Umno's Plan B for Malaysia

By the time Prime Minister Najib Razak announced his newly tweaked National Economic Model, Malaysia had experienced net capital out flows in the excess of US$27 billion from mid-2008 to mid-2009. Foreign Direct Investment had slowed to a trickle, US$15 billion of portfolio investment departed in 2009 and was slow to return.

This means that, despite the hype, Najib’s plan to revitalize the Malaysian economy was already too little and too late. And the greatest obstacle to economic reform and change was UMNO itself.

US Embassy communicates made available via WikiLeaks pointed to the various initiatives Najib had planned and was working on. At the core of these initiatives was a need to reform the whole economic model Malaysia had been relying on. In layman terms, this meant dismantling the NEP, a brainchild of former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

The turn of events ruffled feathers within UMNO itself, especially amongst the ruling elite, as these power barons depended on the various economic packages in the NEP to line their nests.

Full Article: The Malaysia Chronicle.

What does UMNO have to live for?

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Why a non-Muslim would prefer PAS to Umno

Since the late 1980s, PAS has been painted by the government of the day as being the worst thing to walk the planet. That non-Muslims in Malaysia will suffer the wrath of hell, if PAS ever forms the government. And this fear was played to great effect, with the majority of the non-Muslim votes going Barisan Nasional’s way.

For most Sarawakians and Sabahans, PAS was the epitome of evil in Malaysia. A phantom whose only agenda was to deprive the non-Muslims of their right to practise their faith of choice.

This was the religious propaganda fed by Barisan Nasional to the masses, but of late, the 'spin' has boomeranged back into its own face.

Adapting to the times

As PAS moves forward, adapting itself to meet a progressively changing world, UMNO is stuck in a rut of its own making and has now been reduced to being the spectator-stand critic.

So what if PAS decides to have a change in management? At least, PAS is not afraid to take on the risk of changing or to try and take on new ideas. It certainly seems more secure about its supporter base than UMNO.

Full Article: The Malaysia Chronicle.

Seems like the tables have turned on UMNO.

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Bankruptcy now firmly in sight: Are political games being played to hide this

For the 1st quarter of 2011, the central government debt sits at RM430,151 million compared to RM407,101 million for the same period in 2010, i.e up RM23 billion. Of the RM430,151 million, RM425,831 million is medium and long term debt.

Domestic debt sits at RM414,217 million whereas in the same period in 2010 it sat at RM390,356 million. Again the medium and long term debt is the bigger bulk of the debt at RM409,897 million.

Plainly stated, the Government of Malaysia owes the central bank and funds like the Employee Providence Fund monies that run into the billions. Such debts are a mystery when you take into account that the central government operational expenditure has actually decreased. For April of 2011, the figure stands at RM13,769 million; a reduction compared to RM19,416 million for the same period last year.

Bear in mind the figures above are for the first quarter of 2011, there are still eight more months to go for 2011, and this figure would surely be on the rise if we take into consideration the pending General Elections and various other government initiatives.

Full Article: The Malaysia Chronicle.

Malaysia is in a grim state, heading the way of Greece.

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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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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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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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Race Based Business Politics

Something our incoming Prime Minister said just makes you roll your eyes:

"Kerajaan tidak mahu perniagaan diuruskan berdasarkan soal perkauman," kata Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Oleh yang demikian, katanya, kerajaan sentiasa menggalakkan semua syarikat di sektor swasta supaya memainkan peranan membangunkan vendor tempatan, termasuk vendor bumiputera.

Source: Malaysiakini

On one hand you say do not manage business along racial lines yet you also ask corporations to give more incentives to bumiputra companies. So what are you really saying here?

In fact, business in Malaysia is so skewed it's almost impossible to run away from race based management. The way tenders are supposed to be awarded speak volumes to this fact. Bumiputra companies are given priority and this is the way things are done in Bolehland. And if one was to follow the rule book then these are the rules, one need to follow.

So if Najib does not want businesses to be managed on a race base platform then he has to remove all form of preference to a particular race. This way, the business scene will be open and the best business-man wins. In turn, only the shrewd and best in their area of expertise will survive and wouldn't this be good for the nation? But is Malaysia prepared for this?

