Sodomy II: Why Najib and Rosmah won't testify and who is stopping them

It should not be any surprise to Malaysians when Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s third attempt to dismiss the judge was turned down. The judiciary has firmly been working against Anwar since Sodomy 1 in 1998 and now in Sodomy 2.

The charge made against Anwar Ibrahim is under Section 377B of the Malaysian Penal Code. A rather odd and mind-boggling section to begin with.

Section 377 defines oral sex and any forms of sexual activity other than what is deemed natural both illegal and punishable by law.

Section 377B reads, “377B. Committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature - Whoever voluntarily commits carnal intercourse against the order of nature shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years, and shall also be liable to whipping.”

Note the word “voluntarily” - for the charge to be proven exactly, it must be proven that the accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan voluntarily allowed the act to be commit, which makes him also liable for charge under the same statute.

Full Article: The Malaysia Chronicle.

Why there is no such thing as a fair trial for Anwar Ibrahim.

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Scorpenes and Altantuya: Does Khairy hold the key to Najib's Pandora Box

Khairy is no ordinary Youth leader. He is not only enormously wealthy but also richly connected. Khairy is the son-in-law of former premier Abdullah Badawi and has previously been reported to have said he wants to be PM by age 40. The Oxford graduate is now 34.

There is widespread belief that during the 2006 Altantuya trial, Badawi was prepared to take Najib out of the picture. It would have worked if not for the insistent hand of Mahathir Mohamed, who still itched to control and govern the country despite retiring in late 2003.

Dr M wanted to ensure that Najib, who was then the DPM, would replace Badawi, whom he hated for scrapping several of his beloved mega-projects and thereby stopping the tap of benefits accruing to these deals from flowing back to him.

The grandfather of Malaysian politics was pulling strings to eject Abdullah and his hand is evident in how the whole trial was mismanaged by the Malaysian judiciary and police department. A fact which was clearly stated in the US Embassy cables released via WikiLeaks, with one cable calling it, “prosecutorial misconduct”.

The cables also drew attention to an attempt by Badawi to use the Altantuya trial to sink Najib. It was an attempt which Najib fended off successfully with help from the powers that be in UMNO and their corrupt hold on the various institutions of government, such as the police, the immigration and even the judiciary.

Full Article: The Malaysia Chronicle.

There is a new player in town.

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Why is Anwar Ibrahim STILL the opposition leader?

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jama luddin said this was because Parti Keadilan Rakyat no longer held the majority among the Opposition following the defection of several MPs.

He said political convention dictated that the opposition party with the most number of seats in Dewan Rakyat should have the honour of having one of their MPs become the Opposition Leader.

Source: The Star Online

Sometimes you just want to ask this fellow to put a sock in it. Seriously, KJ; this is the reason why Anwar is still the Opposition leader. He holds the popular vote, not the majority vote.

All because one holds the majority vote, does not mean they can lead effectively. Instead, a popular leader may have the charisma and the personality to hold various entities together because he becomes a point of reference; much like a light-house during a storm.

Obviously, KJ is not the popular or majority vote.

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Protest note causes emotional response.

KUALA LUMPUR: About 500 people protested outside the Australian High Commission here against interference by Australian MPs in the sodomy trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

They carried banners criticising the action of the 50 Australian MPs who signed and handed over a protest note to the Malaysian High Commission in Canberra on Thursday.

Leading the noisy but non-violent protest here were Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, his deputy Datuk Razali Ibrahim, Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club deputy chairman Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, Perkasa president and Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali, Makkal Sakhthi's R. Thanenthiran and MIC Youth chief T. Mohan.

After about 30 minutes, Khairy and the others were invited in to meet High Commissioner Penny Williams at about 10.35am.

People from various political parties and organisations holding placards and banners demonstrating outside the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. They were protesting against the interference of 50 Australian MPs, who signed and handed over a protest note to the Malaysian High Commission in Canberra against the sodomy charges faced by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. - AZHAR MAHFOF / The Star

Full Article: The Star Online

It was a protest note. A protest note and that is deemed as interference by the Australian MPs? It is clear that this matter is over-blown and taken totally out of proportion.

What then about the super-fly news coverage of the trial that skews the truth before the truth has even been revealed?

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A win is still a win by any other name

Penanti is a win for PKR and honestly, BN should just keep quiet and be the gentleman. But BN being BN, had to say something and it is not surprise that the two top BN leaders in Malaysia had to say something.

