Saturday, December 29, 2007

Happy new year

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FRIENDS,READERS AND FELLOW BLOGGERS.LET US MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER AND SAFER PLACE TO LIVE IN.

"If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were."

"I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit."

"Life without liberty is like a body without spirit."
Kahlil Gibran

Friday, December 28, 2007

Pakistan: A Failed State ?

Hantu Laut

Former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated just days before Pakistan parliamentary election.

A sad and tragic end to another famous political family.Like the Kennedys and Ghandis, she has seen tragic and turbulent years and eventually met a violent end herself.

Her father was toppled from power and hanged by the man who grabbed power from him.She was ousted from power twice with allegations of corruption and abuse of power.Her husband was sent to prison for corruption. One brother died under suspicious circumstances, suspected of being murdered, in his home in Paris.Another brother was assassinated while on a political campaign trail in Pakistan.Benazir, undaunted, continue the fight to save Pakistan from the militants.She paid it with her life, adding another chapter to Islamic militancy and madness.

Will her children pursue the same course like she did after father ?

The end of another cursed political dynasty. What's next for Pakistan ?

May her soul rest in peace and those who murdered her burned in hell.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Zahid Ibrahim's 'In Good Faith':An Inconvenient Truth

Hantu Laut

I have just finished reading Zaid Ibrahim's 'In Good Faith'. An explicitly honest analysis of the damning truth of the socio-political structure in this country. An admission, from an inside man, of the pseudo-interpretation of the social contract, perpetuated by those desirous of keeping the gravy train on track and on an infinite journey, more often than not, for pecuniary advantage and using hegemonic inculcation to subdue the minorities through coercion and consent.

The first Prime Minster, the late Tungku Abdul Rahman, in his book the 'Viewpoint', said "While I warmly welcome help for the bumiputras, I deplore any act that is likely to divide true Malaysians into two halves; division will benefit no-one.I have always said that this policy of"divide-and-rule" was a colonial practice, and with the era of colonialism behind us we should have seen an end of it.Yet "divide-and-rule" seems to linger on".

The discriminatory social contract should have been done with when it reached the end of its shelf life. However, the bumiputras, those in power and already spoilt by the easy picking have steadfastly refused to do away with this unfair and divisive policy. The iconic keris is a deplorable reminder to non-Malays not to toy with the idea of questioning the social contract.

Zahid, a Member of Parliament from the dominant ruling party, took a critical look at the various aspects of governance within the ambits of the bumiputra economic policy, Malay supremacy, economic mis-managment, rising religious intolerance, Islamisation of the country and encroachment of Sharia into the civil liberties of non-Muslims. His liberated views and forthrightness have given a breath of fresh air to many Malaysians. By the same token, I assume, it would have made him a pariah among his peers in UMNO. His views on some of the policies of government is diametrically opposed to those ossified by other leaders of his political party.As a lawyer with the biggest law firm in the country, he admits he had also benefited from the NEP, but would not lend his support to the perpetuation of such policy, which he thinks has a long-term negative side-effect on the bumiputras.A conclusion not far from the truth, as can be seen, from the failure to attain the 30% equity over the time frame initially given by the government. The NEP revivalists have unequivocally called for the NEP to be revivified without a time-frame.

Zahid must be the first elected representative in UMNO who was bold enough to go against the grain.An ideology that may make the top and middle echelon of the party very uncomfortable.Those before him that had fallen from grace, like Anwar Ibrahim, had been out of personal conflicts and power struggle, not differences of ideology. If there were more Malays like him in UMNO, this country would see a more progressive society.The unfortunate thing is, most Malays like him were not in UMNO.

The book was lucidly written, honest and splendidly readable.I would suggest every member of UMNO in particular and the Malaysian adult public in general to read this book. It was an unexpected surprise from a well-to-do and politically well-connected Malay.

Friday, December 14, 2007

POETIC JUSTICE

HANTU LAUT

Do they deserved it? Yes. I still think they should be charged for treason instead of ISA.I am not a great fan of the ISA, but they have been given ample warning, they pushed their luck, lied in their teeth and expect the government to maintain equanimity.The five Hindraf's masterminds deserved what they get.If others want to worship the Western form of democracy, its their business, if America think they have the best system of government, its their business, our business is to keep the peace in this country.What's the point of freedom if the country is in turmoil, if blood had to be shed for the price of freedom.

Some say they have the right to demonstrate as it is part of the democratic system. Malaysians are matured and responsible, but recent events had shown otherwise.It shows the true psyche of some Malaysians, who are prepared to use violence, to send their message home.Given free reins, they would want to demonstrate every week.

Many foreigners believed in the Hindraf's propaganda.One so called celebrated Indian poet, who claimed to have stayed in Malaysia for seventeen years, wrote in her blog that the Malaysian government practised apartheid, that's why she fled back to India. Below are part of the derisive article she wrote;

"Last week, the simmering resentments of a nation under a formal apartheid exploded. The constitution of Malaysia explicitly privileges the Malay Muslim majority’s access to opportunity, and indeed claim to the nation itself, and the inherent racism of this sentiment is one that trickles down through all sectors of society. The superficial image of multicultural harmony that it had somehow managed to convince the world of has begun to fray in no uncertain terms"

In an interview with an Indian newspaper, DNA, the celebrated poet, Sharanya Manivanna said;

In April 2006, while still a student in Kuala Lumpur, I wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on my blog (sharanyamanivannan.blogspot.com), calling upon the Indian government to speak out on this issue of clear religious and ethnic discrimination in the same way that it had responded to the Danish cartoons parodying Prophet Mohammed.

“I wrote that letter because what is happening in Malaysia is nothing less than formal apartheid. The fact that its Tourism Board promotes a picture postcard image of multi-culturalism is rather audacious. You have to understand that I say all this as a person who loves Malaysia, but who was forced to leave.

“Last year, my grandfather, a former High Commissioner, had a passport thrown at his face and was shouted at by a Malay officer at the Malaysian Consulate in Chennai! I myself have been harassed at Malaysian immigration checkpoints on countless occasions, while always travelling legally. And after one particularly bad interrogation at immigration, I knew that if I did not make the choice to leave, I would probably be deported. I think I was right, considering the events of the past few days.”

I posted a comment on her blog, which she didn't allow for reasons only known to her.Anyway, it's her prerogative.Below are my comment;

Comment I posted on Sharanya's blog.

Dear Sharanya,

"You painted a wrong picture of a country which is more tolerant toward other minority races compared to many other countries including India.

The Malays shared political power with the Chinese and Indians, which they don't have to.With the Chinese it makes more sense because they are big minority, with the Indians they really don't have to, if they want to be nasty and unfair.

The few instigators, including the shithead called Utayakumar, are doing great injustice to the peaceful Indian community by instigating them to break the law and go against the government.He is suffering from serious inferiority and persecution complex and a danger to his own community and the nation.

He should be locked up.

If you think Malaysia was so bad,why did you stay for seventeen years? Do you have to wait that long to find out?"

December 5, 2007 9:44 PM

Delete

The following was her reasons for not posting the many comments that she thinks too derisory to deserve her attention;

"My blog is my space, not a forum. It is my prerogative to moderate comments through, or not. I have switched off anonymous comments because here’s the difference between you (you know who you are) and me: I put myself out there, and you hide behind namelessness and shifting IP addresses. If you can’t be bothered to read a post properly before leaving a comment which accuses me of the exact opposite of a statement I’ve made, are hateful or make inappropriate personal attacks I may choose to not spend my energy on responding to your comment. Oh, and just because you read my blog doesn’t mean you know me. Just because you went to college or kindergarten with me doesn’t mean you know me. Just because I’m friends with your ex doesn’t mean you know me. Just because you’ve sat next to me on a plane or a train doesn’t mean you know me. Just because you’re related to me doesn’t mean you know me."

But she found it appropriate to post the following;

posted by Sharanya Manivannan @ 10:31 AM

7 Comments:

Blogger Sharanya Manivannan said...

Eek! The fonts, the fonts! :-S

10:35 AM
Anonymous Vaijanthi said...

Well said, Sharanya!

12:00 PM
Blogger Obiter Dictum said...

Brilliant, well done.

Do Niemoller's words come to mind:

"First they came for communists and I did not speak because I wasn't a communist....."

12:32 PM
Anonymous Mohan Nair said...

Awesome work. During my recent visit to Malaysia, I had chance to talk to many Indians and all said how they were being marginalized by the Malays. I also talked to some Chinese businessmen who privately admitted the same.

The US-Malaysia free trade pact is in limbo because of NEP. I suggest you mobilize folks to write to the Senators at the US foreign affairs committee and see if you an organize a hearing. This will give pressurize the US government to act. But also give wider coverage to the issue in the US. My 2 cents.

6:35 AM
Blogger DRAVIDA PERAVAI said...

A journalist Bala from Junior Vikatan told about your blog. I read your comments. I felt deeply impressed. I had posted it in various forums, including
www.indiainteracts.com
where I write often.Yours is the only brave voice about Malaysian Tamils plght. N.Nandhivarman
General Secretary Dravida Peravai

3:35 PM
Blogger Antares said...

