Thursday, July 31, 2008

Wan Azizah:Desperate Needs,Needed Desperate Measures

Hantu Laut

Wan Azizah, the wife of Anwar Ibrahim has tendered her resignation as MP.Her letter was sent to Speaker of Dewan Rakyat Pendikar Amin.

The move is probably to get Anwar elected as MP before his court trail is over, if he is charged.

So his announcement of going for Kulim Bandar Baharu is just - Woof! Woof!

A risky decision to make in this most unpredictable time, assuming he is charged and lost the sodomy case brought against him.

Will The Government Be The Toyol(Leprechaun) Again?

Hantu Laut

It was reported in Malaysia Insider that the government may appoint the Solicitor-General (SG) as DPP (Deputy Public Prosecutor) in the Anwar's sodomy case, if he is charged.

In my earlier article I have recommended another person to be the prosecutor instead of the AG (Attorney-General) due to serious allegations by Anwar of past misdeeds in his previous sodomy case.

I can see the PM is taking a step in the right direction and I do believe the SG Datuk Idris bin Harun is competent to do his job without fear or favour. Will public opinion change?

Although the government can ignore public opinion and do what any government should do under normal circumstances, but in this particularly dicey case, the government should walk with caution and should be seen as having no vested interest in the case.The services of an independent reputable foreign prosecutor should be seriously considered to complement the SG.This will remove all doubts from majority of the population that the government is still pulling  the strings. 

Below are background information of the Solicitor-General:



Duties and Function of 
Solicitor General


The Solicitor General assists the Attorney General and is by law empowered to perform any of the functions that can be performed by the Attorney General. This is provided under Section 40A of the Eleventh Schedule to the Federal Constitution.

Under subsection 376(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Solicitor General shall have all powers of a Deputy Public Prosecutor and shall act as a Public Prosecutor in the absence or inability of the Attorney General to act.

The Solicitor General is also responsible for civil matters, interviews, intakes, transfers, postings and promotions of officers and any other duties directed by the Attorney General.

 

Duties and Function of
Solicitor General II


The post of Solicitor General II has been created and came into effect on 16 April 2007 through the Waran Perjawatan Bil. A46 Tahun 2007 dated 20 April 2007. Following the existence of the new post, currently there are two (2) Solicitor Generals in the Attorney General’s Chambers.

The Solicitor General II is responsible for matters related to drafting of legislations, law reform and revision matters, responsible in overseeing and supervising the State Legal Officers and all administration matters other than finance and budget, interviews, intakes, transfers, postings and promotions of officers and any other duties directed by the Attorney General.

Below is the Organisation Chart.




From the chart above it appears that the Solicitor-General is under the Attorney-General.


As I have said earlier the SG may be impartial and competent but public opinion will not change if he alone does the job.


Many Malaysians believe in the occult, toyol and cerita dongeng but the conspiracy to fix Anwar is no cerita dongeng. To them it is true and the toyol is the government.


It's time the Prime Minister and his government walk the ground and feel the pulse of discontent and do something about it.


It's public opinion that makes or kills a government and Anwar knew it and depended on it to discredit the government.


Who is the wolf in sheep's clothing ?


Read:The Osman Conspiracy?


Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Justice Must Be Seen To Be Done

Hantu Laut

Anwar Ibrahim might not be my favourite politician but I hope the rule of law will prevail in this country if the police decides to charge him.

The government  with its credibility at stake must go out of its way to ensure a fair trail for Anwar Ibrahim.None of those currently accused by him of past wrongdoings should be allowed to be involved in the case, particularly the IGP and the AG, whom he has accused of fabricating evidence in his previous sodomy case.So far the Prime Minister has kept his promise by not allowing the two to be involved.

It is also imperative that the Court and judges should have no fear to call upon any prominent figures as witnesses if the need arises.No immunity should be given to any of those holding high offices, including the PM and DPM, from appearing in court should their presence be required as witnesses.

If the government is really serious about salvaging its shrunken popularity and its inglorious reputation than it should consider taking a bold step to do what has not been done before.

Since all branches of government including the judiciary are under trail in the court of public opinion and to appease the sceptics of the impartiality of the government in the case, serious consideration should be given to appoint independent public prosecutors (foreign or local) and a trial by jury or if that is not possible than  additional judges chosen from Britain or any of the Commonwealth countries to sit with our judges to hear the case.

I hope Pak Lah will have the conscience to do what is right.

"Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done"

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The Redemption Of Anwar Ibrahim ?

Hantu Laut

Why is the government dragging its feet on the investigation regarding Anwar's sodomy case.The recent disclosure by our iconoclastic Raja Petra of a medical report, not that I believe the report is conclusive, that confirmed the absent of any sign of buggery of the complainant Saiful has added more fuel to an already burning fire.The government should either release the result of the investigation without further ado or close the case if there were insufficient evidence to charge Anwar. 

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must understand that public opinion is against his government and the longer the delay the more severe is the people perception of the government intention of trumped-up charges against Anwar. He will gain more ground with his sympathisers and supporters and is deemed innocent even if proven guilty.Even those sitting on the fringe are beginning to doubt the government sincerity in the case.

To make matters worse the emergence of an Uncle Pet, an uncle of Saiful, whose real identity is still not known and with an image that is not exactly an epitome of wisdom, although he might be completely innocent, is not adding any credibility to the story.

Why did the doctor at the private clinic released Saiful medical report to be made known to the public? He is an Anwar's sympathiser or a conscientious medical practitioner? How thorough was his examination of the patient? What kind of doctor is he that breached professional ethic? If he thinks his finding is correct and as a professional why not stands by his reports?

Below are some of the reactions of Anwar's supporters and sympathisers taken from various blogs:

SOME CONTENT IS OBJECTIONABLE. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

1.Raja Petra, I SALUTE U !!!!