In the same statement, Najib also asked corporations to help build up local vendors meaning Bumiputra vendors. So no management along race-based lines yet please help the Bumiputra vendors. See the contradiction?

It'll be interesting what would happen when Najib Razak is PM. We can only hope that this "British trained economist" would be able to bring a revival in the way business is done in Malaysia. As such we see, abuses and enrichment of a select few in the Malaysian business world. Projects are tendered and awarded in dubious ways (helicopters anyone?). Yet, the man at the centre of dubious military business scandals is now telling us how to do business.

Hey, if we pay attention we may learn how to gain millions in kickbacks without lifting a finger. So folks, listen to your incoming PM.

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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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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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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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A fallacy of composition - the immaturity of Malaysian politics

fallacy of composition

noun - the error of assuming that what is true of a member of a group is true for the group as a whole.

Humans are creatures of habit and though change is constant, not everyone would welcome constant. Worst still if change would disturb the established norm and destroy any form of benefits or rewards one would have enjoyed when change was not present.

This is the situation facing the Barisan Nasional government. After 51 years of governance, this group of politicians do not know any other form of life. For those holding the highest position in government, the feel of power is indeed so good, they refuse to let it go even when prompted to do so. Desperate to hold on to power, they use every known apparatus at their disposal to protect their hold on power. The police, courts of law and media are all instruments used to create an image that all is well with the government. While the government goes along the notion, everything is going along well in this country, the discerning public knows better.

In their desperation to stay in power the BN government has lost touch with the very people who voted them in. I am sure, we vote the government of the day because we want to be taken care of. We want a government who looks into the welfare of its people, a government that is interested to see the betterment of its people.

Instead, what we get is totally the opposite. We have a government running scared, detaining people who voice out discontent against them, bent on pulling strings to keep friends and foes at bay, we have politics in our face but no solution for the woes striking the general populace.

Switch on the tele or read the UMNO owned newspapers and what we get is a fallacy of composition.

It may have been a strategy which worked ten years ago but this is 2008 and Malaysians have woken up to the realities of the ruling government. In the 12th General Election, people voted for CHANGE. The people has had enough of talk from politicians only interested to remain in power for financial gain.

We have woken up to the realization that Pak Lah is not all he is cut out to be. All because he has the image of Mr. Clean, does not mean that the whole government is such but the picture is painted in the mass media that everything is dandy and good. The statements coming out of Main Stream Media seems to show that Pak Lah has great support among the UMNO base yet that is not what is evident on the ground.

Only yesterday, we had a collection NGO leaders coming out with resolution warning people not to question the transition plan between Pak Lah and Najib Razak. Looking at the news clip, it is evident that all who were present were UMNO members who were pro-Abdullah Badawi. Where were the Chinese or Indian NGO leaders? Why weren't their views taken into consideration? Even if this group, who say that they represent all NGOs in Malaysia, pass such a resolution, I believe it is not reflective of all NGOs.

Main Stream Media is also painting a picture that if Anwar Ibrahim is flawed then the whole Pakatan Rakyat bunch is flawed. They pump up the image of Anwar Ibrahim as a sodomite yet down play any wrong down by an UMNO member say for instance Ahmad Ismail.

Ahmad Ismail, mind you, has done more damage against race relations in Malaysia than any article Raja Petra Kamaruddin has ever written.

This is the state of Malaysian politics. We are so bent on painting fallacies of composition, all over the place in order to win a vote. There is no consideration of policies that would move the country forward. We elect leaders base on image rather that capacity to deliver. We base voting on a logo rather on the ability of the person to serve his/her constituency. At the end of the day, we have a parliament of career politicians and the sad thing is that we are paying them for sitting in parliament.

It's a fallacy of composition when the idea that only BN can assure us of fair treatment as citizens of Malaysia. Look at the spate of arrest under ISA, where RPK gets sent to detention when Ahmad Ismail is scot free, why? Because UMNO has already slapped a three(3) year ban on him.

It's a fallacy of composition to think that everyone is united behind the idea of detention without trial (ISA) when our everyone knows it is a cruel tool of the government.

It's a fallacy of composition to say this democratic government is mature and on par with other democracies of the world. By saying we practice "Guided Democracy" is akin to saying that Pol Pot's regime was the best government to rule Cambodia.

