Major LOL of the Day

Ok, I know I said I will not post anything regarding politics anymore but this one is so funny i couldn't resist. Plus, one or two such posts once in a while doesn't hurt anyone, does it.

See, yesterday around 300 people gathered at Pusat Sivik in PJ for a candle lighting ceremony as a protest to ISA (and basically everything crappy of the country). While the participants were singing Negaraku, suddenly (jeng, jeng, jeng!), the police arrived (ok, my fault for being over-dramratic. I shouldn't used that effect since something like this is so common these days you should've seen it coming from 50 miles away). Our trusty friendly neighbourhood patrols dispersed the crowd while they were singing our national anthem to arrest basically everyone.

When contacted by Malaysiakini regarding the matter, the CPO Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar denied the accusation. According to him, the crowds were not arrested while they were singing Negaraku. Hey, our police have better sense then to arrest a peaceful crowd while the anthem is being sung.

However, when Malaysiakini presented to the CPO with (now I have to use "jeng jeng jeng") a video of the arrest made by one of the reporters (gasp!), he has only this to say:

"I deny it"

But Mr. CPO, there is video proof. It clearly shows that the police arrested the crowd when they were singing Negaraku. Plus the crowd were not even acting violent or out of control like what you sugested many times in many other "illegal" assemblies (said with annoying whiny 5-year-old voice).

"I deny it"

But, but Mr CPO, how could you deny something like that? There's a video, and the video shows... people singing, arrested...police, candles....Negaraku....

"I deny it"

This brings the "looks like me, talks like me and sounds like me but not me" argument to a whole new level. Hats off.

Ahh, nothing like a really good joke to brighten my day.

I deny it, the new clincher. Win any argument with anyone, anywhere, anytime. The trick is be stupid enough not to realise how preposterous it actually is. Sounds easy to me.

It Never Ends, Does it?

Ok it's been ages since I last wrote anything. I'm sitting in the 24 hour room right now and what's hapening at the library's foyer compleed me to write something about it.

There's a group of Malays who has set up a booth cand they call themsleves the Gugusan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (or something like that). And thy've been ranting about mempertahankan hak dan martabat orang Melayu and all this shit. Damn, not this again...

I wonder if they even know what they are ranting about.

What's in a Keris?

Seeing all the brouhaha sorrounding Hishamuddin's recent apology over the keris incident, I am tempted to write something of my own.

First of all, whether apology constitutes as an apology. This is what he said.

"I am sorry if it had affected the non-Malays,"

and...

He is also sorry "for not being able to defend a heritage symbol" of the Malays.

Ok, the first statemet. Apparently he is sorry IF what he did affected the non-Malays. If it affected the non-Malays? Why if? This made me feel that he is not sincere in he's apology at all. It seems like he think's that what he did is wrong ONLY if someone took offense in it.

Then the second statement really gets me going. You're sorry for failing to defend the Malay symbol? Ok, that begs the question; What is he sorry for? For hurting the non-Malays, or failing to protect the Malay symbol? Surely, you can't be sorry for both. For me, it gives the impression of someone saying " I'm sorry for what I did, althogh I don't think that what I did was wrong." Would you consider that a sincere apology from someone? Even if he did apologise, I could clearly sense that he is not sorry or regretted what he did at all. He only regretted of having himself caught in a bind.

And to talk about sincerity. Why did he wait for so long before finally apologising? It's been already 2 years since the incident. When the controversy first erupted, he didn't even bother to explain his action. Wouldn't it be better to apologies a few days after the incident, seeing the outbursts that it generated if he is TRULY sorry for what he did? What wait for so long?

Simple. Because at that time, UMNO is still in power. Hishamuddin, like many UMNOputeras, are arrogant because he wielded authority. He did not have to take responsiblility of what he did. But who could blame him? That has been UMNO's practice all this while.

Then, came the mother of all shockers, that is the previous GE. Things have changed, and the UMNO croonies don't feel as secured anymore. So did Hishamuddin. What he now does is to play damage control, to admit his wrong doings and to apologise. To play the nice humble Malay that means no harm. To be a big man of great principles.

All he's trying to do is save his own ass.

Some might argue that the non-Malays blew this whole thing out of proportion. The kissing of the keris is a very common practice, especially during Malay ceremonies, and it usually means no harm. And why should anyone be afarid of the keris? It's just a synbol. The non-Malays are the ones who are being insensitive here. They should not play with racial issues, especially if it involves cultures and religions.

First of all, let's get one thing clear. I am not afraid of the keris. I'm not intimidated by the keris kissing, and I respect that if it is done in the name of Malay culture. However, what Hishamuddin did was beyond culture and symbol. It is what he meant by kissing the keris that irked me and most Malaysians. If he kissed the keris as a part of a ceremony, noone would say a world. It just tradition. We would understand that. But his keris kissing antics meant a whole different thing, carried a whole different meaning. He didn't do it for the sake of ceremony or tradition, he did it in an attempt to scare and intimidate non-Malays who question 'Ketuanan Melayu'. Right before he kissed the keris, he warned the non-Malays not to awaken the sleeping tigers for when the tigers awake, there will be blood (this is not exactly what he said, word by word, but you get the meaning). Then, someone from the audience even shouted when will the keris taste blood.

So that what what Hishamuddin's keris kissing meant. Not tradition. His brand of keris kissing symbolised hatred, racism, bigotry and blatant disregard for other races.

And even if he not did mean to incite violence with the keris (or any other weapons), his intentions are clear. He is a racist uneducated bigot who has no place in a multi racial country. Worse of all, he is not unique in UMNO, and many of them hold various important positions in the country.

In short, I do not for once believe that Hishamuddin is sorry at all for what he did. He might be sorry that what he did cause so much damage to himself and UMNO, but beyond that, I believe he stands by his actions. What he's trying to do now is to control the damage that he inflicted. And it doesn;t take a rocket scientist to realise that the attempt is lame, hypocritical, fake and not a bit sincere.

Soap Opera, Malaysian Style

Anwar Ibrahim just issued a statement that PR will be able to form the government by Sept 16. According to him, he now has enough cross over MPs to do so.

And how is BN taking this? Are those monkeys gonna sit around and wait for that to happen? Of course not, but the question is, how true is the allegation and if it is true, what can (or would) BN do about it?

This is getting really interesting.

Malay Supremacy, Again... So What's New?

Ok, so apparently Hishamuddin had finally 'apologised' for his keris wielding and kissing antics. That is if you consider that half-ass attempt as an apology.

According to him, he regrets if his actions has hurt the feelings of non-Malays. Fair enough, so now what are you gonna do about it? Apparently nothing, not that it's surprising at all.

But then, he made another statement right after that, this addressed to the Malays. Now, he's also sorry failing to uphold and protect the national symbol.

Ok, so is that what the keris symbolise? A weapon that is thirsty for the blood of non-Malays? Something to scare off those who question the UMNO brand of Malay supremacy? Is that what he failed in 'protecting'?

So now, is he really sorry or not? Maybe for the latter, but to the former, I don't think so.

A few days ago, Tengku Razaleigh held a post-mortem to discuss on UMNO's performance. You might have asked by now; what, another post-mortem? Aiyo, why they need another post-mortem? Just go to any kopitiams la, over they the post-mortem lagi accurate. But no, UMNO has to have another post-mortem. And another one is what they get.

What's the content of the meeting? Another topic on Malay supremacy. Or more specifically, how Malays have lost their political power and how to grab the power back from the nons. To know more , read this post from Malaysia Today.

And this kind of meeting coming from someone like Tengku Razaleigh? Man, if I jad any respect for you previously, you just lost it.

