court is reasonable and allowed for by law. Besides, I think it is a good thing that the King and the Sultans can be brought to court.

You see, the days of the all-powerful king is gone now and that is, for me at least, progress. It shows that we are a society that values democracy.

Yes, we have Sultans and Rajas, but they are constitutional monarchs. This means that they have powers determined by the Constitution and not some divine power to do as they wish. This being the case, surely if they overstep their boundaries, if they behave in an unconstitutional manner, they should be challenged – respectfully, properly – in a court of law.

Now, did the Sultan of Perak act in a way that was unconstitutional when he appointed a new Mentri Besar? It is arguable.

The power to appoint a Mentri Besar is clearly at the discretion of the Sultan. This is one of the few real powers that he has. A power that he does not have is to dismiss an existing Mentri Besar.

Usually this does not raise many problems. During the last general election, we saw the Sultan of Perak and the Sultan of Terengganu both deciding on who should be the new Mentri Besar of their respective states.

They made decisions that went against the desires of the majority party in both state legislative assemblies. The two monarchs thought that their choices commanded the confidence of the two Houses and were the best men for the job. It was their prerogative.

But the current case in Perak is different. The Sultan chose a new Mentri Besar while the old one was still in office. By appointing a new man, he was in effect sacking the old one. And sacking the Mentri Besar is not within his constitutional powers.

I think there is room for debate on this matter and, ideally, it should be settled in the Special Court.

Actually, I am rather curious as to why the Sultan did not just dissolve the state assembly when requested. All this party-hopping business was wreaking havoc on the public’s faith in the democratic system.

Surely, the clearest and fairest way out of the debacle was to have fresh state elections.

For the sake of continued faith in democracy, I would have thought the Sultan, who has spoken many times so eloquently about democracy and rule of law, would have just said “right, let the people decide again”.

After all, the greatest threat to political, and thus national, stability are a people who have lost their faith in the democratic system. It is only when such faith is lost that extreme behaviour emerges.

Anyway, what is done is done; legal battles are being fought over the Perak matter and that particular crisis will be settled in its own time.

Meanwhile, there is much that can still be achieved. The states ruled by Pakatan Rakyat must continue to push their agenda forward and live up to their election promises.

For example, I notice with a little dismay that the new Selangor government has yet to withdraw the case against Sagong Tasi.

In 2002, Sagong obtained a judgment in his favour by the Court of Appeal which held that his Orang Asli community had a propriety interest in their customary land. This meant that when the land was taken by the government, they should have been properly compensated.

This case was against the former state government and, of course, Datuk Seri Khir Toyo and his men appealed the decision.

Considering the fact that Pakatan Rakyat is concerned about justice and fair treatment to all Malaysians, and considering also that the last MB of Perak was making headway in granting proper titles to the Orang Asli in his state, the current Selangor government should just stop the action.

Yes, the battle of Perak must continue. But there are many other battles to be fought and won. Fairness and justice must be striven for on all fronts, continuously. It’s easy to forget this amid the shrill cries of “traitor” by the ill-informed.

Original article on The Star online here.

For crying out loud!

2009-02-17T14:22:00.010+08:00

What has become of us? Has the besmirched Malaysian politics crept into our very bedrooms? How much lower can one go? Malaysian politics, as it seems, has reached a new low. It now appears to have become a bottomless sewerage pit.

Does Elizabeth Wong deserve all that is being thrown her way? All she did was to sleep topless/nude on her own bed, in the privacy of her own bedroom. Some ex-boyfriend, spurned or otherwise, whose mother taught him wrong, took photos of her while asleep for reasons only he and god will know. He must have then, passed on the photographs to the wrong hands for the right price i assume. The photos are now a free for all i heard. I will not look at them even if they came my way by accident!

We also owe much gratitude to the MSMs who have helped sensationalize this story into a proportion worthy of a Porn star or a high class call girl! ...just utterly disgusting.

Then you have this half evolved, Malaysian wannabe, Indonesian ape, Khir Toyo who sticks his nose up Elizabeth's you know where and plays brother righteous asking her to step down. Khir is playing righteous brother, but here's the deal, a spade is a spade no matter how righteous he tries to portray himself. Why not Khir go after the perverted, sexually pre-occupied neanderthals who spread these photos? Khir once again proves that he is an idiot of the highest degree when he compared this incident to Chua Soi Lek's sexual fiascoes. Hey idiot! Soi Lek was having an extra-marital sexual relationship with another woman. Elizabeth Wong on the other hand, slept in the nude on her bed, in the privacy of her bed room. Comparing an apple to star fruit screams loads about Khir's intelligence, does it not. How is what she did immoral? Notwithstanding the risk of a spike in the numbers of sudden deaths, if such photos of Khir were to be spread around, will it make him more immoral that what he already is?

Sadly enough, it appears that i have to take on the responsibility of reminding Khir not to stick his nose into places it doesn't belong. Khir is enjoying a wonderful life as a Bumiputera in Malaysia, thanks to his mother who one night, many years ago, lay naked on bed to conceive him. Would Khir deem that immoral too? It would come as no surprise if he actually did.

Half the world's population sleep in the nude for one reason or the other. Should the politicians among them all step down? Where's the logic in that?

I am very happy though, that all PR members, namely PAS has come out with guns blazing in defence of Elizabeth, with some even calling those who spread the photographs "worse than prostitutes!".

My heart goes out to Elizabeth Wong and her family. I hope they stay strong and ride the storm. The people are with her. I hope she will re-consider her decision to quit. But whatever her final decision may be, she has my support always.

If she does decide to stick to her decision of leaving, then, for Elizabeth Wong, it's good riddance to bad rubbish. I wish her luck.

In solidarity with RPK

2009-02-17T11:11:00.003+08:00

On November 7th 2008, High Court Judge, Syed Ahmad Helmy, ruled RPK's detention as unconstitutional. The detention was deemed mala fide by the residing judge as the home minister Shit Hamid Albar, oops! , sorry, typo, i mean Syed Hamid Albar had not followed proper procedure under Section 8 of the ISA to issue the detention order against Raja Petra.
The minister had earlier stated three reasons for Raja Petra’s detention:

1) that he owns and operates the Malaysia Today website;

2) publishing his articles and readers’ comments intentionally and recklessly which were critical and insulted Muslims, affecting the purity of the religion and the personality of Prophet Muhammad;

3) publishing articles deemed defamatory or false concerning Malaysia’s leaders, with the intention of undermining public confidence and inciting hatred against the government; the articles are alleged to be a threat to national security. The articles were: "Malays, the Enemy of Islam", "Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell", "I promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim" and "Not all Arabs are descendants of the Prophet".

The government is now appealing this decision by the high court and today RPK will be hearing the habeas corpus appeal by the Government.

I am a supporter of RPK, his struggles, and his vision, mission and goals. He, there for has my support at all times. But in this case, there is an additional reason why i stand in support of and in solidarity with RPK. That additional reason is the way the BN government has and still is flexing its muscles on dissent. RPK's writings, in the eyes of the blasphemous BN politicians, may appear to be seditious in nature and i don't give two flying hoots about what they think, as they are all morons. RPK can write whatever he wants and that is his right. Coming down on him, by principle, is an act of defiance and disrespect to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. Period!

We are behind you RPK. You are not alone!

I hope Malik Imtiaz and team kick ass out there!

