Is it a follow-up to Yesterday's and the Day Before's celebs for PP and DSAI...?
I dunno about the preceding, BUT I AM VERY CERTAIN ABOUT WHAT FOLLOWS -- this CSM is VERY DA IMPORTANT for a very mGf Sdr Chan Kim King:)
Dewan Perhimpunan China Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor 吉隆坡暨雪兰莪中华大会堂 The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
To: All My Esteemed Readers and Friends:)
13 August 2008
Dear Sir/Madam,
Invitation to Attend Civil Society Award ceremony
The KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) will be having its Civil Society Award ceremony on 28th August 2008. The NGOs, activists and the public are invited to attend in order to acknowledge individuals and organizations on their contributions to civil society and to open up the democratic space.
The promotion and strengthening of freedom and democracy depend on the growth of civil society. The first Civil Society Award to be given away by the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) starts from 2008.
The purpose of the award is to acknowledge individuals and organizations on their contributions to civil society and to open up the democratic space and at the same time encourage such participation by more individuals and organizations.
This award also serves as an evaluation to the civil society organizations and even to the overall performance of civil societies. Besides, we should recognise the importance of civil societies as the third-sector and NGOs are moving our society to be more progressive. We hope that this would encourage the communal organizations to be more open and be more proactive in the public affairs.
Individuals who are Malaysian citizens or organisations in Malaysia are eligible for nomination. The Award is given once a year, which can be conferred on up to three individuals or organisations in no particular order.
The winner of the civil society award will be announced by the award committee. All nominees will be granted testimonials as recognition and encouragement of their contribution to the civil society while the winner will be awarded RM5000, trophy as well as testimonials. Two thematic speeches will be delivered at the ceremony as to analyze the concept of civil society and the current situation of the country. The speaker will touch on the relationship of ethnic identity and civil society so as to promote dialogue and understanding among different communities.
Details of the event:
Organizer : The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
Data : 28 August 2008 (Thursday)
Time : 7.30 p.m.
Venue : Auditorium of KLSCAH
Free entry and dinner is provided.
Agenda :
07.30pm registration and dinner
08.30 pm promulgation ceremony and speeches
1. Greetings by Tan Yew Sing, Deputy President of KLSCAH
2. Introduction by Ser Choon Ing, Chairman of the Civil Society Award
3. Brief history of the Malaysian civil society
4. "Ethnic Identity and Civil Society" by Mr Lee Ban Chen, veteran political commentator
5. Social movement and music performance by Mr Amin Iskandar, artist and writer
6. Civil society in today's Malaysia by Mr Haris Ibrahim, human rights lawyer
7. The judges' note
8. Closing (Music: Wind of Change)
KLSCAH hopes that this initiative will encourage more individuals and organizations to participate in pushing for social progress and to establish a civil society. The growth of civil society requires participation of all ethnic groups and all segments of the society. We thus invite all to join us in this activity and welcome feedback so that we can move forward to a more open and progressive society.
Should you have further enquiry, please do not hesitate to contact the assistant secretary of the KLSCAH, Chan Kim Ming , 03-22746645.
Thank you.
Cordially,
Ser Choon Ing
Chairman of the Civil Rights Award Organizing Committee
Appendix 1: The Award Committee
Scholars and community leaders will be invited to form a seven-member award committee. The committee will verify, nominate and select recipients of the award. All decisions by the committee are final.
Bellow is the list of the Committee:
1. Mr. Ser Choon Ing
The Chairman of The Civil Rights Award Organizing Committee of KLSCAH,
The Chairman of Civil Rights Committee of KLSCAH
2. Mrs. Maria Chin Abdullah,
The President of Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)
3. Mr. Yeo Yang Poh,
Former President of the Malaysian Bar Council
4. Mr. P.Ramakrishnan,
President of ALIRAN
5. Mr. Ragunath Kesavan ,
Vice President of the Malaysian Bar Council
6. Dr. Toh Kin Woon,
Ex-State Executive Council Member
7. Mr. Hishammuddin Rais,
Veteran Writer
Appendix 2: Criteria for Selection
The committee will select recipients of the award according to the following criteria:
(a) Playing an important role in defending freedom of political participation and fighting for greater space for social freedom and democracy;
(b) Actively promoting the cooperation of civil groups from different background and areas;
(c) Initiating and pioneering social reforms;
(d) Promoting communications and interactions among different ethnic groups.
When I was small and papay trees were tall We used to love while others used to play ....... (Deer leaders, I'm sure you lemember this one by the BeeGees?)
TEACHER:Now boys and girls, what game do you want to play today?Desi:Teacher, teacher -- let's pray Brindman's bruff! Mimi:Hey, YL, it's Blind man's Bluff-lah! Zorro:Teacher, teacher -- I want to play Hide and Seek! CathyZ:Yes, I want to be Hyde, and Bernie, you are my Sith!
Government to target blogosphere next http://m.themalaysianinsider.com.my/articles.php?id=8174
By The Malaysian Insider
August 26, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 Next up: a crackdown on bloggers. This possibility looms large after the government reached a sober assessment that it could all end in tears for the Barisan Nasional at the next general election if tough action is not taken to counter allegations on the Net and hold owners of blogs accountable.
This conclusion was reached during a meeting last week involving several Cabinet ministers and senior government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Government officials noted that some 400,000 new voters are registered each year. Assuming that the next polls are in five years, there would be two million new voters the next time the BN seeks a fresh mandate. A large chunk of these two million voters are likely to obtain their news and information from websites and blogs, and not from the mainstream media.
Several ministers noted that if the government followed its current policy of allowing allegations by bloggers to go unchallenged, this would create the perception that the information being posted is accurate.
"There is a growing consensus in government that those who run websites and blogs should be held accountable and this means that laws should be used to take action against those who defame and spread disinformation.
"If not, we are going to have a situation where everyone will be free to make all sorts of allegations with no downside at all. There is a fear that the trust level with BN would be very low if nothing is done, '' said a senior government official familiar with details of the meeting.
The prevailing mood in the government against the alternative media is one of frustration. After decades of being able to control newspapers and television stations through a raft of legislation, government officials and politicians are finding that their tools are useless in setting boundaries for new media.
At last week's meeting, an official of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) explained that the authorities have not come down hard on websites and bloggers because Section 3 of the Communications and Multimedia Act prohibits any form of censorship.
