Saturday, August 30, 2008

Of Conduct Unbecoming

Hantu Laut

I am not going to walk, touch or talk on the subject of the Budget.Too many have commented, some with hardly a full sentence.We should leave it to the experts to dissect it and come to their own conclusion.This is an imperfect world and just like beauty,imperfection too is in the eyes of the beholder.

It would be foolish to think that the oppositions would have nice words for Abdullah's budget. Anwar Ibrahim although was a former finance minister chose to play to the gallery by saying Malaysia is the only oil-producing country that have a deficit budget.It's pure posturing and grandstanding.He should know what he says meant nothing in macroeconomic terms. There are many other indicators that determine the economic health of a nation, like balance of payment ,external debt,GDP growth and many others that are the essentials.

The United States had been on budget deficit for umpteen years and yet it is the wealthiest nation on earth.Of course there are differences between the U.S. and Malaysian economy, but overall the principles should be the same.

Anwar only tells you one side of the story.He didn't tell you that Malaysia consumed almost three-quarters of its oil production,some directly and some through import replacement, therefore, the net surplus is the quantity exported which is not by any measure considered huge and put Malaysia in the league of oil-exporting nations.If you don't have over a million barrels a day you are considered a non-entity and can't even enter the exclusive club---OPEC.

Oil is not Malaysia's staple export.To look at as a cash cow as suggested by Anwar Ibrahim is foolhardy.

I do agree wasteful spending and corruptions had some adverse effect on the economy but it is not anything dissimilar from the time he was deputy prime minister and finance minister when he had the chance to do something about it but chose not to for well known reasons.

Across the South China Sea, on the other side, in the 'Land Below The Wind' former Chief Minister and former President of LDP Chong Kah Kiat said what the people are witnessing today are leaders who once were lavishly praising the BN leadership barely four months ago, but now condemning the same publicly.

Without mentioning any quarters by name he said "It incredulous.Before we see them hugging and hovering around our PM and DPM and talking highly about them".He said the rakyat have good memory and remember what they have said earlier.

I couldn't agree more with Chong of the low moral standard of some of our politicians.Some of them think they can fool the rakyat with their audacious rhetoric.Some pretend not to remember the abuse of power and corruption they indulged in when they were in power and have the audacity to accuse others of the same.

In Sabah the President of SAPP had questioned Chief Minister Musa Aman on the fresh injection of capital of RM200 million into Amanah Saham Sabah to revive its unit share price.Many Sabahans lost their whole life-saving in this badly managed State investment arm.

The whole of Sabah knew the huge losses at ASS occurred during Yong's time as Chief Minister. This is also the very same man who did nothing about the illegal immigrants during his tenure as Sabah Chief Minister and is now harping and howling at the Prime Minister and accusing him of not doing anything about this long standing issue and ordered his MPs to pass a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The only chief minister that had taken action against illegal immigrants was Chong Kah Kiat.

Some politicians seemed not to have any sense of shame and don't give two hoots of what people think of them as long as they can satisfy their greed.It's telling on your character if with the blink of your eyes you can flip over your tongue and say something in complete contradiction of your earlier statement.

The MPs of SAPP have attempted to remove the PM but failed to do so and the party is still in the BN.

There are two things Yong Tet Lee can do, he either take SAPP out of the BN or failing which, he should resign from SAPP.

That should be the way of an honourable man.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Please Don't Kill The Messenger

Hantu Laut

I view with grave concern the government contemplation of cracking down on bloggers.

If you were given the bad news and are not happy with it should you kill the messenger or do something to find out the source of your trouble.That's exactly what our government going to do with the internet,make it simple and easy, kill it.

In January this year, after the Davos conference, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that Google is interested in building a data centre in the country. Google is also looking at Japan,South Korea Taiwan,India and few other countries in Asia as possible data centres.Would Malaysia have one hell of a chance to compete with the others with the recent clampdown on bloggers and blocking of the most popular website?

The government have ordered 21 ISPs in the country to block the controversial website Malaysia Today as a prelude to a bigger and wider clampdown on bloggers and websites that are deemed to be anti-government.The government explained here.What happened to the BILL OF GUARANTEES that promised no Internet censorship? Where would the government stands in the eyes of the international community having reneged on its promise to foreign and local investors.

Is Raja Petra one bad apple that's going to spoil the whole damn basket? He might have spun a yarn or two, much to the anguish of the aggrieved party, but why punish the messenger when there are laws in this country to bring civil actions against him for libellous publications.Were there too many skeletons hidden in the closet that deter those who felt the heat of his seemingly venomous compositions to drag him to a civil court to settle the score.

Using the doctrine of fear to silence him have not deterred him at all.It appears the government have found Raja Petra a hard nut to crack and are prepared to lose its credibility by blocking his website which is more a news portal rather than a personal blog.Among other things including his own writings, his website also carries assortment of local and world news and writings from other blogs that he deems worthy of wider audience and readership.

The government is adding more iron to the fire. It's already suffering a serious credibility crisis,instead of simmering down the flame it has added more inflammable material to add to its misery.

For how long could the government stop bloggers from speaking up?

Any further clampdown and restrictions would send them underground, which is not too hard to do for those who are determine.Using a laptop and blogging under anonymity a blogger can move from one place to another using public wi-fi system, it would be hell of a hard time for the authorities to nap him.What than, ban all wi-fi in the country?

I am all for pulling in rogue bloggers and charged them with the relevant laws but to try close down or block websites just goes to show the government have ran out of ideas on how to find the right solution to the problem.It has brought itself to inextremis malady.

For those who truly believe in their political cause being incarcerated is not something that they fear.Anwar Ibrahim spent many years in prison and has come out stronger and more determined to change the political landscape in this country.He may be unstoppable if the government do not shape up pretty soon.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Permatang Pauh In Videos

Hantu Laut

Would the incautious and incendiary remarks and incidence of affray at Permatang Pauh by-election open the doors to becoming the norm in future elections.

Here are some of the new and worrying trends of politicking in Malaysia:


Buses carrying suspected phantom voters caught.
PKR's Indian MP telling off a Malay police officer and said because of corruption the Malays are prepared to sell their country including their wife and their children.

Not a pretty language coming from a member of parliament.To provoke the police with unsavoury language and racist outburst is most shocking and should not be tolerated especially coming from a lawmaker.Anwar as the chief of PKR now should censure and warn this racist MP, if the police have not yet taken action against him.`


Voter told he is dead.Another screw-up by the BN government.
PKR's MP Jeff Ooi trying to explain to election officer that the boy is not dead and have lodged a police report.


PKR supporters taunting the ladies, probably Puteri UMNO.

Both sides are equally guilty of this audacious and unruly behaviour.

Parliament Will Never Be The Same Again


Hantu Laut

Congratulations to Anwar Ibrahim.The people of Permatang Pauh have decided overwhelmingly to return him to Parliament.

Anwar garnered 31,195 v0tes giving him a majority of 2136 votes over his rival UMNO's Arif Shah who could have done better if not for his party's screwed up campaign style.