The past, the present & the future

2009-02-11T20:35:00.006+08:00

Malaysian politics seems to be taking some unexpected, or is it expected twists of late. These twists seems to be pointing in the direction of a constitutional crisis.

The federal and state constitutions, which are supposed to be the pillars of principles on which our federal & state governments were formed, are fast becoming an urban legend. While it has been exasperating reading all the happenings in Perak the past week or so, i have come to terms that Malaysian politics, especially BN politics, is very stereotype, and history tells us so.

Understanding the relationship between the past, the present & the future might just tell us what lies ahead for Malaysians if BN continues to be in power.
The past is something that leads up to the present, the now. The future on the other hand, is something that flows from the present. That said, we can reliably conclude that the roots of the present lie in the past. If the past has a tendency of becoming the present, then present also has tendencies of receding into the past. We usually experience this when an event occurs in the present with such a spectrum that it creates a feeling as though it was some past event, and that we are looking at it in retrospect.

1959

In 1959 PAS took over Terengganu with a narrow majority of 2 seats out of the 24 seat state assembly. Money politics came into play and 2 PAS members defected to BN in 1961. The then MB (Md. Daud Samad) approached the Sultan to dissolve the state assembly but the Sultan refused. A vote of no-confidence was taken against the PAS leadership that same year. It was speculated that there was money politics involving two PAS ADUNS who refrained from voting, which led to the downfall of the PAS government.

1966

This can be considered as an epic in Malaysian political history. Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan was the chief minister of Sarawak in 1966. Continuous political disagreement led to his discontent with the current Abdul Taib Mahmud. This led to differences that finally estranged the both of them until finally Taib was sacked by Ningkan for undermining his state government. Taib, with the support of 21 other state assembly members, approached the Federal government leaders for help and a conspiracy soon unfolded. The then state governor, Tun Abang Haji Openg, with the assistance of hidden hands from the federal government, sacked Ningkan upon receiving a so-called letter of no-confidence against him. A new chief minister was appointed immediately.

Ningkan filed a suit against the governor and the new chief minister and won. The High Court ruled that Ningkan was the lawful chief minister of Sarawak since there was no vote of no confidence in the state council. But it was a little too late for Ningkan as once again, money politics played its usual role. Most of his supporters had already been bought over to the other side. Once again, Ningkan appealed to the governor to dissolve the council, but to no avail. In the mean time, another letter of no-confidence signed by 25 State Council members was submitted to the governor who then requested Ningkan to resign which he refused. The final blow came when the federal government declared a state of emergency using communist threat in Sarawak as a guise. The governor immediately sacked Ningkan and the previous chief minister was re-instated with Taib as his deputy.

This case has now set a precedence for the Perak PR to initiate legal proceedings against the BN appointed MB and possibly even against the Sultan himself.

1987

The Ming Court affair.

This fiasco occurred after disgruntled political leaders in Sarawak, especially those representing the Dayak community, with the support of former Sarawak chief minster and ex-governor Abdul Rahman Yakub led an attempt to remove Abdul Taib Mahmud as chief minister of Sarawak. They were disaffected by Taib's leadership and misgovernance of Sarawak. The dissatisfaction stemmed from what appears to be favouritism and cronyism in awarding government contracts by Taib towards a certain chinese community who are said to be financing the SUPP (a component of Taib's BN coalition).
Till today Taib faces corruption and cronyism claims made against him but maintains an iron fist over his reign in Sarawak .

A total of 28 state assembly members out of 48, including some state ministers and deputy ministers, with the assistance of Rahman Yakub gathered at the Ming Court hotel in March 1987 to sign a letter of no confidence against Taib. They then approached Mahathir to get the blessings of the federal government. Mahathir being Mahathir masked his real feelings towards this coup and let it proceed as planned. Little did this group of rebel politicians know that Mahathir would later play their back. The letter was brought to Sarawak to be handed over to the then Governor of Sarawak, Ahmad Zaidi (who is Taib's crony himself) only to find him missing and incommunicado. Taib, then with the support of Mahathir's federal government announced the dissolution of the state assembly and wrested back the state government. The rest is history.

1994

This debacle took place in Sabah and was orchestrated by Mahathir with his former blue eye boy, Anwar Ibrahim. This was the first Sabah state elections for UMNO. The term 'frog' or 'katak', which refers to state assembly members who defect was first used in this election. It saw the opposition, PBS, wresting the state after winning 25 out of the 48 seats contested. This was short lived when days later 3 assemblymen 'jumped ship' and joined the BN. Again, it was money politics, involving a hefty sum i heard. Joseph Pairin Kitingan immediately announced the dissolution of the state legislative assembly by producing a declaration purportedly signed by the Yang Dipertua Negeri, consenting to the dissolution. Unfortunately the Yang Dipertua Negeri then, Tun Mohamad Said Keruak, whose son himself won a seat on an Umno ticket, denied having signed such a document. More defections followed and the PBS government fell. Anwar did BN proud!

There are many more similar incidences, but in a smaller scale that passed the eyes of the people as non-significant happenings, all to the credit of the MSM.

What has complicated matters further as far as the Perak fiasco is concerned, is the involvement of the Sultan. While i am no expert in constitutional law, it is rather apparent that the Sultan has indeed erred in his decision. While conspiracy theories are rife at the moment, the question that begs for an answer is, where do we go from here?

BN might have won the battle, but the war has yet to begin. BN's victory as it appears to me, is not a victory at all. BN being in power simply means more money politics and more fiascoes in the future. Are we willing to live with that or are we going to do something about it. It's all in our hands. As for me, i don't want history to repeat itself anymore. It's got to stop.

The end of the world - a preview

2009-02-10T19:46:00.005+08:00

Dear friends & readers,
thanks for all the e mails, calls and smses checking on me and my long absence from cyber space. It is very humbling to know that there are people out there who are concerned about my welfare. Once again, thank you. I feel blessed having you as my friends.

Not to worry. Nothing untowardly so far. I was just away attending to some family matters that required some urgent attention. Suffice to say, it was also a break for me, away from the computer.

I have yet to reply your emails as i only read them today. Rest assured, i will be making it my top priority to reply them ASAP. In the mean time why don't you guys enjoy this You Tube video that i bumped into some time ago. It's been around for quite some time now, but nevertheless, it remains one of my favourites. It's a video of what might become of planet earth if it was to be hit by a huge asteroid:

Update - Kugan's Burial At 2:00 PM

2009-01-28T09:39:00.003+08:00

I got an update last night that Kugan's burial will be at 2:00 PM and not 3:30 PM as mentioned in my earlier post. It will be at the Bt.14 burial ground in Puchong. Police have given permit for the procession enroute to the burial ground. So, please refrain from misbehaving. Let's pay Kugan his final respects and let him be buried with dignity.

Hear Yee! Hear Yee!

2009-01-27T14:47:00.006+08:00

Hear Yee! Hear Yee! The Chinese New Year holidays comes to an end today and there will be happenings tomorrow that call for your support:

1) A.Kugan funeral procession:

The family of A.Kugan, the victim of yet another custodial death, will be collecting his remains from the UMMC for burial at the Puchong Bt. 14 burial ground at 3:30PM- 4:00PM. According to The Malaysian Insider, sources revealed that the 2nd autopsy found external injuries caused by blunt force trauma, leading to cardiac arrest, which was the probable cause of death. Read more.

