ISA for Crimes of Opinion

It seems the ISA is being used to detain and question any person who holds an opinion which goes against the current (insecure) government. Reporters, Bloggers, Opposition MPs and even Innocent Citizens are placed under this draconic act. What was their crime?

The Crime of Opinion.

Opinions deemed able to incite the populace to rebel or to induce fear among the populace. The latest case is another weird incidence where the ISA was used to question a SUARAM activist, Cheng Lee Whee, for making a report on the Johor Police website concerning the arrest of 27 people at Kampung Baru Plentong Tengah. Her report on the police portal was deemed able to caused worry among the populace and thus, the writer questioned. The odd thing was, why use the ISA? Isn't there a Sedition Act that can be used or is this simply a case of no case?

I believe Lee Whee did not commit any crime and thus she is uneligible to be questioned nor arrested under any law. So the police (wise folks these people) decided to use the ISA which can be used as long as the Home Minister sees it fit. The only crime Lee Whee committed was a Crime of Opinion. Whatever she wrote did not go down well with the Johor police and they decided to take action.

This is a worrying state of affairs for Malaysia. If the citizens are not allowed to voice out their opinions then why have a nation in the first place? The basic component of any nation is the citizen. It is the citizen who works and earn a wage which in turn is used to pay taxes that support the government. Those same taxes are used to provide wages for the police force and Ministers in office. Yet, the establishment seems to have forgotten that they are suppose to safe-guard the interest of the populace rather than their own interest.

What is wrong with a citizen reporting on the perceived abuse of power by the police force via official channels? It is not as if Lee Whee is going to organize a rally to drum up local support to criticize the arrest of these 27 individuals. Instead she posted her opinion on the Johor Police portal for all to see and evaluate. For that she was brought in for questioning under the ISA. This in itself is abuse of power by the Johor Police and Home Minister.

If there was a crime committed than please use the available laws and not the ISA. Allow Lee Whee her day in court to defend her report and seriously look at why people are not happy with the arrest of the 27 individuals. Why shoot the messenger? Read the message and allow the court of law to decide.

In this regards, the government (via the Home Minister) has seriously lost its case in the Court of Public Opinion.

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Irresponsible (incoming) Prime Minister

Will this get me into trouble? I think it will because going by track record, most people who written critically about him have been put into prison. ISA and all have been used and well I may even be strapped to C4 and made into fireworks.

The person I'm talking about is our Incoming Prime Minister (IPM). When asked about the accusations concerning the Altantuya case especially in light of the SMS messages that appeared on Malaysia Today, he merely replied by pointing out that Abdullah Badawi has commented on it.

"Was there any abuse of power?" The reporter asked.

"Oi, my boss already say, he thinks I am not the kind of guy to abuse my power," was the reply.

Having Abdullah Badawi answering for you is kind of cute in a way because then you are cleared of every charge without having to acknowledge or deny anything. How convenient, we all should do that or at least work for bosses like Abdullah Badawi. In truth this reply by IPM is really irresponsible. It clearly shows a leader who would wash his hands clean of any fault and point it at another guy. Childish behavior like this have no place in the highest office of Malaysia.

Abdullah Badawi believes he is incapable of abusing his power. This is what Abdullah Badawi believes in but it may not be the truth of the matter. If what we read in the SMS are true and if they show a non-abuse-of-power, then surely the state of our governance in Malaysia is so, so poor. Minister's can and will be involve in court cases or police investigations if it is detrimental towards them. Abdullah Badawi's statement and IPM affirmation of that same statement suggests that the actions of IPM in the SMSes should be expected of all our high-ranking ministers.

Why can't IPM answer for himself? Deny the allegations and tell the truth. Stop trying to hide behind other people or abuse the laws (ISA) and make your problems disappear (literally).

I see trouble times ahead with IPM in power. There will be increased persecution of people who bring out the truth in governance. Bloggers may end up cell mates with RPK and anyone speaking up against the establishment may find themselves turned into impromptu Roman Candles of the exploding kind.

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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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When the ship loses its captain.

Its idiotic to think that at this very moment, Malaysia is still very much in the docks. Who is running the country? There is no clear firm image of leadership and this reeks of instability and confusion in the top management.

Abdullah Badawi seems to have called it a day and is only bidding for time. The right time to move along and pass the baton to Najib Razak and Anwar Ibrahim seems adamant he would snatch power cleanly in the very near future. What is in store for Malaysia is either men take the highest office in Malaysia?

