This Is Not About, Dare I Say It, Pigs !

WE all know that Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee did with the "bak kut teh" invite and all. So I'm not going to drag everybody through all that nonsense  again. And we all know the anger they triggered among Muslims and non-Muslims. So I'm not going to repeat the angry words and the calls for them to be "lynched".

Instead let's take a look at Mohamad Hanipa Madin, the lawyer-cum-PAS MP for Sepang. Rather what he said recently about the couple via a statement carried by The Malaysian Insider. 

To Hanipa, the couple should be given a chance to "redeem"  for their mistakes. "Any act of insulting religion, any faith for that matter, is despicable," said Hanipa. But in this case both have apologised and should be given a chance and not repeat what they had done.

Islam, said Hanipa, is a about compassion and also "agama rahmah" or religion of mercy. "So I feel there's nothing wrong for Muslims to accept their apology."

He is suggesting a "soft and delicate" approach be used so that negative thoughts the couple have towards the religion can be removed. He cited a case of a non-Muslim poet in the days of Prophet Muhamad.  

The poet, said Hanipa, would often insult the prophet until one of the prophet's companion, Umar al Khatab, could not take it anymore that he wanted to pull off the teeth of the poet.

"The prophet prevented Umar from doing so. Finally the poet embraced Islam and put his skills to good use in propagating the religion," said Hanipa, quoting Islamic history.

"Islam will not be weakened by the insulting act of the couple and Islam will not be strengthened by our loud call for action to be taken against them using draconian laws such as the Sedition Act," Hanipa was quoted as saying.

Anyway, reaction to Hanipa statement was missed as expected. And he had his share of angry words. 

Hanipa, and to an extent PAS, were told to "stop playing politics as GE is over". Also, he (and PAS of course) stand accused of "encouraging act of insulting islam in the holy month of Ramadan".

By sheer coincidence or not, on the same day Hanipa made his statement, the AFP news agency ran a report from Australia. According  to the report, Australian police have began investigations after the remains of two pigs including their heads and entrails were dumped at a Muslim cemetery in a memorial park near Perth. The incident comes during the month of Ramadan.

Iqbal Samnakay, chairman of Perth Muslim social and sports association, said the desecration of any burial site, Muslim or not, was offensive.

Read more:http://www.fz.com/content/not-about-dare-i-say-it-pigs#ixzz2ZZOsV1nl

On Jews and Justice

Hantu Laut

Taking respite  from the unpleasant world of politics. 

Below is a short,  somewhat facetious composition from Kirk Douglas on racism, or rather anti-Semitism he experienced when he was a kid. 

I guess not many people know he is a Jew and his real name is Issur Danielovitch, later changed to Izzy Demsky and later legally changed to Kirk Douglas.

He is now 97 years old and have stopped making movies.

On Jews And Justice

Kirk Douglas

I was six-years-old when I had my first contact with anti-Semitism. I came home from school one day with a bloody nose, crying to my mother -- "Yanak hit me!"

"Why?" my mother asked.

"He said I killed Jesus Christ."

"What? You killed who?"

"I didn't kill him. I don't even know who he is."

My nose stopped bleeding and soon I was playing again with Yanack as if nothing had happened between us. It wasn't his fault, because that was what he had been taught to believe by his father. And come to think of it, it wasn't Yanack's father's fault either because he'd certainly been taught the same thing by his father. Maybe none of them could read, because if they had actually studied their New Testament, they would have learned the truth: that the Romans were the ones who crucified Jesus. Only the Romans had the right of public execution. The Jews were a tiny people subject to the laws of the Roman empire.

Rodgers and Hammerstein dealt with the subject of learned prejudice when they wrote the highly successful musical comedy South Pacific. South Pacific was a hit on Broadway but when they started the tour in the Southern states they ran into trouble. The state of Georgia introduced a bill outlawing South Pacific because it contained "an underlying philosophy inspired by Moscow." The claim was based on one song, "You've Got to be Carefully Taught." Here are the lyrics:

"You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" (Lyrics from South Pacific)

You've got to be taught to hate and fear,
You've got to be taught from year to year,
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate.

The Southern legislators maintained that this "song justifying interracial marriage was implicitly a threat to the American way of life." Rodgers and Hammerstein fought stubbornly against them and the song stayed in.

Read more.

Judging The Judge: Deft Or Dumb ?

Hantu Laut

To err is human, judges can make mistakes, but the uproar against the judgement of two recent cases of statutory rapes is politically motivated, rather than concern for the law and the victims.

This country's politics has become the most bastardised in the region by one man's insatiable greed for power. Even the country's judges are not spared from politics, which leaves them opened to contempt.

Suddenly, every NGOs jumped on the band wagon to ridicule judges' decision on cases only peculiar to the judges and not the men in the streets.

True, the sentence must reflect the crime but there might have been extenuating circumstances that have caused the judge to consider a seemingly lighter sentence.

If one has an open mind and not become what the Malay called "Pak Turut"(follow blindly) the sentence passed by the judges is not as light as what the detractors made out to be.

