Hantu Laut
Corruption, unchecked, is a virulent and debilitating social disease.It has been known to make rich nation poor, caused political upheaval, infighting and civil wars.Each corrupt regime will be succeeded by even more corrupt regime, which eventually led to breakdown of good governance, destroyed the economic engines and brought miseries to its people.
Argentina, Philippines and Zimbabwe are prime examples of countries that used to be prosperous and had become poorer through many decades of being raped by corrupted regimes.
The Philippines got its independence from America in 1946 and was the most progressive country in the region in the 1950s and 60s.It was way ahead of other countries in South East Asia including Malaysia.It prospered under Diosdado Macapagal who was also known by his nickname "The Incorruptible".
Macapagal lost the presidency to Ferdinand Marcos in an elections in 1965.It was the beginning of the decline of the Philippines.Marcos became very powerful and ran a totalitarian regime and the most repressive in the region.His administration was marred with massive corruption, nepotism, despotism and human right violations.He stole billions of state funds and deposited them into overseas accounts.He was eventually overthrown by people power revolution.The Philippines had not recovered ever since. Corruptions seem to be growing, growing and growing with the blessings and involvement of many in government.
As they say "a leopard never change its spot" and in the case of the Philippines the spot seems to be growing bigger.Even loan taken from the World Bank for development project had not been spared from corruptions.The World Bank has it own department to monitor how governments spend loan given to them.They made a shocking discovery that $45 million out of the $150 million loan taken had gone into various forms of corruption.
Read the report below:
$45M LOST TO BRIBES FOR 'CARTEL' BACKED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
The irony of the whole issue is that now the Philippine government has turned the wheel around and accused the World Bank of fabricating the whole thing and threatened to arrest the Resident Director of the World Bank if he refused to attend a Senate hearing.
Read the report below:
SENATE, WB HEADED FOR SHOWDOWN
The saying "like father like son" may not hold true in the Philippines or, maybe, it doesn't apply to daughters.
The current President of the Philippine Gloria Macapagal is the daughter of Diosdado Macapagal also known as "The Incorruptible".
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Gaza:The Killing Zone
Hantu Laut
Might is right, no matter how wrong and cruel it is. The weak get trampled,killed and massacred by the guns and bombs of the rich and powerful.
Today I dedicate this page to the people of Gaza who had suffered the genocidal attacks by Israel military.While one can be sent to prison for refuting the holocaust, the Western powers chose to close their eyes and ears to the holocaust on the Palestinian people.
Below is an eye-witness account of some of the atrocities perpetrated by the Israel regime on defenceless Palestinian women, children and men without any care for civilian lives.
Might is right, no matter how wrong and cruel it is. The weak get trampled,killed and massacred by the guns and bombs of the rich and powerful.
Today I dedicate this page to the people of Gaza who had suffered the genocidal attacks by Israel military.While one can be sent to prison for refuting the holocaust, the Western powers chose to close their eyes and ears to the holocaust on the Palestinian people.
Below is an eye-witness account of some of the atrocities perpetrated by the Israel regime on defenceless Palestinian women, children and men without any care for civilian lives.
A British peace campaigner watched as an Israeli air strike killed two young girls, one aged four, the other 12, as they cleared away rubbish near their home in the Gaza village of Beit Hanoun.
"I saw two girls, ages 4 and 12 hit by a bomb from an F16,'' said Ewa Jasiewicz, an activist originally from Kingston, Surrey. "They were outside clearing some rubbish around their homes.
The younger girl, believed to be Haya Hamdan, died instantly and Miss Jasiewicz said Gaza's severe shortage of medical facilities hampered efforts to save the second girl, her sister Lama. "The people of Gaza have nothing left from the ongoing siege: there is not even an ambulance to take a child to the hospital.''
It was later confirmed the older girl died in hospital. "There is no excuse in dropping bombs on Gaza, as civilian deaths are unavoidable.
Palestinian leaders condemned the attack as a demonstration that Israel's Operation Cast Lead was endangering civilians. "The reality for the children of Gaza will not change until there is international pressure on Israel to end the bombings and the ongoing siege.'' said Mustafa Barghouthi, secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative.
"It is also now time to put an end to the Israeli campaign of disinformation and lies concerning their targeting and massacring of innocent civilians."