Anwar's majority was a slight improvement of those obtained by his wife, he garnered 2,136 more votes than her.

His victory came as no surprise and most Malaysians look forward to an exciting and colourful time in Parliament.

Let's hope with his presence in Parliament and as leader of the oppositions, there would be more check and balance in the government.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Can I Play The Devil's Advocate ?


Hantu Laut

Permatang Pauh here we come. Anwar Ibrahim or Arif Shah Omar Shah?

This is the most closely-watched by-election in Malaysian politicial history. It would the battle ground for the return of the giant or the making of a giant killer.For all this to happen the decisive and deciding factors would be the Malays in Permatang Pauh whether they would accept the return of its prodigal son and further erode Malay political hegemony or adopt a new son and keep the status quo and keep ketuanan Melayu ( Malay supremacy or Malay leadership if supremacy sounds too harsh to your ears) alive and kicking.

Ketuanan Melayu or not, this country had seen peace and prosperity after the May 13th race riot, which brought about the eventual formation of the strongest political alliance amongst the races through the ingenious brainchild of the late Tun Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, a man who thinks more than he spoke and cleverly established agglomeration of almost all of the major race-based political parties under one umbrella and gave fair and equitable representation of the races.The cohesion of the group was further fortified under the late Hussein Onn and later controversial former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed.

Mahathir, the longest serving prime minister had, on a number of occasions during his tenure, used the ISA and detained political opponents seen as threat to national security which many Malaysians interpreted as mere instrument to silence the oppositions and muzzled freedom of expression rather than a law to protect the security of the nation.Anwar Ibrahim has promised to abolish the ISA and other undemocratic laws if he becomes prime minister.

In spite of him using the draconian law and a perceived lack of freedom of speech by some people, the nation made an impressive economic journey.Better economic progress could have been achieved if there were less corruption and lesser needs to fulfill the NEP.With his power and influence waning after almost 22 years at the helm, Mahathir handed over the baton to his deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. There was euphoria and air of change and reform envisaged by the general population and this was reflected in the results of the 2004 General Elections, a massive landslide victory for Abdullah. The huge mandate turned out to be a lingering curse for Abdullah and a nightmare for UMNO.

It is now water under the bridge that Abdullah had sent wrong signals to the people of his plan for reforms. His promises never materialised.The good feelings evanescent as quickly as when he was given the massive support in 2004.The euphoria turned to contempt,disgust, disappointment and protest.

Seen as a weak and ineffective leader the people delivered their thumping blows in the March 2008 Elections.The results also delivered unprecedented support for the oppositions coalition and the return of the heroic son Anwar Ibrahim to Malaysian politics.

Almost every political pundit had given Anwar the edge over Arif Shah.It is now a matter of whether he gets bigger or smaller majority.A majority less than what his wife got in the recent polls in March this year means his support is waning and would spell trouble for him to convince MPs from Abdullah's coalition to jump over to his side.A bigger majority might not give him immediate chance of taking over the government but would certainly help to increase his support for a better outing at the next general elections if his Pakatan Rakyat still remains intact by then.

Anwar needs not worry about the Chinese and Indian voters, they have solidarity and are solidly behind him due to his promises of 'Bangsa Malaysia' policy and dismantling of the NEP. The Chinese and Indians foresee a non majority Malay government should Anwar managed to grab the premiership by 16th Sept, a mere 3 weeks away.

Anwar is an excellent orator who is equally comfortable and articulate speaking to
the high-brow and the proletariat alike with ease and versatility, a quality not many politicians in this country possessed. Some of our politicians are still peasants dressed in dark suits with very little to show in term of intellectuality and political aptness.

Anwar is a good crowd puller and attracts thousands to his ceramahs. The question is, would the majority of those present translated into votes. Even spontaneity, sometimes, do not assure full support because some came just to listen and there would be some that may be put off by the content of some of his speeches and decide to change their mind.

I have personally witnessed a strange phenomenon of massive turnout at ceramahs especially where refreshments are served and astoundingly low counts at the ballot boxes.Though I would not equate the circumstances to be the same it would not be wrong to caution that the law of probability should not be entirely dismissed.

In the 1999 state elections in Sabah, former Chief Minister Harris Salleh tried to make a comeback to Sabah politics and used his new political vehicle called Bersekutu and contested in all seats against the BN and PBS.The 3 Bersekutu ceramahs that I went to drew massive crowd of supporters and the last one at Harris's house, just 2 days before polling day, drew almost 20,000 people in a single day.Harris and those in Bersekutu were jubilant and thought they already have the government in the bag.

The results sent shock waves throughout the Bersekutu camp.The BN took 31 seats,PBS 17 and Bersekutu 0.Harris himself was badly thrashed and lost to BN Yong Tet Lee and PBS Chong Eng Leong.

There seems to be a shift of some of his Malay voters to the other side which compelled him to sought out the imam who was present when Saiful swore on the Quran and brought him to Permatang Pauh to tell his story to the folks in the kampongs that he was instructed by his superiors to conduct the Saiful's swearing by the Quran and felt it was wrong and against the teachings of Islam.If it was wrong why presided over it.You can tell your bosses to go to hell if it was against your conscience.Doesn't that make you look like a bloody fool now that you spoke against it and would be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.


There seems to be great confusion among the imams and ulamaks in this country whether swearing by the Quran is Islamic or un-Islamic.If they are not sure they should either shut up or refer it to the Grand Mufti of Egypt Ali Gomma who is well-respected for his views on Islam and Islamic jurisprudence.That's the man (picture on top) that they should talk to to get a valid opinion.

It's absurd that imams and ulamaks in this country can make contradicting religious edict making a mockery of their knowledge of Islam which they are supposed to impart to other Muslims.Even worse they are taking sides in politics.I wonder whether imams, ustazs and ulamaks can be bought too?

Anwar would be safe as long as there is no massive shift of the Malay votes.Any significant deflection of this group would spell trouble for him.

In spite of all above I would still give Anwar the edge over Arif Shah.

The Mystery Imam ?

Who is this man?

Ramlang Porigi - 29 years old ?

He doesn't carry the common Malay names used in Peninsula Malaysia.His name sounds more like a Bugis from Sulawesi.Let's hope he is not one of those with illegal I/C from Sabah and moved to Peninsula Malaysia.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Statutory Declaration:Have Malaysians Gone Overboard ?

Hantu Laut

Malaysians hankering for a change in government have thrown caution to the wind and acted beyond the bound of acceptable human behaviour, that have the crudest of form and conjure weird tales from the twilight zones.

Some seemed to have the congenital inability to tell the truth. Those with the unflattering ability to spread falsehood have become celebrated purveyors of tales from the shit hole.

The latest in the episode of the uncouth use of the SD (Statutory Declaration) came from an ex-driver, a man honest to the bone.

This time it is the DPM again(Deputy Prime Minister), the target of intense propaganda machine that's out to end his political career.

The frivolous SD was a sworn statement of Thagarajoo, an ex-driver to Kenneth Esrawan, a close friend of Najib, declared that Najib is a Muslim by birth but a Hindu by practice.

