Mar 22, 2010
Iskandar Malaysia, it's a joke
I am very sure Iskandar Malaysia will never succeed, because the CEO does not even know what is its selling point. I had a good laugh but at the same time felt sad for Malaysia.
Mar 12, 2010
Mar 8, 2010
Why Do Malaysians Still Support UMNO?
Of course, I know today is a very significant day. Because it's 8th of March - "The Day Malaysia Woke Up", to borrow from Kee Thuan Chye's title. Mere mention of the date makes me feel really good and proud.
But that was 2008. Today I am thinking of another problem. You know I am very puzzled as to why there are Malaysians still supporting UMNO privately and openly, knowing full well what the party stands for. Occasional racist remarks by UMNO politicians is actually symptomatic of a bigger problem, clear proof that UMNO is by nature fundamentally racist. UMNO which is a race-based political party, together with two other race-based parties, MCA and MIC, form BN.
There are many ironies in Malaysia. One huge irony is the never-ending call for unity from each and every quarter. But how do you unite people when the Government, which itself propagates the importance of unity, is formed largely by UMNO / BN? OK, now back to my original question, why after knowing this, do people still support UMNO / BN? Is it because the rakyat is stupid or ignorant? Or is it because - deep down - people are actually racists, who hate people of other races, wanting only to protect the interests of their own race as they only think highly of their own race? In other words, are people basically race chauvinists?
These largely irrational supporters are who UMNO is going after and most of the time UMNO succeeds in getting their support. In 1952, during the US Presidential Election rally, a supporter once called out to the then Governor Stevenson that all thinking people were for him, but Stevenson answered, "That's not enough. I need a majority." And true enough, Stevenson went down defeated by Republican's Eisenhower in a landslide. Apparently, all the unthinking voters did not give their votes to Stevenson.
Yes, political parties do need a majority to govern. And what UMNO wants UMNO almost always gets. Let us face facts, UMNO / BN is very effective in getting a lot of people, especially irrational voters, to support them. This is in no small part due to the mainstream media which is not helping to make voters more intelligent. The Majority of Malaysians are irrational and have supported UMNO / BN for five decades.
We may find the racist remarks from UMNO / BN appalling, but in actual fact these are hardly baffling, if you know who uttered them and to whom these remarks are addressed and for what purpose. Irrational people are easily manipulated or cowed into submission. Basically what UMNO / BN needs to do is to reward them, feed them and materially enrich them in order to get their support.
A well-respected German historian has a radical new theory to explain a nagging question: Why did average Germans so heartily support the Nazis and the Third Reich? Hitler, says Goetz Aly, was a "feel good dictator," a leader who not only made Germans feel important, but also made sure they were well cared-for by the state. To do so, he gave them huge tax breaks and introduced social benefits that even today anchor the society. He also ensured that even in the last days of the war not a single German went hungry. Despite near-constant warfare, never once during his 12 years in power did Hitler raise taxes for working class people. He also -- in great contrast to World War I -- particularly pampered soldiers and their families, offering them more than double the salaries and benefits that American and British families received. As such, most Germans saw Nazism as a "warm-hearted" protector, says Aly, author of the new book "Hitler's People's State: Robbery, Racial War and National Socialism" and currently a guest lecturer at the University of Frankfurt. They were only too happy to overlook the Third Reich's unsavory, murderous side.
Financing such home front "happiness" was not simple and Hitler essentially achieved it by robbing and murdering others, Aly claims. Jews. Slave labourers. Conquered lands. All offered tremendous opportunities for plunder, and the Nazis exploited it fully, he says.
So it is hardly a surprise then, why there are still so many people supporting UMNO. Basically Malaysia is a giant welfare state that rewards its people in return for their votes. And sadly, we Malaysians have allowed ourselves to be manipulated and cowed into voting UMNO / BN for the last five decades. Isn't this so very frightening and alarming? We need to wake up again.
But that was 2008. Today I am thinking of another problem. You know I am very puzzled as to why there are Malaysians still supporting UMNO privately and openly, knowing full well what the party stands for. Occasional racist remarks by UMNO politicians is actually symptomatic of a bigger problem, clear proof that UMNO is by nature fundamentally racist. UMNO which is a race-based political party, together with two other race-based parties, MCA and MIC, form BN.
