Gong Xi Fa Cai

WISHING ALL MY READERS AND ALL MALAYSIANS A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS CHINESE NEW YEAR

The Year of the Ox

1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997

People born in the Year of the Ox are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. They tend, however, to be eccentric, and bigoted, and they anger easily. They have fierce tempers and although they speak little, when they do they are quite eloquent. Ox people are mentally and physically alert. Generally easy-going, they can be remarkably stubborn, and they hate to fail or be opposed. They are most compatible with Snake, Rooster, and Rat people.

The Exterminators

Hantu Laut

Police brutality existed everywhere.There is often a racial or ethnic component to police abuses.In the US many cases of police brutality were results of racial profiling.In New York 78% of complaints against the police came from African-Americans and Latinos.The police force is almost 70% white.

In Malaysia the Indians seem to carry the brunt of police brutality, even less than that of the illegal immigrants.

Whatever the ethnicity or back ground of the victim is immaterial, police brutality should not be tolerated and must be fully investigated to bring to book those involved.Besides the police own investigation, there should be a parallel independent investigation team to ensure that there wouldn't be any cover up.

It makes one wonder what kind of training our policemen get that had made so many of them to act more like thugs and goons rather than policemen.Haris Ibrahim's of the The People's Parliament has the story and photos here. Susan Loone has her story here.Malaysian Insider has the story here.It is not a pretty sight and can make one very sick in the stomach and angry that such violent physical abuse can be inflicted on a handcuffed person.They have become tormentors and exterminators.A disgrace to the nation.These 'no school' idiots might not know that a suspect is not guilty until he is charged and taken to court for the court to decide, guilty or not guilty.

As there have been many cases of detainees dying in police lock up, someone in the police force should take responsibility and resign from the force.If you can't control your men than there is no point to stay on and disgrace yourself as an incompetent.

More story here and here.

We Want The Real McCoy, Sir!

Hantu Laut

The engines of reform are going full speed ahead to show the nation that the main ruling party is dead serious about making change.Suddenly, there is an all out war against corruption. A senior supreme council member of UMNO is going to be charged for corruptions and money politics. They have not named him yet but was said to have come from Pahang. For those familiar with the internal politics of UMNO it would not be too difficult to narrow down the names to know who the person is.

Taking a no nonsense approach in tackling corruptions it must clean up its house first and bring to book those caught in the net. Seems like a lot of ikan bilis (anchovies) and maybe one or two sharks.Is there some kind of witch-hunt going on?

True to UMNO style, some complained of selective persecution and one official said "If they really want to clean up, they must be fair to every one and that would mean all of us would be going behind bars and the party left only with the rank and file".Also true to UMNO style, selective persecution has always been there to keep the overly ambitious ones in line.

It is a well known fact that almost every one at the top of the party hierarchy have got skeletons in the closet. Only the degree varied, some took more than others, some are smarter and wouldn't be caught so easily and some are arrogantly bodoh (stupid) and get caught.Corruption is corruption, big or small, those caught must face the music. Those living beyond their means must also be investigated.

From where should they start the cleaning process, top to bottom or bottom to top ? What they are doing now seems to be more bottom than top.

Can UMNO afford to carry on cleaning up the party when it is already in such a precarious situation? That answer is better left to PM-designate Najib Tun Razak.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said “The law of the country is the law of the country. No one can escape from it,”commenting on the arrests of 12 individuals in Pahang.Those arrested were reportedly to have received RM300 to RM500 to help a senior politician to secure a supreme council seat in the March 2009 party elections.

Is the general public interested or impressed with the catching of these ikan bilis. I think not, and it is not going to change the public perception. The Malaysian public wanted action against those that raped this country of hundreds of million in kickbacks, commissions and abandoned/sub-standard projects where millions of taxpayers money went to waste or went to the wrong pockets.They want the real McCoy, not those receiving paltry sums.Otherwise, the MACC would be made a mockery of and a lame duck.

UMNO can clean up its own house but must not forget that the MACC should be independent and should act accordingly if there were suspicions of corrupt practices, without waiting for someone to report it. It should , from time to time, look into the lifestyle of any leader, politician, civil servant and their families to determine whether they are living beyond their means.The MACC must have its own initiative to conduct investigations on their own even against the PM if there were report of wrongdoings and justification to initiate an investigation.

Give us the real McCoy.

The Saga Continues

Hantu Laut

The war of words between Joseph Kurup and Joseph Pairin continues with Kurup throwing a challange to Pairin to an open debate.

Being the first one to write about the possibility of BN losing the Pensiangan seat if Kurup is nominated to stand in that constituency, I hope I wasn't the one that trigger off this personal animosity between the two.

KURUP DARES PAIRIN TO DEBATE

23rd January, 2009

KOTA KINABALU: PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup has challenged his Barisan Nasional (BN) colleague Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan to an open debate over the candidacy for the much-anticipated Pensiangan by-election.

Kurup who is the Deputy Minister of Rural Development urged Pairin who is the PBS president not to hide behind his secretary-general Datuk Radin Malleh and to face him as a gentleman.

“I would like to meet Datuk Pairin face to face to debate on his recent statement on the candidacy in Pensiangan and the implications of that statement as well as what I said about his performance as a two-term Pensiangan MP and his “colourful and well documented history with BN,” he said here yesterday.

He was responding to a statement issued by Radin on Wednesday questioning him (Kurup) on his chances of winning the Pensiangan seat, if and when a by-election was called.

Radin especially reminded Kurup that the Pensiangan seat was never won by PBRS in the real sense of the word but was given a ‘free ride’ in the spirit of the BN.

Radin was responding to Kurup’s attack on Pairin for ruling him out as the automatic choice of candidate for the by-election.

And he even quipped that Kurup himself was the one who did not know how to read the political situation and local sentiments in Pensiangan which indicated that the voters wanted a local Murut to be the candidate.

Kurup, according to Radin, should rule himself out of the running since he was neither a local of the area nor a Murut and he had lost before not only there but in other seats as well.

Taking Kurup to task for questioning Pairin over his record of public service and ridiculing him in the media, Radin pointed out that Kurup had failed the people wherever he represented them and that it was evident from the talk on the ground.

He cited for example when Kurup was the state assemblyman for Sook from 1985 to 1999 and again from 2004 to 2008 but failed to deliver his promises. In addition, he also held the post of state Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister during that period and now a federal Deputy Minister for Rural and Regional Development.

He thus advised Kurup to think of the people of Pensiangan and not just of himself.

“Kurup should do some soul-searching for the sake of the people in Pensiangan as well as the fate of the BN,” said Radin.

Kurup was offended by Pairin’s remarks and retaliated by hitting him with remarks which did not go down well with PBS and state BN leaders.

“As much as I would not like to say anything, I am compelled to do so in response to Pairin’s interference in this well-prepared machinery when he raised the question of the candidate for Pensiangan,” said Kurup. Read more.....