The first priority now for the BN led government is not the UMNO elections but rather the failing economy, hasten by the problems America is having with its financial sector. If America cannot fix its financial problems, the whole world goes into a nose-dive. Things get shaken up and everyone stands to suffer. Yet in Malaysia, our top leaders do not seem to bother about this. Instead we get the normal, "We are fine" statements. But all is not fine. The UMNO leaders who effectively head the major offices in government are more interested in safe-guarding their own rice-bowls in the coming party elections.

Several component parties in BN are contemplating leaving and Pakatan Rakyat are having hiccups of their own especially the mess in Selangor over the Hindu temple demolition. The whole seat of government, the bridge where the ship is commanded is in chaos. The captain has left the bridge and everyone had no idea what they are suppose to be doing or they are simply doing whatever they choose.

In recent events it is a tragic comedy to watch several ministers stumble over themselves when issuing statements. Some contradict themselves or each other and some are made tactless. Mud-slinging is common place in Malaysian politics and it's no surprise for MPs to call each other names in parliament. All hot air and the real issues are lost in transition.

I believe the people are getting fed-up and worn out by all these shenanigans and would just want to get on with their lives. We just want to know when the next meal is coming and that we are able to have enough to get us through the month. It is time the captain gets back to what he should be doing and that is to captain the ship and let everyone know he is in charge.

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Remember the 16th September 1963

The 16th of September came and went and this year it would be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Most eyes and ears were waiting for news of a government take over by the opposition coalition lead by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. It came and went and everyone went about their lives.

16th September came and went and all the people remembered was the politics of the day. Yet for Sarawakians, 16th September is the day Sarawak joined Sabah, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula to form Malaysia.

16th September came and went and it was not even a public holiday. Instead, even the whole issue of a public holiday was turned into a political argument between the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. My humble opinion, it should have been a holiday because on that day a nation was born. A nation we call Malaysia which has been steadily making it’s mark on the world state. There should be no argument whatsoever on the status of the 16th of September, neither should it be turned into a political trump card.

16th September should be remembered as the day Malaysia was born and it came with a price. For when wind of Sarawak’s decision to join the collection of independent states to form Malaysia reached Indonesia, they retaliated with an armed response. An episode in history called The Confrontation. Lives were lost on Sarawakian soil to protect the decision to form Malaysia and this fact seemed lost to most Malaysians. Sacrifices were made and great deeds were sown in order for Sarawak to partner along side Sabah, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula, to form Malaysia.

Many in Sarawak feel that 16th September should be given equal standing as the 31st August. Commemorated for the fact it was the day Malaysia made its debut onto the world stage. The whole process of fighting for independence is alien to a normal Sarawakian for Sarawak in those days did not take part in protesting against the formation of the Malayan Union neither did we take part in an arms struggled against the British. In fact if examined properly, Sarawak was ruled by an Englishman but never was part of the British Empire. Sarawak could be called an independent state much like the city states of ancient Greece. Thus, the decision to form Malaysia along with Sabah and Singapore was made with the understanding that Sarawak would still retain a fair amount of autonomy. This is a fact, in most cases, relegated to a mere footnote in history books.

Sarawak has been in Malaysia a good 46 years and most still remember life before the formation of Malaysia. The remnants of the White Rajah are evident in those above the age of 46 years. I have met pensioners in their 60s who speak impeccable British English. Walk through Kuching city and you will find colonial buildings and mission schools dating to 1843. Fort Magrita still stands guard over the Sarawak River overlooking the Waterfront and alongside the new August House.

46 years of being a partner in Malaysia and Sarawak still has kept it’s identity. Bahasa Malaysia is spoken alongside Sarawakian Malay, Iban, Bidayuh and Hokkien. It is a known fact that Chinese shop-owners plying their trade to the locals can often time be heard speaking Malay, Iban or Bidayuh. This is typical Sarawak where communal respect is very much woven into the fabric of living in Sarawak.

16th September came and gone and this year it was remembered for all the wrong reasons. Focused for political matters and not for the fact it was the day a nation was born. It is the birthdate for Malaysia and it should be commemorated as such. Give credit to the ordinary Sarawakian who is not mindful of the the politics of the day but instead only knows the simple fact, that on the 16th of September our fore fathers decided that for the interest of all communities living in Sarawak, we should join Sabah, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula to form Malaysia. It was a wise and good decision.