In the case of national bowler Nor Afizal, the bound over sentence does not mean he gets off scot-free, a probationary period is attached to the sentence for good behaviour and should he during that period commits an offence he would face a tougher sentence for the new and initial offence. The judges also found there was no coercion, violence, brutality and the act was consensual, therefore, the non-custodial sentence. The Court of Appeal judges took upon themselves to alleviate the sentence.

In every profession there are those promoted to a "level of incompetence" and judiciary all over the world would have some sitting on the bench. 

Judges are human, they are not infallible, they can make mistakes. To err is human, to forgive divine. There is no point to continue disparaging the judges, let the law takes its course.

For the Malaysian judges who passed the judgement I salute them, they have shown they are humans and no lives have been destroyed on both sides.

Read here judging the judge.

Is It Wrong To Say "I Am Sorry" ?

Hantu Laut

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahamd Badawi was a guest of honour at the Bar Council Dinner on Thursday.Special guests were Tun Salleh Abas, Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin and Datuk George Seah.

The late Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdolcadeer and Tan Sri Wan Suleiman (Pawanteh) represented by their respective families: representing Tan Sri Wan Suleiman are Puan Sri Siti Nurhayati and his son Wan Noor Azli; representing Tan Sri Eusoffe are his granddaughter Brenda Lim and her husband.Tan Sri Wan Hamzah (Mohamed Salleh) was unable to attend.

Abdullah fairly lenghty speech among other things offer to compensate the judges for the pain and loss they have endured for wrongs done to them two decades ago and he said "In recognition of the contributions of the six outstanding judges, the government has decided to make goodwill ex gratia payments to them. Gentlemen, I do not presume to equate your contributions, pain and loss with mere currency, but I hope that you can accept this as a heartfelt and sincere gesture to mend what has been".

It was reported earlier that the government will not apologise to the judges for what happened to them 20 years ago. The man who was deemed responsible for the judicial sacrilege refused to apologise stating that he wasn't the one who sacked them. The fact that he orchestrated the whole thing didn't bother him one least bit. The former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad is always in a state of denial whenever it suits him.

The sacking of the Lord President and the three judges was consequential of the court declaration of UMNO being an illegal association.The fast and furious Mahathir quickly used his authoritarian power to punish the Lord President. He was furious when the then Lord President wrote to the Agong about interference in the judiciary by the executive. The Agong agreed to appoint a tribunal to look into alleged misconduct of the Lord President.

The tribunals that removed Tun Salleh Abas and the judges that defended him were constituted of fellow judges chosen for their allegiance and compliant to Mahathir. From that day onwards the judiciary with a very compliant new Lord President had been whipped into total obedience and had to look upon the executive as its masters. It's the dawn of a new era for the judiciary .A shameful period of conspiracy, corruptions and unconscionable judgements. The 'Hall Of Justice' became the 'Hall Of Fear'. Those with money can buy justice.

Then there were shameless legal scoundrel like Mr Correct, Correct, Correct who befriended filthy rich merchants to finance and influence the appointment of judges.

The crisis of confidence in the judiciary had gone so bad some foreign companies doing business in Malaysia insisted on their legal disputes to be settled outside Malaysia.

Isn't paying ex-gratia payment or compensation a form of apology ?The Prime Minister and his deputy don't think so.So is the Oxford Dictionary.

The Oxford Dictionary defines 'ex-gratia' as "given or done as a gift or favour, not because there is a legal duty to do it"

"The ex-gratia payment does not tantamount to revisiting whatever that has been decided. It is not to be construed as any form of apology but this is our way of addressing some of the personal considerations and experiences and hardship they have gone through.It should be seen in that light and should not be construed as anything beyond that," said Deputy Prime Minister NajibRazak.

It may not be appropriate to ask Mahathir to apologise now because he believes he was right in what he had done.

Since the present government had taken the bold step to resuscitate the case and pay ex-gratia to the victims, it may be more appropriate for the government to apologise. Would an apology hurt the government more than the harm and shame it had placed on the former Lord President and the three judges ?

The government refused to apologise because of possible legal implications, I am not sure whether they can be sued if there was an official apology, which could be even more costly to the government in term of compensation.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was given a standing ovation for his speech by the very same people who a few months back admonished him for failure to conduct investigation into corruptions and fixing of appointment of judges in the judiciary.

Was it a show of support for him from the legal fraternity or they were only applauding his speech. Let's hope Abdullah don't misconstrue it as a support of his leadership and would jettison his succession plan.

Paying ex-gratia and paying penitence would be more appropriate to vindicate all the victims of the injustice.

SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE CITY OF KUALA (reprise) 'THE DEVIL'S CURRY'

Hantu Laut

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark".

Many would have thought it was Hamlet who said that.Only Shakespearean purists and those who read Shakepeare's plays as literature in school would know it wasn't Hamlet who said it.The famous phrase was actually said by a minor character named Marcellus, an officer in the palace.