Dynamite interview, Sharanya, bravo! Malaysia's Imigresen officers have been trained to sniff out dangerous DNA. If they let you in on a long-term basis you might REPRODUCE and overwhelm this poor benighted country with beautiful, intelligent, and brave progeny - and none but the enlightened can appreciate those qualities! :-)

12:11 PM
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kudos to you, dear lady.

8:04 PM

That's probably the crappiest excuse I have came across for a long long time.Goddammit, you have no more right to privacy the moment you attack or criticise another person, country or even animal.The privilege is not yours alone, others have the right to do the same. They have the right to defend themselves. The legality of your claim sucks.

As Malaysians we have the right to defend our country.If your blog is not a forum,why post such hard hitting article. Sorry! girl, you have lost your rights to privacy.You are standing on weak ground.You should stand by what you say and prove it to the world that you are right in your presumptions and allegations of apartheid in Malaysia.

Closing your door is an admission of guilt.

Monday, December 3, 2007

GENOCIDE IN DARFUR

GENOCIDE IN MALAYSIA ? NO! NOT HERE!

Darfur, is where it is.That's where genocide and ethnic cleansing existed.That's where Muslims killed Muslims.That's where government appointed militia raped and killed black African Muslims.

In Malaysia ? No.It's only a figment of imagination of the devil incarnate, P.Uthayakumar, a member of the law fraternity ,treacherous,deceitful and unpatriotic.A pathological liar,a snake in the grass, seeking personal glory at the expense of the nation.

He is now going international to seek recognition of his journey of self-glorification.

Does he really care about the plight of the percieved persecution of the Indian Tamils? If he does, shouldn't he stays in Malaysia and fight for their rights with the government.

What can India,Britain,America or any other country,for that matter, do to help the Indian Tamils in Malaysia ?

DARFUR, is, where help is needed from the international community.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

ANOTHER MUSLIMS IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY, A SHAME TO THE FAITH

Thousands of Sudanese protested on Friday in Khartoum, Sudan, calling for the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad.(Abd Raouf/The Associated Press)

In Sudan, demonstrators call for execution of British teacher
NAIROBI: Hundreds of demonstrators in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, poured into the streets on Friday demanding the execution of a British teacher who was convicted of insulting Islam because her class of 7-year-olds named a teddy bear Muhammad.

The protesters, some carrying swords, screamed, "Shame, shame on the U.K.!" and "Kill her, kill her by firing squad." They were calling for the death of Gillian Gibbons, the teacher who was sentenced on Thursday to 15 days in jail. Under Sudanese law, she could have spent 6 months behind bars and received 40 lashes.Full story...

I am a Muslim and I shudder to think that my fellow Muslims can be so shamefully ignorant of the teachings of their own religion and behaved in the most disgraceful and appalling ways.

With a government they deserved, the people of Sudan are doomed to this act of barbarism for many generations to come.A misconstrued and misguided interpretations of Islamic practices by half-baked imams,mullahs and those stupid enough to think they knew enough to dispense advices to people ill-equipped to think for themselves.

Can you blame the non-Muslims for the fear,anxiety and condemnation of the religion?

What about the Muslims who took up the name Mohammad, are they desecrating the Prophet's name, should all of them be executed ?

Thursday, November 29, 2007

ANOTHER PIECE OF AMERICAN CRAP ON THE MUSLIM'S WORLD

ON THE DEMOCRATIC FRONT

Foes Use Obama's Muslim Ties to Fuel Rumors About Him

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 29, 2007; Page A01

In his speeches and often on the Internet, the part of Sen. Barack Obama's biography that gets the most attention is not his race but his connections to the Muslim world.

Since declaring his candidacy for president in February, Obama, a member of a congregation of the United Church of Christ in Chicago, has had to address assertions that he is a Muslim or that he had received training in Islam in Indonesia, where he lived from ages 6 to 10. While his father was an atheist and his mother did not practice religion, Obama's stepfather did occasionally attend services at a mosque there.

Despite his denials, rumors and e-mails circulating on the Internet continue to allege that Obama (D-Ill.) is a Muslim, a "Muslim plant" in a conspiracy against America, and that, if elected president, he would take the oath of office using a Koran, rather than a Bible, as did Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the only Muslim in Congress, when he was sworn in earlier this year.

In campaign appearances, Obama regularly mentions his time living and attending school in Indonesia, and the fact that his paternal grandfather, a Kenyan farmer, was a Muslim. Obama invokes these facts as part of his case that he is prepared to handle foreign policy, despite having been in the Senate for only three years, and that he would literally bring a new face to parts of the world where the United States is not popular.Full story.....

Also read my post 'PRIDE AND PREJUDICE IN AMERICA'

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

HINDRAF: A FOOL'S ERRAND

HANTU LAUT
I wonder how many Malaysians would agree with this kind of disquieting behaviour that have given death knell to the peace,harmony and cultural pluralism of this country.The work of a few desperate demagogue with selfish intent, seeking personal glory, without due care to the security of the nation. The consequence of deep fascinations for Western brand of democracy with shallow understanding of the constituent elements endemic to our type of democratic system.

India is lauded by the Western nations as the biggest democracy in the world. Do you know at every general election in the country how many people got killed or murdered? Philippines, another great democracy, suffered the same faith in every general election. The West love them because they are enviable models of freedom.

If you have been to some of the great cities in India you would have noticed the economic deprivation of the poor and the downtrodden. The apathy, deprivation and lack of humanity are visible in many places that makes your heart want to bleed for them. If they have no varnas, chances are, they would be condemned to the slumps and lowest rung of society---- destitute,helpless and hopeless. They are the untouchables, the Harijans or the Dalits.

That was India, where caste system, although officially banned, is in actuality still practised within the society. In Malaysia, there is no caste system and Indian Tamils are not bounden by such tradition. They are free to do what every other Malaysians are allowed to do.Some have come out and become successful individuals but many have not evolved and still live in the eggshell. Should they feel stigmatised for the what happened 150 years ago? Are the forefathers, the British and the Malaysian government to be blamed for the sorry state they are in now?

The Jaffnese or Sri Lankan Tamils don't seem to have the same problem as the Indian Tamils.Former Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew once said "In term of numbers, the Ceylonese, like the Eurasians, are among the smallest of our various communities.Yet in term of achievements and contributions to the growth of modern Singapore and Malaysia they have done more than warranted by their numbers.They have asked for no special favour or consideration as a minority"

Many Jaffnese Tamils had become successful professionals and individuals.Some of the prominence are, the world's first Asian surgeon, Dr S.S.Thiruchelvem, Singapore's Foreign minister, S.Rajaratnam and in Malaysia the famous billionaire, Ananda Krishnan.

Why are the Indian Tamils left far behind ?. Much of the problems are self inflicted.Firstly, they refused to evolve and had become politically dependent on promises made by their political leaders. They have useless and selfish leaders whose only interests are their own. The fools that organised the street rally are racists and think the government owe them a living.

Least we forget, most early Chinese who came to this part of the world, came as coolies.

Did they complain?

Friday, November 23, 2007

THE FOUR TRILLION DOLLAR MAN

HANTU LAUT

The claims by HINDRAF for compensations from the British Government for the economic miseries of Indians in Malaysia, can only be the imagination of a man suffering from an extreme form of psychosis. A man, a lawyer, an educated fool who gives false hope to his community and an attempt to gain popularity at the cheapest and shortest possible way.A cheap shot at stardom.

Being a lawyer he should know better how vexed and insurmountable the problem is. In spite of the odds and improbable chance of victory, he has no qualms, to lead his fellow Indians up the garden path and used them to fulfill his own selfish agenda.

Meet the Pied Piper of the Indian community, P.Uthayakumar, the man who is going to put US$2 million in every Indian's pocket.He has brought a class-action suit against Britain for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years and abandoned them at the mercy of the Malaysian government. Would anybody, let alone a lawyer, attempt such complex,vexatious and impossible to win legal action against what happened 150 years ago.

The grievances are against Britain, why demonstrate on Malaysian soil, why not take his fellow Indians to London and demonstrate in front of Buckingham Palace or No.10 Downing Street, after all each Malaysian Indian will get US$2 million and they can well afford the fare and the stay in London.It would also be a good opportunity for them to meet their former masters.

Did P.Uthayakumar ever asked himself whether the Indians were better off if they were to stay in India with the kind of poverty that existed in India at that time?Did he ever consider the fact that Indians are still coming to work in Malaysia, in spite of what he contended? Was he such a lousy lawyer than he can't earn a decent living and felt discriminated and deprived of the good things in life because his forefathers were indentured labourers then?

To fan racial sentiments is dangerous to the peace and harmony of this country.To take to the street using race as an issue should not be tolerated and must be stopped.I hope the Indian community are not easily fooled by this selfish man.

Is this the work of a depraved mind?

Going to the streets to vent your anger and frustrations are not going to help resolve the problems.It may cause civil unrest. I am getting sick of all this talk of freedom that some Malaysians think they have been deprived of by the government.

The ex-Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohammed should come out and defend the government policy against street demonstrations unless he agrees that Malaysia needs this kind of culture now as things had changed from the time when he was at the helm, when such behaviour was not tolerated at any cost.