Much hype has been made about the circumstances in which Kugan died and the PDRM is under tremendous pressure following public outcry denouncing police brutality. Emotions are still raw and people are still grieving and angry. The organizers of the funeral have planned a procession through some parts of town en route to the burial ground. Police on the other hand is seeing red over this and has deemed this procession as an illegal assembly. According to Khalid Abu Bakar (CPO of Selangor), they have wind of plans by certain groups to turn the occasion into an illegal gathering to protest against alleged police brutally. He has "advised" the public not participate in the illegal gathering as the force was not against a normal funeral procession and respected the grieving family.

That piece of advise sounded more like a threat than an advice to me. While i don't give a Jack s*** about this oxymoron's threat, i would like to put in a word of caution to those planning to attend the procession tomorrow. Please practice refrain as there will be heavy police presence and it would come as no surprise if FRUs in riot gear and water tanks were dispatched as well. Being Malaysians, especially those critical of the ruling government, the chances of agents being planted among the crowd to instigate and provoke unruly behaviour is much likely. While it is important to gather in solidarity with the victim and his family, please give due respect to the deceased by remaining calm and orderly at all times. For those planning to gather at the UMMC as planned by an anonymous sms going around, please don't! Those who have ideas of creating a ruckus during the procession, i plead you not to. Please bury Kugan in peace. He has gone through enough, wouldn't you agree.

2) Paula Khoo's (Masterwordsmith) police case:

Paula Khoo (who blogs at http://www.masterworsmith-unplugged.com/), is a victim of police brutality too, but of a different kind. Paula was the emcee at an anti-ISA candle light vigil held in Penang on 15th November 2008, 6 days after the arrests of 23 vigilers in Petaling Jaya. The incident saw the vigil being interrupted rudely by a group of rogue police officers who then snatched Paula away after the vigil ended. She was allowed home on bail and reported back to the police on 28th November just to be informed that her bail was extended till the 28th of January 2009. A coincidence? I don't think so.

That was only the beginning. Her life took a horrific twist when her computers got repeatedly hacked into and manipulated plus, she was harassed on a daily basis to leave the blogosphere by people whose identity we can only speculate (hint! hint!). Notwithstanding the heavy toll this took on her personal and family life, Paula persevered. Maintaining magnanimity, Paula refused to harbor ill feelings towards her perpetrators and finally bowed out of the political blogosphere. She now writes on inspirational and inspiring subjects.

I call upon all peace loving Malaysians, including the PR politicians to turn up at the Patani Road Police Station in Penang tomorrow at 8:00 AM in support of and in solidarity with Paula. Let us, the people of Malaysia, show these bullies (PDRM & BN) that we are not scared of them. Show them that we are behind Paula all the way. Show them that their reign of terror has come to an end and urge them not to press charges against a peace loving Malaysian who stood up not for herself, but for the many unfortunate Malaysians who have become victims of these bullies. She deserves it and her family deserves it. I am behind you Paula. You are not alone!

Gong Xi Fa Chai!

2009-01-25T17:15:00.001+08:00

Man dies after police brutality and Khalid lies through his teeth!

2009-01-21T15:24:00.002+08:00

The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that a 22 year old detainee at the Taipan Police Station in Subang Jaya, apparently just dropped dead in the midst of an interrogation. Selangor Police Chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar told the press that during interrogation, the detainee asked for a glass of water and upon drinking the water, he collapsed and lost consciousness. He also issued a warning not to speculate on this issue as custodial deaths were considered a sensitive issue.

I think Mr. Khalid needs to be reminded that a death is a death and all deaths are sensitive issues immaterial of who the person was or where and how the person died.

This 22 year old man died in a mysterious manner while still in police custody. Unless there is something to hide, i don't see any reason why Khalid should be worried about speculations and i don't see any reason for him to warn civil society to be silent. In a country like Malaysia, where the police force is well known for its silent but brutal and barbaric methods of interrogation, death in custody is not something uncommon. Unfortunately, most of these cases go unheard as the police silently sweep them under the carpet and prevent the press from reporting them.

A 22 year old man does not just drop dead for no reason. How can the police classify this as sudden death? If it is sudden death, then what is cause of death (i.e: heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, accidental death, injury, motor vehicle accident, industrial accident, poisoning, suicide, homicide, severe infection in the brain, medical error, error in medication, adverse reaction to medication, medical misadventure, drug overdose, diabetic hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis, appendicitis, etc)?

Let's try to put pieces of puzzle together:

1) 22 year old man detained by police on 15/01/09 on suspicion of being involved in robbery and car theft

2) Kept in custody for interrogation

3) Dies suddenly on day 6 of custody

4) Dies during interrogation

5) Asks for water, drinks the water and drops dead

6) Later police found out from family members that he is asthmatic

7) Look at the photos below taken at the hospital morgue (photos from http://www.makkal.org/):

Name of the deceased: Kugan A/L Ananthan:

What say you Khalid? No police brutality? Dead men tell no tales you say? Well this dead men has plenty to say from what i see!

Shame on PDRM! and shame on Selangor's number one police man, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar! He speaks more like a politician than a policeman. It was Khalid's boys that used heavy handed and brutal methods on unarmed, innocent people carrying candles during the anti ISA vigils, shamelessly using the nation's security as a guise.

When they can do that to civil society, then i can bravely say that they can do worse to a suspected criminal in a closed room, especially in a police station where there is no access for public and press.

Why cry over Palestinians being brutally massacred by the Isrealis or Iraqis being tortured by American soldiers in Guantanamo Bay when we haven't even taken care of our own backyard! I hope Malaysians are not hypocrites. I condemn this inhumane act of police brutality and call for an independent investigation into the death of Kugan A/L Ananthan (including an independent coroner's report)!

Updated at 12:25 AM 22/01/09:
You can read The Malaysian Insider's report on this here.

Kuala Terengganu - why i would not vote for UMNO/BN

2009-01-16T15:00:00.038+08:00

While i have no god given right to tell anyone who they should vote for, here are some reasons why i would not vote for BN if i were a constituent of Kuala Terengganu.

Notwithstanding the fact that it is home to about 60 percent of Malaysia's crude oil, which in turn, generates about 40+% of the country's income, Terengganu remains one of the poorest states in Malaysia . To that end, i am of the opinion that the poor people of Terengganu have been short changed by the BN regime for far too long now. Justify it yourself:

The voters who voted in their leaders, hoping for a better future, live in places like this:

On the other hand, the people who got voted in become the blessed ones:

Their (the voters') jetties, to go to sea to earn a living:

The jetty of the blessed ones, who use it for their hobbies:

Their hobby, apparently enjoyed only during periods of bad sea, when they can't go out to sea:

Among the many hobbies of the blessed ones:

Insufficient funding to build better houses for their constituents? Maybe. But how come they have funding for this exorbitant piece of structure?...

BN is using the Hudud Law 'Bogey Man' to ward off people from voting for PR. But tell me something, what do you think of this guy (Tok Guru) who attended a DAP campaign dinner at a Chinese restaurant that serves beer? Not only did he enter the restaurant, he even partook some food prepared specially for him. I bet you no Muslim BN politician would ever do this. Still want to talk about Hudud Law?