A win is still a win. All because BN did not contest doesn't mean the win is empty or hollow. Instead, BN chose not to take part in the election citing a million and one reasons but the obvious - if BN took part, it was a sure lost. So BN did not take part and when PKR won, BN turn sore losers. True, the voter turn out was low but it doesn't mean people did not want to vote PKR, it just means people did not turn out to vote. If BN was so sure that the people who did not come out to vote were BN-supporters, why then did you not field your candidate? At least, it would have cut the majority by half or PKR may not have won at all.

Whatever statement that comes out of the BN camp, after the Penanti election, to me are statements from sore-losers. They should keep quiet and concentrate on managing this fair country.

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So what the hell is the motive? And other questions needing answers...

The predominant question from the whole Altantuya case is "What is the motive?". Why? Why was she killed? Did the two police officers decided on their own accord to randomly pick up a woman from outside the compound of the Aquitted One and drive her to a jungle location, just to strap military grade explosives and blow her up? What's the story?

I guess this is a question will forever hang in mid-air. A question never answered but forever asked. What other questions would you like the new PM to answer? Post your questions in the comments area.

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Who is looking after our welfare?

We have been subjected to a deluge of silliness unheard off, these pass few weeks. This country is caught in an endless tug-of-war for the right to govern. And in all this noone is really listening to the people. Do we need to pull off a "People Power" movement in order for the government to hear us out? Do we need to sit in KLIA, ala Thailand government toppling movement, and force this government to listen to us?

The whole clock and dagger scenario which we are caught in should be put away and our elected representative start the process of looking after the welfare of our people. I can imagine the scene in parliament, where everyone is looking over their shoulders, wondering if they will be the next to pull the rabbit out of the hat. Our government is so caught up in this spiral of political intrigue that it has lost focus to what it should be doing, looking after the citizens of this fair nation. These are the people who have taken the choice to make this country great. The one's sitting in the August house are merely governing, but it is the citizens who make up this nation. It is on the shoulders of the everyday citizen that this nation is stand upon. It is the normal day citizen that suffers from this downward spiral of governance.

As a citizen of Malaysia, I would want a nation that is strong and stable for my children. I would want a strong economic environment where my children can seek a secure financial future. I would want an environment where knowledge is freely available, so my children can gain a fair education that allows them to express themselves to be the best they can be.

Stop the politics and start looking after the citizens welfare.

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So who is playing the frog game?

So what happened to the idea where there should be a ruling for "political frogs"? Much like everything else in Malaysia, if BN is the one doing it then it is alright but if anyone else does it...then it's downright sinful.

BN is just better at the game and they sure pulled out their joker in Perak. The government can call the Pakatan Rakyat sinners while BN hide their sins and still get away smelling like a saint.

So the drama would be long and straining for Perak as the power struggle continues and in the midst of it all, the people of Perak suffer. Malaysians suffer as the political game continues while the real issue of governing the nation takes a back seat. Have we all forgotten that the world is currently dealing with the worst financial crisis ever? And here we are, still squabbling over the spoils of a war played out by greedy politicians.

When will Malaysia seriously look at getting its act in place?

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No News unless its political

There is hardly any news in Malaysia unless it's political. Don't you agree?

It can be said that Malaysia is a land of the politician. Almost every aspect of life is controlled by the whims and fancies or statements of our politicians. Our politicians dictate what we read, hear, see and almost to a great degree, what we eat, drink and indulge in. Not to mention that funny fella who stated that those with AIDS should not be given the choice to marry (he has since retracted that statement).

When there is nothing political to report, our news becomes really boring stuff. Our whole economy is driven by political news. The local mamak store or kopitiam would not thrive if we did not have those "professional political analyst" who sit around, all day, drinking their coffee. Business as usual if there is political news floating about.

So come 2009 and we are in for a great 3 months of sensational political news. Namely, the row within PKR would be exaggerated while the tranquility of the UMNO change of guard would be carved into legendary status. Politics in Malaysia is a contrast of the evil Opposition versus the eternal BN-Government. This epic struggle is great for newspaper vendors, helps sell papers and keeps local television relevant. Hopefully they don't plaster news in the cinema, even if they feel it would add value now that there is this idea to bump up the price of a movie ticket.

Where are the human stories? What is Malaysia, without the politics? I'd like to know.

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One Malaysia?

