Where The Shoe Pinces

Hantu Laut

It is more a "siok sendiri" poll,  the reliability of the survey remained doubtful.

Is there a reputable agency that audit Merdeka's opinion poll survey? The results of its surveys have never been audited and authenticated for it margin of error, its samples and confidence intervals.

Some poll can be deliberately engineered by unscrupulous  pollsters to generate certain result thus making its questionable.

A recent poll conducted by the agency claimed that Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman popularity had declined to 45 percent and Prime Minister Najib popularity remained high in Sabah at 75 percent.

Any intelligent Sabahan who follow Sabah politics would immediately know the opinion poll is self-serving and one that also serves the opposition as well as some Sabah UMNO warlords who wanted to get rid of Musa by giving Najib the false impression that UMNO can win in Sabah without Musa. Someone in Sabah UMNO wanted Musa's job badly.

In any war the enemy always sought to eliminate the best general in order to demoralise his force. It is the same in politics using character assassinations to demonise leader who is seen likely to lead his party to victory is common place throughout the world.

Barack Obama went through the same hell mudslinging when he ran for the US president in 2008, accused of being a Muslim because of his middle name.


Watch carefully the voice over, the bad editing and cut and paste of the video.

In spite of the many attempts at muddying the waters on Obama the American people stood steadfastly behind him and chose him as the next president of the United States. 

The same dirty campaigning is happening in Malaysia to denigrate Prime Minister Najib, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman and Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. The three are seen as the biggest roadblocks hindering the opposition's journey to Putrajaya. 

Suaram, the tool of the opposition and those who wanted Najib out of office has been caught in a web of deceit on the Scorpene submarine investigation.A French government prosecutor Yves Charpernel has denied of any ongoing trial in France as depicted by Suaram to the Malaysian public. Suaram and its two French lawyers, out of shame having been caught lying, still insisted that such court proceeding was ongoing. 

Who would you want to believe, a government prosecutor or two street smart lawyers?

There is concerted effort by the oppositions to eliminate the two East Malaysian leaders, Taib Mahmud and Musa Aman, both most likely to lead the BN to victory in their respective states where the oppositions are still fragmented and have not come to terms with each other to mount a challenge on BN grip on the two states.

Both Musa and Taib are political strategists that have the ability to outmaneuver their opponents and proved their detractors wrong. The Sarawak Report, a blog based in the UK, founded and controlled by one Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has both Taib and Musa are constantly on her radar and is on the permanent hit list with gory tales of corruptions, abuses of power and even murder. Sarawak Report estimated Taib to be worth more than  US$15 billion.  

Robert Kuok the richest man in Malaysia amassed his wealth for almost two generations is only worth RM45.7 billion in 2012 and at today's exchange rate that would be about US$15 billion, the same as Taib. 

The Musa and Taib haters are having a field day with their tales from the crypt why these two men should go to the grave. Some even predicted that Anwar's PKR would take a leading role in Sabah politics. That's, maybe, a bridge too far. Taking in a few "orang kecewah" may be good politics few decades ago, it is not now, Sabahans are getting sick of such political misconduct.

Just before the March 2008 General Elections, 5 out 10 people I talked to predicted the political demise of Musa Aman and the end of BN in Sabah. The same are being said now by the same people who had never got their political predictions right. The same people also predicted Yong Teck Lee would win big in the Batu Sapi by-election. Yong, who refused to give way to Pakatan candidate for a one to one fight against the BN was buggered by DAP and lost badly. Pakatan/PKR's candidate Ansari Abdullah fared much better than him because DAP's Chinese supporters voted for Ansari. 

The only opposition party, as I have always said in this blog, that will make inroads in Sabah is DAP, who would do well in Chinese predominant constituencies, but not enough to pull the rug from under the BN's feet. The rest may have to fight, tooth and nail,  to win 1 or 2 seats.

Najib is smart not to be influenced by such talk and opinion poll to remove Taib and Musa from the equation.

In Sabah politics, money speaks louder than words.

Phnom Penh

His Highness Lim Guan Eng !