Then, there are also people like the Crown Prince of Kelantan who made the kind of statement that he did (read my previous post to know more).

And not to mention to countless of seminars held by Biro Tatanegara discussing a similar issue.

What surprises me is that these people, after so long, still fail (or refuse) to realise the real reason BN lost. BN lost not because the nons are trying to grab the power from the Malays. Hell, even Malays supported the opposition. So how do you explain that?

The reason is really simple. We are just sick and tired of the way BN is doing things. And it doesn't take a non-Malay to realise how fucked up BN is. Corruption, polarisation, discrimination, blatant disregard of the rakyat's needs, keris wielding stunt, cronyism, racial politics, religious issues, education, rising cost of living, hypocrisy, murders, tyranny, you name it. Everything that can go wrong, went wrong. That is why you lost. Case closed. Now do something about it.

Then again, that explanation might be too simplistic and lack the necessary oomph, so that might be why the UMNO people cannot accept it. No, no, we shouldn't care about those trivial matters, what more important is that the Malays (by that, you know I mean UMNO Malays) are losing power. We need to address that first. Those issues, aiya they can wait la. First we need to get the power back first. Only when things get back to the way it used to be the, maybe then, and I mean maybe then, we will look at your needs.

Ok then UMNO, keep talking. While you are at it, you might not realise that the rakyat and Pakatan Rakyat are laughing at your denial and impotence. In fact, at this rate, the PR might not even have to waste time strategising on how to oust BN. It may simply self-implode on itself.

And maybe then, UMNO will truly realise what went wrong. But I'm not crossing my fingers though.

Times Magazine 100 Greatest Novels

I'm currently attempting to read the 100 novels that made the Times list. 20 down, 80 left to go. The list was made a few years back so some of the latest 'to-die for' books didn't actually make it.

To view the complete list, click here.

Happy reading folks!

A Royal Statement

Kelantan Crown Prince Tengku Faris Petra said today that Malays had given into granting non-Malays citizenship and the latter should therefore not seek equality or special treatment.

He said this during his keynote speech at a forum titled “Malay unity is the core of national unity” organised by the newly formed Barisan Bertindak Perpaduan Melayu in Kuala Lumpur today.

“Therefore, the rakyat must unite and never raise issues regarding Malay rights and special privileges because it is a quid pro quo in gratitude for the giving in of citizenship (beri-paksa kerakyatan) to 2.7 million non-Malays into the Tanah Melayu federation.

“Thus, it is not appropriate for these other ethnic groups to have citizenship, only (later) to seek equality and privileges,” said Tengku Faris, who read from a 11-page prepared text.

In his speech, Tengku Faris said the 12th General Election results have shown that the Malays are being “challenged” and thus Malays unity is of the outmost priority.

However, the crown prince stressed that in an effort to unite the Malays, non-Malays also have rights that must be protected, such as in areas of religion.

As an exampleTengku Faris said non-Malays are allowed to practice their respective religions in peace. They must however do so in accordance with the law and “not be provocative towards Islam”.

“The Malay rulers are the head of the Islamic religion and Malaysia is a Islamic country (negara Islam), not secular. We have our own formula (as a country) which is different from others,” he added, drawing thunderous applause from the crowd.

-Malaysiakini-

Have I got your attention yet?

I am left totally speechless and extremely offended after reading this piece of article. Ok, let's review piece by piece of what this Crown Prince said.

Malay unity is the core of national unity. Malay unity? What about inter-racial unity? I am really curious as what made him believe that Malay unity is all that matters in the country. Doesn't he know that the country consist of 40% non Malays? What about us? Are we negligible? For humanity's sake, Tengku, you can't be serious.

And then he tried to justify why non-Malays should not be granted equal rights. Apparently, it is because we are not the penduduk asal and since the Malays compromised and had given us citizenship, we shou;d just be grateful and keep our mouth shut. In fact, this is the argument used again and again by many to justify this view.

Ok, first of all, what does it mean to be a citizen? Is it merely the right to practice my religion freely? And that's it? How am I supposed to feel like a citizen when I am constantly reminded (by government policies and also statement like these) that I am a mere pendatang haram?

If the Tengku's view holds any water (it is not appropriate for the non Malays to have citizenship and later seek equal rights) , then, to this day, the blacks in the US will still be repressed and discriminated against.

And Tengku, just so you know, Malays are not even the penduduk asal of this country. The Orang Asli are. Guess you have forgotten about them. Or maybe you don't even know (or care) that they exist.

Then to say that the results of the GE shows Malay rights have been challenged? Are you kidding me? What about "it shows that Malaysians regardless of race, religion and creed have fought as one identity for the betterment of the country"? That never crossed your mind?

And since when is Malaysia an Islamic state? Read the Constitution please! It clearly states that Malaysia is a SECULAR state. I could bet my head on that.

Honestly, I am sick and tired of Malays that see themselves as the ones who are repressed. Add to some who think that they are some sleeping tigers waiting for the right time to awaken and claim back the country.

This kind of views and statements cannot be justified anyways and by anyone under any circumstances. This is discrimination in broad daylight. I just hope that Tengku's view is exclusive to a small minority of Malays. But then again, judging from the applause that he received from the audience, maybe not.

Child's Play

After blackmailling Penang by pulling off all the major projects in the state in the aftermath of BN's extraordinary loss in the GE, it now shifts focus to all the 5 Pakatan Rakyat states.

The latest drama: Minister of Tourism Datuk Azalina Othman Said said that BN plans to termainate any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the 5 PR states because they fear that the government's plan cannot be accepted by the people of the states. The result? No more development in the staes that aim at increasing tourism. And Azalina even said on TV; that she doesn't think the government can work along with PR under current circunstances.

Fuck you Azalina. And fuck you too Barisan Najis.

This is clearly a game of getting back at the people of PR states for causing BN to lose big.

The last time I check, my parents (and in the future, I too) pay taxes to the federal government, not to BN. So what makes them think they can decide how OUR money is used? What makes them think they have authority to deny us of development just because we voted them out? It is not YOUR money that you're playing with, it OURS!

Up till now, I am dumbfounded to find that BN is still playing the denial game on why they lose big. First, they blame the voters of being too emotional. Then Abdullah said they lost because they did not tap into the power of the cyberspace. After that, he said there are saboteurs in the party. Next they took action, by punishing the people of PR states.

Fucking wake up BN! They reason why you lost is clear. Just go to any kopitiam and I'm sure the Ah Peks there will give you a 3 hour lecture on why you lost.

Look at Taiwan. When Kuomintang (KMT) lost in 2000, they did some serious soul searching, sacking corrupt and arrogant ministers, totally reforming their party and this year, they bounced back and took Taiwan back.

Is BN following their lead. Oh no... instead they chose to sulk and whine like babies and blame others for their impotence and try to punish others by denying them goodies.

Back to Azalina's case. If that's what BN is up to, then i suggest that the PR states people pay their taxes directly to the state government only. Dont forget PR is in control of the 5 richest, most important and resourceful states on Malaysia. It is BN that can't survive without us, no the other way round.

Singapore vs Malaysia

A friend forwarded this to me. It made me laugh and feel ashamed at the same time.