Pandan muka Saiful & family. Becareful, if I ever meet him I will shaff a durian up his ASS! Never know how LOW can a person go to prostitute himself in the name of $$$$$!!!

2.AG first fellow who should kena `taro`. He ordered the wrongful arrest. That also abuse of power.AG must be suspended immediately and placed under house arrest.

3.“Shove a durian” into his @SS”. Might I add a batang penyapu?

4.Now this Sinfool (Saiful) guy has really screwed himself! I can tell you his arsehole is getting bigger everyday!

5.I think the whole pack of government lackeys are clowns.It is like a circus show showing the government fooling Malaysians to believe the sodomy case of Anwar.Now,the cat is out of the bag and Malaysians can throw shit at the Home Minister who is a disgrace in trying to spread lies with facts to foreign dignitaries recently.What a nincompoop Minister he is and I hope he sinks his face in the mud to escape embarrassment from them later.

6.Saifool has now become a pain in BeeEnd's Arse.Sakit!!!

7.RPK ain't a doctor, but in this case, RPK aint the only one spinning out of control.First it was a meliwat thingy.Then they checked DSAI's private part.Followed by the allegation that it ain't a dick to anus thing, but a plastic insertion matter.Then the doctor disappeared, just like that Private Eye.C'mon, folks, what else the authority has to spin?

8First it was a meliwat case.Then DSAI got his dick checked.Followed by the "plastic insertion" thing.What's next?Broom stick??Aiyoh !! Please lah !! Enuf already lah !!!       

Those comments are not from Malaysia Today but taken from other top blogs in the country.

It looks like that Saiful only had simple flu at his rear end.

Below is Uncle Pet's reaction to Raja Petra's redemption of Anwar.


Monday, July 28, 2008

Proton And Harley-Davidson

Hantu Laut

I was right in my condemnation of the quality of Proton cars.The MB of Pahang and Kelantan had also come out and said their Perdanas incur high maintenance costs.

The high costs were not merely because of Proton poor quality there must be some element of hanky-panky. The individuals in charge of sending the cars for service and maintenance must be in cahoots with the dealers.

Federal and State departments should stop buying Proton cars to send a clear message to Proton to pull up their socks to improve the quality of their cars. It's government owned and funded by taxpayers. Those guys in Proton are resting on their laurels and are quite happy to produce crappy machines. 

If Proton wish to continue producing low quality cars and expect to sell well, I suggest they send their marketing boys to Harley-Davidson to learn all about marketing hype. How to sell crappy machines at premium prices.

Harley-Davidson image marketing was so good it managed to fool the world's big bike lovers to buy their crappy over-sized and under-powered machines at mind-boggling prices.It's a growing cult of machismo show-off on fat ugly machines.

Real bike enthusiasts don't buy Harley, they buy other high-end bikes, Japanese or European.

Harley recently bought over M.V.Augusta, one of the finest and highly regarded high-end bike manufacturers sold for a song by the myopic management at Proton a year ago.

Let's hope Harley don't introduce their crappy engineering to those superb machines.

The purchase of those Mercedes Benz cars by Trengganu is now a fait accompli and the Prime Minister should let it be and allow those cars to be used by the assemblymen.

Sometimes, favours don't come free, you have to buy them.

Maybe the Menteri Besar of Trengganu should enlighten the Prime Minister why he was so generous to the councillors even at time of economic downturn when government should be tightening its belt.

One thing for sure, he knows the Prime Minister can't remove him, he was appointed by the Sultan.

Another Idiot For American President

Hantu Laut

If you think George Bush is a moron and our Prime Minister is a flip-flop, listen to this man who would likely be the next President of the United States.



So, don't take it too hard on Badawi, he is smarter than Bust and McCain put together.

Come on people of America, be smart, vote for Obama.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Anwar Ibrahim At Wits' End

Hantu Laut

Poor Anwar Ibrahim is at his wits' end? With not much help from his coalition partners to grab power he is beginning to sound more desperate and have started making foolish and sanctimonious speeches which aren't normally said by a normal person.

Below are some of his speeches delivered at Banting last night.

"Umno leaders are saying they are trying to protect the Malays because now they are at their weakest. But let me tell you this that it is too late for them. I am Malay but a responsible and cultured one. I will never stop from helping the Malays to progress,"

Guess what Anwar ?, there is social stigma attached to aggrandizement of oneself.A cultured person don't usually say I am handsome,I am clever,I am smarter and the last thing would be to say I am cultured.Let others judge you.

"I am a Muslim therefore I am responsible to uphold justice for all Malaysians,

You mean only Muslims are responsible and others are not?

"I will fight, as I know there is no evidence, this is just a wild accusation, and I have enough witnesses. I have fought with dragons and these people are just lizards, and the people will reject this latest allegation,"

Gosh! You sound like Ide Amin and Robert Mugabe.

"I have forgiven (Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad). He is senile. (Tan Sri) Mohtar Abdullah (the Attorney-General in 1998) is no longer with us and (Tan Sri) Rahim Noor (the former Inspector-General of Police) is retired. We want to move forward, let bygones be bygones."

If you go to Mahathir's blog he certainly doesn't appear senile.His blog has over 4 million hits within a span of few months, which means in spite of his age and current status people still respect him and he appears to be more popular than you.

There are no sitemeter on your blog and those dedicated to you, so it would be hard to judge your popularity.

Adding to his plea, Anwar also reminded the crowd to seek divine intervention. "Let us hold solat hajat (prayers seeking God's help) and readings of the Surah Yasin (a Quranic chapter asking for God's help), to ask God to save the country. We can only plan but God will decide,"

A desperate attempt of pandering to the Malay masses.The same sickness that he accused UMNO of suffering from.