Hantu Laut

Curtsy, is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western culture. It is also "traditional gesture of an inferior to a superior", what a good servant would accord her master or mistress due respect.

The practice has become less common now, only left for the preserve of showing respect to royalty and by people in show business........ musicians, actors, comedians and the ilk, usually at the end of a performance to show gratitude and respect to the audience.

Lim Guan Eng, the Dear Leader of the soon to be Dominion Republic of Penang was given due reverence and respect, usually accorded to kings and emperors, by a lady who bobbed a curtsy when she met him at a function in Penang.

Anyway, curtsy is not an Asian culture. The right thing for the lady to do if she wanted to show reverence to Guan Eng, is for her to emulate the old Chinese culture of "kou tou"or  to bow the head low as to touch the ground.

If you curtsy, you don't shake hands. A very confused lass.

Picture speak a thousand words.

His deputy Mansor Othman wasn't wrong when he called Guan Eng a "tokong". The Penang Chinese as in the case of the young girl revered him with deep respect.  



Is Guan Eng a cult in the making?

Phnom Penh

In God We Trust, Politicians Pay Cash

Hantu Laut
  
Even before getting the big guns they already behaved like absolute monarchs, worse than the one they want to get rid off......the abominable UMNO.....looking more and more democratic under Najib.

They have their own lese-majeste law that forbids anyone under their rule to criticise them. 

In Penang you have "Dear Leader" who talked democracy but practised autocracy. Anyone or any media who gets on the wrong side of him will be banned from his press conference. His deputy thinks he is a "tokong" worshipped by the Chinese of Penang. The Malays think he is anti-Malay. He thinks he doesn't need the Malay votes, so be it.

His Majesty Azmin Ali not happy with his subject Faekah.

Poor Faekah, for speaking out loud, they want her head on the chopping board. The PKR's Court of Retribution will hear her case.Read here.

It's "Pakatan's Way", the only way.

Democracy, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble is a lie to fool the fools and there are many out there who wanted to be fooled.

Fools who lives under the coconut shell and opportunists looking for new ride.....plenty are coming to PKR.

Now, you know why so many left this political hell hole.

See for yourself who they have collected recently from the Rogue's Gallery in Sabah......the "orang-orang kechewa" looking for new ride.

They take new shithead at the expense of old unhappy shithead who had to leave as there is not enough room to keep too many shithead who want to be YBs.

Do you believe they really want to wipe out corruptions?

Joseph Astrada said that when he was running for president and Gloria Macapagal said the same thing when she was running for president.

Both were caught for corruptions

In God we trust, politicians pay cash!

Kuala Lumpur

The US Kick-Ass Foreign Policy And China

Hantu Laut

He was a bright shining star some four years ago, the impeccable oratory, assertiveness, aplomb and brimming with confidence he won a decisive victory over John McCain in both the electoral and popular vote of the 2008 U.S presidential election.

Watching the debate live over TV when I was in Kathmandu it was the obvious that Mitt Romney had sprung the most unexpected surprise that caught President Obama off guard. The Romney's spell have, somehow, rattled his confidence. His facial expression clearly showed how miffed he was with Romney's unanticipated remarkable performance.

Romney is no dunce. On conclusion of the debate he sent his detractors scurrying for explanation. His moment of triumph speech, much to the anguish of Obama's campaign team, and a big shot in the arm for his team,  narrowed the gap between him and Obama. Even the staunchest Obama supporters must have been miffed by Obama muffed performance.

What happened to the man of 2008? The eloquent speeches, the "yes we can"man and the straight talk that caught not only America but the world's attention. The first black man destined to break white monopoly of the presidency.

Has Obama lost his mojo?

As Mitt Romney narrows the margin and move in for the kill can Obama still resuscitates his dwindling popularity and reignite the spark the man that he was at the next presidential debate due 16 October 2012 and give Romney a run for his money or let Romney overtake him?

Can Obama bounce back?

If Obama loses the next debate, as sure as the sunrise, America will have a new president and with it come new political mindset that can change US foreign policy and the course of world peace. 