But government officials corrected him and said that the guarantee that the Internet would not be censored did not preclude legal action from being taken against bloggers for defamation and sedition.
They pointed out that the Singapore government had hauled several bloggers to court for a series of offences and suggested that the Malaysian government should follow suit. In the aftermath of Election 2008, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that the government paid a heavy price by allowing accusations and reports on the Internet to go unchallenged.
He said that the BN underestimated the power of the Internet and committed a serious misjudgment by relying on the mainstream media in the run-up to the general election. His comments resulted in the Information Ministry reaching out to some prominent bloggers and giving them some air-time on television but by and large the relationship between the alternative media and the government has remained testy.
In recent months, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the country's best-known political blogger, has had a running battle with Najib and his wife, implicating both of them in the October 2006 murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibuu. The DPM has also been on the receiving end of other damaging allegations.
His supporters in Umno have been pushing for a more hardnosed approach in dealing with bloggers and operators of news portals, arguing that the softer touch by the Abdullah administration has resulted in daily attacks on ministers and BN politicians.
Critics of the government said that instead of focusing on bloggers and the alternative media, they should strive for more accountability and transparency, and remove the shackles on the mainstream media.
DESIDERATA:
Yes, I was recalling the FIRSTofMAY when Bloggers gathered at the Lake View Club to mark World Press Freedom Day. After Yesterday's result -- resounding eh! "CONgrats" to DSAI and no less the Bloggers team headed by RPK!:) -- of Permatang Pauh, IF THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO DO AS WHAT IT WAS REPORTED TO BE IN THE PIPELINE as reported by The Malaysian Insider, then I'm afraid it has not learnt the Lessons of March 8, 2008 and August 26, 2008.
Then the g.ds/Devil must send them to ...ah, well, swell, to .ell! I: S: A:...
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As Desi would soon be On The Move -- no, not On The Beat, that's for double latuk GEISi! -- hear's a Cut&Paste from one of Desi's fave blogs: resident Walski of an asylum who often leaps, today takes a Baby Step for NegaraKu:)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 One Small Step... Technorati tags: Politics, Permatang Pauh, Anwar Ibrahim, Hope
Flashback, July 21st, 1969. On that day, history was made. Man, for the very first time, set foot on the surface of an extra-terrestial body - the Moon.
It was also on that day, a cliché was born:
"That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind" Neil Armstrong (via Quotations Book) Flash-forward 39 years later, give or take.
You could also say that August 26th, 2008 was "one small step"... Maybe not for mankind, per se. But definitely for this nation we love called Malaysia.
(courtesy of Mob1900)
Congratulations, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. (baby steps towards a better Malaysia, and more, in the full post)
And what's significant about the one small step on August 26th?
Well, for one thing, it reinforces Walski's belief that communitarian politics is a dying paradigm. At least, race-communitarian politics. As for the demise of religious-communitarian politics, we still got some baby steps to overcome yet. But Walski's confident we'll get there at some point.
Another thing is the credibility of Barisan Nasional that's eroding faster than what global warming is doing to Antartica. Even the appearance of The Father, Son-in-Law, and possibly whole-y busloads of ghostly voters, couldn't save the day for BN. Okay, perhaps that was pretty bad, cliché-wise. For which, however, Walski offers no apologies.
And finally, no amount of swearing, underhanded dirty election tricks, or subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) monetary enducements could deter the voice of the people.
On a slightly lighter note, the Mrs forwarded this humorous SMS to Walski earlier in the day:
The future of Japan is in its technology
The future of China is in its economy
The future of Malaysia is in Saiful's ass... Well, Walski would beg to differ. The future is in our own asses hands. And what the pivotal hands of Permatang Pauh collectively did on August 26th, may just have tilted our nation towards a better future. Saiful's ass notwithstanding.
But the journey is far from over. We now wait to see where that one small step leads us to...
Ah well... for all it's worth, at least there's something positive for Walski to feel about come August 31st... them flags may yet find the inspiration to right-side-up themselves...
MISSION MERDEKA: My Blue H'aven Beckons4Change to Continue...
If there is one turning point that NegaraKu will treasure as "historic", it will be the will of the 58,000-strong VOTERS of Permatang Pauh today, the D-DAY not just for PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but more significantly, to mark the 51st anniversary in five' days time the Independence of Malaya from British colonial rule on August 31, 1957. Will we be able to achieve a higher plane of independence from BN-UMNO hegemonic culture of corruption? Truth will greet or choke us tonight as the Election Commission officially announces PP's by-election results.
Former DPM and PM-in-waiting DSAI's MERDEKA MISSION -- Independence from Oppression, Crime and Corruption -- will be notched several steps forward if the electorate in PP in their wisdom return Anwar to Parliament with a resounding Victory over his BN opponent Arif Shah, who by the way, will still reman a Penang ADUN even in losing his parliament fight tonight.
My Blue H'aven was started 3-1/2 years ago on a Mission4Change. CHANGE came on March 8, 2008. Greater and sustainable change must be the will of the PP electorate Today, in this touted Mother of All By-Elections in NegaraKu.
If Desi stares at the CloakOfDefeat cometh tonight, I will pen a Midnight Voice for the last time, for a "long" time to come, to live up to my name.
I will reflect if such efforts4Change should even continue.
I'm quite sure I won't be driven to this MalaysiaBoleh dilemma.
But Malaysian politics has been plummeted to such lows -- Sodomy? Second time around, UMNO-oh-No! -- that some scepticsm among fair-minded Malaysians is understandable. We must be prepared for the strangest of eventualities! I pray that my misapprehension is unfounded and ungrounded.
God bless the people of Permatang Pauh. You are an a historic crossroads on behalf of all fellow Malaysians. I pray I can be proud of Thee tonight.
Hope springs eternal in this Midnight Voice in Furong. I know there are any number of chorus boys and gals in the background singing in tandem. The melody is in the hands ofthe 58,000-strong PP choir."Gb....!"~~ YL-Desi
BUT WILL THE MAJORITY EXCEED 13,338 votes, the margin that his wife Datin Dr Wan Azizah Ismail won on Marh 8, 2008?
Desi will C&P from Sdr Ahrudin Attan's on site latest post update, then will follow with an own roundup, hastily done after a 2-1/2-day busman's holiday on an islan I love to call my own, but even the Pakatan Rakyat government wouldn't yield...So let's just dream on I'll get to that 20million I-LAND in the sun before 2020. Mis Patience is also Miss/Mr/In-between Virtuous.