Hopefully, due credit will be accorded for the 16th of September in the coming years as we all mature towards a unified Malaysia.

p/s: My article that came out on MySinChew.com and Malaysia-Today.net

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A weird week in Malaysian governance.

I had network problems from where I normally connect to blog and this has been a point of frustration to me. But that should not keep a good blogger down, so I have found another location where access to my blog is permitted. It seems, the organization I work for has been running some filtering software across the network with some rather queer results. My workplace seems to be practicing selective blocking where Blogger.Com seems to be unaccessible yet just down the hall at another location, access is super-fast. So its a mystery to me, much like the events of the pass week in Malaysia.

16th September came and went and all we have is a bunch of politicians calling each other liars and the sorts. At the rate we are going, all the members of parliament are liars. Since the 12th General Election, the country has been caught in a stalemate and I think the tortoise overtook the rabbit in the race to normalcy. Our economy is headed for hard times as mentioned by Tun Mahathir in his latest posting on Chedet.Com and I agree with him. I have stop watching local news and instead prefer that abomination of networks - CNN. Yet, at least I can get an almost non-bias look at what's happening in the work unlike the spin on our local main stream media.

The American's having a bad financial crisis with several bail-outs initiated by the government. Much like what happened in Malaysia in 1997 but at a larger scale. A scale enough to send the world into the dumps with Malaysia included. We are heading for a time of high inflation rates as already reported sometime in August which lead to the lowering of the fuel prices in time for the Permatang Pauh by-election. Still, I hope there will be another reduction before the Raya celebrations as the price of crude has dropped below USD100 per barrel.

Abdullah Badawi has swapped portfolios with Najib Razak. Now, Najib has to contend with the headache of reviving a sagging economy. I agree with Tun Mahathir's opinion that if anything goes wrong with the economy at this time, Najib would be blamed. Smart move by Abdullah Badawi and as expected his friends in UMNO all lauded the move as wise or a step up for the transition plan to have Najib Razak as Prime Minister by July 2010. Typical UMNO stuff. Divert attention from the root cause of all our problems. In short Abdullah Badawi needs to take responsibility (Japan style) and resign. Call for fresh elections and get the people to choose who they want in charge. Mind you, not many people are keen on Najib Razak.

Anwar Ibrahim needs to get his act together. If he wants to seriously make a charge to Putra Jaya then do it or wait till the 13th General Election. Honestly, just play the waiting game. Anwar has nothing to lose, since by then the people's trust in Barisan Nasional would have gone south and anything either than BN would be good enough for Malaysia. In the pass few years, BN has really been wrong-footed by their own people. They have no-one else to blame except themselves for all the problems hitting Malaysia now. Anwar should just sit back and watch the show. Maybe whisper a little here and there, point out some funny dealings here and there and just allow BN to implode. Come the 13th General Election and Pakatan Rakyat can safely claim that the rakyat has voted them in.

Yet, if Anwar really wants to claim the government now then push for fresh elections. I'm no politician but I think that is a better move. Get the people's backing and BN would have nothing to say about the matter. The people would have decided and made their voices heard.

RPK and Theresa Kok are still under ISA. In Theresa Kok's case, I find it funny that the police reports were lodge after she was caught under ISA for the very things the police reports were made against. It's as if the whole thing is an after thought. Catch the person first and then settle the procedure later. Catch Theresa Kok and then make police reports base on why she was arrested under ISA. What use is the police investigation now, if she is under ISA which means detention without trial.

It's ironic that the ISA has been compared to the Patriot Act of America by our leaders in Malaysia. Clearly a move to justify the ISA but their comparison is flawed to the max. The Patriot Act's main function is to capture terrorists and to date cannot be used against an American citizen. The ISA is used to capture bloggers, reporters and opposition MPs for stuff that can be charged under the Sedition Act.

So what gives?

Our leaders must get their facts straight and don't simply try to justify when they have no idea what they are talking about.

Yes, it has been a weird week for Malaysia and it will get even weirder in the coming weeks. Things to watch for, reduction of fuel prices, Anwar pushing for a parliament session, UMNO or BN's slandering of Anwar as he deals with his court case, the American financial crisis hitting the Malaysian stock market and more calls for the amendment to the ISA. Something for everyone and the day is still young.