About the Oil Royalty and the state's financial status, I summarized some important indexes. Do the math:

*Akaun Hasil Disatukan mengakaunkan semua terimaan wang serta perbelanjaan mengurus Kerajaan. Kerajaan Negeri telah mengakhiri tahun kewangan 2007 dengan defisit semasa berjumlah RM284.39 juta. Defisit ini berpunca daripada perbelanjaan mengurus Kerajaan Negeri yang berjumlah RM1,546.52 juta berbanding kutipan hasil yang berjumlah RM1,262.13 juta...

-excerpts from the Auditor-Generals Report 2007. Read the A-G's full report here.

Notwithstanding significantly increased income to the state, the accounts actually showed a deficit of RM284 million for 2007 as compared to 2006, where there was a surplus of RM184 million. According to the A-G's report, this was due to the increasing expenditure in running of the state, that rose from RM128 million in 2003, to RM1.5 billion in 2007, especially to certain state agencies. (Note: largest sum of money was spent for Water Supply and Low cost housing). You will also note that every time the BN government fears losing the state in the upcoming election, they quickly drain out the state coffers with 'increased expenses'. How convinient!

And yes! let us not forget the sweeteners. One of Barisan's favourite unethical methods of outdoing their opponent...unfortunately there's nothing much for them (BN) to boast about as they are using tax payers' money. So, part of the money being used for these sweeteners came out of my pocket too and i do not condone such usage of my money:

1)Permatang Pauh’s mosques, suraus to get RM4.18mil next week (The Star 16/1/09):
The RM4.18mil aid for 74 Permatang Pauh mosques and suraus pledged by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during the constituency’s by-election last August will be disbursed from next week. Read more here.

2)Govt announces RM1mil fund for fishermen (The Star 16/1/09):
The government announced Friday the setting up of the Fishermen's Emergency Fund with a launching capital of RM1mil to help fishermen and their families struck by misfortune. Read more here.

3)Government to channel RM50mil straight to boards of Chinese schools (The Star 16/1/09):
In an unprecedented move to provide financial assistance to Chinese schools, the Government announced that the boards of directors of Chinese schools will receive RM50mil in direct funding from financial allocation under the economic stimulus package. Read more here.

UMNO/BN and it's members are pompas, arrogant, rude and a bunch of hypocrites:

Ah yes! among BN's favourites, gerrymandering, vote buying and phantom voting:

1) Remember what happened to Rocky when he registered himself as a voter for the first time in his life last year? (He found himself already registered as a voter...in Gopeng, Perak):

2) Two journalists in Kuala Terengganu were apparently handed envelopes containing RM 300.00 yesterday by an officer from the Ministry of Information, asked to acknowledge receipt of the same, but not told what the money is for. Read more here.

So fellow Malaysians of Kuala Terengganu, as you go out to cast your votes later today, please remember that you are lucky enough to get a second chance to effect change for your beloved state. Enough is enough! Vote BN out! Let us Malaysians hand in hand mold the future of this nation and it's people to ensure that generations to come will live in harmony as one race and one nation. Let's make the Bangsa Malaysia dream come true!

Images taken from :
The People's Paliament
Kickdefella
Google Image Search

After The Crisis: A Parody of 15 Corporate Logos

2009-01-12T17:30:00.010+08:00

The 2008 crash is probably the most serious economic crisis we have faced after the Great Depression. Stock markets from around the world fell as much as 20% in a single week, dozens of banks either failed or were rescued by government and private instutitions, and companies started laying off employees as a consequence of the reduced demand.
We know how we entered into the crisis, but we don’t how, when, or how we will be getting out of it. Considering that issue, we decided to our little bit to help cheer everyone up by redoing the logos of some renowned companies …. after the crisis.

Bonus Logo

While Apple is probably one of the more stable companies in our economy, with a robust and diverse set of high-demand products… we just couldn’t resist this one.

Source: http://www.businesspundit.com/

Ismail Merican, BestEd and Prince Court

2009-01-10T21:34:00.004+08:00

updated on 10/01/09 at 2:29am

In one of my previous posts, i had written about the D-G of MOH, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican and his wife's involvement in a RM1.9 billion scandal. You can read it here. You can read Sakmongkol's take on it here and here.

Today, i received a calling enlightening me of another one of Ismail Mericans alleged scandals. This time around it is his alleged involvement in the recognition of three medical universities in the Czech Republic in 2006. Read the The Star's article on this here. The three universities, First faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Hradec Kralove and Palacky University, Olomouc, were recognized by the MMC, surprisingly, effective 25 October 2004 (See here, page 31).

Here are some parts of the report that are worth taking note of:

"...However, this promises to change following the Malaysian Medical Council's (MMC) decision to recognise three universities in the Czech Republic..."

"...BestEd Sdn Bhd projects manager Shirley Abdullah says the first batch of 70 Malaysian students are expected to travel to the Czech Republic in September this year. (BestEd is sole agent for the recruitment and enrolment of students for the three programmes.) ..."

"...In a letter to BestEd dated July 23, 2005, MMC president Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said the council had agreed to recognise the undergraduate medical programmes..."

"...According to Shirley, the total cost for the six-year medical programme inclusive of living expenses is approximately RM450,000 in Prague while the cost in the two smaller cities of Hradec Karalove and Olomouc is around RM350,000..."

"...Malaysians can now study medicine in the Czech Republic and at a lower cost than in popular destinations such as Britain or Australia..."

Some discrepancies:

1. The above mentioned 3 universities were recognized by the MMC in 2006, but effective from 25 October 2004. Were there students already studying there? If there were, who were they and what was the necessity to backdate the recognition? What happened between October 2004 and June 2006?

2. The recognition of these universities were kept very low profile and it was not even updated into the Malaysian Medical Council's List of Recognized Universities. But ironically, JPA was already recruiting students to these universities . A press release by Tony Phua on 5th March 2007 which was published on DAP's website on 13 June 2007 shows this (read here).

3. What is the connection between the Director General of Health and BestEd? What business does he have writing a letter personally to a student recruitment agency informing them of the recognition of the above mentioned universities? Is that protocol? If it is not protocol, then why did he do it? Who is this Shirley Abdullah and BestEd (http://www.bested.com.my/)?

4. I was unable to trace the original article, but there was a discussion on the Malaysian Medical Resources website on 10 April 2006 about an article in The Star about the same issue, but the last line in the article was rather suggestive of the fact that these universities were recognized without being evaluated and that MMC was going to make visits to ensure the quality of these universities only after they got recognized (read here). So, we have three universities that were recognized without their quality being assessed and the recognition was backdated to October 2004. Smells fishy?