From rockybru.blogspot.com:
Monday, August 25, 2008 Permatang Pauh, last call
A Long Final Day (and A Short Relief for Anwar?) For the last two days, I've been running around Penang interviewing people and reporting for RazorTV, the region's latest Internet TV or IPTV. In the last 24 hours, I spoke to the two main candidates for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election - Anwar Ibrahim and Arif Shah.
Anwar told me this afternoon that he remains confident of winning, despite the controversial new electoral list that the Election Commission has come up with. The "confession" by Imam Ramlang Porigi seems to have been a big relief to Anwar (but according to Bernama here, Najib has said only the Mufti can decide on the validity of Saiful's swearing by the Quran and the Mufti can be expected to say something by tonight, the eve of the by-election, so Anwar's relief may be short-lived!).
I had been told that Arif spoke Mandarin so I thought I'd start my interview with him this morning with "Ni Hau Ma?". The guy launched a good two or three-minute speech in Mandarin to say how confident he is now of winning.
Independent election observers I interviewed today were not happy with the huge presence of cops (about 6,000 police officers have been deployed for a by-election with just over 58,000 voters). The complained about unnecessary road blocks and also about the Election Commission holding polling day on a weekday. The special public holiday the Penang government has declared for tomorrow does not appease them. But Yunus Ali, the chairperson of the National Institute for Electoral Integrity, said the watchers were impressed with one thing: ALL ceramahs and gatherings got approvals.
I am going to a carnival tonight on the mainland, organised by the Pakatan Rakyat, where the politicians hope to party.
I was told the interviews will be aired on RazorTV tonight . Please check it out at www.razor.tv
*********************************** Desi's report for what it's worth ***********************************
News feature style, oay!
By YL CHONG
Journalist buddy Terence N and YL traversed Seberang Jaya and Semilang and Penanti on Saturday and Sunday to "feel the pulse" of the Permatang Pauh electorate. Short calls like this -- termed "helicopter" coverage in media jargon -- are only good accompanied by having sered locally as newshounds, so Terence and I qualify. But we two are also know PKR supporters, so our lenses are coloured by some partisan paints, so I tender a whispered "sorry", but not on behalf of matey Terence, for he is his own man.
Speaking with an Ah Soh and a Ayah at a quickstop ceramah by Pakatan Rakyat-PKR candidate Anwat Ibrahim, at Seberang Jaya 2, I discern most of them will opt for change as promised by Anwar. There is no doubt the campaigns frm both sides ae anchored on the Malaysian Malay majority making up the 58,000 electorate. It is how the MM will decide at the August 26 polling booth which will determine the eventual outcome.
Hence the overwhelmingly dominant issue is on Saiful Bukhari Azlan's sodomy charge against Anwar, wuth the government-taped TV coverage of Saiful's swearing before FT mosque imam Ramlang Porigi being played to death to run the former DPM's image down -- as someone not fit to be Prime Minister (as was former PM DR Mahathir Mohamad's main weapon to kill off his deputy's political career a decade earlier.) Hence also the constant challneges by the PM and DPM to Anwar to also swear his innocence of Saiful's charge.
A late arrival by Ramlang inperson at Permatang Pauh late Sunday night was a real salvo by Anwar's camp, much helped by royal Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, to destroy UMNO's chief platform to disgrace Anwar.
Other issues the BN -- chiefly UMNO as there is a conspicious absence of other component party leaders; maybe the MCA and MIC et al kakis have good intelligence that this time around, ABSENCE MAKES THE (VOTERS') HEARTS GROW FONDER!-- had campaigned on are:
** That the recent arrests of two Perak State Exco, from PKR, for corrupt pratices, and hence charging that the Opposition coalition leaders also are not free of corruption.
*** That the Government's recent 15-sen reduction in petrol price shows the Govvernment's concern about the Rakyat's interests relating to inflation and the rising prices of fuel and transportation, and essential goods.
Anwar at his ceramah campaigned on the theme of MERDEKA (FREEDOM) from Oppression, Crime and Corruption.
In responses to BN's allegations and claims, Anwar used wit and humour to state that:
* the act of swearing by Saiful, or by any "criminal" on the Quran would not prove the swearer's innocence of wrong-doing. If this is how a criminal proves his innocence, a rapist aor murderer could just get away by taking an oath before a Holy book? Then al criinals will just get away by swearing using the Qran as Saiful did, he added.
** That if there was anyone the Rakayt should tahnk for the 15-sen petrol price reduction, it would be the PKR candidate in the PP by-election, ie. DSAI-lah, grinning his boyish grin. And receiving applause that naturally followed.
Anwar also lamented that the Rakyat are suffering because of the high crime rates and people do not feel safe anymore.
But the worst enemy is still the CORRUPTION among the Government leaders, resulting in huge wastages and seepages of the Governent's funds meant for the country's development and promoting the Rakyat's wellbeing.
In conculsion, my take is that only "dity tricks" up in the league of past US presidential Dick Nixonian proportions could achieve victory fo BN's Arif Shah, and he should then take Saiful into his chamber, open up the champagne botol, perhaps other orifices.
Yes, my reading is that SDAI would definitely march into Parliament, but this time around with a reduced majority, smaller than the 13,338 votes obtaned by his wife last March 8. My rediction is the ex-DPM would win by a 10,000 majority, decent enought to "effect" the cross-overs of the BN patliamentarians. (+++++ I will run fellow scribe KIM QUEK's piece on this subjevct later. Stay Tuned!:)
Come August 26, now less than two crucial days away, it is not just the fate of ONE PARLIAMENT SEAT at stake for de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim; in the balance is the much anticipated "cross-overs" to immediate follow when by a minimum of 30 Barian Nasional MPs from Sabah and Sarwak will join the PR coalition of DAP. PAS and PKR, to be able to form an alternative Federal Government. If it transpires, and it does, it would have to happen before Merdeka Day on Aug 31, 2008, marking the first aftermath second wave after March 8 GE 2008 tsunami swing against the seemingly invncible BN, which for the first time, lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Let me urge the VOTERS of Permatang Pauh to ponder:
All that is necessary for the triumph
of evil is that good men do nothing.-- Edmund Burke
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NO CHOICE BUT TO MARCH INTO PUTRAJAYA
By Kim Quek
August 25, 2008
How will future historians fifty or a hundred years from now look at Permatang Pauh in relation to Malaysia ? Will it be like Gettysburg to USA , or Yenan to the new China – famous names that evoke memories of major turning points in the history of nations?