After 50 years of independence, we still need to find a way to gain a One Malaysia. This is what the BN Youth wing is saying. They will be discussion this matter and are hoping to move some initiatives to have a One Malaysia. Does this mean all this while Malaysian were never one?

In fact, the real Malaysia is indeed united. The people are united in living a simple life without strife or controversy. But it is the politician who turns any other matter into an issue that is highlighted on the national scene and this is the cause all our problems in Malaysia. The politicians are the ones causing the issues which seem to be big-time issues in Malaysia. Even the little things can be blown out of the water by our "good" politicians.

It is high time, the people should be asked on what would make a One Malaysia. What do you think? What makes a One Malaysia, lest we allow politicians to decide what they think is good for us.

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Sum of Many Parts

Malaysia is not about a particular group nor is it only one ethnic class. Unlike Japan or Korea where the Japanese can proudly call themselves Japanese due to a majority ethnic class (bar the indigenous groups), Malaysia is a sum of many parts. Malaysians are made up of dozens of ethnic groups all striving to irk out a living.

So for one group to claim "lordship" over others just sounds wrong when, politically, this group needed the help of those from outside their party to stay in government. It is wrong to assume they have total say in everything Malaysia without a thought for those who help keep them in power. Now, we are seeing a jostling for position in the said party. Position in the largest political party in Malaysia comes with much perks. It is an open secret that these top party officio live off government projects and what-nots. In fact, by being the largest stake-holders in government, they continue to enrich themselves.

But here-in lies the problem. The people of this fair country are automatically forgotten by those in power when in truth it was these people who put them into power. And when the public speaks out via street demos or blogs, the government is quick to clamp down on them. Arrests are made in the name of "doing the public a favor" (I thought favors are asked for?), media is twisted to spin lies and corruption on the highest level is sugar-coated to hide the truth.

It is the people who make up this fair country and the government is a servant to the voice of the majority - the people of Malaysia. And the people of Malaysia is a sum of many parts. The people of Malaysia sweep across political, religious and racial lines. Malaysians are Malaysians and is known by no other name. So why do our politicians seem to think other-wise?

Ministry watching blogs playing up controversies

The Home Ministry is monitoring blogs to check if bloggers are posting comments that confuse the people on controversial issues.

At the moment, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the ministry was merely advising bloggers against the misuse of blogs.

“So far, we are only telling them not to use their blogs as a mechanism to confuse people or as a weapon against those they don’t like.”

Source: The Star Online

We the people of Malaysia are a greedy bunch, just ask Shahrir Samad.

Shahrir says Malaysians are greedy

Datuk Shahrir Samad, the minister who has faced the brunt of criticism over oil prices, courted even more controversy today when he suggested Malaysians were greedy if they expected subsidies to continue.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, whose job is to regulate prices, said subsidies are meant to only cushion the burden of high prices.

"When prices come down it will just be greed on the part of consumers to insist that they be subsidised," he said.

Source: Malaysia Today

Sometimes you just sit and wonder...

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Auto Pilot Administration (APA?)

I must apologize for my in-frequent blogging these pass week. I've been caught up with work and have not found the time to sit down and churn out my thoughts on what is happening in Malaysia. To a few friends, I must state here, "No, I've not been detained under ISA!" I was just busy with work and also editing my second novel, which I hope to send to a publisher come the new year.

For the record, I've not received my royalty for my first book. The recession seems to have hit the publisher of my first published novella. Sad but well, I'm writing not for the money but it would be nice to see a fat check come Christmas.

Sometimes I wish I could just go into autopilot mode. Get all my work to work themselves out. Get my blog to write itself, posting out articles that spurn and turn your minds. Get my iBook to write all my books, while I sit and merely think about the plots and twists to the story. Autopilot is the best thing since chocolate ice-cream waffles.

But Malaysia is run like that. Our leaders love to leave things to autopilot while they frolic elsewhere. Take the statement by the Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak who mentioned that politicians need a strong civil service. It doesn't matter if the politicians are bad, as long as the civil service is strong.

In a world that is heading towards recession and what-nots, we need leaders with enough balls to lead us through it. The civil service of Malaysia is only as good as the leaders it has. Lead by example. The politicians should lead the way in showing a good example for others to follow. They are wakil rakyat - people's representative. If the leaders are stooges then can we infer that the people they represent are equally stooges?

Herein lies the deepest problem in Malaysian politics. The politicians leave things in auto-pilot mode.