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Anwar Past and Anwar Present

It is amazing to hear some BN ministers pointing out that when Anwar Ibrahim was the Deputy Prime Minister he failed to fulfill his promises. The latest reminder coming from the Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak, Alfred Jabu who reminded people that Anwar had promised the state funds when he was the DPM and Finance Minister and those promises have gone south. With that argument, Anwar is not to be trusted because he would still promise Sarawak funds and what nots and still not fulfill them.

I am amazed at this reasoning primarily because the failure of Anwar Ibrahim as DPM back then is a failure for Barisan Nasional because Anwar Ibrahim was the DPM under the BN government of the day. Any unfulfilled promised was made within his capacity as DPM for a BN government. Thus, Anwar Ibrahim did not failed but Barisan Nasional did collectively. If those promises were not fulfilled, why was a complaint not launch back then? Why bring up these grouses now?

This seems to be the practice of BN at this juncture of time when all they can do is discredit Anwar Ibrahim. Tell of his failings during his time as DPM yet be blind to the fact that he was (back then) a Barisan Nasional DPM. If he made such glaring mistakes back then, why was it not address there and then? Why wait 10 years to point it out to the populace?

The Anwar Past was Barisan Nasional and the Anwar Present is Pakatan Rakyat. BIG difference. If Anwar failed in the past then Barisan Nasional was the one who failed. Collectively Responsibility? That's a term I heard the PM used some time ago. So BN was collectively responsible for all the failings, Anwar had during his tenure as DPM.

So for those minister's who wish to harp on the failings Anwar had when he was DPM should also know that they too were part of the mistake. They should have been responsible enough to point out those mistakes back then and not use it now for political milage.

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Knee-jerk Government

It is now pretty obvious the current government is one that is knee-jerking it's way. It's reactive in nature and seems to have no proper direction. We now hear that the government would lower the price of fuel before the onset of Aidilfitri. Remember what can be lowered can also be raised and the trend of the government to lower the price at will seems headed for disaster.

Disaster as it would throw the price of goods into a chaotic frenzy. It takes time for prices of goods to adjust itself to market forces and the strongest force at the moment is the cost of transportation which is passed on to the consumer to bear. If fuel prices bounce around like a ping-pong ball in a box, the prices of goods would also bounce around like a ping-pong ball. Traders would have a hard time fixing prices for essential goods. Though this may ultimately be good for the consumer whereby they can scout around for the best price, in the long run it may even slow the market down. Uncertainty is the root product of such a volatile market.

When people are uncertain about a situation then they tend to react in fear. With the government being uncertain about the price of fuel and with no clear measure on how they would control the price of essential goods, traders would react in fear. They would price goods at a price that they perceive would blanket them from these mad fluctuations of cost. Some goods may be overpriced and remain overpriced over market price in order to cushion the traders pockets. Fair enough, the traders are entitled to protect themselves.

Would the government react to this?

I think they would. This is after all a knee-jerking government, who doesn't seem to know what's going on and worst still, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Gone are the days when Malaysia was a trend setter in Asia. Instead, we now have a government that reacts badly towards whatever situation it gets itself into.

Sure, lower the fuel price in time for the Hari Raya holidays and maybe the price of essential goods would catch on fast enough and everyone would have an affordable raya. If they lower it now, would they raise it again if the price of crude increases?

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Leaping Politicians - it's the norm not the exception

A lot has been said about leaping politicians or to put it crudely - frogs; in the parliament. As the 16th of September draws near, suspicion clouds the August house as MPs eye each other wondering who would jump ship first. It is amazing that Anwar Ibrahim has been able to do what no other man has been able to do in the 51 years Malaysia has been independent - hold the nation hostage.

Anwar Ibrahim is holding the government hostage and whether they want to acknowledge it or not, Anwar is in-directly controlling their every move. He has the Barisan Nasional running scared as evident in the need for BN MPs to sign a letter pledging their support for Abdullah Badawi, a pledge the Sabah MPs are unwilling to sign.

Shouldn't the MPs loyalty be towards the people that voted him and not to a singular person (the PM)? Why sign a pledge unless you are really scared of loosing these MPs to the Pakatan Rakyat side. Aren't the MPs in the August house matured enough to make their own minds who they want to support for the good of their voters?

Yes, Anwar Ibrahim has the BN running scared and holding hostage the whole government. The BN government is reacting to Anwar Ibrahim's every move, something which will spell doom for them for Anwar can easily maneuver them which ever way he wants to.