There wouldn't be any Sabah MP crossing over ,except, maybe, those from SAPP and Yong Tet Lee who is seeking to revive his dormant political career.

Orang Melayu kata "Tak baik lah! Pukul gendang sendiri"

Read the full story here.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Of Sex,Power,Money And Betrayal

Hantu Laut

There are two sides to a coin.All this while we always hear one side of the story, mostly in favour of Anwar Ibrahim and condemnation and contempt of the government.

In the recent Sodomy case against Anwar, public opinion is largely on Anwar's side due to allegations of trumped-up charges against him in the past.To make matters worse there were serious inconsistencies and discrepancies in the story of the complainant Saiful and even more serious the apparent selective memory of the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who initially denied having met or knowing Saiful but later admitted he had met him on educational matters merely out of sympathy for the young man, a dropout with a penchant for rubbing shoulders with the rich, the famous and the powerful.

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?

The latest addition to this ongoing saga was the revelation made by Raja Petra Kamarudin of another witness who was in the DPM's house together with Saiful who had regurgitated the story to him of which he had recorded on video which he hopes to produce at the time of his court trail.He had in no uncertain term said if he goes down he is going to take the DPM down with him.

It is also interesting to note that not only Najib had discrepancies in his story, Anwar had made similar error in his story about who Saiful really is? But than the true-blue Anwar supporters wouldn't fall for anything else other than the undisputed innocent of the man.

Interestingly, a blog reader or a blogger I would say, posted the comment below on my blog.

Blogger bro_jinggo said...International Coffee Boy

I understand the general skepticism that has greeted Mohd Saiful Bukhari bin Azlan's police report accusing Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim of allegedly buggering him. Many Malaysians have said, "Not again..." or "Can't they come up with something better?" Whatever your take on this may be, I think its best that everyone allows due process to take place and since the level of cynicism is extremely pronounced, there should be some sort of independent verification for possible key evidence e.g. a foreign forensic expert going through whatever tests that need to be done to prove or disprove that the said buggery took place.

But the one thing that I could never figure out is this: When Saiful made his police report, he was identified as a special assistant to Dato' Seri Anwar. Special assistant means someone with exclusive contact with their employer, someone who has personal dealings with their principal. But shortly after the report was made, Keadilan apparatchiks went on the offensive saying that Saiful was a mere volunteer at the party HQ - a very small, insignificant cog in the giant wheel that is Keadilan and Friends. He was described by Anwaristas as an assistant to an assistant and more specifically as a "coffee boy." In fact, Dato' Seri Anwar himself said that Saiful was "not a permanent member of the staff" and only earned a part-time allowance.

So they established clearly that Saiful was a nobody and implied that he would not have had much significant, personal contact with Dato' Seri Anwar. A volunteer coffee boy that dropped out of university. No more, no less.

But here's the problem. Dato' Seri Anwar also admitted that he has taken Saiful along during his foreign trips. Now, why in the world would you take your volunteer coffee boy on an overseas visit? If he was a nobody, just as Dato' Seri Anwar and his lackeys painted him out to be, why would he be part of a coveted overseas entourage?

The only explanation I can think of is that his coffee must be damn, bloody good.

This salacious tale of power, money and betrayal is getting sleazier with each passing day.

Letter in Support of the Honorable Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim

Hantu Laut

Anwar Ibrahim is not only popular at home but is also popular outside Malaysia especially with Western leaders and world corporate figures. After getting show of support from the American with subtle warning given by Secretary Of State Condoleeza Rice to the Malaysian government not to conspire against him again, Anwar friends in the West are asking for the charges against him to be dropped. It seems a bit odd because he has not been charged yet.

The letter of appeal is posted below.

NEW YORK, July 24, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The following Communique is sent to you for immediate release:

As many of those who have had the privilege to work with him or under his leadership in international institutions, we have heard with deep concern the charges filed against the honorable Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim, in spite of the fact that similar unsubstantiated charges filed ten years ago against him were overturned by the Supreme Court.
We would like, in such circumstances, to reiterate our full confidence in his moral integrity, as a man who has demonstrated, in the discharge of his national and international responsibilities, the highest ethical standards of leadership, fighting for international justice, peace and development.
We want also to express our confidence that whatever the present political circumstances, the Government of Malaysia will exert a particular restraint in the handling of this case and will demonstrate, by dropping the charges introduced against Dr. Anwar Ibrahim, an exemplary sense of respect for the rights of the individual which are so important to the international standing of Malaysia.

Signed by,
-- Paul Martin, Former Prime Minister of Canada and former Chairman of the G20
-- Michel Camdessus, Former Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of the International Monetary Fund
-- James Wolfensohn, Former President of the World Bank
SOURCE Paul Martin; Michel Camdessus; James Wolfensohn
Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dikasi Betis Nak Kepala

Hantu Laut

Who is to blame for the Trengganu Menteri Besar indignation that he was right to approve the purchase of those Mercs as official cars for his assemblymen? One should ask the Sultan of Trengganu who appointed him to the post.

I couldn't agree more with him on why he abandoned the Protons in favour of the Merc.Almost all Proton models are not known for its quality.My only question is the timing right to splurge on this kind of luxury when the economy is on the decline and the people are going through the worst patch of their lives as the economy worsen and the costs of living continue to spiral upward.Shouldn't people like him lead by example and go on austerity drive, if he ever heard of the word.

Most people wouldn't really care if the economic climate had been more favourable.

When political leaders goes round telling the rakyat to tighten their belts and not overspend, the rakyat expect them to show example and do the same.What they spend are taxpayer money not their own money and an act of prudence is expected of them.