Israel has barred international media, including The Daily Telegraph, from reaching Gaza to verify incidents such as the Beit Hanoun attack on the girls but those caught in the attacks spoke of their desperation by telephone. Osama Damo, 30, a Palestinian employee of Save The Children UK, described his terror when Israeli jets struck a ministerial compound near his home. "We moved all the family away from the windows and into the corridor for safey but I counted 17 or 19 rocket explosions at the compound," he said
"It is only 400 metres away and if I had been by the windows I would have been hit by broken glass.''
After the attack Mr Damo said he watched as dawn broke and various families fled the area. "They were carrying children and whatever possessions they could manage,'' he said. "I don't think the houses near the compound were hit directly but they had their windows blown out by the explosions and I saw at least one balcony blown away by flying shrapnel.
"It is too dangerous for us to go down on the streets so we are surviving on a gallon of bottled water and tinned food.
Jenny Linnell, another British peace activist, was 200 metres away from an attack in Rafah on the Eygyptian border, which has been subjected to fierce bombing from the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) over the last four days.
Ms Linnell, 33, has been in Gaza since September when she travelled on a ship that brought tonnes of medical supplies to the besieged area.
"They targeted a pharmacy at the end of the street in which I am staying, in the middle of a residential area close to the city centre," she said. "I have never witnessed anything like it in my life. Civilian buildings were destroyed. We were shown bedrooms where children were hit by flying glass."
She warned that the attacks were compounding the humanitarian crisis in the strip. "There is no where for people to go. People are having to flee their homes with nowhere to go, trying to find temporary places to stay," she said.
"It is a humanitarian crisis, it is desperate. There is a feeling of isolation and desperation.
The video below is a firsthand account of the cruelty and atrocities of the Israel regime against the Palestinian people even before the recent attack and invasion of Gaza.
We know why history has not been kind to the Jewish people.
The Keris(UMNO) Is Not A Write-Off Yet
Hantu Laut
With two by-elections looming UMNO may have to start counting the days to the next general elections. The Perak crisis could further aggravate its already shattered image.UMNO can forget the Chinese and Indian voters altogether.It is not even worth the afford to spend too much time and money to campaign in Chinese and Indian areas because it's a foregone conclusion that the Chinese and Indians do not want UMNO or the BN.Only the Malays can save them from going into oblivion.UMNO should field Malay candidates for both the Bukit Selembau state constituency in Kedah and the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat.It will be a tough fight but at least you have a fighting chance.
Strange as it may sound, PAS the smallest outfit in the Perak coalition government was the biggest trouble maker in the current constitutional crisis in the State. Almost all of the demonstrators against the Sultan's decision not to dissolve the state assembly were members and supporters of PAS.Undoubtedly, PAS had become the cry-baby for Pakatan, making the Menteri Besar the cause celebre to rouse Malay sentiments to go against UMNO and the Sultan.The Menteri Besar is working under the auspices of DAP and PKR.He has served his masters well. He was there because the state constitution forbids non-Malay from becoming menteri besar, in another word he is an 'accidental' menteri besar, not someone who is there because majority want him there. Basically, if not for the prohibition in the constitition, Perak would be another Penang and would have a Chinese menteri besar and Chinese majority government.
The political pundits that predicted the demise of UMNO may have jumped the gun.UMNO is not a write off yet in Perak.DAP and PKR were there mainly because of the Chinese and Indians.PAS was riding the wave blown by the wind of change.PAS and PKR can hardly say they represent the Malays. They only have total of 13 seats together and PKR, pathetically, only have 3 Malay seats, the rest 3 Chinese and 1 Indian.
Pakatan only have total of 9 Malay seats in Perak against UMNO 27. To say dissolution of the assembly might make history of UMNO in Perak and make Pakatan much stronger may not hold water. UMNO still have strong Malay supports in the state.Now, it is a matter of reinforcing this support in the areas where the majority were marginal.
The uninitiated, the dreamers and the misled are sold by the idea of 'Bangsa Malaysia' that we often see prominently displayed in many blogs that support Anwar and Pakatan.It's true we all should work toward that single entity but is there any semblance of truth that under Pakatan this can be achieved or it's just the opposite, race relations have actually deteriorated since after the 8 March 2008 Elections.
The 12th General Elections was the most racially polarised elections ever held in this country. Never before have the people voted so much on racial line.The make up of the state assemblies in Pakatan control states are reflections of the voting trends in the last elections.
The 'Bangsa Malaysia' promoted by Anwar and Pakatan is a propaganda and could well be just a pipe dream.They have not made any sincere effort to work on it other than providing lip service.They have done more to hurt race relations.Those who are besotted with Anwar and Pakatan may not realise this and those who know would refuse to admit it but it's a fact race relations has deteriorated to a worrying level and the BN government poor handling of many issues have added more salt to the wound.