As for leaping politicians, it's the norm and not the exception. A politician would always chose the path of least resistance so where he stands clearly is up to him. If BN MPs leap over to the Pakatan Rakyat side than by right they can also leap back if they wanted to. Can we ever stop one from leaping? For the BN to say that all this is unethical then BN should also look at their checkered past where they too have accommodated politicians who leaped from the opposition into their camp and they was not much furore over that. Only when it would hurt BN, would BN erupt into an emotional fit. Desperately trying hard to protect their interests.

Let the politicians leap, let them join whoever they want. It is time for the MPs to be loyal to their real masters. The real masters of the MPs are the people and the people are suffering under the mis-management of the BN government. Eliminate race politics and parties and allow the MPs to affiliate themselves with whatever entity that promotes a one Malaysia.

You see, regardless of whoever becomes government, development will still be given out. It is a given. But the sense of fairness, equality and needs met has to be earn and this cannot be bought with sweets in the form of a "friendly" budget. People need to see leadership in practice not mere promises and sleepy reactions.

So let the politicians leap as much as they want because all this while that's what the politicians been doing. Leaping about gathering personal wealth at the expense of the people who voted them in.

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Malaysian bloggers vs the BN government.

Malaysia-Today has taken the bullet from the BN government, yet you can't keep a good man down so Raja Petra has moved it to another location that by-passes the government-controlled-kow-towing ISPs. Is Malaysiakini going to be next? Or will bloggers fall like dominoes in the wake of a cyber "Operation Lalang"?

Looking at the parliament, we now have more active bloggers joining it. Anwar Ibrahim has a blog, Lim Kit Siang has been blogging for ages, Jeff Ooi, Tony Pua and a host of other MPs have a presence on the internet. Forget the BN lame attempt at joining the blogosphere since they are hesitant at being labeled as monkeys. A term the BN government used against bloggers before the 12th General Election.

But the BN government lost because of the monkeys in a lawless jungle.

So now the BN government is bent on sending these monkeys the way of the Dodo. Malaysian jails will not be housing the robbers, rapist or murderers but bloggers. Yes, the robbers, rapists and murderers will be plying their trade on the Malaysian streets while the police round up the bloggers and dump them into crowed prisons. This is the state of the Malaysian BN government now, paranoid at the prospect of loosing their grip on power and resolving to putting their critics into prison.

Stupid and ridiculous because there is no way for the BN government to stop bloggers. It is akin to cutting telephone lines and telling people to resort to using carrier pigeons for their messaging needs. Remember, it was the government under Tun Mahathir that opened up Malaysia to the Internet and now the government after Tun Mahathir is resorting to clamp it down. There is really something wrong in the minds of our ministers who agree that this is the best course of action to take in the wake of their defeat at Permatang Pauh.

Sore losers!

I say, go ahead. Clamp down on bloggers and independent news providers or the alternative media. Go ahead, round them up, put them into prison or slap court charges against them. Go ahead and see what would happen. The people will take to the streets to demand justice, the people would un-subscribe from using the services of ISPs who kow-tow to BN government pressure, the people would stop listening to government propaganda channels such as RTM and TV3. The people would take matters into the own hands and come 13th General Election, the BN government would be relegated to a sentence in our history books. Heck, it could happen as early as 16th September if Anwar Ibrahim follows through with his plan.

I say, BN government go ahead with the clamp down and you will see a fight between Malaysian Bloggers and you. The winner has been decided, the results were seen during the 12th General Elections. Bloggers won and pushed your 2/3 majority out of the window, bloggers exposed your wrong doings, bloggers shifted the mind-set of the people. Bloggers can do it under the pressure of everything the BN government threw at them and who says bloggers cannot survive a clampdown now?

And may I suggest that they also investigate the comments and postings on BN blogs or blogs by BN MPs because they also have seditious and "hot" issues. Look at the WHOLE Malaysian blogging community, not just the opposition blogs. Some of the most racist comments are found on pro-UMNO blogs. Why aren't they investigated and brought to court? You tell me.

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Friend or Foe? Abdullah Badawi and Anwar Ibrahim

It would be interesting to see the body language of these two tomorrow when Abdullah Badawi deliver the budget speech. Primarily because both Abdullah Badawi and Anwar Ibrahim are from the same era. Both have served under Tun Mahathir and are no strangers to each to other. They may defer on policy but the two once shared the same camp together during Tun Mahathir's time. No doubt there is no ill blood between them as seen by Anwar's statement in his first press conference after being sworn in as a MP this morning.