The answer depends on how the people in Permatang Pauh will vote in the by-election on August 26, 2008 . Not whether Anwar Ibrahim will be returned as a Member of Parliament, but whether the electorate will give Anwar a decisive margin of victory that can be taken as an endorsement of his plan to take over power from the crumbling and decadent Barisan Nasional (BN).
If Anwar wins by a convincing majority – despite BN waging the dirtiest of election campaigns in memory against him – then he will be well poised to formalize the cross-over of disenchanted Barisan Nasional MPs who share the aspirations of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and are now waiting for such a moment to make the switch. With BN already in an advanced stage of disintegration and decadence while the economy is fast sinking amidst public fury and distrust, the anticipated cross-over, once triggered, will turn into a torrent that will sweep PR into power.
DISINTEGRATING BN
Since the March 8 general elections, BN, which is a grouping of 14 racial parties, has already lost its traction as a coalition. Satellite parties like MCA, Gerakan, MIC have made scathing attacks against the dominant core party UMNO, blaming the latter’s racial arrogance and hegemony for the collapse of their popular support within their own individual racial groupings. They have asked for drastic changes of UMNO’s policy – changing from master-servant relationship to genuine partnership of mutual respect and equitable sharing – so as to enable them to recoup their lost support. However, UMNO has instead moved in the opposite direction. It has intensified its racial agenda in an apparent attempt to consolidate and expand its core support – the Malay voters, at the expense of support from other races.
This strategy is no doubt driven by the recognition that UMNO still enjoys considerable Malay support, especially in the rural areas, while BN has little hope of regaining support of other races from Pakatan Rakyat, which advocates a pro-rakyat policy within the framework of egalitarianism under the Constitution.
The evolving scenario is polarization of political development – an increasingly ethnocentric UMNO relying on repression to preserve its political and racial hegemony on one side versus an unrelenting multi-racial reform movement that vows to foster national unity, restore democracy and rule of law and re-vitalise the sagging economy.
We thus see a struggling racist UMNO, hanged on to it by subservient racial parties which are now propped up by leaders with vested interests in the government but are badly emaciated by disappearing grassroots. If a general election is held today, it is not an exaggeration to say that the race based parties in the Peninsular – MCA, Gerakan, MIC - will be completely routed.
The scenario in Sabah and Sarawak is somewhat different where BN’s coalition partners are mostly native-based parties and where Pakatan Rakyat has not established a strong foothold. Their grouses are mainly regional marginalization and failure to honour the 1963 Malaysia Pact (which grants them equal partnership with Peninsular Malaysia) by the UMNO-dominated federal government. The Sabahans, who have been plagued by illegal immigrants that now outnumber the locals, have attributed their widespread poverty and under-development and severe social unrest to willful negligence and exploitation by the federal government. Many leaders have quietly planned or contemplated to cross over to PR for a more equitable deal.
Meanwhile the backbone of BN, UMNO, is at its weakest in history. It is bereft of political idealism, badly fragmented by power struggle under a feeble leader, and its body politic critically corroded by a political malignancy that has almost become synonymous with UMNO – money politics.
RIPE FOR CROSS-OVER
It is not difficult to see that Putrajaya is ripe for the picking by Anwar, since many BN leaders, including those from UMNO, are ready to jump ship from this Titanic, having sighted the inescapable iceberg ahead. All that is needed now is a clarion call from the electorate in Permatang Pauh in the form of an emphatic majority to enable Anwar to embark on this historical mission.
But will the electorate of Permatang Pauh oblige? Perhaps this question should be answered by another question: is there an alternative? What will happen if Anwar fails to win a convincing majority and his effort to affect the anticipated cross-over from BN is frustrated?
We will then see an untenable impasse that will put our political and economic future to peril. For BN will continue its current effort to economically strangulate PR-controlled states through cutting off federal funds and canceling development projects, while stepping up repression through unconstitutional manipulation of state institutions - police, attorney general, judiciary, election commission and even the anti-corruption agency – to contain the rapidly growing popular support of PR. Avowed reforms on the judiciary, police and ACA will surely be thrown out of the window, as these reforms are anti-thesis to a repressive regime.
As it is, our economy is already in jeopardy due to mismanagement under a corrupt and inept political leadership that seems to be perpetually pre-occupied with intra-party in-fighting, racial and religious squabbles, and sheer incompetence exhibited in frequent policy flip-flops, massive leakages and irresponsible squandering.
Hence, as tension builds up between BN and PR, the economy will be further jeopardized through undue starving of federal funds and the inevitable shrinking of investments arising from further loss of investors’ confidence as the rule of law continues to slide.
ONLY ONE ALTERNATIVE
This intractable BN-PR deadlock can only be satisfactorily resolved by one of two solutions: either UMNO embarks on a path of genuine reforms to bring the country back to constitutional rule, or PR takes over the government to institute the much needed reforms to turn the country around onto the path of national unity and robust economic growth.
Six months have lapsed since the political tsunami of March 8, and there is no indication that UMNO is willing or capable of carrying out any of such reforms. Hence, there is only one alternative left: PR must march on to Putrajaya without delay.
And the electorate of Permatang Pauh are now entrusted with the sacrosanct duty to make that historical decision on behalf of the nation.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UPDATEd on D-Day:) from cpiasia.net:
Reject Racial Politicking Tactics in Permatang Pauh By-Elections Press Statements Tuesday, 26 August 2008 10:00 Reject Racial Politicking Tactics in Permatang Pauh By-Elections
Will the coming Permatang Pauh by elections turn out to be the lowest point in Malaysian election history in terms of dirty electioneering, despicable campaign standards and sophisticated election rigging and vote buying?
We, the undersigned civil society organizations and all fair minded Malaysians hope not. However feedback from our observers as well as from many others at the ground level is indicating that there is a real possibility of this happening. Party leaders of the contesting parties may claim that they are waging a fair campaign. However the onus is on them to not only exercise full control over their respective election personnel and machineries to compete fairly but also to immediately repudiate whatever unethical behavior or unacceptable activities that are engaged in by their party supporters or proxies.
