since Nurin's body was found. Her killer/s remain at large.
We await for justice to be done.
We will always remember.
We will never forget.
Here, Try This On
15 May 2008 | 283 Views | View blog reactionsSome people say KJ’s influence and power is much overstated.
Some people.
Today we get a glimpse of the sort of clout wielded by the most powerful boutique owner in Malaysia, formerly the most powerful unemployed person — Mahathir included — in the country.
The MP from Rembau asked a supplementary question and EPU minister Amirsham answered.
Nothing wrong with that, except supplementary questions are supposed to be off the cuff, but the former Maybank head honcho clearly read from a prepared text.
Meaning he had advance warning from KJ.
Since Amirsham was making like a TV news anchor whose teleprompter suddenly goes on the blink, KJ probably even prepared the text for him.
So you tell me: How many boutique owners in the country have a minister at their beck and call?
I suppose that if and when they get such requests from boutique owners, ministers usually tell these sort of people to fuck off, because who you to order around a minister?
But this is no ordinary boutique owner. This is the most powerful boutique owner in Malaysia, and some say Singapore.
And listen to this denial from KJ:
“It is not planted, it’s a supplementary question that I asked. The minister is a very intelligent man. I’m sure he has anticipated what might be the question,” he added. [Malaysiakini]
Man, that is the sorriest excuse I’ve heard from someone caught with his pants down.
And I thought you could trust a boutique owner to be able to keep his pants on.
Boom Time
11 May 2008 | 590 Views | View blog reactionsAhak … ahahaha … ahaahahhahahaha … hahahahahhahahahahhahahahhahaha …
What an idiot …
But maybe we shouldn’t blame Najib.
Some poor sod is gonna get in trouble for this. And what an explosive picture it is.
This is gonna blow up in some people’s faces, I’m sure.
Or maybe I’m guilty of blowing things out of proportion here.
MEAHWHILE, Najib needs to worry about another threat to his Premiership ambitions, as de facto Umno No. 3 man Muhyiddin Yassin is set to make his move:
Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has come out with the strongest indication yet that he would be contesting one of the top two positions in the December party polls. [The Star]
And lookie here, the man has the support of Da Man too.
What Is Sedition?
10 May 2008 | 291 Views | View blog reactionsNi tak seditious, ke ni?
Yang ni pulak, macam mana?
Nampak macam seditious aje.
Or do they only look seditious, sound seditious, but are actually just a bunch of morons trying their best to make fools of themselves, like this guy here:
Amidst the uproar from Barisan Nasional leaders over Karpal Singh’s remarks regarding Perak Sultan Azlan Shah’s order for a senior civil servant to be reinstated, the DAP chairperson has expressed surprise about the noticeable silence from his own party members.
“My own party leaders have not condemned me for saying what I said. On the other hand, they have not come out openly to support me, which is unfortunate,” he told a press conference at his office in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. [Malaysiakini]
Complete idiots, the whole lot of them.
Minimum Wedge
3 May 2008 | 386 Views | View blog reactionsHmmm … :
Abdullah said he would certainly want the people to be happy and have higher wages but the Government had to be responsible to others too.
He pointed out that higher wages would also cause inflation and goods would be sold at higher prices.
“What is the meaning of giving additional pay if tomorrow we have to use our extra money to pay for higher priced goods,” he said. [The Star]
But the Prime Minister also has to acknowledge that even with our lousy wages, the prices of goods are making like Superman and going up, up and away.
Much of the inflationary pressures the man in the street is coming under is due to external factors, ie higher priced commodities.
Will higher wages in Malaysia drive up the price of stuff like oil, wheat, rice and palm oil in world markets?
I don’t recall anyone blaming Malaysians for driving up the price of petrol by driving around expensive, gas-guzzling SUVs.
Or attribute record palm oil prices on a sudden surge of activity in kitchens all across the country.
Or say that due to the influence of Western food programmes on Astro, Malaysians now have a huge appetite for bread and that’s why a wholemeal loaf is more expensive.
And are we eating more rice than we usually do, to the extent that prices have spiked like they have?
I’m not saying that the introduction of minimum wage will have no inflationary impact whatsoever, lets get that straight.
But the Prime Minister cannot simply dismiss miminum wage because of its impact on inflation.
If the sole consideration for increasing wages is the effects of such a move on the prices of goods and services, then no one would get a raise.
Worker: Sir, can I like, get a raise?
Boss: A raise?!? Are you out of your frickin’ mind? Do you know what that thing does to kids?
Let me tell you something.
If I give you a raise, I’ll have to give the others a raise.
And if everybody gets a raise, then everyone will go out and buy milk for their children.
Then you know what’ll happen? The price of milk will go up, and eventually it’ll get so high that nobody will be able to buy any.
So if no one can get their hands on milk, what the hell are you gonna feed your stupid kids?!?
Worker: Uh … breadcrumbs and water, sir?
Boss: Now you’re thinking. Get out.