Where clear leadership is needed, we are left with hapless officers who merely tell us, "I have to refer to boss.."

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Separate Race, Politics and Religion

Malaysia is multi-racial and steps need to be taken to ensure that Malaysia would be known as such for the life-span of the nation. To be multi-racial means that all citizens would be called MALAYSIAN and nothing less. Thus, the government of the day should be looking into ways to ensure that our children would identify themselves as MALAYSIAN first and foremost and then secondly by their ethnic background.

I say ethnic background because, the MALAYSIAN of today may not be from a singular ethnic group. Their parents may be from different ethnic groups thus they themselves are a composite of various groups. A testament to the roots of our Malaysia.

But this is not reflected in the minds of those in top governance. Again and again we hear statements that imply the supremacy of one ethnic group over another.

Why are we still talking about the elevation and supremacy of a particular ethnic group over others? Does this mean, the said ethnic group has never been able to attain any standing in Malaysia?

Why is it that after more than 50 years of independence and control over government, the leaders of this country still talk about the supremacy of the Malays? And why is it that criticism of UMNO be equated as an attack against the Malays and in turn a criticism against Islam?

In the minds of those in governance, UMNO = MALAY = ISLAM and any criticism or comment against these three would mean you criticism the three as a whole.

Thus, would this also mean, if UMNO has failed than the three has failed in unison?

There should be a separation in the minds of the country leaders, who are almost all from UMNO, that any criticism of the establishment is to the role of the elected leader in government.

If the Finance Minister has failed in sustaining national economics, then the role of Finance Minister has failed and not the Malay person or the Muslim who held that post.

So when statements uttered by other leaders from other political parties are leveled at the Malays, UMNO should be gracious to accept such statements because UMNO itself makes statements that also tickle their friends in Barisan Nasional. UMNO should be the model of tolerance as this is commanded in Islam.

If UMNO is tolerant then the Malays would be seen as tolerant which is good because a Muslim is called to be tolerant. Instead, we have UMNO leaders using the racial card at every juncture and worst still, it becomes a religious card too and saying things that imply the Malays have little tolerance to live in a multi-racial nation.

Such inability to be tolerant shows how UMNO has de-matured (if there is a word) over the years. Malaysia's founding fathers were able to carve out a nation that was home to various ethnic groups and people (in those days) lived together in harmony. But come today, we have politicians who seemed to like contesting the racial card.

UMNO leaders of today should read their statements standing in the shoes of those who are not Malays and tell me if they don't feel anything.

Separate race, politics and religion and I believe the state of governance in Malaysia would be better.

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When public money is taken for a spin.

Malaysiakini has the latest juice on the eurocopter deals. The whole deal was brought into the public light when letters, complaining about the purchase of the helicopters appeared on Malaysia-Today.

The purchase of the helicopters have been shelved and the money to be allocated to more public interest projects, thus says Pak Lah in his capacity as Defense Minister. It must be noted that the whole affair was initiated by the former Defense Minister, Najib Razak, and if followed through would have made some people really rich. Instead, only after public outcry, has the whole project been shelved.

The main question is, "Why pay double for the helicopters?" Of course the government's reply was that the helicopters cost more because of customization works but that answer still cannot satisfy the public.

As a tax payer, I really want to know (besides paying double for it), why the tender board should choose an expensive product when there was a cheaper quoted helicopter on the list? This act alone goes against the general order for purchasing, which is set out by the government itself. So the government is actually side-stepping its own requirements for purchasing by selecting an expensive product over one that is the cheapest.

So rather than explain themselves, the government shelved the project and the money (public money) would be use elsewhere. Smart. In the end we never will get the answers to our questions.

It's high time the government showed they are more responsible towards the people. Their dealings should be more transparent and the public should be in the know with what the government is planning to do with their money. It is the role of our elected Member of Parliament to scrutunize every project that involves the rakyat's money. Yet we do not see this.

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Khairy Jamaluddin in ISA?

A MCA youth delegate called for the detention of Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) under the ISA and the fella is sticking to his guns. Alas, it may only be a call, small talk which would make the headlines now but forgotten tomorrow.

KJ would never be caught under the ISA, in fact it is near impossible for anyone closely associated with Pak Lah to be detained under the ISA. Look at Ahmad Ismail, he is still walking about with a 3 year ban from UMNO, when Najib was asked why ISA was not used on Ahmad Ismail, Najib replied that Ahmad had been punished already. So, all this MCA fella could see, if disciplinary action is taken against KJ, is a 3 year ban from membership and a lame excuse for not using ISA against KJ.