Anwar Ibrahim of PKR has given his qualified support for the rally to go on.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

IS THIS SELECTIVE PROSECUTION ?

HANTU LAUT

This man may be guilty of the crime.What about the others and those in high offices? Do they have immunity from prosecution ? Let's hope this is not a wishy-washy attempt at witch-hunting. There are bigger fish out there that should also be hauled up for prosecution.

Another charge against Ramli

photo Kota Kinabalu: Commercial Crime Investigation Department Director Datuk Ramli Yusuff was charged in the Sessions Court here, Monday, with abuse of power over the use of a police aircraft for his personal advantage.

Ramli, 55, based in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur, is the country's third highest ranking police officer and a former Sabah Police Commissioner.

He pleaded not guilty before Judge Duncan Sikodol and was released on RM10,000 bail with one surety. Trial was fixed for Feb. 18-22, next year.Full story......

Thursday, November 15, 2007

DID THEY EVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT ?

HANTU LAUT

It makes one wonder when are they going to do anything right. The eyes can't see beyond the tip of the nose.The LCCT Terminal is hardly two years old and is already bursting at the seams. My post 'The Singapore Story, Malaysia's Dream' although not detailed was slightly ahead of the NST report on the state of affairs at KLIA. Most of the problems are human factors, bad planning and bad work attitude.

The LCCT Terminal is just across the runway tarmac from KLIA, yet it is 20 km away. Does KLIA needs that much space for future expansion to kick the LCCT that far ? Our bright and skilled planners and artisans underestimated the magnetic draw of cheap fares, how it can attract huge number of people over a short period of time. The airport was officially opened in March 2006 and within a span of 21 months had become a runaway success and a failure.

The planners in government who decide to banish Air Asia to the LCCT was hoping that the airline would eventually die. They made a big mistake.It's what they built that is dying, the terminal.

The report in NST;
LCCT 'bursting at the seams'
By : Jennifer Gomez
The growing popularity of budget travel is taking a toll on the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal’s facilities and services.
The growing popularity of budget travel is taking a toll on the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal’s facilities and services.

SEPANG: The Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) here is bursting at the seams.

The growing popularity of budget travel is taking its toll on the airport's facilities and services -- from the baggage screening as one enters the terminal building, the departure halls, and up to the collection of luggage on arrival.Continued.....

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

A MISOGYNIST OR KAMPONG TALK ?

HANTU LAUT

How did UMNO Assembly Speaker, Badruddin Amiruddin sees the tunnel under the skirt ? Did he only had a passing glance or was he ogling to find a deeper meaning to what's under the skirt ? Most normal men would not be bothered by such a sight and would take it as petty incidents of their daily lives. I wonder, how would Badruddin have reacted if he saw a female with a voluptuous body in a bikini at the beach or at a swimming pool ? Would he vehemently complain or would he gets a hard on, instead ?

Many a time, speakers at the UMNO General Assembly had made less than intelligent remarks or those considered politically incorrect and not suitable for public consumption. Some members of parliament of the same kin had in the past made similar unbefitting and ungracious remarks in the august house, remarks that people of their stature are not expected to make in public or even in private conversation.

In Western society, people like Badruddin, would be viewed at with contempt and as a potential sex offender, even though he might not be one.The press would have a field day digging into his background and tearing him apart. He would literally become food for the hyenas.

It is also most disappointing that Wanita and Puteri UMNO didn't take him to task or censure his remark.The ladies are too kind to him to let him off the hook easily.

By his speech, Badruddin had degraded and shamed, not the women in this country, but himself .He exposes his own contemptible character.

Friday, November 9, 2007

CIVIL DISORDER

HANTU LAUT

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT, USE THE BALLOT BOX. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROPOSED MARCH ON 10TH NOVEMBER. YOU MAY REGRET IT.

YOU MAY BECOME A CASUALTY. WORST, YOU MAY BE DEAD.

From Wikipedia

Civil disorder, also known as civil unrest, is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe one or more forms of disturbance caused by a group of people. Civil disturbance is typically a symptom of, and a form of protest against, major socio-political problems. Typically, the severity of the action coincides with public outrage. Examples of civil disorder include, but are not necessarily limited to: illegal parades; sit-ins and other forms of obstructions; riots; sabotage; and other forms of crime. It is intended to be a demonstration to the public and the government, but can escalate into general chaos.

Frequently, participants in a civil disorder are not in agreement about appropriate behavior. As was the case in the WTO Meeting of 1999, most protesters were peaceful, and a small, highly visible minority of government provocateurs, much like the ones present at the 2007 Security and Prosperity Partnership summit in Quebec, were responsible for most of the damage.

Any civil disorder is a delicate balance of power, and indeed, a political power struggle of some sort is typically the root cause of any such conflict. Often, public demonstrations are viewed as the last resort of political organizations. If the power equation in a civil disorder becomes unbalanced, the result is either oppression or riot. Police brutality is a frequent result of civil disorder, while at other times, civil disorder may develop as a result of police brutality.

Citizens not directly involved in a civil disorder may have their lives significantly disrupted. Their ability to work, enjoy recreation and in some cases, obtain necessities may be jeopardized. Disruption of infrastructure may occur during very severe events. Public utilities such as water, fuel and electricity may be temporarily unavailable, as well as public infrastructure for communication.

The above are definition of civil unrest.This article is a follow up to my earlier article 'The March To Naught'.

Be sensible, do not participate in this unlawful march. Do not be an idealist and think you can achieve something out of the unlawful procession.You may not be the troublemaker but don't forget there are others who want to make trouble and you may be caught in the midst of something unpleasant. We have the means to change the government and no one can stop us from exercising our rights and the right platform is the democratic process.

A warning has been sent, take heeds, this may not be Pakistan or Burma, but don't push your luck. Many peaceful demonstrations had turned ugly and bloody, don't be a victim of your own undoing.

Love your country and make sure Malaysia stays peaceful.

SAY 'NO' TO ' 10th OF NOVEMBER'

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

MALAYSIAN POLICE - A CRYING SHAME

HANTU LAUT
Yet another child raped and killed, abducted from her own apartment. Preeshena Varshiny, 9 was raped,sodomised and thrown down from the balcony of an apartment. Two days ago, the body of Chin Kha Mun, 12 was found floating in a river. The police could not determine the cause of death.They have classified it as 'sudden death'.What! sudden death? Did she died of drowning or something else ? Police had no clue. What had happened to forensic science and autopsy? Don't they exist in our police force?

After the Nurin's case, one would expect the police to be grinding their axes and go on the war path.

Is this the beginning of the reign of terror of a paedophile serial rapist and killer.Please, keep a tight grip on your children. Leaving a 9-year old, home alone, is not acceptable behaviour of any responsible parents. Read the story.........

Sunday, November 4, 2007

THE MARCH TO NAUGHT

HANTU LAUT
I notice most popular blogs are promoting the march on 10th November.I think, that's probably taking the wrong direction and a dangerous one, if I may say.

To inflame the Agong to interfere in the administration of the nation is trying to incite a coup on a democratically elected government.It would be an exercises in futility and a stain on the clean sheet of the nation's democratic history.

Are the bloggers ruled by the head or the heart in this matter.My guess is, the heart speaks, not the mind.Any sensible person would know it is pointless to drag the Agong and all the other rulers to intervene as they don't have any executive powers to do so. They are expected to be apolitical and they should stay that way.It is also against the law for more than five people to assemble without a permit.Countries like Malaysia and Singapore had been free of demonstrations, civil strikes and rioting due to this law, which at times seems draconian, but plays a role for the greater good.

Civil disobedience would be a better alternative to demonstrations,civil strikes and rioting.For example if you are deadly against corruption in government, than you can refuse to pay taxes, as the money collected goes to government revenue.Most corruption money are paid out of this revenue, the taxpayer's money.If you do decide to take this option, be prepared for nasty civil retribution from the government.So, taking this course of action is a personal sacrifice you make to stand by your principle.

Civil disobedience is a form of protest without resorting to physical violence.It has, in some cases, worked more effectively in changing government policies and attitude.Ghandi's campaign for independence and South Africa fight against apartheid are examples of the success of civil disobedience.

The organisers of the forthcoming march should have their heads examine if they honestly think they can control the sentiments of each of the 100,000 people estimated to turn up on the 1oth Nov. Many peaceful march in other countries had turned ugly resulting in bloodshed and deaths.Crowd can become unruly, aggressive and uncontrollable.What happened at Batu Buruk can happen again on the 10th Nov and, maybe, on a bigger scale. If it occurred, the government shouldn't be blamed only the organisers should carry the guilt and punishment for the calamity.

What shocked me most was how some bloggers openly promote and encourage people to come to the march without caring for the consequences. They appear to be more uneducated than the uneducated.

My educated guess is, there will only be a couple of thousands of gullible Malaysians going.