Menteri Besar Ahmad Said thinks just because he was appointed by the Sultan he can do anything he likes without giving any due respect to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. He has probably forgotten that he is an UMNO Menteri Besar and should abide the party rules.If he is Pakatan Menteri Besar than it's up to him to deal with matters of state under his jurisdiction.

An unnamed Federal Minister said the Cabinet wasn't happy with what he did but is helpless.

After making demand that Abdullah return the Wang Ehsan to Trengganu, he deems it fits to go on a spending spree.

The Devil Incarnate

Hantu Laut

Lies,half-truths and deception are the sauces of his existence.There is a devil in every men, some God forfend not to manifest, some do and some are:

the incarnation of evil, a betrayer has been born
the king of all deceivers, upon the throne of scorn
an enviable position of power, wealth and glory
to keep the key to the ignition of the purgatory
follow me and you'll succeed
my disciples, you're now a part of me

you reap what you sow, then you roll the dice
how could we ever know that it was the devil in disguise?

the pawns that made the way through this narrow path
for how long will they obey once they taste the grapes of wrath?
now, this wheel of fortune - it spins too fast for you
once it gets in motion there is nothing you can do

follow me and you'll succeed
my disciples, you're now a part of me

you reap what you sow, then you roll the dice
how could we ever know that it was the devil in disguise?

such blindness never seen in the history of man
dictators, rulers of their holy lands
scapegoat sacrified, gently led to slaughter
successor to the throne - the devil's own daughter?
Song Lyrics:Nonexist

A tribute to Anwar Ibrahim, the man who wanted to be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia and Condoleeza Rice who poked her proboscis where it shouldn't be.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Proton,M.V Augusta And Mahathir Re-Visited.


Hantu Laut

The recent sale of M.V.Augusta to Harley-Davidson should raise controversy over the sale of Proton's majority stake in the company.Proton's equity was what we in business circle called sold for a song.Sold for a pittance of 1 Euro.Although the buyer took over the liabilities, the sale is still questionable.

The excuse was that losses at Augusta would drag Proton down faster into insolvency. Little attention was given to the net tangible assets and goodwill on its advanced technology in design and manufacture of high-end motorbikes.Goodwill or intangibles can cost a lot of money to the right buyer.

The sale was made about a year ago.Did Proton approach Harley or any other bikes manufacturer at that time? Within a year the buyer that bought Proton's share has made money out of it.It appears that Proton and our government now look like blundering fools.

Like former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammed I have serious doubt on the genuineness of those who decided to dispose of the share in such a manner.I can only think of two possibilities, one to discredit the former Prime Minister and the other, something more sinister.

http://www.hirevz.com/2007_07_01_archive.html http://www.i-bike.com/store/mv_augusta.cfm
High performance Augusta bikes.

It would be interesting to find out the true identity of the buyer of the 1 Euro share purchase, whether a nominee company was used and whether the purchaser has the financial capacity to undertake the takeover of majority stake in M.V.Augusta.Lastly, if the purchase was genuine, on a willing seller and willing buyer basis, were there incentives paid to the decision makers in Proton to influence their decisions to sell the share?

Although I do not agree with some of Mahathir's recent actions and attacks on the current government, I have great admiration for some of the things he did for this nation during his tenure as PM.At least there were political stability and the economy was doing well.Needless to say there were no hound dogs barking at the government, because there were no major issues except his autocratic ways.

There are two sides to the controversy regarding the viability of Proton.Some were in total disagreement with Mahathir and think he shouldn't have embarked on the costly project while some believe it a launching pad for other ancillary industries to grow and it's worth the risk if Malaysia were to enter the status of industralised countries.

The problem was not with Mahathir, the real problem lies with those given the task to develop the company and those in decision making, not many took pride in their job and move with the time. There was no infusion of new and better technology as was done by other carmakers.After over twenty years Proton has still not been able to proudly manufacture its own engines and gearboxes.

When I first started blogging in June 2007 I wrote an article on the crisis at Proton.I have very low readership at that time and not many have read the article.

I have re-posted the article below.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

PROTON: ONE MAN'S MEAT ANOTHER MAN'S POISON

Hantu Laut

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recently directed Proton to start turning around its financial performance after having incurred losses of RM619 million. Would that be enough for the management in Proton to shape up? Can it survive without massive capital injection from the government or fresh equity participation from established foreign carmaker?

Proton, the brainchild of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed was launched in July 1985.It is now well over twenty years and it still has not been able to stand on its own. The problems are worsening due to stiff competition from other carmakers entering the market with cheaper and better quality models.

Most of Proton's troubles were of its own making. Unimaginative and apathetic management are the main cause of its troubles. New models put on the market were unattractive and of poor quality. Some models are just bad copies of older European models.Two new models put on the market recently was a marketing disaster , the Savvy which looked like an updated version of the Fiat 500 and the Gen 2, looking more like a squeezed down version of the old Alfa Romeo Alfasud.

The Wira, first introduced in 1993, the best selling model in the Proton stable, was an old Mitsubishi model and is still fitted with thirty-year old technology engine. This gas guzzling little monster consumed more fuel than the latest medium size Mercedes Benz.

To produce new models means costly retooling and Proton's many new models failed to excite car buyers. Negotiations with foreign carmaker, Volkswagen, to take up equity in the company collapsed due to the government demand for control of the company and control of the future direction of Proton.No one in their right mind, after having bought controlling interest in a company, would accede to such terms.

Was Proton not a viable project in the first place? Was Mahathir wrong in his vision of the industrialisation of Malaysia? Was it fair for the present administration to blame him for the troubles at Proton? Or was it just another exercise by the current administration to dismantle another one of his legacy?

Let us go to Japan and see how the car industries started, how it has produced many famous brands and how it gave birth to the biggest car manufacturer in the world.