Singapore Cabinet Malaysia Cabinet PM Lee Hsien Loong Cambridge University - First Class Honours (1974) Harvard University - Masters (1980) PM Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi University of Malaya - Bachelor of Arts Honours (1964) SM Goh Chok Tong University of Singapore - First Class Honours (1964) Williams College , USA - Masters (1967) Deputy PM Dato' Sri Najib Razak University of Nottingham - Bachelor of Arts Honours (1974) MM Lee Kuan Yew Cambridge University - First Class Honours (1949) Minister of Foregn Affairs Syed Hamid Albar [ UITM ] - Bachelor of Arts Minister for Law Prof. S Jayakumar University of Singapore - Bachelor of Law Honours (1963) Yale Univerity - Masters (1966) Ministry of Works - Dato' Seri Samy Vellu [ Form 6, Anderson School ] Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng University of Singapore - Bachelor of Arts & Business Admin (1977) London Business School - Masters (1979) Ministry of International Trade & Industry Rafidah binti Aziz Universiti Malaya - Bachelor of Arts Honours Minister for Foreign Affairs BG George Yeo Cambridge University - Double First Class Honours (1976) Harvard Business School - MBA w/ Distinction (1985) Minister of Agriculture Muhyiddin Yassin [ Polytechnic Ungku Omar ] Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang Cambridge University - First Class Honours w/ Distinction (1976) Harvard University - Masters (1986) Ministry of Domestic Trade Shafie Apdal [ Form 5, Failed English ] This one damn sohai, Form 5 and failed english..........:( Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean University of Manchester - First Class Honours (1976) Imperial College, London - Masters w/ Distinction (1977) Minister of Education Hishammuddin Hussein [ Bachelor of Arts, Social Science ] Minister for Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam London School of Economics - Bachelor of Arts Cambridge University - Masters Harvard University - Masters Minister of Home Affairs Radzi bin Sheikh Ahmad [ Kolej Islam Malaysia , Diploma ]

VC UUM Makes Headline

I guess by now everyone should have heard of and knew the outcome of the Nordin Kardi vs Raja Petra case. But what's reported in the MSM is just half of the story. To know the other half, read this post by Raja Petra in Malaysia Today.

The 55 Books Challenge

Countering the notion that Malaysians don't read enough, here's a challenge to myself. 55 books in one year, beginning from 1st of Oct of last year to this year's. Since I've already read 21 books since then, it might not be that hard after all. I'll be keeping track with the help of the Shelfari Bookshelf Widget that I've just installed. Nifty little thing.

Wish me luck!

Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin

When Hindraf and Bersih rallied to protest, the PM opposed vehemently to their actions, saying that it is 'not our culture to demonstrate openly' and that demonstrations would only lead to violence. Some of the protesters was even detained under the ISA. Apparently, there are other avenues for them to voice out their disgruntlements.

Then, barely a week after DAP took over Penang, UMNO held a 1000 strong protest in front of KOMTAR after Lim Guan Eng made a statement about NEP. Through all this, Pak Lah never said anything.

When Lim Kit Siang made a pact to boycott the swearing-in ceremony of the new Perak MB from PAS, Pak Lah defended the Sultan's decisions by demanding Kit Siang to respect the Constitution.

Yesterday, 22 BN state representatives decided to boycott the Terengganu Sultan's to apppoint Ahmad Said from BN as the new MB. Their first choice, Idris Jusoh, also from BN was snubbed by the Sultan. The drama deepens Ahmad Said was sacked from UMNO for not rejecting the Sultan's proposal.

And now Pak Lah said that the appointment is 'unconstitutional'.

I'll leave it to you to decide the moral of the story.

The New Cabinet: Smells Like Shit

Pak Lah had just unveiled his new list of Cabinet Ministers and (surprise, surprise) Muhammad Muhammad Taik... oops i meant Taib is on the list.

For the uninitiated, Mr Muhd. Taik (damn, I meant Taib) was caught some time ago in Brisbane, Australia trying to smuggle out a total of RM 2.4 million in cash (apparently, the money was intended for furnitures for his new plush Gold Coast home).

Well, if you think that's all, you definitely do not know Malaysian (specifically, UMNO) politicians very well. Further investigations revealed that:

• he was building a RM2 million Gold Coast home at Sovereign Islands in the name of his wife, Asbi Rohani Binti Asnan
• he had (and still has) a RM5 million ranch in Queensland in the name of his wife, Asbi Rohani Binti Asnan
• he had paid RM16 million as a divorce settlement with Tengku Puteri Zahariah Bte Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (Ku Yah).

***obtained from Lim Kit Siang's webpage

How did a humbly-paid Malaysian politician manage to posses that amount of personal properties? The ACA was then sent to investigate but staying true to the Malaysian way, the whole thing was swept under the carpet and forgotten in no time.

And now, Muhd. Taik (GOD!!! TAIB! TAIB!) is being made the Rural and Regional Development Minister. Maybe Pak Lah hoped that he will donate some of his properties to develop the rural areas and their people?

Read this article to get to know more of our prolific new minister.

See You in Hell, Muhammad son of Muhammad

DAP: Stop Acting like Cina-peks!

Seriously DAP, stop acting like Cinas from the 60's. For humanity's sake you guys are not impressing anyone by posing as Chinese heroes.

What's with the outburst? The problem is with DAPians like Teng Chang Kim. It all started when he defied royal ruling and refused to wear a songkok for an official palace function. Apparently, wearing songkok will erode his Chineseness and make him a Malay. So, he refuse to put a songkok on his head less he will be labeled a 'Chinese traitor'.

How about wearing a Western suit? That won't make you a mai kok chak, huh? Why don't you go around wearing Mao-suit from this day onwards to protect your Chinese identity (Mao Zedong would be proud I'm sure). Yeah, that means no T-shirts, jeans and basically anything on sale in departmental stores for you since they are all not Chinese too.

Please fucking wake up. How long does DAP want to go on with its Chinese agenda? How long does it want to portray itself as a protector of all Chinese rather than of Malaysians? And to make a fuss out of a headgear? OH PUHLEESE!

Dear Mr. Teng, you might feel proud of upholding and protecting your 'Chinese roots', but I am just ashamed that I share the same skin colour as you.

Read these posts by Raja Petra in Malaysia Today to get a clearer idea of the whole story.

Small things please small minds

A storm in a songkok

The Struggle for Power

Well, well, well. Looks like the oppositions are showing their true colours.

After winning big in the GE as a result of a 3-sided alliance, supposedly putting their differences aside, cracks are beginning to show in the pact. The first of them could clearly be seen from the Perak MB soap-opera.

It all started when Lim Kit Siang of DAP openly rejected the appointment of PAS' Mohd. Nizar Jamaluddin as the new MB of Perak. Apparently, PAS went behind DAP's back and nominated Nizar to the Sultan without DAP's consent. Kit Siang even went as far as to plan a boycott on the swearing-in ceremony. Although a day later Kit Siand made a formal apology and retracted his statement, the damage has already been done. Personally, I've had enough of DAP's PAS and Islamo phobia. When will DAP realise that it could not thrive as a Chinese-centric party in a multi-racial country?

Then it's PKR's turn to stir up some drama. After DAP accepted the decision to appoint Nizar as the new MB, PKR decided to pull out from the state's executive council on the basis that DAP made a secret pact with PAS and now, DAP holds 8 out of 10 places, leaving the other 2 for PKR and PAS. Apparently, the original deal was DAP 6, PAS and PKR both 2.

What the hell is this? It's barely a week after the rakyat had given you the mandate to take over the state and this is how you repay us? By fighting like kindergarten kids? Give me a fucking break. It's time to focus on the welfare on the people, and not bitching about who gets what. What happened to the promise that the opposition will work together regardless of ideologies? When they were campaigning, DAP, PKR and PAS were seen happily holding hands and now they are are stabbing each others' backs?

Stop this bickering at once. Remember, just like we voted out BN this time, what makes you think we can't do the same to you the next time around? Start proving that we made the right choice.