Friday, November 2, 2007

EMAIL RESPONSE TO A FRIEND

HANTU LAUT

Dear Diana,

I am surprise you still find his writing moreish.I have stopped reading his articles a while ago, as not only I find them distasteful, needless to say , the man is also in consistence, bias and arrogantly perceives himself more sanctimonious than others.Not being dismissive, I also find his long-winded and repetitive style of writing just to make the story long, to prove he has literary skill, makes dismal reading.It would have been more gratifying if he had precised his articles.

In Para 7 of his article he mentioned that those who become a threat to people in the corridors of power were either sacked or bought off.In some other story he wrote,he earnestly defended one allegedly corrupt senior police officer with wealth worth RM 27 millions, an ex CP in Sabah, who had to be bribed with huge parcel of land and shares in some companies before he went with his counterpart in the army to launch a massive exercise to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, which ended as an exercise in futility and an action not done in the course of duty but through immoral incentives.

Many of the top political bloggers in Malaysia the likes of Raja Petra,Rocky Bru,Susan Loone,Elizabeth Wong, Kadir Jasin,M.Bakri Musa and few others are good writers, but unfortunately, they are also very anti-establishment. Many of what they wrote were emotionally charged and geared to attract more hits to their blog rather than seeking a discourse in intellectualism or to broach an argument substantially not out of substance.It's a close-knit community, abrasive, histrionics and exhilarating in 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine' kind of philosophy.They have a kind of 'I am smarter than thou' extra sensory perception with a gaff on innuendoes and conjectures.

If you care to go around and make home visits to their tendentious blogs, you would notice they seem to work in harmony and without diversity, an idiosyncrasy that seems to work well with the uninitiated fans, the readers, that the majority of are only capable of making fatuous comments and utterances of insufferable obscenities against the establishment, which I don't really care about.I certainly agree there are a lot of rot in the establishment, but to have a dyed-in-the-wool opinion of every thing the government does is wrong, is blind as a blind can be.

What is even more worrying and disturbing is the effect of the bloggers' campaign against the government by trying to incite the Agong and the other rulers to interfere in the administration of the nation.It seems to have some effect on some of the rulers, especially in Perak, where the Raja Muda and recently the Sultan had come out of the royal cacoon and made some statement on the state of the judiciary.They broke fast from their elegant silence.

Malaysians should also be perturbed to learn that the Agong had refused to accept the Prime Minister's choice of candidate for judiciary appointment.Our nation is not an absolute monarchy but a constitutional monarch based on the British Westminster system where the head of state do not have executive power.To deny the Prime Minister's choice, no matter how bad it is, would be tantamount to interfering in the administration of the state.This is a dangerous trend and a bad precedent, if the story going round the blogosphere is true.

My grandfather once told me, there are two kind of people in this world you must not trust.A policeman and a journalist.

If we want to change the leaders or the whole government for that matter, the rightful place would be the ballot boxes. It's somehow seems strange that some supposedly seasoned political pundits deemed it fits to drag the Agong and the other rulers into a controversy that didn't concerned them. If Badawi is the problem than the elected representatives should decide whether they want him to lead or not as there are provisions in the Constitution to remove the Prime Minister if he fails to enjoy the majority support of the house.

It is very disheartening to know that such anomalies, which this beautiful country, could ill afford to have, had taken place.I am all for clean government, a clean and fair election and a government accountable to the people, but do we have to ape the western form of democracy, are our citizens discipline enough to demonstrate? The recent 'walk for justice' had gone to naught.The proposed march on 10th November initiated by BERSIH and supported by NGOs and opposition parties with estimated 100,000 turnout is something to worry about.How do you control the sentiments of 100,000 individuals ? Do you honestly think the crowd on the 10th of November would be as discipline and peaceful as the 2000 lawyers ? The people who organised the march should have their head exmine, if they think they have control over the behaviour of the participants. Many peaceful demonstrations in some other countries had turned to bloodshed and death due to unruly, aggressive and uncontrollable behaviour of the crowd.

Maybe we should not worry too much and take some of the stories with a pinch of salt.

Best regards

Gram Kong.

Monday, October 29, 2007

NAZRI - WOULD YOU TRUST HIM ?

HANTU LAUT

Shown below is part of an interview by NST with Nazri, the de facto Minister of Law.I find special interest in the following comments.

Q: There is less than two weeks for people to come forward with what they have. Are you hoping that they will?


A: I hope so. We set up the panel to investigate the authenticity of the tape.

Come forward, lah. Apa nak takut? Takkan kita nak bantai orang kita! (What’s there to be afraid of? We won’t beat up our own people!)

Every five years, we put ourselves up as candidates for election. If we do something wrong, do you think that people will let you go just like that? No way!

Can Nazri assures that the person who came forward wouldn't be tortured to extract information from him like what had happened to Abdul Malek Hussein, the ISA detainee. The police had been known for their torture method on criminals and political detainees ?There were a number of cases where prisoners under remand died while in police custody. How could this clueless Minister, or maybe he thinks Malaysians are all stupid to believe him say "Apa nak takut? Takkan kita nak bantai orang kita!.The ACA are also known to have mentally torture an accused person using long interrogation method to wear the person down. Even a powerful ex Deputy Prime Minister had been physically abused while in prison what chance would you think the common people have against such police brutality.

The Minister spent too much time in his comfort zone and are oblivious to the fact that many Malaysians are now more afraid of the police than the criminals. The rise in crimes and organised crimes over the past few years were the result of the government having lost control of the police force.The police are now run Mafioso style.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

THE SINGAPORE STORY - MALAYSIA'S DREAM

HANTU LAUT

Singapore would be happy to rejoin Malaysia if it surpassed the island's success said its former Prime Minister and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. Is Lee Kuan Yew a shit stirrer, who likes to ruffle Malaysian leaders feather? 

With the present Malaysian leadership, unfair economic and social practices and discrimination against the other races, can Malaysia overtakes Singapore in term of economic success ? Malaysia and Singapore have had long history of murky and ambivalent relationship under Mahathir.

Malaysia had enjoyed a good degree of economic success under former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad, who soft-pedaled the NEP (New Economic Policy) to stimulate economic growth. 

Mahathir, whom many Malaysians have learned to hate during his tenure, knew without strong Chinese participation the economy would not be able to grow substantially to take the country out of its middle income status. The government needs the Chinese economic engines to drive the economy to a higher level.

On the 9th of August 1965 at about 10 a.m, music playing over Singapore radio was cut off abruptly for an urgent announcement that would change the course of history and the future of the two nations. The announcer Mr Lee Kuan Yew solemnly read out a shocking declaration. 

"Whereas it is the inalienable right of the people to be free and independent. I, Lee Kuan Yew, prime minister of Singapore, do hereby proclaim and declare on behalf of the people and the government of Singapore that as from today, the 9th day of August in the year 1965 Singapore shall forever be a sovereign,  democratic and independent nation founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of her people in a more just and equal society."

Later in the evening, Lee Kuan Yew appeared on television overcome by emotion, cried and only regained his composure after about 20 minutes, announced to the nation the separation of Singapore from Malaysia. The separation was at the behest of Tungku Abdul Rahman and his ruling party, UMNO. 

The sudden ejection of Singapore from Malaysia was taken with mixed feelings, some were overwhelmed with emotions while others were jubilant.Some Chinese merchants in Singapore's Chinatown set off firecrackers to celebrate their liberation from Malay hegemony.

Singapore was thrown out of Malaysia without being given a chance to explore other avenues to resolve the issues of Malaysian Malaysia, a war cry sloganeered by Lee Kuan Yew. The Malays took his demand for equal rights for all as an affront to Malay supremacy and disrespect of the central government.

Most nations have to fight for independent, Singapore had independence thrown on its lap. As Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his memoirs "We were a Chinese Island in a Malay Sea". Two million Chinese surrounded by over 100 millions Malays. He said "How could we survive in such a hostile environment." Undaunted, Lee Kuan Yew would spend the next 40 years to find answers to this difficult questions.

Singapore, an island nation of about 214 sq.mile has no natural resources and an economy that can survive better on the inefficiencies of its neighbours.The entreport trade founded in 1819, which it depended much on now face a doubtful future. Much of Singapore economy at that time depended on its strategic location as an entreport and the military presence of British forces. Britain defence spending in Singapore accounted for about 20 percent of the GDP and directly employed 30,000 workers and indirectly another 10,000 domestic help.The scaling down of the British presence would have a serious impact on the economy.

The man of steel, Lee Kuan Yew is not easily rattled, not afraid of danger, combative and a no nonsense guy, he embarked on a long and tedious journey to develop tiny Singapore into a nation he visualised would one day be one of the most ultra modern and most developed nations in the world.The man has a dream and had gone through turbulent times in pursuit of his dream of making Singapore a great city state.

I have lived in Singapore for over ten years and witnessed the transformation of the country from a gangster-infested and crime-ridden city into ultra modern, efficient and almost crime free metropolis. From the already efficient Payar Lebar airport to the super efficient Changi airport, I have witnessed the clock work that the leaders of the country had installed to catapult it into the twenty-first century. This is the airport of the future where traveller's comfort and ease of movement is a priority. Not many airports can rival Changi where even the toilets can dazzle you.Going through Immigration and Custom is like a breeze and it's probably the only airport in the world where upon arrival your baggage wait  for you at the carousel instead of you spending time waiting for your baggage.