If Anwar and his Pakatan partners are serious about 'Bangsa Malaysia' than they should form one multi-racial party.Maybe, DAP and PAS should be dissolved and all come under one umbrella of PKR. Otherwise, it is no different from BN, a grouping of race-based political parties.
It would still be tough fight for UMNO in the forthcoming by-elections but the constitutional crisis could be their blessing in disguise.
Losing the 2 by-polls could spell disaster for UMNO in the next general elections.
With two by-elections looming UMNO may have to start counting the days to the next general elections. The Perak crisis could further aggravate its already shattered image.UMNO can forget the Chinese and Indian voters altogether.It is not even worth the afford to spend too much time and money to campaign in Chinese and Indian areas because it's a foregone conclusion that the Chinese and Indians do not want UMNO or the BN.Only the Malays can save them from going into oblivion.UMNO should field Malay candidates for both the Bukit Selembau state constituency in Kedah and the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat.It will be a tough fight but at least you have a fighting chance.
Strange as it may sound, PAS the smallest outfit in the Perak coalition government was the biggest trouble maker in the current constitutional crisis in the State. Almost all of the demonstrators against the Sultan's decision not to dissolve the state assembly were members and supporters of PAS.Undoubtedly, PAS had become the cry-baby for Pakatan, making the Menteri Besar the cause celebre to rouse Malay sentiments to go against UMNO and the Sultan.The Menteri Besar is working under the auspices of DAP and PKR.He has served his masters well. He was there because the state constitution forbids non-Malay from becoming menteri besar, in another word he is an 'accidental' menteri besar, not someone who is there because majority want him there. Basically, if not for the prohibition in the constitition, Perak would be another Penang and would have a Chinese menteri besar and Chinese majority government.
The political pundits that predicted the demise of UMNO may have jumped the gun.UMNO is not a write off yet in Perak.DAP and PKR were there mainly because of the Chinese and Indians.PAS was riding the wave blown by the wind of change.PAS and PKR can hardly say they represent the Malays. They only have total of 13 seats together and PKR, pathetically, only have 3 Malay seats, the rest 3 Chinese and 1 Indian.
Pakatan only have total of 9 Malay seats in Perak against UMNO 27. To say dissolution of the assembly might make history of UMNO in Perak and make Pakatan much stronger may not hold water. UMNO still have strong Malay supports in the state.Now, it is a matter of reinforcing this support in the areas where the majority were marginal.
The uninitiated, the dreamers and the misled are sold by the idea of 'Bangsa Malaysia' that we often see prominently displayed in many blogs that support Anwar and Pakatan.It's true we all should work toward that single entity but is there any semblance of truth that under Pakatan this can be achieved or it's just the opposite, race relations have actually deteriorated since after the 8 March 2008 Elections.
The 12th General Elections was the most racially polarised elections ever held in this country. Never before have the people voted so much on racial line.The make up of the state assemblies in Pakatan control states are reflections of the voting trends in the last elections.
The 'Bangsa Malaysia' promoted by Anwar and Pakatan is a propaganda and could well be just a pipe dream.They have not made any sincere effort to work on it other than providing lip service.They have done more to hurt race relations.Those who are besotted with Anwar and Pakatan may not realise this and those who know would refuse to admit it but it's a fact race relations has deteriorated to a worrying level and the BN government poor handling of many issues have added more salt to the wound.
If Anwar and his Pakatan partners are serious about 'Bangsa Malaysia' than they should form one multi-racial party.Maybe, DAP and PAS should be dissolved and all come under one umbrella of PKR. Otherwise, it is no different from BN, a grouping of race-based political parties.
It would still be tough fight for UMNO in the forthcoming by-elections but the constitutional crisis could be their blessing in disguise.
Losing the 2 by-polls could spell disaster for UMNO in the next general elections.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Bigamist
Hantu Laut
Bigamy is unlawful if you are not a Muslim.In fact Muslims are allowed by religion to have maximum of four wives at the same time, if you can afford it or can survive the hell and fury of a polygamous marriage.
There are pre-conditions for Muslim men taking more than one wife.First you mush have the means to support them.More important, you must be fair to all and can provide same equity in material comfort, love and sex.That's what Prophet Mohammad and the Koran prescribed a Muslim man must observe and practise if he chose polygamy.Sound very simple, but this is where it becomes very messy, 99.9% of Muslims men do not adhere to those conditions and knowing human nature is such it is almost humanly impossible for most men to comply.