As civil society organizations that are not aligned to any political party and in our role as the watchdogs of democratic norms, we are concerned that our elections are far from free and fair and conform to international good practice. In particular, we call on - especially to the parties in the Barisan Nasional and to the candidate, Dato Ariff Shah Omar Shah, himself - to dissociate themselves from racially and religiously divisive messages that are appearing in printed form, short message service (SMS) and in private speeches aimed at voters – especially those that play up the fears of one ethnic group against another.
Such attempts at crude racial politicking and the use of inflammatory and racially distorted content to win votes need to be condemned by not only the contesting parties and candidates but also by other stakeholders. In this respect, the mainstream mass media has an important role to play in reporting on the election action and developments on the ground in a fair, unbiased and neutral way. Not only should equal and balanced coverage be extended to the campaigns of the two candidates but the press should also be a scrupulously accurate and honest monitor reporting any unethical or unacceptable form of electioneering and exposing the use of dirty tricks or extremist manipulation of racial and religious issues, whether this comes from the PR or BN camps.
It is not only the people of Permatang Pauh that are watching to see if a fair and honestly conducted elections will take place: one that focuses on real and substantive issues of local economic and social development and on the best choice of candidate and party to address the many issues of poverty, rising cost of living and lack of opportunities for upward mobility that many voters face. All Malaysians and a large interested international community are also watching.
*Endorsed by:*
1. All Women's Action Society (AWAM) 2. Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) 3. Center for Policy Initiatives (CPI) 4. Institute for Research and Social Advancement (REFSA) 5. Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT) 6. Labor Resource Center (LRC) 7. Malaysia Youth And Student democratic movement (DEMA) 8. National Institute of Electoral Integrity (NIEI) 9. Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower) 10. Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS) 11. Pusat Khidmat Pekerja Tanjung (PKPT) 12. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) 13. Youth for Change (Y4C)
A press buddy and Desi will leave to where the Merdeka Mission is being pursued vigorously by Malaysians who care -- Permatang Pauh voters on August 26 will carry a super-load of decision-making. This is just days before we celebrate 51 years of Merdeka. But have we the ordinary folks named Ahmad, Ah Chong, Arumugam, Sabarie Ton or Sarakie Tan really achieved independence in the true sense of being Malaysian?
Permatang Pauh is a key turning point in nation-building. PP "V"OTERS will have a change to CHANGE the federal govvernment if they are unhappy with the present state of national affairs. Then "V"ote Sdr Anwar Ibrahim.
If you are happy with Barisan Nasional, what can Desi say? Don't come out to "V"ote at all for you only perpetuate that slide towards the ABYSS. That's no way to celebrate Merdeka!
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Meanwhile, since I am away for two to three days, I need some help from my Esteemed Readers. Please do some rumination about the nation's state of affairs -- where are we now and where are we headed. Do a little essay of at least 300 words and Email it to chongyl2000@yahoo.com. (Check out some sample essays at last year's MERDEKA ESSAY SERIES at this Blog in the few days before August 31, 2007. Cheers, happy write/rite!:)
If it's up to YL's taste, I will run it at two websites! at MBH, which stands for MY BLUE H'AVEN and at cpiasia.net! I may even send ye a SIRPRISE Mderdeka gift of Midnight Voices. A signed kopi is worth 1,000 more than the price you paid for one last 365daes (REF: July 7, 2007 Post:) On shy AnakMerdeka still has not collected her autographed kopi from MenKee, where the men are charitable, the women demure and the YoungOnes? -- many are Young&Articulate -- read johnlee's writes eh ... YouthSpeak
at cpiasia.net!
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TEAser Post from last August's writHing by YL-Desi, the Jurassic hound?:)
Monday, August 20, 2007 Merdeka 50th Anniversary, art thou in celebratory mood?
YL Chong , the newshound in me, is in a pensive mood. (The journalist by definition is rooted in harsh reality and must deal with facts and reasons, and rationales, mousey also can, though some dis-membered ones choose to do PR and spinning -- Contrast with Desi in me, often in optimistic vibration out of a creative writer's bent, also often high on drugs iunduced by an vivid mind on overdrive and an inflamed heart, not in danger as long as it's oxygenated with my soulmate's vibes ringing in tandem.)
I feel so much negativity in the Malaysian airspace -- reinforced by my outing to Putrajaya a few days back to hear the former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speak at length -- and things aren't that lifting to prod the "creative"-in-Desi to join the much-touted high-budget Government-funded celebrations.
Indicators like the well-propped Bursa Malaysia (former Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange) and Bank Negara's gross domestic product forecast of 6% being sustainable were sudenly handed a rude awakening last week when the US sub-prime rates turmoil triggered by rising mortgage defaults sent shock-waves across the seven seas. No, Bursa Malaysia could not exclude itself from the international fallout, and our nation's leaders'd better open up their sleepy eyes that all's not honky-dory in the borderless trading place. When the United States or China farts, the totten smell affects all the rest of the marts.
And what is Desi's heading towards just 10 days before the Big Day?
And this relates to a question posed by Y&A blogger conversationist-host @kyels.com -- another Poet-ass-pirant like Desi -- what's in store this time around. At my post of August 16, she queried:
"Off topic, Desi are you doing any Merdeka writing project this year?";)
By kyels, at 11:26 AM
The University student enjoying a final year of wayward wind at Nottingham Forest campus nestled safe and sane off Kuala Lumpur wolfish limits still remembers Desi's tradition of marking the nation's milestones with an ESSAY SERIES, encompassing contributiions from fellow Bloggers (yes, undegraduate Kye Koi Lee took part in the past two ESSAY SERIES consecutively:).
My INTRO to the post today prefaces the decision, that it won't be a celebaratory outing with optimism and dancing in the air. It's a sobering and reflective review period of NegaraKu -- and unfortunately, I seem to agree with most of my fellow writers in Blogosphere that the nation as it approaches 50 is in a state of much disrepair.
When Pak Lah, a fatherly term of endearment as the Tun Dr Mahathir-successor would like Malaysians to call him, took over the reins of government in November 2003, there was indeed a palpable air of optimism among the citizenry with the new Prime Minister's "Walk With Me" exhortations as he pronounced commitments to fight corruption, promote an open and accountable government, build trust and confidence amog the Rakyat as each and every individual is called on to foster a "caring" society.