Side note: PAS will never be able to make an Islamic state out of Perak. First of all, it doesn't hold a majority in Perak. Second, PAS has ditched the idea of forming Islamic government since the last election (where they lost heavily) It's simply not their agenda anymore. Third, to create an Islamic state (with fully implemented Islamic laws *cue chopping hands and penises* and etc), PAS needs to change the Constitution. Which means it needs at least 150 seats in the Parliament. It doesn't and will never hold that amount of seats. So stop the paranoia now!

Time to Stop Thinking 'Race' and Start Thinking 'Malaysia'

I am still recovering from the aftermath of the mother of all shockers 3 days ago. I still could not believed that the oppositions won this big, even denying the 'all-mighty' BN 5 states and 2/3 seats in the Parliament. This is definitely a new dawn in Malaysia's political scene.

But the biggest achievement of this GE is not that the opposition were able to prove themselves to be substantial alternatives to the ruling coalition, but rather the emergence of a new kind of political party in Malaysia. For the first time, a truly multi-racial party proved victorious in finding relevance in the hearts of Malaysians. Yes, I'm talking about the Anwar-led Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

PKR is not the first party in Malaysia that is constituted by the nation's all 3 major races. Formed initially as a protest against the unjustified arrest and conviction of our ex deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim on charges of corruption and sodomy, it had matured into the strongest opposition party in the country. The proof? It won 31 seats, as compared to the predominantly Chinese's DAP (28 seats) and the Islamic PAS (23 seats). It single-handedly shattered the concept of 1 race 1 party concept held by most politicians. This shows that all Malaysians, no matter colour or creed, believe in one thing; justice for all. PKR should be the model of all political parties in the future. Stop fighting for causes along racial lines. Stop using cultural and religious diversity as an excuse to true national unity. Stop the racial stigmas and stereotypes. The future of Malaysia belongs to all of us.

I look forward to the day when I will stop calling myself a Malaysian Chinese, but just a Malaysian.

Finally, thanks to all of you who voted for a change. Malaysia Boleh!!!

The Aftermath

As the dust settles, let's look at a few interesting facts of the GE, courtesy of Malaysiakini.

2008 polls - interesting facts

Barisan Nasional only gained about 51 percent of the popular vote from the 7.9 million ballots cast on Saturday.

However, it took 63 percent of the seats contested - or 140 of 222 seats in Parliament.

Interestingly, its peninsula-wide popular vote was only 49.79 percent, which effectively means that the opposition received the majority vote in this part of the country.

However, when converted to parliamentary seats, BN has 85 of the constituencies in the peninsula, while the opposition bagged 80.

Almost 40 percent of the BN's seats are in Sabah and Sarawak - 55 out of 140.

In 2004, BN won about 64 percent of the popular vote nationwide and 92 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats on offer then.

As the dust settles on the 12th general election, we highlight a number of quirky facts and figures.

Election trivia

• The youngest candidate was PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is 26. He defeated Seri Setia incumbent Seripa Noli Syed Hussin.
  
  

• The oldest candidate was grandma Maimun Yusuf, 89, who contested in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat. She lost her deposit.
  
  

• 56 also-rans from opposition parties and independent candidates lost their deposits after failing to secure one-eighth of the votes cast.
  
  

• The largest majority was won by DAP’s Teresa Kok against BN’s Carol Chew, by 36,492 votes in the Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.
  
  

• The smallest majority was just 14 votes for BN’s Hamdi Abu Bakar who beat Abu Bakar Haji Hussain of PAS in the Pengkalan Baharu state seat in Perak.
  
  

• Four pivotal players in the Lingam tape scandal also won: Loh Gwo Burne (who recorded the footage), Wee Choo Keong (lawyer who represented VK Lingam’s brother during the inquiry) and R Sivarasa and Sim Tze Tzin (listed as witnesses but eventually not called). All four are from PKR.
  
  

• There will be two ‘lone rangers’ in Parliament: Zulhasnan Rafique, the sole BN survivor in Kuala Lumpur’s 11 parliamentary seats - he took Setiawangsa; and DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen who won Bandar Kuching in Sarawak - the remaining 30 parliamentary seats went to BN.
  
  

• The biggest number of candidates was in the Sukau state seat, Sabah, where eight candidates ran, including five Independents.

Debutant politicians

Prominent blogger Jeff Ooi - whose campaign was done online and funds were raised through his website - won the Jelutong parliamentary seat in Penang for DAP.

Other bloggers are Tony Pua (DAP, Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary seat), Elizabeth Wong (PKR, Bukit Lanjan state seat) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR, Seri Setia state seat).

Civil society activists who succeeded were Charles Santiago (DAP, water-privatisation issues), Edward Lee (DAP, local community), Elizabeth Wong and R Sivarasa (PKR, human rights).

Biggest blows

The losses in BN component parties will result in vacancies in various ministries, forcing a cabinet reshuffle.

Ministers

• S Samy Vellu (Works Ministry)

• Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Women, Family and Community Development Ministry)

• Zainuddin Maidin (Information Ministry)

• Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin (Rural and Territory Development Ministry)

Deputy ministers

• Chia Kwang Chye (Information Ministry)

• G Palanivel (Women, Family and Community Development)

• Tan Chai Ho (Home Ministry)

• V Veerasingam (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry)

• S Sothinathan (Natural Resources and Environment Ministry)

• Donald Lim (Tourism Ministry)

• Fu Ah Kiow (Internal Security Ministry)

• M Kayveas (Prime Minister’s Department)

Parliamentary secretaries

• Chew Mei Fun (Women, Family and Community Development Ministry)

• P Komala Devi (Education Ministry)

• Lee Kah Choon (Health Ministry)

• Ng Lip Yong (Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry)

• S Vigneswaran (Youth and Sports Ministry)

• Rahman Ibrahim (Home Ministry)

• Dr Mohd Ruddin Ab Ghani (Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry)

• Yew Teong Look (Federal Territories Ministry)

The full team from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry all lost in the polls.

All top MIC leaders were wiped out - president, deputy presidents, two vice-presidents, women's chief and youth chief (one of the three vice-presidents, KS Nijar, did not contest).

Post-election quotes

Anwar Ibrahim, PKR de facto leader, quoted in Star today

Some mentris besar in the past spent half-a-million ringgit to renovate their offices. Such things cannot be an example in this new administration.

Nurul Izzah Anwar, Lembah Pantai MP at a press conference yesterday

(On whether she will vacate the seat to force a by-election so that her father, Anwar Ibrahim, can re-enter politics after a five-year ban): I have already started working in my constituency. The question does not arise.

PPP president M Kayveas, quoted in Star today

Prior to the elections, Barisan Nasional had kept on telling people to show their dissatisfaction through the ballot box. Now they have really shown it.

Sungai Petani losing BN candidate Zainuddin Maidin, quoted in Star today

It is not that they love PKR or PAS more that they voted against me.

The Chinese showed their resentment because of the economic backlash they often complained about. So, PAS and PKR should not be overly proud of their win (in Kedah).

The people may have to pay a price for their decision.

From Malaysia Today

This is from Malaysia Today, today (damn that sounds weird).

Views of political analysts and politicians

The official election result is available at the Web site of the Election Commission of Malaysia http: pru12.spr.gov.my/spr/

SANI HAMID, DIRECTOR OF SOVEREIGN RATINGS, STANDARD AND POOR'S 'In my point of view there is no immediate effect on the sovereign rating, but the focus will actually be on two fronts, one is a decision-making process, i.e. what is the impact from the loss of the two-thirds majority on parliament?

'If that is going to lead a more difficult push to pass legislation, especially those measures that relate to the economy, one can imagine that if the government wants to raise oil prices, the other parties could create some opposition and the process would be more protracted.'

'Secondly, the opposition states, Kedah and Penang, are key states in the northern corridor story, so how this is going to impact those states with regard to investment and public funds will have to be seen as well.'

MALAYSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ANWAR IBRAHIM: 'All Malaysians regardless of race, culture and religion are a nation of one. The people have expressed in no uncertain terms that they want accountability, transparency and the rule of law.'

'Today unity, consensus and mutual respect thrives. Tomorrow we will start building a brighter future. This is a new dawn.'

TIM CONDON, HEAD OF ASIA RESEARCH, ING: 'This is probably not good news for the equity market or the ringgit. I think the consensus was that the BN coalition would soldier on and have a sufficient majority to push through their spending programmes and the development of their corridors (economic development zones) ... but this puts in doubt that they will even be able to implement their spending programmes.

There really was no feel-good factor before (the election) and this really reduces the likelihood that there will be one in the near future.'

BRIDGET WELSH, POLITICAL ANALYST, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: 'It was a phenomenal shift. They lost up to potentially four state governments. I think the PM will potentially have to resign. This is unprecedented. The only other time this happened was in 1969 and that's why everybody is very nervous now because of the uncertainty.'

DAVID COHEN, ECONOMIST, ACCESS ECONOMICS: 'I guess the question now is, 'Is it going to be peaceful?' If they are able to control it, then that would at least avoid one potentially negative reaction ... Maybe it's an encouraging sign that real contested elections can be held without violence.'

'If they had won overwhelmingly, I think there would have been suspicions that there was fraud, so the fact that they did allow the opposition to make these gains is encouraging.' Cohen doubted that rising prices alone would account for a heavy backlash against the ruling coalition.'

'Frankly, I don't think that that's what would have been to blame for the opposition doing so well. People are certainly nervous about the economic outlook for the world economy right now, but I think that's more a function of what's going on in the US.'

IBRAHIM SUFFIAN, OF MARKET-RESEARCH FIRM THE MERDEKA CENTER: 'I think the opposition is 20 to 30 seats away from forming government and that's what the unofficial count is revealing. I think it's a combination of many factors. I think, number one, is the economy - the economy is doing well, but it's not translating into a better standard of living for ordinary Malaysians.'

'The level of campaigning that's being done by the opposition is phenomenal, much, much better than previous elections. It's not just the result of being better organised and better prepared, it's also the support of the people who are a bit fed up. There's also infighting within (main ruling party) Umno.'

SAM ZARIFI, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, WASHINGTON: 'First of all, we saw several attempts by the coalition to try and not have these elections free and fair. Clearly, they were worried about the possibility of losing, more than any other time. At the same time, it was clear that there has been some discontent with the state of affairs in Malaysia and that the people of Malaysia really wanted an end to what has essentially been a state in which they don't have freedom of press, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.'

'There is no excuse or reason any more for Malaysia not to have that freedom. For a country that has made so much of economic progress, it is time to catch up politically. ... What we hope to see is that parliament will begin dismantling some of the authoritarian laws and systems that have been in place for too long, starting with the Internal Security arrangements. ... Opening up of Malaysian society to allow it to flourish.'

YAP SWEE SENG, ACTIVIST WITH HUMAN RIGHTS BODY SUARAM: 'This is a victory of people who were fed up with Barisan Nasional's mismanagement and abuse of power. People have sent a very clear message that they are fed up with racial politics.

HUSAM MUSA, VICE PRESIDENT OF PARTI ISLAM SE-MALAYSIA: 'This looks like a revolution. The people have risen and are united. The message to government is, 'Enough is enough''. - THE STRAITS TIMES

From New York Times

Just checked out NYT and this is what I found:

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s governing coalition, which has run this multiracial country without any major challenges for the past four decades, suffered a string of election defeats on Saturday, losing control of three major states and all but surrendering urban areas to the opposition.

Results early Sunday showed that the coalition of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi won 136 of 222 seats in Parliament, enough to be able to remain in power. But unexpectedly strong gains by opposition parties, which quadrupled their seats in Parliament, are likely to challenge the longstanding paternalistic practices of a government that controls the mainstream media, bans most street protests, bars students from taking part in politics and jails political opponents without trial.

Stripped of their long-held two-thirds majority in Parliament, the governing coalition will no longer be able to freely amend the Constitution, which it has done more than 40 times since independence from Britain in 1957.

Anger among ethnic Indians and Chinese over religious disputes and economic preferences for the Malays, the majority ethnic group, appeared to play a major role in the opposition’s gains.

“I don’t think Malaysian politics will ever be the same again,” said Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister who was expelled from the governing party a decade ago and is now one of the leaders of the opposition. “There is a wave, an outcry for democratic reform.”

The opposition parties unseated several political veterans by fielding fresh but inexperienced candidates, including a political science professor, a popular blogger and a human rights advocate.

Opposition candidates did especially well in urban areas, winning 10 of the 11 seats in Kuala Lumpur, the commercial capital, and capturing the relatively prosperous and populous states of Selangor and Penang. The opposition also made inroads into the rural heartland. The Pan-Islamic Party, one of the three main opposition parties, strengthened its control over the northern state of Kelantan and won control over the states of Kedah and Perak.

Losing control of those states is a blow for the governing coalition because states have jurisdiction over land allocation, local matters and Islamic laws.

Voters showed their anger over a recent government crackdown against ethnic Indians by electing to a state legislature M. Manoharan, one of five advocates jailed after a street protest by Indians. It is unclear how Mr. Manoharan, who is being detained without a trial, will carry out his duties.

The loss of Penang, which alone among Malaysia’s 13 states has a majority of Chinese voters, is a major blow to Mr. Abdullah, whose constituency is based there. The state is an industrial center, producing microchips, cellphones and computer parts in factories owned by Intel, Dell and Motorola, among many others.

The departing chief minister, or governor, of Penang, Koh Tsu Koon, lost his seat on Saturday to a dissident university professor, P. Ramasamy.

The leaders of the two ethnic Indians parties represented in the government also lost their seats, including the only ethnic Indian in the cabinet, Samy Vellu.

Those losses call into question the future of the country’s race-based coalition, a system in place since independence in which each major ethnic group — Malays, Chinese and Indians — is represented by a political party.

Opposition leaders have vowed to move Malaysia away from the system, with the National Justice Party of Mr. Anwar the loudest proponent of the change. Mr. Anwar, who many see as a possible future prime minister, is barred from holding public office until April because of a conviction for abuse of power in a politically charged trial. But his wife and his daughter won seats in Parliament on Saturday.

He said in an interview that he would not rule out asking a member of his party to resign so he can run in a by-election. “I’m not in a hurry,” said Mr. Anwar, whose party won 32 seats, up from one seat in the last election in 2004.

OH MY GOD!!!

BN lost 5 states! Perak, Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan are now in the hands of the oppositions!

And, BN no longer holds 2/3 seats in the Parliament!!!

OH MY GOD!!! Am I dreaming? Someone slap me awake please.

A Black Mark in the Election

The Election Commission has cancelled the use of indelible ink for this general election, citing public order and security issues.

The stunning announcement was made at a press conference in Putrajaya this afternoon - four days before polling.

EC chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said the commission was obliged to make a "firm and final decision to ensure the smooth conduct of the 12th general election".

-Malaysiakini, March 04

What the fuck!? Did i read it correctly? The use of indelible ink in the election will cause public disorder and security issues?

WHAT THE FUCK!!!?

How could those innocent black inks cause public unrest!? What kind of lame-ass excuse is that? And that Abdul Rashid guy actually has the guts to say this:

"Following legal advice and looking at the issue of public order and security, the EC... has decided not... to introduce the use of indelible ink," he said.

Legal advice? Who's legal advice? Your slave master, BN's?