5. Studying medicine in Chezh Republic is cheaper than Britain and Australia? Let's take a look at the charges (From http://www.bested.com.my/):

First faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague:

Entrance Exam: = RM 425
Entrance & Administration Fee: = RM 11,250
Annual Tuition: EUR 13,000(approx: RM 60,970) X 6 = RM 365,820
Accommodation (Shared twin bedded room): approx: RM 1105/month X 72 = RM79,560
Meals (In student canteens): approx: RM 9-15/meal (at RM10 per meal) =RM54,000
Local Transport (Student price): (approx: RM 45/month) X 60 = RM2,700
Books: (approx: RM 2345/year) X 6 = RM14,070
Health Insurance: from RM 1700/ year X 6 = RM10,200
Visa application & related costs: from = RM500

Minimum expenses incurred in 6 years = RM538,525

Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Hradec Kralove:

Entrance Exam = RM 425
Entrance & Administration Fee = RM 11,250
Annual tuition fees, approx RM46,511 = RM279,066
Accommodation (hostel):Shared triple bedded room (approx: RM430/month) = RM30,960
Meals: In student canteens(approx: RM 6-10/meal) - at RM 8 per meal = RM43,200
Local Transport (student price approx: RM 25/month) = RM1,500
Books (approx: RM 2345/year) = RM14,070
Health Insurance (from RM 1700 / year) = RM10,200
Visa application & related costs from = RM 500

Minimum expenses incurred in 6 years = RM391,171

Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc:

Entrance Exam = RM 425
Entrance & Administration Fee = RM 11,250
Annual Tuition, EUR 9,500, approx(RM 44,550) = RM267,300
Accommodation (hostel -Shared twin bedded room, approx: RM 390/month) = RM28,080
Meals, in student canteens (approx: RM 6-10/meal) - at RM8 per meal = RM43,200
Local Transport (student price approx: RM18/month) = RM1,080
Books (approx: RM 2345/year) = RM14,070
Health Insurance (from RM 1700 / year) = RM10,200
Visa application & related costs from = RM 500

Minimum expenses incurred in 6 years = RM376,105

So, is it cheaper than Britain and Australia? And this exorbitant amount to study medicine in Czech Republic? You be the judge. (Charles University is ranked 20th in Europe and 103 in world ranking. See here).

But this takes the cake. Studies in the Czech Republic is actually free (for Czechs and foreigners). This is in accordance with the Czech Law on Universities - no. 111/1998 Coll (See here).
There are thousands of foreign students studying in the Czech Republic, in the Czech language. These students are required to sit for an entrance exam and will secure a place in the university once they pass the exam. But tuition fee remains free. So what is the exorbitant tuition fee for when the only thing different is the medium of teaching. Exorbitant tuition fee just for mere translation of the syllabus to English and training their staff to teach in English? I doubt it as two of the universities have been teaching in English since 1992. The calling also mentioned: "Given the opportunity to study medicine for free in the Czech Republic, the Malaysian Government has been misguided to channel between RM 300,000 to RM500,000 of tax payers' money per student to "Best Ed Sdn Bhd" simply to have the same course conducted in the English medium. This totals to an approximate sum of RM60-100million for the current 200 Malaysian students studying there. This is indeed a negotiated sum, as according to the law, the fees are agreed upon based on the dealings made between the university and the representing agency. Why didn't the agency transact a minimal amount to preserve government funds? Suspicion thus arises on whether the deal results in kickbacks or pocketing of money.Corruption stands firm."

A nominal fee might have been acceptable, but a half million ringgit is definitely not nominal. So Ismail, what's the story morning glory?

Rumors are rife that Ismail Merican might be taking a bow out of MOH soon. Even more interesting is the rumor that he is currently eyeing the director's post at Prince Court Medical Centre, the posh Medical Centre owned by Petronas. Some Merican connection that we're missing out on?

Is ignorance really bliss?

2009-01-03T20:09:00.010+08:00

"Papa!, mari sini!" At first, i thought i was hallucinating. Then again "Papa!, mari sini!". I rushed to the door way to find my 2 1/2 year old son squatting by the fallen baby stroller. He looked at me and waved his left hand gesturing me to come closer to him and and gently uttered, "Papa! Mari sini", "See! it fall down". He was oblivious to his grammatical error and i didn't mind. But, what i did mind though, was, how out of touch i was with my son's development. I have been ignorant of the fact that he had picked up a second language. "Where have i been all this while?" i thought. "I had to make good this break and start catching up with my very much back logged family life". And make good, i did. No computer, no newspapers, no Malaysiakini, no The Malaysian Insider, no blogs. I was in my own "sanctuary", where i remained politically stupid for a week. My time was spent catching up with wify and my two little ones, oblivious of the happenings around me. What a good week it was. Ignorance was bliss!

Returning back to work just for a day on the 30th, knowing that i'm going to be on leave again the next two days was a real drag. That morning all i wanted to do, as i laboured myself out of bed, was to get back in bed and cuddle up with my nice, warm and cozy bolster...my son!

Got back to the clinic, turned on my laptop and ran through the happenings in Malaysia and around the world with my thoughts still visualizing how i was going to be spending the next two days with my kids. Then, while reading of the happenings at the Gaza strip, i chanced upon some pictures that made my heart sink:

A relative carrying the body of 4-year-old girl, Dena Balosha, during her funeral in Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Did they launch rockets on Israelis too?

What do you think she's going to tell her children when she comes out of the hospital?

One lesser place to seek solace.

Where do you think they spent new year's?

While New Year revellers were misbehaving on the streets of Malaysia, these Palestinian youngsters were on the streets trying to protect whatever little roof left for their loved ones.

Guess what kind of "Fire" works display they were watching during the new year countdown? We had a home to return to after watching ours. Did they?

I dread to even guess what this guy is asking for in his prayers.

The brave warrior! and i'm not talking about the guy in the uniform. This David has no chance in the world to beat the Goliath in this one.

Some of the thousands who were robbed off their childhood and their lives. They did not deserve this! What kind of animals do this to innocent children? If these photographs did not send tears rolling down your cheeks, i don't know what will.

Here's the guy who is currently playing god! (seated in the middle, Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel).

One can stumble upon thousands of gruesome photos of slain Palestinian women and children in the Internet. But of what value are these pictures and write ups when all that we can do is sit and complain. What's the use of the UN? I will not start with the U.S. as it would be a waste of my precious time.

I had some Palestinian buddies during medical school. They were Palestinians living in various parts of the world other than Palestine. From them i learnt that the well connected and well to do Palestinians had long left their homeland to seek refuge in other countries. The ones left behind to live through this nightmare are the poor souls who were not gifted with the financial affordability to tag along with their more well off Palestinian brothers and sisters.

Where is the justice in Israel's actions? Some defend Israel's move by condemning the barrage of rockets fired from Gaza into Southern Israel even through the period of the truce. Come on people, let's compare an apple to an apple please. Rockets vs sophisticated, state of the art warplanes? Rockets vs latest technology equipped armoured tanks? Stone hailing youths vs specially trained arm force with heavy armour and sophisticated weapons? You kill 3 of ours and we kill 400 of yours?

Mr.Olmert, please stop. Enough of sacrificing innocent people to quench your thirst for revenge and political mileage. You snatched their land from right under their noses and now you call them terrorists. Who is the real terrorist here? Please stop these atrocities and genocide immediately and unconditionally. Stop playing god!

I join hands with all peace loving humans of the world in condemning this utterly inhumane and cowardly act by your Zionist regime. Shame on you!

Shame on me too. What is my microscopic discomfort compared to the agony of these very unfortunate creations of god? Now i ask myself, is ignorance really bliss?

For those who are still unclear of the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, you can read it from my previous post here.