By right, most Muslims man should not be allowed to take more than one wife.In fact, there were many cases where the men can hardly afford to bring up one family and yet the imam solemnised the second marriage.Polygamy is more popular among Muslims in Peninsula than those in Sabah and Sarawak.
The PKR assemblyman for Bukit Selambau V.Arumugam is a bigamist according to his wife who lodged a report against him.Not only he had broken the law, he had also embarrassed the Kedah government and the palace by flaunting his younger second wife at official functions. Arumugam should have converted to Islam if he wanted to keep two wives at the same time.He would have overcome the problem. Arumugam won the Bukit Selambu state seat as an independent backed by PKR when its candidate was disqualified during nomination.
Anwar Ibrahim and other PKR leaders claim that Arumugam resigned because of undue pressure exerted on him by the BN to defect to their side and threatened to expose his problematic status if he refused.
Why did PKR and Pakatan leaders keep him and hide the fact from the public....or was it they don't know the background of their man and never bother to check in the first place to ensure he has a clean bill of health, which is what required of anyone before he can become a public figure ?
The Menteri Besar of Kedah Azizan Abdul Razak reportedly said there was a misunderstanding, actually Arumugam married the other woman about nine years ago.So, PKR and Pakatan knew about his status and in spite of that took him in as a matter of convenience, to fill the numbers.He has been a bigamist for nine years, is there a question of morality here?
The pressure from BN may be true, but than if your assemblyman has a clean bill he wouldn't be in such a mess. Blaming the BN may not be all that appropriate.You make the condition conducive for them to politicise it.That's what politics are all about, Pakatan should know it, they do it all the times to BN leaders, expose the ills of your enemies. Pakatan should look in their own backyard first before assigning blame to others.
I mentioned in my previous post that the people were so disillusioned with the BN even a dog could have won in the swing areas of the March 2008 general elections.
Bukit Selambau was one such area, Arumugam was an unknown, yet he could garner over 5000 majority.
Bigamy is unlawful if you are not a Muslim.In fact Muslims are allowed by religion to have maximum of four wives at the same time, if you can afford it or can survive the hell and fury of a polygamous marriage.
There are pre-conditions for Muslim men taking more than one wife.First you mush have the means to support them.More important, you must be fair to all and can provide same equity in material comfort, love and sex.That's what Prophet Mohammad and the Koran prescribed a Muslim man must observe and practise if he chose polygamy.Sound very simple, but this is where it becomes very messy, 99.9% of Muslims men do not adhere to those conditions and knowing human nature is such it is almost humanly impossible for most men to comply.
By right, most Muslims man should not be allowed to take more than one wife.In fact, there were many cases where the men can hardly afford to bring up one family and yet the imam solemnised the second marriage.Polygamy is more popular among Muslims in Peninsula than those in Sabah and Sarawak.
The PKR assemblyman for Bukit Selambau V.Arumugam is a bigamist according to his wife who lodged a report against him.Not only he had broken the law, he had also embarrassed the Kedah government and the palace by flaunting his younger second wife at official functions. Arumugam should have converted to Islam if he wanted to keep two wives at the same time.He would have overcome the problem. Arumugam won the Bukit Selambu state seat as an independent backed by PKR when its candidate was disqualified during nomination.
Anwar Ibrahim and other PKR leaders claim that Arumugam resigned because of undue pressure exerted on him by the BN to defect to their side and threatened to expose his problematic status if he refused.
Why did PKR and Pakatan leaders keep him and hide the fact from the public....or was it they don't know the background of their man and never bother to check in the first place to ensure he has a clean bill of health, which is what required of anyone before he can become a public figure ?
The Menteri Besar of Kedah Azizan Abdul Razak reportedly said there was a misunderstanding, actually Arumugam married the other woman about nine years ago.So, PKR and Pakatan knew about his status and in spite of that took him in as a matter of convenience, to fill the numbers.He has been a bigamist for nine years, is there a question of morality here?
The pressure from BN may be true, but than if your assemblyman has a clean bill he wouldn't be in such a mess. Blaming the BN may not be all that appropriate.You make the condition conducive for them to politicise it.That's what politics are all about, Pakatan should know it, they do it all the times to BN leaders, expose the ills of your enemies. Pakatan should look in their own backyard first before assigning blame to others.
I mentioned in my previous post that the people were so disillusioned with the BN even a dog could have won in the swing areas of the March 2008 general elections.
Bukit Selambau was one such area, Arumugam was an unknown, yet he could garner over 5000 majority.
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