Najib would be stupid if he doesn't capitalise on this SD in the Permatang Pauh by-election in the next few days to show the Malay voters to what extent, how far, how low and how dirty Anwar and his supporters are prepared to go to smear his name and that of the government to win this by- election and try to take over the government illegitimately when he is voted into Parliament.

Raja Petra seems to have the uncanny ability to obtain SD from truthseekers with schizoid tendencies.

Sorry for you Anwar Ibrahim, your overzealous supporters could be your biggest downfall.

This time you really are going to pissed-off your Malay voters.

Read the piquant SD of the piss artist here.

Even the Imam is playing politics read here and here

Friday, August 22, 2008

A Thorn In The Flesh, A Pain In The Arse.

Hantu Laut

Personality cult have existed from time immemorial.It generally started with hero worshipping a person which later can transform to personality cult when the person attained political power.This deification can eventually lead to dictatorship or absolute tyranny.


History has given us cult of personality in the regimes of Stalin,Hitler,Mao,Sadam Hussein,Kim II Sung,Pol Pot and others.It's more common in a totalitarian system but have also been known to exist in some democracies.Eva Peron and her husband Juan Peron are examples of personality cult in a democracy.


These type of leaders were presented as god-like and seen as infallible by those with blind loyalty.The degree of blind loyalty can extend from giving simple moral support to committing atrocities,murders and genocide to keep such leaders in power.


Since gaining independence Malaysia has not had such leader and even the longest serving Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad would not fall into that category.


The support for Anwar Ibrahim is dangerously turning into a personality cult.Some of his supporters wouldn't give second thought to resort to violence to deliver their message.


If Anwar's support on the ground is strong his support online is phenomenal.The huge support from political blogs and blog readers have made it unbearably painful for the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and an impossible task to turn the table against Anwar .It wouldn't be far off the mark to say that close to 90% of blogs and blog commentators were supporting him to be the next prime minister and Pakatan as their choice of government.


Any unceremonious story, past or present, on Anwar or his party members published by the mainstream media, true or false, would irk his supporters to no end.Some would counter such incidents with their own version of government conspiracy.Such was the case when 3 PKR Exco members from Perak were arrested for corruption.A pro-Pakatan blog has his story of conspiracy here


In the Permatang Pauh by-election Anwar would have an unassailable lead over BN's candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah.With a week to go to the poll not much change is expected to tip the balance in favour of the BN.


The BN, particularly UMNO screwed up the Anwar's issue big time.They have made a monster they are unable to control, a man seen by many a victim of government conspiracy.Its campaign against Anwar has gone completely gaga creating a bigger and angrier backlash instead of the desired outcome of bringing the voters back to the fold.


Sodomy II, named by his supporters, should not have been brought against Anwar even if there was a speck of truth in Saiful's claim.With the government's credibility at its lowest any attempt to demonise Anwar further would only bring more support to his side


Anything negative said of Anwar is incoherent to his supporters and majority would have no qualms using expletives and profanities to admonish anyone who dares to do so.A walk through Malaysia Today and Susan Loone's blog showed what a cause celebre Anwar is in blogosphere.


Harping on his sodomy issue and showing video of Saiful's swearing on the Quran is only going to add salt to the BN's wound and send charity knocking on Anwar's door.The BN campaign should have concentrated more on the 'whys' the people should vote for the BN candidate and the bigger benefits of doing so and less of the intrusion of Saiful's arsehole, which many Malay elders in the kampongs would find embarrassingly inappropriate subject to talk about over a cup of coffee.


Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his cabinet and the government as a whole have to face the fact that the entry of Anwar to Parliament is imminent and face the fact that he is going to be a thorn in the flesh and a pain in the arse.


Related articles:

Malaysia bookies say Anwar a safe bet in local poll

Malaysia's high-stakes election

By-election campaign turns ugly

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Nik Aziz,Gangsterism,Corruption And Violence In The Pakatan Camp

Hantu Laut

Here he goes again, now with some modification to his earlier tune.

Nik Aziz, the PAS spiritual leader said Saiful’s act of taking an oath on the holy book was Islamic but it was not according to the Muslim culture.

“In Islam, there is no need to place your hands on the Quran when you swear. Placing one’s hands on the Quran is an act of copying the Christians.

“When the Christians swear they put their hands on the Bible, right?” quipped Nik Aziz.

“Other people’s cultures have entered the head of the Malays,” he said.

Whether the Malays copy the Christians or any other religion does it matter now that it has become part of the culture.Most important is the significant of the oath using the Quran.

What would be the significant of your oath if the Quran is not physically present as testimony that you swear by it. Isn't it only right that you hold the Quran to symbolise that you swear by it in the name of Allah. This sacred act of oath taking is seldom used by Muslims unless there is great compulsion to do so.

The Malays have copied the practices of many culture, from being the original animism (which all culture originate from) to being atheist to Hinduism and finally Islam. There is no pure Islamic culture anywhere in the world including the place where it originates from.

Islam practised in Afghanistan would be different from that in Malaysia due to infusion of local custom and practices.The Afghans have embodied many of their tribal laws as part of Islamic culture when in fact it has got nothing to do with the religion.

In Malaysia the Malays have retained some of their animist and Hinduism past which clearly shows that Nik Aziz have either conveniently overlooked or ignored because I have not heard him speaking out against it.

Sorcery or bomoh (Shamanism) is still widely practised in this country and many including some ulamaks and Western educated Malays still consult Tok Bomoh if they fall ill or encounter some misfortunes that they have reasons to believe were caused by some supernatural elements. This practice is against the teachings of Islam but are still widely practised in Malaysia. Don't give me the crap that all bomohs are dukun because most of them are not.

The bersanding ceremony mandatory at every Malay wedding and the wayang kulit were Hindu culture that have stayed with the Malays.

The swearing on the Quran has been around since time immemorial and had become part of the Islamic culture in this country and to say otherwise is not true.

Nik Aziz should find ways and means on how to make Islam more progressive and respected instead of making contradicting statements that can confuse Muslims even more about the religion.

On 31st October 2007 the Associated Press reported Nik Aziz's statement on the state of abuse of Muslim's men mind:

Women’s Sexy Clothing Distracting Muslim Men From Sleep, Prayers


KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s Muslim men are suffering sleepless nights and cannot pray properly because their thoughts are distracted by a growing number of women who wear sexy clothes in public, a prominent cleric said.

Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the spiritual leader of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, said he wanted to speak about the “emotional abuse” that men face because it is seldom discussed, the party reported on its Web site Wednesday.

“We always [hear about] the abuse of children and wives in households, which is easily perceived by the eye, but the emotional abuse of men cannot be seen,” Nik Abdul Aziz said. “Our prayers become unfocused and our sleep is often disturbed.”

Not all Muslim man is as libidinous as Nik Aziz, so he should only equate that to himself and not generalised to insult other Muslims.

With this type of character in PAS I would really be careful and think twice before putting Pakatan Rakyat to rule this nation.