There are many ironies in Malaysia. One huge irony is the never-ending call for unity from each and every quarter. But how do you unite people when the Government, which itself propagates the importance of unity, is formed largely by UMNO / BN? OK, now back to my original question, why after knowing this, do people still support UMNO / BN? Is it because the rakyat is stupid or ignorant? Or is it because - deep down - people are actually racists, who hate people of other races, wanting only to protect the interests of their own race as they only think highly of their own race? In other words, are people basically race chauvinists?
These largely irrational supporters are who UMNO is going after and most of the time UMNO succeeds in getting their support. In 1952, during the US Presidential Election rally, a supporter once called out to the then Governor Stevenson that all thinking people were for him, but Stevenson answered, "That's not enough. I need a majority." And true enough, Stevenson went down defeated by Republican's Eisenhower in a landslide. Apparently, all the unthinking voters did not give their votes to Stevenson.
Yes, political parties do need a majority to govern. And what UMNO wants UMNO almost always gets. Let us face facts, UMNO / BN is very effective in getting a lot of people, especially irrational voters, to support them. This is in no small part due to the mainstream media which is not helping to make voters more intelligent. The Majority of Malaysians are irrational and have supported UMNO / BN for five decades.
We may find the racist remarks from UMNO / BN appalling, but in actual fact these are hardly baffling, if you know who uttered them and to whom these remarks are addressed and for what purpose. Irrational people are easily manipulated or cowed into submission. Basically what UMNO / BN needs to do is to reward them, feed them and materially enrich them in order to get their support.
A well-respected German historian has a radical new theory to explain a nagging question: Why did average Germans so heartily support the Nazis and the Third Reich? Hitler, says Goetz Aly, was a "feel good dictator," a leader who not only made Germans feel important, but also made sure they were well cared-for by the state. To do so, he gave them huge tax breaks and introduced social benefits that even today anchor the society. He also ensured that even in the last days of the war not a single German went hungry. Despite near-constant warfare, never once during his 12 years in power did Hitler raise taxes for working class people. He also -- in great contrast to World War I -- particularly pampered soldiers and their families, offering them more than double the salaries and benefits that American and British families received. As such, most Germans saw Nazism as a "warm-hearted" protector, says Aly, author of the new book "Hitler's People's State: Robbery, Racial War and National Socialism" and currently a guest lecturer at the University of Frankfurt. They were only too happy to overlook the Third Reich's unsavory, murderous side.
Financing such home front "happiness" was not simple and Hitler essentially achieved it by robbing and murdering others, Aly claims. Jews. Slave labourers. Conquered lands. All offered tremendous opportunities for plunder, and the Nazis exploited it fully, he says.
So it is hardly a surprise then, why there are still so many people supporting UMNO. Basically Malaysia is a giant welfare state that rewards its people in return for their votes. And sadly, we Malaysians have allowed ourselves to be manipulated and cowed into voting UMNO / BN for the last five decades. Isn't this so very frightening and alarming? We need to wake up again.
Mar 6, 2010
Mar 1, 2010
We must stay the course no matter what happen...
Blogger Straight Talk has put it correctly on the issue of TTB and ZH. I have nothing to say other than quoting the whole article for readers.
MPs Tan Tee Beng and Zahrain Hashim Missed the Point, by Blogger Straight Talk
Ex-PKR members of parliament, Tan Tee Beng and Zahrain, both ex-Barisan leaders have missed the point when they quit the party.
Tan and Zahrain were upset with the leadership of Penang CM Lim Guan Eng. Both cited Lim's leadership as "chauvinistic, arrogant and communistic'".
He said, "Pakatan will not last long. It is people like Lim Guan Eng that shall destroy Pakatan. I will not be a part of this group of people which are destroying my country, my race and my religion.
Both Tan and Zahrain should be reminded that we did not vote for Lim Guan Eng. Lim was a political newcomer although he was an ex-MP of Kota Melaka.
We had voted against institutionalised racism, political excesses, corruption, power arrogance and irresponsible leadership.
Until and unless the present regime proves that it is pro-democracy and pro-people, it will continue to be voted out.
Tan and Zahrain should have put their personal dispute and uneasiness with Lim or PKR leadership aside if they are interested to pursue their political career. It appears that both wanted to be taken seriously and treated decently due to their personal and political status.
As a voter I can sympathize with both Tan and Zahrain but my priority is to end racial politics in this country. If Tan and Zahrain truly embrace a new non-racial political paradigm they should be able to put their dispute with Lim above the people's interest.