Word
3 May 2008 | 123 Views | View blog reactionsIt seems today is World Press Freedom Day.
You wouldn’t have known that reading our newspapers, except for maybe The Star.
The newspaper published an editorial that deserves repeating here:
The best measure of a healthy democracy is the level of meaningful participation of its people in the political process.
Besides equal protection under the laws, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and other basic human rights, a vital requisite for democracy is the freedom for people to have access to information.
This basic demand for civil society has become clearer under Malaysia’s new political landscape, transformed dramatically by the March 8 general election. It is a change that must be embraced, not feared.
To progress into a truly democratic society, we need well-informed citizens who can make sound judgments on policies that affect them as well as those who formulate the policies.
Much of this hinges on the role that the media plays. In the past, the mainstream media, The Star included, was maligned for its scope of coverage.
Most were guilty of being constricted by restrictive laws like the Printing and Publications Act and the annual renewal of publishing permits.
With today being World Press Freedom Day, we want to make a pertinent call for the repeal of outdated laws and regulations which stifle the very tenets of journalism.
Let us recognise that the media is a reflection of the society it represents.
In Malaysia, the changes for the better and the openness initiated so far are already evident.
While cynics may still see the mainstream media as an unchanged leopard and continue to look for the spots, it is the people who will ultimately judge its performance.
It has taken Malaysians a long time to overcome the fear of political change. They recognised that the old way of doing things was not working and opted for a different scenario. The media, too, has responded likewise.
There is much for the media fraternity, within the mainstream and those operating in the alternate realm of cyberspace, to look forward to.
Despite the lingering suspicions and old prejudices, a new age has dawned for the Malaysian media. It’s the beginning of coexistence and cooperation between the old and new media.
Newspapers and television stations are reaching out to bloggers and news websites, while an increasing number of editors have already started their own blogs.
The profusion of information is limitless in today’s world. Content is created constantly, spewed via cable TV, the Internet, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, e-mails, FaceBook, MySpace and such.
The emergence of these channels of alternative media has effectively neutered the powers of governments to censor or limit information or freedom of expression.
But there is still a need to separate the chaff from the real stuff. Quality and credibility will become increasingly important for the print, visual and alternate media.
With the intensifying competition, readers and viewers, who are armed with information as the true source of power, will determine the survival of any media. The simple message is this: Publish correctly or be damned.
It is courageous of The Star to say these things, but the question of whether anyone is listening remains.
The judicial and anti-corruption reforms Pak Lah announced recently, or any other reforms for that matter, will more likely come to nought if there is no true freedom of the press.
Bloggers and citizen journalists online have much more room to manouevre, but we can only do so much.
The country sorely needs a mainstream media that is free to fulfill its role of protector and defender of the public interest.
Only when that happens will the people of this country be truly free.
The Star says the simple message is “publish correctly, or be damned”.
Correction: Publish freely, or be damned.
You Ain’t Seen Nuthin Yet
1 May 2008 | 301 Views | View blog reactionsI think Shabery Chik needs to take some time off from his busy schedule as Information Minister and go fly a kite:
The Cabinet will make a decision tomorrow on whether to continue with live telecasts of Dewan Rakyat proceedings, said Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Chik.
“I will raise the matter at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting. Hopefully it can be resolved then,” he told reporters after attending an “An Evening With The Minister” programme organised by Bidor Umno here today.
“The government’s decision to have the telecasts was because we sincerely want to serve the people…the Cabinet meetings were also moved to Fridays to enable ministers to be present to provide answers but it has not been appreciated,” he said.
Asked if by continuing (the telecasts) it would show the true colors of the MPs, Ahmad Shabery said:” Maybe for Umno people they will feel it is something good as it will show the quality of the opposition representatives the people have elected.
“But for me as the Information Minister, I am not only responsible for Umno but all Malaysians and must do what is in the best interests of the country,” he said, adding that to continue with the telecasts might lead to more negative repercussions especially if the image of the august house continued to be smeared.
“I know what happened is good for the media as “bad news is good news” but is this what we want of our Parliament. People like to watch a circus and they do not mind seeing our Parliament acting like one, but being a responsible government, we must stay away from such things,” he added. [Bernama]
If there is no live telecast, will the MPs be in their best behaviour?
You wish.
If no one sees how badly some MPs behave in the House, does that mean Malaysians and Malaysia have nothing to be ashamed of?
You must be out of your frickin’ mind if you think that.
The purpose of the live telecast is to provide Malaysians with a reasonably accessible means with which they could gauge the conduct and performance of the people they voted for.
The best interests of the country are served by carrying parliamentary proceedings live on TV, not by cancelling the telecasts.
Most people would have enough brains to see that, you would think.
OR MAYBE there is more than meets the eye in this matter.
Maybe the government is afraid we will see what happens in Parliament when the real fireworks go off.
Because I get a funny feeling you ain’t seen nuthin yet.