Understand that the ISA has now become a tool for those in the corridors of power to shut up whoever they deemed "too noisy". Take into account the SUARAM girl that posted the report on the PDRM portal. She was caught under ISA for making a report against the police. The police deemed it a danger to public order - yes, a report against the police is destructive to public order, only in Malaysia folks!

So the Incoming UMNO Youth Leader would never be caught under the ISA and he would have the liberty to spill out more words that are destructive to public order and peace. My hope is that Mukhriz would beat KJ to the post and put an end to KJ's narcissistic rise. And from the looks of things that may happen but we will never know until March 2009. KJ may just pull our the money bag and roll out the dole in order to gain the post.

So this MCA youth delegate can go screaming for as long as he wants, KJ will never be caught under ISA.

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With all eyes on the UMNO elections, whose eyes are on the nation?

Do we give a dipstick on who would be the next UMNO president or VP? Does it really matter except the fact we kind of know, who the next PM and DPM would be since by pure default it has to come from UMNO? Does it really matter who gets the nominations to vie for the post (up for offer) in the coming UMNO convention?

In fact, if you really look at it; it doesn't really matter at all. When all eyes are turned to the squabbling of career politicians looking to secure their positions in UMNO, the state of the nation is not addressed.

Who is looking into the state of the country's economy? Who's going to put into place, safeguards to protect the populace when the recession hits Malaysia? While all these UMNOputra folks are squabbling over position and status, who is looking after you and me?

The American DOW JONES tumbled to its lowest level in 5 years yesterday. Governments in Europe are preparing bailout plans to save their financial institutions and these same governments are watching Asia. Markets all over Asia (and the world) are taking a tumble, Malaysia included. A few years back, Pak Lah used the KLSE as a barometer to gauge the health of the nations economy (that time we were riding high) and commented that Malaysia was moving along strong. Well, take a look today at our KLSE and with the current slide, the economy is headed for a heart-attack.

The economy is sliding down-wards yet the cost of living is going up. Why? Because the current BN government raise the price of fuel so drastically it took everyone by surprise. The populace cried foul but our BN MPs rubber-stamped the decision and told us to change our lifestyles. Was there not a decent brain in parliament at the time they debated the bill to increase the fuel price?

Raise the fuel price and traders will raise the price of goods. Simple logic, you don't have to be a "British trained economist" to know this. Then we get the announcement, the government will review the price of fuel on a month-to-month basis. They have since reduced the price of fuel twice and I'm expecting another price cut at the end of this month because the price of crude is hovering below USD90 per barrel.

Reduce fuel price but has the price of goods been reduced? No.

Even if the price of fuel returns to a point below RM2 per liter, the price of goods will remain where it is now. It makes pure business sense to keep it there. Business is about making the highest return on your investment, no business minded trader would want to lower the price of their goods when they are already making huge profits now.

So the BN government, in saving their subsidies, placed stress on the populace. Where is the rational in that? Did the BN MPs have that in mind when the bill was tabled in parliament after the fuel hike? So with Najib as Finance Minister and PM in waiting, will we see a reversal of all these "smart" economic decisions?

It seems a trend in Malaysia in recent years; if a Minister express discontent with a particular group then the police would investigate. This can happen even after the incident, then the police would step in, do some questioning and arrest a few people, and Minister happy, BN happy and people confuse.

HINDRAF would be investigated for unruly behavior at the Raya event the PM had last week. Question-why weren't any arrests made at the time of the offense? The police were there, the press was there and the PM was there, yet no arrest for "unruly" behavior. Why only now, a week after the incident, there is a call for the police to investigate HINDRAF and since when was "unruly" behavior at a Raya gathering threatening to national security?

This is a trend that needs to be checked and countered. It clearly shows the police agency under the influence of those in government positions and the directive seems to flow from these ministers. It should not be this way, the police have to investigate when there is clearly a crime committed and not on the perceived pretext that a crime was committed.

In the wake of all these things happening to our nation, the limelight is on the UMNO elections. Reading about who gets the highest nomination from the divisions is better than watching paint dry but what relevance does that have to me? I want to hear news about policies the government will put into place to counter the global crisis hitting our economy, which in turn will affect whether I can put food on the table. I want to know whether next year I can afford to put my kids into school as the cost of education steadily rise.