But nearing four years later, Desi in all honesty could not give the Government of the day a "performing" or even "passeable" grade in an accountable administration and governance. It is a "Fail" grading, and signs are that it will continue to slide with the same "weak", often clueless leadership. When Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sounded his clarion call to work with him, not for him, I -- and many fellow Malaysians IU believe -- initially took him at his word responded cooperatively,and sincerely gave him a chance to prove his worth.
But like the facade of the "everything's fine in the economy" was cracked last week by the "happening" in the United States, some states of euphoria are fragile and a fiction created by marketeers not much different from the sidewalk medsin pedlars. "Yes, give me your millions, and I have a cure for your wracking stomach cancer!" Solutions to the nation's ills all neatly wrapped up in small, magic bottles, packaged in Jinjang New Village or Kg Dengkil or Porta de Pandamaran.
But the Age of the Internet and Information Technology is a merciless, fast-changing environment where a product or service earning US Dollars like agolden goose soon becomes a lame duck if the product inventor does not tune his/her ears to the ground and keeps up with quantume-leap changes at the marketplace. The controversial Proton national car project, the rape of the hills and tmbler in several states, and the several Port fiascos in the making -- like the Port Klang Free Zone white elephant ocsting RM4.6billion now, still rising! -- have not yet seen the closing chapters.
No, there is not much to celebrate about come August 31, 2007 because if we join in the Government's huigh-budget festivities, we might becoime accompices to an undeserving outing. Desi is reluctant to become an accessory or bit-actor; aweays, he aspires to be his own role-player. Never join the herd in follow-the-leader mode, as many retail investors burnt at the Bursa Malaysia stakes the previous few days would tell you if they were honest -- many parted with their pants, if not the under-wear. The international marketplace does not heed the wise words of the PM, or the wisecracks, of his Cabinet members like ... (No-lah, let's not name names to craete another NameWee diversion, to let them contoniue with their shortterm euphoric outings. Come September, Rip van Winkles would wake up to new realities, icluding some bllion-ringgit bills and IOUs waiting on the horizon.)
In place of the ESSAY SERIES, to my dear EsteemedReaders hear, I will give thee some thing else to chew on. In Thinking Mode. And Chow. we can still adjourn with our buddies for a roast lamb outing, beef Satay plus my Haridas' tehtarik ta-pau-ed from Furong, or chilled C&W Rut Bir. Are we rendezwoo-ing at Centrail Market, Kuala Lumpur, or Seremban? The former is wolfish, and the latter is as placid as a lamb. Or Li'l Red Riding Hood, out for a cool excursion to mark 50th Merdeka coming-and-going from out of Sherwood Forest. I still prefer the innocent euphoria of Robin Hood ala Howsy, Maverick, AnakMerdeka, and his Merry Men; johnleemk, sabrina tan, theels and kyels, and like-minded dancing Maids Marian, Mime, Nicole, and mayhaps, Jeanne.
seeks solace in the arms of a fellow man/woman/childe as he seeks love in an ocean of hatred and spite
neighbours maketh lie of the successful man out of envy so he lands up in court on trumped up charges
fridae's childe knows not what sodomy is seeks BIG brother's counsel he taketh the lamb by his hand graspeth his waist from behind and torpedoeth the orifice
"that, my childe, is sodome4you so ask no such silly question no more
fridae's childe now cowers in a corner fellow BIG brother is no brother he's worse than the dog next door it does it with a bitch
here BIG brother does it to a childe and he sayeth that's alright he's teaching the ignoramus younger brother
so coincidentally the sinner sweareth with hand on the Holy Book "I only did it because he asked for a demo I can't say I don't no that would be a sin cos I know, I learnt it from another BIGGER brother's demo when I ask to join PemudahUMNO-oh-No!"
so coincidentally Desi looketh out of Permatang Pauh window tonight i hear the BIGGER brother sayethDAfool "Now I see the light. Coincidentally an angel landed on my shoulder assures me I'd be alright when I last swore on the Holy Book the inside pages were missing, it's only da cover Furthermore, the Imam was my politikus neighbour an Imom in disguise..."
FROM dinmerican.wordpress.com:
Posted by: dinobeano | August 21, 2008
Si Penipu Najib: Pengundi-Pengundi Permatang Pauh berhati hati
written by PAKRAK, August 20, 2008
BREAKING NEWS!!!
We have all been taken for a ride again!
THE QUESTIONABLE “IMAM MASJID” AT SAIFUL’S SWEARING ON SODOMY IS AN UMNO MEMBER FROM PERMATANG PAUH!
THE “IMAM” PRESENT AT THE SWEARING BY SAIFUL IS RAMLANG BIN PORIGI.
RAMLANG BIN PORIGI IS NOT THE IMAM BESAR OF THE FEDERAL TERRITORY MOSQUE.
THE NAME OF THE IMAM LISTED IN THE FEDERAL TERRITORY MOSQUE IS TN. HJ. ABDUL MALEK BIN SALLEH, IMAM BESAR. TEL: 03-62018780. RAMLANG BIN PORIGI aka Ramlan Poochee IS ONLY: PEMBANTU HAL EHWAL ISLAM (ISLAMIC AFFAIRS ASSISTANT) MASJID WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN.
The Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi AlHadhari AlKepalabatasi must be held responsible by the Council of Malay Rulers for playing politics with and discrediting Islam. It is too much to expect the so-called religious authorities and muftis to criticise him since the Prime Minister is using our hard earned money (via taxation) to pay their salaries and perks. To prove that I am wrong in my assessment, they should now collectively speak up against political interference in Islam.—Din Merican
I was disturbed when I read this at NEW.com.au early this morning. I have seen similar acts in my homeland too. Sinseh, bomoh, the witch doctor, and what have yous -- rimes with IOUs -- promising "miracle" cures to people in desperation who would want to believe anything at all. As the saying goes/went, a drowning man would clutch at a straw. You can sympathise with the victims, but this SINGER? Or should it be this SINNER? I don't know. I see images of this "pastor" among Malaysian politicians, social activists (You lucky enough to have bumped into any around? -- the smooth talking one prefixed by a Tan Si or Latuk with a Latin by his side? I hope you had a bakGOODteh or NaziLemak or HailamMeeSoup on him/her/inbetween!)