Ironically, now Zahrain is keen to defend his race and religion. The fact is his race and religion do not need his protection. He should help to give his race and religion a good name by showing others the real image of Malay culture and Islam.
Racial dominance and religious exclusivity have never been truly celebrated in any democracies.
As a voter and proponent of non-racial politics, I am truly disappointed with both Tan and Zahrain. On Lim's personal attitude and leadership style, it is his own business to see if the criticism does hold any good lesson for him personally.
We should be diverted by these superficial and unprincipled politicians. We need to defeat racial politics. We must stay our course on this very important agenda.
MPs Tan Tee Beng and Zahrain Hashim Missed the Point, by Blogger Straight Talk
Ex-PKR members of parliament, Tan Tee Beng and Zahrain, both ex-Barisan leaders have missed the point when they quit the party.
Tan and Zahrain were upset with the leadership of Penang CM Lim Guan Eng. Both cited Lim's leadership as "chauvinistic, arrogant and communistic'".
He said, "Pakatan will not last long. It is people like Lim Guan Eng that shall destroy Pakatan. I will not be a part of this group of people which are destroying my country, my race and my religion.
Both Tan and Zahrain should be reminded that we did not vote for Lim Guan Eng. Lim was a political newcomer although he was an ex-MP of Kota Melaka.
We had voted against institutionalised racism, political excesses, corruption, power arrogance and irresponsible leadership.
Until and unless the present regime proves that it is pro-democracy and pro-people, it will continue to be voted out.
Tan and Zahrain should have put their personal dispute and uneasiness with Lim or PKR leadership aside if they are interested to pursue their political career. It appears that both wanted to be taken seriously and treated decently due to their personal and political status.
As a voter I can sympathize with both Tan and Zahrain but my priority is to end racial politics in this country. If Tan and Zahrain truly embrace a new non-racial political paradigm they should be able to put their dispute with Lim above the people's interest.
Ironically, now Zahrain is keen to defend his race and religion. The fact is his race and religion do not need his protection. He should help to give his race and religion a good name by showing others the real image of Malay culture and Islam.
Racial dominance and religious exclusivity have never been truly celebrated in any democracies.
As a voter and proponent of non-racial politics, I am truly disappointed with both Tan and Zahrain. On Lim's personal attitude and leadership style, it is his own business to see if the criticism does hold any good lesson for him personally.
We should be diverted by these superficial and unprincipled politicians. We need to defeat racial politics. We must stay our course on this very important agenda.
Feb 20, 2010
Feb 4, 2010
"Unending series of UMNO/BN sodomies Malaysian People"
The sodUmny never stops
by Dean Johns, MalaysiaKini, Feb 3, 2010
At the risk of repeating some of the sentiments I expressed back when Anwar Ibrahim was charged with Sodomy II, his latest trial is just one more in an unending series of Umno/BN sodomies on the Malaysian people.
Ever since Tun Razak shafted Tungku Abdul Rahman by allegedly orchestrating the May 13 riots back in 1969, successive Umno/BN regimes have violated every principle of civic virtue and good governance in their insatiable lust for power and plunder.
This species of SodUmny became routine during Mahathir's premiership, a 22-year debauch that saw the ravaging of the judiciary's political independence, the defilement of the media and other civil institutions by a combination of force and corruption, and the rape and pillage of the nation's riches by Umno/BN members, relatives and cronies.
One of Mahathir's dirtiest public deeds, of course, was his vicious assault on his erstwhile deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, in 1998. A charge of sodomy that was so clearly and evidently false that the judge in the case, the late, unlamented Augustine Paul, had to give prosecution three goes at getting the time and scene of the 'crime' straight.
As you may recall, the condominium at which the 'offence' was at first alleged to have occurred turned out not to have been built at the time. And on the second occasion on which the sodomy was alleged to have taken place, the defence demonstrated that Anwar had been out of the country on that date.
Then, in the course of the hearing, 'victims' and other procured witnesses recanted the testimony that they had initially given. But despite all this perjury and other irregularities the charade proceeded, and Anwar was convicted and jailed.
But Mahathir hadn't finished with him yet. When Anwar complained of a black eye and other injuries as the result of a beating by the then head of the Royal Malaysian Police, Mahathir brazenly sneered that Anwar had probably inflicted the injuries on himself.