The arrest of two PKR exco members for corruption in Perak shows they are no better than the devil we have now and what make them even worse and disgusting is the refusal to admit that gangsterism, corruption and culture of violence exists among their members and supporters.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Liars, damned liars.....and other short stories.

Hantu Laut

Liars, damned liars.......

"Saiful's swearing shows the allegation is serious", short of saying it's true the PM said "To me, swearing by the Quran is very serious and it is not easy for someone to swear in the name of AllahSubhanahuwataala"

The Prime Minister being an honest man(no pun intended) himself probably would not have imagined how many type of liars are there in the world. The two most common scientific terms would be pathological and congenital liars:

"If you are not concerned with the difference between truth and falsehood; you do not bother to distinguish fact from fantasy. In fact, your lying is a disease that no antibiotic can cure. A pathological liar

"If you have such a long history of persistent falsification that one can only suspect that your vice started when you were reposing in your mother's womb. In other words ... you have been lying from the moment of your birth. A congenital liar.

The above can be broken down into more specific branches:

"You are impervious to correction. Often as you may be caught in your fabrications, there is no reforming you 00 you go right on lying despite the punishment, embarrassment, or unhappiness that your distortions of truth may bring you. An incorrigible liar.

"Your ability is top-drawer -- rarely does anyone lie as convincingly or as artistically as you do. Your skill has, in short, reached the zenith of perfection. Indeed, your mastery of the art is so great that your lying is almost always crowned with success -- and you have no trouble seducing an unwary listener into believing that you are telling gospel truth. A consummate liar

"You never stop lying. While normal people lie on occasion, and often for special reasons, you lie continually -- not occasionally or even frequently, but over and over. A chronic liar

"You are completely without a conscience. No matter what misery your fabrications may cause your innocent victims, you never feel the slightest twinge of guilt. Totally unscrupulous, you are a dangerous person to get mixed up with. An unconscionable liar

"Everybody knows your propensity for avoiding facts. You have built so solid and unsavory a reputation that only a stranger is likely to be misled -- and then, not for long. A notorious liar

Last but not least:

Only Muslims,Christians and Jews ( people of the book...Ahl al-Kitab) swears by the holy book. You have no fear of divine retribution to save your own skin and are prepared to tell the untruth to harm others. A heretical liar

You would not be punished by another human being because only God would know whether you are guilty or innocent and human being should not make any form of speculation whatsoever on the status of your oaths especially those who are embroiled in your problem.

Yes! Prime Minister, you have been accused by Anwar Ibrahim of involvement in this matter, so it would be wise to stay clear.Since the matter is now in hand of the law, let it takes its own course and it is best not to make any statement.

We really don't know who is the liar, Saiful or Anwar? The truth will come.God's mill grinds slow but sure.

Note:Some(not all) of the description of liars above are taken from an American blog.

Return Of The King of Gamblers
Bellagio Las Vegas Casino - Table Games
Infinite opportunities to satisfy your passion for table games

In Kota Kinabalu Sabah the acting division head of Papar UMNO division Abdul Rahim Ismail is in a limbo on news that former disgraced Sabah Chief Minister Osu Sukam is trying to make a comeback by standing as divisional head of Papar UMNO.

Osu resigned in disgrace as Sabah Chief Minister and Papar UMNO division head in 2005 when he faced a law suit of RM7.14 milliom for gambling debts overseas.By right he should have been sacked from the party but UMNO does not have moral discipline as a condition to be a member or to hold public office.

I am not at all surpise. UMNO is quite comfortable with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Most of you would still remember double-barrelled Mohammad who tried to bring in huge sum of money into Australia a few years ago but was caught by Australian custom and pleaded that because of his poor English he failed to declare the amount. He is now back in business, a minister in Badawi's cabinet.

The People's Parliament


Haris Ibrahim who own the People's Parliament blog wrote an open letter to Anwar Ibrahim seeking his assurance that he would serve the people well as promised when he takes over the government and to forgive but not to forget the sins of those who had done harm to him.He also reminded Anwar of the time he served in the evil empire of Mahathir Mohammed and told him in no uncertain term that he doesn't trust politicians, Anwar included.

I have put Haris Ibrahim on my blogroll for many months now without telling him because I like some of his writing ....remarkably honest, perceptive and anecdotal.

In the same letter to Anwar I am surprise he boggles the mind by using superfluous words to describe the government of Mahathir as a regime that commit atrocities.His rather ambiguous description of Mahathir's reign of destruction and pillage would suffice to chill the bones of those readers who has no knowledge of Malaysian political history.

Here are some samplings of his literary work:

"My sister, I like Chopin, has asked me to tell you that she has forgiven you your 16 years of involvement, at least by association and failure to dissociate, with the autocratic, dictatorial, corrupt Mahathir administration". I have no problem with that, it's probably the most appropriate description of Mahathir's tenure.

"Yes, most of my friends and I, like my sister, have long forgiven you for your involvement in the atrocities committed by Mahathir during his reign of destruction and pillage, even if only by association and your failure to dissociate with his regime". This certainly sounds out of tune and provoke a vision of violence, brutality or even murder and death.Not exactly fair to the former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, who had not only by my own admission but the world at large, given him credit for the economic growth of this nation during his tenure or reign of terror if you like it that way.

I do not wish to indulge further on this subject. Other than the above misnomer on words, I think the piece was soul-searching, heart-felt and beautifully written and if I were Anwar Ibrahim I would take heed of what Haris Ibrahim warned him to do should he become prime minister of this nation.

Anwar should paste a copy of Haris Ibrahim's letter on his PM's table as a reminder of the promises he made to the people, so as not to make the same mistake as his antagonists.

If he becomes the Prime Minister.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Return Of Mr Bigot

Hantu Laut


File picture of Zulkifli Nordin (extreme right in songkok) at the Bar Council meeting.(Malaysian Insider) I wonder who's that guy in dark blue jacket,he looks more angry than Zulkifli.





















The controversial Mr Bigot returned, unrepentant and defiant.

PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin has come out of hiding, still with heavy chips on his shoulder, insisted he was right in what he did at the Bar Council forum.

He said "For me Islam comes first. I am a Muslim first, a party member second. A Muslim first, a lawyer second. A Muslim first, an MP second.

"You attack Islam, I'll be there, even if I have to do it on my own.

Whatever it is, Islam comes first,"

With air of arrogance and a quirky show of grandstanding he said that sensitive matters should be discussed behind closed doors with the relevant agencies.

"When you talk of sensitivities of others, do so behind closed doors and only invite those in authority. Don't invite any Tom, Dick or Harry. You can talk about Islam but you cannot talk for Islam.

"I don't call any mamak chendol or kacang putih seller to talk about Hinduism, do I? That would only look stupid. I would call the priest, the authority and then I can get a better picture on Hinduism.

"Just because some mosquito group of Muslims start talking about Islam, they represent Islam. I don't think that is fair.

"We have authorities, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim), Yayasan Dakwah Islam Malaysia, IKIM, UIA ... we have a lot of authorities. Why invite those mosquitoes?