A synopsis of The Israel-Palestine conflict

2008-12-30T20:19:00.004+08:00

In the 19th century the land of Palestine was inhabited by a multicultural population – approximately 86 percent Muslim, 10 percent Christian, and 4 percentJewish – living in peace.
In the late 1800s a group in Europe decided to colonize this land. Known as Zionists, this group consisted of an extremist minorityof the Jewish population. They wanted to createa Jewish homeland, and considered locationsin Africa and the Americas, before settling on Palestine. At first, this immigration created no problems. However, as more and more Zionists immigrated to Palestine – many with the express wish of taking over the land for a Jewish state – the indigenous population became increasingly alarmed. Eventually, fighting broke out, with escalating waves of violence. Hitler’s rise to power and Nazi atrocities, combined with Zionist activities to sabotage efforts to place Jewish refugees in western countries, led to increased Jewish immigration to Palestine, and conflict grew.

In 1947 the United Nations decided to intervene. However, rather than adhering to the democratic principle espoused decades earlier by Woodrow Wilson of “self-determination of peoples,” in which the people themselves create their own state and system of government, the UN chose to revert to the medieval strategy whereby an outside power divides up other people’s land. Under considerable Zionist pressure, the UN recommended giving away 55 percent of Palestine to a Jewish state – despite the fact that this group represented only about 30 percent of the total population, and owned under 7 percent of the land.

While it is widely and correctly reported that the resulting war eventually included five Arab armies, less well known is the fact that throughout this war Zionist forces out numbered all Arab and Palestinian combatants combined – often by a factor of two to three. Also contrary to popular belief, Arab armies did not invade Israel – virtually all battles were fought on land that was to have been the Palestinian state. Finally, it is significant to note that Arab armies entered the conflict only after Zionistf orces had committed 16 massacres, including the grisly massacre of over 100 men, women,and children at Deir Yassin. Future Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, head of one of the Jewish terrorist groups, called this a “splendid act of conquest,” and stated: “As inDeir Yassin, so everywhere, we will attack and smite the enemy. God, God, Thou has chosenus for conquest.” Zionist/Israeli forces committed33 massacres altogether. By the end of the war, Israel had conquered 78 percent of Palestine; three-quarters of a million Palestinians had been made refugees; over500 towns and villages had been destroyed; and a new map was drawn up, in which every city, river and hillock received a new, Hebrew name, as all vestiges of the Palestinian culture were to be erased. For many decades Israel denied the existence of this population, former Israeli PrimeMinister Golda Meir once saying: “There is no such thing as a Palestinian.”

Then in 1967, Israel conquered still more land.Following the Six Day War, in which Israeli forces launched a highly successful surprise attack on Egypt, Israel occupied the additional 22 percent of Palestine that had eluded it in 1948 – the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since, according to international law it is in admissibleto acquire territory by war, these are occupied territories and do not belong to Israel. It also occupied parts of Egypt (since returned)and Syria (which remain under occupation). Also during the Six-Day War, Israel attacked a US Navy ship, the USS Liberty, killing and injuring over 200 American servicemen. President Lyndon Johnson recalled rescue flights, saying that he did not want to "embarrass an ally." (In 2004 a high-level commission chaired by Admiral Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, found this attack to be “an act of war against the UnitedStates,” a fact few news media have
reported).

There are two primary issues at the core of this continuing conflict. First, there is the inevitably destabilizing effect of trying to maintainan ethnically preferential state, particularly when it is largely of foreign origin – the original population of what is now Israel was 96 percent Muslim and Christian. Yet, Muslim andChristian refugees are prohibited from returningto their homes in the self-described Jewish state. (And those within Israel are subjected to systematic discrimination). Second, Israel’s continued military occupationand confiscation of privately owned land in the West Bank, and control over Gaza, are beingresisted by Palestinian inhabitants. It is these occupied territories that, according to the Oslo peace accords of 1993, were going to become a Palestinian state. However, when Israel continued to confiscate land in these areas and to move its citizens onto it, the Palestinian population rebelled. (The Barak offer, widely reputed to begenerous, was anything but). This uprising, called the “Intifada” (Arabic for “shaking off”) began in the fall of 2000.

Largely due to one-sided special-interestlobbying, U.S. taxpayers give Israel an average of $7 million per day, and since its creation have given more U.S. funds to Israel than to any other nation. As Americans learn about how Israel is using their tax dollars, many are calling for an end to this expenditure.

Synopsis from http://www.ifamericansknew.org/

For a more detailed history on the Palestine-Israel conflict, read "The Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict".

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-12-24T11:01:00.011+08:00

Wishing all Christians in Malaysia a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year !

Malaysians paying petrol tax - what did Shahrir actually say?

2008-12-23T20:02:00.010+08:00

Oh! god! i'm getting a migraine trying to figure out what did Shahrir actually say about the fuel price two days ago.
The MSMs, as usual, did some artfull spin doctoring and made it appear as good news to the people. The Malaysian Insider and Reuters UK on the other hand were rather direct in their reporting.
Let's analyze the gist of what was reported in The Star, NST, Malaysian Insider and Reuters.

1)The Star:

Ceiling price of petrol for next year capped at RM 2.70

...Consumers will not pay more than RM2.70 per litre for petrol next year even if global prices of crude oil escalate ... "Since the present floating system works fine, we have decided to continue with it... He said the Government would also continue to make monthly or twice weekly reviews of global fuel prices and would adjust pump prices accordingly... Consumers will enjoy a 30 sen subsidy if the market price for petrol is RM1.90 per litre,”... Shahrir said the only thing that has yet to be determined is the ceiling tax that the Government imposes on petrol at retail level. He said the present tax is 58 sen per litre and the Government intended to lower the rate.
Read the full news here.

Here The Star reports:
-the government is continuing the floating system.
-There is a cap price of RM 2.70 per litre of petrol next year.
-They (the government) will be reviewing the price monthly or twice a week.
-Currently we are being taxed 58 sen per litre of petrol and that the government intends to reduce this tax.

2) NST:

Shahrir: No floor price for petrol

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said fuel prices would continue to be reviewed every two weeks. Fuel prices will be lowered if the global crude oil prices continue to fall... "But we are capping it at RM2.70," he said at his ministry here yesterday... The government is also mulling a reduction in the maximum fuel tax, of 58 sen per litre...The tax levied currently is 40 sen per litre... "We will come to a decision on this sometime next month," Shahrir said.
Read the full news here.

Here NST says:
-according to Shahrir, fuel prices would be reviewed once in every two weeks.
-Fuel prices will be lowered if global crude prices continue to fall.
-They are capping the fuel price at RM2.70.
-There is a current max fuel tax of 58 sen per litre and currently it is 40 sen per litre.
-The government will decide on further reduction of tax next month.

3) The Malaysian Insider:

Malaysians are now paying petrol tax

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad revealed today the government has stopped subsidising petrol since Nov 1 and has been effectively collecting taxes instead on petrol consumption... The statement was puzzling as the government had earlier said it would maintain a 30-sen fuel subsidy to keep pump prices below market prices... He also said that government would consider a floor price for fuel.
Read the full news here.

Here The Malaysian Insider says:
-Shahrir revealed that the government has stopped subsidy for petrol since Nov 1 2008 and has been effectively collecting taxes on petrol consumption.
-Even The Insider says that the minister's statement was puzzling.
-The minister also said that the government was considering a floor price for fuel (compare this with NST's title above and Reuters report below).

4)Reuters UK:

Malaysia to tax petrol if price falls - minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Malaysia's government will impose a tax if the price of petrol falls below a certain level but will not set a floor price, Domestic Trade Minister Shahrir Samad said on Friday.

"Under the mechanism, we determined that the ceiling price be set at 2.70 ringgit a litre with 30 sen subsidy still given if the market price is above 1.90 ringgit a litre," said Shahrir, according to state news agency Bernama.