Tomorrow would be doubly interesting as Anwar Ibrahim is no stranger to budgeting, Malaysian government style. He was the former finance minister before his in-famous sacking by Tun Mahathir so he would be keenly listening to what Abdullah Badawi's government can offer the people of Malaysia for the coming year.

Anwar Ibrahim is also a better orator compared to Abdullah Badawi and maybe better than anyone else in the house. Anwar is capable of tearing apart the arguments thrown at the opposition by the BN MPs. It would be interesting to see what he has to say about the budget. I am sure Abdullah Badawi would be feeling quite uncomfortable having Anwar Ibrahim stare down at him in the house.

It would be interesting. Anwar may still see Abdullah as a friend outside of politics and I think the respect is mutual but what would the other BN MPs think? I am sure some would feel a bit guilty for slandering Anwar when he was outside of parliament, easy to do when Anwar was at a distance. Now, Anwar sits under the same roof as they do and facing up to the man would be something that would rile them. Shame on them!

It will be interesting indeed. Anwar and Abdullah Badawi under the same roof, staring at each other. I wonder if they would share a round of tea together?

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Malaysian Government's censorship of the Internet.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) order to all the 21 ISPs to block Malaysia-Today.net is really a throw back to the stone age. Raja Petra Kamaruddin has vowed to fight this injustice and bring MCMC along for the ride.

Clearly there is now a move to censor the Internet in Malaysia. Main Stream Media (MSM) is so controlled, that only news favoring the current BN government is allowed while the rest is covered over, Malaysians have turn to alternative media especially portals and blogs for news. It is no secret that such bias reporting cost the BN dearly during the previous election. Yet they still did not learn their lesson, repeating it again in Permatang Pauh. Now, the BN government is taking it a step further - control of the Internet.

Word is out, that sooner or later; such control will also be extended to the blogosphere. Blogs deemed "un-appropriate" would be blocked on the ISP level. This goes against everything the MCMC stand for and it is obvious the directive came from the top ranks of the Malaysian BN government.

This does not augur well for Malaysia. Too much forced control would ultimately create chaos and the people of Malaysia are not going to let that happen any time soon. The government seems bent on dictating what we see, hear or know and this overbearing attitude towards the general citizen merely shows how the BN government view it's citizens. We are only good when we vote for BN. Outside of that, we are opposition. Any form of opposition is automatically deemed bad or evil and requires banishment or censorship.

MCMC please do not insult our intelligence. The citizens of Malaysia are wise enough to determine what they can read and comment on. And a little criticism is good for a nation. Too much sugar is never a good thing, we all need a bit of bitterness too.

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What next Anwar Ibrahim?

CONGRATULATIONS to Anwar Ibrahim. Though I'm not so great a fan of this fella but anyone other than an UMNO guy is a better guy to me right now. So now, what next Anwar Ibrahim?

Will you make good your promise for September 16th?

Why is Abdullah Badawi so silent in the face of this defeat for UMNO? Only Najib Razak has issued a mild statement. What happened to the other BN ministers that came down on mass to speak out against Anwar Ibrahim, where are their voices now?

So what next?

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PERMATANG PAUH for the people.

It's nearing the end of polling for the people of Permatang Pauh and I feel it in my bones. Unless, Barisan Nasional puils off the most dirtiest of stunts; Anwar Ibrahim has this in the bag. Mine you, BN can still win if they play real dirty because all indications seem to point Anwar Ibrahim's way.

I'm not an out and out supporter of Anwar Ibrahim because I do have my reservations but I'm not a fan of the current establishment either. But I am on for the people and the people are fed-up with the way this country is being managed. The current establishment is cracking up along the seams and the biggest losers are the people. The ones running this country can do just that..run. Run away from being responsible leaders. Run away from the main reason the people voted them in and simple tell us what to do when they are no better (if not worst) than us.

Najib Razak said the stupidest thing the other day. Reminding the people to be thankful to BN for running this country. Hello! BN should be thankful to the people for keeping them around while they rob the country. We are the reason these jokers are in parliament. We are the reason these fellas have a wage to take home every week. We are the reasons these fellas can do business whether legal or illegal. We are the reasons these fellas exist in the higher strata of society.

What we can give, we can take back and I for one want the BN to be taken to task. Forget forming a new government, Pakatan Rakyat may not be ready for it, but the day will come when BN themselves would implode and in turn sit on the opposition side while the people take back control and run this country.