"We have to respect each other's rights.We Muslims have been tolerant enough all this while, for so many years we have been asked, forced to live under the law that is not Islam. We have been forced," (Malaysian Insider)

He also accused the Bar Council of being 'anti-Islam' and would ask Parliament to sanction the Bar Council, whatever that mean.

Gosh! For so many years we have been forced to live under the law that is not Islam. Did somebody say this guy is a lawyer.I wonder which law school he came from. What have the Bar Council got to do with the nation adoption of secular law.To be precise it is people like him who is responsible for the legislation and abrogation of the laws.That's why he is called a lawmaker or member of parliament.

Even more absurd our bigoted MP failed to realise that it is the Muslims who are in control of this nation, not the non-Muslims or the Bar Council.If he is unhappy the right forum to thrash it out is in Parliament or thrash the PM why are we not under Islamic law.

A leopard will never change its spot and this leopard is using Islam in furtherance of his political career, a brand tag used by every PAS politicians.

Wrong party lah, YB?

Hypocrite Of The First Order

Hantu Laut
http://pantheraleo1982.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/the-three-irreplacebles/
This is the man whose party will be part of the new government if Anwar Ibrahim takes over in September.

This is what he said yesterday:

Sumpah Mohd. Saiful bercanggah dengan Islam - Nik Aziz
17/08/2008 2:04pm
IPOH 17 Ogos – Mursyidul Am Pas, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat berkata, sumpah yang dilafazkan oleh Mohd. Saiful Bukhari Azlan bahawa dia diliwat oleh Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bercanggah dengan Islam.

Katanya, apa yang dilakukan Mohd. Saiful itu sama dengan penganut Kristian menggunakan Bible.

Menurut beliau, Islam hanya menerima sumpah Wallahi, Wabillahi dan Watallahi. -(Utusan)

And this is what he said last month:

Nik Aziz: Bersumpah junjung al-Quran tentukan kebenaran
04-07-2008 10:04:01 PM
KOTA BHARU: Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat berkata "mubahalah" atau bersumpah dengan menjunjung al-Quran adalah cara untuk menentukan kebenaran dan juga sesuatu yang dituntut dalam Islam.

Sambil menyokong cadangan Mufti Perlis, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin berhubung perkara itu, beliau berkata melalui cara demikian, Allah SWT boleh melaknatkan manamana pihak yang bersalah.

"Dalam Quran sudah menyebut, setelah sudah tiada ikhtiar lagi dalam menyelesaikan kemelut yang memalukan itu, siapa yang tidak bersalah Tuhan tolong," katanya kepada pemberita ketika ditemui di sini, hari ini.

Beliau yang juga Mursyidul Am PAS berkata demikian sebagai mengulas cadangan Mohd Asri supaya keduadua individu yang dikaitkan dengan kes liwat iaitu Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat Malaysia (PKR) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan bekas pembantunya, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan "bermubahalah" atau bersumpah.

Dalam kenyataannya semalam, Mohd Asri berkata isu liwat yang membabitkan Anwar sudah semakin rumit dan rakyat pula menjadi keliru.(Bernama)

This is what Ronald Reagan said about politics "Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."

Tell me how can the man, a tok guru, can be so confused about his own religion?

Is PAS truly an Islamic party?

Hoi! Tok Guru! Betoi kah ini cerita agama?

We Muslims are sensitive lot.Here's something that should upset members of PAS and not upset the non-Muslim community, courtesy of MYKMU.NET:



Charles De Gaulle once said "Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word."

Who should we believe in now?

Here is another one that even my 4-year old precocious grandaugher would know sounds stupid,making a storm in a teacup:

UiTM plans legal action against MB

SHAH ALAM: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Vice Chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Ibrahim Abu Shah said the university will take legal action against Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for refusing to apologise for proposing that it admit 10 per cent non-Bumiputera students. He said Khalid should apologise for making the statement on UiTM as it was not only unethical and degrading to the university but also not true at all.

"We are not hard-headed on this issue but the statement is 100 per cent wrong. We can accept criticisms if what was said was true," he told a media conference after opening an alumni homecoming programme at UiTM, here, Saturday.

Khalid had proposed that UiTM admit 10 per cent non-Bumiputera students and claimed that its students were unfriendly, of poor quality and non-competitive. His statement angered UiTM students nationwide who held demonstrations to protest the proposal.

The Menteri Besar had refused to apologise to UiTM claiming he was not questioning the special rights of Bumiputeras and the establishment of UiTM. Ibrahim said UiTM did not want to make enemies of the other races which was proven when the Chinese and Indians were recruited as the teaching staff.

"His statement (Khalid) had instigated non-Bumiputeras to hate the Malays and vice versa. It can also create hatred among the Malays," he said. - Bernama

Even though some of us might not agree with it, is there a law against making constructive criticism and suggestion?

Go back to school, mate! With this kind of mentality I don't blame Khalid Ibrahim for making the suggestion.It's not the students to be blamed, it's more a case of "bad teachers, bad students".

The mediocre education in this country is not the fault the students,it's the fault of the education system and that of the teaching profession.

Khalid Ibrahim, you don't have to apologise, it's not a crime to make suggestions.

Here's more on Anwar's sodomy charge:


Saiful had taken the oath on the Quran — regarded by many Muslims as the most serious form of oath-taking in Islam — on the eve of nomination.

Anwar has repeatedly refused to take up the challenge to do the same.

He told reporters yesterday that he had been advised by religious experts that this is not an Islamic practice.

“You are making a mockery of Islam,” he said.

Anwar insisted that the authorities, which have charged him with sodomy, have no proof.

“I have seen the first (medical) report and I am privy to the second report, and based on that, they have no case against me,” he said.

Anwar also said he has finally received a copy of the police report made by his accuser, which he said was inaccurate.

At a late Saturday night rally in a small neighbourhood, he took great efforts to counter the allegation of sodomy, and recounted how he was stripped and his private parts measured during a medical examination.

The sodomy accusation, although believed by the majority of Malaysians to be a political conspiracy, had taken a new twist after Saiful swore on the Quran that he was sodomised.

Analysts believe that this might cast doubts in the minds of some rural Malay voters.

“For us Muslims, this is important. No one can lie swearing on the Quran,” said Sapiah Ali, a hawker and voter in the constituency. (Malaysian Insider)

I wonder who was the religious expert who advised him, if it was Nik Aziz than I am sorry for him.Nik Aziz had proven he is more a politician than an Islamic scholar.

Well, if Anwar decides to do the same for political expediency, than we should know who is the liar.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

The Race For Permatang Pauh Has Begun

Hantu Laut
http://www.powerofculture.nl/en/current/2007/july/anwar_ibrahim.html

The race for Permatang Pauh has begun.It would be the most closely-watched by-election.

It would be interesting to watch in which direction the voters would move.Most political soothsayers have predicted Anwar Ibrahim to win.He has style, charisma, moral victory and an effective political strategist with an infective smile. He has the incontrovertible support of his constituents and not likely to end up in a blanket finish.He certainly has the competitive edge.Can he lose?