Car manufacturers in Japan started maufacturing passenger cars in the 1920s/30s. The oldest manufacturers are Mitsubishi, Nissan and Isuzu.In their formative years, most of them, have collobrated with British auto manufacturers which had, at that time, one of the best mass manufacturing technology.In 1922, Isuzu, teamed up with Wolseley Motor Company of UK and produced the Wolseley A9 locally. Nissan chose Austin of UK as its partner to gain access to automobile and engine design and initially assembled the Austin 7 model locally for sale in Japan. Mitsubishi, another big zaibatsu has courted alliances with many foreign partners.A significant stake in the auto division was sold to Chrysler in 1971.The latecomer to the industry was Toyota which only put its first passenger car on the market in 1936.It is now the biggest car manufacturer in the world in term of revenue.Together with its subsidiary, Daihatsu, it plans to produce 9.4 million units in 2007.

Almost all of the Japanese carmakers have produced special brand in the US for the US market. Toyota has Lexus, Honda called theirs Acura and Nissan called their's Infinite. In 2003, Toyota, launched another brand in the US which they called Scion, to try capture the generation Y market.The US is the biggest markets for automobiles which the Japanese have succesfully penetrated and make their brands household names.

The other commendable country is South Korea which is even more impressive.Its car industry only started in 1955, initially as assemblers.Today, it is the fifth largest manufacturer in the world in term of volume.

Toyota has overtaken GM as the world biggest supplier of automobiles..This can only come about due to intensive product research, forward looking development activities and good corporate culture. Most Japanese carmakers have had their ups and downs but somehow managed to pull through and survive.Many British carmakers, some of which were pioneers of the industry, have fallen on the wayside and the few that are still around have been taken over by foreign companies. Quality and reliability still plagued most British made cars. The Range Rover, a high end luxury model, was voted one of the ten worst luxury cars in the US in 2006.

The 2nd national car manufacturer, Perodua didn't have the same problem that Proton has.Perodua is basically a Japanese company and managed on the same corporate culture. Daihatsu and Mitsui together control more than 51% equity in the manufacturing arm, Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn.Bhd and its subsidiaries. Although much smaller than Proton, it has delivered some good models. The Myvi, a model launched in May 2006 was a hot seller and still is. Perodua cars are selling well and are eroding Proton's share of the market. It recently launched another new model called the Viva.

If Perodua can survive and continue to gain bigger share of the market why can't Proton?What caused Proton to slide downhill so fast? Who is to blame, Mahathir or the present administration?

To say Proton is not viable is a myopic view of those who are more concerned with placing blames rather than doing something constructive to save the ailing company.It's the easy way out.

Chrysler, a company near bankruptcy once, was a good example of the strong and unwavering conviction of one man that believed the company should be saved and saved hundreds of thousand of jobs. While the majority have condemned and destined the company to the graveyard, one man stood alone, convinced the United States Congress to give him loan guarantees to enable him to save the company. With objections, protests, actions to undermine his proposal coming from almost every sector of the business community, and ridiculed by the press, it wasn't an easy task for Lee Iacocca to convince Congress to accept his proposal which, fortunately for Chrysler, Congress finally did.

With new financing available he managed to turn the company around and paid up all loans seven years ahead of time. I would suggest top executives and directors of Proton to read his book - IACOCCA AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

Is there someone in Proton who has the conviction and courage to do what Iacocca did? The weakness in the current administration and management of Proton are reflected in their action when they decided to sell off the investment in Mv Agusta for a song.This unconscionable decision cost Proton a loss of almost RM500 million.Proton's business advisor, former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad said he has no prior knowledge and weren't consulted.He should have known better.They knew he would be an obstacle.Why appoint someone as your business advisor if you don't need inputs from him?

The buyer must have great confidence in MvAgusta to dare buy the share written off by Proton. The irony is, MvAgusta is still around, it hasn't been foreclosed or wound up as predicted by the Malay soothsayers in Proton and the government. They are still producing new high end motorbikes.

Those in Proton and government must put on their thinking caps to find the best solution to save the company from extinction.After so much time,money and effort spent to nuture Proton to what it is today, its demise, should not be an option.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Barack Obama's Sabah Connection

Hantu Laut

Sabah is not short of surprises.The latest being its connection with Barack Obama, the potential future President of the United States.

His connection comes through marriage of his younger half-sister to a lad whose parents came from Sabah.

The story in the Star below:

PETALING JAYA: Dr Konrad Ng is amused that his Malaysian roots got noticed halfway round the world, thanks to his link to Democrat candidate Barack Obama.

An assistant professor at the University of Hawaii in Manoa (UHM), Ng, whose family originally comes from Sabah, is married to Obama’s half-sister Maya Soetoro.

Not too long ago: Watching an Independence Day parade in the US four years ago were (from left) Michelle Obama, her daughter Sasha, Obama, Malia, Maya, Ng, and their daughter Suhalia. - AP

Maya and Obama have the same mother.

In an e-mail interview with The Star, Ng, 34, said that his father, Howard, was born in Sandakan and his mother, Joan, in Kudat.

“I have many relatives who live throughout Malaysia, especially in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and the two towns where my parents came from,” he said.

His parents subsequently settled in Canada and Ng was born there.

Maya was born to Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian businessman, and Ann Dunham, a white American cultural anthropologist, who is also Obama’s mother.

The family tree: Dr Konrad Ng, Maya, Howard and Joan posing for a picture. Maya, who is Obama’s half sister, is married to Ng whose parents originally came from Sabah.

Ng said his parents return to Malaysia once every one to two years.

“It remains an important place of origin to them. In addition to a large, extended family, they have many good friends in Malaysia. I try to visit Malaysia every few years; it is a special country and feels familiar to me,” said Ng.