This was a glaring example of possibly the most disgusting sodUmny that Mahathir, his two successors and their entire regime have committed, and continue to commit against the people of Malaysia: utter perversion of the truth.
A pack of pernicious lies
Official government propaganda and public relations are a pack of pernicious lies. Najib Razak's “1Malaysia. People first. Performance now,” is so plainly and patently false as to constitute a sodUmny on the people's intelligence.
Far from truly promoting a united Malaysia, Umno persistently plays on the issues of race and religion to keep-up its pretense of championing the cause of the Malay/Muslim majority at the expense of the rest.
Witness the notorious “cow's head” protest against the construction of a Hindu temple. The police stood by and did nothing to stop it, and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein excused the perpetrators on the grounds that they had “no intention” of provoking racial or religious ill-feeling.
Another glaring example of Umno/BN's promotion of racial and religious disunity has been its involvement in the latest episode of the God/Allah controversy, in which it has allowed one of its newspapers, Utusan Malaysia, total license to inflame the sectarian passions of its readers.
But of course Utusan Malaysia is just an extreme example of the fact that Umno/BN commits its ultimate sodomy of the truth by means of a Printing, Presses and Publications Act that requires virtually all of the nation's news media to submit to Umno/BN's rapacious demands for special treatment.
No coverage of news of the few Umno/BN crimes that escape the net of the Official Secrets Act. No criticism of Umno/BN derelictions, lies or idiocies. No positive coverage of opposition politicians or supporters. Nothing, in fact, from the pathetically prostituted 'mainstream' television, radio and press but the Umno party line.
So, despite the heroic efforts of the few independent virtual media and the burgeoning pro-democracy blogosphere, millions of Malaysians still live in blissful ignorance of many of the obscenities of the Umno/BN regime.
And will continue to, if the authorities have anything to do with it. Barry Wain's book 'Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times' is apparently not yet allowed into the country, presumably to spare Malaysians from revelations of putrid dealings like the preposterous public funding of Umno headquarters, Putra World Trade Centre.
And two other books apparently headed for the banned list are '1Funny Malaysia', a collection of cartoons by Zunar lampooning the Umno/BN regime, and 'Where is justice?', an account of countless atrocities committed in police and MACC custody, including the cases of Teoh Beng Hock, A Kugan, Altantuya Shaariibuu and Anwar Ibrahim.
A good account
Now that we're back to Anwar, according to the ongoing Malaysiakini report he's giving a good account of himself on the first day of his Sodomy II trial.
On the grounds that his accuser and alleged victim Mohd Saiful Bukhan Azlan met at least twice with Prime Minister Najib Razak prior to reporting the 'crime', Anwar said that he intends to request the court to subpoena Najib and his wife Rosmah as witnesses.
“If Najib and the government have managed to cover up the Altantuya (murder),” he asked, “what more is this? This is a desperate attempt to implicate me.”
Anwar's lawyers also applied for a review of last week's decision by the Apex Court denying them additional evidence, documents and CCTV footage needed for his defence.
The trial is being attended by foreign diplomats, legal observers and global media, with BBC News already running a report on the first day of proceedings.
So Malaysia's image, already darkened by Dr Mahathir's global notoriety, Najib Razak's dubious reputation and the ruling regime's dismal record of financial, social and human-rights abuses, is bound to be blackened even further by this latest bum rap.
Let's hope there's enough of an international outcry, and sufficient revulsion on the part of sufficient Malaysians, to finally depose the political inverts of Umno/BN, and put an end to their sodUmnies for once and for all.
by Dean Johns, MalaysiaKini, Feb 3, 2010
At the risk of repeating some of the sentiments I expressed back when Anwar Ibrahim was charged with Sodomy II, his latest trial is just one more in an unending series of Umno/BN sodomies on the Malaysian people.
Ever since Tun Razak shafted Tungku Abdul Rahman by allegedly orchestrating the May 13 riots back in 1969, successive Umno/BN regimes have violated every principle of civic virtue and good governance in their insatiable lust for power and plunder.
This species of SodUmny became routine during Mahathir's premiership, a 22-year debauch that saw the ravaging of the judiciary's political independence, the defilement of the media and other civil institutions by a combination of force and corruption, and the rape and pillage of the nation's riches by Umno/BN members, relatives and cronies.