And these final statements are just... just... oh crap, I'm speechless. Read:

"The EC views these issues seriously, as the election process and public order and security cannot be compromised," he added. "The EC deeply regrets its decision." (yeah right, who the hell do you think you're kidding?)

Abdul Rashid said the use of indelible ink would not be effective as the country's constitution allows those who refuse to have their fingernail marked with the ink to still be issued with a ballot. (it was the EC itself who first proposed that the marking should be made optional. If you don't want what you said to happen, then just make it fucking compulsory you moron!)

He added that the use of the indelible ink could infringe the constitutional right of a voter to cast his vote, especially if the commission tries to bar someone from voting for having an ink marked in his finger.(HUH!!? WHAT THE... oh, never mind)

"From a practical point of view, the issuance of a ballot paper to such a voter would render the EC's proposal meaningless and will not bring about a positive result, whilst having the potential to create misunderstanding as well as altercations and arguments at polling stations," he said. (from a practical point of view, I think you are a waste of space in the universe. Again, just make the whole damn ink-applying thing compulsory and this would not happen!)

He added that the Federal Constitution gives Malaysians the right to vote and a black mark on the fingernail should not bar people from exercising this right, he said. (oh, does that mean the Constitution also guarantees a person to vote multiple times? You have no fucking idea what the fuck you're fucking talking about, do you? Or maybe you're running out of idea on how to fool us into believing this whole hogwash?)

The loophole can only be removed with a constitutional amendment, which requires a vote by parliament, which has been dissolved for elections to take place. (wow, convenient)

Mr Rashid, you might want to consider to stop screwing your brain (if you actually have one) to come with these excuses and just hold a press conference to declare you are a BN crony and that the EC will do anything to secure a win for BN. Wait, hasn't he done that already?

When the EC first came out with using indelible ink as a prevention of phantom-voting, I'm not really a big fan. After all, why do we have to resort to using such third-world method when we could easily have gone digital; just register our MyKad when we vote to prevent multiple voting. But then again, looking at how easily this method can be tampered with by you-know-who, I thought to myself that the ink might not be such a bad idea after all.

Then the EC decided that the application of ink will be optional.

Optional? Why make it optional? On what authority does a voter have a right to refuse to be marked? Isn't the whole point of introducing the ink is to prevent phantom voting? If so, then why make it optional?

And now, this bullshit.

This is one of the things that shows how low democracy in our country has fallen. It has come to a point where the government thinks that it could say and do anything it wants and nobody would dare to oppose, and would just blindly accept it. I hope the international press is paying attention and reports this whole farce to the world. Let everyone know what a fucked-up government we have.

But this also shows us something; that BN has reached a level of insecurity of its political dominance, and it would do anything to win this GE, including advocating phantom-voting (like always) and making an ass out of the whole electoral system and the people. But it failed to realise that we are not that fucking dumb to fall for this. BN will pay, big time.

You can read the whole report in Malaysiakini, if you can stand the smell of shit.

Dates of Extreme Significance

Over the years, thanks to history textbooks, politicians and main stream media (MSM), we've been told to remember the May 13th incident that was (supposedly) triggered by a certain opposition party, causing bloodbath and racial rift and thus, marking it as a black date in the history of Malaysia. Time and time again, we are reminded of this dreaded incident as a warning not to cause racial tension, successfully preventing discussions of certain sensitive issues, questioning of certain rights and voicing of injustice (directly prohibiting us from practicing our freedom of speech). More recently, the PM used the date to warn his fellow citizens not to vote for the oppositions to prevent history from repeating itself. In fact, this is a popular tactic used by the ruling party to stir fear in the hearts of Malaysians during each General Elections. However, is May 13th still relevant in today's society? It has been used and misused by the power hungry government to bully us into submission, monopolising our thoughts with its hidden agenda. Here, I proposed a new set of dates for all Malaysians to remember instead.

May 28 2006 - Bloody Sunday
500-strong crowd ranging from everyday men and women to opposition leaders demonstrated against the 30-sen petrol price hike. The protest met a brutal end when police attacked the peaceful crowd, spraying them with chemical water (sounds familiar) and violently beating some of the protesters. 2 were hospitalised and some of the opposition leaders were arrested. The incident went unreported by the government-controlled MSM.













November 10 2007 - Bersih Rally
Around 40,000 people in yellow rallied in Masjid Jamek, KL demanding for a fair a corruption-free Election Committee for the upcoming General Election. Again, the peaceful crowd was sprayed by chemically-laced water and bombarded with tear gas. The MSM went into spin-doctoring mode the next day, dumbing down the number of protesters to a mere 4,000 and wrongfully accusing the protesters of property damage.













November 23 2007 - Hindraf Rally
The first protest demanded the government to listen to the plight of the repressed Indian communities after a 100-year-old Hindu temple was abolished. As a result, 5 of the Hindraf leaders were arrested under ISA for an undetermined period of time. MSM demonised the protest as an attempt to incite racial unrest.

February 16 2008 - Hindraf Rose Rally
Held as a plea to the PM to release the detained Hindarf leader. Around 200 men, women and children attempted to walk peacefully to the Parliament armed with roses, only to be greeted by the police force and their water canons and tear gas (the sense of deja vu is getting a little scary). Women and children were not spared by the police's brutality. MSM again demonised the demonstration, alleging the protesters of putting the children's lives at risk.












All these incidents make us realise us of the increasing public awareness and desire to voice our distaste of the current government. Although the ruling party would do anything in its power to crush and demonise the opposing public or politicians, it could not ignore the pent-up anger in us anymore. Also put in mind that in each of these protests, the culprits of unrest are the authorities; the police force, not the participants of demonstrations. Let us learn to recognise the real ugly heads of our hypocritical government through its actions against peaceful demonstrators, not to mention its blatant disrespect of our fundamental rights. And I believe we are matured enough to discuss previously tabooed subjects; it is the ruling party that refuses to come out of their tempurung. If you don't agree that we are capable of debating certain issues without resorting to killing one another, you are basically submitting to the idea that we are uncivilised barbarians incapable of reasons and intelligent thoughts, living under an oh-so-fake pretext of racial harmony. Finally, let us not be fooled by the May 13th propaganda any longer, but use these new incidents instead as lessons and stepping stones to demand for a (genuinely) free, equal and democratic nation.

Do not forget these dates. They mark a turning point for Malaysia.

Pictures courtesy of Jeff Ooi's Snapshot and Meshio.com

A Reminder of the Type of MPs Representing Us Currently

I feel this will make a good reminder to all of us before we decide if we want to continue voting for morons to represent us in the Parliament. The original article can be found in Aliran's website.

Making candidates accountable

Election fever has really set in as polling day draws closer. There was quite a bit of negotiation, discussion, cajoling, posturing and gnashing of teeth over the allocation of seats to candidates, both within the ruling coalition and the opposition. It was not an easy task. The chosen candidates were then unveiled to the public on nomination day. The candidates are now making their rounds to obtain our votes.

But do we really know what they stand for? Let’s take a look at some of our representatives using the example of parliamentarians’ views on women. A leaflet ‘Vote for a Sexism-Free-Parliament’ was produced by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) in late 2007, highlighting some of the sexist and discriminatory comments made by parliamentarians over the years. Some of these statements are reproduced in the table below.