Maya, who was born in Jakarta, also cherishes her Indonesian roots.

According to Ng, she is active in the local Indonesian community and continues to speak Indonesian when she can. She visits Indonesia every few years.

Ng described Obama as exceptionally brilliant.

“He has a thorough understanding of the challenges we face and sound judgment on how we should address these challenges.

“Barack is a dedicated family man and cares deeply about transforming the world into a better place so that all families will have the same opportunities to do better.

“South-East Asia is a place of connection for him and a region that he understands well. It gave him numerous examples of alternative modes of communication and perspective.

“Maya, Barack and I have talked about the beauty of South-East Asia and our mutual desire to visit again,” he said.

Source:The Star

Below is Konrad Ng and his wife bio-data:

Born in Indonesia, Maya Soetoro-Ng is Barack’s younger sister. She has a Ph.D in Education and teaches social studies at La Pietra Hawaii School for Girls. Born in Canada, Konrad Ng is Maya’s husband and Barack’s brother-in-law. He has a Ph.D. in Political Science and is an assistant professor in the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawai‘i.

Source:Konrad's Blog

Monday, July 21, 2008

Pirates!

Hantu Laut

A small bite of history.

An extract from a British Royal Navy ship's magazine.The pirates were southern Filipinos.Those that swarmed the state of Sabah.We do need some of them for our labour force but not to the extent of what we have now.

THE NEWS

EVENING HERALD
May 17, 1961

The British frigate St Brides Bay has detained a suspected pirate vessel in the Celebes Sea, a Royal Navy statement announced in Singapore today.

The Naval statement said two motor boats carrying 21 men - 11 of them armed - intercepted a motor trading vessel on May 12 and pirated her cargo of 207 bags of copra.

THE STORY

We left Singapore on the May 9 and made a quiet and pleasant passage to North Borneo, having rendezvoued with HM Ships HOUGHTON and FISKERTON returning from their patrol in order to gain the benefit of their experiences. By the evening of Saturday 13th we had rounded the northern tip of Borneo and made the remainder of the passage darkened in order to avoid making our presence too readily apparent.
Pirates!

At 0600 the following morning we met a police launch out from Tawau and embarked Mr R H Hansen, the police commissioner, together with six victims of piracy to assist in identifying any suspects, and three local policemen. Within an hour of this we had sighted and hauled alongside our first 'kumpit' -which proved a fortunate meeting. The kumpit, the 'YOUNG STAR', had been involved in a running battle with a pirate the previous evening. Although she had escaped capture, one member of the crew had been killed by a home-made bomb, and six others had been injured by splinters or rifle fire - these we were able to bring on board for medical treatment. This incident, before breakfast on a calm, sunny Sunday morning, brought home to all of us the fact that our patrol was not to be just another cruise. From the 'YOUNG STAR' we now had some definite information and were able to plan our search accordingly.
Sorrowful bunch contemplating future

For the next thirty-six hours we continued the search whilst the trail became slowly colder During this time we stopped and searched or questioned numerous sailing and motor craft but gained little useful information, and the sight of our armed boarding-party 'standing-to' became quite commonplace. There were numerous false alarms, for we found the Celebes Sea to abound in floating trees, which, at a distance were difficult to distinguish from the small craft for which we were looking. This difficulty was increased at night, and on at least one occasion we illuminated a clump of trees which the boarding-party had been waiting to board.
Engineer - tethered

Shortly after 2100 on the second night on patrol we closed a radar contact which began to take evasive action when the range had closed to about one mile, to the extent that the ship had some difficulty in placing her in a position in which we could properly use the searchlight. When this contact was illuminated she was seen to be a fast motor-kumpit resembling that discribed by the crew of the 'YOUNG STAR'. She was stopped and the crew brought on board for questioning whilst the boat was searched - a search that revealed two automatic weapons, a rifle and ammunition hidden beneath a pile of copra. The discovery of these arms, together with the results of questioning, gave sufficient grounds for arrest. A prize crew was embarked, and the real crew were kept on board the ship under guard except for the engineer whom we kept with us in the kumpit. By 2230 we in the kumpit were underway again and heading for Tawau, some 120 miles distant, escorted by the ship. I shall remember that night for a long time, for the smell of rancid copra takes some getting used to and permeates everything - clothes, food and even cigarettes: in the heat of the day it becomes worse still. The native engineer that we took with us was given little freedom by his police guard and spent most of the time tethered like a dog by a halter round his neck; had one not seen their victims in the 'YOUNG STAR' two days earlier it would have been easy to have felt sorry for him.
Attacked by pirates.Motor kumpit 'Young Star'
with casualties.


Shortly after sunrise the following morning the ship left us to go on into Tawau and we followed at our best speed of about nine knots. Our arrival in Tawau in the afternoon caused great interest ashore and the interest heightened into excitement when the haltered engineer was led to the local gaol.

A report of the incident was released to the press by the Admiralty and during the next few weeks we were entertained by numerous press-cuttings which told our story in various ways - and not always very accurately. The most accurate report that reached us originated in the ship as a letter home and came back as a full back page article in a local Ulster newspaper complete with one of the Buffer's photographs of Able Seaman Hodge at his best (with pirates).

We have recently heard that our captives have each been sentenced to twelve years imprisonment.

Stupid Diplomat:Mind Your Own Business

Hantu Laut

Some people just have no sense of shame and has no balls to put their name on an official statement they made to the media.

A Filipino diplomat who wanted to stay anonymous because he has no balls said the economy of Malaysia particularly Sabah would collapse if the Malaysian government continue to deport illegal immigrant.The diplomat said the number of Filipinos in Sabah alone could reach 400,000.

