Monday, August 31, 2009

Is This The Malaysia You Want?

Hantu Laut

First it was demolition of Hindu temples by the Selangor BN government to necessitate development. Then there was Hindraf and the oppositions using religious sentiments and massive demonstration to rattle the BN government that almost turn ugly.

They cajoled the people and promised to stop demolishing Hindu temples if they come to power. The Selangor people voted them in.

Now they are in power they never kept that promise, they improvised, they plugged one hole but opened up another hole.




What is happenning to this beloved nation?

Before, mosques, churches and temples stood next to each other, we had no problem, we see it as just other beliefs of our fellow Malaysians, our brothers and sisters. Have we reached the nadir of religious and racial intolerance, we are prepared to destroy this peaceful nation so that some can satisfy their political agenda?

Is this the Malaysia that you want?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Yes, Bring Back Tun Mahathir

Hantu Laut

Bring back Mahathir ? Did you hear it right? Yes, you did, I say bring back Mahathir.

By now Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should have realised he is surrounded by a bunch of self-preserving and half-cock incompetents. UMNO and BN are on the death throes if Najib doesn't make drastic changes to his trustees in

UMNO and his ministers in the cabinet. He is going to send this half a century old political institution to political oblivion if he doesn't act now to show his boys that he meant business and will take no nonsense approach to his reforms.He needs to change the mindset of the leaders in UMNO and change those who refuses to change or else expect to be changed at the next general elections.

Time and tide wait for no man, do it now, or face a humiliating defeat at the next polls.The powers that be would soon be the power that has been.


The negative public perception makes it difficult for BN to improve its image unless substantial and significant changes are made to the whole BN machinery. Corruptions, high on the list of public grievances have not been dealt with satisfactorily to change public perception.

The MACC, an old wine in new bottle, created under the Abdullah's regime has taken on even worse dose of infamy than its predecessor the ACA. With more power given to them to investigate and prosecute the MACC is like a runaway train. In the court of public opinion it is now seen as a monster and hatchet man for the powers that be. Even if that isn't true, public opinion is firmly galvanised by the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock, purportedly under its custody. If the Teoh's inquest can't find the true cause of death than bad politics will continue and public perception of the MACC unchanged.

Public perception is not necessary inaccurate or based on something other than the truth. It is something that can be changed if there is consensus for change.
The BN and UMNO in particular need to rejuvenate, need new blood and new ideas. Providing mere lip service without making serious effort to take corrective action is suicidal.BN has lost 5 out of 6 by-elections and if this does not ring the alarm bell than the BN and UMNO might as well close shop now.

Public perception, right or wrong, is the building or stumbling block for any businesses, for any government, politicians and anyone running for public office.

It is now almost a year and a half since the last general elections and what have the BN shown in term of regaining it previous glory.Are the leaders still living in the past?.Obviously so and worse.
They have not shown any noteworthy improvement.It is still dog eats dog affair.The Permatang Pasir fiasco is glaring example of promoting member of your clique rather than someone who is more qualified to contest the election, where party interest rather than individual interest should have come first.

A disbarred lawyer, no matter how innocent he claimed he was, should not have been considered as candidate for political office, not that UMNO can win the seat if other untarnished candidate was selected, because morally it's just a bad reflection on the party and its leadership.

It is also obvious that the Prime Minister has started some reforms and made changes in some sensitive areas which might not have gone down well with some leaders in UMNO and BN. Some of the changes might have transgressed the comfort zone of some of these leaders who wanted the status quo to remain for their own benefits and are willing to throw a spanner in the works.


It took Mahathir 22 years to build Malaysia into a fairly respectable economic power house and the envy of less fortunate countries. It took Abdullah Badawi less than 6 years to destroy the political dominance that was built by the Tungku, Razak, Hussein and Mahathir.It may take Najib less than 5 years to send UMNO and the BN into political oblivion if he doesn't act now and get rid of the self-preserving old turkeys in his party.