In every race or competition, just like in algebraic equation, there are the known and unknown factors.In the case of Anwar the known factor is that most non-Malays and young educated urbanised Malays will vote for him without any hesitation.This group have made up their mind and would take miracles to change them. The second sodomy charges brought against him have strengthened their resolve that he is innocent and is a victim of government conspiracy and, therefore, deserved even more support.The story would have been slightly different if he had not been charged.The government has actually helped him to garner more support.

The constituency of Permatang Pauh has 70% Malays and 30% non-Malays voters.It would be the Malays that will decide whether Anwar should win this by-election.Whether he still deserves the Malay support taking into account the chain of events occurring after the 8th March General Elections.

His party PKR won significant number of state and parliamentary seats on the waves of majority non-Malay and Malay support, disenchantment with UMNO leaders and the Prime Minister. PKR alliance with DAP and PAS is now seen in some Malay quarters as weakening the Malay power base. PKR only did well in Selangor, which it won overwhelmingly on majority non-Malay support.

It won 15 state seats in Selangor out of which 6 were won by non-Malay candidates. Even in metropolitan Selangor PAS did extremely well taking 7 seats and being a metropolis DAP took 13 seats.If DAP had won 3 more seats than Selangor would have ended up like Penang and Perak,
under control of non-Malays, particularly Chinese.In the parliamentary seats in the state, PKR took 4 seats, won by 2 Malays and 2 non-Malays, DAP won 5 seats and PAS 1 seat.The seats won in other states were insignificant.Total seat won in Parliament was 31 out of which 11 were non-Malays.

PKR would be an ideal multi-racial party that most urbanised Malaysians would like to have to narrow the racial gap, the same way Berjaya did in Sabah about three decades ago until arrogance got the better of Harris Salleh, the Chief Minister at that time.Berjaya lost the state elections and it's back to communal politics ever since.Now with UMNO ruling the state, communalism is very alive and kicking.

Is Malaysia ready for multi-cultural party to govern the nation.From results of the last elections obviously not, only small segment of Malays are insouciance and are comfortable with multi-cultural political party.

Would Anwar succeed in his promise of 'one nation one people'? It was the same policy pushed forward by Lee Kwan Yew in his pursuit of Malaysian Malaysia that got Singapore kicked out of Malaysia.

When and until the government amend the constitution to make it Malaysian friendly, that dream would stay a dream, just like the receding horizon, we can see it but we can't get there.

A good example was Khalid Ibrahim's proposal to allow 10% non-Malays students into UiTM and presto!... there was spontaneous combustion from the Malays, about 5000 students demonstrated against his outrageous idea.It seems Khalid has superficial understanding of politics in this country.He forgot that UiTM is a national property and has nothing to do with the state of Selangor.

More damaging to PKR is the action of its Kulim MP, the demagogic Zulkifli Noordin who stormed the brainstorming session of the Bar Council public forum "Conversion to Islam" with a horde of menacing religious bigots behind him.Anwar has not made any condemnation of this infuriating show of intolerance for fear of reprisal at the polls.

Malaysia is now more polarized than before, no thanks to Abdullah for his promise of reformasi, we have come to a stage where the head doesn't know what the tail is doing.

Arriff Shah
In the Permatang Pauh by-election UMNO candidate Arif Shah, who is the only UMNO candidate that survived in the Permatang Pauh three state constituencies in the last elections would have tough time to take on Anwar but would still have a chance if UMNO can sway the Malay voters to his side by presenting Anwar as a traitor to the Malays which they certainly would.UMNO also has a bigger war chest to reckon with.PAS, might even leave Pakatan Rakyat, if he is seen not to be protecting the rights of Malays and Muslims.

Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Ismail managed to retain the Permatang Pauh seat all this while on sentiment and not performance as many would tend to believe, so did her daughter, who won the Titiwangsa parliament seat on sympathy votes.Sympathy votes had been known to make or kill the political career of many politicians, it has no rhyme or reason.

Arrogance is another factor that could kill a person political career and some in UMNO would have learned this bitter lesson.

It is not without any justification that some people sees Anwar as arrogance and power crazy.His persistent hammering of taking over the government by 15th September and he becoming the Prime Minister is backfiring on him.As I have said before PAS might not join him in any motion of vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister.The 30 or so MPs that he claimed he has waiting to jump to his side were probably mostly non-Muslims from Sabah and Sarawak which would add to his problem of persuading PAS to join in.

Some in DAP might not want to spoil the cooking of the broth, they are quite happy with what they have got so far, a botched vote of no confidence could jeopardise the status quo and them losing power in Perak and Selangor.

Anwar may still win Permatang Pauh but he may have to wait a bit longer to be the Prime Minister, if the political landscape doesn't change until the next general elections.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Corruption:Let's Troll For The Big Fish.

Hantu Laut

There seems to be a sudden spate of investigations and arrests of cases of corruption.Is it because the ACA has been given more teeth to bite or our Prime Minister has decided it's time to clean up the mess or is it just another showbiz?

It's good if he has, but to be fair to all, just make sure it covers the whole spectrum of the rainbow, from the one that sits on the horizon to its apogee in the skies, the bigger the catch the better it would be for the nation.

The latest arrest was for a miserable RM13,860.00 and for a man of that stature that was really a shocker. That stupid indiscretion is going to give him a terrible toothache .

The gist of the story is, if you want to be a buzzard, think big, take millions and it will take million years to investigate your case and more often than not it would be so messy they would give up as they couldn't find sufficient evidence to charge you.

The other case in Labuan was even more interesting, not so much the amount, which is much bigger, about RM40 mil in projects and fraudulent bank loans, but the person involved.None of the newspaper that reported the case had mentioned the name of the politician concerned because the case was still being investigated by the ACA.. Two prominent UMNO politicians had voluntarily gone to the press and denied their involvement.

Both Labuan MP Yusof Mahal and former Labuan MP Dato Suhaili Abdul Rahman have denied their involvement.However, Yusof has admitted he was the one who got the contract to build a market and a school costing RM24.8m and RM10.5m respectively.

Both men are currently fighting a big battle to be the Labuan UMNO divisional head.So, it comes as no surprise that the mud are flying from both directions.

In another case in Kota Baru Kelantan, a state director of a government department lodged a police report alleging he was slapped by an ACA officer while under interrogation. This is not good news.Stepping over the limit of decent human behaviour.The officer concerned should be hauled up and taken off the case.The ACA have no right to use violence in its scope of work and to remand someone for 7 days.... ?

As a sport fisherman I find nothing is more satisfying than catching the big one, I usually released the small one. That's game fishing ..... in corruption have to take both, big and small.

Will there be more big fish on the way? Who's next?

Update:
ACA has denied the allegation in a police report made by the State fisheries director that he was slapped by an ACA officer.Its director Mohd Jaafar Hussen said from internal investigation conducted, the claim was untrue. The ACA has lodged a police report.