Every Sabahan knew that figure, which was also agreed by the Malaysian government, is wrong and manufactured by the Federal government.The actual figure of mostly illegal Filipino immigrants is close to 1 million and another 300,000 Indonesians, making almost 1.3 million of them scattered all over the state.The ratio is almost 1:1, that's one illegal for every Sabahan.

The government refused to admit the correct figure because it would show how irresponsible they have been toward providing security to the state.

Sabahans have been besieged by the presence of these aliens for decades and the situation is getting worse day by day by letting in new arrivals.Their different cultural background and social behaviour breeds contempt among ethnic Sabahans.

The Philippines government and the unnamed diplomat should be ashamed of themselves for the abject poverty in their country that drove their citizens to seek better life in other countries illegally.Every one of its government, past and present, are only interested to rob the country and run it to the ground.

President Arroyo ! I think it's time you wake up and deal with the problem with probity rather than letting your stupid diplomat to make equally stupid statement.

Below is the article:

DIPLOMAT SAYS:
Deportations may lead to collapse of Malaysia economy
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 08:35:00 07/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The economy of Malaysia, particularly of Sabah, could collapse if its government continues with the crackdown and deportation of so-called illegal migrant workers, including hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, a Filipino diplomat said.

The diplomat, who requested anonymity as he does not have any authority to speak on the issue, affirmed earlier reports that Filipinos in Sabah are allowed to vote in Sabah elections, and that they are then deported in regular anti-illegal migrants campaigns.

"This follows a regular cycle. After every election, the politicians seek to show their teeth and after a concessional deportation of a few thousands, they would again look the other way because they also realize the contribution that our people have on their economy. Without them, their economy would collapse," he said.

The diplomat said the number of Filipinos in Sabah alone could reach as many as 400,000.

While there are no official estimates, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos puts the number at around 200,000, while Malaysia puts the number at around 300,000.

Told that the Malaysian government has expressed "seriousness" in ridding the island of "illegal migrants," the unnamed Filipino diplomat said, "Their seriousness is limited by their logistics. Imagine deporting that many people. They would lose their shirt."

Both sides agree that the Philippines' un-acted claim over Sabah complicates the deportation further because while the country seeks for an orderly deportation of Filipinos from Sabah, it cannot formally set up a consulate office there as it would effectively be recognizing Malaysia's claim over Sabah. A consulate office in Sabah would facilitate the documentation of the deportees, who for the most part were born and raised in Sabah and know no other home but Sabah.

Malaysia contends that it has jurisdiction over Sabah because the people of Sabah have so chosen, and it occupies the oil-rich island. International law experts agree that occupation is nine-tenths of any similar claim.

The Philippines' claim is based on historical records, which indicate that the sultanate of Sulu owns Sabah. This is supported by the annual lease payment made by the Sabah government to the sultan and his heirs.

After the March elections in Malaysia, its government has stepped up deportations, sending back around 250 “illegal migrants” each week to Zamboanga City, where the Philippine government has set up a one-stop processing center composed of officials from the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Foreign Affairs .Read more...Pirate Ship pictures

They came by boats, some as pirates.Remember the Sipadan kidnapping?

You have accused the Malaysian government of using your citizens to vote illegally in our elections.Show us the evidence so we Sabahans can kick the asses in Putrajaya.

Mr Diplomat, please indentify yourself, so our government can send a protest letter to your Embassy.

Which economy would collapse? Ours or Yours ? Ours had collapsed a few times but recovered quickly.Do you see millions of Malaysian as economic refugees in other country? Does our economy depend on overseas remittances like yours?

Yours, collapsed under the Marcos regime and have not recovered ever since and the problem is you and most Filipinos are still living in cloud cuckoo land.

That's why your country is in such a mess. There are just too many morons like you.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

The Cabals Of Malaysia

Hantu Laut

boxing
This is the pot that called the kettle black before.Now they are showing their true colour.Bashed its own MP for asking questions.

PKR's YB Nik Nazmi's aide is alleged to have punched PKR's YB Loh Gwo-Burne for asking him questions over the construction of a surau which apparently had no approval from the local council.

PKR which accused UMNO of human right abuses and marginalisation of Indians over demolition of Indian temples before is now doing much better than UMNO to perpetuate 'ketuanan Melayu'.Just bash up anybody including your own party comrade and lawmakers if they dare to ask questions on Malay rights.At least in UMNO the Malays don't beat up their non-Malays elected representatives in the coalition.

Among the 5 states under the oppositions, PKR's Khalid has shown total lack of good governance and is more interested in witch hunting than governing a state.Already embroiled in several controversies, the Menteri Besar of Selangor seems not to have any control over his men.

What can one expect from a party that has a leader who is all for himself,promote himself and his family

Have you ever heard Anwar Ibrahim talk much about his party and his people?It's always him, his family, how he can steal a government and how the BN government conspire to fix him.

Anwar's PKR is still crawling on all fours. They need to learn how to walk properly and certainly need to learn the art of governing before they can look at the bigger picture.

If you can' ride a pony properly how do you expect to ride a stallion?

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Buying A Pig In The Poke

Hantu Laut

Let forget about Anwar for a little while and indulge in some of life unpleasant surprises.Sometimes, things don't work out the way you want them to.Sometimes,it your own fault,sometimes it's other people's carelessness and stupidity.Sometimes, you want to get angry and bash up that someone who screw up the normality of your every day existence.

Last night I was getting ready to go to a charity dinner and show.My wife and I always attend the annual charity dinner and show, without fail, every year for the past eight years, for which she was one of the founding members of this very noble organisation that look after people with terminal diseases, particularly cancer.The organisation has grown substantially since its inception and is fully financed by public donations from generous Sabahans.That's not where my problem is.