Makkal Sakthi, Part 2
24 April 2008 | 475 Views | View blog reactionsWTF is this?
The government has made an about-turn - a week after banning Tamil daily Makkal Osai. Its publishing permit has been renewed and the newspaper will hit the stands on Saturday. [Malaysiakini]
Just the other day, Home Minister Syed Hamid said this:
The Government decided not to renew the licence of Makkal Osai because the Tamil newspaper had breached some of its licensing guidelines, said Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.
He said it was not true that the permit was not renewed because the daily had published too many opposition stories.
The Home Minister said each newspaper was reviewed on a yearly basis in terms of its contribution to society with regards to nation building and a more united Malaysia.
He said there had been many complaints against Makkal Osai.
“So when the time comes for renewal, the Home Ministry officials decided not to renew it,” he told reporters yesterday at a press conference after a visit and briefing at the Civil Defence Department. [The Star]
Did or did not Makkal Osai breach its licensing guidelines?
According to Syed Hamid, it did.
Were there or were not there “many” complaints against Makkal Osai?
According to Syed Hamid, there were.
Did or did not the Ministry decline to renew the newspaper’s permit due to these factors — factors that the minister implied were detrimental to nation building efforts and a more united Malaysia?
According to Syed Hamid, the ministry did.
So how have these facts changed between then and now?
When the government can act in such an arbitrary manner and with such impunity in deciding literally who lives and who dies, can anyone in all honesty say there is press freedom in the country?
Sama Naik
23 April 2008 | 1,123 Views | View blog reactionsI am disappointed with Rocky Bru.
He shouldn’t have published that picture of Kalimullah in his blog.
I expect better from one of the country’s top bloggers.
Hang bagi malu dia in public lagu tu, tak gentle la bro.
Dia mau telan kecin’ setan, itu dosa dia dengan Tuhan, takda kena mengena dengan hang mahupun rakyat jelata.
Lain ceritalah kalu ni kes dia menentang pembinaan kilang arak walhal dia sendiri penaik benda tu. Tapi ni bukan perkara seropa tu.
Hang dedah aib dia, nanti hang kena balik.
Bab tonggang menonggang ni, aku ni takda la baik sangat. Aku pun sama naik. Jadi aku tak mau la cerita panjang pasai benda ni.
Bak kata orang tua-tua: Cermin diri sendiri.
Nevertheless, hang main besaq-besaq gambaq dia tengah pekena baik punya dalam blog hang tu … aisehman, awat hang buat lagu tu, bro?
Opp-Press
20 April 2008 | 354 Views | View blog reactionsAs if to balance out its action against Makkal Osai, the Home Ministry is giving PKR a license to publish its newspaper.
The rationale for issuing the license seems to be that the government is fine with political parties owning newspapers:
“I’ve just approved the Parti Keadilan Rakyat newspaper and I asked my officers why not. I am open about it.
“All political parties have their own papers. It’s their party paper. We have not cancelled the licences of any party newspaper,” he [Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar] added.
Sounds cool, but the likes of Malaysiakini will probably have to wait until Pakatan Rakyat form the federal government before they get a look in.
Syed Hamid also says he’s open to the idea of doing away with the annual licensing requirement for newspapers.
I don’t see how that promotes press freedom, because the government can still revoke licenses anytime it feels a need to do that.
And what’s to stop certain people from telling the media what to do and what not to do?
You want press freedom? How about issuing licenses by default to anyone who wants to start a newspaper, TV, or radio station?
How about having a Freedom of Information Act?
And if the Barisan Nasional government is really serious about it, how about getting coalition members to sell off all media assets they own?
Now that would be something.
If you really want press freedom, then first, you have to free the press.
ON ANOTHER NOTE, it’s time the opposition MPs act on this matter in Parliament.
Enough of complaining about the mainstream media. The solution to the problem is well-known.
How about tabling legislation to ammend or repeal Acts that are stifling the media?
Don’t even think of giving the excuse that it’s a waste of time because it won’t get anywhere.
For now, it doesn’t matter if such legislation is defeated. All the people want is for you to try.
The Jury Is Still Out
18 April 2008 | 448 Views | View blog reactionsYou can always count on some killjoy party-pooper to bring you back down to earth:
Explaining the government’s stand on the ex-gratia payment announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last night, Najib said the payments were in no way an apology.
“The ex-gratia payment does not tantamount to revisiting whatever that has been decided. It is not to be construed as any form of apology but this is our way of addressing some of the personal considerations and experiences and hardship they have gone through.
“It should be seen in that light and should not be construed as anything beyond that,” said Najib … [Malaysiakini]
And on the commission:
” … it must be emphasized that the formation of this commission is only at an advisory capacity. The final authority still lies with the prime minister to make the formal recommendation to the Yang DiPertuan Agong and the Conference of Rulers.”
Maybe Najib’s telling us to not get over-excited over these measures.
Or maybe Najib doesn’t want to be straightjacketed by these things once he becomes PM, things that he was not in favour of in the first place.
Only God and Najib know.
Whatever it is, let us express our thanks to Najib for explaining what these “reforms” really are, in both meaning and effect.
