A German's View Of Fanaticism

By Emanuel Tanay, M.D.

A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. 'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'

We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectra of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.

The hard quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.

China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.

And, who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans,Japanese,Chinese,Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.

As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late.

The author of this email is a well-respected German psychiatrist.It is well-written,short and precise. Hantu Laut

WHEN DO I HAVE TO GIVE A DNA SAMPLE TO THE POLICE?

Hantu Laut

The law on consent to give DNA samples or not differ from one country to another.

In UK (United Kingdom)or rather in England and Wales the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 changed this to allow DNA to be retained from people charged with an offence, even if they were subsequently acquitted. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 later allowed DNA to be taken on arrest, rather than on charge. Since April 2004, when this law came into force, anyone arrested in England and Wales on suspicion of involvement in any recordable offence (all except the most minor offences) has their DNA sample taken and stored in the database for 12 years, whether or not they are subsequently charged or convicted.

Malaysia passed the DNA Bill in June 2009 that will force criminal suspects to provide DNA samples. The compulsion would be through a court order.

The one below which is applicable in New Zealand would be close to the Malaysian's requirement.

WHEN DO I HAVE TO GIVE A DNA SAMPLE TO THE POLICE?

 What is DNA?
The human body is made up of millions of cells. Each cell contains DNA and each person's DNA is slightly different. This means that your DNA profile can be used to identify you. For example, if the Police found a hair at a crime scene, using DNA they could work out if it belonged to you provided they have your DNA profile. This is why the Police collect DNA and store it on their DNA database.

 Police powers to take DNA samples
The Police can take a DNA sample in certain situations. They do this by taking a buccal test (done by swabbing the inside of the mouth) or a blood test (usually done by a fingerprick) .

A blood sample can only be taken by a suitably qualified person, like a doctor or nurse. You may take a buccal sample yourself. You can choose which way the sample is taken unless a Judge orders otherwise.
The powers the Police have depend on:
• whether you're a suspect in a specified crime and they have evidence to compare a profile to; or
• if they simply wish to include your DNA profile in their DNA databank.

 If you're a suspect
When the Police are investigating an offence they may take a sample from you only if:
• you are a suspect; and
• the offence is serious enough that it will be determined by a jury (an "indictable offence"); and
• they have reasonable grounds to believe that the sample will confirm or disprove your involvement in the indictable offence.

They either need your permission to take a sample or a compulsion order from the High Court. You can speak to a lawyer about giving a sample at any time.


If the offence is a "summary offence" (for example, common assault or wilful damage), the Police can only take a sample if you give them permission.

 Police requests for a DNA sample
When the Police ask to take a sample for DNA analysis, they must give you a written notice and tell you the following things:
• the offence the sample request relates to;
• that they have reasonable grounds to believe the sample will confirm or disprove your involvement in the offence;
• you do not have to give the sample;
• you can change your mind about giving the sample at any time before it is taken;
• you are able to speak to a lawyer before deciding;
• the sample may be used as evidence;
• if you don't consent to giving the sample, and there is good cause to suspect you committed the offence they are requesting the sample for, the Police may apply to the Court for an order requiring you to give a sample.

If you allow the Police to take a sample, your consent must be written and signed or recorded on video. At any stage before the sample is taken, you can withdraw your consent just by saying so.

If you're between 14 and 17 years old, the Police will need both your permission and permission from one of your parents. If you're under 14, the Police may ask you to give a sample but they cannot make you give one unless the offence they are relying on is manslaughter or murder. If the offence they are investigating isn't one of those, the only way they can get a sample is if you let them. They can only take a buccal sample in this case.

 Compulsion Orders
If you refuse to give a sample, the Police will need to apply to the High Court for a compulsion order to take a DNA sample. A notice must be sent to you by the Police telling you they have applied to the Court and you are able to give evidence to the Court opposing the grant of the order.

The two guys from DAP who refused to give their samples can't escape.The police can get a court order to compel them to provide the samples.

Lim Kit Siang's Obfuscated Article And Dirty Rotten Political Scoundrels

Hantu Laut

In sheer desperation to prop up their flagging support and to stonewall the true nature of the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the opposition in general and Lim Kit Siang in particular were prepared to come up with some ridiculous example of, not a Royal Commission, but a judicial review of the mysterious death of a biological expert and weapon inspector David Kelly in Britain in 2003.

Kelly was found dead with his throat slit and was suspected to have committed suicide. Due to controversy on whether he took his own life or was murdered by element involving the government a judicial review or inquiry into the cause of his dead was conducted by the British government.Lim's rather obfuscated article here.

Lim in his article made it appears that Kelly's case is the same as Teoh's and a judicial review is the same as a Royal Commission which he motivated and intended to mislead clueless Malaysians to believe in his ill-conceived expert's stand on the issue.Lim's bad intention can be seen from simply quoting the case in name only without revealing the full extent of the story.

The Kelly's controversy is not simply a mere mysterious death, it involved the security of the nation and reputation of the British government.

Kelly was a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence and was suspected as the source that leaked information to the BBC on the government embellishment of intelligence report on the presence of weapon of mass destruction in Iraq that eventually led to the invasion of Iraq by American and British forces.The 'sexed up' report was attributed to coming from the press office of Prime Minister Tony Blair.The judicial inquiry was chaired by Lord Hutton appointed by the government which eventually concluded that Kelly committed suicide and exonerated the government.

I just thought he had a broken heart

Janice Kelly's evidence to the inquiry

Two days after his death the BBC confirmed that Kelly was their principal contact

In the Hutton's inquiry his wife told the inquiry into his death that her husband had been utterly dismayed by the media frenzy around him.

Janice Kelly said he became: "distracted... dejected... desperate...I just thought he had a broken heart. He had shrunk into himself".

A judicial review is different from that of a Royal Commission as the inquiry falls under the review of one of the branches of government, the Judiciary.The Kelly's case which attained national importance due to leakage of highly confidential information that implicated the British government obviously did not justify a Royal Commission of inquiry .

The judicial inquiry was not born out of oppositions politicising the issue or political gesturing as in the Teoh's case, which has now become DAP's constant battering ram against the government and attempted slaying of the dragon to show who's the people's hero.

It is sad to note that some section of our society is taken in by the opposition's lies and politicized agenda.They have distorted the facts and turned the tragedy into their political capital to rouse racial sentiments to politically benefit the DAP and others of their ilk.

It's requirement of the law that any death under mysterious or suspicious circumstances must have an official inquest to determine the cause of death and the government is doing exactly what the law requires them to do.If the opposition have no confidence in the government it is merely their own opinion and not generally the majority opinion of Malaysians.If Malaysians have not wanted this government they wouldn't have voted them in as the Federal government in the March 2008 Elections and won in 8 out of the 13 states.It was short of just 8 seats to get two-thirds majority.

The oppositions had gone over board because this is the first time they have significant and substantial presence in government and are overly excited at the prospect of being the government soon.It is,therefore,in their interest to create political disquiet, sow the seeds of discontent in the people's mind and destabilise the government. Any slackening of this dirty campaign would mean a nosedive in support.

There is no such thing as a Utopian government, every government is not perfect, each and every one has weaknesses and imperfections.How soiled is the imperfections is the deciding factor whether a government is good or not.

Thomas Jefferson has summed up in the simplest form of what he contrues as good government. He said "The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the only legitimate object of good government." or in even simpler form the Canadian political maxim of "Peace, order and good government"

What have Pakatan been trying to do since after the March 2008 Elections? Weren't they trying to destroy the peace and harmony that the nation has enjoyed for over 50 years, with the exception of the May 13 racial riot, the cause of which is not dissimilar to what the opposition is doing now, inciting hatred of the government.Obviously, Pakatan only have tantalising issues.

Is a Royal Commission really that necessary to determine the cause of death merely based on assumptions and accusations by the oppositions that the government is unreliable and untrustworthy.A Royal Commission is only appropriate if the general public and the government deemed that part of the government system has failed just like in the case of the MACC where the government have doubts on the operating procedures employed by the agency that have directly or indirectly contributed to the death of a witness.To accuse the agency at this stage of homicide and lay the blame at the government's feet is unfair and unjustifiable. We should abide by the legal parlance that 'one is innocent until proven guilty'.

The opposition has threatened to seek audience with the Agong to request for a Royal Commission.

Lim Kit Siang is not a fool or stupid politician, he knew fully well the Agong has no power to call for a Royal Commission on his own.The Agong can only call one upon the advice of the government. To involve the Agong and portray to the people that he can interfere in executive decision is most absurd and could make the government redundant.

This is DAP and Pakatan's ultimate 'sandiwara' to fool the people, the like of those that make regular visits to political blogs, including this one. People with their eyes shut and mind zonged, courtesy of Pakatan's dirty propaganda machinery.

There is no need for the Prime Minister to meet the family of the late Teoh Beng Hock but since he has kindly acceded to their request he should be lauded for it.

Past Royal Commission in Malaysia:

• Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Clip (2007- )
• Royal Commission for Police Reform (2004)
• Royal Commission to investigate alleged injuries suffered by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody (1999)
• Royal Commission of Inquiry into the fire at the Bright Sparklers factory in Sungai Buloh New Village (1991)
• Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate a fire at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Taufikah al-Halimah in Padang Lumat, Yan, Kedah (1989)
• Royal Commission of Inquiry on the collapse of the upper deck of the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth (1988)
• Royal Commission on the Teaching Services (1971)
• Royal Commission of Inquiry to Investigate the Workings of Local Authorities in West Malaysia (1968)
• Royal Commission on Salaries and Conditions of Service of the Public Service (1965)

The hound dog's cliches:

Najib – turn the first stone to find out the causes and circumstances of Teoh’s unusual death at MACC by respecting the family’s wish and set up Royal Commission of Inquiry.Read it here...

TBH RCI – Has Gani Patail never known of the Hutton Inquiry into the causes and circumstances of David Kelly’s death?.Read it here...

One thing I would agree with Lim Kit Siang is, YES, we do need a new IGP.The force needs some very serious shaping up to bring back respectibility and restore public confidence.

The 'Untouchables'

Hantu Laut

Read this sanctimonious and haughty claim.We are untouchable.We are spotless.We are clean.We are politically hygienic.

Sheer arrogance Ronnie Liu!

Ronnie Liu and Ean Yong of DAP has lodged police report against the blog t4tbh.blogspot.com.

The 'Fugitive' has his version of who might be behind the blog here.

I am wondering since the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat have no confidence in the corrupted police force why would they want to lodge police report.You hear almost on daily basis the vitriolic attack on the police,the AG, the judiciary, the prime minister and government.

When people in UMNO and BN lodged police report against defamatory articles written by Raja Petra in his blog before, this bunch of bemused, maybe that's too kind a word...... this bunch of gung-ho crackpots screamed their head off and cried foul, claiming attack on freedom of expression.

Freedom for 'hate campaign' is not the same as freedom of speech, as even in the most advanced democracies there are limits to freedom of speech or expression.This bunch of crackpots pretended not to know and couldn't care two hoots.

We are the 'Untouchables'. Now you know why some alleged underworld connection in DAP.Remind you of that gangster movie starring Robert De Niro as Al Capone.

Malaysia questions ethnic preferences

By Robin Brant
BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

PM Najib Razak wants to win back the support of non-Malays

Malaysia's New Economic Policy is not new, it has been around for almost 40 years.

But in his first 100 days in office, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak has been forced to tackle the government's most controversial policy - one that gives special treatment to the majority Malays.

It was meant to help people like Azban. He is 37, with a wife and two young children. He works in a ticket office at a train station.

I met him as we waited for the lift at the government-built tower block where he lives, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

The estate is rundown, with water pouring down from a spill higher up.

But it is better than the wooden house he used to live in before he left his village for the capital city.

For decades the NEP has ensured preferential treatment for people like Azban: special access to jobs, housing, education and loans - all because they are Malay.

Malaysia is made up of three main ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese and Indians.

The Malays make up the majority - just. The Chinese and Indians have been in this country for centuries but some Malays still regard them as foreigners.

Patronage politics

The NEP was born out of race riots in 1969.

