Category: Daily Whatevers

Iniye Deepavali Nal Vathukkal

When you talk about the defence of Johor, you will often hear the term “Segamat Line.”  It is that theoretical line that cuts from the east coast to the west across Segamat.  I shall not elaborate more on that matter, just that I chose this as the title for this posting.

Much has been said about Mat Sabu and his glorification of Mat Indera and the Johor communists that led to youngsters who were still swimming inside their father’s balls when members of the Communist Party of Malaya still went around killing policemen, armed forces personnel, civilians, attacking various places with bombs etc to glorify them as well.  What Mat Sabu did invoked the wrath of the majority of Malays that Nik Aziz saw it fit to raise the Hudud issue again just to put the Malay support slide in check.  Did the PAS central committee sanction Mat Sabu’s script?  I don’t know but I don’t believe so.  His script echoes that of DAP’s Ronnie Liu’s – a cry to glorify Chin Peng and his cohorts back in August 2005.

To me, it was DAP’s script that Mat Sabu used with the intention of splitting the Malay votes in Johor.  It is no secret that Johor is UMNO’s strongest bastion.  You split the Malays there, UMNO is doomed.  DAP Johor, with Boo Cheng Hau as the State Opposition Leader,  is not in the position to take the lead in this process.  Why do I say so?  Despite portraying itself as a multiracial party, DAP is a chinese-based party.  For example, Johor has 3,3 million inhabitants.  1.8 million or 54% are Malays; 1.0 million or 30% are Chinese; 200k or 6% are Indians.  But the composition of DAP’s State Committee has only one Malay committee member and two Indians while the other 12 are Chinese.   This is not limited to Johor only.  The same numbers represent Kedah,  while in other states you can hardly find any Malay committee member.  In DAP’s Central Committee, out of 31 members only two are Malays and three from the Indian diaspora.  In DAP Women Section, the only odd one out of 11 members is an Indian who is only the ASSISTANT Publicity Secretary.  She’s there only for publicity.  In DAPSY, out of 23 members only one is not Chinese.  He is a Sikh, and no, his name is not Jaswan Singh.  So, is DAP in essence a multiracial party?  I leave that to your judgement.

Therefore, using Mat Sabu and his party would definitely help the cause.  But to a certain extent, it backfired.

Enter Gwee Tong Hiang.

Who is Gwee Tong Hiang?  On the 21st June 2008,  His Royal Highness the Sultan of Johor had this to say about Tong Hiang:

“Ada yang kat sini, yang semalam atau yang hari kelmarin, yang menunjuk-nunjuk jaguh, yang tak mahu pakai senonoh, kalau hendak, ini jam keluar kat sini (There are people here, who yesterday or the day before, tried to be heroes by not dressing decently … come out now here).”

Tong Hiang is one of many DAP state assemblymen and Parliamentarians who have trouble memorising the Rukunegara especially Rukuns number 2, 3 and 5.  For those of you having the same problem, please Google it.

Tong Hiang was not a favourite of the Johor DAP State Committee, and when he promoted himself as a GE12 candidate for the Bentayan state seat, B00 Cheng Hau was not at all pleased.  However, being in Lim Guan Eng’s circle, he got his wish.  When he was accused of the improper execution of the sale and purchase of Muar’s Wisma DAP in 2007,  Guan Eng instructed Tong Hiang to bring his 17 accusers to court.

Tong Hiang’s arrogance, along the way, has caused discontent among DAP Muar’s members and many have left him since GE12.  He is dubbed “the Ronnie Liu of Johor” for his purported association with loan sharks and other seedy characters.  Early this year, DAP Bakri was reported to have had around RM60,000 but just after mid-2011, it was left with aroound RM2000 to RM3000 in the bank.  In August of 2011, the DAP Bakri Liaison Committee had its annual election, members who have been told of the financial crisis faced, ousted Tong Hiang as their Chairman.  Finally, in September 2011, Tong Hiang was suspended for six months by DAP’s Disciplinary Committee for improprieties in managing DAP Bakri’s funds.  He was alleged to have issued a party cheque for an amount of RM45,000 for the purchase of a pick-up truck that was registered in his company’s name.  If a BN person did so, I am very sure DAP would have asked for his head for breach of trust, but as expected and as Guan Eng’s henchman in Johor, Tong Hiang was only given the suspension.  Hardly a punishment considering how much party funds he had misused.  To add insult to injury,  the DAP Party Disciplinary Committee Chairman also issued a gag order for members not to make any statement regarding Tong Hiang’s suspension.