With all eyes on the UMNO elections, whose eyes are on the nation?

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Would a change in leader fix anything?

I'm being pessimistic. I don't really think a change in leadership would bring any good for Malaysia, if the leader comes from the same political affiliation as the past leader. Reason being? Same baggage.

Najib Razak will carry into his term the same old stuff Abdullah had to deal with and probably have the same support team also. Would this change anything? The same old gang is running the palace and the same practices will still be in place. Nothing has change. Everything is just as it was before. So whether Pak Lah leaves today or in March makes no difference. The same state of affairs will still be dominate over Malaysia. Our economy will be heading south, the people would still be facing bleak times and there will still be political chaos. It doesn't really address the root problem - poor governance at large.

The MPs should be allowed to lead by conscience and by party lines. The MPs should highlight the problems of the citizens living in their areas. Government policies should strive to better the lives of the people of Malaysia rather than enrich a certain group of people or party members. What is really needed is a change in governance style.

Can Najib bring about this? I really do not know. With the Altantuya case coming to conclusion, the results will no doubt haunt Najib not to mention the stigma that case has brought onto the Prime Minister in waiting. It will be Najib that has to face a bleak 13th General Election where the BN may finally be tumbled from its pedestal. At the rate the current government is going, BN may just be opposition after the 13th General Election.

Can Najib handle Anwar Ibrahim? Another case to watch for in the coming months after March 2009. It would be interesting if Anwar Ibrahim can install his government before March 2009 then all this wondering if Najib is capable can be put to rest and at least we know, RPK would be set free from ISA. I do not think Najib can handle Anwar Ibrahim. Left to his own devices Najib may be as weak as Pak Lah.

What we need is a leader who has fire in his belly. Someone who would grab Malaysia by it's collar and say, let's move on. Someone who can tell off the parliament. It should be a leader who inspires the populace to step forward and be counted. This is the leader we need and currently, I don't see that in UMNO.

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Raya visiting by Hindraf and Anwar's "Idol" Image

It's been an interesting Raya week, to say the least and its incredible how the smallest of things can be turned into an issue akin to the countries economic woes.

Firstly on the cards, Hindraf paying a visit to the PM's open house over at PWTC on the first day of Raya. Government Main-Stream-Media (MSM) has spun the incident into something way beyond what it should be. Utusan Malaysia even called for stern action against Hindraf for creating a ruckus at the gathering. The RPK fellas also where there along side their Hindraf brothers and they too took a lot of slack from the MSM. It is reported that various individuals and bodies have asked that sterner action be taken against these people, who are deemed as disruptors of a grand celebration.

So this whole issue has been blown out of proportion. Why can't, for the sake of national peace, this incident be downplayed? Raya visiting can also make the news and this incident with Hindraf has further cemented people's opinion that these guys are mere trouble makers.

Secondly, someone in Batu Caves decided to erect a large poster of Anwar Ibrahim and this has made headlines. Yup, a poster (for lack of a better name) can also make news. Apparently, it hit the news when the Mufti of Perlis called it an idol. PAS was quick to come out to say it is perfectly alright to have the poster and it's not an idol or carved image.

So the nation is heading for a hard time economically and we have our leaders fighting over Raya visiting and a large poster of Anwar. All these are mere smokescreen to the true state of the nation. The KLCI tumbled 14 points yesterday, markets around Asia are reacting to the US financial crisis which is underway now. If everyone is watching all these sensational news, then who is watching Malaysia?

Scanning through the news MSM is feeding the populace, it seems clear that they are trying hard to win back the trust of the people. News, nowadays, seem balance; just that BN gets all the front portion of the paper while news on PR gets a place close to the obituary.

Not all things are bad and should be politicized. Yes, I bet you the Hindraf folks would have never made the news if they did not identify themselves as being from Hindraf. The huge poster of Anwar may not have been an issue if it was an image of Pak Lah. So what really is the problem? Would a visit by Hindraf to a public open house be detrimental to the nation's security? Would a poster be detrimental to the believers of various faiths in Malaysia? So what is the issue?

Only in Malaysia!

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Is Pak Lah leaving?

Everyone is looking forward to Thursday (9th October 2008) in expectations of Pak Lah making an announcement on his decision to defend is post as president of UMNO. Most analyst think it is very likely, Pak Lah would opt to not contest the presidential post, giving way to Najib Razak to assume presidency and eventually to take over as Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Not all choose to believe Pak Lah would step down unless they see it happen for sure, Tun Mahathir is one of the "seeing is believing crowd" and to be honest, I count myself in that camp too.