There is something rotten in the city of Kuala Lumpur.



A corrupt ex-chief judge, a crooked lawyer, a greedy businessman and a dead victim.

Shakespeare would have jumped out of his grave if he could and write his next famous play that would make 'Merchant of Venice' and Shylock pale in comparison. The RM10 million awarded to Vincent Tan was the same if not worse than the pound of flesh demanded by Shylock.Judgment written by a crooked lawyer not by the presiding judge.

Why would it be the same? Because M.G.G Pillai didn't have that kind of money and Vincent Tan can make him a bankrupt just out of spite.The crooked judge knew it, the crooked lawyer knew it and the greedy businessman knew it. The only difference between 'The Merchant of Venice' and 'The Merchant of Kuala Lumpur' was -- In Shakespeare's play, Antonio was an honest merchant and the judge was upright and honest.The judge(ex-judge) in Kuala Lumpur walked, slept and ate with the devil.

The stage is set to play out Malaysia's most shameful act of political tyranny, skullduggery, betrayal, personal greed and judicial corruption.

Judgment made in the hall of justice more criminal than the crime itself. Justice for sale to those who can pay and hell to those who can't.For some unfortunate souls the Hall of Justice had turned out to be the Hell of Justice.

Day by day the dirty linens of the judiciary and politicians are being washed in public.

A plaintiff's lawyer wrote whole judgement for a lazy judge, the ACA bribed witnesses to shut their mouths and hosts of every unimaginable sins that one could possibly have not imagined happened in an establishment of such high repute and standing. A place where people seek justice and where injustices should be repaired and delivered fairly and impartially.

Only God knows how many have suffered injustices at the hand of corrupt judges and greedy lawyers.

These are people worse than the common thief who stole a pittance and paid for his crime. Shouldn't the punishment be more severe than the poor man who had no choice but to steal to put food on his table.

A Chief Judge who sold his soul to the devil and has no shame and remorse for what he did. A liar and a devil in disguise. Didn't have an ounce of guilt that he has shamed the whole institution that protects people from people like him.

Now that he is caught with his pants down would he carry on lying in his teeth and kept the pretence of innocent ?

This could be the tip of the iceberg, there could be other cases of lawyers having written judgement on behalf of lazy judges.

It is without any doubts the moral standard has gone down to the gutter level.

"No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar". ~Abraham Lincoln

SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE CITY OF KUALA LUMPUR

Hantu Laut

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark".

Many would have thought it was Hamlet who said that.Only Shakespearean purists and those who read Shakepeare's plays as literature in school would know it wasn't Hamlet who said it.The famous phrase was actually said by a minor character named Marcellus, an officer in the palace.

There is something rotten in the city of Kuala Lumpur.



A corrupt ex-chief judge, a crooked lawyer, a greedy businessman and a dead victim.

Shakespeare would have jumped out of his grave if he could and write his next famous play that would make 'Merchant of Venice' and Shylock pale in comparison. The RM10 million awarded to Vincent Tan was the same if not worse than the pound of flesh demanded by Shylock.Judgment written by a crooked lawyer not by the presiding judge.

Why would it be the same? Because M.G.G Pillai didn't have that kind of money and Vincent Tan can make him a bankrupt just out of spite.The crooked judge knew it, the crooked lawyer knew it and the greedy businessman knew it. The only difference between 'The Merchant of Venice' and 'The Merchant of Kuala Lumpur' was -- In Shakespeare's play, Antonio was an honest merchant and the judge was upright and honest.The judge(ex-judge) in Kuala Lumpur walked, slept and ate with the devil.

The stage is set to play out Malaysia's most shameful act of political tyranny, skullduggery, betrayal, personal greed and judicial corruption.

Judgment made in the hall of justice more criminal than the crime itself. Justice for sale to those who can pay and hell to those who can't.For some unfortunate souls the Hall of Justice had turned out to be the Hell of Justice.

Day by day the dirty linens of the judiciary and politicians are being washed in public.

A plaintiff's lawyer wrote whole judgement for a lazy judge, the ACA bribed witnesses to shut their mouths and hosts of every unimaginable sins that one could possibly have not imagined happened in an establishment of such high repute and standing. A place where people seek justice and where injustices should be repaired and delivered fairly and impartially.

Only God knows how many have suffered injustices at the hand of corrupt judges and greedy lawyers.

These are people worse than the common thief who stole a pittance and paid for his crime. Shouldn't the punishment be more severe than the poor man who had no choice but to steal to put food on his table.

A Chief Judge who sold his soul to the devil and has no shame and remorse for what he did. A liar and a devil in disguise. Didn't have an ounce of guilt that he has shamed the whole institution that protects people from people like him.

Now that he is caught with his pants down would he carry on lying in his teeth and kept the pretence of innocent ?

This could be the tip of the iceberg, there could be other cases of lawyers having written judgement on behalf of lazy judges.

It is without any doubts the moral standard has gone down to the gutter level.

"No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar". ~Abraham Lincoln