Types of sexist and discriminatory comments	Comments	Culprit
Comments about women’s bodies and biological functions as an insult	Where is the leak? The member for Batu Gajah also leaks every month. Like a menopausal women in reference to the debate of another male MP	Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN –Kinabatangan) Badruddin bin Amiruldin (BN-then MP for Yan)
Comparisons of women to inanimate objects	Toilets are like new brides after they are completed. After some time, they get a bit spoiled. Even if you do not use them frequently, you need someone to clean them very 25 minutes.	S Samy Vellu (BN- Sungai Siput)
Sexual innuendos and double entendres	It is unusual for women’s issues to be touched (raised) by men,” and after a pause, he added, “but women are supposed to be touched by men.” Can I push through a little?	Mohamed bin Aziz (BN- Sri Gading) Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN –Kinabatangan
Blaming women for sexual crimes perpetrated by men	The women’s dressing menggoda (lures) and mencabar (challenges) men	Shabudin Yahaya (BN- Permatang Berangan) Datuk Jasmin Mohamed (BN- Sg Dua)
Using references to children’s behavior and or saying women are ‘emotional’ to minimize their views.	Referred to a fellow women MP as a little girl and told her to go home and suck on a pacifier.	Male MP
Commenting of women’s marital status as a put down.	Widows are humble… but divorcees, most of them are gatal (randy)	Abdul Fatah Harun (PAS – Rantau Panjang)

The list of comments and culprits here is by no means exhaustive, but it just shows the mindset and calibre of some of our representatives in parliament. Clearly, with these attitudes, there is neither any respect for women nor an understanding about gender equality or violence against women. How can we expect proper debate in parliament on any issue when parliamentarians cannot even observe basic non-sexist language or even understand that their comments are sexist and are not jokes? Their colleagues, while not guilty of uttering these sexist comments, are nonetheless guilty for joining in the laughter or not challenging their colleagues or worse still not even understanding the issue.


They are our representatives

So how do we make our representatives accountable for their thoughts, words and actions? The JAG leaflet sends a clear message – sexist candidates should not be fielded and sexist candidates should not be voted into the next government. Voters should send this message via the ballot box to these representatives and their parties if they have been chosen to stand again.

As a friend recently reminded me, the elections are just one part of the whole democratic process. This means that we, as citizens of a democracy, have a right to express our views and hold our representatives accountable on a variety of issues on a regular basis and not just once in five years. We should make our wakil rakyat accountable for the corruption in the country, the lack of transparency and accountability, repressive laws, development without consultation, the denial of freedom of assembly, the privatisation of healthcare and water, the lack of suitable housing for low and middle-income groups, the marginalisation of the disabled and the indigenous peoples, the lack of a minimum wage for workers, environmental degradation, the plight of refugees and migrant workers and so on.

Lest we forget, representatives are just that and no more: they are people chosen to represent our views and concerns. They can only do that if they understand the issues and are committed to being part of the struggle for positive change. It is meaningless to vote for political opportunists who do not have the welfare of this country’s people at heart. In the coming elections, candidates will no doubt give fiery speeches and make extraordinary promises. But it’s up to the voters to discern fact from fiction.

Will the candidate you plan to vote for be committed to working for a transparent and accountable government? Will he or she be willing to commit to some if not all of the issues listed above? Will he or she represent your views? Will he or she be willing to be held accountable to the people of this country?

Candidates should be trustworthy and accountable people who will nurture the democratic process and principles. They should help bring forth just and meaningful development for all and not just for the few. Hold your candidate to account. Let your vote send out that message.

Barisan Rakyat's Poster

The List

This is a list of the things in the country that I'm not happy with.

1. the belief that a particular race is more superior than others and thus entitling them to privileges not granted to those of different "genetic pools' (in fact, there's a word for this: apartheid)
2. ministers who talk without using their brains and make a fool of themselves without realising it
   
3. corruption
4. big shots that are immune to the judicial system just because they have a Tan Sri, Dato, Datuk or what not attached before their names
5. government that protects those big shots for its own interest
   
6. bigots
7. control of media by the government
8. ISA
9. the twisted version of NEP
   
10. government's denial of our freedom of speech (that includes the right to demonstrate peacefully)
11. the education system that aims at producing drones who think alike
    
12. racism
13. raced-based politics
14. election system
15. half-ass democracy
16. hypocrisy (our tendencies to portray ourselves as a friendly lot, when the fact is that we are only friendly towards ang moh)
17. self righteousness
18. the tidak-apa attitude
19. ruling party's arrogance
20. 2/3 Parliamentary seats dominance by the ruling party
21. 2nd class citizen treatment
22. intrusion of privacy
23. those who dictate how we should lead our lives

However, I believe that these are not permanent fixtures of the country; like a bad flu, it will pass in the end. To to end it, we need an antidote, an antibiotic if you may. And that antibiotic is reformation of governance.

Now it must be made clear that I love my country very, very much and that I am proud to be a Malaysian. In fact, I could come up another list that contains the things that I love about the country, and it will be 5 times as long. I also refuse to be labeled as unpatriotic because admitting the problems facing the country and disagreeing with some of the government's policies do not make me an ungrateful bastard. In fact, I think it makes me the opposite of that.

Let it also be made clear that I am NOT anti-Malay at all. I'm only against advocates of no.1

Of Contradictions, Bigotry and Making a Difference

Read this in Malaysiakini today. Thought of sharing it with you guys.

Will urban voters trigger the tipping point?

Malcolm Gladwell in his widely read book ‘The Tipping Point’ brilliantly narrated how ‘little’ things can make a ‘big’ difference.
According to The Telegraph, the tipping point “is a magic moment when an idea, trend or social behaviour crosses a threshold, tips and spread like wildfire: like a flu epidemic, popularity of a new product, a drop in crime rate”.

Will this happen on polling day, March 8?

Malaysians have recently witnessed the Hindraf phenomenon which many believe will radically change the voting patterns of the minority Indian community. Surely this cannot be the only factor in determining the results of the upcoming elections.

As an illustration, if we look back at the recent past and the couple of issues which snowballed and created the perception of serious misdeeds by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s government, only then can we begin to understand the hot button issues which can move the urban voters beyond the “bread and butter” issues.

In 2007, a survey conducted by Merdeka Center for Opinion Research revealed surprising results.“About two-thirds of the respondents (51% urban and 49% respondents) think the country needs a stronger opposition,” it said. It also observed that “Chinese are more in favour of having a stronger opposition and their desire increases steadily”.

The survey asked - does the country need to have a stronger opposition? It showed that at the national level, some 66% agree, 4% maybe and 26% disagree, while in Kuala Lumpur (67% agree, 6% maybe and 17% disagree) and Selangor (58% agree, 6% maybe and 28% disagree).

Disparaging, racist remarks

What could be the causes of such perceptions?

A year before the survey was done, several Umno delegates made disparaging and racist remarks against the non-Malay community at the party’s annual congress along with its infamous keris-raising incident.

There appeared to be a serious gap between what government leadership had promised and the sentiments expressed by the ruling party’s rank-and-file leaders. Take these few examples.

“I will never allow non-bumiputeras to enter UiTM. I will ensure that the percentage of Malay students given places at public universities will always be higher than the percentage under the previous quota.” (former higher education minister Shafie Salleh, Umno AGM, 2004)

“Universiti ini tempat Melayu.” (Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, Umno AGM, 2004, in referring to UiTM)

Compare such remarks to the 2004 BN general election manifesto which said, “BN has worked hard to provide universal access to education. We will … foster student interaction to enhance national unity.”

The same can be said of other promises made in the 2004 manifesto.

“I hope the public will not question the money saved…” (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, March 17, 2006, on the RM4.4 billion saved from fuel subsidies). “Why are you complaining? What more do you want?’ (Abdullah, April 7, 2006 on the 9th Malaysia Plan).

Yet the manifesto argued that “BN cares about your needs and will seek your views on important issues.”

Promises broken

On “religion and culture”, the 2004 manifesto said: “BN will continue to promote peace, prosperity and harmony among Malaysians. BN upholds the diversity of religious practice, language and culture.

