Mr Yes We Can

Hantu Laut

Barrack Obama is now the most popular person in the world, more popular than any of the top Hollywood actors.The whole world wanted Obama.As President of the United States he is the de facto leader of the world.Would he be a better president ? He hasn't taken office yet and it's too early to tell.

After tumultuous years of George Bush's horrifying administration the change to the edifying and virginal Obama would bring some fresh air to mother earth and hopefully peace and prosperity.

Below are some pictorial and caricatured images of Barrack Obama:








































































All photos courtesy of About.com

Everything Alright Now ?

Hantu Laut

The Prime Minister managed to pacify Bernard Dompok by promising to set up a petrochemical industry in Sabah. Whether this promise will materialise is hard to say. Are there other considerations that we are not privy to? Pak Lah is leaving office soon and good luck to Dompok if he thinks that's going to happen.

Pak Lah has less than 5 months in office and the project has a gestation period of 5 years.Will Najib makes good Pak Lah's promise or would it end up the same as way as Pak Lah's promise to Mahathir to continue his legacy but didn't ?

You can read the story here

An Icon Or An Idol ?

Published on
Friday, August 22, 2008

A Thorn In The Flesh, A Pain In The Arse.

Hantu Laut

Personality cult have existed from time immemorial.It generally started with hero worshipping a person which later can transform to personality cult when the person attained political power.This deification can eventually lead to dictatorship or absolute tyranny.

History has given us cult of personality in the regimes of Stalin,Hitler,Mao,Sadam Hussein,Kim II Sung,Pol Pot and others.It's more common in a totalitarian system but have also been known to exist in some democracies.Eva Peron and her husband Juan Peron are examples of personality cult in a democracy.

These type of leaders were presented as god-like and seen as infallible by those with blind loyalty.The degree of blind loyalty can extend from giving simple moral support to committing atrocities,murders and genocide to keep such leaders in power.

Since gaining independence Malaysia has not had such leader and even the longest serving Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad would not fall into that category.

The support for Anwar Ibrahim is dangerously turning into a personality cult.Some of his supporters wouldn't give second thought to resort to violence to deliver their message.Read more.....

From Malaysian Insider:
What does Anwar really want?

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Sleepy Batu Caves became a hot spot of controversy recently — all because of a 12.2m-high painted plywood cut-out of a smiling Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in a blue shirt and red tie and with his right hand held high. The opposition leader's supporters in the area had put up the RM5,000 replica of him in time for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. But it quickly drew flak from the Mufti of Perlis and Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam. They accused Anwar's supporters of idol worship — and thus, being anti-Muslim and anti-Malay, since idol worship is anathema in Islam.

The cut-out has since been dismantled, but its exaggerated homage does raise a question about Anwar: is he keener on becoming the next prime minister of Malaysia than on shaping a credible alternative government?

Those aims are not mutually exclusive, of course. But since leading the opposition coalition to victory in five states in the March general election, Anwar has spoken of little else besides getting enough ruling coalition MPs to cross over to the opposition so he could become prime minister. He boasted that he would accomplish this feat by Sept 16, the anniversary of Malaysia's founding in 1963. The day has come and gone — and Anwar is still not yet prime minister.

Whose cause is he more interested in championing: his or the people's? Many Malaysians now say that it is Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, not Anwar, who has what it takes to be prime minister of Malaysia. Read more....

Inside Kamunting:Who Wants To Know ?

Hantu Laut,

The blogs were hive of activities and everyone rushing to post the unexpected of the unexpected release of Raja Petra Kamaruddin from ISA detention.Like everyone else I wanted to be the first one to post the release of Raja Petra but than like everyone else I would simply be copying what was reported in the mainstream media.So I decided to post mine after 4 p.m. in case he gets arrested again.

With this government you can't tell whether your are going or coming.

The judge ruled that that the grounds for his detention by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar under Section 8 of the ISA did not come within the scope of that section.In other word he is not a threat to the nation.He may be a threat to political career of an individual but certainly not the internal security of this nation by any measure.

Now, who can say the judiciary is not independent.In previous regime this would be hard to come by.In the next regime, we don't know.It could be better or worse.

Today, justice has prevailed and we should pray that it continued to be so.As Martin Luther King Jr said "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere".

First, it would be nice to hear Raja Petra's first hand experience of life in Kamunting so we bloggers would know what's exactly in store for us should any of us end up in that ghastly rehabilitation centre.It would also be interesting to learn of his contacts, relationship and stories from other inmates that have been there for many years and had become inured to life in prison.

I do hope the government would review all the long-serving detainees and release them or take them to court.It is inhumane to keep them that long without fair trail.Even armed robbers and those charged with serious crimes seem to get off more lightly than the ISA detainees.

I read with with sadness the story of a Malay lady who blogs under a blog named Merah Hitam whose husband Mat Sah Mohd Satray is still in Kamunting after seven years.

How can the government keep this man and some others like him incarcerated for such a long time.Just because they are poor kampong folks they are forgotten.Even more sad is the hypocrisy of those who wanted the ISA abolished and organised regular vigils with their candlelight only after their friends and well known figures got arrested.Before that none have done anything to highlight those who have languished in prison longer than any of those well-known names.

There were many lawyers who spoke against the ISA but went as far as only providing lip service.Why don't they take up the case for these poor souls on pro bono and show the world that they truly care and sincere and not only talk to seek publicity.

If I am not wrong there are almost 50 Malay detainees who have been in there between three to seven years and nobody have taken up their cause just because some of them are simple kampong folks.

I wish Raja Petra the best of everything and happy return to blogging.

Will he be a pain in Najib's neck again?

Will there be fireworks?