Mitt Romney, have decided to accuse Obama of "passive leadership" in his foreign policy, particularly, in the Middle East casting aspersion on Obama's capability as president, inferring the killing of US Libyan Ambassador Christopher Stevens by fanatical Muslims as Obama's lack of will to retaliate.

The world is watching on the possible return of  kick-ass foreign policy and Bush like belligerency that could throw the US into another war if Mitt Romney win the presidency.

Under his presidency Obama only carry on his predecessor's unfinished business and has not caused any new conflicts. He restrained from opening new theatre of war. Though, some of his promises fell short he has been more careful than the previous administration in the handling of crisis with Iran, North Korea and China.

Iran and China are growing threats to U.S. foreign policy. Iran covertly seeking nuclear capability and the Chinese naval excursion in the South China Sea had caused uneasiness in Washington. 

The US have deployed its naval ships in and around the area of possible conflicts in the China Sea. The Sino-Japanese dispute over the Diaoyu Islands brought back ghosts of the Sino-Japanese War. The Americans, who usually are quick to side with Japan have taken a non-interference attitude at the moment but is in a state of readiness should the conflict escalates into open warfare between the two nations.

Some weeks ago Chinese naval vessels stopped oil drilling exploration off the coast of Sarawak. The incident went unreported to avoid unnecessary diplomatic fallout between Malaysia and China. 

The Philippines trying to act tough against China was cowed when the Chinese sent a few research vessels to the disputed waters. This poor country ravaged by every succeeding corrupt governments has no military capability and its claims on the Spartly's islands based on res nullius is not going to impress China at all of its finders keepers territorial claim.

Territorial disputes are hard to resolve unless both parties are prepared to avoid arm conflicts and use peaceful method to settle the dispute.

Malaysia's dispute with Indonesia over Sipadan and Ligitan Islands was settled in the World Court. Malaysia won the case based on terra nullius, the long occupation, administration and settlement of its people on the island. Sovereignty over territory which is terra nullius may be acquired through occupation.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad was smart enough to reclaim Layany-Layang in the Spratlys and stationed the navy there. He later allow a holiday resort to be built on the  island. He did it before other countries could lay claim to the island, which was an atoll, reclaimed to form a small island. It is now one of the top dive sites in the region. 

With its aggressive territorial claims spanning the whole of the China sea, from Japan right down to the Paracels and the Spratlys, China will soon have no friends in Asia. Any flare up with any of the countries would not be in China's favour.

China has territorial disputes over the Spratly Islands with Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. In the North China Sea it has disputes with Japan and South Korea.

Uncle Sam will not hesitate to give support to any of those countries in the event China is stupid enough to use military force to settle the dispute.

During her recent visit to Bangladesh, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was rumoured to have discussed with Bangladesh President the possibility of setting up another base for the Seventh Fleet for strategic reason, though, they already have a Naval Support Facility for ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean at Diego Garcia. 

This move, true or not, is probably to checkmate the Chinese growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean and to counter China's ambition to set up base in the region.

USS John C.Stennis

The US Seventh Fleet have increased deployment of its ships in the region and as far south as in the South China Sea sent its naval ships regularly on pretext of friendly visits to friendly countries.

USS Makin Island docked at KK Sepangar Naval base

As component force of the US Pacific Fleet it has 50 to 60 ships including aircraft carriers with 350 aircrafts, with bases in Guam, Japan and to lesser extent, Singapore.

Kota Kinabalu, recently had the rare honour of the visit of USS John C Stennis, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that formed part of the US Pacific Strike Force. 

Jump jets and gunships on USS Makin Island

A few months back the city also received another US naval ship, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island docked at KK Sepangar Naval port. 

USS Makin Island

"Ships like these are sent all over the world really to do two things; one of them to reassure our friends that we support them and Malaysia is an important friend" said the captain of USS John C.Stennis.

A Sea-Knight helicopter on USS Makin Island

That may be just a small part of the truth, the bigger grand plan is gunboat diplomacy and show of force against China rising naval power in the region.


Kuala Lumpur