My problem, which occurred three days ago, without me even knowing it until last night when I wanted to use my newly bought pair of shoes.Taking the pair of shoes out from the shoebox, I couldn't believe my eyes, it's like my vision has gone haywire.I don't know whether to laugh or get angry with that little Malay boy whom I remember served me when I bought the shoes from Parkson at Wawasan Plaza.I feel like running back to the shop and give the chap a good punch on the nose but than time was not on my side because my dinner is about half an hour away and I live about 30 km from town. When I showed the shoes to my wife she had a good laugh and said " You deserve it,maybe your should punch yourself on the nose, not the boy's, because people like you never checked what you bought before you took them home"




I bought the one on the right. I am going back today and hope that little nitwit is working today so I can give him a piece of my mind.

I wonder what would you do if you are from out of town or overseas tourists, got home and find to their horror the grim picture above.Probably have to throw them away.

The gist of the story is never buy a pig in the poke.

UPDATED:

Went back to Parkson, got back the other side and now I have a proper pair of shoes.

The little Malay boy was very apologetic when he saw me.He was wondering why I took 5 days to come back.Since he has apologised I refrained from telling him off.After all we are humans and humans are not infallable, we all can make mistakes.End of story.

Reunited !

Friday, July 18, 2008

What's Wrong With Anwar ?

Hantu Laut

If the appointment of an independent foreign forensic expert is not acceptable to Anwar and he still refuses to accede to such request than the court should compel him to provide samples from him for DNA testing.His fear of not even trusting an independent person or body to conduct the test is a clear sign something is amiss somewhere.

His claims of not trusting the authority now that he has been offered to chose his own expert does not hold water anymore.

Below is the story reported in the Star.

Anwar ‘no’ to foreign forensic expert


 Anwar wants transparency and professionalism

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not agree to the idea of a foreign forensic expert of his choice to draw a DNA sample from him, said lawyer R. Sivarasa.

“They (the police) fail to understand Anwar’s concern as explained this afternoon. It does not address the possible fabrication of DNA (test results) starting with Saiful (Bukhari Azlan) himself,” he said yesterday.

Stating his case: Anwar during the press conference at his home in Bukit Segambut. With him are his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (right), his daughter Nurul Izzah (standing, left) and one of his lawyers R. Sivarasa (seated on his right). - CHUA KOK HWA / The Star

To a question whether Anwar and his lawyers would consider allowing the international expert to carry out the DNA test, he said they could “start to look at that” as the expert might be able to advise them.

However, he said this would not make a difference if there was a possibility that the samples would be tampered with.

He said they would resist any legal action for Anwar to provide a DNA sample because the law does not provide for it.

At his press conference earlier, Anwar had said that if there was “compelling evidence one, two, three and four which needs an international expert,” then he would be willing to submit to DNA testing.

Of course the diehard Anwar's fans would continue to live in denial.

What transparency and professionalism is he talking about? What else he expects the government to do?

I am sure he prefers to go to prison rather than giving his blood for DNA testing. Than the truth will never be known.

Sodomy: What Is It ?

Hantu Laut

Sodomy is not only outlawed in Malaysia, many other countries including our neighbour down south have tough law on sodomy.

There is no federal law on sodomy in the U.S.Such law comes under the purview of the states some of which have very tough law.


Sodomy: What Is It?

Sodomy is most commonly legally defined as any contact between the genitals of one person, and the mouth or anus of another. The word has its origins in Christianity. It is sometimes used to mean sexual deviation, though in legal contexts it is defined as above. Throughout history, "sodomites," mostly male homosexuals and bestialists, have been punished by a largely theocratically controlled government, in hopes of stamping out "ungodly practices" that might bring divine retribution against Christian society. In medieval Europe, intercourse between a male field worker and a noble woman was legally considered "sodomy," as it was thought to cause a poor harvest. The history of the concept of sodomy is tied to the Church in most every case.

Currently, there is no federal sodomy law, though some federal land falls under maritime jurisdiction, which may have sanctions in some cases. 25 states do not have sodomy laws. 5 states have laws pertaining to homosexual sodomy only, and the remaining 20 states, plus the District of Columbia, have laws covering all sodomy, even between heterosexuals.

How some states have titled their sodomy statues

bulletArizona (and others): "Crime Against Nature"
bulletAlabama: "Sexual Misconduct"
bulletDistrict of Columbia: "Sexual Psychopaths"
bulletFlorida: "Unnatural & Lascivious Act"
bulletMassachusetts: "Sodomy & Buggery"
bulletMaryland: "Unnatural or Perverted Sexual Practices"
bulletMississippi: "Unnatural Intercourse"
bulletMontana: "Deviate Sexual Conduct"
bulletTexas: "Homosexual Conduct"
bulletWisconsin: "Sexual Perversion"

Only For Homosexual Conduct

The five states with sodomy laws pertaining to homosexual conduct only....

bulletArkansas
bulletKansas
bulletMontana
bulletNevada
bulletTexas

The Dirty Dozen

The twelve states with the toughest maximum penalties are...

bulletMichigan LIFE in prison for repeat offenders, 15 otherwise
bulletGeorgia 20 years
bulletRhode Island 20 years
bulletTennessee 15 years
bulletMaryland 10 years
bulletMississippi 10 years
bulletMontana 10 years, homosexual offenders only
bulletNorth Carolina 10 years
bulletOklahoma 10 years
bulletWashington, DC 10 years
bulletNevada 6 years, homosexual only
bulletIdaho 5 years MINIMUM penalty

Other States With Sodomy Laws

bulletAlabama
bulletLouisiana
bulletKentucky
bulletMinnesota
bulletMissouri
bulletSouth Carolina
bulletVirginia
bulletUtah