Monday, August 11, 2008

I Would Rather Keep The Devil I Know

Hantu Laut

When I first read Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Strange Case of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde" I was still in my early teens.The book characterised a man with split personality or "multiple personality disorder". The leading character Dr Jackall from being the nicest person could transformed into the worse case of misanthropy with murderous tendencies.Knowing it was a work of fiction and being young and ignorant then I didn't believe that human beings could have such multiple personality.Later in my adult life I learned it is a mental disorder called psychopathology.In the worst case scenario they become serial killers.

The recent disruption of the Bar Council's public forum on 'Conversion to Islam" by protesters openly participated by some PKR and PAS leaders was a shocking revelation of human behaviour, how one can hide one true character.

Many Malaysians were euphoric and dreamt of utopia when Pakatan Rakyat , a loose coalition of PKR,PAS and DAP grabbed considerable number of seats from the BN (Barisan National) and brought the biggest upset in the nation elections history.The de facto leader of the oppositions Anwar Ibrahim was seen as a hero and a saviour to form an alternative government, one that promised to be fair to all Malaysians irrespective of race, colour and creed.

Is Islam really in danger if there were open discussions on inter-faith problems that have affected certain community in this multi-religious society or would the government rather allow it to be swept under the carpet and let it become the Indian disease, the intolerance of Hindu extremists toward other religions? Why weren't the protesters arrested for illegal assembly? Why did our leaders openly show support to the protesters and condemned the Bar Council?

The statements made by the Deputy Prime Minister and other ministers lending support instead of condemning the aggressive actions and uncalled for behaviour of the protesters storming the forum are most regrettable.Even more regrettable were the actions of the police by allowing the protesters to carry out their action, abhorrent to any civilised society.The use of racial slurs by some of the protesters shouldn't have been tolerated by the police. They should have been arrested for causing public nuisance.


This disgusting display of intolerance could have turned ugly if not for the sensibility of the organisers to cut short the forum. Even worse some Molotov cocktails were found in the vicinity of the Bar Council building and one was thrown at the former house of the Bar Council President which is now occupied by ex-UMNO Minister Sharizat Abdul Jalil.

Can you blame non-Muslims that labelled Islam as a violent religion? It is not the religion to be blamed, it is those idiotic Muslims who are ignorant of their own religion and try to impose their will on others.

The active participation of YB Zulkifli Nordin of PKR and YB Salehudin Ayob of PAS shows they are no different from the government that many Malaysians wanted to change.We may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire if the same mental conditions prevail in Pakatan Rakyat.

The hypocrites in PAS have shown their true colour by protesting against the show by Indonesian artiste Inul Daratiste and cited eroticism as the reason.The authorities eventually gave in and cancelled the show.They have made many similar protests in the past on both foreign and some local artistes.Lately, they protested against allowing Avril Lavigne to perform in the country and cited that it would be an insult to our Merdeka freedom fighters, whatever that meant.Didn't know we have freedom fighters to fight for our merdeka.I thought we gained independence through negotiation.

This bunch of hypocrites would continue to hassle the government and sad to say the government, to please them, would succumb to their demands and the country would eventually go to the dogs. What do you think would happen if they were part of the government?

In their discussions with UMNO to strengten Malay unity Nik Aziz was against it but insisted that should there be corporation than both UMNO and PAS be dissolved and a new party to be formed based on Islamic sharia and hudud laws.While that may be an ideal situation for Malay unity it also shows the insincerity of PAS leaders who find it quite alright to sleep in the same bed as DAP and PKR without asking for dissolution of those parties.On which Islamic principles they stand on?

DAP will not be able to control the hypocrites and extremists in PAS and PKR.Anwar Ibrahim will submit to their whim and fancy to keep the coalition together and himself as prime minister. Without PAS his government will collapse.

I would rather keep the devil I know than the one that would become my worst nightmare.

Also read:
Farish Nor's This 'Babi' Will Not 'Balik Cina'
Bernard Khoo's You OK Bernard

The ugly face of racism needs to be knocked out of their heads
to racism and bigotry.

Below is Anwar Ibrahim's pledge:

08 AUGUST 2008, PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA

[read online] [watch video]

I promise that under a Pakatan Rakyat government Malaysians will never again be subjected to such gross abuse of executive power as we are again witnessing today. Arbitrary arrest and detention, frivolous investigation and malicious prosecutions shall be a thing of the past. Police officers and prosecutors who launch conspiracies to defame and humiliate the innocent will be severely punished. The use of police powers as well the office of the Attorney General to persecute political opponents will be criminalized so as to ensure a healthy and vibrant democracy where dissent is not only tolerated but nurtured.

In this regard every Malaysian’s fundamental liberties will be treated as sacrosanct and safeguarded by a truly independent judiciary guided by principles of utmost integrity and an adherence to the spirit of the federal constitution.

The politically motivated trial launched against me will, Insha’Allah, be the last of its kind. No Malaysian will suffer from this cruel injustice ever again.

Yesterday’s events confirm my innocence from the charges that recently surfaced. The medical report and statutory declaration by Dr. Osman Abdul Hamid of the Pusrawi Hospital that surfaced on Thursday shatter lingering doubts as to whether the alleged act ever took place. Dr. Osman’s statement also confirms what we have already stated regarding deplorable actions by the police to fabricate evidence in a manner identical to the manipulation of my case in 1998. Anything short of a thorough investigation into the mishandling of this investigation would further tarnish the credibility of the police.

The doctor’s personal safety is a matter of deep concern to us. Material witnesses in high-profile cases in Malaysia have gone missing in the past such as the PI Balasubramanian. I applaud those brave individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to freedom and justice by coming forward with important evidence, and call upon the authorities to ensure their protection.

Yesterday in court we learned that the prosecution’s case has, in a manner similar to the botched trials of 1998, shape-shifted from a charge of assault to one of a consensual act. The conspiracy launched against me in the final week of June 2008 is falling apart. There is a hasty attempt by some to patch up glaring holes in the complainant’s testimony. This will certainly fail given the preponderance of evidence confirming my innocence.

The Prime Minister has actively involved himself in this matter in an attempt to derail the process of transformational change in Malaysia and stave off his own political demise. But in soiling his hands with this sordid matter he has deepened the crisis within his own administration. His most ardent supporters among the Malays have also expressed their disgust with the matter. Furthermore Prime Minister Badawi now faces investigation by the Anti Corruption Agency for his involvement in corruption and money politics.

The shadow of corruption and mismanagement of the economy darkens the legacy of his Premiership. Prime Minister Badawi has still offered no convincing explanation over the huge profits reaped by his family in the Oil For Food scandal at the expense of dying Iraqis.

I advise those around him to leave the sinking ship of his leadership while there is still a chance to do so.

Pakatan Rakyat’s reform agenda is firmly back on track and the New Dawn for Malaysia is well within reach. We will mount a unified campaign to win in Permatang Pauh with a solid majority encompassing that constituency’s diverse population. I look forward to entering Parliament on August 27th with the support of my friends in the coalition.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Too Good To Be True

Hantu Laut

WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get in computer jargon. In nanotechnology there is WYSINWYG - What You See Is Not What You Get. In the Beijing Olympic there is WYSINL -What You See Is Not Real.