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13 reasons why BN can win Permatang Pauh.

BN has a fighting chance to win Permatang Pauh for very simple reasons:

1. Pakatan Rakyat got lazy and the people of Permatang Pauh can't see beyond the present day,



2. RM200 is good enough to get my vote for BN, cause I can buy groceries and drink coffee after that,



3. EVERYTHING Najib Razak promised for the Chinese and Indians will be fulfilled including giving scrap metal licenses,



4. I believed everything EZAM said about Anwar, not withstanding the fact he really bitter he didn't get all he wanted in BN,



5. I believed everything SAIFUL swore about even when the whole swearing ceremony is turning out to be a scam,



6. I totally believe that BN has got it's act together after the 12th General Election and we're going to see better days,



7. The IMMEDIATE fuel decrease had nothing to do with Permatang Pauh,



8. The Government will not give a BONUS to the 1.2 million civil servant if Anwar wins, even when civil servants are suppose to serve the CURRENT government and not BN,



9. EVERYTHING the main stream media said about Permatang Pauh was true even though Khairy Jamaluddin has a holding stack in Media Prima which has a hand in ALL main stream media you get on television,



10. All the BN ceramah was well attended which means people of Permatang Pauh are throwing their support behind BN,



11. The voters of Permatang Pauh DO NOT MIND waiting another 5 years until the 13th General election when they'll hear the same promises BN promised them for the by-election,



12. Permatang Pauh voters DO NOT LIKE change, so staying with the status quo would mean things would get better,



13. and Permatang Pauh voters just DO NOT LIKE Anwar Ibrahim.

So you think you have more reasons?

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BN propaganda hitting them in their own faces in Permatang Pauh

It's interesting to see that as we are nearing the Permatang Pauh by-election polling day, the amount of pro-BN propaganda churned out by the main stream media and BN ministers has hit a level that skims the bottom of the barrel of human decency.

BN has attacked Anwar Ibrahim both directly and indirectly. Character assassination plots extend further than just the sodomy charges, now there is even a charge that Anwar Ibrahim acted inappropriately towards a datuk's wife. On top of all that, Anwar Ibrahim's pass performance in government is back under the spotlight.

It is ironic why BN never point to the fact that whatever Anwar Ibrahim put into place when he was a BN minister was fully endorsed by the BN administration at that time. It was not a decision, solely, made by one man but a decision made by the establishment; so pining the responsibility on only Anwar Ibrahim is wrong all together.

In-direct action against Pakatan Rakyat has also intensified during the days leading up to and also during the campaign period for Permatang Pauh. The arrest of the Perak Keadilan Exco Members screams bloody "political conspiracy", a charge Najib Razak denied. But the timing of all these things point sole to the under-hand tactics employed by BN to build perception of the negative kind towards Anwar Ibrahim and also towards Pakatan Rakyat. Old tactics are employed with the hope of turning the voters towards their UMNO candidate.

But BN will fail in this regards. These tactics may have worked in the past but not anymore. The voters that stepped out to vote during the 12th General Election for Permatang Pauh are still the same who would vote on the 26th August 2008. The angry sentiments of the voters towards BN are still fresh and these are the sentiments that would guide voters to vote come 26th August 2008. With the blatant attacks by BN, both directly and in-directly towards Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat, the voting public in Permatang Pauh feel their intelligence insulted. All that is portrayed in main-stream-media about the resounding support BN is getting from the Permatang Pauh people does not tell the real story.

PAS was quick to note, the people you see in those pro-government news reports are party workers. The general public's turn out is minimal. The support for Anwar Ibrahim is huge and it does not get reported in main stream media. Such bias reporting by main stream media (an old BN tactic) is actually helping the Pakatan Rakyat's cause.

Having Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) screaming his head off, calling for Anwar to take the oath (much like Saiful did) to prove his innocence is not going to help either. KJ himself has much to answer, over his role in the whole sodomy debacle especially when he had fore-hand news about Anwar's arrest even before the rest of parliament knew about it. Having KJ present in Permatang Pauh would only aggravate the situation because he is really not that popular among the populace who see him as merely getting where he is by virtue of being the Prime Minister's son-in-law. As Kit Siang pointed out, KJ is the richest unemployed man in Malaysia. As member of parliament, KJ is neither here or there, making lots of noise but little to show for.