"If the market price is below 1.90 ringgit a litre, we (the cabinet) took the decision to impose a tax but the rate is still at the discussion stage and will be known next month," he said.

Read the full news here.

Here Rueters actually puts it directly:
-Shahrir said that the government will impose a tax if petrol price falls below a certain level. But it will not set a floor price (compare to The Malaysian Insiders last line).
-There is a ceiling price set at RM2.70 per litre.
-If the market price is below RM1.90 per litre, the government has decided to impose a tax but the rate will be known only next month.

So, ladies and gentlemen, is this another day light robbery? Why doesn't the government, the people's servant, be truthful to the tax paying citizens for once at least. It's been a blooming 51 years for god's sake. We have had enough of this rubbish.
The BN government appears to have learned nothing from the March 8th GE. I look forward to seeing them annihilated the next GE.
How long are they going to plunder the nation and how long are we going to let them to? I pray for this nation and her citizens. We'll be seeing the effects of a financial disaster in the next few months and it appears that the BN politicians are lackadaisically more interested in deepening their pockets, rather than working out a disaster recovery plan for the people.

Perak MB sends us back to the stone age

2008-12-23T18:37:00.007+08:00

What an embarrassment i would say. Reuters just notified the world of a very ill informed, stone aged Chief Minister in Malaysia and his utterly foolish and ignorant remark about HIV carriers.
He was non other than our Perak MB, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

It also reported him as saying :
"If there's any breeding, sorry for having to use that word, the embryo will also carry the same virus. So that is even more unfair because you are actually passing that disease on to the child."

Is his statement backed by any medical facts or validation? Oh! how i shudder to think of the people around the world laughing at us and the amount anger and frustration this 'inhumane' moron just created for those suffering from this very unfortunate illness. People around the world might be wondering if Malaysians still live in caves.
So much for a Pakatan Rakyat MB. Are we doomed being Malaysians? Does human rights actually exist in Malaysia. I'm beginning to doubt it.

Read the full news here

Just For Laughs

2008-12-22T10:56:00.005+08:00

Some funny ones to start your day. Imagine the tough times our teachers had to endure during our hey days? I know mine had a tough time, especially my geography teacher. Geography was my weakest subject and i remember once during an exam, i didn't know the name of the river on the question paper. It was long and winding, so i wrote "the long and winding river". The teacher minused one mark for that and i ended up choosing history for SPM.

Have a good monday morning people! (click on image to enlarge)

Petisyen Kepada Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Selangor untuk mengadu berkenaan Ketua Polis Selangor

2008-12-21T09:05:00.006+08:00

From The People's Parliament :

This man took an oath to “obey, uphold and maintain the laws of Malaysia” and to execute the powers and duties of his office “honestly and diligently”.

He hasn’t.

He’s shamelessly lied and in recent days, has arrogantly bullied our brave young cyclists who have stepped out to try and make a difference.

And he has demonstrated a seeming determination to undermine the will of the rakyat of Selangor to mobilise and pressure for the repeal of the ISA and the immediate release of all ISA detainees.

The people of Selangor, and every other Malaysian who visits Selangor, deserve better.

Yes, we need protection from this cop.

Can our Sultan help us?

I don’t know, but I think we must try.

By this petition, we seek his royal intervention to :

1. direct the Selangor state government to lodge a complaint with the Police Force Commission in relation to the conduct of CPO Dato Khalid Abu Bakar as hereinstated and, if thought appropriate, to request that the Police Force Commission take such disciplinary measures against the CPO Dato Khalid Abu Bakar as the Police Force Commission thinks fit but, in any event, to transfer CPO Dato Khalid Abu Bakar out of Selangor;and
2) direct the Selangor state government to take all necessary steps to protect the right of the people of Selangor to peaceably assemble without arms.

I apologise at the length of the petition to His Royal Highness, but the team that worked on it felt that we were obliged to appraise His Royal Highness of the fullest possible facts that found our complaint.

The petition, in full, may be accessed here

Like the many other petitions launched through this blog, this petition now belongs to you.

Its success or otherwise, is in your hands.

Good people of Malaysia, especially the Selangorians, please read this petition and if you agree with the content, please sign it. And please spread the news. Mine is signature number 1449

cheers

Invitation to Teater Bilik Sulit - A play features the nature of Police interrogation of the ISA detainees

2008-12-18T20:36:00.004+08:00

Another delayed posting by yours truly:

INVITATION TO TEATER BILIK SULIT

Teater Bilik Sulit is a play that features the untold true accounts of the nature of Police interrogation of the ISA detainees which are based on testimonials of those who used to be detained under the ISA.

Dear All,

In conjunction with the International Human Rights Day, The Bar Council in collaboration with Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) would like to extend an invitation to all of you ladies and gentlemen to Teater Bilik Sulit which is going to be held on these dates :

20/12/2008 (Saturday),

21/12/2008(Sunday),

22/12/2008(Monday),

23/12/2008(Tuesday)

Venue : Bar Council Auditorium, Level 1

Time : 8.30pmSpace is limited, kindly RSVP.

For more info kindly contact 012-4651671 @ fadiahnadwa9@yahoo.com

Warm regards,
Wong Chai Yi,
Suaram Outreach and Events Coordinator
+603-77843525 / +6012-7771152

And that's why the BN government is a health hazard - the IJN chapter

2008-12-18T17:23:00.008+08:00

Ah! Just a couple of hours after writing my previous post, i read another article on The Star that proves me right again...The BN government is a health hazard and a risk factor for some of the more serious illnesses suffered by mankind.

Now where the hell did this come from? Sime Darby wanting a stake in IJN? Damn the bloody BN regime!

I am damn sure that this privatization idea did not just appear like the "eureka" phenomenon, out of thin air. Someone mooted this idea, that would have then gone through some high level brain storming and cable connecting. It would have then been put through a nuanced screening and filtering process involving lot's of calculators. Then, once the appropriate amount that fit each other's pockets were derived, the offer would have been made...for the sake "transparency".

Who mooted this idea?

Who were the parties involved in the high level brain storming and who were the cables and who did these cables link?

What is the size of the stake that Sime Darby is asking for?

Who gave the go ahead for this bid?

Was the cabinet aware of this bid?

Was the PM / DPM aware of this?

Is it going to benefit the public?

Is it going to benefit the government?

I guess we all have names and answers of sorts running in the back of our minds right now.

Some possible outcomes of IJN's privatization:

1. From a service orientated establishment, IJN will become a profit orientated business.

2. A loss (whatever the amount) of government subsidy, which in turn means higher treatment cost for patients. N.B: Treating heart ailments is not cheap and invasive procedures are even more costly.

3. Government servants and their family members lose their privilege for discounted / free treatment.

4. Lesser options for proper treatment with reasonable cost, especially for the middle and lower income group (and we have less than ten government cardiac centres in Malaysia).

5. Higher salary and lesser work load for the doctors and staff.

6. Downsizing of departments and sectors deemed unnecessary for a private medical centre leading to job cuts.

7. Sime Darby and all their political 'cables' will be singing their way to the bank, leaving it to fate to take care of the poor.

In one word: Unscrupulous

Leave IJN alone! Leave the poor some hope Najib!

For more reading, go here, here and here.