One of Mahathir's dirtiest public deeds, of course, was his vicious assault on his erstwhile deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, in 1998. A charge of sodomy that was so clearly and evidently false that the judge in the case, the late, unlamented Augustine Paul, had to give prosecution three goes at getting the time and scene of the 'crime' straight.
As you may recall, the condominium at which the 'offence' was at first alleged to have occurred turned out not to have been built at the time. And on the second occasion on which the sodomy was alleged to have taken place, the defence demonstrated that Anwar had been out of the country on that date.
Then, in the course of the hearing, 'victims' and other procured witnesses recanted the testimony that they had initially given. But despite all this perjury and other irregularities the charade proceeded, and Anwar was convicted and jailed.
But Mahathir hadn't finished with him yet. When Anwar complained of a black eye and other injuries as the result of a beating by the then head of the Royal Malaysian Police, Mahathir brazenly sneered that Anwar had probably inflicted the injuries on himself.
This was a glaring example of possibly the most disgusting sodUmny that Mahathir, his two successors and their entire regime have committed, and continue to commit against the people of Malaysia: utter perversion of the truth.
A pack of pernicious lies
Official government propaganda and public relations are a pack of pernicious lies. Najib Razak's “1Malaysia. People first. Performance now,” is so plainly and patently false as to constitute a sodUmny on the people's intelligence.
Far from truly promoting a united Malaysia, Umno persistently plays on the issues of race and religion to keep-up its pretense of championing the cause of the Malay/Muslim majority at the expense of the rest.
Witness the notorious “cow's head” protest against the construction of a Hindu temple. The police stood by and did nothing to stop it, and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein excused the perpetrators on the grounds that they had “no intention” of provoking racial or religious ill-feeling.
Another glaring example of Umno/BN's promotion of racial and religious disunity has been its involvement in the latest episode of the God/Allah controversy, in which it has allowed one of its newspapers, Utusan Malaysia, total license to inflame the sectarian passions of its readers.
But of course Utusan Malaysia is just an extreme example of the fact that Umno/BN commits its ultimate sodomy of the truth by means of a Printing, Presses and Publications Act that requires virtually all of the nation's news media to submit to Umno/BN's rapacious demands for special treatment.
No coverage of news of the few Umno/BN crimes that escape the net of the Official Secrets Act. No criticism of Umno/BN derelictions, lies or idiocies. No positive coverage of opposition politicians or supporters. Nothing, in fact, from the pathetically prostituted 'mainstream' television, radio and press but the Umno party line.
So, despite the heroic efforts of the few independent virtual media and the burgeoning pro-democracy blogosphere, millions of Malaysians still live in blissful ignorance of many of the obscenities of the Umno/BN regime.
And will continue to, if the authorities have anything to do with it. Barry Wain's book 'Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times' is apparently not yet allowed into the country, presumably to spare Malaysians from revelations of putrid dealings like the preposterous public funding of Umno headquarters, Putra World Trade Centre.
And two other books apparently headed for the banned list are '1Funny Malaysia', a collection of cartoons by Zunar lampooning the Umno/BN regime, and 'Where is justice?', an account of countless atrocities committed in police and MACC custody, including the cases of Teoh Beng Hock, A Kugan, Altantuya Shaariibuu and Anwar Ibrahim.
A good account
Now that we're back to Anwar, according to the ongoing Malaysiakini report he's giving a good account of himself on the first day of his Sodomy II trial.
On the grounds that his accuser and alleged victim Mohd Saiful Bukhan Azlan met at least twice with Prime Minister Najib Razak prior to reporting the 'crime', Anwar said that he intends to request the court to subpoena Najib and his wife Rosmah as witnesses.
“If Najib and the government have managed to cover up the Altantuya (murder),” he asked, “what more is this? This is a desperate attempt to implicate me.”
Anwar's lawyers also applied for a review of last week's decision by the Apex Court denying them additional evidence, documents and CCTV footage needed for his defence.
The trial is being attended by foreign diplomats, legal observers and global media, with BBC News already running a report on the first day of proceedings.
So Malaysia's image, already darkened by Dr Mahathir's global notoriety, Najib Razak's dubious reputation and the ruling regime's dismal record of financial, social and human-rights abuses, is bound to be blackened even further by this latest bum rap.
Let's hope there's enough of an international outcry, and sufficient revulsion on the part of sufficient Malaysians, to finally depose the political inverts of Umno/BN, and put an end to their sodUmnies for once and for all.
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