Tong Hiang’s latest stunt, holding a press conference claiming that someone from the BN had offered him RM500,000 RM150,000 to jump ship should also be taken with a pinch of salt.  No one sane mind would want to be associated with someone who is under suspension from his own party for the misappropriation of party funds.  I can only deduce that he pulled that stunt to shift the people’s attention away from his misdemeanour.

Therefore, we know now that as the State Committee Chairman, Boo Cheng Hua only controls south of the Segamat line, while the one in control of the north of Johor is Guan Eng.   Perhaps more of those not aligned to Tong Hiang will be ousted in the future.

As for whether Tong Hiang will ever be reported to the authorities for breach of trust and misappropriation of party funds, we’ll wait and see.  But I will definitely not hold my breath.

“Sometimes a brave thing like this is necessary” – Tun Mohammed Hanif bin Omar, former Inspector-General of Police, commenting on the Prime Minister’s speech as it was being delivered to the nation.

I heard the Prime Minister’s 54th Merdeka cum Malaysia Day speech – all 33 paragraphs, on the radio. It is addressing the people’s concerns. When he took over the helm as the Prime Minister of Malaysia in April of 2009, he promised that he would study the Internal Security Act, 1960 comprehensively. Tonight, he announced that the Act itself would be abolished. So would the Banishment Act, 1959, Restricted Residence Act, 1933, and the Printing Presses and Publications Act, 1984. Apart from that, Section 27 of the Police Act, 1967 will be reviewed in the spirit of Article 10 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution.

The ISA will be replaced by an anti-terrorism Act that would only deal with subversive elements and elements of terrorism, and it would not be as sweeping as the ISA was.

How do I feel about it?

We will be celebrating our 48th year as Malaysia, and it is about time Malaysians show some degree in maturity and accountability in the way they write, speak and act. It is time for Malaysians to open up instead of having myopic views about things that do not represent their beliefs, be it personal or political. It is all about self-censorship. It is about nation-building, not nation-demolishing. It is telling us all to stop manipulating each other, or lie about things when we know the truth. It is about standing up not for ourselves, but for the longevity of this nation.

For BERSIH and the Police, it would mean that the rakyat have a better chance at exercising their freedom to assemble, of course within the limits of the law. The application for a permit to assemble has to be submitted to the police beforehand with all the prerequisites met. If they are met, the police will have to issue a permit and ensure that whilst the rights to assemble by one party is being upheld, the right to the use of roads by road users, the right to the peaceful conduct of business or life of others are also protected. If there is a dispute, both parties (organisers and the police) will have to fulfill the requirements of the law by going for a judicial review. The court of law has the final say – definitely not the organisers, definitely not the police.

It also means those who prefer to cause alarm through their seditious words will be dealt with other laws such as the Penal Code or the Sedition Act. Gone will be the days when the Prime Minister could order for the arrest of a journo just because she wrote something he personally did not like, or something to that effect. Journos should also be more responsible with what they write – write facts with a clear head and not driven by emotions. Write facts and not fabricate lies for political mileage and so on.

It also means the cry for the abolishment of the ISA and other laws deemed by the people to be oppressive now no longer need to be continued – as it is time for all of us Malaysians to stop whatever it is that we are doing that is tearing us as one people apart and start thinking collectively as one people instead of claiming that this small group of “we” represent the people as a whole. Remember, there is always two sides to a coin.

It also means the Police will now have more work to do in accordance to whatever laws they have left to guide them. But it would also mean that the Inspector-General of Police would have to educate his men that knowledge of the law is not to be taken lightly. How the absence of certain laws will dictate how our society would behave after today remains to be seen, as would the after-effects of this decision by the Prime Minister.

Ponder upon this – soon after the May 1969 tragedy, Malaysians were more cohesive than they are now. If you truly value this land we call our home, defend it together, not against one another. Use this new-found “freedom” to unite.

Selamat Menghayati Erti Kemerdekaan dan Selamat Mendalami Makna Penubuhan Malaysia.