Maybe, it's time for him to seriously consider bringing back Mahathir as minister mentor and make his position the third most senior minister after the PM and DPM. Mahathir wealth of experience, shrewdness,assertiveness and politically savvy would be a tremendous boost to the revival of UMNO and BN.

Mahathir is still highly respected by majority of Malaysians and is popular with the youth of all races because they see him as a patriarch and a man of steel. His blog is testimonial of his popularity. No other political blog including those of Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and even the Prime Minister have become such a celebrity.He has over 22 million hits since he first started in May 2008.It could be the single individual blog with the biggest hits in this region if not in the whole of Asia.As I do not have any statistic I wouldn't want to speculate that he is the biggest in Asia as far as number of hits are concerned.

Undoubtedly, the return of Mahathir wouldn't be well received by the oppositions.They had a taste of Mahatirism when he was in power.


A kingfisher bird at Sukau, Kinabatangan.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Permatang Pasir:Plus Or Minus For PAS?

Hantu Laut

It will be a test for both PAS and UMNO as to who would grab the Permatang Pasir state seat tomorrow.PAS has the edge and is the favourite to win. UMNO is banking on the repeat of the neck to neck race at Manik Urai where PAS won by the skin of its teeth.

If PAS loses than it would be the beginning of the end of Pakatan Rakyat. No matter how much Pakatan boasting of taking over the Federal government in the next general elections losing this by-election or if the margin become uncomfortably close it will be the start of downhill slide from now on.

UMNO's candidate Rohaizat Othman shady dealings in the past had become a hot issue with the oppositions.PAS exploitation of Rohaizat's shady past may not carry much weight with the voters.Most have already made up their minds whom to vote for.

Most strange is the reaction of Rohaizat's ex-partner Yushri Ishak who denied that he was the one that ran away with the money as alleged by Rohaizat.He did not show any anger or threaten legal action to clear his name. His denial was feeble and didn't reflect the gravity of the accusation against him and the reaction that expected of an innocent man who was wrongly accused.Instead, he says he is a good friend of Rohaizat, supports him as a candidate and would even vote for him.

Wouldn't you be angry, if your friend accused you of being a thief ?

All he had to say that he was being used to demonise his good friend.

At the behest of PAS?

Will it be plus or minus for PAS this time?

Read latest on Bernie Madoff:

My story, by the mistress of Bernard Madoff

Sheryl Weinstein gave her life savings and her love to disgraced financier without realising he was world’s biggest swindler.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Read This Before Burning.

Hantu Laut

Writing for the sake of writing?

A newsportal that's not sure whether it should provide deserving news to the public or just churn out any kind of crap to fill the pages.


First there was :

With battle lines drawn, Rohaizat’s disbarment not a big deal

In less than a day it became:

Permatang Pasir could be quicksand for Umno

and the IRONY is,

BOTH WERE WRITTEN BY THE SAME WRITER.

READ this one below:

"While Rohaizat Othman’s disbarment has dominated the headlines, it is the economy and party colours which are the main deciding factors in this Malay majority seat.

Malay voters here seemed unmoved by the scandal weighing on the BN candidate.

The incessant attacks from the PAS/Pakatan Rakyat (PR) campaign on Rohaizat’s tainted candidacy may, however, have won back key Chinese voters who had grown suspicious of the Islamist party".

Than READ this one:

"Umno’s dream of capitalising on its resurgence in Manek Urai’s narrow loss could end up a nightmare in Permatang Pasir, where its campaign is sinking in the quicksand of its choice in scandal-hit candidate Rohaizat Othman.

It is understood that local Umno members “intend to voice their anger over the choice of candidate made by the Penang Umno leadership” by voting for PAS after a more favoured and popular choice, Permatang Pauh Umno youth chief Zaidi Mohd Said was bypassed by the party’s top leadership".

Some people just can't make up their mind or they wannabe:

William Randolph Hearst

Breaking News:

Lunas rep quits as PKR member.