Too much talk has been flying about these pass few months and nothing to show for. A lot of hot air yet nothing substantial that can really be attributed to walking the talk by those in high office of governance. To be fair this stance is also adopted by the PR camp too but then they are already up to their necks learning to govern five states and having the full brunt of the BN smear machinery going against them.

So the biggest question now - Is Pak Lah leaving?

It would be something Anwar Ibrahim would be watching for as long as Pak Lah stays in power the better it is for him. The case may be different if another person is in charge but for lack of better candidates, Anwar may have to contend with Najib Razak. But troubled men tend to gravitate to one another, I suppose. Both Anwar and Najib have skeletons out of the closet and in public view. Anwar being the worse of the two yet the big suspicion hanging over Najib over hte Altantuya case may tip the scale Anwar's way.

A friend said something to me, "I prefer a sexually weird person than a (suspected) murderer as PM."

Yet others may want to have Pak Lah stay on because rather than choose between a (suspected) Sodomite and a (suspected) Murderer, they rather have a Sleepy Leader.

Would it make any difference if Pak Lah leaves or stays? The same team is in place regardless of whether Pak Lah or Najib Razak is in place. The same policies and management norms would be carried through under the BN governmental style. In truth, we will still be stuck with the same problems with or without a new PM. Unless a radical change happens within the ruling BN, nothing good is in store and all this is purely a political play being stage out so there's something interesting to talk about over coffee.

Is Pak Lah leaving? We can only be sure until it happens.

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Open Letter by Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to Pak Lah - Abolish ISA!

For those who have not read it yet, there is an open letter from Datuk Zaid Ibrahim addressed to Pak Lah asking the latter to abolished the ISA. I find Datuk Zaid Ibrahim's reasoning on the matter well thought out and an eye opener. It is very clear, the ISA has been abused by those in government in order to remain in power.

Here an excerpt of that letter that I find very interesting:

Pada 2001, aktivis-aktivis 'reformasi' Keadilan telah ditahan dalam satu tindakan yang kemudiannya diisytiharkan sebagai dibuat secara tidak betul dan tidak sah oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan. Penahanan berterusan mereka yang tidak dibebaskan lebih awal di pusat tahanan Kamunting hanya dibolehkan kerana ISA telah dipinda dalam cara yang meragukan pada 1988 bagi tidak lagi membenarkan semakan kehakiman dibuat ke atas arahan Menteri untuk menahan. Rakyat Malaysia dimaklumkan bahawa tahanan-tahanan ini telah cuba menggulingkan Kerajaan melalui cara-cara militan dan demonstrasi-demonstrasi liar.

Tujuh tahun telah berlalu sejak kejadian ini berlaku tetapi hingga kini belum ada sebarang bukti bagi menyokong dakwaan ini dikemukakan. Menambahkan lagi kekeliruan rakyat, salah seorang daripada mereka yang dikatakan "ganas dan militan" itu ialah Ezam Mohamad Noor. Inilah orangnya yang baru-baru ini disambut kembali ke dalam UMNO dengan sambutan besar-besaran, seolah-olah ianya merupakan satu kejayaan besar.

Source: Malaysiakini

Obviously, the BN government can decide how to label you depending if you are for or against them. Take the case of RPK, who claims trial yet is caught under ISA for being the most vocal blogger against the current establishment. What's worst according to Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the courts have no say in ISA detentions. Instead, the guy with all the power is the Home Minister. This minister can determine who gets detained and who goes off free. Yes, folks. The executive that is in charge of ISA is part and parcel of the government. Now, would this strong hand of the government ever use ISA against their own?

This is partly why, Ahmad Ismail, the joker that called Chinese "immigrants" was never detained under ISA for threatening the nations peace. It's an un-written rule - NEVER use ISA against our own people. You can use it against the opposition MPs, reporters and bloggers but NEVER against BN (or UMNO) guys who spew racist comments left, right, front, back and center.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim is a brave man and I have gain immense respect for him. He made a stand and is now addressing Pak Lah and asking him to abolish this cruel tool of the government. Bear in mind, if Anwar Ibrahim comes into power and PR becomes government, this tool should still be abolished. It is a cruel tool that has no place in a modern democratic country.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, you have this bloggers two thumbs up!

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