The brand new Sepang International Airport is a far cry from being airport of the present, let alone the future, built more as a showcase than functionality.It has many drawbacks.As always and in true Malaysian style the toilets are what toilets should be.... must have that shitty smell. For a first time traveller arriving at Sepang can be quite a challenge if you were to have an immediate connection on another flight. Directional signboards can be quite challenging and there weren't enough shops, restaurants and cafes inside the main departure hall. Singapore way ahead by leaps and bounds, Malaysia Airports Berhad should send some of their personnel to Changi to learn how airports should be run.

In Singapore you can apply for a telephone line and it would be installed within the same day, or next day.Applying for property loan from any bank your approval/rejection can come within a day or two. Even more amazing the many years that my family lived there, we have no remembrance of blackouts, or water supply problem. In many parts of Malaysia, blackouts, power surges and water shortages can be  daily occurrences.

Singapore never failed to amaze me for its incredible efficiency.One day I arrived at Changi and was at the Immigration counter waiting for my passport to be chopped and to my utter amazement and disbelief, the Immigration officer told me politely that I haven't paid the property tax on my apartment and asked me to do so immediately before the government take action against me. I do not know of any other country that had such efficient and well coordinated government departments , certainly not in my country, where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand doing.

If you have been visiting Singapore frequently, you would probably have noticed how they carry out their road repairs. Most roads were repaired at night when there were less traffic to avoid causing inconvenience to the public.In Singapore, truck carrying spoils to the work site dare not spill dirt on the road, any spillage would be quickly removed by the driver's assistant and any traces of dirt left behind would be washed away. In Malaysia roadworks are carried out at anytime of the day causing long traffic queues. The relevant government department seems not to have any control over contractors doing the work.Spillage on Malaysian roads are very common and the culprits are seldom brought to book.Malaysian policemen are only interested in checking road taxes and close their eyes to other more damaging offences.

There was a joke in Singapore that even the angsana tree dares not shed its leaves out of fear of Lee Kuan Yew that he may get so angry he will order the tree to be chopped down. In Singapore, the specie of trees to be planted were chosen for its character. If it has a nasty habit of littering the roads with its leaves, it would not be the tree of choice. This botanical discrimination is for the purpose of cutting down the cost of cleaning up, which makes a lot of sense. Singapore is greener than many other cities including those of its neighbours. Most pedestrian malls and boulevards are lined with trees on either sides to provide natural sheds. This is a city that cares for its citizens and visitors, putting taxpayers' money to good use and providing excellent amenities for the people. Unlike Kuala Lumpur, it is a pedestrian friendly city. Bustling Orchard Road in the city centre are covered by shady trees .The same cannot be said of Jalan Bukit Bintang in downtown Kuala Lumpur. After Kebun Raya in Bogor, Indonesia and the Pamplemousses in Mauritius, Singapore is the only other country in this region that can boast of having a botanical garden.

A functional city must have good public transportation system.This city state has one of the most efficient and reliable public transport. The public buses and LRT are clean and on schedule.Taxis are available everywhere and round the clock. Taxis cannot refuse to take passengers as long as they are not changing shift. Any taxi driver found to have broken the code of conduct may lose his taxi licence.This is a government that mean business and enforce the law without fear or favour.

Try get a taxi in Kuala Lumpur during peak hours, most taxi drivers will refuse to take you to the place you want to go, if they do agree, they will charge you a bomb. Worse still, there were many instances where taxi drivers cheated foreign tourists by overcharging the fare.Recently, there was a case where a taxi driver raped his female passengers. Discipline is still a big problem with taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur.

Many years ago when I was still staying in Singapore there was case of a rickshaw driver who charged a Japanese tourist an exorbitant amount for a short ride on his rickshaw.The driver was charged and when the case went to court, the Singapore government brought back the Japanese tourist to attend the court case as a witness and a victim. The Japanese tourist got a free holiday as all expenses were paid by the government. Most other government would have considered it a petty crime and would not have bothered.Some 9.7 million tourists visited Singapore in 2005.

Lee KuanYew is a gift to his country. He became Prime Minister of self-governing Singapore at the age of 35 and at 42 he was Prime Minister of independent Singapore.

In his second memoirs 'From Third World To First' he said "We faced tremendous odds with an improbable chance of survival.Singapore was not a natural country but man-made, a trading post the British had developed into a nodal point in their world-wide maritime empire.We inherited the island without its hinterland, a heart without a body."

Immediately after the expulsion many foreign press predicted doom for Singapore .The Sydney Morning Herald, on 10th Aug 1965 wrote "An independent Singapore was not regarded as viable three years ago.Nothing in the current situation suggests that it is more viable today".The London Sunday Times, on 22 August 1965 wrote "Singapore economy would collapse if the British bases - costing more than 100 million sterling - were closed"

Undaunted by the prophecies of the Western media, Lee Kuan Yew almost single-handedly set out to prove that nothing is unattainable as long as you persevere, which he did and proved them wrong.

The per capita GDP of Singapore in 1959 was US$400, in 1990 it had grown to US$12,200 and in1999 to US$22,000.Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy.The manufacturing industry is well-diversified into electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences.In 2006, Singapore produced 10% of the world's foundary wafer output.It is also the busiest port in the world in term of tonnage shipped.It is the world fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre after London,New York City and Tokyo.It has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world.Thousand of foreign expatriates work in multi-national corporations in Singapore.

The per capita GDP in 2006 was US$26,833.It was ranked No.24 in 2005 per capita GDP.How could a seemingly godless person like Lee Kuan Yew transformed a small tropical backwater into an economic powerhouse without any natural resources and with a population of less than 5 millions?

It has been said 'take care of the penny and the pound will take care of itself'.

Singapore success story had been on...... nothing is to small, or too little........ like the tourist and the rickshaw driver.

In Malaysia, we want the biggest, the tallest, the longest ............and got short end of the stick!

Friday, October 12, 2007

LAND OF THE YAHOOS ?

HANTU LAUT

Should Malaysia always be in the news for the wrong reason ? Malaysians have been known to display the ugly sides of their purportedly civilised and modern outlook. A 'bodoh sombong' , a regressive behaviour that have made them looking more stupid, uncivilised and a laughing stock to their neighbours and the rest of the world. Since Hitler's vision of the Aryan race and apartheid in South Africa no other country in the world had ever institutionalised their race as being supreme.No government had the balls to dare incorporate it as a government policy, if it exists, it would be unspoken. In Malaysia, the Malay politicians openly speak about ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy). Those, who believe innately so, had thrown caution to the winds and behaved appallingly.

The recent arrest and detention of an Indonesian diplomat's wife speaks volume of the intelligence of the people at RELA, a government appointed vigilante,whom in the first place should not have been given the power to arrest illegal immigrant. These are lowly educated, half-trained and half-baked enforcement personnel who would be more suited to clear the streets off stray dogs. Putting power in the wrong hands are likened to putting a gun in the hand of a five-year old child. This is RELA doing police's work.

The police force, enforcer of law and order, have highly questionable integrity and are alleged to be unclean from head to toe.Some policemen have been known to solicit bribes from poor and defenceless immigrants, illegal or otherwise. The recent arrest of a senior police officer, who had amassed almost RM 7 millions in ill-gotten gains was only the tip of the iceberg.Even the IGP (Chief 0f Police) had been accused of corruption and giving protection to underworld crime lords.An allegation that had been cleared and confirmed by the Attorney-General as spuriously untrue. A Deputy Home Minister was also accused of taking a RM5 million bribes to release some organised crime lords.An allegation hastily demolished, for lack of evidence, by the Attorney-General's office.

If the police were not on a good pedestal, what sort of moral integrity could you expect from members of RELA .They have acted like thugs and gangsters and brutalised their victims.

At midnight on 11 February 2006, Rela carried out a raid on foreign workers in the Selayang open market. “According to eye-witnesses, those migrant workers caught were beaten up by the Rela personnel and treated like cattle.” Citing a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report, the memo continued: “...five died while fleeing the raid. Five bodies were found in a small lake near the open market in Selayang Baru.” Further, “Kuala Lumpur Hospital confirmed that four bodies had been taken from the lake in Selayang while another body...was said to be buried quickly.”

It is strange that after such a serious incident involving loss of life, the Immigration authorities and the government remained silent.No inquiry by the government into the circumstances of this raid was made nor was any public statement on it forthcoming.

On 28 February, 61 Indian nationals, cheated and left in the lurch, penniless, by an unscrupulous employment agent, and reduced to sitting and waiting for assistance outside their embassy for a number of days, were also assaulted by Rela. Some of them were badly injured in the attack; but were not been given medical treatment. They were detained, unjustifiably.

Another raid on 13 May in Selayang market and Seri Kembangan at around 2.45 am, involving around 1,000 Rela personnel unaccompanied by police or immigration officers, was carried out in an “indecent and brutal manner”, according to Suaram.