Najib giving out the RM 300,000 cheque to Lee Chong Wei in Permatang Pauh has not helped anything at all. It merely shows the blatant abuse of power practiced by BN all this while, which the public is very much aware of now. Najib could have presented the cheque in Kuala Lumpur rather than in Permatang Pauh.

So why fly Chong Wei to Permatang Pauh? Propaganda stunt and it was such acts that irked the people during the 12th General Election. The BN never learnt their lessons. The people are not interested in BN's show of power or supremacy, instead they just want a leader who would meet their needs. Not just show or tell them what to do but actually get their hands dirty are really bring about change in Permatang Pauh.

The BN propaganda machine has got it all wrong. Discrediting Anwar Ibrahim in order to gather the Malay votes, pumping funds towards the Chinese and Indian communities and scare tactics in places outside of Permatang Pauh will not do any good for them. The general public has wised up to everything BN has to offer. The blatant abuse of power on all levels of the government is glaring and no amount of bias reporting by main stream media can cover it up. The misdeeds of the BN politicians that have gone unpunished all this while is heavy on people's mind.

All the calls for Anwar to swear his innocence in the sodomy charge should by right be balanced out by calls for Najib to swear his innocence in the Altantuya's case or KJ's to swear his non-involvement in the running of the country by proxy.

Najib was right to say that everything they do now is considered political conspiracy because the rakyat is also looking at your pass deeds not just merely what you are doing now and it is not just limited to things in Permatang Pauh but to everything that the BN government is doing.

Permatang Pauh is going to be more than just a lost of a parliamentary seat for BN. A lost in Permatang Pauh would further erode every inch of credibility BN has as an institution that governs this country.

Permatang Pauh has cemented further the resentment the rakyat has towards BN and this would only translate towards more votes for Anwar Ibrahim.

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The Mud slinging has begun - so Malaysian politics.

Reports from Malaysiakini indicate that the mud-slinging among the candidates for the Permatang Pauh election have begun. Yup, character assassinations are the norm in Malaysian politics. Any and everything can and will be used against you in the public court of opinion. And in truth, the candidates would be voted in on just that - public opinion. Don't you think so?

Everyone has an opinion about someone else and everyone has something to scream about. So the one who can grab the greater crowd of opinion-guided-voters win even if they don't have a track record to show for.

So when the "X" is placed on the ballot paper it will be largely base on impressions, opinions and perceptions. All the voters would know would just be what they have heard. Strange but voter would be voting in someone they may not have seen in action. It's interesting to note (if Malaysiakini is to be believed) that even Anwar Ibrahim is seen as a candidate who doesn't meet his people, especially to those in Permatang Pauh. Instead, some prefer Wan Azizah because she goes down to see her people.

Sometimes it is better to be seen and not heard.

So mud slinging and everything is normal and believe me, when the candidate does not perform; we only have ourselves to fault.

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Hey Najib! Only now do you remember the Chinese and Indians?

This is the state of our government when come election time, they suddenly remember their voters. Come on, don't tell me all this while Najib Razak forgot that in Permatang Pauh there were Chinese and Indian Malaysians? Dishing out RM500,000 for the Chinese and scrapping scrap metal licenses for the Indians would change the fact the BN government forgot about these Malaysians? Or would such promises remain promises cause BN has the tendency to withdraw their election promises should it not be in their favor.

But that's the truth of the matter isn't it? BN forgot about these Malaysians. They FORGOT that these Malaysians also need the same support every other citizen deserves. Or is it because all this while Permatang Pauh has been in the hands of the opposition and giving aid to the enemies camp is really very un-UMNO like. Too bad, UMNO never read Sun Tzu's - The Art of War where it is prudent to be favorable towards the enemies army so you can win them over. The BN government should have done this in their time of plenty. To support the enemies camp, to show a benevolent spirit when dealing with people even those considered the enemy.

Offering such sweets in the time of war would only be a slap in the face of Chinese and Indian Malaysians in Permatang Pauh. It is in the time outside of elections that they should have been remembered. It was during those times before the elections, where these people needed aid for their children, for their schools and their businesses.

Najib Razak and all BN parliamentarians, remember it was the simple Malaysian who voted you all in. When we put that mark on the ballot paper, it did not show our race nor religion but a choice. We did not asked to be discriminated but you all choose to separate development based on our race and religion. So now you want to sugar up to the same people you discriminate?

Please, do not insult our (the Rakyat's) intelligence.

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