The reality however is very different, especially with the recent spate of Hindu temples demolition.

Or consider what Badruddin Amiruddin (left), who has been picked to defend his Jerai parliament seat, said: “Let no one from the other races ever question the rights of Malays on this land. Don’t question the religion because this is my right on this land. Don’t poke at this nest, for if it were disturbed, these hornets will strike and destroy the country.”

During a parliamentary debate, the same Badruddin lashed out at the opposition: “Malaysia ini Negara Islam, you tak suka, you keluar dari Malaysia.”

On human rights and freedom, the 2004 manifesto promised, “BN safeguards the interests of all citizens. We listen to and act on the hopes and aspirations of all groups regardless of age, gender, ethnic background and religion.”

Here’s the reality - Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz on March 20, 2006 said, “We will not think twice about using this law against anyone who incites - that’s why we still need the Sedition Act and ISA (Internal Security Act)”. On Suhakam’s ineffectiveness, he said, “I think you are dreaming, we have never planned to give any teeth to Suhakam. To give them teeth has never been a proposal.”

On the corruption and abuse of power issue, Umno secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (commenting on money politics) said, “Umno does not intend to report the cases to the ACA. We have our own mechanism.”

Urban voters better informed

Today, urban voters are better positioned to evaluate the government’s ability in delivering its promises. This category of voter segment has an information advantage that may arise due to several factors:

1. Greater average wealth
   
2. Higher education
   
3. Better access to the media as well as stronger urban focus in media coverage
   
4. Greater access through the Internet and interactive IT communication

Perhaps part of the answer lies in this remark by economist Zainal Aznam Yusof: “A responsible government would say what it wants to do after the elections. You cannot dupe the electorate - they know what is coming.”

Gladwell in his book concluded by saying that people can radically transform their behaviour or beliefs with the right kind of impetus.

“Tipping points are a reaffirmation of the potential for change and the power of intelligent action. Look at the world around you. It may seem like an immovable, implacable place. It is not. With the slightest push - in just the right place - it can be tipped.”

Will it happen on polling day?

On My Shelf: The Road

The best fictional work ever. Period.

That is not an exaggeration. An understatement perhaps. The legendary Cormac McCarthy has clearly done it again.

Many refer to this as the saddest book written by McCarthy. I could not agree more. This is truly a sad, scary, dark, chilling piece of work. But above all, it is also an uplifting (yes, I dare say uplifting) story of human preserverance, love, humanity and hope. All the elements that make for a masterpiece is present.

The story is set in America of a not so distant future. The world is struck by a catastrophe (presumably man-made), and what's left are destruction, ashes and fire everywhere. A father and son are left to travel to the south by foot along the Interstate Highway in search of warmth and food. Along the way, they will encounter the remains of civilisations and humanity, and perhaps, of history.

The main characters remain nameless in the story, but that doesn't hinder the reader from relating with them. In fact, I think that it made the readers care about them more because they represent our inner fear. With a stroke of a pen, McCarthy made them alive and you will find yourselves caring for their fates. Yes, and I don't feel cheesy saying that.

I will remind again, this book is extremely haunting. The images of the book will stay with you for a long time after you put the it down. And yet, I'm sure you will feel tempted to read and re-read the book again from time to time.

The Road is on a fast track of becoming a modern masterpiece. It is the winner of 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Literature and several other awards. If there is one book that you must read, this is it.

Also check out McCarthy's earlier works including All the Pretty Horses, Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men (recently made into a Golden Globe-winning movie).

When Rights are Violated

Tune in to TV these days during the news hours and you will be greeted by a government sponsored community message regarding public demonstrations. In the advertisement, graphic images are displayed, images of screaming men beating each other up, throwing Molotov Cocktail and destroying public properties. The clip is truly gruesome and scary, and the message is clear; do not participate in any form of demonstrations because they will incite public unrest. And I'm sure the average Malaysian will agree quite whole heartedly. Indeed, who wouldn't after seeing those images and been reminded of bloodbath in countries like Indonesia and Pakistan. Until one thinks more deeply, that is.

What about peaceful demonstrations? Are demonstrations not capable of being free of violence? What about those advocated by the late Gandhi? Are those not peaceful? Or how about the (almost) monthly ones held in cities like New York. Do they always result in havoc? I can give you a thousand more examples; the anti capital punishment demonstration Rome, animal rights demonstrations by Peta all around the world and etc,but I think you get my point.

Which leads me to what happened earlier today. This morning, around 200 supporters of Hindraf went parading in Jalan Raja Laut to request the release of 5 Hindraf leaders held under ISA since last month. Their choice of weapons? Roses. Yes, the flower kind. 200 of them walked peacefully armed with roses, all for a peaceful purpose. None of them went chanting slogans or blocking roads or destroying public properties. Just roses. The parade consisted of Indians of all walks of life; men women and children.

Weapon of Mass Demonstration

Then almost immediately, police came and started dispersing the crowd. The demonstraters ran helter-skelter to avoid the cops. However, pretty soon, they gathered again to continue their cause.

Seeing this, the police took out their big guns. Literally. They started spraying the poor demonstrators with chemically laced water using water canons. Not contented with that, they resorted to another of their favourite weapon; tear gas.

Roses vs water canon and tear gas. You'll be the judge.

And let me remind you that there were children present.

My question is this; is there a need for such act of violence by the police? Surely, they have better ways of controlling the crowd than blasting women and children with chemical water and tear gas? Even a tourist, who was present was puzzled by the police's actions, saying "The police outnumbered the crowd in three folds. I saw several of them firing teargas canisters to the peaceful crowd. Why is there a need to fire that many teargas canisters when one is strong enough (to disperse the crowd)."

Some might ask, why do they need to protest in the first place? Why do they have to put the children's life in danger by bringing them along? Surely this would not happen if they resorted to other ways to get the PM's attention.

But the question is, what other ways?

Hindraf had written complain letters and sent memorandum for quite some time regarding the alleged discrimination that they faced over the past years in the country. All of them are ignored. Over and over again. Then they held another similar peaceful demonstration to make their point. The result? Their 5 leaders were arrested (which led to this current demonstration). Hindraf was then regarded as a terrorist movement by the government. All because they were trying to protect their rights.

So, I'll ask you again. What choice do they have? How else would they have their plea heard by the government and the public? The media? Give me a break. All major forms of media in Malaysia are controlled by the ruling party. Their voice will never see the light of day. So what choice do they have than to take this to the streets?

Others will argue that they deserve it because the gathering is illegal in the first place as no permit was issued by the police. This is a tactic often used by the authorities to justify their acts. However, when no demonstration by the opposition is ever (and will ever be) allowed on the grounds that 1) It will cause public unrest, 2) It is against the nation's interest, and 3) It will result in violence, what else could be done?

Abdullah then lashed out at the Hindraf demonstrators and referred them as extremists for causing public unrest and undermining the nation's security (With what? Flowers?). I beg to differ. The extremists and terrorists in this case are the government and the police force (which is acting on behalf of the government). They have clearly bullied those who were against them into submission.

Living in a democratic country, I think that a citizen's most valuable possession is the freedom of speech. He must protect this even with his life because it is in essence what makes a democratic nation democratic. However, our government is committed to make us pay for exercising our rights.

Every Malaysian must know and believe that it is their prerogatives to express their views and opinions even if they are contradictory to the goverment's stance and policies. This include the right to organise and participate in peaceful demonstrations. This is safeguarded in the Constitution itself. However, the government doesn't seem to respect our birth rights.

To quote Lim Kit Siang, "By denying people the right to demonstrate the governmentt is implying that it has indeed something to hide and that the issue which caused the demonstration is indeed a legitimate one."

Well said.