In July, Rela conducted a raid on a refugee settlement in Putrajaya. The Achenese refugees were rudely awakened at 3.00 am and herded into lorries by Rela personnel. They were handcuffed with zip-ties and taken a distance to a partly constructed building in Sungai Merab. They were searched and nine of them detained because they did not have UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) cards on them. At 6.30 am, those not detained were sent back to the settlement to find Rela personnel carting away all their belongings after setting their houses on fire. They were left with nothing but “the clothes on their backs”. What was the reason for this inhumanity? None has been given by Rela or the government.

Three more raids are known to have been carried out so far, two in Selangor and one in Penang. All invariably with violence, destruction of property and commission of theft, discovered after the raids by Rela. Pregnant women and children including babies are not spared in the raids and ill-treatment, lack of proper medical attention or degrading conditions in detention centres common features.

Even more disturbing was Rela chief Khairi Mohd. Alwee’s statement in The Malay Mail on 19 October. Replying to complaints by residents of Taman Anggerik, Selangor that Rela members had broken their door locks and gates to gain entry to search their houses for undocumented immigrants at 5 am on 14 October, he said they had acted according to procedure.

He added, “Rela officers were authorised to enter and search premises without warrants and arrest and handcuff suspects.” Further, he confirmed, “ We are also authorised to carry firearms but we don’t flaunt it to avoid chaos.”

From the arrest and detention of black African tourist to the bashing of an Indonesian rugby coach by police, raid on elderly non-Muslim foreign couples by Islamic Council enforcement officers and many more shamefully stupid actions by those clowns in uniform, the government didn't bat an eyelid on the matter. The senseless actions of these enforcement agencies shows how dim-witted they are and a shame to this country.

What had brought so many illegal immigrants to this country ? Most of the problem had to do with wrong government policies and greed of certain people in power to capitalise on the situation to make money. Most legal recruitment of foreign workers were given to employment agencies appointed by the Immigration Department with some having close connection with certain senior officers in the department. Most of these agencies are run by less than honourable people.The local employment agency worked together with another employment agency in the foreign worker's home country.Both employer and employee paid a hefty sum to the employment agencies. Most of the foreign workers were fleeced so badly, major part of their earning went to pay these unscrupulous agents. To make matters even worse the government imposed high foreign workers levy which can burden certain industry in the country. Not all industries enjoy the same profit margin.For some labour intensive industry, the high cost of recruitment, would eats into their profit margin.

Due to the high cost of coming to work in Malaysia, many foreign workers prefer to take the risk and come into the country illegally and some employer would also take the risk of employing them illegally.

It's time for the government to liberalise the employment of foreign workers, lower the levy and disband the notoriously unpleasant RELA.

They are a disgrace to the country.


Note: Some texts on the incidents by RELA were taken from Aliran.

Latest on RELA:
Rela chief instructs officer to lodge police report

Thursday, October 4, 2007

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE IN AMERICA

HANTU LAUT

Presidential hopeful, Sen.John McCain made a home truth statement that America is a Christian nation and that he prefers the President to be a Christian, short of saying that he must also be white.

He said “I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation,” . Senator Joe Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, defended him and said “I have known John McCain very well for many years and I know that he does not have a bigoted bone in his body,” said Lieberman, according to The Associated Press. “I know that he is fair and just to all Americans regardless of their faith.” Except for several Jewish and Muslims organisations, McCain's statement had little impact on the American populace in general.

Later McCain clarified his remarks while campaigning in Hollis, New Hampshire and said “What I do mean to say is the United States of America was founded on … Judeo-Christian values, which were translated by our founding fathers [and are] basically the rights of human dignity and human rights,”

What McCain had said was not far from the truth.America is a Judeo-Christian nation under the pretext of practising pluralistic faiths.Although, America has no religious requirement for public office, it is an unwritten law and by convention that the President should be white and preferably Christian. If Obama, who is half black, thinks he can be President, he must be having a dream. Just like Martin Luther King "I have a dream", he has to wait his time, and that time may not have time for him during his lifetime.

In a hypocritical mode, McCain went on to say “But that doesn't mean that I’m sure that someone who is Muslim would not make a good president,” he added, saying he would vote for a Muslim if the person was “best able to lead the country and defend our political values.”. This is hard to believe, coming from a Christian hardliner. If Black African, who had been there, as long as the Whites, couldn't reach the highest office, would anyone honestly believe Muslims have a chance ? What McCain had just said was pure lip service just to be seen to be politically correct with the American populace. It was not 'an honest to God' statement.

John McCain, was born in Panama, was assured of his US citizenship by both jus sanguinis (right of blood) and jus soli (right of soil) as both his parents were American and he was born on American-controlled soil.If McCain wins the 2008 Presidential Election, he would be the oldest President to ascent to power and the first one to be born outside the 50 states. Would McCain have a chance? Most likely, because he is white and a Christian.Would Barrack Obama have a chance ? Most unlikely, he may be Christian but he is not white.

America may be a melting pot, but it is still the fiefdom of the white race with major control of almost everything, first and foremost political power. To think that Muslims and Blacks can be President is a 'dream'. To the uninitiated, America is the biggest democracy in the world.It may seems so but it's certainly not the truest form of democracy. There are still many un-institutionalised racism and discrimination. Take the case of presidential hopeful Mitt Romny, a Mormon by faith.

Where ever Mitt Romny goes, the question was whether his faith would hurt his quest for the Republican presidential nomination. His response was that only members of the media brought up his religion as an issue.In spite of his denial, the feeling on the ground shows that most royal Republican would not vote for him because of his religion.A Newsweek poll shows that 28 percent of American would not vote for any member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.There still exists deep prejudice against Mormonism.

Romny would make a perfect Republican candidate, good looking, able to raise fund,conservative and promised not to raise taxes. Would he have a chance ? Some Republican insisted that Mormonism is a cult. Romny may not make it due to religious discrimination.

Would the current President, George Bush fits the typical 'red neck' image. Bush won the first presidential election not on popular vote but on an electoral vote. Due to his not so great popularity, Bush decided to go to war to regain the peoples' support and confidence.After Sept 11, 2001, in October the same year he ordered the invasion of Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban regime and declared global war on terrorism.In March 2003, he ordered the massive invasion of Iraq.The Gallup poll recorded his approval rating soared to 90% immediately after he launched the war.He was re-elected in November 2003.A Newsweek poll taken in June 2007 shows Bush approval rating had plummeted to 26%, the lowest ever recorded for a sitting president in 35 years. Have the American people grown sick of him, his lies and his incompetence. He practically pays good money to chase bad money.

It is almost seven years since he first launched his military adventure into Afghanistan. Today, the Taliban have regrouped and launched new offensive against the American backed Kabul regime and against American forces in the country.Osama and Al-Qaeda have regained strenght and declared war on General Musharraf's Pakistan. Pakistan has to bear the frequent suicide bombings and terrorist attacks from Al-Qaeda.

Almost five years, there is no end in sight on the war in Iraq. It's has gotten worse with the daily killing and bombing of innocent civilians.

Is Bush the pride of the nation?

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

ICONOCLAST OR IDIOTS ?

HANTU LAUT
(A Secularist and Pacifist)

"Never underestimate the destructive power of stupid people I'm happy to report that we at Pedestrian Infidel are continuing to get under the skins and piss off Muslims. The honor is ours!"


That's the opening paragraph of an anti-Islamic blogger who was irked by my article 'Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Are we in compatible ?'

The article is not an affront to Judaism and Christianity and I had not the slightest intention to insult or desecrate the two religions. The article merely stated the history of Jewish persecution over the past two millennium by the Romans and later Christians. For those who don't have the stomach to digest history and accept that the human race irrespective of race, colour and creed are capable of committing injustices, atrocities and genocides, are either pretending to be ignorant or living in a state of denial of the crimes committed by their forefathers.As the Bible teaches all Christians " Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" NEW TESTAMENT, John,VIII,13.

Men of all creeds had, over the millennium, forsaken religion and God to pursue personal glory through expansion of territory, ideology and sphere of influence.Hegemonic control of countries and the people had always been through forceful means.No conquest had been achieved without bloodshed and atrocities committed on the vanquished. Alexander the Great had conquered many territories as far east as India.He had no need for such vast stretch of land, needless to say, he did it for personal glory. The Roman empire covered most countries in Europe and those around the Mediterranean. This so called civilisation had, in pursuing the expansion of its empire, committed untold atrocities on the people defeated and conquered by them.Jesus Christ, a Galilean Jew, a central figure in Christianity was accused of sedition against the Roman Empire and was crucified. He died in the most horrible way. The persecution of Jews and Christians went on for a few centuries in the Roman Empire.After 313 CE, Christianity was legalised and had become the official state religion.

When Hitler became the 'Fuhrer' in 1934 he had a vision of a great German Empire that he perceived should cover half the globe, ruled and populated only by people of unadulterated Aryan blood. His madness brought great destruction, massive loss of human lives and mass extermination of Jews in most part of Europe.In Russia, at about the same time, Stalin, killed few millions of his countrymen in the 'Great Purge', anyone who opposed or perceived to oppose him were either killed or sent to the Gulag, a forced labour camp where prisoners worked like slaves under most atrocious conditions.In Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, Pol Pot, another mad man, senselessly massacred about 2 millions of his own people, many professionals were killed to satisfy his whims of turning the country to an agrarian society.In 1994 the biggest genocide in recent time killed almost 1.0 million ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda, mostly hacked to death by Hutu militiamen in 100 days, the most efficient killing spree ever recorded. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein massacred few thousands Kurds after an attempted assassination on his life. Genocide in Darfur and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Don't you see the similarities in all of them.None of this atrocities and wars were for religion, they were for the greed of men.

