Sunday, January 31, 2010

Malaysia's Anwar doesn't expect sodomy conviction

First Posted 15:11:00 01/30/2010

MANILA, Philippines—Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Saturday he does not expect to be convicted on charges he sodomized a male former aide.

"The medical records are in our favor," he told reporters in Manila after meeting with former president Joseph Estrada. "If they (prosecutors) go by the law, there would be no conviction."

Malaysia's Federal Court on Friday upheld a lower court's ruling that the prosecution does not need to provide Anwar with medical reports, camera recordings and other evidence ahead of his trial for alleged sodomy—a crime in the Muslim-majority country that carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years.

The former deputy prime minister was charged with corruption and sodomizing his former family driver in 1998. He was convicted and imprisoned but released in 2004 after the Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction.

Anwar says those charges were meant to prevent him from challenging then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the new charges are part of a political conspiracy to undermine his three-party opposition alliance. Malaysian officials have denied plotting against him.

Anwar, a friend of Estrada and late president Corazon Aquino, was invited by the University of the Philippines College of Law to deliver a lecture on democracy.

Source:Inquirer Global Nation

Anwar meets with Aquino, Estrada

Hantu Laut

In desperate need of foreign support against his second sodomy trail Anwar Ibrahim has gone to meet some old friends.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International wants the sodomy charges against Anwar to be dropped.

“The Malaysian authorities have resorted to the same old dirty tricks in an attempt to remove the opposition leader from politics,” said Sam Zarifi, the Asia-Pacific director of Amnesty International in a statement.

“Malaysia’s judiciary should throw out these charges," he added.

Same old conspiracy theory sold by Anwar.

Anwar meets with Aquino, Estrada

First Posted 13:56:00 01/30/2010

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) A light moment over brunch showed how the friendship between deposed President Joseph Estrada and former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has evolved through the years despite the distance between Manila and Kuala Lumpur and the jails that once kept each of them from the rest of the world.

Estrada and Ibrahim, who are again opposition leaders in their respective countries after serving time for what both describe as politically motivated cases, compared the length of their respective jail terms as close friends listened and laughed.

“How long did you stay in jail?” Estrada asked Ibrahim, according to the former president’s spokesperson Margaux Salcedo, who was also at the table.

Ibrahim said, “Six years.”

Not to be outdone, Estrada shot back, “I was in jail for six and half years.”

Estrada, nonetheless, said that one other person beat both of them by another six months.

“Ninoy Aquino was detained for seven years,” Salcedo quoted Estrada as saying.

Estrada and Ibrahim had a late breakfast of fried milkfish, fried eggs and fried rice at the Manila Polo Club on Saturday.

When they met members of the media as they wound up the meeting, the good-natured exchange continued almost without regard for formalities between one former head of state and an incumbent member of the Malaysian parliament.

“He knows more about Rizal than [I do],” Estrada said by way of explaining why he admired Ibrahim and how their friendship lasted through the years and even after both of them were incarcerated.

“I admire him because he’s so honest,” Ibrahim said with a laugh.

Ibrahim was first to go to jail on corruption and sodomy charges in April 1999. Two years later Estrada was ousted in a popular uprising that followed a failed impeachment trial.

Police arrested Estrada in 2001 on plunder charges and he stayed in various places of detention, including his out-of-town villa east of Metro Manila until he was convicted and pardoned in 2007.

A federal court overturned Ibrahim’s conviction in 2004 but a ban on his return to politics was upheld. After the prohibition lapsed, Ibrahim won a landslide victory and reclaimed a seat in the Malaysian parliament in 2008.

Estrada, on the other hand, has just been given by the Commission on Elections the go-signal to again run for President in the elections in May.

Estrada expressed concern that Ibrahim could again be facing “politically motivated cases” because of his popularity among the masses—something that he can easily identify with.

The former President has repeatedly blamed the country’s elite for his ouster in 2001. He has styled himself as the champion of the masses and was elected in 1998 on a pro-poor platform.

“[Maybe] this is my final overseas trip to meet my friends,” Ibrahim said.

The Malaysian opposition leader will face the court for another sodomy charge this week.

“I have not had a fair trial,” Ibrahim said, adding that when a judge practiced fairness in his case, she was promptly replaced.

The night before, Ibrahim said, the son of the martyred former senator and former President Corazon Aquino, presidential candidate Sen. Benigno Aquino III, dropped by at the New World Hotel were the Malaysian opposition leader stayed.

“They’re two family friends,” Ibrahim told reporters, referring to Estrada and the young Aquino.

“They treat me as a family member,” he added.

Ibrahim said his previous visit was quite memorable as Estrada hosted a dinner that former President Aquino attended despite her ailment.

“President Cory was then very ill but she was there. It was very memorable for me, [my wife] Aziza and the family,” Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim didn’t comment on who he would want to win in the next elections, Estrada or Noynoy Aquino. They’re both his friends, he said.

Estrada gave the comment that would remind one of his days in show business.

“He’s a friend of the Aquinos. He’s a friend of Erap. Let’s not put politics in it,” Estrada told reporters. Read more.

Anwar Gears Up for Make-or-Break Sodomy Trial


By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27, 2010 (IPS) - Reformist leader Anwar Ibrahim, 63, who has been inflicted with various harms in his four-decade-old campaign to build ‘a just, prosperous and democratic Malaysia’, is facing probably the final battle of his epic career.

On Feb. 2 Anwar will stand trial for allegedly sodomising his political aide Saiful Bukhari, 26, a charge he said was trumped up to foil his plans to mobilise the people and seize state power in the next general election.

"They want to derail my plans to become prime minister, to rewrite the history of this country, to end the injustices and violence against the people," Anwar told IPS on the sidelines of a rally outside the capital.

"I am facing a horrendous ordeal…. It’s all politics, a conspiracy to derail the reformation of society," he said as scores of supporters mobbed and hugged him.

Anwar is attracting thousands of people to his rallies across the country ahead of the trial that political analysts say can "make or break" his political career.

"The trial can adversely impact his political career and that of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that he leads and even the reformation struggle he has led for so long," said Dr Sivamurugan Pandyan, a political scientist with the University Science Malaysia.

"It all depends on what happens at the trial and how the case is handled," he said, adding that the 1999 sodomy trial was a public relations disaster, with many people rejecting the guilty verdict that the court handed down.

In 1998 Anwar figured in a political power struggle with then strongman Dr Mahathir Mohamad for control of the country and the direction it should take.

The 1997 Asian financial crisis was the backdrop of their power struggle and Anwar was sacked as the economy shrank and the Malaysian currency, the ringgit, plummeted.

Mahathir declared Anwar was unfit to be a leader because of alleged "homosexual tendencies" and promptly sacked him as deputy Prime Minister, removed him as finance minister and later had him arrested under the security laws that allowed for detention without trial. Subsequently, Anwar was charged with corruption and sodomy and convicted to a total of 15 years in jail.

The trial was universally rejected as biased. Anwar then launched a political party, ‘Parti Keadilan Rakyat’ (People’s Justice Party), and a reformation movement from inside the jail.

He spent six years in prison and was released after the country’s Federal Court, the highest court in the multi-racial South-east Asian country, held that he was innocent and acquitted and freed him of the sodomy charges.

In 2008 Anwar put together a coalition of dissimilar political parties – his own PKR, the Chinese-majority secular Democratic Action Party and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party – into the formidable Pakatan Rakyat coalition and rode to sterling victory, seizing five states and ending the two-thirds majority in parliament that the ruling Barisan National’s had enjoyed for half a century.

That victory brought him one step closer to Putra Jaya, the purpose-built political capital of the country. In March 2008 shock waves hit the country after Anwar was arrested, questioned and subsequently charged with sodomy against his aide, setting the stage for the Feb. 2 showdown.

Under Malaysian laws, sodomy is punished with 20 years in prison. If Anwar is found guilty and jailed, the resulting setback would seriously damage an otherwise impressive comeback and his unremitting ambition to be Prime Minister of the country and pursue his reform agenda.

But notwithstanding the trial, the country is gradually changing under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who, in the view of many people, has by most counts done an admirable job in a short time since taking over the country in April 2000.

"He has co-opted the change agenda from the Pakatan…. He is making the changes that the country needs and he is gaining political mileage with his reform agenda," said Dr Denison Jayasooria, a political scientist with the National University of Malaysia.

"The government is gradually reforming itself and society under the ‘One Malaysia’ concept," he told IPS, referring to Najib’s idea of uniting the different races in Malaysia and distributing national resources in a just, fair and egalitarian manner.

Although this goal pertains to the future, ordinary people are already warming up to the ideal, as shown by numerous opinion polls.

But Anwar has promised dramatic reforms in his political agenda for change. His coalition party released a Common Policy Platform document in December 2009 outlining the major reform measures they would take if they were voted to power in the next general election, which many expect to happen next year although the government’s term ends in 2013. Read more..

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Infernal Rambling Over Projects

Hantu Laut

Cronyism,nepotism and corruptions are not exclusive to UMNO.The pot that called the kettle black is getting darker each passing day.

Pakatan as clean as a whistle image are slowly being stripped by the internal squabbles about who should get what contract.Would they be any better when they sit in Putrajaya?

All the sloganeering about wanting to replace the corrupt regime to clean up corruptions are just mere histrionics to hoodwink the people.A doom-laden unholy alliance destined for the history book.

The story here.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Borneo's Grinch, My Foot!

Hantu Laut

I am really not sure whether I understand what the writer is trying to convey here.If it is an attempt at creative writing or a tongue in cheek than he failed on both counts.

It blows wide open the writer's attempt at juggling the reality of our diverse cultures in the East, where we live side by side and yet found no discomfort with each other.Nor do we have an issue in sharing the same God.

We, East Malaysians do know the geographical difference of the Occidental West from the western part of this nation and unlike you guys we certainly don't conjure images of Western imperialism as something confined to US Army and the irresistible Coke.Neither, do we watch too much Fox super serial or 'E' channel.It gives us indigestion.

Surely, if you are from Selangor you would say so, unless, there is some degree of ignorance and foolishness on your part or worse still if you are suffering from a pseudo-superiority complex and think Sabah and Sarawak are third world countries somewhere in the South Pacific.

An American from California certainly wouldn't tell a New Yorker in New York that he came from America.

As a matter of fact (the Filipinos would pronounce it as 'as a matter of fuck') we are the bigger Malaysia.Our land mass is three times bigger than Peninsula Malaysia.Not only are we bigger in size we have also contributed more to the Federal coffers than what we got back in return.But, being ingenuous people we really don't mind to help out.

Poor Eddie! I must tell you, ignorance is not bliss, it's dangerous.There is no such thing as Sarawakian nationality, it's provincial term, just an analogy.

You certainly can call yourself Sarawakian while in the country but not if your are outside Malaysia. Don't let the guy think you are kind of stupid, inside Malaysia you are Sarawakian.There is nothing wrong with that.

It's a bit disappointing that you don't know who the deputy prime minister is.Don't feel so bad, you are not alone, next time you are in KL go ask some of the Chinese hawkers in Chow Kit, like you, they probably draw a blank too.

I don't really blame you or other East Malaysians for not knowing the Federal cabinet well, because some of the ministers themselves do not know East Malaysia that well too.Try asking some of them where Long Pasia or Lawas is? You be surprised "kat mana tu?" would be the response.

Anyway, we are kind of a nation within a nation. Sabah and Sarawak have full cabinet ministers, unlike other states in Peninsula Malaysia, they only have what they called 'Excos" which are of lower rank than ministers.

Do you know that the chief ministers of Sabah and Sarawak, with the exception of the prime minister and deputy prime minister, in term of protocol, are above other federal ministers? Our chief ministers are still entitled to police outriders when on official duties, the federal ministers and menteri besars are not.So, you see, we are kind of autonomous regions of Malaysia, we have self-government, at least to a significant degree.

Being in a federal system, obviously there mush be a central government to take care of the bigger things. Sabah, Sarawak,Singapore and the Federation of Malaya formed Malaysia, we were not colonised, if you know what I meant.Singapore was kicked out in 1965 because Lee Kuan Yew wanted Malaysian Malaysia, the same sloganeering now used by DAP and endorsed by Anwar Ibrahim and Nik Aziz.

Without Sabah and Sarawak there would be no Malaysia.Can you imagine what Malaya would be like without Malaysia?

Almost all new oilfields are now found on the western seaboard of Sabah.We also have the largest acreage of oil palm plantation in the country.Sarawak has the single largest LNG export terminal in the world and exports one of Malaysia's largest export earners. That's money gone into federal coffers that partly financed the building of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya through Petronas.

So, we are not at all innocent bystander, we have contributed to the progress of West Malaysia.Unfortunately, the writer either doesn't know it or if he does, chose to ignore our contributions.


As inferred by the writer we certainly are not mean spirited and unfriendly like the Grinch who stole Christmas. We share Christmas with everyone.

The only thing we did and did right was denied Anwar Ibrahim the premiership.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Azmin Ali Master Sleuth

Hantu Laut

Totally irresponsible of a politician taking advantage in an already volatile situation to stir the hornet's nest.

PKR's Azmin Ali in his usual, quick to jump the gun, claimed to have evidence that UMNO members were involved in the arson attack on the Metro Tabernacle church.Indeed, a very reckless allegation.He says he is collecting evidence to back up his claim.

If you don't have the evidence yet how would you know they were UMNO members.Even if they were UMNO members does that mean UMNO leaders have been complicit? They could be independent minds of over-zealous religious bigots that acted independently.

Azmin should know it is next to impossible to keep in check the activities of members of a political party.Implicating UMNO and diverting attention from the real problems that besets PKR is the best antidote for PKR's internal conflicts and dwindling supports.

The estranged Zulkifli Nordin from his party is testimony of an independent mind.He gave Anwar Ibrahim the shivers of the brass monkey. Anwar has, for no apparent reason, delayed writing his final judgement on the sacking of Nordin, instead, giving him another month to turn over a new leaf.

It shows that Anwar needs him more than he needs Anwar.

Zaid Ibrahim tasted the first dish of Anwar's political imbroglio.While Anwar lingered, the more assertive Zaid wanted Nordin to be sacked immediately.It could be the start of a possible political feud between the two men.Anwar's authoritarian style is well-known to have driven his close friends away.

I am not a member of UMNO or any other political party for that matter, but I feel such unsubstantiated statement is malicious, with intent to create disharmony, public disorder and distrust among the races.

This imprudent politician cum amateur policeman, a lousy one though, spewing his guts out before getting solid proof of his politically motivated allegation.

Since Azmin knew more than the police, he should be called upon to provide the necessary evidences to the police.Whether they are from UMNO or otherwise, the police should apply full brunt of the law.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Sabotaging The Economy

Hantu Laut

As his sodomy case looms near Anwar in desperate attempt to seek foreign sympathy is prepared to cast the Malaysian government as Islamic extremism.Read what he says in the Wall Street Journal here.

Anwar cooking the goose is nothing new.His overseas campaigns are with the intention of killing the nation's economy by scaring off foreign investors. It would have more dire consequences than merely trying to kill the government of the day.A collapsed economy would eventually bring hardship to the common people.

It is not the rich that would suffer and Anwar knew fully well it is the middle and lower income groups that would suffer the most from an ailing economy.They formed majority of voters in this country.He is using them to unleash the people's anger against the government that would translate into people's power and would hopefully demolish the BN in the next general elections.

Sabotaging the economy is one of the most effective ways to bring down a government.Corruption is another form of economic sabotage.

Those in government are not entirely blameless for sabotaging the economy too.Massive and endemic corruptions have shattered business confidence. It has become ammunition for Anwar and his gang to convince the people that they have a government with a dreadful and incurable disease.This campaign (not entirely untrue) has been very effective in magnetising majority of youths to the oppositions.I would estimate out of 10 politically conscious Malaysian that surf the Internet at least 7 supported the oppositions.

Most urban areas are likely to fall to the oppositions in the next general elections unless the BN has a magic formula to bring back the shine of its past glory

Anwar, with the help of his Western allies and media propagandists unfriendly to Malaysia and the 'Allah' controversy seems to have succeeded in portraying Malaysia in a bad light and a government bend in doing bad things.

The latest episode in the 'Allah' controversy is most shocking, the dumping of pig heads at two mosques in Petaling Jaya.

Unable, to incite the anger of Christians with the burning of their churches this group of mischief makers has now turned to inciting Muslim's anger by desecrating mosques.

Pork is the most tabooed in Islam. I wouldn't like to speculate who were behind these most despicable acts but the police should leave no stone unturned to nap them and must expose their identities to the public.

A fair,non-political and true comment of the same issue by Prime Minister Najib Razak here.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Hantu Laut

At long last, real cracks are beginning to show in PKR.

PKR's Kulim Bandar Bahru MP Zulkifli Nordin accused Anwar Ibrahim of bias and taking sides.Zulkifli, after being asked by Anwar to withdraw the police report he made against PAS MP Khalid Samad stood his ground and maintains he would not withdraw the report.Short of telling Anwar to go to hell.

Anwar tried political horse-trading with him by promising that no action would be taken against him.Much to Anwar's disdain the obstinate bull stood by his principle.Zaid Ibrahim has called for him to be sacked from the party.This ex UMNO lad truly believes in what he knows best, totalitarian method to deal with differing opinions.

Poor chap has become a real pain to PKR's bosses.He seems to have very little respect for them and are prepared to face the sacrificial fire.

In Pahang, another ill wind is blowing in Anwar's face.PKR MP for Indera Mahkota Azan Ismail resigned his post as deputy chairman of PKR Pahang quoting disappointment over leadership and administration of the state PKR.

Over the past decade many of Anwar's close political aides and friends have left him when they found out true character of the man.The Malays in PKR are beginning to see where Anwar is taking them.

How long would Zaid Ibrahim stay in PKR? It all depends on the outcome of Anwar's sodomy case.If Anwar goes to jail a leadership tussle would ensue more likely between Zaid Ibrahim and the overly ambitious Azmin Ali.

Lim Kit Siang has assured that Pakatan Rakyat can go without Anwar.

While PKR is slowly breaking up DAP is confident of getting full backing of the non-Malay voters particularly the Chinese.

Sometimes, marriages are made in hell and Pakatan Rakyat might just be that.


Sunday, January 24, 2010

Mahathir's Antagonist 'Crock Of Shit'

Hantu Laut

The article here says former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad denies he is anti-Christian.

Does speaking his mind on the hypothesis that the WTC (World Trade Centre) was brought down by controlled demolition and the Bush's administration was complicit in the attacks makes him anti-Christians?

If you believe in Anwar's claim of trumped-up charges you would believe in anything.You would also believe George Bush is a saint and America is incapable of doing bad things and that Obama, as promised, would close down Guantanamo Bay and cease all hostilities against the Afghan and Iraqi people.

Guantanamo is still there and the war has not stopped but heightened.More US troops are going to Afghanistan to finish off the Talibans.Can they?

If I live under a coconut shell without windows to the world wouldn't I believe in anything shoved down my throat.Just like the poor helpless geese force fed just to make some frogs fulfill their discerning palate eating their foie gras.

Mahathir's antagonists have a field day reading between the lines making all kinds of negative assumptions of his statements.None of his statements have been lacking in scrutiny, every words he says, even in the righteous of sense would have negative connotation by his invidious antagonists.Then there are always those who have adapted to kissing America's arses come what may and have a basic fundmental disorder of thinking might is right and that the control demolition conspiracy theory is a crock of shit.

Where is Saddam's WMD (weapon of mass destruction) so claimed by George Bush and Tony Blair to justify the invasion of Iraq?

The control demolition conspiracy theory is not Mahathir's alone.There are considerable followings in the US that believe in the conspiracy.

Proponents, such as physicist Steven E.Jones, architect Richard Gage, software engineer Jim Hoffman, and theologian David Ray Griffin, argue that the aircraft impacts and resulting fires could not have weakened the buildings sufficiently to initiate a catastrophic collapse, and that the buildings would not have collapsed completely, nor at the speeds that they did, without additional energy involved to weaken their structures. Jones has presented the hypothesis that thermite or super-thermite was used to demolish the buildings. Read the full text here.

Anyone, other than willing victims of America's propaganda would have come to the same conclusion.How come three buildings collapsed in exactly same manner?

Watch the short video



Watch or download the full length video here.

The same group of people who believe in Anwar's claim of trumped-up charges believe that America is incapable of such heinous crime and that Mahathir is a racist,anti Jews and anti Christian also believe that Anwar is infallible.

They are never wrong.Only those not with them are wrong.

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Received in my email from a friend (original source unknown)

A man came home from work and his children ran to him and called out
‘Ayah! Ayah!’.

His neighbor got very upset and said to him,
“Can you please tell your children not to call you ‘Ayah’?”

The man asked, “Why?”

The neighbor retorted, “Because my children call me ’Ayah’ too.
They might get confused and mistake you to be their father.”

Then the man told his neighbor, are you not ashamed to say that your
children do not know who is their 'Ayah'. So you are saying by using the
word 'Ayah', your children will call me ayah too without knowing who is
their father?

The neighbor said yes, only my children should use the word 'Ayah'.

Maybe, it's time we wind down the debate on the 'Allah' issue.It's consuming too much energy and brought more ill will than good will.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Decade's Biggest Photoshop Scandals

The Decade's Biggest Photoshop Scandals


Photo via complex.com View More Multimedia »

Today's standard of physical beauty is more unattainable than ever. Why? Because it's fake. Here's a look at some of the worst acts of airbrushing.Read more..

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Why Are We Wrongly Denoted?

Hantu Laut

Read this about our currency being wrongly denoted in some international publications while name of currencies of most other countries are used correctly.

Why?

I'll tell you why, because our government have not been consistent in a lot of things.It is not only confusing Malaysians but foreigners are equally in a maze when dealing with us.

For a start, we can't even decide what should be the proper name of our national language.It has been shuttling between Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Malaysia.Sometimes, it is this, sometimes, it is that.

Now, some smart-arsed politicians and educationists think it should be Bahasa Malaysia. Just because Indonesia called theirs Bahasa Indonesia, must we follow suit? Why can't we stay what we are.But these no talent copycats probably didn't know that Indonesia have always been using the same term for yonks.

I am more comfortable with using Bahasa Melayu because there is no such thing as Bahasa Malaysia,it's a fake,created by small-minded so-called nationalists.Some languages are synonymic in words with race and nationality, some are not.The Scots and Irish speaks Gaelic, the English speaks English, the Belgian speaks Flemish and so on.Therefore, what is wrong with Malaysians speaking Bahasa Melayu.That's the analogy of language and race.There is no need for similarity in names.If history had given it a name why change it, if it brings no benefits?

Our education system, if anything to go by, has habitual tendencies of changing every time a new minister of education is appointed.Sometimes, whole curriculum would be changed on whim and fancies of some educationists who are more responsible for the cause of the failure rather than the system failing itself.A system will only fail if you want it to fail.

Recent decision to change the teaching of Maths and Science in English back to Bahasa were for the same reason... human failure. Educationists and political leaders blame the system rather than themselves for the miserable standard.It's the same as the carpenter who blames his tools for his shoddy work.It's a case of bad teacher makes bad student.

When the British first came to colonise this country none of the natives can speak English.They brought with them an educational system in their own language and imposed it on the natives to learn not only the language from scratch, but every subjects from primary level to higher secondary level.

Had the British ever thought that the natives were too stupid and incapable of learning other languages other than their own? No, they did not.They firmly believe and have faith in people even of the meanest of intelligence including those alien to their culture, that most people can be taught, brainwashed and indoctrinated, it's the means and methods that will decide success or failure.

That's why today many of you can speak English as fluent as the Englishmen.For some Malaysians English have become the mother tongue.

Sadly, that's not what our educationists and political leaders think of their own citizens.Such forlornness and quick to give up has become causer for unnecessary change and more troubles for the students.

Changing curriculum in the education system is a costly affair.New teaching materials,new textbooks and new human resources need to be acquired.Needless to say, such change would also put big bucks into certain people's pockets.

Inconsistencies, pervades every aspects of our lives, from education to politics to religions.

The current 'Allah' controversy shows how inconsistent we can be. Muslims are divided on the issue.Those in PAS say Christians can use the name while those in the government say no.

Earlier, the government say it would be wholesale ban.More inconsistencies emerged as Minister in the PM's Department Nazri Aziz says Christians in Sabah and Sarawak are allowed to use it.Later, Nazri dropped another bombshell, Penang and Federal Territories are added to the list of 'can' states.

Do I need to say more why Malaysia always got denoted wrongly.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Don't Let Them Off Lightly

Hantu Laut

The government must show it meant business.Not only should they be charged under Section 436 of the Penal Code, they should also be charge for attempt to subvert national security of the nation.

Things could have gone worse if they were retaliations.The whole nation could have gone up in flame.Many thanks to our Christian brothers who have their heads screwed in the right place.

If found guilty, make sure these arsonists are in the slammer for a few years.

I don't want to be a judge but I feel strongly against this kind of behaviour.



Eight detained for church arson Print E-mail


Wednesday, 20 January 2010 13:29

KUALA LUMPUR - Police detained eight people to help in the investigations into the arson attack on the Metro Tabernacle Church in Kuala Lumpur.

Federal CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin told reporters on Wednesday the arrests were made in te morning and on Tuesday.

The first suspect was detained at a hospital here when he went to seek treatment for burn marks on his chest and arm.arson-church-metro

This led to the other arrests.

'Case solved'

Among those detained were two brothers and their uncle.

The suspects, aged between 21 and 26, have been remanded for seven days for further investigation.

The case is being investigated under Section 436 of the Penal Code, which is 'mischief by fire or explosive substance with the intent to cause damage'.

The arrest, Barkri believes, closes the case on the arson.

The Metro Tabernacle Church was frebombed on Jan 8, leaving the first floor of the three-storey building completely razed. - Malaysian Mirror


Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Poppycock: Orangutan or Orang Hutan?

http://www.willisms.com/archives/orangutan.gif

Hantu Laut

Ridiculous and crazy.That exactly the words I would describe this most nonsensical idea mooted by some pea-brained sycophant.

Reported in the Borneo Post today that the new Deputy Minister of Tourism James Dawos Mamit has agreed with the PM's request to send some orangutans to Kuala Lumpur for eco-tourism.I wonder which orang hutan angkat kaki the PM to come up with such ridiculous idea.

Don't they know it is cruel to remove these animals from their natural habitat.They are also very sensitive to confinement outside their natural homes.If tourists want to see them they should come to Sabah, Sarawak or Indonesia.West Malaysia is not orangutan's country and most tourists know that.

Is this some grand plan to steal our eco-tourism materials so tourists need not come to Sabah to see these primates? They can see them in Kuala Lumpur?

I am glad out Tourism Minister Masidi Manjun stood his ground that no orangutan from Sabah is go to KL for eco-tourism purposes.

Maybe, Sarawak can send if they wish.After all the minister that agree to the request is from Sarawak.

If it is true, I hope the Prime Minister would give up this most ridiculous idea.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Never Speak Ill Of The Dead

Hantu Laut

"Never speak ill of the dead" was what my parents told me when I was young.Obviously, not many parents told their children this simple social etiquette.

It exists in every culture.Courtesies of polite society demand that we don't speak ill of the dead.No matter how bad the man had been in his living years it is social norm and good manners that we don't utter anything bad about the dead.As they always say the dead can't defend themselves.Of all people who should know this better, I guess, must be our learned judges.

It is shocking that this learned man who held the honourable post of a judge before can in the most uncouth manner and without slightest hint of guilt severely denigrates his former colleague who passed away recently.

This heartless creature who think he is the smartest man around because he was a judge before has no compassion and care not about the feelings of the family of the deceased.

To err is human.Many judges have made wrong judgements.Not every judge is as infallible as NH Chan.Even if Anwar was innocent and Augustine Paul wrongly convicted him, should he be condemned the way this former judge did.

He said Augustine Paul didn't give Anwar a fair trail?Was he on the bench together with him or sat in the courtroom throughout the trail absorbing all the evidences and making his own conclusion that the judgment was a sham or is he just repeating what Anwar and all his supporters are saying? I am innocent, it was a trumped-up charges.Because Anwar says so, the whole world must say so.Yes, he is innocent,it was a trumped-up charges.Very simple,as they say rumours repeated many time become the truth.

From his article he makes himself out as the only honest judge this country ever had, even criminals showed him respect and shook his hands for sending them to prison.He further revile the judiciary, hitting them below the belt because he knows they can't response to his crock of shit and by his denigration that " there are a few good judges left but they are few and far between as can be seen by the antics of the main body of judges in the cases of the Perak crisis". What he meant is that the whole judiciary is rotten to the core.

If you have hard evidences of corrupt judges and you claimed to be a man of conscience and one that have never erred why don't you present these evidences to the MACC instead of writing with ambiguity in your numerous articles knowing none of the judges can response to your allegations.


I don't care if Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider think highly of your learned opinion, your glorified past and think your articles deserved to come into public domain.I am shocked with the aberration, for a man of your status and honour.


I honestly find your writing most distasteful and cowardly.


Below is his masterpiece
:

About my brother judge Augustine Paul

When the infamous Judge Jeffreys died ignominiously in 1689 at the age of 41 in the Tower of London where he was imprisoned, no one in freedom loving England mourned his death.

<span class=augustine paul" width="64" height="64">Judge Jeffreys died in obscurity as a judge. But his name will forever be remembered in infamy for his part as the judge in the Bloody Assize. Likewise, the name of judge Augustine Paul (left) will remain in obscurity as a judge, but his name will be remembered as a bad and evil judge because of his monstrous behaviour on the bench when he tried former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

This obnoxious man never gave Anwar a fair trial. William Shakespeare once wrote in one of his plays, "The evil that men do lives after them": Julius Caesar, Act 3, scene 2.

There is another quotation which tells us that an unjust judge is unfit to be called a judge. The quotation fits Augustine to a T. It reads, "When the judge is unjust, he is no longer a judge but a transgressor": Giosue` Borsi in 'A Soldier's Confidence with God', The Macmillan Treasury of Relevant Quotations. Read more..

A Malaysian Dilemma

Hantu Laut

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is on the threshold of his biggest challenge so far.The 'Allah' controversy has given him huge setback for his 1 Malaysia concept.

Up till the inter faith crisis broke the news he has recovered some lost ground and moving into positive territory until the explosive issue of the use of 'Allah' by Christians blew wide open the Pandora's box.

If anything to go by, the controversy has not endeared all Muslims toward UMNO.Far from it, the issues have actually split the Muslims right down the middle and inflicted deep fissures in the hearts and minds of non-Muslims particularly Christians.PAS, took a mollified approach to the issue saying Christians are allowed to use it.

A double-whammy for the ruling party which could have been avoided if more care had been taken in handling the case without resorting to judicial proceedings.Being the bigger person Najib should have called for dialogue with the Christians brothers to reach an amicable solution.Instead, the government used strong arm tactic to deal with the problem.If he had stood his ground against the opportunists and war lords in his party and give what best for the people he wouldn't be in such a malady.All his efforts of bringing Malaysians together again is going up in smoke.

The days of gung-ho politics are over.No matter how bitter the pill is it's time to embrace the wishes of the masses.The politics of cowing and emotional manipulation are long gone.Many Malaysians,disillusioned with the arrogance of the powers that be, now believe changing of the guards seems to be the only solution.

The 'Allah' issue has given Pakatan a big boost in supports, especially, from non-Muslims.Depending on the outcome of the court case it would galvanise further support in the event the Court of Appeal reverses the High Court's decision.

PAS played the political card well in the hope of luring supports of non-Muslims.Whether Muslims support PAS blessing to allow Christians to use 'Allah' is yet to be seen.PAS using the Islamic badge but are prepared to take the secular road whenever it suits its political agenda could be counter productive.

Flip-flopping on the issue has worsen the situation.The announcement by Minister in the PM's Department Nazri Aziz telling East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak that they need not worry because they are allowed continued usage of 'Allah' has backfired.Christians from both sides opposed the sweetener offered to East Malaysians only.They say either all or nothing.The Islamic Development Department(JAKIM) joins Christian leaders in rejecting the proposal and wanted the ban to cover whole nation.

I believe JAKIM is under the PM's Department.It seems the left hand and right hand are not in sync and going in different directions.How the hell was Nazri allowed to make such announcement without consultation with JAKIM, to save the government the embarrassment of being seen as incompetence and flip-flopping on the issue. Was it a Cabinet decision or was it loose-cannon Nazri pandering to East Malaysians.

I am afraid the premature announcement by Nazri backfired, instead of pacifying the East Malaysians, the fiasco has further damaged Najib's effort to integrate Malaysians.


Can Najib hold the fort? Can he rail off the opportunists and war lords in his party and those who believe thuggery,intimidation and use of force are the remedy to the party's misfortunes.

As the matter is crucial to peace and harmony and cause for great concern for all Malaysians the court case should be expedited to settle the case once and for all.


Those who doesn't learn from history learned nothing.Najib should take a leaf out of the history books of the Philippines and Indonesia.The waves of people's power grew on discontentment and would be unstoppable when it comes.

Before finishing this article, I was watching the debate on the 'Allah' controversy on Al Jazeera 101 East comprising Khalid Samad of PAS, Marina Mahathir and Yusri Mohamad of some Islamic Youth Association.

I am afraid Yusri Mohammad's argument was, I wouldn't say in too many words,unconvincingly feeble.


Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Christian Dilemma

Attacks on churches have stoked the flames of religious intolerance

The Bangkok Post


As evening approaches, life in the Malaysian capital blossoms and bustles on the streets in and around Bukit Bintang. Here the catch-phrase that sold a country to the world - "Malaysia Truly Asia" - has found a home.

Malays, Chinese and Indians mix easily with tourists and expatriates from Africa, the Middle East and the West. Muslims mingle with Christians. Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs are plentiful.

Everybody eats at the same table.

Among them is Father Lawrence Andrew, an urbane man of the cloth who divides his time between journalism and tending the spiritual needs of his flock, from his office behind St Anthony's Catholic Church.

He is rarely flustered and holds the same smile he wore when meeting Pope John Paul II. A photo hangs on the wall behind his desk.

However, Father Andrew's patience, along with the vast majority of Malaysians - regardless of creed - has been sorely tested in recent days by a spate of fire-bombings that erupted amid government efforts to ban non-Muslims from using the word Allah.

"It is unfortunate, it is irresponsible and there is no respect for the rights and property of others," he says.

"They should approach the proper channels and not flex their muscles on the people. It is becoming the law of the jungle right now and they should stop this."

As editor of the weekly Catholic newspaper The Herald, Father Andrew has led the legal fight against a three-year government ban on the use of the word Allah for God by non-Muslims.

The use of three other words - Kaabah for Islam's holiest shrine in Mecca, Solat meaning prayer and Baitullah, or House of God - were also banned under the literary laws.

The ban was imposed on The Herald when its annual publishing licence was renewed amid claims use of the words could lead to confusion and conversions among members of the Islamic faith.

Court challenges followed and Father Andrew was confident. The ban, he says, defeats logic.

Then on New Year's Eve the High Court ruled in his favour and overturned the law.

The vast majority of people were delighted, the Home Ministry was irritated, and hard line Islamic elements outraged.

Nine Christian Churches and a school have since been fire-bombed or vandalised, a Sikh temple - where the word Allah is also used - was stoned, law offices for the Catholic Church have been burgled and ransacked and the High Court has suspended its verdict pending an appeal.

Father Andrew says the word Allah is part and parcel of religious teachings within Christian churches around the world. It was introduced to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo just over 370 years ago by Arabic traders when no other word for God existed there.

This held particular ramifications for Malay-speaking indigenous tribes living in Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo, who are the main readers of The Herald's Malay-language edition.

Catholic officials say "Allah" is still the only word they know for God.

"We have been using this word for centuries. It is not a new word. It is not something we have just thought about. So that's why we say that it is not so much a question of language here," he said, while producing a Dutch-Malay-Latin dictionary published in 1631 using the word Allah for God.

"It is also a cultural heritage of our Christian people that has been challenged by prohibiting us from using the word Allah," he said. "There is no precedent about us trying to manipulate or cheat people."

He says fundamentalists within and close to government who claim the word could be used by Christians to induce conversions are wrong.

"I do not see how we are a force against the government. No, we are collaborating with the government, but there are some elements in the government and some zealots outside who think we are trying to convert. Certainly not."

Father Andrew says it is against the law for any religion to interfere with the internal affairs of another, However, Muslim groups consistently and actively attempt to convert believers of other faiths.

Such behaviour is also questionable under the constitution.

"There have been Malays who came to me and said: 'Father I want to become a Christian - baptise me.' And my answer to them is: 'No way, we will not baptise you. You know the law of the country. We cannot convert you.'

"Now this law of the country has been in existence for 50 years, and it is part of the constitution and we wouldn't want to go against this constitution."

About 60% of Malaysia's 28 million people are Malay Muslims, while the rest are ethnic Chinese, Indians and indigenous tribes. The minorities follow Christianity, Hinduism and other religions.

Malaysia has kept racial tensions under control since race riots hit the country in the late 1960s.

However, in the past few years, minorities have increasingly complained of government discrimination and that their constitutional right to practise religion freely has come under threat. They argue that the nation's Sharia court, which rules on family matters for Muslims, is unfair to them.

Disputes in recent years have involved the demolition of Hindu temples illegally built on state-owned land and the seizure of Malay-language bibles. The government denies any discrimination.

The first-floor office in the three-storey Metro Tabernacle Church was worst hit, destroyed in a blaze a little after midnight. There were no injuries in any of the attacks.

Police have urged Muslims not to take part in planned street demonstrations. Protests by Christians in Sabah were called off because of fears of a government crackdown and claims that police were being dispatched in force.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the images of several men who set fire to the Metro Tabernacle Church at Taman Melewati were captured on a close-circuit TV camera.

"We now have leads to the case. We have the physical attributes of the suspects and hope it can help us trace them, although more accurate information is needed," he said, adding police believed the men were acting on their own accord and did not represent any particular group.

However, he also complained that witnesses were not coming forward but were reporting their accounts on blogs and social networking websites like Facebook.

Ronnie Klassen, a spokesman for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in Sabah, was an organiser of the planned protest. He said there were genuine fears for the safety of the demonstrators.

"We decided to call it off because of the two to three hundred people that were there, there were many elderly people around and we felt that we didn't want any one of the elderly people to be injured or anything of that sort."

Meanwhile Tan Kong Beng, the Executive Secretary of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, added that Malaysian Christians were expecting change in Malaysia, but on a positive note.

"They want to see a better Malaysia for their children and that means better relationships among the various religions, specifically with Islam," he said.

Father Andrew says Muslim elements within the government were trying to bolster their influence by attempting to assert Islam over the diverse ethnic and religious mix that makes up Malaysia.

"We can call them Zealots, but I think we have to take a step back."

The United Malay National Organisation (UMNO), which has controlled political life in Malaysia since independence, has suffered a reduced majority in parliament and waning public support.Read more.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

What Price Freedom?

Hantu Laut,

First, it was Lim Guan Eng who banned what he called government-sponsored newspapers from covering his press conferences.

Now, the wise old man, the highly revered Nik Aziz is breathing fire against bloggers whom he says only interested in vilifying others and baneful to the soul.

Better a lie that soothes than truth that hurts.

See, sooner or later the same ghost will come to haunt you.

The very same thing they accused UMNO of intolerance is now causing them much distress.

Do you see any difference between what the present government is doing and what this government in waiting would be doing when they sit in Putrajaya?

Everybody loves freedom.

Without freedom there would be a palpable sense of loss of personal liberty.

In this country the Muslims are in worse position when it comes to personal liberty.We are subjected to two sets of law,the Sharia and Civil Law.The non-Muslims have only one to worry about. Muslims also have to be beware of two law enforcements, the snoop police and the real one (which is least worrying unless you breaking the law).

Muslims can't go to nightlubs,discos,pubs,can't consume alcohol, can't have sex before marriage,can't be homesexual,can't show their love and effection in public even to their loved ones and I can tell you hundred and one things Muslims can't do that many non-Muslims can do in their daily existence.

Actually, I am not all that correct.Some Muslims can.If you are in the elite class you can.Have you ever heard of any elitists or any of their children being dragged to the Sharia court.Kartika Sari Dewi Sukarno did not carry the VIP badge except for namesake of the famous former Indonesian president.Not good enough to get her out of trouble.

Unfortunately, freedom always come with a price.A price some have to pay heavily for.Ask Nelson Mandela, he knows best what freedom means.He is probably the longest incarcerated prisoner of conscience in modern history.

As in Paul McCartney song 'Freedom' he says is God given right and no one should take it away from you.

Here's the lyric.

This is my right, a right given by god
To live a free life, to live in freedom

We talkin’ about freedom
Talkin’ bout freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in freedom

Anyone, who wants to take it away
Will have to answer, cause this is my right

We talkin’ about freedom
Talkin’ bout freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in freedom, ah yeah, comon now...

You talkin’ about freedom
Were talkin’ bout freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in freedom

Everybody talkin’ bout freedom
Talkin’ bout freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in free----------dom


Here's the song.



That's MacCartney's simple mind on freedom.


In Philosophy, freedom means one can act according to ones will without constraint, servitude or held by the power of others.Quite close to MacCartney's simple version.

So, how many Malaysians think they have lost political freedom?

At least most of those in the left wing, accusing the government of infringement of basic human rights.Of not being able to express themselves freely (except on the blogs) and indulge in their new found delicious dish of nasi lemak and of going to the streets to eat their hearts out.

Most grouses, according to the political anarchists (not analyst), were against the absence of freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom to assemble and demonstrate on the streets (their favourite dish).However, when the MSM lashed out at some of the wrongdoings in Pakatan states they say it's unfair, they only want the goose not the gander, accusing the newspapers as running dogs of the government.

Malaysia, to them is a totalitarian regime.An illusion born out of frustration and the insatiable wanting of political power.Would Malaysia be better under a new regime? Those in the opposite camp that I have met say, for better or for worse, we must give it a try as the present one is rotten to the core.

As they say "Revenge is a dish best served cold."Is this want of political power comes with an irresistible menu of witch hunting?

One should not judge a book by its cover? There are always the good, the bad and the ugly. It happened in Sabah when Berjaya took over from USNO. The painful and costly lesson was paid by the state government recently, after over 30 years of legal tussle, paid RM120 million to an individual whose land was acquired by the then Berjaya government.Musa Aman's government is now poorer by RM120 million.

When you can't get what you want it easier to blame others for your own inadequacy.The political anarchists differ in what they see as true 'political' freedom.

Is there such thing as absolute freedom?

Absolute freedom is anarchism.

If PAS can sell the freedom of the use of 'Allah' which I am not against at all but have my suspicion of the real motive.Political or religious? A show of liberalism? Or a process of endearing to the non-Muslims?

Is that the real PAS?


Surely, there is price to pay for freedom and Nik Aziz is feeling the pain from the same blogger who, before falling out, did his best to castrate UMNO for him and his party.

Friday, January 15, 2010

'Allah' By Any Other Name

Religious violence is rare in Malaysia, and so its people are rightly alarmed at the current spate of attacks on churches, which can conjure up memories of the 1969 race riots. The government has strongly condemned the attacks, but its policy of trying to coddle its Muslim population undermines its stated goal of an open Islam and stokes the very religious tension that it wants desperately to avoid.

The violence is the latest consequence of attempts to ban the use of the word "Allah" by Christians. In 1986, the Interior Security Ministry barred the word from non-Islamic publications on the grounds that it could confuse Muslims, but the ordinance was usually not enforced. However in December 2007, the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association and the Islamic religious councils of seven states invoked it in a lawsuit against the Malay language weekly, the Catholic Herald. The government sided with the councils, saying that Christians' use of the term "could increase tension and create confusion among Muslims." Authorities also asked the Herald to put on its front page the word terhad, "restricted," meaning solely for distribution to Christians.

Christians and others responded that "Allah" has been used by Christians for centuries to refer to God, including in Malaysia. No other country has such a ban; even the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) says it opposes one. "Allah," the Arabic word for God, is used by Christians in Egypt and Syria, and, of course, neighboring Indonesia. On Dec. 31, 2009, the High Court ruled that Christians had a constitutional right to use "Allah." The government called for calm, but quickly said it would appeal and, on January 6, the judge suspended her ruling pending an appeals court decision. Subsequently, nine churches have been attacked, most of them firebombed. There have also been attacks on the Catholic Herald's legal team, whose offices were vandalized yesterday.

This is not the only federal government attempt to repress anything that could be perceived as deviating from the state-sanctioned version of Islam. In 2005, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi proposed that Malay-language bibles have "Not for Muslims" on the front. In 2003, the government banned publication of a Bible in Iban, an indigenous language, although the ban was later lifted. In March 2009, customs officials seized Christian books and other materials containing "Allah," and now some 15,000 volumes have been impounded. Since Indonesian Christian books in Bahasa contain the word "Allah" they cannot be imported. The government has also rebuffed calls for a state interfaith advisory council.

The censorship is not restricted to non-Muslim material. Using guidelines issued by the Islamic Development Department and with the consent of the Shariah courts, the federal government has prohibited over 50 "deviant" interpretations of Islam, including Shiism, the faith of over 10% of the world's Muslims. In 2007, the Internal Security Ministry banned 37 books, mostly by Muslims, after the Publications and Quranic Texts Control Division said they "twisted facts and true Islamic teachings." In 2008, other books were banned, including "Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism" by Norani Othman, published by the Malaysian Muslim women's organization Sisters in Islam, and Amina Wadud's "Quran and Women: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective." Read more.

Si Tanggang The Ungrateful Son

Hantu Laut

A heartless bitch of a wife and a henpecked husband.The wife wears the balls and he the pussy.Abandoned the father in his darkest hour.A time when the old man needs love and care.Would he abandoned him if he had fortune to hand over to this ungrateful son? The story here.

Although, as parents we shouldn't expect payback from our children, filial piety has always been a strong Asian culture and preserve.

This bring me back to the story of Si Tanggang (Malin Kundang in Indonesia) that we heard of or were told by our parents when we were kids.The Malay folklore about retribution on an ungrateful son.How the poor son sailed to faraway places to seek his fortunes, became rich and married a princess.On his return home to his village, ashamed of his humble origin, refused to recognise the poor elderly woman as his mother.The mother cursed him.As he sets sail he and his ship turned to stone.

The moral of the story is never abandon your parents in their hour of needs.


Hope he rots in hell.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Malaysia's Runaway Money

Malaysia's Disastrous Capital Flight

Asia Sentinel

Image





Money leaves the country on an unprecedented scale


Churches are not the only thing to have been going up in flames in Malaysia. Take a look at the nation's foreign exchange reserves. They fell by close to 25 percent during 2009 according to investment bank UBS even though the country continued to run a huge surplus on the current account of its balance of payments.

Says UBS: "Question: which Asian country had the biggest FX losses in 2009?" The answer is Malaysia and by a very large margin; we estimate that official reserves fell by well more than one quarter on a valuation-adjusted basis". It describes the situation as "bizarre" and contrasts Malaysia with other countries with large current account surpluses – Thailand, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong – which have seen their reserves increase – as should be expected.

In short there has been an exodus of money from Malaysia on a scale which surpasses that which occurred during the Asian crisis. Nor is this just a mirage. The decline is also reflected in a sudden decline in base money supply – even while, thanks to Bank Negara, broader M2 has continued to grow modestly.

Who is responsible for this massive outflow? And where has it gone? The questions cannot be answered from the data and probably will not be by a government that knows its own state-controlled enterprises, headed by Petronas, may probably be responsible for part of it. The more certain reason however is the outflow of local private capital has been taking place on an unprecedented scale in response to political instability, massive official corruption and discrimination against non-Malays.

This capital bloodletting has as yet attracted little attention because Malaysia's foreign debt levels had declined dramatically since the Asian crisis and its reserves reached very healthy levels. So the outflow has not disturbed the financial markets, and Bank Negara has easily been able to keep interest rates low and the currency strong.

But unlike 1998, when the exodus of hot foreign money was a major contributor to the crisis, foreigners cannot be blamed. There is little speculative interest in the ringgit and the Malaysian bourse has rather fallen off the map as far as foreign institutional money is concerned. The BRICs, India, China, Russia, Brazil have taken the merging market lead once dominated by Southeast Asia.

Nor is there much evidence that the Middle East money which was supposed to be flowing into Muslim Malaysia, into holiday apartments or Johor's massive Iskandar development zone, has been much in evidence. Malaysia's one recent success, the development of its sukuk (Islamic bond) market may have caused more capital outflow than inflow. At any rate any overall net inflow of foreign capital whether into bonds, equities, factories or real estate has been dwarfed by the exodus of Malaysian money.

The latter is reflected in the weakness of private sector investment, which now trails public investment. Indeed it explains why the economy remains weak despite very healthy prices for most of Malaysia's commodity exports. The nation has been running a current account surplus of more than 10 percent of gross domestic product for the past decade and hit about 17 percent of GDP in the year just ended. Initially this surplus was needed to pay down debt accumulated during the mid-1990s Mahathir boom years and to rebuild foreign exchange reserves to healthy levels.

But subsequently it became simply a consequence of the weakness of private investment. Domestic investors were discouraged by the corrupt and warped system and foreigners moved to China and elsewhere. GDP growth has become ever reliant on government stimulus – again racially biased in its allocation -- financed by a persistently large budget deficit. Read more.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Zorro Unmasked Fooled By RPK

Hantu Laut

So, now you know RPK is a man of many talents.

Compare the two photographs
.

The one above appeared in Zorro Unmasked's blog purportedly sent by RPK and the one below?


From comments in Zorro's blog his fans truly believe that RPK is overseas and enjoying life to the fullest.So do the police, taken for a jolly good ride.

That kind of sums up where he is.

So, who doctored this photo and all the other photos to throw a red herring on his whereabouts?

Is RPK still in Malaysia? Food for thought.

For all you know he could be hiding in the closet at home and the police didn't know it.

Don't Bark If You Can't Bite

Hantu Laut

Am I left wing,right wing or just sitting in the middle? Is the left going to be better and Malaysia would truly be an egalitarian society? Or would it be worse? Who can tell? My faith is still with the right but things could change.

Well, I am still keeping faith in my religion and my Allah, despite being told, it has been hijacked by my Catholic brothers.For the past five years I have been to church more than five times to pay respect to demises of dear friends. Was I confused, did it in any way forsook my iman (belief)?

No! most Muslims have immensely strong iman.Lina Joy is a needle in a haystack.It's, probably, love that blinded her.Love,sometimes, transgresses all reasoning.Is she the catapult of what gone wrong today?

I must admit as much as I support the BN concept, sometimes, the sheer stupidity of some of those in the party left you in a state of shock and your mouth gaping.

It says much about the deep sense of insecurity in the minds of some of UMNO members.Instead of defusing the already highly volatile situation, some, like this bigot here, with his fatuous comment, decided to add fuel to the fire.

There seems to be no common stand taken by the party.The leadership says one thing but lower down the rank the insubordination is most revealing.It's time Najib takes heed and uses his whip hand.He appears not in sync with the rank and file.

This is the time you actually become nostalgic of the Mahathir's era.He would have nipped it in the bud.Who cares if he throws all the bigots from both sides in the slammer as long as peace be with us.

I have always been a proponent of the ISA, if it is used properly and now is the time most opportune to use it.

Hishammuddin. Please! Don't bark if you can't bite!

Also read:Wolf At The Door's " Taking Akhram To Town"



Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Reprise:Where Have All The Chinese Gone?

Hantu Laut

Sakmongkol AK47 has his take on how Malay parents view education vis-a-vis the Chinese parents and the deteriorating standard of education in the country.

The most profound that I found in his article is when he says "One type of parent undertakes the task of educating his children as a personal responsibility; the other type transfers that responsibility to the state".

Most bumiputras, even the filthy rich ones, would apply for government scholarship for their children depriving off some of the less fortunate students of the opportunity.

Ask some of the well-connected, the politicans or even ministers how many of their children's overseas education were wholly financed by them.

It is most despicable that if one is rich and can afford to pay for the children higher education to rob the opportunity off poorer students who are more deserving to receive that financial assistance. Even, if you have the privilege and entitled to apply, it should be a matter of conscience that you should not.

Like Sakmongkol, I am a product of the British education system when we were still a colony and the same system continued for another 14 years or so after formation of Malaysia.

Those days, under the GCE 'O' Level, we need only take minimum of 6 or 7 subjects (if I am not mistaken) and maximum of 9.After independence and for many years the Ministry Of Education which formulate education policy think most Malaysian students have above average IQ and give them a choice of as many as up to 21 subjects to choose from.It's no mean feat, that you hear of students taking as many as 12 to 16 subjects just to put themselves high in the eligibility for scholarship.

This 100% exam-based system has its draw back and dire consequence.You get some students who are good at passing examinations but eventually turned out to be academically mediocre.

The government has recently reviewed the system and reduced the number of subjects student could take by imposing penalty, that the student pay for the subject taken beyond the maximum allowed.

It's true the Chinese put much more effort and emphasis on education and Chinese parents are prepared to make personal sacrifices in order to fulfill their children's educational needs.

A Chinese family running a hawker's stall have better chance of putting their children through university at their own cost than say their bumiputra counterpart.Not only parents, but the whole community that can afford to spare some money would donate to their schools.Wealthy Chinese would make substantial donations and contributions to Chinese schools to enhance its standard and teaching facilities.

On the other hand, the bumiputra community has lost its culture of gotong-royong, almost everything from building schools, suraus and mosques have become the responsibility of the government.Not that the government shouldn't be doing it but shouldn't there be mosques built purely from donations from the Muslim community as a mark of pride and achievement.

When the Arab,Indian and Pakistani Muslims first came to this part of the world and decided to stay they built many mosques from donations collected from the Muslim community.Even a Malay woman have built a mosque.The Hajjah Fatimah Mosque in Singapore was built by a Malay lady from Malacca married to a Bugis prince.She donated her land to build the mosque.She inherited her husband business after he died and as an astute businesswoman her business prospered that made her very wealthy.Her only daughter married Syed Ahmad Alsagoff, the son of the famous Arab trader Syed Abdul Rahman Alsagoff.The mosque is now a national monument.

The Kapitan Keling Mosque in Penang and Malacca were built by Indian Muslim traders.

Arab traders in Singapore, the Alsagoffs, the Alkaffs and the Aljunieds have all contributed generously to schools,hospitals and building of mosques and sponsoring religious events.Many Arabs and Indians Muslims are now completely assimilated and had become Malays but have lost the philanthropism

I think we bumiputras have lost our sense of direction, giving materialism the front row and the depths of our soul a back seat.The rich and filthy and their spouses and children strutting in their Birkin bags,Gucci bags and bragged about their stables of posh cars and all with money falling down from the sky.

Here's Sakmongkol's "Where have all the Chinese gone?

New York Times On Churches Attacks In Malaysia

Churches Attacked Amid Furor in Malaysia



Malaysian Christians prayed at a temporary location after their church was set ablaze by the unidentified attackers in Kuala Lumpur

Published: January 10, 2010

BANGKOK — An uproar among Muslims in Malaysia over the use of the word Allah by Christians spread over the weekend with the firebombing and vandalizing of several churches, increasing tensions at a time of political turbulence.

Arsonists struck three churches and a convent school early Sunday, and black paint was splashed on another church. This followed the firebombing of four churches on Friday and Saturday. No injuries were reported, and only one church, Metro Tabernacle in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, had extensive damage.

The attacks, unlike anything Malaysia has experienced before, have shaken the country, where many Muslims are angry over a Dec. 31 court ruling that overturned a government ban on the use of the word Allah to denote the Christian God.

Though that usage is common in many countries, where Arabic- and Malay-language Bibles describe Jesus as the “son of Allah,” many Muslims here insist that the word belongs exclusively to them and say that its use by other faiths could confuse Muslim worshipers.

That dispute, in turn, has been described by some observers as a sign of political maneuvering, as the governing party struggles to maintain its dominance after setbacks in national and state elections in March 2008.

Some political analysts and politicians accuse Prime Minister Najib Razak of raising racial and religious issues as he tries to solidify his Malay base. In a difficult balancing act, he must also woo ethnic Chinese and Indians whose opposition contributed to his party’s setback in 2008.

“The political contestation is a lot more intensified,” said Elizabeth Wong, a state official who is a member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, an opposition party. “In Malaysia the central theme will always be about the Malay identity and about Islam. The parties come up with various policies or means to attempt to appeal to the Muslim Malay voters.”

Mr. Najib condemned the violence, saying the government would “take whatever steps it can to prevent such acts.”

In an interview, the main opposition figure, Anwar Ibrahim, implied that the government was behind the current tensions. “This is the last hope — to incite racial and religious sentiments to cling to power,” he said. “Immediately since the disastrous defeat in the March 2008 election they have been fanning this.”

The government has appealed the court decision and has been granted a stay. The dispute has swelled into a nationwide confrontation, with small demonstrations at mosques and passionate outcries on the Internet.Read more...


Monday, January 11, 2010

Who Might You Think Gain The Most From The Current Spate of Attacks On Churches?

Hantu Laut

Who might you think gain the most from attacks on churches in this country? For sure not Najib and his government.The oppositions would from the conflicts score many more points that gives them extra political mileage.

That's why leaders in Pakatan Rakyat were quick to point finger at Najib and UMNO.For all we know the agent provocateurs could have come from overzealous oppositions supporters to discredit Najib's government by putting the blame squarely on him and UMNO.

Would the people in UMNO be that stupid to aggravate a situation that already not leaning in their favour? It could also be a desperate move to dislodge BN's popularity in East Malaysia where significant part of the population are Christians.

If Sabah and Sarawak are still solidly behind BN, Pakatan wouldn't have a chance of taking Putrajaya.Isn't it a golden opportunity to excoriate Najib and UMNO and steal the popular votes in East Malaysia and at the same time drive a wedge between UMNO and other component parties in BN.

Political organisations have been known to sabotage government by using agent provocateurs to create unrest, purportedly as a result of adverse government policy.The government gets the blame and the opposition gain political mileage.Of course, blinkered pro-Pakatan supporters are unable to see or accept the probability of such evil.

Lim Kit Siang, the shit-stirrer, rabble-rouser and political opportunist casting never ending aspersions on the Prime Minister. Probable diversion to the internal problems facing Pakatan Rakyat.The recent resignation of PKR Secretary-General Salehudin Hashim tells all is not well in the party.

Don't judge a book by its cover, they look fine on the outside but are besieged by all kinds of problems on the inside.Here, he again sullied Najib for the sacrilege.

Mr Lim forgets it is not always the man that throws the first punch win the fight.

Just a thought.

A Christian Voice Of Reason

Hantu Laut

Probably, the best placation that has come out of the conflicts.An antidote for the ethno-religious conflicts that have sprung a genre of attempted desecration of churches in the country.


Clarence Bongkos Malakun,President of the Council of Justices of the Peace urge compromise to the ethno-religious conflicts here.

Malaysians of all creeds and cultures must unite against mischiefs and evil doers.It pointless to hurl blames at each other as seems to be the epithets of those in the opposing camps.

Their many methods of rabble-rousing to gain political mileage out of the already tense situation could further inflame emotions and sentiments.

The political opportunists, shit-stirrers, rabble-rousers and acutely irresponsible politicians from both sides of the fence are responsible for the outrage, feeding
the uninitiated and uneducated with enough venoms to trigger hatred and ethno-religious conflicts.

The finger-pointing should stop and the whole political spectrum should put aside their differences and join hands to repair the damage done.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Little Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing

Hantu Laut

As they say a little knowledge is dangerous.Even the little abominable housefly wanted to get noticed by hovering in places they are not wanted.

If you have little knowledge of your own religion and a complete screwed-up ignoramus, it's best that you keep your opinion to yourself.

The Prime Minister is trying very hard to bring Malaysians of different race and creed together.Unfortunately, he keeps getting moron in his party like this one opening his mouth to incite further uneasiness among Muslims on a subject he is void of any intellectual understanding.

Like the annoying housefly he needs a little swatting that Islam is not about simply letting the cannonball fly out of ignorance.Our Prophet teaches tolerance and benevolence.

As not to raise further tension among Muslims Najib should put a gag order on UMNO members on not making anymore statement on the issue.

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.So is a lot" - Albert Einstein

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Assyrian History:The Message of Prophet Mohammed

Hantu Laut

To all Muslims and Christians.Please read the message of our prophet and learn from it the virtue of tolerance and benevolence.


700-799 A.D. Assyrian History

The Message of Prophet Mohammed

Posted: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 at 03:50 PM CT


The agreement between Mohammed and the Syrian Christians of Nazarai between Islam and Christendom is a manuscript of great scientific value, and it is highly treasured by the Syrian Christians. The original document is currently located in Istanbul, Turkey. It shielded and protected them against the attacks of the Islamites. The document had such a power, that wherever it was shown, the followers of Islam would drop their weapons and obey the command of the prophet - to leave the Syrian Christians unharmed. If a Moslem disobeyed this command he would be guilty of an offense, that would exclude him from the blessings of heaven forever.

References

  1. "The Covenant of Omar," which is referred to in:
    a. Samuel Hugh Moffett, "A History of Christianity in Asia," vol. 1, second revised edition. New York: Orbis Books, 1998, page 345. Moffett quotes Tritton, "Caliphs," 12ff., quoting from the "Kitab ul Umm."
  2. "The Charter of Protection," written in A.D. 1138, granted by Muktafi II (1136-1160), Caliph of Baghdad, to Patriarch Abdisho III (1138-1147). Photocopy of the Arabic version and the English translation is published in:
    a. Alphose Mangana, ed. "A Charter of Protection Granted to the Nestorian Church in A.D. 1138 by Muktafi II, Caliph of Baghdad." Published in the official magazine of the Assyrian Church of the East "Voice From the East," vol. 1, no. 3 (April 1, 1983) issue, page 2.

"God has told me in a vision what to do, and I confirm His command by giving my solemn promise to keep this agreement."

"To the followers of the Islam I say: Carry out my command, protect and help the Nazarene nation in this country of ours in their own land. Leave their places of worship in peace; help and assist their chief and their priests when in need of help, be it in the mountains, in the desert, on the sea, or at home. Leave all their possessions alone, be it houses or other property, do not destroy anything of their belongings, the followers of Islam shall not harm or molest any of this nation, because the Nazarenes are my subjects, pay tribute to me and will help the Moslems. No tribute, but what is agreed Upon, shall be collected from them, their church buildings shall be left as they are, they shall not be altered, their priests shall be permitted to teach and worship in their own way-the Nazarenes have full liberty of worship in their churches and homes. None of their churches shall be torn down, or altered into a mosque, except by the consent and free will of the Nazarenes. If any one disobeys this command, the anger of God and his prophet shall be upon him."

"The tribute paid the Nazarenes shall be used to promote the teachings of Islam and shall be deposited at the treasury of Beth Almal. A common man shall pay one denar (piece of money), but the merchants and people who own mines of gold and silver and are rich shall pay twelve denars. Strangers and people who have no houses or other settled property shall not have taxes levied upon them. If a man inherits property he shall pay a settled sum to the Beth-Almal treasury. The Christians are not obliged to make war on the enemies of Islam, but if an enemy attacks the Christians, the Mohammedans shall not deny their help, but give them horses and weapons, if they need them, and protect them from evils from outside and keep the peace with them. The Christians are not obliged to turn Moslems, until God’s will makes them believers."

"The Mohammedans shall not force Christian women to accept Islam, but if they themselves wish to embrace it, the Mohammedans shall be kind to them."

"If a Christian woman is married to a Mohammedan and does not want to embrace Islam, she has liberty to worship at her own church according to her own religious belief, and her husband must not treat her unkindly on account of her religion. If any one disobeys this command, he disobeys God and his prophet and will be guilty of a great offense."

"If the Nazarenes wish to build a church, their Mohammedan neighbors shall help them. This shall be done, because the Christians have obeyed us and have come to us and pleaded for peace and mercy."

"If there be among the Christians a great and learned man the Mohammedans shall honor him and not be envious of his greatness."

"If any one is unjust and unkind to the Christians he will be guilty of disobeying the prophet of God."

"The Christians should not shelter an enemy of Islam or give him horse, weapon or any other help. If a Mohammedan is in need the Christian shall for three days and nights be his host and shelter him from his enemies. The Christians shall, furthermore, protect the Mohammedan women and children and not deliver them up to the enemy or expose them to view. If the Nazarenes fail to fulfil these conditions, they have forfeited their right to protection, and the agreement is null and void."

"This document shall be intrusted to the Christian chief and head of their church for safe keeping."

Here follows the signatures of Mohammed and his foremost men and followers:

"Signatures.

Abubakr Zadik • Omar Ben Chetab • Moavijah Ibn Abi Sofijan • Abu Darda • Abuzar • Abubra • Abdula Ibn Masud • Abdulah Ibn Abas • Hamza Ibn Almulabb • Fazl Ibn Abas • Zaibar Ibn Aqam • Tilha Ibn Abdullah • Saad Ben Maaz • Saad Ibn • Ebadah • Sabeh Ibn Kebis • Jazid Ibn Sabid • Abdullah Ben Jazid • Suhail Ibn Mifah • Othman Ibn Mazum • David Ibn Gijah • Abu Alalijah • Abdullah Ibn Omar Alqazi • Abu Harifah • Ibn Azir • Ibn Rabiah • Ebar Ibn Jaamir • Hashim Ibn Azijah • Hasan Ibn Zabid • Kab Ibn Kab • Kab Ibn Malech • Jafar Ibn Abu Falib."

"The peace of God be over them all! This agreement is written by Moavijah Ben Sofian, according to the dictates of Mohammed, the messenger of God, in the 4th year of the Hegira in the city of Medina."

Source