And that's why the BN government is a health hazard

2008-12-17T19:28:00.005+08:00

I met up with an old friend for some chilled ones a couple of days ago. We spent the day talking about the good old days when everything was so "nice" for us and how things have changed drastically now. In the process, our conversation began to evolve into bitching about the misgovernance of the country by the BN regime. The more we spoke, the more i realized how stressful it actually is being a Malaysian now. All of a sudden, a horrid thought just hit me...how many Malaysian are actually becoming ill or developing health conditions induced by all the happenings around us? I mean, let's just sit back a moment and reflect on the happenings in the country since the March 8th GE. Everyday you stumble upon news exposing how corrupt and racist the BN regime actually is.

Let's not go far, we have an oxymoron as an MP who made derogatory remarks using words like 'bloody bastard', 'keling', and also not forgetting the sexist remarks that he has passed to a female MP. What does he get? He gets away without even a slap on the wrist. What kind of an upbringing do you think he came from? And what kind of upbringing do you think the people who accepted and ignored his remarks came from?

You have a landslide that killed four people at Bukit Antarabangsa, caused by a greedy contractor that bought his way to a permit to build houses on a hill slope, facilitated by a very obviously corrupt ex-state government. And what do you get? You get an arrogant government that till today has yet to accept even part responsibility to the incident. But rhetoric were aplenty though.

You get the police torturing 30 odd bicycle riders in a police station in Rawang, including juveniles right under the nose of the state CPO (go here), and again the ruling government remains dumb.

You read about the whole world bracing for a global financial melt down and our BN politicians are still ever elegantly and lavishly travelling around the world with the tax payers' money, without a care in the world. And to rub salt into the wound, the government gives away RM 5 billion of tax payers' money from the EPF to some GLC called Valuecap to save the asses of their family and friends who suffered losses in some poorly managed investments. All this when the EPF saw a 60% shrink in its earnings of late.

This is the first government in this civilized world that actually dictates what you can and cannot pray for. Even in Zimbabwe they let you pray in peace. Don't believe me? Read Haris's posting here and i can vouch for this as i was there along with some friends when the people from the temple approached Haris with this problem and i was one of many who attended the Malam Mesra Rakyat organized by the temple where SB agents were seen crawling around monitoring the function and our movements. It was even more shameful to see one of the SB agents (an Indian gentleman) who walked up to the priest to get his blessings and collect the blessed coconut. Hello kawan, cuci dosa ka?
So, has BN gone overboard? or is it just the "ah! Indians! who cares about them anyways?" attitude. I know of one constituency in Malaysia where people actually have this type of attitude...Pasir Salak. Their MP has already shown us the aspirations of the people he represents with all his racist and derogatory comments in Parliament. Am i wrong? If i am, then the people of Pasir Salak should prove me wrong and kick that toad (Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman) out in the next General Elections.

When misgovernance, racism, favouritism, corruption, cronyism, nepotism becomes the rule of the day, then disaster is an inevitable outcome. It's just a question of when.

It is indeed very stressful to read and to be in the know how of all this happenings in Malaysia. The BN regime has successfully become a source of stress for Malaysians in general.

Stress (be it real or perceived), on the other hand, is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses.
Our body responds to any stressful stimulus by initiating hundreds of different activities including the flooding of our blood stream with a variety of hormones and chemical mediators such as,

-Adrenaline and nor-adrenaline, that causes the heart to pound faster, muscles to tighten, blood pressure to rise, breath to quicken, and your senses to become sharper. These changes increase your strength and stamina, speeds up your reaction time and enhance your focus. In other words preparing you for fight or flight.

-Cortisol, converts glycogen (a storage form of glucose) stored in the liver into blood sugar, supplying a sudden boost of energy to the brain and whole body. Cortisol is a type of steroid produced by the body. Prolonged or excess cortisol may suppress the body's immune response, increasing the body's susceptibility to infections and diseases.

-Testosterone (in males), the booster hormone for the male that make them more aggressive and makes them feel stronger.

-Thyroxin (released by thyroid gland), a hormone that plays an important role in the body's metabolic system. When in stress, thyroxin secretion is increased. This leads to the increase in the body's metabolism causing similar changes as adrenaline.

-Endorphins, the feel good hormone that also plays a role in pain relief.

When all of the above happens, blood flow in our body gets diverted to the organs that are effected by the stress reaction and this causes the digestive system to slow down. Thus the loss of appetite/hunger and this leads to digestive problems.

Other problems caused by stress includes,

-acceleration of the aging process and development of cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
-decrease in libido (sexual desire) and the ability to achieve orgasm.
-worsening of an asthma attack.
-fatigue, headaches and back pain.
-hyperchlesterolaemia (high cholesterol levels in the blood), which in turn can lead to heart attacks and stroke.
-impairment of blood sugar control and can cause diabetes.
-cognitive impairment (of the brain).

There is evidence that people who are exposed to prolonged stress are more likely to turn to smoking, alcohol and substance abuse. They also have high tendencies to develop eating disorders to relieve their stress.

We know that if a=b and b=c, then a=c.

So, if continuous exposure to the BN regime and it's misgovernance leads to continuous stress and stress in turn leads to the above problems, then it can be safely said that the BN regime can cause all of the health problems mentioned above.

And that is why i have concluded today that the BN government is a health hazard and a risk factor for some of the more serious illnesses suffered by mankind. Brace yourselves everyone.

What human rights day am i supposed to be celebrating?

2008-12-10T19:23:00.007+08:00

Today is World Human Rights Day. Today marks the 60th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. During this declaration, the UN General Assembly declared that respect for human rights and human dignity "is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world".

Being a Malaysian, i regret to say that today passed by just like any other day and i was the least bothered about this human rights day. What human rights day am i supposed to celebrate?

The country is governed in accordance to the principals of corruption, cronyism, nepotism and racism.

The government is never wrong. The politicians are always right. The only ones who are always wrong are the people.

I am not allowed to fight for my rights as a citizen.

I am not allowed to criticize the government's wrong doings.

I am not allowed to gather peacefully with my fellow citizens in protest of the government's wrong doings.

I am not allowed to hold a candle to show my unhappiness on matters related to the government .

I am not allowed to hold a mic or play the guitar or sing a song at peaceful gatherings to show my discontent with the government's wrong doings.

I am not allowed to ride a bicycle to show my dissatisfaction with the government's wrong doings

I am not allowed to pray for my fellow Malaysians who are unlawfully detained under draconian laws and for the betterment of my country.

And if i were to do any of the above, i would most definitely end up a victim of police brutality or i would most probably be branded a threat to national security and be banished to a detention camp far away from home for an indefinite period of time, with no right to legal representation, no right to defend my self in the court of law, at the whims and fancies of the Internal Minister. And there they will feed me with RM4.50 worth of food on a daily basis.

Opportunities to proper jobs, proper education, scholarships, proper housing are allocated based on one's race.

The politicians are above the law.

The police are the lap dogs for the government and the vicious politicians.

The police are corrupted.

People mysteriously die while in police custody almost on a weekly basis.

The judiciary system is corrupted.

So, pray tell, what human rights day am i supposed to be celebrating?

Wishing you a belated Aidil Adha

2008-12-09T20:33:00.005+08:00

Wishing all Muslim's in Malaysia a belated Aidil Adha

...apologies for the belated wish. I was away and did not have a computer at my disposal.