The aim of the policy was to tackle an imbalance between rich businessmen, mostly Chinese, and the poor, who were mostly Malay.

At the time government figures claimed that Malays controlled less than 3% of the economy.

Ramon Navaratnam was one of the team of government economists who helped draw up the NEP.

"The principle was, have an expanding cake, with more balance and equity provided for Malays or the underprivileged - of all races it was supposed to be."

But he said the noble aims were soon displaced by the politics of patronage.

"Some politicians got smart about it and wanted to allocate special reservations and shares and stocks and contracts to Malays, and very often it went to the wrong Malays, who had no clue about business."

Forty years on the Malays, who are also known as Bumiputra, which means "son of the soil", have grown in economic power.

According to government statistics they control 20% of the economy, but that is still some way off the target of 30%.

Malay students are granted preferential access to universities

It may have been an effective political tool but many people, such as Syed Amin from the Malay Chamber of Commerce, see it as a failed project.

"There is no point in saying that we have achieved some measure of success just because we have trained a few Bumis in being professionals" he told me.

He thinks the Malays still need special help.

I think the people of this country realise and understand and agree that the Bumi population of this country needs to be supported."

'Still in development'

Tucked away in an exhibition centre on the top floor of a shopping mall was an event for small and medium sized enterprises.

I got there just as it opened. Some stalls were still setting up.

After a 15-minute walk around I had been pitched security systems, help on setting up a toll free 1-800 number and numerous franchise opportunities.

The event should have been a haven for entrepreneurs, to come to promote their business and to share ideas.

For years in Malaysia entrepreneurship has always been associated with the Chinese. Read more...

Majaps & SLA Seminar: Good Discourses

Hantu Laut

The Prime Minister recently announced 11 goodies and one of which is to expedite birth registration in Sabah and Sarawak.It is good news for Sabahans who failed to register their births either out of ignorance or due to logistic problem especially those in the rural areas where most of the problem lies.It is good news and bad news.

Sabah is a hotbed for illegal immigrants and has been a torn in the flesh for many Sabahans since USNO days when the then Chief Minister Tun Mustapha Harun, with Federal government blessings, allowed his kinsmen from the Southern Philippines to enter Sabah freely as refugees.From a few thousands the number has over the years exploded to a few hundred thousand and increasing.The multiplier effect is mind boggling.They are not refugees in the real sense.Majority are economic refugees seeking employment and a better life away from their impoverished existence back home.

The presence of both Filipino and Indonesia illegal immigrants had become a thorny issue and it wouldn't be wrong to assume there are more of them than us, the real Sabahans.Even more worrying many have, legally or otherwise, obtained Malaysian identity cards giving them illegibility to vote. The table below shows Sabah population growth in comparison to Sarawak.

Population growth in Sabah and Sarawak between 1970 and 2005
	1970	1980	1991	2000	2005
Sabah	648,693	1,1013,003 (56%)	1,808,848 (78%)	2,603,400 (44%)	3,250,000
Sarawak	976,269	1,235,553 (27%)	1,642771 (33%)	2,012,616 (23%)	2,300,000
Number within brackets: rates of increase.

From the table we can see that between 1970 and 2000, the population of Sabah grew by 1,954,707 or 301%, while the figure for Sarawak was 1,036,347 or 106%. In other words, Sabah's population grew at a rate three times faster than Sarawak!

Excuse my language, are Sabahans men better fuckers than our brothers in Sarawak.I'll leave that to you wild imagination.Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, the Federal government has not been very cooperative in solving this problem.

My focus is on the recent seminar organised by Majaps (Council of Justices of the Peace Sabah) and SLA (Sabah Law Association) attended by lawyers,JPs, judges,politicians and the general public.The session was chaired by President of SLA Datuk John Sikayun.Many good things have come out of this seminar on the rules and regulations proposed on the issuance of late registration of birth certificate.

The one that should be seriously considered for implementation is the proposal by Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and Philip Lasimbang and supported by the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjun for applications of late birth registration to be displayed at the kampong, District Office or newspaper. It would be even better if all three can be done to give wider coverage to enable the authority to detect fraudulent applications through objections from the public.Magistrate can only endorse applications when he is fully satisfied with the information provided by witnesses.If I may add the display at the kampong and District Office should be kept for at least thirty days before the application can be heard.

If I may indulge in my personal experience in this unfair or I would say unconstitutional ways the Nati0nal Registration treated Sabahans and Sarawakians in depriving them of their rightful citizenship.Some 30 years ago I employed a Kadazan girl from Penampang to work in my office as a secretary.At the time of interview I sighted her identity card and was surprised it was red in colour.I asked her since she is Kadazan how come she has red I/C which means she is either stateless or a permanent residence status.This is where circumstances and ignorance has deprived the poor girl of her citizenship.According to her she was born in Brunei a few years after Malaysia Day and her father registered her birth in Brunei instead of in Sabah.When she came back to Sabah still as a child the government refused to give her citizenship and gave her the red I/C instead.The ridiculous thing is both her parents are Malaysians and she is not. Dorie worked for my company for five years before leaving for greener pasture.I hope she has secured her citizenship by now.

The Sabah government under Chief Minister Musa Aman should pursue this with the Federal government to fund all related costs including logistic costs of the Mobile Court which was mooted by Chief Judge of Sabah And Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjun.He should be lauded for this brilliant idea and one that can protect us from fraudulent applications by foreigners.

It is also imperative that the JPN should not be allowed to conduct the exercise without participation of the Mobile court and all related costs including advertisement in newspaper and costs incurred by the Mobile Court be paid by the National Registration Department.

A transcription of the seminar appeared in today's Sunday edition of the Daily Express.

More such seminar should be held to gether public views on issues of great concern to Sabahans.

Analysing Kim Quek

Hantu Laut

This is the man who called himself a political analyst.What is he analysing ? His knowledge of the law sucks. A conceited analysis to apple polish the master's balls.A pathetic attempt to cloud the people's mind and poke more fire of discontent.

Now that Nik Aziz is softening and cuddling up to UMNO more intense propaganda to ridicule Najib and his government is in the pipeline from PKR and DAP.

Not only his analysis sucks, he is also armed and dangerous. He says.

"On the second point. Gani’s narrow interpretation of the phrase “for the public welfare” is laughable. When the nation has been so incensed by the heinous injustice of this tragedy that it is almost on the point of revolt, appointing an RCI to probe into this death is not only legally and politically appropriate but the very minimum the government must do if it still wants to retain a remote semblance of rule of law in this country"

"And yet, our attorney general is telling us that making such a move is incompatible with “public welfare.” Then what will constitute “public welfare”? Waiting for violence to erupt in the streets – knowing fully well that public confidence in the existing law enforcement bodies including the courts is already non-existent? Even when an RCI is commissioned to probe into the death, there is no assurance of justice done, judging from the government’s habit of ignoring recommendations of RCIs in recent times; but at least it will calm the highly strung nerves of the nation by showing that the government is finally taking steps in the right direction. And I can’t imagine any decent person will dispute by saying that taking such a course does not fulfil national interests as implied by Gani’s narrow interpretation"

I quote....."the nation has been so incensed by the heinous injustice of this tragedy that it is almost on the point of revolt"

Mr Kim Quek who incensed,incited,inveigled and bamboozled the people.It's people like you.It's people like you who makes all kinds of ill-conceived analysis so that this peaceful nation can degenerate into chaos and anarchy.How did you conclude that injustice has been done by the government when it is sparing no effort to get to the bottom of this tragedy and it hasn't even started.Are you telling me if your brother is a murderer you are guilty by association and should be equally punished?

How could you be impartial in your analysis when you are a hyperactive member of PKR? Who you trying to fool?



Honestly, you need to be analysed first.

Kim Quek full article here.Take it with plenty of salt. I believe he is not competent in law.

Of Holy Men And Parliamentary Brawl

Man Of God

Among the 44 people arrested in the New Jersey corruption probe were five rabbis. A look at other religious leaders entangled in scandal.

• Photos: Falls From Grace

Kassin (C), the chief rabbi of a synagogue in Brooklyn, N.Y., exits federal court after being one of the more than 40 people were arrested in a federal investigation of public corruption and international money laundering, in Newark, N.J., July 23, 2009. REUTERS/Chip East /Landov">

A super Bowl or Super Brawl, Korean style ?



The bandidos of Mexico.



The bloody Indians



The Sri Lankan parlimentary dance.



The Russian mafias



A more civilised country, shouting match only.




Than finally the most civilised country, an intellectual discourse, distinctively crispy and boring.

A Tale Of Two Tuns

From the blog ARTiculations. An interesting read. Bullseye!

A Tale of Two Tuns

If ever there was a wish which I would want to be granted when I grow really old, - this is not to say that I am not already old, it is just that I am not that old, yet - that would be a wish that I could be given the wisdom of knowing when to keep my mouth shut. Because really, people who are pass their "best-before" date could really sound curious and funny, especially when what they are saying now goes against what they have been saying and doing while they were younger.

Amidst all the grief and disbelief caused by the tragic lost of life of an innocent son of Malaysia in the past week, two Tuns were also hogging the headlines over what they said. In a way, these two Tuns had almost connived to provide me - and many others, I believe - with much needed comic relief in times when such relief was really needed.

And so, I should have perhaps thanked both of them but for the fact that their statements were laced with so much irony and insidiousness.

Firstly it was Tun Abdullah. He was apparently conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Democracy by Universiti Utara Malaysia.

It is now of course fashionable within the ruling elite to have the prefix "Dr" somewhere between the array of prefixes preceding their name. Like Tun Tan Seri Datuk Seri Dr Hj So and so. It gives them the comfort of being in possession of something extra. Something which others do not have. Or so they think. Like when they buy a Mercedes, they must buy a Brabus. Things like that. Sorry, I digress.

Anyway, yes, Tun Abdullah was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Democracy by UUM. I would not go into whether or not such conferment was justifiable - because this article would be too long otherwise - but what he said during his acceptance speech was what, in my opinion, precipitated the saying "silence is golden".

Upon being conferred, our newly minted Doctor in Democracy proceeded to the microphone and, in what was believed to be nothing short of an astounding moment, called for the abolishment of the ISA. I really hope he had read his prepared speech before delivering it. And if he had read it, I hope he understood what he was saying. If anything, I hope he was awake while he was doing so.

That call would have, in the normal course of things, been met with jubilant celebrations of orgasmic proportion. However, coming from an ex Premier under whose administration there were 82 arrests; 76 new detention orders and 87 renewal of detention orders under the ISA as at the end of 2007 (figures are from the SUARAM's Human Rights Report 2007), that call was as funny as - if not funnier than - a drunken kangaroo spinning like a top on its tail while shouting "kangaroo boleh!"

Added to that, under his administration, the ISA was abused beyond anything which was thought possible when Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Teresa Kok were arrested for apparently "insulting Muslims and Islam". Raja Petra, as we all know, was later detained at Kamunting before a brave Judge, Justice Dato' Syed Helmi of the Shah Alam High Court, released him (the government's appeal against that release is still pending in the Federal Court).Read more....

Read This:A New Disclosure

Hantu Laut

Is the MACC being flogged for crime that might have been committed by others.These are questions better asked by the police.We should not even in a moment of anger compose anything that's we are unsure of or have no evidence to support.

I wouldn't for a moment thought of such an extraneous subject let alone broach about it.

A possibility far remove from the thunderous storm whipped up by the oppositions against the Najib's government over the death of one Teoh Beng Hock. A death that has become a cause celebre of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat or a probable diversion from the truth, no one knows for sure.

A new blog has sprung up that tells a completely different story, one that will be vehemently denied, not on how Teoh died, but on the probable cause of his death. The blog is here.

Read with caution.

Pakatan supporters already saying the blog was put up by UMNO.Waiting for what Lim Kit Siang has to say.Raja Petra has his say here.

Pakatan's Gesture Politics

Hantu Laut

What is an inquest?

An inquest is a judicial investigation to find out the cause of death especially those that happened under mysterious or suspicious circumstances.In some cases, accidental death can also end up in an inquest to determine the true cause of death.

An inquest is usually presided over by a magistrate who acts as a coroner.If foul play was found than a full enquiry and criminal prosecution may follow.

An inquest, not a Royal Commission, is the first judicial step to find out the cause of death. If criminal act was established than the case can proceed with its prosecution. Alternatively, if the government is not satisfied with the finding of the investigation it can than call for a Royal Commission.

Why are people like Lim Kit Siang and Anwar Ibrahim making senseless objections to what they know very well is the first step to establishing the cause of death.Their attempts at politicising the tragedy is most disgraceful and shows their heartless disrespect for the family of the deceased. This is a time of grief where even the choice of words must be chosen with care.The least said the better it is for the bereaved family.

People like Lim and Anwar probably have never lost their loved ones and do not understand the pain, the agony and the heart breaking moment of losing someone you loved dearly. This heart wrenching experience are only known to those who had the misfortune of losing their loved ones.

Having gone through the ordeal twice in the past thirty years, I feel for the immeasurable pain of members of the family and fiancee of the late Yeoh Beng Hock and the nonsense that they have to go through every day played out by Pakatan leaders, politicising and publicising the tragedy, to lessen not the sorrows of the family but to serve Pakatan's political agenda.How cruel and selfish can one gets to gain political mileage at the expense of other people's grief.

The government and the Prime Minister himself has taken personal interest in the case to ensure justice will be served.He has done more than what is necessary to ensure no cover up and the truth be told to the family and the public upon completion of all the necessary investigations.

It is most unfortunate that we do not have responsible opposition in this country.At a time like it they should be fraternizing to help the government to get to the bottom of the tragedy and allow full investigation before making all kind of unfounded allegations and politicising the tragedy to incite the people's emotions.

What is gesture politics?

Gesture politics is an action made by a person or organization for political reasons and is intended to attract public attention but has little real effect.

Damned If You Do Damned If You Don't

Hantu Laut

I must congratulate the Prime Minister for making the right decision on the Teoh Beng Hock case and as I have suggested earlier to look into the internal workings of the MACC and the Police too.

The opposition must have been caught by surprise as they have secretly wished Najib would not agree to the formation of a Royal Commission which undoubtedly will make him more unpopular.He did the right thing.Their wish didn't come through.Now, look what they are trying to do.They are raving mad and accused BN of leading Teoh's family up the garden path.Read what that shit-stirrer Lim Kit Siang says here.

His headline screamed:

Teoh Beng Hock’s death – Cabinet decision on Royal Commission of Inquiry falls far short of public expectation, unsatisfactory and unacceptable

Whose expectation Kit Siang, yours and your Pakatan minions or the public ?

Still not happy, shit-stirring, stoking fire and steering the people in the wrong direction.He is venomous and dangerous.This man needs help.

Nice try Mr Lim.You are exothermic and dangerous.Your burning desire to bring UMNO and the BN down is not going to happen. In your eyes full of hatred anything the BN do can't be right and that the extent of you madness.Damned if you and damned if you don't.

For you to suggest that Tungku Aziz Ibrahim (my ex-form teacher) of DAP be made head of the Commission is absolutely ridiculous.Members of the Commission should come from a mixture of prominent people, ordinary citizens and if necessary some from any of the commonwealth countries.All should not have any political affiliation to any political parties in Malaysia.

Eddy, a regular commentator to this blog has suggested a few names which I think is good.They are:

Royal Professor Ungku Aziz
Emeritus Professor Khoo Kay Kim
Former Judge NH Chan
Former Attorney General Abu Talib

Those are just few names.The government can cast the net wider to find the right people who are neutral and impartial.

What happened at the MACC is what the opposition have always wanted, that the anti-corruption agency be made more independent and given wider powers.This is the result of former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi giving in to demands of the opposition, a new anti-corruption agency with wider powers to arrest, detain, interrogate and bash you up if needs be.Unfortunately, they do it under their own whim and fancy.This is what can happen when power falls into the wrong hand.Badawi must have unknowingly created a monster.

The government should pass a law making it compulsory for the MACC and Police to conduct all interrogations under camera.All interrogations must be video taped and formed as part of the evidence if called for.A law should also be passed to set the maximum length of time a person can be put under interrogation.This is to protect the innocent.The criminal minds and the hardcore will not crumple under extreme torture, it is always the innocent that succumb to such method.

Najib's next job, to reform these two agencies and make them more professionals and respected by society.

Zaid's Racists And Fascists Anomaly

Hantu Laut

A beneficiary of the UMNO legacy who had suddenly found his lost conscience and discover high moral values under a new umbrella.Don't kid yourself that this is true.Wait till they become the government.

Zaid Ibrahim, a lawyer by profession and a politician by design, has called on Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to join PKR saying the Tengku is the only one who is not a racist in UMNO, which according to him has become a fascist organisation.Is PKR in desperate need of new leadership? Has Anwar Ibrahim lost his shine that they need to bring in people like Razaleigh to prop up support.

The outcome of Manik Urai could have been the wake up call that spurs Zaid to appeal to Razaleigh.Both Razaleigh and Mahathir have been critical of the government.Maybe, Zaid should also call Mahathir to join PKR.Better still, add more icing to the cake, get Abdullah Badawi to come along too.

The Oxford Dictionary described fascism as ......an extreme right wing political system or attitude which is in favour of strong central government and which does not allow any opposition.

So! Where does UMNO fits into this factor of fascism.Right wing, yes... strong central government, yes...and does not allow opposition, certainly not true.The opposition is now strongest ever for the past 50 years.It is the main ingredient of fascism, absolutely no opposition.

Let's take a look at what right wing entails.

According to Wikipedia right wing is support for preserving traditional or cultural values and customs and maintaining some form of social hierarchy. In modern times right wing also support capitalism and free markets.

Being right wing, therefore, is not as evil as badly painted by Zaid.A strong central government is the dream of every government without which there cannot be law and order and without which any states in the federation can or will try to break away.

Nations with weak central government come under the definition of 'failed state'.Malaysia is not, by any stretch of out imagination, a failed state yet.

Pakistan can be called a failed state because the central government has no control over its territories in the northern region.The North West Frontier provinces are ruled by war lords with their own sets of law.Somalia, is a failed state, true and pure, it has no central government in the true sense.The country is in a complete state of anarchy.

These are countries that started with Western-styled democracy that they have no notion about.They copied their ex-masters blindly but do not have the same commanding attributes to exert influence and control over the people. Just like man cannot live by bread alone government cannot survive on idealism alone and there is nothing wrong with democracy tailored to suit the country's polity.

Singapore, would not have been what it is today if Lee Kuan Yew had listened to the West and adhered to Western type democracy.It is of no doubt that Singapore's success has also been due to Lee Kuan Yew's zero tolerance against corruptions.Not only the streets are clean here, the government, in fact almost the whole system is clinically clean of corruptions.

The opposition is trying to impose an idealistically unrealistic form of democracy and one that I believe they themselves wouldn't be able to put into practice when or if they do form the government.All the sanctimoniousness and portentous remarks are just ploys to inveigle the people. Anwar Ibrahim was part of the so-called fascist regime before and have indulged in same activity.So is the caller Zaid Ibrahim, a recipient of UMNO's benefaction, who had never questioned his conscience before whether his rise to fame and fortune was of his own making.

Razaleigh is in the last leg of his political life and is not likely to sell his soul to the devil and succumb to Zaid's histrionic praises of him.

In praise of Razaleigh, the lawyer turned politician said “He (Razaleigh) will not use the police and or the MACC to bring about the downfall of his political rivals. He will not appoint racists as newspaper editors. His wife will not be offended if her photograph does not appear in the newspapers.”

One would have thought as a lawyer Zaid would have been more careful with choice of words.To lump everyone in UMNO as racists and fascists is a gross overkill.

Mussolini and Hitler must be laughing and kicking in their graves.

Read Tengku Razaleigh's response here.

Breaking News (Unofficial at time of posting)
Cabinet has agreed to Royal Commission on Teoh's case.

A Royal Commission It Will Be

Hantu Laut

Manik Urai came and gone.

When I wrote about the impossible possibility of the result of the by-election my friend Bernard Khoo of Zorro Unmasked poked fun at my predictions.You can read his condescending article here.

Well, as good as it gets, Manik Urai went the way I predicted.PAS almost fall flat on its face winning only by inches this so-called impregnable fortress which my friend thought was just my wild imagination.Below is a paragraph from the article I wrote.

'UMNO has a good chance of narrowing the majority gap or even wrestle the seat from PAS if they work hard enough.Most of their losses in past by-elections were due to loss of confidence,demoralisation, bad planning and poor strategy'

You can read the full story here.


With only 65 votes difference and over 100 spoiled votes, UMNO took the loss with a bold face.There were no ruckus or fracas, UMNO took it in its stride, accept the loss in a gentlemanly manner.

Flip the coin and imagine it was PAS in UMNO's shoes and with 65 inches between them you can bet your bottom dollar the whole Pakatan mob will descend on Manik Urai and scream for countless recounts.Cheating, vote buying, phantom voters and every word in the hocus-pocus dictionary would be the call of the clarion, Pakatan's standard allegation against the BN government in every elections and if they lose going to the streets is standard procedure.

The politicising of the death of Teoh Beng Hock is another Pakatan ways of demonising the government and the Prime Minister. A Royal Commission will put to rest any speculation on Teoh's death.

I believe the PM will allow and announce the formation of a Royal Commission.It is good for the people, the government, the nation and the Prime Minister himself.

On a lighter mood, why is former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi telling us this? He has plenty of time to do it in his first full term and the right time because he has more than two-thirds majority in Parliament at that time.

ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

Malaysians can watch partial eclipse of the Sun tomorrow 22 July around 9-10 a.m.

Maximum eclipse
Duration	398 s (6 min 38.8 s)
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	22°27′08″N 090°28′04″E / 22.45222°N 90.46778°E / 22.45222; 90.46778
Max. width of band	258.4 km

On 24 October 1995 I watched a total solar eclipse at a small village called Matunggong at Kudat in Sabah.With a few friends we stayed at a friend's farm overnight to watch the eclipse next day.

Below is a solar eclipse viewer which we used to view the eclipse.





Do not view a solar eclipse with your naked eyes.

There is still no sign of the effect of the proxigean spring tide.Probabaly a lull before a storm.Things might change with tomorrow's eclipse of the sun.

Proxigean Spring Tide And Apollo 40 Years

Hantu Laut

During the last 400 years, there have been 39 instances or 'Extreme Proxigean Spring Tides' where the tide-producing severity has been near the theoretical maximum. The last one of these was on March 7 1995 at 22:00 hours Greenwich Time during a lunar Full Moon. There were, in fact cases of extreme tidal flooding recorded during these particular spring tides which occur once every 31 years.

An usually high tide of 20 to 30 percent is expected from today until 23rd July and residents living along the coasts are advised to take precaution.Those with houses on stilts over the sea are being advised to move out for the duration of the highest tide.The high tide coupled with strong wind and high waves would be dangerous for those living close to the shoreline.

Kota Kinabalu and other areas nearby should expect strong wind and high waves pounding its shoreline.

Today, 40 years ago men set foot on the moon.Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong ,Command Module Pilot Michael Collins , and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.

On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon, while Collins orbited above .

Tides are caused by the gravitational interaction between the Earth and the Moon. Tides are the cyclic rising and falling of Earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the Earth .The relative distance of the Moon from the Earth also affects tide heights. When the Moon is at perigee the range is increased and when it is at apogee the range is reduced.

Apollo 40 Years

View more presentations from John J.

Oppositions Bankrupt Of Fundamentals Of Politics

Hantu Laut

The headline In Malaysian Insider says "Pakatan, reunited by death" .

This is the ultimate grouping of political mismatch that many myopic Malaysians wanted to be their next federal government.A dismal group completely exhausted of better ideas on how to cope with their distrust for each other. They found a rough and ready solution to fix the cracks in the wall.Politicise and capitalise the unfortunate death of a young man to show unity.

Unity, not in minds but in superficial numbers.Irresponsible politicians making incendiary statements on matters they absolutely have no inkling about.Adding fuel to the fire to stoke anger and the sad thing is the youths of this nation fall for their huff and puff.

Take someone whom I consider intelligent and a bright star with a good future in politics but is now becoming another one of the Anwars, uttering what he should have not.In politics people judge you by what you say more than by what you have done.

“Beng Hock is our hero,” “There is no doubt that Beng Hock was murdered,” “Malaysia is not safe anymore,” says Husam Musa just to show unity with his peers no matter how stupid his statement is. Maybe, the police should call him to provide evidence of the murder.

In a democratic system the fundamental role of the opposition is to present itself as a viable alternative to the ruling government.This can be done by presenting an alternative ideological platform or simply show it has greater competence to govern than the present government.

Unfortunately, Pakatan has not been able to show the people they are the better choice except to those blinded by their rhetoric.Their administration of the four states (previously five, lost Perak to BN) under their control is at most mediocre and a big disappointment.They are beset with endless bickering and distrust and spend more time fighting among themselves than running the states.

As opposition at federal level and government in some states they should have in its criticism of the government show it could have done things better by offering cogent reasons for its criticism or by presenting alternative policies.Opposition must exercise circumspection when opposing the government particularly where there are eminent threats to peace and security of the nation.It should therefore not engage in activities that undermine the unity and stability of the nation.

The politicising of Teoh's death, trying to make martyr out of him and blaming the government for his death is sickeningly third world mentality and shows the lack of knowledge of the fundamentals of politics.

In Need Of Major Overhaul

Hantu Laut

It's about time Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak take a serious look inside the workings of both enforcement agencies, the Malaysian Police and the MACC (Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission).

The MACC over zealousness of probing into the conduct of opposition politicians on the flimsiest of complain and keep their eyes shut on corrupt BN leaders is throwing spanner in the works.Najib good work will eventually come to naught if these selective persecutions are allowed to continue.The MACC must be seen to be fair and carry out their work without fear or favour.

As of now they are seen as secret police of the government which goes entirely against the purpose of its formation.People's perception, real or imagine, can make or destroy a government.

Both agencies seriously need major overhaul in mindset

Below is part of Najib's inauguration speech:

"In the coming weeks, I will be consulting with people around our country, as I begin to reshape the leadership and priorities of the Government. I am mindful that we should build on the successes and lessons of the past. It must be a government with new approaches for new times – a government that places a priority on performance, because the people must come first".

"I am aware that the people expect me to do certain things. Please judge me by my actions. My actions will come in due course."

The Prime Minister is trying his best to reach out to the people and he must not let these two agencies spoil his efforts.

An Email From Raja Petra

Hantu Laut

I am all for a royal commission to investigate the death of Teo Beng Hock and I hope the Prime Minister would allow it for the good of the nation and for his own good.

In my article " DAP Leaders Playing With Fire" some of my commentators misconstrued that I am defending the MACC, I am not.What I am trying to convey is, DAP leaders should not act in haste that can lead to an ugly situation, let there be thorough investigation first before we start pointing fingers at anyone.

This is a tragedy that should not be left unanswered and a royal commission would be most befitting and fair to the deceased family and also to the government.

Criminal action by the police or MACC should not be construed as one condone by the Prime Minister and the government.Therefore, it is in Najib's interest that he gets to the bottom of this tragedy.If there were foul play than those involved must be punished according to the law.

In a kind of response to my article, I received an email from Raja Petra himself showing concern about the tragic incident and at the same time remind me of the article he wrote some time ago about the MACC which many people, I assume, including me, did not take seriously at that time.

I post Raja Petra's article below.He has also posted the article in his Malaysia Today.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

by Raja Petra Kamarudin

READ ARTICLE ONLINE

The writing was already on the wall very much earlier. Alarm bells were wailing like banshees. But this was largely ignored. It was ignored because it was Malaysia Today that had triggered the alarm bells. Malaysia Today is not the most reliable source. It does not offer the best of information. What Malaysia Today dabbles in are rumours and innuendoes.

When the Anti-Corruption Agency, now called the MACC, kidnapped the family of a police inspector, Malaysia Today raised the alarm. They had kidnapped the wife and child of a police inspector who had investigated a Chinese underworld boss on the instructions of a higher-up with the rank of ASP.

The inspector was just doing what his boss had ordered him to do, and that was to open a file and launch an investigation into the activities of the Chinese prostitution, loan shark, drugs and gambling syndicate. And this resulted in the detention of three syndicate bosses.

What the MACC wanted the police inspector to do was quite simple. They wanted him to change his report so that the three underworld bosses can be freed from detention.

And he would have to do that if he wants to secure the release of his family.

The police inspector refused to do that. Instead, he made a police report. And so did his wife. But nothing was done about the matter. The MACC officers were not arrested and dragged to court on kidnapping charges.

The MACC then leaked information to the media that they are investigating a very senior police officer, the Director of the CCD, for the crime of not declaring RM27 million worth of assets. The fact that MACC investigations come under the Official Secrets Act was not a hindrance. After all, the OSA is only used against opposition supporters and not against those who serve those who walk in the corridors of power.

Nevertheless, the Director of the CCD was finally not charged for not declaring RM27 million in assets. He was charged for using police property for his personal reasons, something that all government officers, ministers and politicians do blatantly every day of the week. But his real crime is that he detained several Chinese underworld bosses who control the prostitution, loan shark, drugs and gambling business all over Malaysia.

Then they arrested the lawyer who acted for the CCD Director. The MACC officers came to his office on the eve of Hari Raya and handcuffed him after roughing him up like one would do to an armed bank robber. To ensure that the lawyer suffered the greatest embarrassment this Hollywood-style arrest was done in full view of the entire office.

Malaysia Today wrote about all this. Malaysia Today not only wrote about all this but Malaysia Today repeated the stories again and again to make sure no one would say they somehow missed the story. But still nothing was done. No one denied the story. More importantly, no one did anything about what Malaysia Today revealed.

The MACC has been a tool of those who walk in the corridors of power for a long, long time. Officially, Barisan Nasional has 14 component members with Umno as the lead partner. Unofficially, Barisan Nasional has seventeen component members. The Election Commission is the fifteenth component member of Barisan Nasional, the Malaysian police the sixteenth, and the MACC the seventeenth. They all serve the interests of Umno and the Prime Minister.

The writing was already on the wall very much earlier. Alarm bells were wailing like banshees. But this was largely ignored. It was ignored because it was Malaysia Today that had triggered the alarm bells. Malaysia Today is not the most reliable source. It does not offer the best of information. What Malaysia Today dabbles in are rumours and innuendoes.

“Where is the smoking gun?” they ask. “Show me the body!” they demand. No gun, no body, then no crime has been committed.

Well, today, there is a body. It is the body of a most unfortunate Chinese opposition member who was arrested and tortured by the MACC officers. Yes, he was tortured. And he was tortured because the MACC wanted him to talk.

But he could not talk. He could not talk because there was nothing to talk about. The MACC wanted him to finger his comrades in the opposition. They wanted him to implicate his friends in the opposition for various crimes that the MACC alleges had been committed by those in the opposition.

He tried to explain that he is not being stubborn. He tried to explain that no crime had been committed. He tried to explain that he could not possibly implicate his comrades in the opposition for various crimes if these crimes are merely a figment of the MACC’s imagination.

So they continued to torture him. And he could no longer stand the torture. After all, he is not the macho type of man. He is but a gentle man who only wanted to get married this weekend. That was all that he wanted.

They threatened to kill him if he refuses to talk. With tears running down his cheeks he begged for mercy and pleaded with them not to harm him. They threatened to throw him off the top floor if he refuses to talk. Sobbing like a baby he went down on his knees and begged for his life.

They dragged him across the room and opened the window. Then something went terribly wrong. It was supposed to be just a threat. They just wanted to put fear in him. They did not really want to throw him off the top floor. They just wanted him to see what the ground floor looks like from the top floor.

The unfortunate young man panicked. He went ballistic when he saw the distance he would have to travel before hitting the ground floor. He struggled. They could not hold onto him. Gravity took over and the life of this young man was prematurely snuffed out.

The MACC then announced that they had released him the night before. They failed to announce that they had not released him from custody but released him from this world. Then they suddenly found his body the day after. He jumped. He committed suicide. He took his own life. He was never tortured. He was not dragged to the window with the threat that they would teach him how to fly.

This has been going on for far too long. The MACC acts like God. They kidnap families and torture those they arrest. They threaten those they interrogate with death if they refuse to talk.

And now one young man has really died. But no one will be punished. No one will be punished because they will say the young man took his own life. Why he took his own life no one knows. He was never tortured. He was never threatened with death. He was not made to look how far down the ground floor is. He was not accidentally dropped when he panicked and struggled and they could not get a good grip on him.

That is what they will be telling you and me later today.

This message sent to gram.kong@gmail.com by rpk@malaysia-today.net.

All opinion expressed above belong solely to Raja Petra.

I always believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt and you are innocent until proven guilty.So is the MACC, they are innocent until proven guilty.

In this respect I would like to thank Raja Petra for his concern and would urge the government to act fairly and justly.....appoint a royal commission to clear its name and let the family of the deceased know the truth so they can be at peace knowing what actually happened.

DAP Leaders Playing With Fire

Hantu Laut

Pakatan leaders are most reckless and acted irresponsibly when confronted with a problem.Their first reaction is to simply lay blame on BN leaders to gain political mileage with the people.Making incendiary statement to rile up the people is totally irresponsible and dangerous.Below is the crowd's reaction after listening to provocative statements made by various DAP leaders on the death of Teo Beng Hock, political secretary to DAP assemblyman Ean Yong Hian.

"A crowd of 500 people had gathered at the scene for a candlelight vigil in his memory, which soon grew into a protest with angry chants of “Najib pembunuh, BNzalim, BN jahanam” (murderer Najib, cruel BN, go to hell, BN)and “Reformasi!”

In this kind of situation everyone should keep a cool head and let thorough investigation be carried out first before making any conclusion.I do agree the MACC may be indirectly responsible for detaining and interrogating him beyond the normal hours but I see no plausible explanation for the MACC to be made responsible for his dead.

If foul play is suspected than DAP may have to look inside its own nest instead of pointing finger at the MACC.Who would want him dead? Certainly, not the MACC. As a witness he is better alive than dead.Maybe, Wee Choo Keong wasn't lying about the underworld connection of some lawmakers.

If foul play is suspected and as in any criminal investigation the first suspect would be those link to the crime under investigation.The police must not leave any stone unturned, they must investigate the case from all angles to be fair to the deceased family, the government and the Prime Minister.

Even if there was no foul play, to be fair to MACC and the government, the police should still investigate whether it was suicide or unfortunate accident.

My advice to Pakatan leaders, don't politicise something that can get dangerously out of hand.What you conveying to the public is malicious, unfounded and dangerous.

My deepest condolence to the family of Teo Beng Hock.May his soul rest in peace.

Breaking News:
The Marrriott and Ritz Carlton in Jakarta bombed.Death and destruction.

Terrorist's attack, suicide bomber, 6 deaths and 18 injured so far.

Khairy Jamaluddin's Un-Islamic Al-Islam

Hantu Laut

They say ignorance is bliss.Is this a mixture of ignorance, stupidity and religious bigotry.I hope the police arrest those involved and deal with them severely.What they have done is dangerous and can cause religious upheaval for spreading falsehood.The government should take a serious view of this case and not be seen as taking it lightly and the magazine should be reprimanded or given a show cause.All right thinking Muslims should condemn this sort of behaviour.While we respect our own religion, we should also respect other religions.

These ignorant narrow-minded bigots either pretended not to know or are truly ignorant and stupid not to know that there are many East Malaysians who look Malays but of the Christian faith and some even have Muslim names but are Christians and sermons in churches in Sabah and Sarawak are usually conducted in Bahasa Melayu for those who can't speak English.

I will not write anymore on the subject as Khairy Jamaluddin has said enough in his article below.

Un-Islamic Al-Islam?

The actions of a journalist from Al-Islam magazine of going undercover to two Catholic Churches during Sunday mass, consuming and spitting the Holy Communion wafer - what Catholics believe to be the flesh of Christ himself - out of his mouth before photographing it, can only be described as appalling and offensive. As Leader of Barisan Nasional and UMNO Youth and as a Muslim, I have no reservations whatsoever in condemning this instance of unethical j ournalism, grounded in both disrespect and ignorance. Needless to say, these actions are contrary to the goal of an empathetic society that I have been promoting as a way for Malaysians to progress as a people from diverse backgrounds. Empathy requires sound appreciation of one another's unique cultures and sensitivities - it calls for us to consider the perspectives of others before acting in ways that may affect them. It also violates the Islamic injuction for empathy, plurality and respect, something made clear in the Holy Quran Surah Al-Hujarat, verse 13: "O Mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another". The Islamic virtues of empathy, respect and tolerance were obviously absent in both the journalist and the magazine's editorial team that sanctioned the publishing of the article and the methods employed to gather information over supposed cases of Muslims converting to Catholicism/Christianity. Everyone involved in the researching, writing and publishing this article should have considered the fact that Muslims already find it offensive when non-Muslims do not observe basic courtesies expected when in a mosque, like taking off shoes and covering heads. They should further imagine their own reactions if someone went undercover in their local mosques, pretend to worship as a Muslim and made a mockery of congregation prayer. I suspect Al-Islam failed to consider the fact that the gravity of their own actions were similar to this hypothetical situation where the sanctity of the Muslim place and act of worship are violated. And this is at the heart of the problems we face as a multi-cultural and multi-religious society - people simply do not stop to think about another community's legitimate interests and sensitivities by positioning themselves from another's perspective before acting. Read more... Here's a joke of being ignorant or being stupid. RELIGIOUS BOYFRIEND A young man goes into a pharmacy and says to the pharmacist, "Hello, could you give me condom. I'm going to my girlfriends for dinner and I think I may be in with a chance!" The pharmacist gives him the condom and as the young man is going out; he returns and says, "Give me another condom because my girlfriend's sister is very cute too. She always crosses her legs in a provocative manner when she sees me and I think I might strike it lucky there too. " The pharmacist gives him a second condom and as the boy is leaving he turns back and says, "Go on, give me one more condom because my girlfriend's mum is still pretty cute and when she sees me she always makes eyes, and since she invited me for dinner, I think she is expecting me to make a move! During dinner, the young man is sitting with his girlfriend on his left, the sister on his right and the mum facing him. When the dad gets there, the boy lowers his head and starts praying, "Dear Lord, bless this dinner and Thank you for all you give us." A minute later the boy is still praying; "Thank you Lord for your kindness." Ten minutes go by and the boy is still praying, keeping his head down. The others look at each other surprised and his girlfriend is even more surprised than the others. She gets close to the boy and says in his ear, "I didn't know you were so religious." The boy replies, ...... ......... .............. .................. ...................... ......................... ............................. ................................. ...................................... ............................................. .................................................... ................................................................ ....................................................................... "I didn't know your dad was a pharmacist!"

The Aftermath Of Manik Urai:A Prognosis

Hantu Laut

What will be the aftermath of the Manik Urai by-election?

I expect a few things to happen that both PAS and UMNO have learned something from and would be making changes to their political strategy.

The result of the by-election must have sent shock waves within the central power in PAS.The doyen of Islamist PAS in Kelantan Nik Aziz overestimated his popularity against the preservation of Malay political power which UMNO has successfully sold to the Kelantanese in Manik Urai.The trend will continue in most Malay majority constituencies and any by-election in those areas, even if it was held by Pakatan, would be for UMNO takings.As usual Pakatan leaders, short of any better ideas to tell their supporters, accused UMNO of vote buying.Although, money might have been spent in Manik Urai, the voters change of heart might not have been for that consideration.

From now on UMNO will be taking full advantage of the new political awakening among the Malays.They will make an example of Manik Urai the benefits of going with the BN government.Despite the loss, I believe Manik Urai will get the new bridge and other developments funded by the Federal government.

It would be foolish of UMNO not to take this opportunity to prepare a long-term plan to make further inroads in Kelantan in preparation of the next general elections.Kelantan probably has the highest concentration of Malay voters.The unity talk mooted by PAS would become less important as UMNO gradually renew its influence in Malay dominated areas.

UMNO biggest problem is its other coalition partners in Peninsula Malaysia, particularly MCA, Gerakan and MIC. All three are suffering from credibility problem.Majority of Chinese have abandoned MCA and Gerakan for DAP.Gerakan was almost decimated in the March 2008 General Elections.MIC suffered the same fate when Hindraf activists took to the streets demanding equal treatment for Indians whom they claimed were discriminated and marginalised.The Indians are slowly recovering from their infatuation with Hindraf and majority are likely to return to the BN's fold in the next general elections.

Being a big minority and one that would take more time and more difficult for BN to recover would be the Chinese votes.The breakup of the Chinese votes depended on two factors, the break up of Pakatan Rakyat, which is likely to happen or the effectiveness of Najib's 1 Malaysia concept.More need to be done to convince non-Malays that 1 Malaysia is not a mere slogan but a serious and sincere attempt to correct the imbalance of the 'dacing'.

Sabah and Sarawak could be considered safe states for the BN but all depend on how Najib handles the funding for development projects in the states. The oppositions have not made much inroad here and are not likly to in the near future.In politics anything can happen.Changes can happen with the blink of the eye.

What's happening in Penang, Kedah and Selangor under Pakatan didn't go unnoticed in Sabah and Sarawak.The squabbles between the coalition partners showed the amateurishness of Pakatan administration.If they can't get their act together at state level how could they be able to administer the Federal government as effectively as the BN.The suspicion, discords and infighting among the partners could make the nation and the people suffer the consequence.

Penang which started as a model state for Pakatan is now showing a very untidy picture.The suspicion and squabbling between DAP and PKR is tearing the coalition apart.It would be a matter of time before the umbilical cord burst.

The sacking of PKR councillor by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng unilaterally got PKR Penang leaders on the boil. The handling of the Kampung Buah Pala land crisis by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng left much to be desired.All he did was keep blaming previous BN administration for the crisis.It reflects his inexperience, ineptitude and that he is not an astute problem solver.Hindraf is now championing the squatters demand of right of abode and accused the state government of neglecting its election promises and accused the CM of racial discrimination because the villagers of Kampong Puah Pala were mostly Indians. Even Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng almost had a tiff when Anwar announced the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Fairus Khairuddin without Lim's prior knowledge.By right of protocol it should be Lim who should announce Fairus resignation as DCM.Anwar is not part of the Penang government and should have restrained himself from getting involved as far as the DCM position is concerned.

In Kedah, DAP has pulled out its sole represenatative from the PAS controlled Kedah state government over a trivial matter. The demolition of a pig abattoir.If they can fight over such trivial issue what chance have they got to resolve much bigger issue at Federal level.

In Selangor, a new problem is brewing which could also split the coalition.Again it's PKR versus DAP.A row broke out between PKR vice-president Azmin Ali and DAP Theresa Kok over his call for the state exco to be reshuffled. Azmin is unhappy with the line-up but rumours has it that Azmin is interested in Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's job.He thinks Khalid lacked political experience and have made unforgiveable blunders in administring the state.Adding to the already tense atmosphere was another crisis with PKR assemblyman Wee Choo Keong and DAP.He alleged a state executive councillor, without naming name, of having links with the underworld.Ronnie Liu of DAP, probably feeling the heat, demanded that Wee name the person of which Wee says he will at the appropriate time.The police has begun investigation into the allegation.

There is no mutual understanding in this group but only mutual distrust for each other.It's a matter of time before a coup de grace ends this marriage of convenience.

That may not be the end of the story.After all that, UMNO and the BN is not as safe as one would like to think.The breaking up of Pakatan before the next general elections doesn't mean the BN will roam home without a hitch.

There is a serious wave of discontent among the people particularly in Peninsula Malaysia against the BN government. The corruptions, the abuses of power, the ills in the police force, leaders who indulged in self preservation more than caring for the nation, the powerful and corrupt who flaunt their ill-gotten wealth openly were major causes of discontentment among ordinary Malaysians of every race, colour and creed.

Prime Minister Najib has this opportunity to repair the damage and bring back some semblance of honesty into the administration.

Pakatan is certainly not a good alternative but if the people continue to distrust and hate the BN than Pakatan, short of a better choice, could become the accidental government.

Than Malaysians will have a taste of what real bad governance is.

Read also:

The Two-Sided Implications of Manek Urai

The other side of crap

Pakatan Won The Battle But Losing The War

PAS - 5348
UMNO- 5283
Majority:65

Hantu Laut

The 2000 majority arrogantly predicted by PAS and Pakatan is now an embarrassment of the first order. As far as PAS and Pakatan are concerned they won the battle but is losing the war.PAS barely scrape through, it won by the skin of its teeth.A 65 votes majority in its so-called impregnable stronghold was a disaster.It's a moral victory for BN and a booster for Najib's leadership.

Read this most ridiculous of statement in Malaysian Insider "Tonight’s results will help strengthen Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s position in the Islamist party against rival factions who are keen on working more closely with Umno" The full story here.

Instead, it should read "Tonight's results is a slap in Nik Aziz's face that the voters have shown their unhappiness against Nik Aziz's stance of the unity talk with UMNO"

Those in PAS who espoused unity talk with UMNO will have a field day.

As I have said in my earlier post, narrowing the gap, is a reflection of the growing support for Najib's leadership.

Manik Urai: Narrowing The Gap, No Bridge No Oil Royalty ?

Hantu Laut

It looks like Manik Urai will not get the bridge nor the oil royalty.PAS is set to capture the seat again.The Kelantanese were unmoved by UMNO and BN offering a new bridge for the kampung and further development if they win. If there were to be any consolation for Prime Minister Najib it would be the narrowing of the gap.

If PAS won, it is a vote for PAS not Pakatan.PAS has a stranglehold over the constituency and had only lost to UMNO once.

Most constituents eke out their living from rubber and fishing. The low education level and illiteracy among the adult population is advantageous to PAS.That's why they have no problem choosing a fishmonger as their candidate.Education takes a back seat.

To the Kelantanese PAS is Islam and Islam is PAS. In spite of PAS stance associating with secular party like DAP and PKR the people of Kelantan are probably the most parochial and insular among all Malaysians, they still accept PAS change of political doctrine.With the Kelantanese Islam and Kelantan come first and among the older generation UMNO is viewed as outsider.

UMNO only chance of making a breakthrough in Kelantan would be through cultivation of the younger generation.Those disenchanted with PAS for lack of development and job opportunities.Those politically guided not only by religion but a balance of both, religion and want of social, political and economic improvement of their existence.

BN losing Manik Urai will not change the status quo, it's back to square one for both PAS and UMNO.

Narrowing of the majority would be a positive sign for Najib's leadership.

Will Manik Urai be a turning point?

Opposing The Opposition

Hantu Laut

He has made some popular decisions, let's see how he handles the Musa Hassan issue.

He is in a dicey position on the extension of Musa Hassan's contract as police chief.The oppositions are clamouring for Musa's departure.The oppositions sure to hit the stentorian pitch if he renews the contract.

Najib may have to use his best judgement whether to extend Musa Hassan's contract taking into consideration adverse public opinion about Musa's past tenure as police chief.Or was it only the oppositions blowing up the issue?

Read this:

(Over the weekend, the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang urged the home minister not to renew Musa’s contract as the crime rate continues to soar.According to statistics provided by the veteran parliamentarian, there were 150,000 cases of crime in 2004. This figure ballooned to over 200,000 in both 2007 and 2008 despite Parliament tripling funds allocated to the police under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to RM8 billion.

Lim said that this shows the failure of the Musa to stem the tide of rising crime cases despite an increase in resources)

Than read this one:

(The Police Force Commission, which is constitutionally responsible for the appointment and emplacement of members of the police force, has backed a second extension of the service of Tan Sri Musa Hassan as the country’s Inspector-General of Police.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the commission, whose members include top current and retired civil servants and the home minister, wants Musa to remain the country’s top cop when his current contract expires in September)

With such unfavourable statistics on the increase in crime rates, it makes one wonder why the Police Force Commission made such recommendation.Is there no one else capable of taking over the job at the moment?

Will his decision be opposing the opposition?

Rocky's Bru has a new discovery here.1 Malaysia billboard without Najib's face on it.An unusual departure from popular practices of having the PM's face plastered on billboards all over the country.

Can save a lot of money if the government have less of this kind of advertisement.

Whale Shark Butchered And Sold At Kota Kinabalu Fish Market

Hantu Laut

Openly displayed on the table at the Central Fish Market at Kota Kinabalu.Killed, either out of ignorance or typical don't care attitude.You have to be a diver to appreciate this gentle giant in the wild.

I was shocked what befalls my eyes when I went to the fish market this morning.There right in front of me were parts of a baby whale shark for sale.The juvenile was probably just a few years old.When I asked the fish monger where she got the fish from she said she bought it from a fisherman.When I told her it is illegal to kill this type of fish she just gave me a blank look and shrugged her shoulder, meaning she doesn't know or doesn't care.Some of the other male fishmongers were already looking at me and my camera suspiciously.I have heard of costumers being whacked by this illegal ingrates if they complain of being short-changed.I quickly moved away and left the market.

Most fishmongers at the market are Filipino migrants and many live across the bay in the biggest eyesore of Kota Kinabalu, the water village of Pulau Gaya called Kampong Pondo, the hive of Filipino illegal activities.Fish bombs,smuggled booze and cigarettes, shabu and stolen goods from the mainland, all can be found here.



It's a terrible sight just to see this gentle giant being slaughtered.It has very little commercial value here.This specie is protected in many countries in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific where they are mainly concentrated.They are also protected in Sabah waters but little have been done to educate the fishing community not to kill the specie.

Whale shark is placed in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).It is also on Appendix II of CMS (Convention on Migratory Species also known as the Bonn Convention).Listing on CITES require member nations to monitor the international trade in whale shark product and to ensure it does not threaten survival of the specie.


Our Fisheries Department has done nothing in term of monitoring and enforcement.The whole fishing industry here is topsy-turvy and mired in all kind of illegal activities.

Typical civil servants who sit on their arses and take no pride in their jobs.Fish bombing, using cyanide to catch live fish and preserving fish using formalin are rampant practices here, endangering the people's health and the health of the ocean.The live fish we savour at seafood restaurants around the city may have traces of cyanide, not enough to kill you but has bad long term effect on your health.

The use of sodium cyanide first started in the Philippines in the sixties with the aquarium trade but have somehow made its way into the live fish trade throughout South East Asia.



Unlike in the West, ours is not a compliance society.Malaysians have the tendency to break the law if they think they can get away with it.The most glaring example can be seen on our roads.

What we need is strict enforcement to drive the message home.In this case the Fisheries Department should station permanent enforcement unit in all fish markets in the major towns to nap the culprits who indulge in any illegal activities.

The next time you go to the fish market beware of those fresh looking fish where even the flies don't dare to go near, it could be laced with formalin (formaldehyde).

Najib Not Out Of The Wood Yet.

Hantu Laut

Najib first 100 days in office has brought some positive results.His popularity soars to 65 percent from the low 42 percent when he first took office. His most popular move was the liberalisation and dismantling of some of the NEP requirements in certain sectors of the economy with a view of capturing FDIs that have detoured to other more attractive locations and at the same time boost domestic investments.The move is also good for local non-bumiputra businessmen, majority Chinese who now can have a more relax regime of doing business and broader scope of investment opportunities.

The abolition of the 30 percent equity reserved for bumiputra for IPO (Initial Public Offering) was probably the best of all actions taken so far by Najib. This allocation for bumiputra is one of the ingredients in the recipe of spoiling the bumiputras and the failure of the NEP.Those allotted with such windfall would dispose of the shares rather quickly to cash in on the quick and easy money.Given the opportunity who wouldn't. Malaysian public companies are not famously known for declaring cash or script dividends to its shareholders.Only those in the blue chip category are safe haven for long term investors. Long term investment in many Malaysian listed companies is like putting your money on the roulette table.

Like many other things given to bumiputras to expand their share of the economic cake majority would eventually end up in the China man's hand.The selling of these shares by government agencies and individuals was one of the reasons for the failure of the NEP to achieve its target of 30 percent equity.This is Najib first step telling the bumiputras that there would be no more of this type of largesse.

The next step is to reduce the number of AP for import of cars.A review of all bumiputras given the APs to determine whether they genuinely carry on the business themselves or not should be done.Cancel those who don't.But don't be fooled by what you see.Some have found loophole by selling the company to China man and become nominee and proxy of the China man.They get paid for every AP they get and are given a comfortable office in the company to make it appears that they are running the operation.

Overall his reforms for the economy thus far has been well received by the business community and he must personally see to it that its implementation is true to the word and not make the same mistake that Abdullah made by not having a monitoring system to keep him informed.Likewise, a failed promise would be a political disaster.

The only thing that is cause for concern in his new policy is the Federal government giving guarantee to corporations to raise funds in the bond market.It is not yet clear whether this is for GLCs only or include private and public corporations and whether the issuance is for domestic market only or both domestic and international.The other bad aspect, if there were no transparency, is the use of this facility by those in power to guarantee crony companies.Najib should insist on stringent rules, conditions and monitoring to avoid abuses.

So far so good, he has proved the skeptics wrong, but too early to say things wouldn't change.The situation is still fluid and the journey is still long,winding and dangerous, one wrong step could cause everything to come tumbling down.

The opposition is ever ready to slaughter his reputation, more so now, after his popularity soars that is not good news for the oppositions.

Najib is not out of the wood yet, he has plenty to do to shift the supports back to the BN.

Former heavyweighs like Mahathir and Razaleigh should give him moral support if they want UMNO to regain its former glory. By the same token Mahathir wasn't wrong when he said UMNO needs revamping at the top.It's about time purging of corrupt leaders be carried out to show seriousness of the talk.

Education In Peril:Mahathir's First Salvo

Hantu Laut

Do not ignore him, he can cut you down to pieces before you know it.He is definitely the biggest blogger in the country and probably is the biggest in the region too.Just over a year his blog has received 20,906,770 hits.

Dr Mahathir Mohammad is not run of the mill critic, when he talks people listen and take notice.Cross his path and destroy his ideals and you would be damned. He has great following among the youths of this nation.The hundreds of comments he gets on his blog for every posting shows the kind of following he has. Translate this into votes and the multiplier effect you would be amazed how popular this man still is.

The government recent reversal of the use of English, mooted by him during his tenure, in the teaching of Science and Maths back to Bahasa Melayu, Chinese and Tamil is as misguided as the missile that missed to hit its target.The excuses given have no plausibility.The government should listen to the pulse of the people not the rhetoric of a few misguided nationalists and language extremists.

If the Malays in the rural areas can't cope with English and find it a verbiage it is not the language at fault, it's the fault of the Education Ministry, its implementing apparatus must have been faulty and failed miserably.Solutions should be found to remedy it, not kill it, to take the easy way out.There have been mission schools in the rural areas during colonial days and the native children of this country learn the language from day one.The excuse that rural children have difficulty dealing with the language is unacceptable.

It is also most disheartening and ridiculous for the Ministry of Education to say they can save RM40 million a year by not teaching English in the two subjects.What is RM40 million compared to the future of million of Malaysian children deprived of a critical tool for enhancement of knowledge and a medium for global communications.

It would be in the best interest of the nation that the government at least consider to retain it at secondary level.

As I have predicted earlier Mahathir will not simmer down until he proved himself right, as in the case of Abdullah, his constant attacks finally took its toll on Abdullah.

He has fired his first salvo at Najib here.

Mangling The English Language

Hantu Laut

It is the most widely spoken language and spoken in more parts of the world than any other language and by more people than any other tongue except Chinese.It's the official language in most Commonwealth nations and lingua franca in many parts of the world.

The English language which falls within the Anglo-Frisian group of the Western Germanic language has evolved over 1500 years and has the most extensive vocabulary.

It is estimated that the English language has over 1 million words and is growing.It is also a bastardised language as it borrows words from other languages.It is the dominant international language in
communications,science,business,aviation,
entertainment,diplomacy and the Internet.

How could you go wrong learning and knowing this language.

Mahathir must be heart broken when he was told by the Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that the government has decided to drop English as the medium in teaching Science and Maths.The government has decided to teach English only as a subject.Muhyiddin said it was not politically motivated but read what he says here in Manik Urai.

The irony is Muhyiddin said it has been explained to Mahathir and they have convinced him and he has accepted the government decision, but here Mahathir rebutted the claim and said they only briefed him and did not take into consideration his suggestions. This certainly is not good for Najib and it will not be the last he heard from Mahathir. The old man is known for his consistency, persistence and the will to pursue his beliefs with missionary zeal.

Raja Petra of Malaysia Today posted an interesting article on 'Why English should not be taught in Bahasa Malaysia' (I believe pun intended) and posted a circular written in English from a student from one of the leading universities in this country. I reproduce the circular below:

4th UiTM INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FIESTA
19 – 23 November 2009 FUTSAL-RUGBY 7- TENPIN BOWLING-BADMINTON

Dear Sport Friends,

Regarding about the global issue H1N1 happens around the world, sadly to be informing that our UiTM International Sports Fiesta will be postponing to 19-23 November 2009.

For all teams which have been confirm to participate in our events, we have to say sorry for this announcements and our Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Health also advise to us to change the date for this current situation.

By the date have been confirm incoming this November hopefully your teams still can participate in our event and don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.

And again, we would like to say sorry about the date change for the sake of our health among us.

See you in this November at UiTM Malaysia!!

Regards,

Mr. Mustaza Ahmad
Director
Sports Centre
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Malaysia

The message is clear and well understood.The writer should have written it in the Malay language and saved him the embarrassment.

You can read Raja Petra's full article here.Whether the letter is real or fictional is hard to tell.

Why is the government giving up so easily, taking the easy way out? A survey conducted by Merdeka Centre showed 58 percent of respondents wanted it to stay. Why not bring in good English teachers from overseas to teach the students as well as teach those local teachers who are not proficient in English.The other bigger aspect which the government overlooked is the availability of these teachers domestically.I am sure there is a big pool of housewives who are proficient in English that could be enticed and turned into English teachers. The other possibility are wives of English speaking expatriates.All of them could be tested for their standard of English before accepting them as teachers.

The standard of education in this country get screwed every time the Minister of Education changed.Each have their own idea of what the curriculum should be.Adding to the problem are the government educationists in this country taking little or no pride in their jobs.Teaching just for the sake of earning an income is the worst misdeed of a teacher. Teaching is an honourable profession and teachers are supposed to have conviction, dedication and love what they are doing, that is imparting knowledge to their students.

I remember in the old days when most teachers were feared, you either love or hate them, but with respect.They were look upon as mentors and people of knowledge.

During my time, English was the medium of instruction and you have to learn the language from young at primary level or if you come from a Malay or Chinese primary school you have to attend 2 years of bridge class to polish your English before going to secondary level at government English school.Those days most English schools were Christian mission schools and here you start learning English from the first year.

Although, language can be learnt at any age, to bring back proficiency of the English language the government must introduce and make it compulsory at the primary level, in all schools in both urban and rural areas.Just teaching English in Science and Maths may not be sufficient to make the students more proficient in the language.One must learn the basic structure of the language and starting young would be the best option.

Malaysia will gain much from bringing back English as the lingua franca.I agree with Mahathir that the government should at least retain the teaching of Science and Maths in English at the secondary level.

I remember well my principal in secondary school, a strict disciplinarian English man whom we students hated and called the "Bulldog".He made it a point to teach every class once a week with his version of the English language. When Rawcliffe teaches everyone listens in fear, those who missed a breath, mispronounced a word, spelled a word wrongly or didn't know the meaning would end up being called "rotten cheese", "sour grape" or the ultimate insult of being told "your grandmother would be kicking in her grave listening to you murdering the English language" but in all honesty Rawcliffe was the best English teacher I ever had in my secondary years.What goes in stays in.

Below are few examples of mangling of the English language Malaysian style:

i just want to ask...i matriculation's student...i got band 2 in muet 2008...if i repeat muet as calon persendirian 2009...how bout the result that i'v obtain from muet 2008? is it might be effect for my courses that iv been chosen before?

Posted by Anonymous | Wednesday, April 22, 2009 3:43:00 PM

A teacher in a primary school said this to the class "7 push 4 equal how many". What he tried to teach was "7 - 4 = ?" and he simply translated it from "7 tolak 4".

At least the Singapore government is trying its best to stop Singaporeans speaking Singlish, Are we going to promote more Manglish in this country or teach our children to speak proper English.

Will Manik Urai Pull A Surprise?

Hantu Laut

After 20 years under PAS rule Kelantan is still underdeveloped and lagging behind other states.What has PAS or Nik Aziz, for that matter, done for Kelantan that made the Kelantanese so subservient to this wily old man at the expense of losing out to progress and development? Should the Kelantanese continue supporting this man who put more emphasis on the afterlife than the well-being of his subjects.

Islam is a religion that orders its followers to be part and parcel of a working and productive society.The Prophet Muhammad himself, who is considered a paragon of virtues in Islam, used to pray seeking God’s refuge from laziness or idleness.In his instructions to Muslims on this aspect, the Prophet Muhammad strikes a balance between worship and work.

For two decades Kelantan under PAS which should put equal amount of effort in work as in worship is still lagging behind other states.

In term of social and economic terms Kelantan is a far cry from the rest of the nation.Should the Kelantanese continue to wallow in their parochial pride and forsake progress and development?

There are many qualified and capable leaders in PAS but have not been able to come out to the forefront as a show of respect to the Tok Guru, who is revered by most Kelantanese.The recent disagreement about the unity talk between PAS and UMNO where Tok Guru prevailed in his objection is an example of his popularity in Kelantan.

It is a matter of time that the unity talk would be raised again by those who feel the Malays are losing grip of their political power after the 8 March General Elections and the continued onslaught by DAP and PKR to capture Putrajaya had made some leaders in PAS uncomfortable.With Malays divided between PAS and UMNO the biggest worry is PAS might end up playing second or third fiddle in Pakatan if they won the next general elections.

Since after March 2008 Kelantan has become a bastion for PAS.The BN was almost completely routed here.It has lost 4 out of 5 by-elections in other states.BN biggest let down was when it lost the Kuala Trengganu parliamentary seat to PAS which it won in the March 2008 elections.

Manik Urai will be a testing ground for the BN whether it can regain a better and bigger foothold in Kelantan. In 2004 elections when Malaysians were euphoric about Abdullah new and untested leadership Kelantan almost fell to the BN.PAS won by 1 seat majority.

In the March 2008 Manik Urai state seat PAS candidate Ismail Yaakob polled 5746 votes against UMNO candidate Mohamed Zulkifli Omar who got 4394 votes.PAS won by majority of 1352 votes.

UMNO has a good chance of narrowing the majority gap or even wrestle the seat from PAS if they work hard enough.Most of their losses in past by-elections were due to loss of confidence,demoralisation, bad planning and poor strategy.

UMNO has a good chance of pulling the rug from under the feet if they can put their act together. Being the accused it should adopt defensive campaigning rather than going on the attack.

With the right strategy and with Najib's popularity on the rise, Manik Urai might pull a surprise.

Is Anwar Living In A State Of Denial ?

Hantu Laut

There is no rift in Pakatan Rakyat says Anwar Ibrahim.If there is none why bother to meet those embroiled in the crisis.

NST reported here.

Is Anwar Ibrahim living in a state of denial?

We'll see, how long before the next recrimination.

Eddy, a regular commentator to this blog has written an interesting piece which deserves to be on the front page rather than hidden in the comment column.

Eddy says:

I agree that the damage done during Abdullah's tenure needed serious repair but to have Najib do the repairs immediately will be a tall order.

However, Najib has bitten the bullet early and done many reforms to the economic and education landscape to suit the changing times. In less than 100 days of becoming PM, he has made decisions even Dr Mahathir fear to thread lest he be accused of pandering to the non Malays. Even now there are many voices voicing out their dissatisfaction to Najib on even the dismantling of some negative aspects of the DEB while keeping most of the positives which proved to be beneficial to all.

I am very optimistic that the partnership between Najib and his Timbalan, Muhyiddin will yield the right result for a better Malaysia for all races, but the changes and reforms made will take at least two years to get the desired results and that is provided that Najib takes good advise from all, including both the veterans and the youths. For example in carrying out the necessary reforms he must make sure that he do not interfere with the affairs of Petronas and not be beholden to young advisers from Ethos consultant who do not know Malaysia's history and stay clear of any new bridge to Singapore before settling the JB scenic bridge problem. If Najib stays clear from these minefields and others like it, Najib will have the support of the majority Malays/Bumiputras and I dare say Indians.

I am not sure about the majority Peninsular Chinese though, they seemed to want more of everything economically and now politically as well and going by the trend they will probably vote enmasse next GE for DAP or PKR, so, whatever good Najib and BN does will be to no avail "macam simbah air atas keladilah" especially now that DAP a Chinese based party is proving that they are the ones in Pakatan setting the direction that the loose coalition takes. That is my thoughts, I hope I am wrong.

Next stop is the liberalisation of the auto industry, wean Proton and Perodua from Government protection starting with the 1600cc cars and below so that cars like the Honda Jazz can be priced at 60-65k. Cars below 1600cc should be priced between just 35k to 65k only depending on its quality, Malaysians should start paying cars for the price our friends in Thailand pays. If Najib does this, he and BN will be most popular people among the youths of all races I think.Popularity translates into votes for BN.

Personally, I think Najib has a long term plan to ensure that in the next GE but in war as in politics he cannot show all his strategy at once, BN will be assured of victory and regain lost ground with or without the majority of the Peninsular Chinese votes, what he is doing now is to regain as much lost ground for MCA and Gerakan as possible as it seems that both of these parties are still in sixes and sevens due to the DAP merciless onslaught on them, while at the same time keeping a very close eye on Sabah and Sarawak where the next GE will be lost or won actually.

Talking about elections Bro, in Manik Urai, I think its a no brainer that PAS will win, as long as the wily old man Nik Aziz is around in Kelantan, UMNO does not have a chance. Nik Aziz is numero uno in Kelantan, they even say that when you see his potrait you are blessed, with that, I know UMNO is a goner in this by-election and it has nothing to do with politics just Nik Aziz's popularity.

No worries there,Bro, its just a small pitched battle which could be lost , but I hope UMNO/BN would not give up easily without a fight. The war in the next GE is where BN would ultimately triumph, hero selalu kalah dulu, akhir sekali baru menang. Cheers.

July 6, 2009 6:55 PM

Lim Guan Eng Green Horn Or Perspective Distortion ?

Hantu Laut

A government smothered in avalanches of recrimination and orgies of passing the buck. A government in immaturity? Greener than the grass?

Lim Guan Eng is now trying to shift the blame and responsibility to the Federal government.He is writing to Najib asking the Federal government to acquire the land at Kampung Buah Pala to be given to the squatters.Just over 20 squatters putting a gun to his head and he giving credence to their demand.A leader who can't tell a molehill from a mountain.

If you can't do the job or the seat too hot and is burning your arse, the rightful thing to do is to step down and give it to someone who has the guts and gumption to do the right thing.

The conclusion?

He would tell Pakatan supporters, he has done his job, the Federal government refused to pay and who to blame.... the Federal government.

Certainly, a perspective distortion and his doped supporters would agree with him.

What a ruse!

An Analysis Fits For The Garbage Bin.

Hantu Laut

If they can fight over one miserable pig slaughter house, can you expect them to look at the bigger picture for the greater good of the nation?

Unlike Perak where the PAS Menteri Besar's tenancy depended on DAP patronage, the arm-twisting in Kedah did not bring the desired result.PAS does not need DAP in Kedah.The Perak crisis was a DAP crisis, successfully amplified by them portraying PAS as the victim so as to rile up the Malays in Perak to rally behind Pakatan.In Kedah PAS is the boss.

In Penang DAP is the boss.Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng lamented that some members of PKR were trying to be heroes and trying to sabotage him in the Kampung Buah Pala crisis.Why is Lim dragging his feet on this issue when he has the opportunity and the power to help the villagers by giving them alternative state land to occupy instead of making excuses that the land is too expensive to acquire and he is helpless to do anything because the problem was created by the BN government.

Look like a partnership made in hell.Since day one, DAP and PKR have been at loggerhead with each other.There is no general consensus or comradeship among these amateurish politicians.There are more racists, chauvinists and bigots in this group than in the BN in the past 50 years.Their promises of equality among the races and one identity were just that ..... hot air!

Penang state PKR chairman Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim accused Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of failing to practise the principles of justice and compassion over the sacking of PKR Seberang Prai municipal councillor Johari Kassim.

Johari was sacked for leading a boycott by eight PKR councillors against the swearing in of ex district officer Mokthar Mohd Jait as new council president.PKR wanted politician not civil servant to head the council.

Lim Guan Eng must have been a closet dictator and is now showing his true colour, absolute power corrupt absolutely.He forgets that he is in a coalition government and that DAP is not the sole ruling party in Penang.There should be consultation and a give and take attitude as the relationship among the three were not built on trust but on matter of convenience.

On another front, PKR's Kulim MP Zulkifli Noordin told DAP to go their own way, in another word, to get lost.

Khairy Jamaluddin may be right about Malaysian Insider.It's seems to be pandering to what readers want to read rather than purveying the truth and legitimate news.Some of its analysis were way down bias and one-sided.It started on the right footing but lately is following the footsteps of Malaysiakini, catering to the anti-establishment crowd.

It so-called analysis under its heading "As Pakatan squabbles, Malaysians left between a rock and a harder place" is left much to be desired. Below are some excerpts from the analysis.

And yes, the two-coalition system which we hoped for may not take off.

But even PAS, PKR and DAP standing on an individual platform appear to still offer more than what Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) can offer.

Umno has not changed much since March 2008.

It remains arrogant and corrupt. Few of its office bearers can pass the living beyond your means test.

In fact several of its MPs will not be able to account for their cars, houses or wealth they have to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right.

Several of them should not be in Cabinet or hold positions in the party. But they do.

Despite the prime minister’s promise of reforms, most of his party members from his deputy downwards continue to rely on the old race card.

If anything the words coming out from the mouths of some Umno members have made it hard for Malaysians to believe that the party has changed much since last March.

BN’s component parties have also not represented the interests of the non-Malay communities for years now.

How could it be true that as a single entity PAS,PKR and DAP can offer more than UMNO and the BN.All three had over the year been working together and what in term of performance have they shown to Malaysians in the states under their control?All they did was squabbling and bickering at each other and blaming the BN for their ineptitude. They can't even run a small state like Penang properly, can you expect them to take over and take care of the Federal government?

Sure, UMNO might not have changed much since March 2008, so is Pakatan, it has not shown any outstanding performance, in fact I would rate these amateurs poorly and worse. They spent more time going at each other's throat than getting down to doing real work There were also traces of corruption in the states under their administration.This sickness that they talk so much about getting rid of could get bigger if they take over the Federal government where the kitty is much bigger. Their promise of getting rid of corruption would probably end up just like Abdullah's promise.

Sure,Tun Mahathir was right in what he said but corruption is not a newly invented game it has been there since his time.Mahathir himself may not be corrupted but corruption was ripe in UMNO then.

UMNO using the race card, that's nothing new, what about Pakatan , are they not using the race card too.What happened in Penang and Kedah ? If Pakatan is truly colour blind do you think that small issue of the 'kandang putung babi' could turn into a major disaster.

To say the BN has become irrelevant is certainly not true.The result of the 2008 General Elections below shows it was a temporary setback.It was short of only 8 seats to get the two-thirds majority. With the required reforms implemented from now on the BN is likely to show a big surprise in the next general elections.

Elections 2008 Parliament Barisan Nasional 140 Opposition 82 Independent 0 State Barisan Nasional 307 Opposition 196 Independent 2 | full results Elections 2004 Parliament Barisan Nasional 198 Opposition 20 Independent 1 * BN wins with 2/3 majority State Barisan Nasional 453 Opposition 51 Independent 1 | full results

To say Najib has not taken steps to reform government policies is pulling wool over sheep's eyes, the writer is either blind or illiterate.

This kind of analysis is worth where it should be...in the garbage bin.

Do You Believe In Miracles ?

Hantu Laut

Do you believe in miracles?

Yes, miracle can and do happen and why it happened is very hard to explain from scientific point of view.There have been miraculous stories of people falling from great height and survived, of plane crash with only sole survivor and many other miracles that science could not explain.

The recent crash of Yemenia Flight 626 near the Comoros is one such miracle.A 14-year old girl was the only survivor.She clung to the wreckage of the plane for 13 hours before being rescued.All other 152 passengers including the girl's mother perished.

Last night, while having a drink with a few friends I related a story that I remember long ago of also a young girl who plummeted to the ground when the aircraft she was in broke in mid-air after being hit by lighting over the Amazon.She was the only survivor.Her mother also died in the crash.

This morning I search the Internet hoping to find that story that happened way back in the seventies and to my surprise I found CNN carried the same story yesterday.

Here's the story of a miracle of a girl who fell from a height of 2 miles down to the forest of the Amazon and survived with minor injuries.

Survivor still haunted by 1971 air crash

MUNICH, Germany (CNN) -- Juliane Koepcke is not someone you'd expect to attract attention. Plainly dressed and wearing prescription glasses, Koepcke sits behind her desk at the Zoological Center in Munich, Germany, where she's a librarian.

Juliane Koepcke fell more than 3kms after the plane in which she was traveling broke up in midair.

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Yet this unassuming middle aged woman has one of the most exciting and unbelievable stories of tragedy and survival to tell.

It was Christmas Eve, 1971, when Koepcke, then aged 17, and her mother boarded a Lockheed Electra turboprop for a flight from Lima, Peru, to Pucallpa in the Amazonian rainforest. Her parents, both famous zoologists, ran a research station in the jungle studying wildlife.

The airline, LANSA, had already lost two aircraft in previous crashes. "We knew the airline had a bad reputation," Koepcke told CNN, "but we desperately wanted to be with my father for Christmas, so we figured it would be alright."

The flight was supposed to last for less than an hour and for the first 25 minutes everything was fine, Koepcke recalled.

"Then we flew into heavy clouds and the plane started shaking. My mother was very nervous. Then to the right we saw a bright flash and the plane went into a nose dive. My mother said, 'This is it!'"

An accident investigation later found that one of the fuel tanks of the Lockheed Electra had been hit by a bolt of lightning which had torn the right wing off.

"We were headed straight down. Christmas presents were flying around the cabin and I could hear people screaming." Watch Koepcke tell her dramatic survivor's story »

As the plane broke into pieces in midair, Koepcke was thrust out into the open air:

"Suddenly there was this amazing silence. The plane was gone. I must have been unconscious and then came to in midair. I was flying, spinning through the air and I could see the forest spinning beneath me."

Then Koepcke lost consciousness again. She fell more than three kilometers (two miles) into the jungle canopy but miraculously survived with only minor injuries. Ninety-one other people aboard Flight 508 died.

Koepcke says she is not a spiritual person and has tried to find logical explanations for why she survived.

"Maybe it was the fact that I was still attached to a whole row of seats," she says. "It was rotating much like the helicopter and that might have slowed the fall. Also, the place I landed had very thick foliage and that might have lessened the impact."

In any case she survived with only minor injuries. Her collarbone was broken, her right eye swollen shut, she was suffering concussion and had large gashes on her arms and legs. Read more...

Also read:

Are children more likely to survive plane crashes?

Chinks In Pakatan's Armour

Hantu Laut

Just a week after I wrote:

"Unity Talk, Not Over Yet:Cracks in Malaysia's Opposition Coalition"

....that the unity talk is put on hold temporarily and would come back to haunt Pakatan Rakyat sooner or later. Two days ago, PAS Youth division proposed intellectual discourse with UMNO Youth.This is just the beginning of something bigger to come.

The crack is widening.The coalition may not last until the next election.DAP has pulled out of the PAS Kedah government on disputes over demolition of a pig abattoir, apparently, the only one in the whole of Kedah.

DAP has only one seat in the Kedah Assembly so it's not a great loss to PAS.They still can hold the government comfortably with PKR.

There are also internal strifes and constant squabblings among the partners in Penang and Selangor.The sacking of PKR man from a municipal council,the disagreement between DAP and PKR on the location of the second Penang bridge and of course the unity talk between PAS and UMNO that annoyed the other members of the coalition.Now, a new threat looms on the horizon, PAS Youth flirting with intellectual intercourse with UMNO Youth.

There seems to be little coordination between members of the coalition.The only thing they know to do is to call a crisis meeting everytime there is discord.

DAP may think it's a small loss as Kedah being predominantly Malay and Muslims, why waste time on the minority Chinese in the state.Why bother about Kedah when you have better and more prosperous state like Penang and Perak which they used to control before the BN takeover of Perak.They also have substantial representation in Selangor, the Jewel in the Pakatan's crown.

As I have said many times before this is a grouping of strange bedfellows, a marriage of convenience of people of different ideology brought together by the demagogic Anwar Ibrahim with only one objective, to grab power from BN and make Anwar prime minister.

Surely, there is nothing wrong with Anwar being prime minister but would he be able to deliver a strong leadership and ensure political stability.With so much bickering even in its formative years, can he keep the coalition together?

What has PAS and DAP in common? Absolutely none. They are like two magnetic poles that repel each other.PAS is talking about allowing non-Muslims to join the party when they can't even tolerate the culture of non-Muslims.How many non-Muslims would you think like to join PAS? What that tell you of PAS ? Do you think a leopard can change its spots? In the past, PAS accused UMNO of co-habiting with the kafirs and even called UMNO members kafir.

The DAP has the same image problem, it is viewed by many Malays as a Chinese chauvinist party.With the exception of a few lost in the wilderness Malays the like of Tungku Aziz, there are very few Malays in DAP. So, DAP is not really a true multiracial party, it is controlled by the Lim clan and Karpal as Chairman is merely window dressing.It is a Chinese-controlled party with icing of Indians and Malays.The core is still Chinese.

At least in BN they have no qualms about admitting they are race-based political parties.UMNO sticks to its Malay brand and have never tried to divert from the path with the exception of the natives of Sabah where non-Muslim members were accepted into the party.

UMNO never brands itself as a party for Muslims only, it is for Malays and the natives of Sabah could be said to be of Malay stock.MCA and Gerakan made it clear they are Chinese party and MIC Indian. This race-based politics has weathered well for over 50 years.

Is Malaysia ready for a change from race-based politics to homogeneity, where race and religion are no barriers, all as one.

Can Pakatan bring about these changes that they talked so much about?

Discords and bickerings will continue in the Pakatan camp.

Let's hear from others and from those diehard Pakatan supporters.

Penang Politics Getting Messy, More Troubles On The Horizon

Hantu Laut

If they fail to save the village, Pakatan Rakyat’s objective has failed and we will know what to do in the next general election,” said Penang Island Hindraf Coordinator K. Kalaiselvam, 34.

Lim, who questioned whether the movement had been “infiltrated by Barisan Nasional collaborators”, also called on former Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to give a full public explanation on why he sold the land at a “cheap price” of only RM10 per square feet and without consulting the residents.

Was Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng right in side stepping the issue and try to drag former Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon into the fracas?

Every succeeding government is responsible to take over and take care of what its predecessor had done, right or wrong. You can't run back to the previous administration, it's you baby now, take care of it.

Needless to say you have to take over both good and bad policies of the previous administration.Unless, there is criminality involved, in which case the law should take care of the problem , Lim Guan Eng calling on Dr Koh Tsu Koon to give full public explanation goes to show his obvious perplexity and inexperience in the running of government.

Government needs not consult residents every time it gives away land for development and for Lim to suggest so again shows his ignorance and inexperience.

Would he constantly consult the people every time he gives away land, projects or any dealings of the state government? You are elected by the people and they have given you the mandate to rule, just do your job and stop harping on past mistakes.It is your job to rectify if you feel mistakes have been made in the past.

Unless, Lim can prove there have been corruptions involved in the giving away of the land, in which case, he should report the matter to the MACC, it was very silly of him to call Koh to give public explanation.He is the Chief Minister now, it's for him to explain and resolve the problem.

Since when squatters have the rights to demand possession of state land they squatted on.The court have issued an order of eviction, therefore, those Hindraf leaders are breaking the law by instigating the villagers to demonstrate.

The right thing for Lim to do is to command the police to arrest the Hindraf leaders for instigating the villagers to cause public disturbance.Their refusal to move out is tantamount to contempt of court.

If many others have accepted exgratia payment from the land owner and moved out, it is obvious those remaining squatters are trying to squeeze more money from the developer, more than what they deserved.

It's typical of Pakatan playing the blame game.Blame the BN for any of their troubles.Now, he says Hindraf is infiltrated by Barisan Nasional troublemakers?

Cancelling the project would incur costs beyond the financial capability of the state government,” Lim said, chiding Hindraf for “not being able to distinguish who its friends and opponents are” and being blinded by rage and anger.

Now you know what these people are capable of doing.When they gave trouble to the BN government you blindly supported them. What do you make of Hindraf now that they are trying to break down your front door.

After the fall-out with Penang PKR and now Hindraf, what next Mr Lim?

Just slightly over a year you were already making unpopular decisions.The BN took almost 50 years before the chickens come home to roost.

Here, like father like son, father singing the same song.Incompetents looking for scapegoat.

What Happened to Michael Jackson's Millions?

By Adam Smith / London

A gold-painted bust of Michael Jackson owned by the singer

Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty

Counting wasn't a problem for Michael Jackson in the 1970 hit "ABC." Love, he chirped in the Jackson 5 song he co-wrote, was as "easy as 1-2-3." When it came to handling the bigger sums the singer would go on to amass, though, Jackson never really got a grip on the numbers. Profligate spending, a slew of legal settlements and a reliance on ever increasing bank loans blew a hole in the fortune Jackson earned over four decades of performing. Some estimates put the singer's debt at the time of his death at $300 million. Others put him almost twice as far into the red. (See pictures of people around the world mourning Michael Jackson.)

That the King of Pop earned royal sums for his music, there's little doubt. Jackson pocketed more than $300 million from sales of his recordings since the early 1980s, according to The New York Times. Thriller, which was the top-selling album of all time until eclipsed by the Eagles' Greatest Hits, 1971-1975, brought in a reported $125 million for the singer in the years after its release in 1982. Though there were early signs of an inclination to spend — he apparently missed out on landing the bones of John Merrick, better known as the Elephant Man, despite bidding about $1 million for them in 1987 — Jackson showed early investment savvy. Shelling out $47.5 million in 1985 for the rights to a catalog of music that included 251 Beatles songs was a profitable move. Those rights, as well as concerts, endorsements and music videos, would generate more than $400 million over the next two decades. (See the top 10 Michael Jackson moments.)

Little else about his finances was as clever. Blessed with the regular rewards from the Beatles' music and his own, Jackson started to spend. He paid $17 million in 1988 for the 2,800-acre (roughly 1,000 hectares) ranch in California that would become Neverland. Maintaining the theme park — complete with zoo, movie theater and fairground — swallowed up about $5 million annually. As Jackson gradually retreated from work, the additional millions eaten up by plane charters, antiques, lavish gifts and legal disputes — a child-molestation case in the early 1990s cost Jackson around $20 million to settle — left a hole in his fortune. To help plug it, in 1995 the singer signed over to Sony a 50% stake in the rights to the Beatles' catalog in exchange for almost $100 million. Read more...

Read also:
What Killed Michael? What the Autopsy Could Reveal
Michael Jackson's Mysterious Medical Past