Is it Western bias ? I bet the next Olympic opening ceremony in London wouldn't be as grand.The English is rich but think like a pauper.

Who cares? I was well entertained and most impressed.

By Chris Chase
Some Opening Ceremony fireworks were faked

If you watched the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, chances are you said something like, "no way that's possible" at least once. It turns out you were right.

London's Telegraph newspaper reports that some of the fireworks which appeared over Beijing during the television broadcast of the Olympic Opening Ceremony were actually computer generated. But -- hold on -- it's not necessarily as bad as you think.

The faked fireworks were actually set-off at the stadium, but because of potential dangers in filming the display live from a helicopter, viewers at home were shown a pre-recorded, computer-generated shot. It sounds dishonest, but I'm not sure it's such a terrible thing.

The Opening Ceremony is, at its core, just one big performance. And isn't it accepted that some things might not be legit at a performance? The final torch bearer wasn't actually running around the top of the stadium, does the fact that everyone could figure that out make it any less? It might have been unnecessarily deceptive, but the firework-faking isn't that big of a deal. But, if I found out that the lighted-drum thing wasn't on the up and up, then we'll have problems, China.

Source:Yahoo News

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Beijing 2008 OLYMPIC:Pomp,Pageantry And Splendour



Hantu Laut

It was an awesome display of pyrotechnics and pageantry.A show of epic proportion.The best Olympic opening ceremony I have seen so far.It's a coming out party for China, showcasing its 5000 years of history,economic and technological advancement with pomp and circumstance.

The countdown started with 2008 drummers, pounded thundering rhythms on the drums accompanied by flying acrobats on wire, stunts usually seen in Hong Kong made Shaolin movies.

It was probably the most expensive extravanga ever hosted in Olympic history.There were almost 30,000 fireworks ignited within the stadium and its surrounding area for the duration of the opening.A psychedelia of colours illuminated the Bird's Nest stadium and the hazy skies of Beijing.

World leaders who attended the ceremony were US President George W. Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and many others.With the exception of the Thai Prime Minister, leaders from other Asean countries were conspicuously absent and some,including Malaysia, didn't send prominent figure to represent the country at this very important world event.

If the Prime Minister or his Deputy were too busy they could have requested the Agong to represent the country.Being a sportsman himself,I am sure His Royal Highness would be more than pleased to go as head of state,unless he is also busy with his official functions.

The ceremony went on for almost four hours without a dull moment.The choreography was excellent and executed with utmost precision and splendour.

I believe China will overtake the U.S. in medal tally this time around.In the 2004 Olympic at Athens she lost to the U.S. short of 3 gold medals.

Medal Tally


United States353929
China321714
Only rich country can host the Olympic.The US$40 billion spent to host the Olympic will not go to waste.


Has China joined the rich countries, maybe not yet, but it has shown the world what it can do to its economy in a short span of time. It's a nation that has taken an arduous journey from its days of closed-door communism to an economic behemoth worthy of envy and respect. It's certainly a force to be reckoned with in the future.

China boleh !

Note:My apology to Malaysia and the Agong, I understand later from news report, he was there, maybe the commentator and cameraman think Malaysia doesn't deserve a mention.

Friday, August 8, 2008

It's Consenting Adults Now ?

Hantu Laut

From being forced (rape) to engage in sodomy,it has now become consensual sex, which means sex between consenting adults.One is charged and the other one is not, so our learned minister says Saiful can't be charged because he is the complainant, but the law says sodomy is a serious criminal offence, irrespective of whosoever engaged in it.

Assuming I had a fight with my friend and I was the aggressor and bashed him up but was the first one to lodge a police report, so I am the complainant, I shouldn't be charged.

What kind of justice system we have in this country.Charge the victim not the perpetrator. Below is part of my blog post on 25th July.

"No matter how much I wanted to believe that Anwar might be guilty of the allegation, it is even harder to believe that Anwar can force himself on a young man of Saiful age six times before he felt utterly disgusted and ran to lodge a report first with the DPM and than to the police.If it was against your will, wouldn't you run away and lodge a police report the first time it happened or was it consensual and something had gone terribly wrong?"

I would still give Anwar the benefit of the doubt.Now we can rule out rape of Saiful.He has unashamedly admitted to consensual sex with Anwar.It would be interesting to know why he changed his mind after the sixth time.

I believe many of you would still remember the arrest of John DeLorean back in 1982 on charges of drug traffiking.The court throw out the case when the judge found out he was set up by the FBI, an entrapment, which is illegal in the U.S.That speaks volume of law enforcement agency and their capacity in resorting to dirty tactics.

De Lorean is the founder of the DeLorean Motor Compnay which ran into financial trouble and was accused of drug traffiking to raise money to save the company.The company went bankrupt in 1982 and closed down for good.

Let's hope justice prevails in this country.

P.I disappeared,doctor disappeared,a blogger charged for sedition, another blogger arrested and an ex DPM charged for sodomy.

It looks like the government have shot itself in the foot.

Opening Ceremony:Beijing Olympic

Hantu Laut

  


VideoPlaylist
I made this video playlist at myflashfetish.com


More than 90,000 spectators will stream through the gates of the National Stadium in Beijing  to-night for the opening ceremonies in this gigantic birdnest.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Arrogance Of Power

Hantu Laut

Arrogance, incorrigible and insolent are the trademark of some politicians. I have seen many that have to eat the humble pie when they were no more in position of power.Than there were those who had selective memory or amnesia and can't remember the faces of their less fortunate friends when they were constantly intoxicated with the political world.There are also those who rode the high horses and forgot there are ground beneath their feet.

With due respect and my sincere apology to those who are not in those category,I don't mean to be rude but I really don't have that many kind words for politicians from both sides of the political fence.Most are just self-serving brown-nosing little weasels.

What struck me as strange and inconceivable were reasons given by UMNO Wanita Chief Rafidah Aziz on why she decided to stand for the party elections and subsequently hand over to Sharizat 6 months later, a move quite rightly questioned by former wanita chief and matriarch AishahGhani.It's something in dire need of comprehension.

As usual our iron lady was fast to throw tantrums when asked what was her reaction to the call by Kalabakan Wanita UMNO division for her to step down gracefully during the party elections in December and make way for Sharizat to contest the elections. Her response was "Why don't you ask them? Why don't you talk to them.She said "If I do that ( step down in December), it would create fighting for the chief and deputy chief posts.I want to avoid a contest, I don't want to contest" Whatever that meant, I am not sure.

I can understand the Prime Minister power transition to his Deputy which makes some sense, this one is absolutely ridiculous.

What political system are we using in this country, democracy, socialism, feudalism or communism.Even in the politburo of the communist party elections are held to choose its leaders.Assuming we practise democracy, isn't elections part and parcel of the democratic process and people should be allowed to contest freely.

She said "I am doing them a favour".That sounds really insulting to Sharizat.It means she can't win on her own account and have to depend on Rafidah to deliver the title to her on the platter.

It's also amazing that she thinks nobody dare to challenge her.

If that's not arrogance, what is?

Related articles: