Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Bloggers Beware! Are You Ready For The Lawsuits?

Hantu Laut

Democracy depends on the flow of responsible, trustworthy and accurate information.That's why the mass media has self-regulating "code of ethics".It encompasses truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality and public accountability.

Press ethics are self-regulating in developed democracies but, more often than not, compliance by laws in less developed democracies. It differs in form from one organisation to the other. The New York Times has its comprehensive "Ethics On Journalism" here.

In Britain, there is no law regulating the press but most media adhere to guidelines under the "Press Complaints Commission"

In the US, freedom of the press and freedom of free speech are protected under the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, forming part of the Bill of Rights.It also includes the right to peaceful assembly and respecting the establishment of religion and the free exercise of religion. The Bill of Rights prohibit the making of any law to abrogate the rights under the 1st Amendment.

Freedom of speech and freedom of the press do not give free rein to say or write anything you wish or something untrue or not backed by facts. The public, have the right to be protected against misleading and distorted information.

No civilised society can have mass media without moral obligations, restraints, responsibility and accountability.

The problem in Malaysia is not the mass media, they are self-regulating and regulated by licensing requirement.It is the new media,
the alternative media on the Internet that have opened the doors to abuse.A 'Carte Blanche' to the world of free speech.Some, are using it to grind their axes.Some, who fancy themselves holier and smarter than thou used it as conduit for conveying unrestrained character assassination and shit stirring.

Here's a good one pitting DPM Muhyiddin against PM Najib, whom the writer considered a good for nothing laggard and Muhyiddin coveting Najib's position.Good try, doctor. A fantastic clairvoyance.What about telling us who's the next PM of Malaysia.I bet it's not Muhyiddin, he just hasn't got the cut or not just yet.

Many have used it to vend their angers and frustrations against politicians, public figures and individuals.It's completely free,unregulated and unaccountable.

Some news portal and blog owners have thrown caution to the wind and think they can shoot straight from the hip and get away with it.It's a dangerous tool for those lacking in self-discipline.

In US and Europe, a number of bloggers have been taken to court for slander and libel.In Malaysia, the first case of bloggers being sued were Ahirudin Attan of Rocky Bru and Jeff Ooi of Screenshots.Whether the case is still standing or withdrawn I have no idea.

Here, a blogger was sued for US$20 million for just using the word 'scam' in her story. The case is still pending.Libel and slander are complex issues.If she lost the case and can't pay up the next step would be bankruptcy proceeding against her by the plaintiff.

Journalists are protected by the big media company that employ them. Bloggers, unfortunately, are not, they are on their own.If you, in any way, think putting a disclaimer on your blog can protect you, forget it, you still can be sued.

Not only you can be sued for your own article, even worse you can also be sued for comment left on your blog that might be deemed slanderous by the offended party.A young blogger here was sued for comment left on his blog.

In the US, politicians and public figures are less protected and opened to public scrutiny and criticism but one can still be sued for libel.In Canada, writing about politicians and those holding public office not backed by facts can get you into trouble.In Britain, politicians are more hardy and can take enormous amount of criticism in their stride.Again, one can still be sued for libel.

News portal like Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider and hot-blooded Malaysia Today managed to stay in the clean and avert legal actions because Malaysian politicians have too many skeletons in the closet.Some may feel it would be a waste of time and money.

In the event they won the case majority of those sued would have no money to pay up.

They may end up paying good money to chase bad money.

Anyway, don't push your luck, there are some who wish to defend their honour, money or otherwise.Here, Chandra Muzaffar contemplates legal action against a blogger by the name of Antares for his nasty comment in Malaysian Insider.Antares kneeling apology here.

At this moment, only Anwar fits the picture, he has sued many people including former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad.

Also read:

The Economist:Najib v Anwar

Monday, March 29, 2010

Sabah Leaders:Reactive, Not Proactive

Hantu Laut

Sabahans continue to suffer the inefficiency of power generation by SESB, a company controlled by Tenaga.

Below is an article written by a reader of the Daily Express that appeared in the Sunday Forum 28 March edition of the newspaper which best describe the root cause of the problems and the hapless situation that Sabahans have been placed in by the incompetence and couldn't care less attitude of people at Tenaga and the relevant ministry at the Federal level.

Najib may lose his 'Fixed Deposit' if he does not address the two ills facing Sabahans..... lack of power and lack of health car
e.

Reactive and not proactive

Click on article to read.


Saturday, March 27, 2010

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: Raising The Keris

Hantu Laut

This is just the beginning. UMNO beware, given time Perkasa will grow to be a political force to be reckoned with.

As far back as a year ago I predicted the Malays would contemplate the 'Hidup Melayu" once again.

As much as many of us wanted it the other way it would be a long time before this nation reach political maturity and multi racialism politics takes a footing here. The Malays will not give up political powers without a fight.

Do not kid yourself that there is something seriously wrong with our political system.It is the same every where.The majority leads and held on to political power as long as the electorate allow them to do so.

What Perkasa is doing and with the full backing of former PM Mahathir Mohammad, supports for the cause would swell as time goes by.

"Let sleeping dogs lie" means don't disturb a situation as it would result in trouble or complications and it has.


Zaid Ibrahim,Tengku Razaleigh and the likes wanted to be seen as liberals but they are in the minority.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Sleazeball Politics

Hantu Laut

The revelation by Zulkifli Noordin that he was asked to link the Altantuya murder case with Najib and Rosmah,maybe, tip of the iceberg.There may still be many of this type of sleazeball politics in the Pandora's box.

There may be truth in Zul's claim.As we Muslims say if you have 'iman' you wouldn't succumb to such evil act no matter how lucrative the offer is.'Fitnah' as we all know is the greatest sin in Islam, unforgivable by Allah, only the victim can forgive the doer.

Zulkifli might have been reluctant because of his conscience but there are other unconscionable individuals who are prepared to do the devil's work.

It makes one wonder how much money had passed hands in this sleazeball politics. I am not sure which came first, Raja Petra's Statutory Declaration which implicated Rosmah to be at the scene of the murder or Bala's Statutory Declaration implicating Najib's sexual relationship with the murdered girl?

This smear campaign confounded by the relationship of Najib with Razak Baginda have succeeded to merge the simple-minded into believing it. The opposition has shown extremity of ill will and dirty tactics that paints a sordid picture of what they are capable of doing.How much does it take to pay the low-life to lie?

The oppositions have also found a new tool to straighten the lie, the use of Statutory Declaration.Any contemptible liar can use it.

To the simple-minded Malaysians the SD is the truth.Some even put their faith in the low-life who are prepared to sell his soul to the devil for the devil's reward. Every man has a price.What would people like Bala fetch if offered the witch's brew?

How many times can a serial and congenital liar change his lies? A scientific study has shown that genetic defect partly contributed to a person inability to tell the truth. In the case of Bala, not less than three times.He made the first confession, withdrew it and now coming back for more.Said he was threatened and paid money by Najib's men to withdraw his SD.This man is not only a liar he is also an extortionist.

To sow the seeds of discontentment and doubt in the minds of the simple-minded, SD may be insufficient to lure some of them to bewilderment, technology becomes handy as mind-bender for the intellectually deficient.Visualization and doctoring images can boggle the mind and the oppositions, surprisingly PAS seemed not to have any objection, have resorted to this kind of muck.Remember Tian Chua, the master forger ? Below, are some of his and Pakatan' supporters handiwork to discredit Najib.









If truly Najib knew this lady there must be photos of them somewhere.Till today, none, including professional and journalistic sleuths, have been able to produce the real photograph.

Here is Anwar response to a journalist who asked him about Zulkifli's revelation.He responded : “It is a very unreasonable statement from a journalist...who is paying you to ask this question?”

Was that an expression of guilt. Just because the oppositions pay people to lie, he thinks everyone can be bought.

Below, he participated in Bala's press conference.




Why participate, if you have no vested interest in it?

Would you vote for sleazeball politics?

Thursday, March 25, 2010

New York Times pays damages to Singapore's leaders

(Reuters) - The New York Times Co apologized to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on Wednesday and paid S$160,000 ($114,000) in damages for an article about Asian political dynasties.

An apology in the opinion section of the New York Times' website said that any inference that Lee Hsien Loong "did not achieve his position through merit," was unintended.

The article, entitled "All in the Family," was published on February 15 in the International Herald Tribune (IHT), the global edition of The New York Times.

Lee Hsien Loong is the son of independent Singapore's first leader, Lee Kuan Yew. The New York Times also apologized to Goh Chok Tong, who succeeded the older Lee as prime minister.

Davinder Singh, the lawyer acting for the leaders, told Reuters that the IHT's publisher, editor of global editions, and the article's author, Philip Bowring, also agreed to pay damages of S$60,000 to Lee Hsien Loong, and S$50,000 each to Goh Chok Tong and Lee Kuan Yew, as well as pay their legal costs.

Singh said the article was "libellous" and the Singapore leaders had demanded an apology, damages and costs.

He said it was in breach of an undertaking made by both the publisher of the IHT and Bowring in 1994 that they would not make further similar defamatory allegations to those made in an article by Bowring in the IHT in that year called "The Claims about Asian Values Don't Usually Bear Scrutiny," for which the IHT and Bowring also paid damages and costs to the three leaders.

A spokesman for The New York Times Co declined to comment beyond the apology, while Bowring did not respond to a Reuters query for comment.

Singapore's leaders have in the past sued and won damages, or out-of-court settlements, from opposition politicians and foreign media including the International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and The Economist.

Singapore, considered to have the lowest political risk among Asian nations by many risk consultancies, is a hub for manufacturers, banks and expatriates, who value its stability. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has governed for 50 years.

Singapore was ranked 133rd among 175 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2009 by Reporters Without Borders.

(Reporting by Neil Chatterjee in Singapore and Tiffany Wu in New York; Editing by Nick Macfie and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Here's the Times' apology, printed today:


In 1994, Philip Bowring, a contributor to the International Herald Tribune's op-ed page, agreed as part of an undertaking with the leaders of the government of Singapore that he would not say or imply that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had attained his position through nepotism practiced by his father Lee Kuan Yew. In a February 15, 2010, article, Mr. Bowring nonetheless included these two men in a list of Asian political dynasties, which may have been understood by readers to infer that the younger Mr. Lee did not achieve his position through merit. We wish to state clearly that this inference was not intended. We apologize to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong for any distress or embarrassment caused by any breach of the undertaking and the article.
Source:Reuters

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

A Nod For Lim Kit Siang

Hantu Laut

I'll make an exception this time and give Lim Kit Siang a nod to his article here.

It's true, Minister of Health Liow Tiong Lai should take responsibility and resign his post.He has shown total incompetence, indifference and showed no concern at all on the worsening health care in Sabah.

The crisis is not new, it is over two years now and nothing has been done to stop the shuttling of patients from one hospital to another.

On one of his visits here the Prime Minister has assured Sabahans that he would make immediate allocation to resolve the health care crisis in Sabah.

The money might be there but what's the point if you have a minister who can only provide lip service and not the health care service that Sabahans have been deprived of for a long time.In spite of the much talked about takeover of SMC nothing significant has happened.

PM Najib should take personal interest in the crisis if he wants his fixed deposit intact.Better do it fast before Sabahans decide to tukaron bangkad.

It is poor Sabahans that suffered most and if the PM didn't already know, that's where most votes come from.Ignore it at your own perils.

Maybe, Najib should do a first, sack the man.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Of Federal Neglect And Timber Towkays

Hantu Laut

Lim Kit Siang wrote "2013 in three years’ time mark Sabah’s 50th anniversary in the formation of Malaysia. It is appropriate in preparing for the occasion to seriously assess whether the dreams of Sabahans and Sarawakians in 1963 to form Malaysia had been fulfilled or betrayed." In other words should we stay in Malaysia?

Is Kit Siang suggesting that we should consider cessation from the Federation if we are not happy with how we have been treated all these years and to seriously assess whether our dreams to form Malaysia had been fulfilled or betrayed or have we been given full citizenship rights? Is he suggesting that we have been cheated by the West Malaysians in general and Federal leaders in particular.

I do agree with Kit Siang that Sabah have been lagging behind other states in Malaysia due to neglect, corruptions and ineptitude of its leaders to deal with Federal leaders who wore superiority tags on their sleeves. Sabah development was also much hindered by bureaucratic red tape at the Federal level.Where Federal funded projects are concerned concept and design are done from the chairs in Kuala Lumpur without taking into consideration the local conditions and local sentiments.If anything can go wrong, it will.

A good example of Murphy's Law is the design of flyovers in Kota Kinabalu.It is a telling sign of the arrogance and irresponsibility of the Federal civil servants.It's like being given half-cooked food to eat.Sabah only deserved half a flyover and half of everything else.Like everything else all Federal projects get the same half-dosage treatment.

Try visit the KK Court House and you be amazed what a maze you are in.It has the worst interior design in the universe looking more like a maze rather than a court house.The same goes with the new mini Putrajaya.It's look beautiful on the outside but inside is a grim reminder of a dysfunctional building.

Approved projects are often slowed down by funding that comes in trickles, half-opened tap, distrusting Sabahans to handle Federal funds.The health care system, like everything else that has a Federal label on it, is not caring enough to the health of Sabahans.There was no forward planning.It's ad hoc and hocus pocus.

The Federal government can only see five years ahead, that's why they have what they called the 'Five-Year Plan'.Should have been named the 'Myopic Five Year Plan.' Five years in the 'Stone Age' may be a long time but five years in the 'Jet Age' is as fast as the blink of an eye.

Sabah has this thing called political jinx.From the days of Chief Minister Tun Mustapha Harun the raping of
Sabah natural resources has not ceased.It was the start of a long series of timber politics and the rapes of Sabah forests and her other resources by greedy politicians and their cronies.

Mustapha was running wild and running his own fiefdom using Sabah's rich timber resources to finance his prodigal lifestyle.He was the only Malaysian leader who had the use of personal jet paid for by the state.Even the then Prime Minister Tengku Abdul Rahman didn't have one. Sabah was rich.Kota Kinabalu has more Mercs on the roads than Kuala Lumpur then.

Timber politics continued under Berjaya. Harris was seen as a saviour that saved Sabah from the excesses of Mustapha.The increased economic activities during his time did not stop corruptions either.Under Harris, Sabah prospered a little and was the epitome of multiracial politics.That didn't last long either.The sacking of Joseph Pairin from the cabinet that culminated in massive losses suffered by Harris and his other party candidates in state elections put an end to multiracial politics in Sabah.

Under Joseph Pairin Kitingan, the entire state fell into disrepair, prolonged economic inactivity almost bankrupted the state.It was a government that spent more time drinking themselves to death rather than working to develop the state.The state lost most of its arable land during this period.Vast tract of lands were given to cronies which were later sold to plantation companies from West Malaysia.Most of the big oil palm plantations in Sabah are owned by West Malaysian companies.Nothing wrong with that if they plough back some of the profits to other investments in Sabah.They didn't.All profits are kept for the benefits of the shareholders.Very little of those money came back to Sabah.

Kit Siang asked how come the richest state can be reduced to become the poorest state in Malaysia?

Kit Siang should also ask the timber towkays of Sabah of the early days and the politicians that have been hand in glove with them not only to rape the forests but also allowed those crooked businessmen to under declare prices and cheat on payment of royalties.One of the biggest operator at that time reputedly can, out of every 10 shipments, avoided paying royalties on at least 5 shipments.We are talking million of ringgit of lost revenue every month.It was estimated that the state lost between RM200/300 million a year to crooked timber towkays.

One of the greatest injustices done to Sabah's economy were done by the timber towkays of Sabah who parked most of their money in
Hong Kong by under declaring prices and under paying royalties.Asked them about the millions they kept in Hong Kong during their timber heydays.Ask how much have they reinvested in Sabah?Ask those corrupt forestry officers how much timber royalties were lost through cheating, corruptions and collaboration involving them and the towkays.

Through hard work, deception and crooked ways many have become filthy rich and some have died of old age and handed over their wealth to their children.

So, it is not just the Federal government to be blamed, Sabahans themselves have inflicted serious injury to the state economic health by their greed and dishonesty
.

For Kit Siang, if he didn't already know, we are better off in Malaysia than being swallowed by Indonesia or the Philippines which was what the British feared would happen if we were left on our own.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Lees And The Shahs Of Iran:The Day After Tomorrow

By Abdul Gafoor, Social Correspondent

When Pahlavi Shah’s neglect of the Iranian people grew worse in the late 60s and early 70s, it resulted in the growth of various forms of dissident groups. There were communists, socialists, leftists and Islamists. As Pahlavi Shah and his control machine was all too powerful, the various dissident groups were united on one objective which was to oust the Shah. Given the numbers and popularity the Islamists rose to become the principal force in ousting the Shahs and they formed the next government.
As mentioned in the earlier article, the severe deterioration of socio-economic conditions of people in Singapore has led to so many variety of dissident groups being born in the last few years. Today we have the queer groups, leftists, democrats, socialists, worker activists, reformists and Christian right. The last group has indeed rattled PAP that even the PM made them the main topic of national day rally speech.
Just like how the various dissident groups in Iran during the late 1970s converged with a common goal to oust the government, there does seem to be a trend of slow convergence amongst the various dissident groups in Singapore which is expected to gain pace in five to ten years time during which time as MM Lee predicted they are likely to create a political tsunami at the 2021 elections.
The interesting question is which group is likely to rise to the top to form the government then. Given the trend of religious ritualism (which i will not define as religiousity nor as spirituality) increasing rapidly amongst Singaporeans, there is a strong likelihood that we may see the emergence of religion based parties within now and ten years time. These parties are likely to be an Islamic party inspired by PAS, Hindu party inspired by Hindraf and Buddhist party inspired by the recent uprising of Burmese Buddhist monks who are likely to re-emerge again in time to come. One can expect these three parties to form a coalition with the Christian Right party/parties.
In other words in the 2021 election, the defining moment of post 1965 electoral history will be likely to be shaped by the victory of a coalition of religion based parties in very much similarity of how the Islamic clerics ousted the Shah in 1979. Democratic parliamentary elections are all about popularity and such a coalition without doubt can garner at least 50% of the votes. Leftists, socialists, queer groups, reformists, democrats, labour activists, womens groups etc could emerge as a potential another coalition but this coalition represent the interests of at the most a quarter of the population.
Should such an outcome materialise in 2021 election, the PAP will be convinced to send in the army and/or influence senior public servants not to cooperate with the new government. We can then see a similar turbulent transition as what we see in Thailand and Malaysia today. However in those two countries, the aftermath of the turbulent times is likely to be a normalisation. However in the case of Singapore, we are more likely to see the political turbulence to be prolonged like in Iran.
This whole analysis that I am putting forth can only be vaildated by time. My purpose is not put forth a sensational picture of what could happen. I simply want to illustrate the undesirable high risks that country with underdeveloped political system faces in long term if it blindly only focuses on short term political stability. Some idiosyncratic political observers may boast about 50 years of single party rule in Singapore being a source of political stability, failing to realize itself is a source of political instability for the next 50 years.

When Pahlavi Shah’s neglect of the Iranian people grew worse in the late 60s and early 70s, it resulted in the growth of various forms of dissident groups. There were communists, socialists, leftists and Islamists. As Pahlavi Shah and his control machine was all too powerful, the various dissident groups were united on one objective which was to oust the Shah. Given the numbers and popularity the Islamists rose to become the principal force in ousting the Shahs and they formed the next government.

As mentioned in the earlier article, the severe deterioration of socio-economic conditions of people in Singapore has led to so many variety of dissident groups being born in the last few years. Today we have the queer groups, leftists, democrats, socialists, worker activists, reformists and Christian right. The last group has indeed rattled PAP that even the PM made them the main topic of national day rally speech.

Just like how the various dissident groups in Iran during the late 1970s converged with a common goal to oust the government, there does seem to be a trend of slow convergence amongst the various dissident groups in Singapore which is expected to gain pace in five to ten years time during which time as MM Lee predicted they are likely to create a political tsunami at the 2021 elections.

The interesting question is which group is likely to rise to the top to form the government then. Given the trend of religious ritualism (which i will not define as religiousity nor as spirituality) increasing rapidly amongst Singaporeans, there is a strong likelihood that we may see the emergence of religion based parties within now and ten years time. These parties are likely to be an Islamic party inspired by PAS, Hindu party inspired by Hindraf and Buddhist party inspired by the recent uprising of Burmese Buddhist monks who are likely to re-emerge again in time to come. One can expect these three parties to form a coalition with the Christian Right party/parties.

In other words in the 2021 election, the defining moment of post 1965 electoral history will be likely to be shaped by the victory of a coalition of religion based parties in very much similarity of how the Islamic clerics ousted the Shah in 1979. Democratic parliamentary elections are all about popularity and such a coalition without doubt can garner at least 50% of the votes. Leftists, socialists, queer groups, reformists, democrats, labour activists, womens groups etc could emerge as a potential another coalition but this coalition represent the interests of at the most a quarter of the population.

Should such an outcome materialise in 2021 election, the PAP will be convinced to send in the army and/or influence senior public servants not to cooperate with the new government. We can then see a similar turbulent transition as what we see in Thailand and Malaysia today. However in those two countries, the aftermath of the turbulent times is likely to be a normalisation. However in the case of Singapore, we are more likely to see the political turbulence to be prolonged like in Iran.

This whole analysis that I am putting forth can only be vaildated by time. My purpose is not put forth a sensational picture of what could happen. I simply want to illustrate the undesirable high risks that country with underdeveloped political system faces in long term if it blindly only focuses on short term political stability. Some idiosyncratic political observers may boast about 50 years of single party rule in Singapore being a source of political stability, failing to realize itself is a source of political instability for the next 50 years.


About the Author:

Abdul Gafoor is a researcher based in the United Kingdom

Source:The Temasek Review

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Mind Your Own Business,Bloody Pommies!

Hantu Laut

Homosexuality may not be a crime in the UK but it is in Malaysia and we have laws to deal with it.

Lest, this idiotic MP forgets, there is a complainant.

For the love of Anwar he conveniently ignored the aphorism of his compatriot, former British MP and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Gordon Hewart's "Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done."


Moved a motion in the British Parliament.For what?

Is Malaysia still part of the British Empire?

Maybe, he should move a motion to kick Malaysia out of the Commonwealth.Makes more sense.

Idiot.


British MP defends Anwar Share


Friday, 19 March 2010 19:02
LONDON – A Labour MP has moved a motion in the British Parliament to call on the Malaysian Government to bring an end to what he called "the harassment and persecution of the political opposition."
MP Jeremy Corbyn said the House should recognise the contribution of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in "promoting democracy in Malaysia and peace and understanding between the Muslim world and the West.
'Resembles trial of 1998'

In the early day motion on Friday he added that the House was deeply concerned at the charges laid against Anwar, believing that his current (sodomy) trial flouts international standards of fairness and adherence to the rule of law.
Corbyn claimed the trial resembles the one Anwar faced in 1998 in which, he said, the conduct of the judiciary was condemned by Malaysians and by the international community.
The MP further added that there are renewed exhortations by international human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as well as prominent leaders from Commonwealth nations – such as former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin, Australian MP Michael Danby and 59 other elected Australian representatives – for the Malaysian government to drop the charges against Anwar. — Malaysian Mirror

Friday, March 19, 2010

The Errand-Boy Of Lim Kit Siang.

Hantu Laut

The left,the right and the middle.Whatever.Does it matter what sloganeering you use as long as the message is clear and well understood by the people?Does it matter if 1 Malaysia is copied from the 1 Israel concept? If it is good why not copy it.Since you mentioned it, don't you think what you say can be construed as a racist remarks, that Malaysia should not copy the Jews because they are evil people.

Throughout our lives we have copied almost everything from the West.Our Islamic world is even more screwed up now than before where many inventions and sciences came from.The European Renaissance was founded on Islamic civilisation.Now, we are beggars to their technologies.

What the big fuss, Anwar? Aren't you much closer to the Jews than Najib is. You have made yourself a world player and the world has become your oyster.You have many friends overseas who are prepared to stick their necks out for you.Your overseas friends can see no fault in you, they can only see a government armed in conspiracy to harm you.

My sincere apology, the Jews were actually from the Middle East.It could well have been the Middle West, but, unfortunately, for us Asians most history books were not written by us.In fact, almost all history books were written by the Westerners.Naturally, with the guns and pens in their hand they have the first choice to write whatever they like and to name names as they deemed fit.

You are running out of issues and wasting precious parliamentary time to attack Najib's 1 Malaysia concept.There are other more pressing issues like the future of the economy,poor public transportation system, the high costs of living, inadequate public health care and other critical matters that directly affect the peoples lives.These are things you and those of your ilk should be concerned with but show no interest at all.You are more concerned with injecting venoms into the peoples mind that 1 Malaysia is a farce.

What is so difficult about understanding the 1 Malaysia concept.Even my five-year old granddaughter understands it as 'bringing all Malaysians together as one'.Only people like Lim Kit Siang and you seemed not to understand such simple 'in an eggshell' slogan and spend so much time trying to kill it before it kills your stupid 'Middle Malaysia' which if taken from its socio-political definition means you are only interested in the Malaysian middle class. DAP will eventually lead you and Pakatan to be a party of the bourgeois.

Middle is more ambiguous than one.As in 'Middle America' denotes small town or surbarban middle class and in the case of 'Middle England' non-urban middle class and 'Middle Australia' subarban middle class.So, what is 'Middle Malaysia' that the DAP is promoting? Are they only interested in the bourgeois class?

Surely, DAP's 'Middle Malaysia' means the urbanite middle class, exactly where their supports came from in the March 2008 General Elections.They are not interested in the lower income group and rural poor whom they think are too stupid to make major changes to the political mindset.

Someone suggested that Middle Malaysia is the same as Malaysian Malaysia.It is definitively not the same.Malaysian Malaysia was seen as a dirty word coined by Lee Kuan Yew to make every Malaysian 'equal among equals'.That,unfortunately, caused panic among the Malays who in the early stage of independence are still left far behind in term of economic development.The Malaysian Malaysia concept if accepted at that time would have killed the Malays economically and Lee Kuan Yew knew exactly that would be the case but yet pursued it assiduously leaving the then Prime Minister Tengku Abdul Rahman with no choice but to kick Singapore out of Malaysia.Lee, has never looked back ever since.DAP is a spitting image of the PAP, entailing the same concept and policy with even more chauvinistic fervour.

While, on the other hand he persists that UMNO is a racist party with racist policies, he also opposed Najib's attempt to dismantle the colour barrier and bring all Malaysians together as one people and a nation united as one.

What is wrong with you guys or was it because 1Malaysia is becoming a threat to Lim Kit Siang's Middle Malaysia?


Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Corruptions Of Power

Hantu Laut

Below is a revelation by the Director of Sabah Forestry Department Sam Mannan on how successive governments meaning previous chief ministers prevented the preservation and protection of water catchment areas in forest reserves.

Logging in Sabah was at its peak during the Berjaya and PBS administrations where vast tract of forests were given away to cronies and those with strong and close connections to the top leadership.

There are very little commercial forests left in Sabah now.Most have been exploited and turned into oil palm plantations.

If one were to drive from Telupid all the way to Tawau what was once virgin forests is now vast oil palm plantations.In fact, the whole stretch of the East Coast from Pitas to Tawau is nothing but oil palms.

The Kinabatangan and Sapi Rivers once homes to the Irrawaddy dolphins have now completely disappeared from the rivers due to pollution from oil palm plantations.It is one of the most endangered species and still under threat of extinction in other locations.

The Director of Forestry San Mannan is a man of conviction that Sabah forests must be saved from further destruction.The state government have stopped issuing lands for oil palms in order to carry out its conservation programmes.

His no nonsense approach to conservation of vital forests has made him and Chief Minister Musa Aman very unpopular with certain group of people.

That's why, every now and then for the past few years, you would come across article like this one.

None of the soothsayers many predictions have seen the light of day.
___________________________________________________________

Dept saves water catchment

Published on: Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Kota Kinabalu: The Forestry Department was prevented by successive governments in the 1980s and 1990s from discharging its duties, resulting in the plunder of resources in the Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve.

Director, Datuk Sam Mannan in a statement, Tuesday, said there was no political will to address the problem and the Department was left impotent.

"Over the years, various personalities, for reasons only known to themselves, promoted the demands of the plunderers to excise a big portion of Ulu Kalumpang as an endowment - i.e. reward for their illegal activities as some may interpret it.

"Thankfully, the National Forest Policy on forest reserves would not allow such an eventuality," he said. He was responding to reports on purported grievances of certain people on actions taken by Department to enforce the law and protect the Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve.

This is so as to rehabilitate and reverse its deterioration as a vital water catchment for the people of Tawau and Kunak, in particular, over the last two months.

He said the Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve (Class I Protection) and the Kalumpang Virgin Jungle Reserve (Class VI) measuring about 54,886ha., were first gazetted on Jan. 27, 1955 as forest reserves opened for logging.

Concessions were issued from the colonial era until the area was closed altogether from logging in 1986.

In 1992, the State Government re-gazetted the area for protection and conservation, changing the status to Class I and Class VI respectfully.

He said in the bid to reinforce the vital life-giving functions of the forest, and its bio-diversity, the Sabah Government in a landmark decision on March 15, 2006, declared Ulu Kalumpang as a SFM (Sustainable Forest Management) Project Area, with conservation as the primary objective and for its water resources to be protected to ensure sustainable water production for the people of Tawau and Kunak.

Since this declaration, SFM has been implemented on the ground focusing on forest re-habilitation, the development of permanent camp sites and infrastructure and the provision of substantial funding under the Ninth Malaysian Plan, both from the Federal and State Governments, the Sabah Development Corridor and annually recurrent allocations.

He said for 2006-2010 some RM12.75 million was allocated for this purpose.

A Forest Management Plan (FMP) was also being prepared to guide the Department in its endeavor to fully restore degraded and encroached areas within the reserve.

Preliminary results of the planning process revealed that the area is still rich in bio-diversity despite the past logging with a resident pygmy elephant population, Orang uUtans and also Tembadau, among other species.

Sam said that problems came about after campsites set up in the 1950s to early 1980s at two main sites - Landau and Sungai Mantri - became semi-permanent settlements and activities of the occupants expanded to illegal cocoa cultivation and other crops in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Sensing danger if the problem was not arrested in the bud, the Department, with police protection, evicted the illegal settlers in the mid-1980s, primarily Sarawakians then, after the due process of notice issuances and warnings.

"Unfortunately, the government of the day, stopped the eviction and allowed the illegal settlers to return to their longhouses.

"This was at great embarrassment to the department which had to apologise to the police for wasting their resources," he said.

Sam said that encouraged by the government injunction against the Forestry Department to discharge its duties, the illegal settlements expanded and thrived.

"It became a bad example for others to follow and mayhem broke lose with behind-the-scenes financial backers moving in, civil servants, small time businessmen, etc.

"To accelerate the destruction of rainforests for cropping, that by the 1990s had switched to oil palm, illegal immigrant workers (Patis) were recruited by the droves).

"The role of illegals in forest destruction cannot be underestimated.

For example, out of 732 arrests of encroachers between 2003 and 2006, 471 were illegals or 64 per cent.

"Not only illegal logging accelerated but also total conversion of good rainforests," he said.

However, when the leadership of Sabah changed in 2003, the Forestry Department approached the Chief Minister and Cabinet on the dire situation in Ulu Kalumpang and presented a strong case to once and for all address the problem and translate decisions into actions on the ground.

"With this, came the vital and courageous Cabinet decision of 15.3.2006, which unequivocally empowered the Forestry Department to discharge its duties in the public interest.

"After nearly three decades of meek environmental leadership, the die was cast for good forest governance. For the first time, the department was allowed to discharge its duties," he said.

Sam said the cost of the weak leadership prior to this was the plundering, which resulted in over 7,000 hectares of illegal oil palm being planted.

While over 8,000 hectares of regenerating forests have been cleared and degraded, protection functions of Ulu Kalumpang have been impaired, habitats for iconic wildlife (orang utans, elephants, bears, etc) have been destroyed and rivers in the reserves became open sewers used by the illegal occupants.

The water protection capacity of the reserve also deteriorated, which may explain some of the reasons for the inadequate water supply in Tawau.

Besides that, the reputation of the vital oil palm industry of Sabah and Malaysia had been damaged by this clear example of rainforest destruction for oil palm lending global repercussions for the industry.

"Forest lands that belong to the people of Sabah have been hijacked by a handful of plunderers as their personal fiefdom for free, regardless of the cost and loss to society at large.

"One may even ask, as to how illegal oil palm can get sold when licences are required for sales?" he said, adding that monied opportunists were able to promote their interest by proxy and it is not cheap to develop 7000 hectares of oil palm, as it required million of ringgit.

In a nutshell, he said it depicted a picture of incompetence and poor governance, and tyranny of the few being allowed to prevail.

Sam said the plunderers had not stopped as there was even an attempt on Jan. 1, this year, by one encroacher to hurt an excavator operator engaged by the Department to destroy the illegal oil palm at site, by discharging his home-made shotgun at the excavator with the operator inside.

It became a criminal case and the perpetrator was brought to court and jailed eight months while five other encroachers were also charged with various offences.

There were also attempts to burn Ulu Kalumpang through the kindling of felled illegal oil palm in the areas being rehabilitated.

He said that as the department staff at site continue to be harassed by the evicted encroachers, mostly absentee landlords at best, the police has provided armed personnel on full time basis to protect forestry department staff at site and the appointed rehabilitation contractor.

The presence of the police proved an effective deterrent and the Department records its utmost gratitude to the Commissioner of Police for rendering his assistance, he said.

The Department also lodged complaints with various government departments on the encroachers. "Two of the encroachers have been identified as teachers," he said.

Sam said to date, about 1500 hectares of illegal oil palm have been destroyed with the eventual target of 2,600 hectares by the end of 2010.

About 363 hectares of mixed indigenous forests have also been re-established.

The eventual target is to have the whole encroached area fully rehabilitated and restored by the end of the 10th Malaysian Plan.

"More funding has also been sought under the coming 10th Malaysian Plan," he said.

"As mob rule cannot be allowed to dictate public policy, and the Rule of Law prevails in Malaysia, the Department shall continue in its endeavour to restore the vital life support system of Ulu Kalumpang.

"Such enforcement operations are also carried out in many other forest reserves (e.g. Andrassy, Garinono, Ulu Segama, Sapagaya, etc) for similar reasons.

Daily Express

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Damning The Judges

Hantu Laut

In every profession there bound to be bad apples and so it is with the judiciary all over the world.Corruptions and judicial misconduct in the Malaysian judiciary is minutely small compared to some other more developed nations.

The judiciary in the US revealed significant number of cases of corruptions and judicial misconduct.Some judges have either been removed from the bench or in more severe cases sent to prison.

Corruptions and judicial misconduct in our judiciary has been blown out of proportion by the oppositions.A war waged by none other than Anwar Ibrahim after his sacking as DPM/Finance Minister and imprisonment. His soreness against the administration and the judiciary can only be cured when he becomes the prime minister.

Since the whole judiciary is tainted he would have to remove every judges on the bench when he helms the nation.Whether the Agong would agree to a tribunal is yet to be seen.

The reprisal against the judiciary heighten after the March 2008 General Elections when the oppositions made significant inroad into the politics of the nation by capturing five states and denying the BN two-thirds majority in parliament.The road is set for a war of attrition against the judiciary and the executive.

In furtherance of the war against the judiciary the oppositions have engaged a former member of the bench who claimed to be an expert in constitutional law to openly attack and expatiates in contempt the judiciary with less than honourable names and accusations of incompetence, inferring them as a motley collection of judicial misfits.

Are they really that bad, wholesale? I am not sure but much of the complaints were mostly to do with Anwar criminal cases and the Perak's crisis which clearly are political in nature.None of the judges has been investigated for corruptions, judicial misconduct or other criminal act.

Many Malaysians out of ignorance value judgement the West and run down their own country just because people like Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang, two of the most alluringly malicious opposition voices say so.

Can our judges beat the American judiciary in term of corruptions and judicial misconduct?

Maybe, NH Chan being a worldly man of wisdom can enlighten us as to where judicial corruptions are more widespread, in Malaysia or the US?

You would get an idea where we stand with our judges after reading the following articles.

1.Weed out the bad judges: More resources will help nail corrupt judges

2.Pennsylvania rocked by 'jailing kids for cash' scandal

3.The Human Cost of Corrupt Judges

4.Lawyers seek action against ‘corrupt’ judges

I believe none of our judges would go to the extreme of what those judges did in the stories above.


The damning of the judges is because of one man... Anwar Ibrahim.


This article is not a condonation of a corrupt judiciary but to show that our judiciary is not what Anwar and his gang made it out to be.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Lim Guan Eng's Benevolent Fund

Hantu Laut

Penang state government is giving 'ang pows' to senior citizens.Whether wealthy geriatrics would also get the payment I am not sure.Maybe, Lim can enlighten us.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng called it Senior Citizen Appreciation programme.I call it vote buying. Buying political favour using state funds.

It should be called Lim Guan Eng's Benevolent Fund because a personal letter from him will be enclosed with every cash voucher send to the recipient.Lim will be the first Santa Claus chief minister in Malaysia.

Read the letter below and make your own assessment if it is not long term plan to buy political favour.In other words a well thought out political corruptions.

Dear Sir/ Mdm,

Penang Senior Citizens Appreciation Program of RM100 Annually

As a people-centric government, the Penang Pakatan Rakyat (PR) State government continually endeavours to listen to the people, do the people’s work and give hope to all. A people-centric government can be achieved through 3Es-to enable, empower and enrich the people.

  • Enable the people with the skills, knowledge and education to provide equal opportunity for all to create wealth.
  • Empower the people with fundamental rights, basic freedom and responsibilities with full observance for the rule of law.
  • Enrich the people by sharing wealth and economic benefits to persue socio-economic justice.

For the first time in Penang’s history, senior citizens above 60 years old residing in Penang shall receive RM100 annually. This is a symbolic gift from the Penang PR State government to all senior citizens for their contributions and efforts that have allowed Penang to enjoy its success today whether in the field of socio-economy or unity in diversity amongst our plural society.

The Penang PR state government can afford to do so as we have been rigorously adopting a prudent budget, strict savings and good governance based on CAT- Competency, Accountability and Transparency. CAT governance has gained recognition from international bodies such as Transparency International that praised a state government in Malaysia for the first time ever. The 2008 Auditor-General’s report also praised the success of the Penang PR State Government in turning around a projected 2008 Budget deficit of RM35 million to a record surplus of RM88 million and a projected 2009 Budget deficit of RM40 million to a surplus of RM77 million.

We regret that our political opponents have tried to sabotage this RM 100 cash appreciation program by describing giving money to senior citizens as an act of bribery and corruption. However we shall continue with this program and are prepared to face any investigation or action by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Agency(MACC).

The RM100 cash appreciation to the senior citizens continues the Penang PR government’s tradition of giving to the people such as the RM100 water rebates to the nearly 170,000 low-income families in 2008-2009. Lest you think that you will be forgotten when you grow old- Remember that so long as Penang PR government exists, you will always be in our heart!

God Bless You!

Yours faithfully,

Lim Guan Eng ,Penang Chief Minister


This brought me back to the reign of Tun Mustapha Harun in Sabah in the sixties and seventies when every Sabahan get paid annual dividend.

Even back then Mustapha's lack of education did not stupefy him to blatantly use state funds to buy favour.He was much smarter. He set up a foundation to do business to pay every eligible Sabahan.

The scheme in Sabah at that time was more sophisticated.Every eligible Sabahan was made shareholder of the Sabah Foundation. Operating under a group of companies its main revenue came from forestry business.Dividends were paid out of the profits made by these companies.If profits were low no dividend would be paid.Unfortunately, the scheme was abolished by the succeeding government.

If Lim is really concerned about the welfare of senior citizens than he should give them a monthly payment and only to those who are poor and have no sustainable income.

Why should he wants to enclose a personal letter from himself? As it is state money any officer in the State Treasury can sign the letter.

It's pure and simple, he wants them to know he is the giver.The benevolent Lim Guan Eng.He would become a cult figure like the late Mustapha Harun, very popular with the populace particularly the older generation.Those days Mustapha could stand in an elections in any areas (except Kadazan and Chinese areas) in Sabah and win overwhelmingly.

In his letter he also mentioned due to prudent financial planning the state has surplus budgets two years running. Too much surplus budget means the government is not doing enough for the people and has not been spending enough for the benefits of the people.There must have been less development projects in Penang since Pakatan took over.

The US government budget deficit ran into trillion of dollars yet it is still one of the richest country in the world.

The capitalist system and free market economy will not survive without spending of both public and private sectors.The eventual result of continual less spending and high surpluses would be negative economic growth and a decaying economy.You have a healthy looking balance sheet at the expense of growth.

Government, as long as it is not overgeared, can borrow to finance development projects for the people, there is nothing wrong with it.It is only wrong if it has to borrow to finance its recurring expenditure.

That's Pakatan Rakyat for you.Only two years in office already doing better than the BN as far as corruptions are concerned.

Of course, Pakatan supporters would say it is not corruptions.I think it is good money going to waste.These days how far can you stretch RM100 over a year.

If it is not vote buying than what is it? The worst thing it is geared for the Malay community because being the biggest population in the country there are more poor Malays than poor Chinese or Indians.

Lim Guan Eng has worked out that votes may not come free in the next elections.

Monday, March 15, 2010

SESB Boss Should Go

Published on: Sunday, March 14, 2010

Kota Kinabalu: State Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, Saturday supported the call for Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) Managing Director, Baharin Din, to step down for failing to address power woes in the State.

He said the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government had already been governing for more than 10 years but still the SESB cannot find the ways to solve the problem.

He said it was totally unacceptable for SESB to use second hand mobile generator sets to generate power in the State, especially in the East Coast.

Dr Yee said the action was tantamount to SESB not being sincere in solving the problem.

He added that SESB should have made all the planning well ahead and not wait for certain problems to crop up before swinging into action.

"In fact, the present action of using second hand generator sets was still causing power shortage and hindering development, especially the Sabah Development Corridor.

"SESB should not simply sweep the matter under the carpet and if you can't do it then you should step down," he said.

Meanwhile, former Tawau MP Datuk Geoffrey Yee demanded that SESB disclose the true status of the used mobile generator sets to reduce the power interruptions in the East Coast of Sabah.

"We are all aware that used or old cars would not function well which is the same analogy that can be used for using second-hand or used mobile generators set, which are not economical.

"This is because we have to spend more on servicing or maintenance cost to ensure the sets are functioning," he told a press conference.

Geoffrey, who fully supports Kalabakan MP Datuk Ghapur Salleh's call for Baharin to resign, also asked the uitility agency to organise a dialogue session with elected people reps in Sabah to explain the real situation.

He said it is embarrassing to note that maybe the SESB officers did not understand a statement by the Prime Minister who promised to tackle the problematic supply of electricity here by installing new mobile generators sets in Tawau and Sandakan.

The Prime Minister made the statement during his visit here during the fasting month, last year.

"What the people want is 100 per cent service without power interruptions as had been said by Datuk Seri Najib and not the enhancement of 81.6 per cent for Sandakan and 87.34 per cent in Tawau as claimed by SESB after the installation of 'second hand' mobile gensets.

"It would not be fair for Sabahans who are paying for the service as others in the country but receiving different treatment when given the second hand gensets.

"This is really very disappointing as we are receiving second class service from third class officers," he said, adding the matter has to be explained to public as it has been prevailing for years.

Geoffrey also questioned Baharin's logic that buying or booking new generator sets would need a long time due to certain procedures to be followed.

He stressed that if those certain procedures are the excuse, then the prevailing matter would not be resolved.

"For sure, the people do not want second class equipment and third class officers because those officers would not know how to solve a problem."

Daily Express

The Singer Not The Song

Hantu Laut

Much ado over nothing.

When I read Pasquale's comment of Malaysiakini tasking of Rosmah's and her son's rendition of Chinese songs as enticing the Chinese votes, I almost tip over in laughter.

Does Rosmah think the Chinese are the most stupid people and can be bought over for a song? Well, the people at Malaysiakini think so.

It shows that Malaysiakini is running out of spins.It dwells on triviality.

It's no big deal.So what if Rosmah sang Chinese songs? Most people who love music would have liked some songs in languages they don't understand.Music is universal and transcends all boundaries.You don't need to understand the language to enjoy music.

It 's no more the days of Romeo and Juliet where the paramour entice his lover with music and songs.If Rosmah managed to bring the Chinese back to the fold,which is unlikely, it's her not the song.

Just for entertainment, I present the Rolling Stones' " The Singer Not The Song"



,and a movie by the same name "The Singer Not The Song" starring Dirk Bogarde and John Mills.It's a mixture of gay and heterosexual love.The movie is not exactly box office catergory. It's the actor not the movie.



It's Rosmah not the song.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

SESB's Craps:'USED' Is Better Than 'OLD'

Hantu Laut

Not 'old' but 'used'? SESB trying to justify its purchase of second-hand generators for Sabah.

This chap from Tenaga thinks Sabahan are fools when the actual fool is himself.

In the case of Sabah it means from the frying pan into the fire.

Those second-hand generators purchased by SESB that the idiotic SESB Managing Director prefers the use of the term 'used' instead of 'old' is a complete hogwash, trying to bullshit Sabahans that 'used' is better than 'old'.

When people sell their old equipments it can only mean those equipments have exhausted their economic life.It means high maintenance cost, regular breakdown and expensive downtime.Otherwise, why would they sell? Bloody joker!Even a child knows that.

The 'old" equipment become 'used' equipment in the hands of the new owner, usually someone who has less money and can't afford to buy new equipment.So, does it matter whether you use 'old' or 'used'?

Tenaga has lots of money but it seems Sabah doesn't deserve to get better generators and better power supply.Priority, it seems is always given to the West.Sabah is a dumping ground for old things.

Below is SESB's Managing Director Baharin Din's feeble ground after being attacked by the MP for Marotai Ghafur Salleh asking him to resign or be fired for the perennial power shortages in Sabah.

I fully support Ghafur's stand on his removal.If you can't get the job done you should have the sense of shame to resign or be sacked. You have failed as CEO of the company, meaning you can't even convince your own board to do the right thing.

In most countries power companies make tons of money.In Sabah the power company has become a four-letter word.... completely fucked-up.

His incompetent statement below.

Kota Kinabalu: The mobile electricity generator sets supplied to Sabah's east coast, whether they are second-hand or new, have helped boost electricity supply there and significantly reduced the frequency of disruptions.

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) Managing Director, Baharin Din, said the 32 generator sets (40 megawatts) - 17 in Tawau and 15 in Sandakan - had operated well so far.

"They have reduced power disruptions in Sandakan by 81.6 per cent and in Tawau by 87.34 per cent last month.

"So it's not a matter of whether they are new or old. As long as they are functioning and provide what they are contracted for, it should not be an issue.

"Also, the sets referred to were not old but used," he told a media briefing after a ceremony to sign a memorandum of understanding with Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu to promote energy efficiency, Thursday.

Baharin was commenting on recent reports the Kalabakan Member of Parliament, Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh, had claimed that Sabahans were being treated poorly when some of the mobile generators used to boost power output in Tawau, were found to be second-hand.

DAP had also claimed that the generators in Sandakan were second-hand ones. However, Baharin said if SESB were to follow normal procedures of obtaining new sets, it would take years.

"Following the scenario and the need to deliver the supply due to critical electricity situation in the east coast last year, the best option was to sign an agreement with Sime Darby Industrial Sdn Bhd (SDI), which is one of the country's biggest mobile genset suppliers," he said.

He said SESB's board of directors, to protect its interest, has also signed guaranteed buy-back and customer service agreements with SDI.

Baharin said under the deal, SDI would buy back the sets when the electricity supply situation has been resolved and the reserve margin improved, taking into account independent power producer (IPP), Ranhill Powertron 2's stations which were expected to be operational in stages this year.

"The first IPP unit of 65 MW will be launched this Saturday, while the second 65 MW unit in June and the third 60 MW sometime in October," he said.

Ghafur blasted SESB here.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Kui Fah said he would resign his ministerial post if the shortage of power in Sabah is not resolved by the end of the year.Likewise, he said the SESB's MD Baharin Din should also resign if the company failed to reach the target by then.

Nice to hear such bravado.Sabahans should jot this down in their diaries and make sure these two gentlemen resign should they failed in their promises.If they don't, than we should ask the prime minister and the whole cabinet to step down.

SESB blamed the lack of power due illegal connections and power theft.This is just poor excuse to cover their own incompetency.How much power can those miserable immigrants steal? Most squatters colony used low wattage appliances and light bulbs.

SESB should have dedicated inspection schedule of squatter colonies to regularly check on illegal re-connection.

They closed their eyes and ears to much bigger thievery, legal domestic users and factories who fixed their meters reputedly with the help of SESB staff.Factories are heavy consumers of energy and I wouldn't be surprised if some fix their meters to cheat SESB.

SESB should go state-wide to check on all meters suspected of stealing power and impose hefty fines on those caught doing it.

Sabahans have enough of those empty promises.If Tenaga can't handle the power woes in Sabah than they should ask the government to give it to other people who are competent and have the experience to run power company efficiently..

Friday, March 12, 2010

Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers

In no other profession are workers so insulated from accountability.


The relative decline of American education at the elementary- and high-school levels has long been a national embarrassment as well as a threat to the nation's future. Once upon a time, American students tested better than any other students in the world. Now, ranked against European schoolchildren, America does about as well as Lithuania, behind at least 10 other nations. Within the United States, the achievement gap between white students and poor and minority students stubbornly persists—and as the population of disadvantaged students grows, overall scores continue to sag.

For much of this time—roughly the last half century—professional educators believed that if they could only find the right pedagogy, the right method of instruction, all would be well. They tried New Math, open classrooms, Whole Language—but nothing seemed to achieve significant or lasting improvements.

Yet in recent years researchers have discovered something that may seem obvious, but for many reasons was overlooked or denied. What really makes a difference, what matters more than the class size or the textbook, the teaching method or the technology, or even the curriculum, is the quality of the teacher. Much of the ability to teach is innate—an ability to inspire young minds as well as control unruly classrooms that some people instinctively possess (and some people definitely do not). Teaching can be taught, to some degree, but not the way many graduate schools of education do it, with a lot of insipid or marginally relevant theorizing and pedagogy. In any case the research shows that within about five years, you can generally tell who is a good teacher and who is not.

It is also true and unfortunate that often the weakest teachers are relegated to teaching the neediest students, poor minority kids in inner-city schools. For these children, teachers can be make or break. "The research shows that kids who have two, three, four strong teachers in a row will eventually excel, no matter what their background, while kids who have even two weak teachers in a row will never recover," says Kati Haycock of the Education Trust and coauthor of the 2006 study "Teaching Inequality: How Poor and Minority Students Are Shortchanged on Teacher Quality."

Nothing, then, is more important than hiring good teachers and firing bad ones. But here is the rub. Although many teachers are caring and selfless, teaching in public schools has not always attracted the best and the brightest. There once was a time when teaching (along with nursing) was one of the few jobs not denied to women and minorities. But with social progress, many talented women and minorities chose other and more highly compensated fields. One recent review of the evidence by McKinsey & Co., the management consulting firm, showed that most schoolteachers are recruited from the bottom third of college-bound high-school students. (Finland takes the top 10 percent.) Read more.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Does Najib Spent 10 Hours On Facebook And His Son Is Worth US$98 Billion?

Hantu Laut

If there is anything that stands out about Lim Kit Siang and NH Chan, it is their dogged dog's life.They are forever in political bereavement. Complaint,complaint,complaint. They couldn't find any goodness in others other than those they can use for their political agenda.Not a single day missed without mowing down the Prime Minister and our higher court judges, even on the flimsiest of excuse. Not that I believe the PM and judges in this country are infallible.To 'err is human' but to be called idiots, impostors and intellectual frauds.Well, that is another thing.The judiciary subjected to contumely and contempt.Only in Malaysia.

Read his latest much ado over nothing about Najib spending too much time on Facebook.As if he knows for sure Najib spent 10 hours a day staring at his computer's monitor on Facebook.Quoting Najib's political secretary as saying that Najib personally attended up to 600 messages a day which take up most of his time leaving none for running of the state.Well, maybe, Najib's political secretary is an idiot too.

Just two days ago I was having a drink at my favourite watering hole when two gentlemen walked in and perched themselves at the other side of the horseshoe bar across from where I sat.While waiting for their drinks, I could hardly believe the conversation I just overheard.One of them told the other that there was a book written by a "Mat Salleh" where the writer claims that Najib's son has amassed USD98 billion.I almost fell off my bar stool as the mind-boggling figure gave me instant vertigo and my biological calculator just couldn't compute such massive figure.Gosh! What have happened to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, two of the world richest men? Have they been displaced by this young man?

Although his friend was a bit sceptical, the man insisted that it must be true because it was written by a well-known journalist who used to work for a reputable international newspaper.

You see, not all are born idiots, some are made.

I am not sure which book he is referring to.I suspect it could be the one written by Barry Wain on Mahathir, which, unfortunately, was banned here.I see no reason for the ban.The government should lift the ban and lift the suspicion that it has something to hide.One can get a copy across the causeway or purchase and download the e-book from the Internet.So, what the point of the ban?

Most writer writes to make money, not all tell gospel truth.Sensationalism makes money, truths don't.The book written by Barry Wain is to disparage Mahathir and Malaysia, so anything goes no hold barred.

The worst kinds are those coming from the fourth estate and Barry Wain is no exception.Susan Loone , maybe an exception, she is more smutty than smarty.

If NH Chan, the irascible ex judge openly called our Appeal and Federal Courts judges idiots, impostors and intellectual frauds than it wouldn't be wrong to say that most Malaysians including him are equally guilty of such inherent flaws, thrive on rumours and the untruths and believing in the unbelievable.

Many of us do know or have read Darwin's "Origin Of Species" and his theory of evolution and natural selection.

Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection can be considered as intellectual frauds because the apes that we were supposed to have evolved from are still around and his theory of natural selection fell by the wayside, there was no survival of the fittest, the world is still full of idiots, which by his theory of natural selection should have been taken out of the equation.

Why bother yourself with such complicated scientific craps, just stick to simplicity, religion.Not to forget that God too isn't perfect in his creations.That's why we still have idiots.Divine intervention has also not been able to iron out the imperfections.

So, smart asses people like Lim Kit Siang, NH Chan, Martin Jalleh and the ilks must accept that even science and divinity can't guarantee that there wouldn't be any idiots left on mother earth.

For the faint-hearted, if you believe Najib spent 10 hours a day on Facebook and his son is worth US$98 billion than you would believe the Malaysian pigs can fly.

Read who is the richest man in world now.Not Bill Gates, not Warren Buffett ?

"World's Richest" Person Now

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I Don't Play Golf And 99.999 Percent Malaysian Don't

Hantu Laut

How many Malaysians play golf?

The Prime Minister recently announced that the government has abolished the import duty on golf buggy.This, he says is to make the game cheaper so more people can play the game and more tourists would come here to play.

Wonder on whose advice he arrived at these assumptions?

We all know golfs are mostly played by the well-heeled.It is an expensive,time consuming and highly glorified game which can only be played by those who can afford it and afford the time.In other words golf should only be played by those who have made it and those who wanted to be professional player.

How would the reduction in the price of golf buggy makes the game cheaper and affordable for the lesser souls? Are golf clubs throughout the country going to reduce their entrance and subscription fee to those who wanted to buy membership or are they going to let free use of the buggy since the cost of buying it has come down?

It is more than obvious that golf is an elitist game and those who started out were mostly social climbers who played the game not for its sporting spirit, at least in this country it is, but for the public image and glory.

In spite of the many golf courses in the country Malaysia has not produced any world champion or professional golfers that the nation can be proud of.As in many other sports in this country, the game has become a game of chance for some players, betting heavily among themselves.

If the government is serious in promoting the game to make it affordable to more Malaysians than the right thing to do is to build public courses in populated areas all over the country.Such courses need no buggy.The player can have the option to carry his own bag or employ a caddy.

What is being done now only serve, maybe 0.001 percent of the population.Making the rich richer and those given the sole right to supply the machines even richer.

Are there anymore level-headed people in government who can think of something that can benefit the masses and the less fortunate?

You hit the wrong chord Mr Prime Minister.

Monday, March 8, 2010

"Twin Pariahs Of The United States Of Malaysia"

Hantu Laut

This, obviously, is the living embodiment of "empty vessel makes the most noise"

One of Pakatan's dizygotic twin is heading for the crunchiest crunch, an economic fallout unprecedented in its history as one of the most favoured states by foreign investors. The "Pearl of the Orient" is becoming the "Pariah of the Orient" for foreign investors.

Foreign direct investments are avoiding Penang like a leper colony.Even existing investors are running away.

For Penang to lose out to back-water states like Sabah and Sarawak, it's nothing less than disgraceful.

Thanks to Lim and his able-bodied team.

Read the article below by Calvin Sankaran and do expect a naysay from Lim and all his Pakatan followers and their endless state of denial.


The CM with the negative Midas touch — Calvin Sankaran

Here Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim boasted about his achievement on FDI for the other twin.

Any right thinking person (except PR supporters) would immediately know this 'crock of shit' of self-congratulatory applause is just another round of foddering the supporters.

Approved investments only.... why so excited? Khalid should release the investment figure already planted on the ground.Out of the RM6.76 billion how much already in the pocket?

Approved investments are like "Memorandum Of Understanding" investors may or may not proceed with the investments.

For Selangor to lose out to Sarawak, a backwater state is most shameful. The BN government have built first class infrastructures for Selangor, the best in the whole nation and yet he lost to poorer state like Sarawak and amusingly Khalid took pride in this laughable achievement.

Come on Khalid,be honest, the credit should go to the BN government, not you or Pakatan.

You are giving too much credit to yourself.With all the money poured into Selangor in the past, your performance is shamefully dismal.

Lest you forget, self praise is no recommendation.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Victim Of Defending Allah

Hantu Laut

"Cakap tak serupa bikin" is a Malay saying meaning 'not doing as one says'

The sacking of Zulkifli Nordin was expected.It's a good political strategy by PKR to preserve the status quo and the 'marriage of convenience' and save the image of PKR before Nordin decides to dump the party.

The rise of Pakatan Rakyat in the 12th General Elections was due to the general perception that Malaysians have lost their basic freedoms to a tyrannical and corrupt regime.They have lost the right to act,speak or think as one wants without hindrance.The connivance of the powers that be, robbing the nation of its resources and infringement of human rights, were inferred in the people's mind.Malaysians, were in a state of hopelessness until the rise of Pakatan Rakyat where it is assumed people can speak,think and act freely.Differences of opinion would be respected and tolerated.In a bigger sphere of things it should encompass all the basic human rights at no cost.

Is it what it seemed?

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said there is nothing personal in the sacking of Zulkifli Nordin, it's just a move to uphold the principles of Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

What are the principles of PR? Aren't the above-mentioned freedoms the principles and promises made to the people.Weren't they the ones you askance and fought, tooth and nail, in the last general elections.

If your own lawmaker do not have the freedom to express his religious beliefs and stood by his principles what chance would the people have when you become the powers that be?

Anwar went on to explained that the severe punishment was not due to political expediency but to uphold justice, Pakatan's style.

Short of saying Pakatan does not tolerate dissenting voices, it's total obedience or hell be with you, he seemed contented with his explanation.

It seemed Anwar missed the point between political expediency and political openness.The sacking of Zul is certainly in pursuit of political expediency.The party have scored more credits by sacking him rather than if Zul were to resign, which would be seen as dumping the party, an action taken by the three previous MPs that left the party.

Should a man be punished for his religious beliefs?

Sure, in politics one is expected to toe the line but than Zulkifli's lamentation is not about politics, it's not about party principles, it's about his religion which he felt strongly about.

Has Pakatan declared agnosticism as one of its principles? Since PAS associates itself with Islam it would be interesting to hear what PAS has to say about its stand on the parameters of Islam in the coalition.

Although I do not support the government's stand on the Allah issue, I do believe everyone should have the freedom to express his/her views on the matter and Zulkifli has every right to defend himself for his religious beliefs.

It's obvious that Anwar is under pressure from DAP and PAS to get rid of Zul before he gets rid of them.It is also obvious that Anwar and Pakatan have no stomach for differences of opinion.

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mental functions and behaviours and it is not hard to read what the future beholds with such leaders.
Malaysia may be heading for worst time, a totalitarian regime

Penang and Selangor have shown their inclinations by their high-handedness.

Penang's Lim's absolute power to rescind any government contracts without giving any reason whatsoever and Khalid's retaliation of repossessing YBK's land in spite of the fact that a third party has sent him payment for the outstanding amount owing by YBK can be deemed as totalitarian tendencies.

Putting self-interest aside, no government would resort to such drastic measure if payments have been made, where delay or deferment, was with the indulgence of the state government,irrespective past or present, such indulgence is an agreement.

Zulkifli Nordin may be good riddance for now but it will have far-reaching consequence in the Malay hinterland.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

How Do 'Rogue Waves' Work?

Workers clean up broken windows on the cruise ship Louis Majesty, anchored at the port in Barcelona

Manu Fernandez / AP

It was like something out of a Hollywood disaster movie. On March 3, a sudden wall of water hit a cruise ship sailing in the Mediterranean Sea off the northeastern coast of Spain, killing two people, injuring 14 and causing severe damage to the vessel.

According to Louis Cruise Lines, the owner of the vessel, the Louis Majesty was hit by three "abnormally high" waves, each more than 33 ft. (10 m) high, striking in clear weather and without warning. "We heard a loud noise, and it was the wave that hit us," Claudine Armand, a passenger from France, told the Associated Press Television News. "When we came out of [our room], we saw the wave had flooded everything." (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2009.)

Al-Islam Stood Tall

Hantu Laut

Muslims should laud and be proud of Al-Islam for its humility to apologise to the Catholic Church and Christians who may have been offended by its foolish caper at a Catholic church.The reporters concerned have also apologised for hurting the feelings of Christians in the country.Case closed.

Of course, there will always be shit-stirrer who gets the kicks out of issue like this to stir religious fervour.Those who get the high when there is trouble in the country.


My hat off to Al-Islam.Congratulations.

Friday, March 5, 2010

The Pesky Monkey Warrior


Across the South China Sea from the Malayan peninsula lay a legendary place known as "Land Below The Wind" at the northern tip of Borneo well known for its sandy beaches and crystal clear blue waters. A place of tranquility and ethnics melting pot of disparate harmony.

From ocean deep to mountain high one can encapsulates its multifarious natural existence, the beauty of its people and the state of its calmness.

A week ago a pesky character came to town with a glorious ambition of conquering the state and its people with his ethnocentric and intrusive political rhetoric, shit stirring racial sentiments among the KDM (Kadazan Dusun Murut) people to go against the government.

The pesky character who claimed to champion equal rights for all races in the country is also the biggest closet racist.The KDM people are not buying his story or falling into his trap. Story below.


IDS boss dismisses Kit Siang's claim as nonsense

Kota Kinabalu: The statement by DAP Adviser Lim Kit Siang insinuating that the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community in Sabah are the biggest losers under the Barisan Nasional (BN) is baseless, said a KDM leader, Datuk Clarence Bongkos Malakun.

"Lim's statement on KDMs being the biggest losers under the BN is undeniably nonsense, baseless and malicious," said Malakun who is also a Deputy President of the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA).

Malakun said it was rather amusing for someone who had only stayed for a short duration in Sabah to claim knowledge of the local scenario, thus qualifying himself to comment on local issues which were far from the truth.

In fact, he said the BN government in Sabah, under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, had been performing excellently, not only on matters concerning physical development but also on matters related to social development, particularly maintaining racial harmony among the various ethnic races here.

"Indeed the level of tolerance among the various races residing in Sabah has been acknowledged at large, as unique, if not the best," he said.

Lim made the comments during a dinner function with DAP KDM leaders and members here last week. He cited the 16-year rotation system of the CM post during the Mahathir era implemented following the BN takeover of the State Government, saying that the KDM community only had the chance to occupy the post for nine months (Tan Sri Bernard Dompok) while Umno (11 years - Datuk Salleh Said and Datuk Seri Osu Sukam) and Chinese (four years - Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat).

However, it was revealed at a farewell dinner to former Permanent Secretary to the Finance Ministry, Datuk Yusof Kassim, that the rotation period was one of excesses which drained the State Treasury and that financial and political stability was only restored when the system was scrapped in 2003. Musa has been the Chief Minister since then.

Malakun, the Chairman of the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) Sabah said a high level of tolerance was brought about by the fact that everyone knew discrimination based on racial background was not an issue in Sabah.

"As a matter of fact, the Chief Minister himself is half KDM.

His mother is a Dusun from the Gunsanad family originating from the Sundang and Sodomon family tree.

"As such, this provides more reasons for the Chief Minister to be extra concerned with the well-being of the KDM," he added.

Malakun also said a large number of Kadazandusuns in Sabah were holding important positions in the government sector.

"In fact, two KDMs are holding very important ministerial posts in the Federal Government. KDMs are also well represented in the State Cabinet.

"Out of the 10 ministries under the State Government, four Permanent Secretary posts are held by the KDM community. In terms of scholarship, ever since Usno, the KDMs have been among the major recipients of state scholarships," he said.

Malakun said both the State and Federal governments were continuously taking steps to improve the livelihood of the people in Sabah "no matter who they are".

"The Sabah Development Corridor (SDC), is one good example of the Government's seriousness in trying to eradicate poverty in Sabah.

"Various programmes are being outlined under the SDC by the Government to uplift the living standards of the poor and to bring them out from the poverty cycle."

A good example of poverty eradication programmes under the SDC, he said was the agropolitan project that focused on areas in Tongod, Pitas, Nabawan, Keningau, Kemabong and Beluran.

"These are areas with a KDM majority. Looking at these facts, does Lim really have an issue to raise on the KDM in Sabah?," he asked.

Malakun said it was clear that Lim's statement was made to divert attention from major political woes currently faced by the opposition.

"Indeed there is no doubt that Lim made an ignorant statement without proof and justification," he said.

Daily Express