Pastor Michael Guglielmucci spun gospel of lies
By Kim Wheatley August 21, 2008 12:57am
Pastor told congregation he had cancer Recorded hit song Healer to inspire people He's a fraud - but he's getting help HE preached to thousands about his terminal illness and tugged at hearts with a hit song.
The problem is the pastor wasn't dying at all.
Michael Guglielmucci, who inspired hundreds of thousands of young Christians with his terminal cancer "battle", has been exposed as a fraud.
Guglielmucci, whose parents established Edge Church International, an Assemblies of God church at O'Halloran Hill in Adelaide's southern suburbs, now is seeking professional help.
Earlier this year, Mr Guglielmucci released a hit song, Healer , which was featured on Sydney church Hillsong's latest album.
The song debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA charts.
It since has become an anthem of faith for believers, many of whom are suffering their own illness and were praying for a miracle for Mr Guglielmucci, who has claimed for two years to be terminally ill.
In one church performance that has attracted 300,000 hits on YouTube, he performs his hit song with an oxygen tube in his nose.
It appears Mr Guglielmucci, who was a pastor with one of Australia's biggest youth churches, Planetshakers, may even have deceived his own family.
"This news has come as a great shock to everyone including, it seems, his own wife and family," Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian said in an email to his congregation yesterday.
"Michael has confirmed that he is not suffering with a terminal illness and is seeking professional help in Adelaide with the support of his family. We are asking our church to pray for the Guglielmucci family during this difficult time."
The Advertiser was told last night Mr Guglielmucci may release a statement on the situation.
The Australian Christian Church said Mr Guglielmucci's credentials immediately were suspended once he told the national executive that his cancer claims were "untrue".
"The national executive is taking this matter very seriously and is awaiting the results of medical tests before determining the full extent of the discipline that will be imposed upon him," vice president Alun Davies said.
"We are very concerned for the many people who have been or will be hurt by Michael's actions.
"We encourage all of our churches to pray for all those affected."
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DESI: I APologise if I started the day on a moUrnful rack; the rain had just stopped, the sun's rays are appearing. I think the dark clouds will blow over, and VVee will have a niCe die! GB!:)
http://malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11617/84/ where RPK resides cyber-phorically: How little our leaders know Posted by Super Admin Thursday, 21 August 2008 13:58
Trust not these religious people. Many are fakes and phoneys. The Quran says these people will sell their religion for money. This is not what I say. This is what the Quran says. And would the Quran lie?
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is upset that some Blogggers are showing ‘disrespect’ by flying the Malaysian flag upside down. Actually, flying the flag upside down is internationally accepted as a sign of distress, not a mark of disrespect.
What the Prime Minister does not know is that Malaysia has been showing disrespect to our flag for more than 50 years. Amongst some of these displays of disrespect are:
1. The flag should never be used for any advertising purposes. 2. The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speaker’s desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. 3. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. 4. The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organisations. 5. The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
There are of course much more but these five above already demonstrates in what way Malaysia has been disrespectful to the Jalur Gemilang. So what’s with this anger towards flying the flag upside down, which is allowed, when Malaysia, in fact, has acted disrespectfully to the flag since the time of Merdeka.
On the matter of whether swearing on the Quran is allowed by Islam or, in fact, violates Islamic teachings, since the so-called religious scholars appear divided on what is right and what is wrong, allow me to refer to the Quran, which is supposed to be the main guiding light for all Muslims.
In an earlier article (Inventing new religious rituals ), I already explained that even the Prophet’s wife, Aisha, was not asked to swear on the Quran that she is innocent of the allegation of adultery. If the Prophet himself did not condone the act of swearing on the Quran, where then did this deviant practice come from?
What did happen is that the Prophet received a revelation from God about what to do to either confirm or dispel allegations of sexual misconduct. You can read this in Surah 24 (An-Nur) of the Quran.
And as to what to do in the event of a dispute when two people say opposite things, which means one of them is lying, you can refer to Surah 3 (Al ‘Imran) Verse 61 of the Quran which explains it very clearly.
The trouble with these so-called religious people is that they are trying to gain political mileage with the sodomy issue in the hope that Anwar Ibrahim may see a much-reduced majority in the 26 August 2008 Permatang Puah by-election, or, better still, lose the election. They are therefore twisting what Islam says in the hope that the simple-minded Malay voters in Permatang Pauh can be fooled.
The Quran has warned us about such people. ‘Religious people’ since time immemorial have been exploiting and distorting religion for monetary gain as well as to attain power. Religious people are very dangerous. They know they have the confidence of the majority of the people who are not only simple-minded but place great trust on people perceived as ‘men of God’.
This is not only a problem in Islam but in all religions as well. Trust not these religious people. Many are fakes and phoneys. The Quran says these people will sell their religion for money. This is not what I say. This is what the Quran says. And would the Quran lie when the Quran is regarded by Muslims as the word of God?
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(Bernama, 20 August 2008) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has described the action of a blogger in calling on his blogsite followers to fly the national flag upside down as a sign of protest, as evil. He said flying the Jalur Gemilang upside down could not be regarded as an act of mischief alone but a despicable one, what more with Malaysia about to celebrate its 51st independence anniversary.
"This is uncouth behaviour, showing no respect at all for the national flag. What is there to be angry with the Malaysian flag?" he said after officiating at the Third Scouts International Peace Jamboree, here Wednesday. "If there are Malaysians who want to take up the idea that came from the pro-opposition blogger, they are insulting this important national symbol (flag)," he said.
Abdullah said the blogger came up with the idea to fly the national flag upside down hoping that others would follow suit, without thinking of the implications. "It's all in the blog...only he can do a good job. He's simply creating trouble by coming up with dubious stories," he said. : : :
TO READ MORE , you lazy BUMmers!... >>> Go to :http://malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11617/84/
and Nitty-Gritty of Life. A Writer's Work -- like that of a Cowboy/gal -- Is Never Done.