I will further show how the West, which are mostly Christian populated nations were so embroiled in hypocrisy,they forgot what they preach, they don't do what they have preached.

There had been many genocides in the world where the Western powers and the United States, the self-proclaimed global policemen had closed their eyes to. The genocide in Combodia, the genocide in Rwanda, the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and the current genocide in Darfur. Where were the morally upright and caring American? Why didn't the President send his troops to stop the massacre of innocent civilians by invading the country and bring the leaders to trial and execute them like what they did to Saddam Hussein. Do the Americans love the Iraqis more than the black African ? Or was it Iraqis' oil that they love ?

America pick and choose where they want to be. Its priority is America's economic interest not human lives.The American administration don't give a damn, even if there were another holocaust as long as it does not injure the American economy.

To take the criminal actions of Osama and other terrorist organisations that shouted jihad as, teachings of the Koran, to inflict violence on Jews and Christians, is nothing but bad intention of the anti-Islamic groups to rile up the Muslims even further.Osama is not the typical Muslim, he is an outcaste, a pariah of the Islamic ummah, a mad man, who, not unlike George Bush, perceived violence as a solution to stop violence. To equate violence to Islam is a complete lack of profundity. A Western chauvinism and a misplaced self-fulfilling doctrine of superiority, the dogmas of the Western nations.

The days of miracles are over, God doesn't speak to men any more. It is man who speaks to man to do evil things.The person who strapped bomb onto his body and blow himself and other innocent people up were the product of evil man, not evil religion.

How would you, yes you!, the one that find honor to piss off Muslims and insult Mohammad, the sacred prophet of Islam, benefited from your action. Don't you think your malicious actions could worsen the problem? What do you hope to achieve by doing such derogatory task of insulting other religion ? Do you think you are any better than the mad Muslims that you are trying to incite?

Sunday, September 30, 2007

WHO ARE THE MORONS:THE LAWYERS OR THE POLITICIANS

HANTU LAUT

The controversy surrounding the VK Lingam video will soon be a top earner at the box-office.Anwar Ibrahim has promised a second part or, in cinematic term, the sequel.

Is Anwar throwing cautions to the wind by openly implicating the Chief Justice, Ahmad Fairuz as the person at the other end of the line. In a forum held at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on the 29th Sept attended by 250 odd crowd, Anwar promised a second part of the clip. In the forum titled 'From Nurin to Chief Justice:A collapse of law and order' he said he would like to see Ahmad Fairuz, who had vehemently denied any involvement, defend himself at the trail.Is there going to be a trail ? How can he be so sure it was Ahmad Fairuz.Has he ever considered, no matter how remote it is, the possibility that the video conversation could have been VK Lingam's play acting to show how influential he is, to impress certain people.

The snake in the grass, whoever he was, probably realized the value of the spurious video to the opposition to gain political mileage. Why was the man in a slumber for so long before waking up and found the good fortune the video would bring him ? Why didn't the video surface during the last general election ?

Another angle that Anwar may be, too blinded to look at, is the possibility that the whole thing was staged by people with an axe to grind with the Chief Justice or to embarrass Badawi's government.

Fabrication and lies are not unknown in politics. The recent doctored picture of Najib, which unashamedly, was the handiwork of his man, Chief Information Officer of PKR, Tian Chua was a disgraceful attempt to mislead the people. Anwar seems to condone and encourage this kind of unconscionable action within his party. Whether Najib is guilty or not is not the point, the point is why stooped so low to try gain political mileage.What kind of message are you sending to the people ? Can you form an honest government when you are prepared to use underhand tactics.

Nobody would really know whether the man was Ahmad Fairuz, unless the case goes to court after investigation. Is it fair to accuse the man without substantive evidence ? I thought the law in this country says "You are innocent until proven guilty".

Do you think the people would believe him after the 'Najib' incident ? This could be just another ploy to discredit the government.Surprisingly, the law fraternity, presumably inspired by their learned friends in Pakistan, had without any hesitation, decided to join in the circus and marched from the Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister's office to submit a memorandum. Like Anwar, have they decided that Fairuz is guilty ?. Do you really need 2000 lawyers to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister ? Are they showing the way to the people how to conduct demonstration, protest march and civil disobedience ?

The authenticity of the video seems doubtful.The sound is much too clear to be picked up by cellular phone microphone. The man, VK Lingam, if that was him, was using a cellphone and moving about all the time, but surprisingly the voice is still crisp, without any distortion whatsoever, making it more like a voice-over and dubbing work.

Has Anwar and PKR reached a bridge that's difficult to cross to continue their journey to the seats of government. The general consensus is that PKR might not do well in this coming election and are desperately in need of a new formula to boost its popularity.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

'Saddam Killed Mandela' - Bush at news conference.

HANTU LAUT

You wouldn't believe it, how stupid this man is.Was he joking ? His facial expression didn't show he was. This is the man who run the most powerful nation on planet Earth.This man is intellectually deficient, as I have stated in my article 'A Message For Mr Bush'. His knowledge on foreign affairs sucks. His foreign affair policy.....war...war and war !

Has America ever won a war ? The answer is no.

The American helped to stop the 2nd World War by dropping the atomic bombs on civilian population in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing hundreds of thousand innocent Japanese civilians.They never won the war through conventional warfare. In the Korean War, they managed to split the country into two.They lost the Vietnam War after over a decade of fighting that killed over a million Vietnamese and ravaged the country.

They can never win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is almost five years now, are Iraq and Afghanistan safer now than before ? Has America brought peace to these two countries ?

Ask, George Bush. He would tell you he had won the war and sent the terrorists to oblivion.

God bless America !

God! Please save the world from this madman.

THE VIOLENT CITY; 20 WAYS YOU CAN AVOID BEING A VICTIM OF VIOLENCE.

HANTU LAUT

There are multitude of dangers in the city.Do you know you can die in numerous ways in the city, from being robbed and killed in your own home to being run over by a car to being mugged and killed on the streets. You read horror stories of rape, robbery, kidnapping and murder almost every day in the newspapers. You can also die from man made and natural calamities, road rage, pollution, poisoning, fire, earthquake and hosts of other hazard that probably never crossed your mind.

Recently, the whole nation was in a state of shock and anger by the rape and murder of an innocent young girl, eight-year old Nurin.She went missing for almost a month and was later found dead, her body stuffed in a bag.She was kept by her perpetrator for almost a month, probably tortured, repeatedly rape and finally killed. Few years ago was the case of Canny Ong, abducted,raped and killed. Than, there was the high profile murder case of Noritta Shamsudin, a girl who reputedly lived in the fast lane, killed in her own apartment.Her case still remains unsolved.

The criminals are getting bolder and more ruthless. Bank robberies in Peninsula Malaysia are common occurrences, even the homes of ex IGPs were not spared, they have no fear at all that the occupants have firearms.These hardcore criminals had no fear of the law.They are prepared to kill or be killed

The highest possible way you can die in the city is in road accidents.Malaysia has one of the highest road fatalities in the world.In 2003, we have the highest road fatalities amongst the OECD countries. In that year, Malaysia had 6,286 fatalities and per capita death rate of 26.75 out of a population of 24 million, Japan, on the other hand, had 8,877 fatalities and per capita death of 6.97 out of 127 millions people.Last year, we had 6,287 deaths with per capita death of 23.5. Not much of an improvement, taking into consideration more and better roads had been built.

Malaysians are one of the worst drivers in the world, discourteous, impulsive and reckless. Your chance of you getting knock down while crossing a street in the city is pretty high.The third world mentality are still very much entrenched in the minds of many Malaysians.The so-called friendly and caring Malaysian become a wild beast once he is behind the wheel. Queue-jumping and jumping the red light are common occurrences.Overtaking using the road shoulder or layby are very common when roads are congested. Equally annoying are misplaced courtesy of many motorists in this country had by giving way to these road offenders.My experience on British and American highways were completely different, if you jumped the queue, no one will give way to you till the cows come home, you probably learnt a lesson too late and believe me, you wouldn’t want to do it again for the rest of your life.Malaysians should take a leaf from the this type of driving culture.

Living in the city can be an urban nightmare.You must develop an attitude to urban life that will help you cope with all kinds of situations.The daily stress of driving on choked highways and looking for a place to park your car can be exasperating.Family and financial problems can have a disastrous outcome for those incapable of coping with stress.There are many stress-inducing factors in the city.Attack or robbery, fear if illness, fear of losing employment, financial constraint and many more can all prey on the mind. Money, unfortunately, is most vital for urban survival, without money, staying in the city is next to impossible.In a big city like Kuala Lumpur earning less than RM3,000. per month would probably mean your are living below the urban poverty line.