This government is immature and unable to meet the aspirations of those that voted them in and thus, it is high time for change.

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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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Ahmad Ismail is the real immigrant.

Najib Razak apologized for the failings of one Ahmad Ismail's alleged racist comments during the Permatang Pauh is baffling to me. Ahmad Ismail is the one who is suppose to apologize not Najib Razak and for the life of me, why did Najib Razak even agree to apologize on his behalf? Apologizing on behalf merely makes the matter even graver, it gives the impression that BN concurred with Ahmad Ismail on the remarks and is now making a party stand. Or is this because Najib Razak was the one heading the BN campaign in Permatang Pauh and as leader he has to make apology for any misbehavior of his BN campaigners?

But apology aside and the fact I feel the response by the Chinese component parties of BN is akin to throwing a wet towel into the kitchen sink, let's look at the point Ahmad Ismail raised that shot BN's support among the non-Malays out the window.

Ahmad had allegedly called the Chinese pendatang (immigrants) and was also reported to have said that “as the Chinese were only immigrants it was impossible to achieve equal rights amongst races” during a ceramah in Permatang Pauh on Aug 25.

Source: Malaysia-Today.net

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines IMMIGRANT as:

a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

Ahmad Ismail's calling Chinese pendatang should not be a surprise because this is the mind-set of those from UMNO who believe Malaysia really means MALAY-sia disregarding the vibrant and colorful history this region has over the millennia. I believe Ahmad has truly forgotten that the Chinese first settled in the Malay Peninsula during the Malacca sultanate with the arrival of the Chinese courtesan Hang Li Po. These were true immigrants in the real sense and their descendants thereafter became citizens of Malacca.

Immigrant status changes with the birth of one's self in a country of residence. One can claim citizenship and be known as a national of the country of birth and thus is no longer an immigrant. For one to call Malaysian-Chinese pendatang (immigrant) is a total farce and also a direct attack on one's right to citizenship in one's country of birth.

The same goes for Malaysian Indians. Indian influences has been prevalent in South East Asia since the dawn of sea travel. In fact the influences are still around until today. It was the flight of one Sumateran prince from a Hindu empire that sparked the beginnings of the Malacca sultanate and thus the beginnings of the Malay states. Indians born on Malaysian soil are not immigrants, they are citizens of the land.

For Ahmad Ismail to utter such labels to the Chinese is mere stupidity and arrogance on his part and the party he represents. Let's push this a little further.

On the 16th of September, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore along with the Malay States formed Malaysia. It is a partnership in which Singapore pulled out of and subsequently is who they are today. Sarawak and Sabah can also do the same, if they wanted to. So in actual fact, this partnership is much like city-states forming the Greek Empire of old. All can run independently but all are united in defending a singular nation.

Now, if Ahmad Ismail were to step foot into Sarawak, he can be considered an immigrant, if he chooses to stay permanently in Sarawak. But a piece of paper says he is a citizen of Malaysia so we have to accept him. Citizenship of Malaysia entitles him to privileges only citizen of Malaysia can have so he is free to practice his rights as a Malaysian in Sarawak even-though in truth he is an immigrant. These rights of passage are part of the agreement Sarawak and Sabah had with the Peninsula at the forming of Malaysia.

I suggest Ahmad Ismail come to Sarawak and live here a few years and maybe he'll learn from us Sarawakians on how to live with those of different ethnic backgrounds. I have Chinese friends who speak my mother tongue, we have Sarawakian Malays sitting together with Sarawakian Chinese and Sarawakian Indian friends talking over tea. We have Ibans, Bidayuh, Lun Bawang, Melanau, Kenyah, Penans and a host of other groups living together and never have we ever thought of the issue of immigrants. Only in recently has this whole issue of immigrants really played on our minds.

We are bothered by UMNO race politics as they advocate a supreme race doctrine that goes against everything the people of Sarawak hold to. We live in unity. It is all we need.

Ahmad Ismail and UMNO, know one thing. In the not so distant past we all were immigrants to this land. Yet in Malaysia we were granted citizenship and that makes us CITIZENS not immigrants regardless of our creed, religion or backgrounds.

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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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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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