And I learn lots from theSun's columnists like R Nades and his compatriot T Fernandes, so there is HOPE yet for the Fourth Estate. I keep coming back to this estate for that's where my heart lies, mostly. I also lie elsewhere. Just white. Not black. Okay, shades of grey, as one good buddy who had passed on now for some two years -- Chiaroscuro. Whene I first encountered C, I looked up the meaning of da word, it's deep and profound, so I share with thee. See, I'm also charitable although Yesterday I was mean. Yes, a writer's work is never done, so any Young&Ariculate who wants to make BIG bucks like becoming a billionaire-by-27, journalism is not for you! Join te MCA Youth wing. two Lings junior makthe up for one senior past shelf-life. If you know not what I mean, ask Joshua, for he tracks the goings-on of the ilk of Dr Ng Yen Yen, Ong Tee Keat and Dr Chua Soi Lek well. So in recognition of this Josh, by gosh! he's a blogger!:) here comes a short that leads to along, with gems of a lesson for Politikus for ex-minister, current minister and minister wannabes. Include even minister of the cloth -- black, white or inbetween. Colour does not discrimate between Truth and Integrity. Just remember to paint your ministerial and palatial glass doors and windows COMPLEATLY BLACK when you strip down, for thyself, thy pardner, or for that video camwhore. Sdr citizen-nades has counselled: People living in glass houses should not throw stones. Any counsel from Desi? Yes, just don't strip. Wear your birthday suit awe-year-round. Desi's no sex counsellor -- that you need ex-Senator w'ile an Oz PR! I am just a blardy writHer trying darnd hard to earn some moolah, though I am a pig -- MCP, remeber? -- now a coww:(
from takenotetakeheart.blogspot.com:
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Who else will migrate?
Not too long ago, Mahathir confessed that he would migrate...
Besides Dr M, there is someone else. Handpicked by Dr M when he was the PM, she was the FIRST CHINESE WOMAN who became the deputy finance minister...
Such betrayal.
Chinese woman, are you going to stay on and fight for the Chinese? Sorry, I forgot. That's not important. Chinese still fight against each other until today. So, no point. There is no such thing as a Chinese cause in Malaysia. Not anymore.
So, you had better leave Malaysia for your children's education sake. By the way, why should you go Down Under? Not proud to be a Chinese? For context, please read Sun2Surf *****here (last para).
***** follows, from the CPI website -- cpiasia.net -- reproducing from theSun:) What’s morally wrong with the truth? Media Monitor Written by The Sun Wednesday, 20 August 2008 10:55 document.write(parent.prscreen) What’s morally wrong with the truth? By R Nadeswaran, Columnist, theSun
Monday, 18 Aug 2008
BEFORE this column was written, the opinion of learned friends was sought as this newspaper does not want a mob outside its office. Could this scribe, a beer-drinking and bak kut teh loving person, write on a word that some believe is exclusively theirs? Would such a comment be against the rule of the religion? Would some religious zealot decree that those who used the word be subjected to the order given out on Salman Rushdie? Ordinarily, such thoughts would be described as "over-acting", but in times when mobs are allowed to rule under the watchful eyes of those in power, it is better to be safe than sorry. So, consultation was done. We had an assurance from at least five fellow Malaysians who are Muslims, including my colleague Zainon Ahmad, that we can touch on the issue of jihad – not the holy war but on a pronouncement by the former women and family development minister and defeated Lembah Pantai member of Parliament, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
Last week, she declared a jihad against an individual whom she said should not be given the chance to destroy the country’s political stability and prosperity. No one would have a quarrel with such a stand. After all, everyone has a right to declare war on anything. For that matter, the government had previously declared war on drugs, resulting in harsh penalties being imposed on traffickers and pushers.
So, while her jihad or war is against an individual, would it be more beneficial if our resources and efforts are directed at a bigger problem, if not the biggest problem facing our nation and its future?
We wonder if Shahrizat would make a similar stand on corruption and other immoral and unethical conduct which have afflicted our society. Such a war would certainly help the authorities to wipe out corruption. After all, the Corruption Perception Index does little to flatter the egos of those who claim that "we have won the war on corruption". Besides, she has the numbers behind her which she can mobilise to ensure that her jihad succeeds.
The Anti-Corruption Agency’s education unit can provide enough material to use in the jihad and more importantly, it would break all religious and racial barriers with people from all walks of life who view corruption as damaging the basic fabric of our society.
This may not be asking too much because time, effort and money spent on fighting an individual would be more useful in fighting something even our prime minister has commented about. Over to you, Datuk Seri Shahrizat.
TALKING about morality, Shahrizat’s successor at the ministry has sent out the wrong message by making a public stand that leaders should not be judged on their standards of morality. And if such a stand makes up part of her values, then it is all right to engage in other immoral acts such as corruption, dishonesty and misuse of power. Using the argument, then we as taxpayers and voters have no right to question or judge those who indulge in corrupt practices.
More than 25 years ago, this scribe interviewed prominent Pulitzer Prize winner, US journalist and columnist Jack Anderson, over Voice of America radio. He rose to fame exposing the antics of rogue politicians. His roguish techniques included eavesdropping, spiriting away classified documents, rifling through garbage and sometimes blatant threats – methods he defended as justified in his lifetime campaign to keep government honest.
One of the questions that we asked him was: "Who gives journalists the right to pry into the private affairs of people?"
His reply went something like this: "If your neighbour is having an affair with the gardener, I would call it private. But if we have a Senator who goes around preaching about moral standards and has fathered a child out of wedlock, the journalist has a right to expose him. If you want to be a leader, don’t have skeletons in your cupboard."
We are not in the least suggesting that all our leaders have skeletons in their cupboards, but I was shocked when the minister was quoted as saying: "I do not dare decide or judge someone else’s morality except my own. Can you give me a leader who scores a 100% mark in morality?"
Are we to assume that ALL our leaders will fail a simple morality test or can it be read as indication that we can brace ourselves for more video?
All said and done, Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen has two simple questions to answer. One: Was it morally right on her part to take an oath of allegiance to the King and country when being appointed Senator in the Dewan Negara while being a permanent resident of Australia? She has since said that she did it for the sake of her three children’s education. Then that too has to be answered: Was it morally right to take up PR status just for the sake of her children’s education? Did she not deceive the government of Australia? And more importantly by having one foot Down Under, is she implying that she does not have faith in the country’s future and its education system? People living in glass houses should not throw stones.
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R. Nadeswaran is editor (special and investigative reporting at theSun. He can be reached at citizen-nades@thesundaily.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DESIDERATA: Let Desi go into the barn to see if the horse has bolted. If it has, then this cowboy will sharpen his knife to take care of the pig -- its ooink,ooink has driven away the moo-LAH! It's not good fro Desi still wants his CON BF everyDIE!