Kuala Lumpur, together with its satellite towns and suburbs, has about 3 millions people, not a huge metropolis, but have many inherent problems. The gleaming skyscrapers that adorned the skyline, the beautiful looking highways and flyovers are all false facade.The city has one of the worst traffic management system for any modern city.The public transport system is equally horrendous.Flagging down a taxi during peak hours is a game of chance.If it stops to pick you up, the driver decides where he would like to go.If you are lucky, he agrees to take you, you would soon realize, you are not so lucky after all, the fare he demands would be so exorbitantly high, you would very much like to land a punch on him.At this time of the day, the meter is obsolete, the cab driver is king.

During peak hours, at certain locations, policemen are deployed to direct traffic, taking over the job of the antiquated traffic lights.In heavy downpour, flash flood in low laying areas can happened within the hour and immobilize traffic to a standstill.Infrastructure development has not kept pace with the proliferation of motorized vehicle. Tempers can run high on choked highways and are recipes for road rages.

Malaysia can learn a lesson or two from Singapore how to make a city functional.In Singapore all traffic lights have intelligence sensors, it can automatically adjusts, to regulate the traffic flow according to demand.It can adjusts to give more time to the direction with the greatest demand. In Kuala Lumpur, traffic light once installed are left to its own devices.

In Kuala Lumpur, driving alone at night on a lonely stretch of road has its risks.If you are somehow unlucky , you may encounter the Malaysian version of the ‘Hell Angels” called the ‘Mat Rempits’, mostly Malay boys with nocturnal habits and obnoxious personality, riding those noisy little Japanese bikes, invariably looked down upon by their richer cousins on the Harleys.These are the road maniacs of Kuala Lumpur, the kamikaze riders who are prepared to risk their lives for the price of a pittance and a sexual trophy. The later probably gave them the adrenalin to risk their lives.

For many people the greatest threat in the urban jungle is that of violence. Mugging, snatch thieve and other violent crimes have increased considerably in recent years.People are less prepared to go to help others in trouble.There were cases where good Samaritans had been killed while helping those under attack. There is no point risking your life if you can’t really help.

In April 2003, at Kota Kinabalu, a 12-year old boy was stabbed to death in a crowded place in broad daylight and nobody came to his rescue in spite of his cries for help.On Wednesday 19th Sept 200, a woman in Wangsa Maju was abducted from her house by unidentified men armed with knives.Her fate is not known yet.On 20th Sept at Kajang, a Datuk and his family were robbed by ten men armed with parang after overpowering two security guards.They escaped with RM1 million in cash and valuables. On 24th Sept, at Kepong, two women were raped and murdered in their own apartment. Few years back a man was waylaid in the carpark of his upmarket apartment, bundled into his car, driven to a remote area and dumped, the criminals went back to his apartment, gained entrance with his house keys, robbed and gang rape the wife.Crime statistic shows average of 6 rapes a day in Malaysia.

Fear is an element that can cause high mental stresses.It is not something to be ashamed of, as long as we do not lose control of reality.Fear can even be an asset.It can make you wary and more alert at home or on the streets.It can give you a presence of mind in an emergency situation.Fear can also built up the adrenalin rush in your body, giving you that superman’s feats, doing things that seems impossible when you are at ease.It is important that you are able to differentiate fear from panic.Never let your fear turned to panic.Panic will make you act irrationally and in all likely hood endanger yourself and your family.

In a life-threatening situation don’t make yourself vulnerable.Use your common sense.Don’t try to be a hero if you don’t have the upper hand.Those who makes crime their profession are less dangerous than the amateur and the opportunist.The amateurs are more likely to do grievous hurt or kill you if they panic.Any criminal that show sign of nervousness and panic should definitely be handled with care.

There are many ways we can insulate ourselves and reduce the chances of being victim of violence. Below are a few tips I would like to share with my readers.

AT HOME

The first place to make safe and secure are our homes.

1.Make sure all windows and doors are secured against intruder.If you can afford it, installed burglar alarm. They are getting cheaper, more sophisticated and more reliable.If you are staying in a house, keeping dogs would be an added protection.Dogs are the first line of defence, their barking will alert you that an intruder may be nearby.Dogs need to be schooled for obedience training, otherwise you may upset your neighbours, if your dogs bark incessantly.If you have a big compound, it is advisable to keep more than one dog.Most Malays don’t keep dogs, it’s more culture than religion.Islam do not forbids Muslims from keeping dogs.Only the dog’s saliva is considered unhygienic.

2.Iron-grilled windows do not guarantee to keep intruders out but they can be a hazard to the occupants and a fire-trap in the event of a fire. They are also not exactly burglar-proof.The materials used are mostly mild steel bar and plates and can easily snap under pressure.Some buglers used a small hydraulic jack to break the welded joint.It’s fast and noiseless.

3.Burglars biggest enemy are noise and bright light.Most people tend to switch-off their porch and garden lights at night to save electricity.This could be penny wise and pound foolish.A bright situation could deter would be buglers.Used energy-saving bulbs to bring down your power bills.Darkness is burglar’s best friend, if you can afford it,don’t tempt them.

4.If your house is broken into while you and your family are at home, don’t panic or try to apprehend the burglar.Most burglars and robbers come to steal your money and valuables, not to kill you.Stay calm and give them whatever they wanted.Better losing you money and valuables than losing your life or member of your family.Never presume that you see only one burglar and you think he is alone, he may have some friends somewhere in the house or outside.If you have young daughters, if it is possible, ask them to cover up with a bed sheet or blanket and to avoid eyes contact with the burglars.It will not guarantee to stop rape but it would reduce the chances as compared to, if they are fully exposed.

5.If a stranger call at your house, do not open your gate to let him into your compound, go out and speak to him over the gate.If he insisted of coming in under the pretext of coming to inspect something, call the police immediately.Locked your doors and stay in the house until the police arrive.If you are in an apartment always keep the safety chain on and speak through the gap.Never let any stranger in, if you are alone in the apartment.

6.Young children should always be taught not to talk to strangers.Children should also be taught not to follow anyone, including relatives and friends, unless specifically allowed by the parents.Those going to school on a school bus must be back as usual.If your child missed coming home and you don’t know where he is, lodge an immediate report at the nearest police station.Always monitor your child movement at home and when they are out by themselves or out with you.There were cases where children had disappeared from shopping complex due to negligence of parents.Never leave your child unattended in the car, even for a few seconds.Never let your child to go out on their own.

7.Fire, can be your friend or worst enemy.Many house fire are started by carelessness and negligence.Never leave an open flame unattended in the kitchen or elsewhere in the house. The smallest candle can become a monstrous fire.It is good practice to keep some fire extinguishers in the house.To avoid electrical fire, never overload your power points, learn to keep the wattage within the allowed limit and always switch off any appliances not in use.If you are going for a long holiday it is good practice to switch off the main power supply to your TV,video,computer,etc and only keep on the essential one for your refrigerator, freezers and burglar alarm.

8.Keep away all medicine, drugs and poisonous chemical away from children, store them in a place where children can’t reach them.Discard unused medicine.

ON THE ROAD

9.Always check your car for the basic operational and safety requirement, brakes, clutch, tyre and tyre pressure, lights, lubricant, fuel and water in the radiator/windscreen washer.These are basic requirement that will decide whether your car will keep you alive or kill you on the road.

10.Always respect the highway codes.Never jump queue or the red light.Never drive under influence of alcohol.Learn defensive driving skill.Try to be courteous to other road users.Be helpful and give way to those in a tight situation even though it is your right of way.

11.Don’t be a road bully.Likewise, don’t be victim to road bully.If you are caught in an ugly situation, leave the scene as quickly as possible.If you are being pursued, drive to the nearest police station.Always try to remember or jot down the registration number of the car and give it to the police.

12.Always lock all your doors while in the car.If you think you are in imminent danger while waiting at a traffic light, drive away if the course is clear. It is better to pay a fine than being abducted and killed.Stick to the route you know best, especially at night, and do not drive alone on lonely and unfamiliar road.

13.Park your car in an area where there are likely to be more people around.Avoid basement car park in shopping complexes at night. Some can be very deserted after 7 p.m and a potential criminals hunting ground.

14.Never leave your house address, telephone number and house keys in your car.Put all items like laptop, camera , bag, etc in the booth of you car.

ON THE STREET

15.Don’t walk through narrow and lonely lane at night even if it can shorten the journey to your destination.

16.Take the route that you know best or which you think is the safest.

17.Keep an eye on your children if they are with you, don’t let them wander away.

18.Don’t be easily taken in by touts.There are all kinds, hanging around the streets and shops, peddling their wares.Ignore them and tell the persistent ones in no uncertain term, that you will report them to the police if they continue to disturb you.

19.Unless you have to, avoid very crowded place.This is where pickpockets and snatch thieves hang around.You can also lose track of your children in a melee.

20.Lastly, whatever you do, be it shopping, eating and entertainment always be street smart, don’t let greed take over your common sense.

Most of us are creature of habits and take a lot of things for granted.We only blame ourselves after something untoward happened and the damage done.You are what you think you are and you will achieve what you think you will. Your safety and that of your family is your responsibility.Take whatever precautions necessary to protect them.