A friend pointed me to this blog belittling a military tradition. As an ex-military officer, I take offence in this, be it from the Opposition, or from the supporters of the government of the day.

Click Here To See How Stupid This Is

The Cenotaph seen in the video was built by the British Administration to honour the fallen during the First and Second World Wars, and the First Malayan Emergency. It was first located at a roundabout near the old KL Railway Station, and the Masjid Negara. That road was first called VICTORY AVENUE. This cenotaph was moved to the present location near the National Monument in 1964 because of a construction. The construction of our National Monument was commissioned in 1963, and completed in February of 1966. That area was called CENOTAPH ROAD after the First Monument. It now bears a Malay name, JALAN TUGU.

In the video, you see a group of kids from an International school paying respect to the fallen dead – Commonwealth Soldiers whom had fallen protecting this soil during the two world wars, and the First Emergency, while the “Last Post” is played by buglers from the 1st Royal Malay Regiment. This, I’m sure, was taken during WARRIORS DAY to honour the dead.

This nation owes the current peaceful situation to the fallen dead: men and women who were not only Malays, but also Punjabs, Indians, Chinese, Australians, British, New Zealanders and others. This is NOT the only site where the dead are being honoured. The same is being done every year at God’s Little Acre in Taiping, and in Sandakan to honour the Australian soldiers who perished during a forced March by the Japanese to Bongawan.

War knows nothing of colour of skin, the God you hold, the food you eat – buried in this land are Muslims, Jews, Taoists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, what-have-yous; who lost their life so we could live in peace and prosperity. We don’t honour them because they are Muslims or Colonialists, we honour them for the greatest sacrifice that they have done. In the UK, are the names of six Malay men who were lost on board the HMS Banka, a Royal Navy ship that was sunk by the Japanese. They are being honoured annually by the British.

Were we involved during the First World War? There wasn’t much action here in Asia, but in October of 1914, there was the Battle of Penang: the German cruiser Emden sunk the Russian cruiser Zhemchug. 89 crewmen were killed. 82 are buried in Penang. The other seven bodies were never found.

Of course, I don’t expect ignorant keyboard soldiers whom have not spend even a second in His Majesty’s service to understand military tradition. All that ever comes from them are incomprehensible filth. it shows what their brain is made of.

In March 2008, I decided to go diving during the general elections. I was there a few days before voting day. What made me decide to spend my time on the island was the braggadocio of UMNO personalities, some of whom got very personal and attacked my father in the mainstream media. I had left UMNO 3 years prior to that so I could remain my personal self. But I returned the eve of voting day to vote for my then ADUN from MCA because I believe he did a good job. Alas, he suffered a great defeat at the hands of a newcomer from DAP not because the latter is good, but MCA suffered from the braggadocio mentioned above. I am sure we have ALL not forgotten the keris-wielding issue; the constant barking at committee members of BN’s component parties by people whose head got so big because the then-Prime Minister was asleep on the job, and they thought a certain someone would be a big-enough umbrella to protect them.

“PADAN DENGAN MUKA (serves you right)”

That was my reaction when I woke up on 9th March 2008, and I’m sure many UMNO members felt the same then. As bitter sweet as it was, it was a wake-up call for those whom had been silent to start kicking out filth from the BN. And before any of you PR-sympathizers can say anything, I’ll say it for you:

“THERE WAS A HELL LOT OF FILTH TO BE KICKED OUT”

Of course, a broom does not sweep 100% efficiently, some dust remain.

When Najib took over the helm, I see some changes being done; but this positive trend is, from time to time, dragged down by characters that did not get to be swept by the broom. Despite not getting swept by the broom or appointed to any Deputy Ministerial post, Khairy Jamaluddin is like that accumulated dust that gets longer by the day, rearing its ugly head every now and then when the wind blows strong enough in its direction.

Several weeks ago, while the rest of the Malaysian Twitter world was discussing an important topic, Khairy (or KJ as he is known) decided to take on the extra-terrestrial TV-channel provider, ASTRO, claiming the fee charged is exorbitant compared to the service provided. When I pointed out to him that there are more pressing matters that he, as the UMNO Youth Chief and a Member of Parliament, should be addressing, he blew up and said that ASTRO is of interest to the rakyat. I love the thought process that goes through that empty shell sitting on his neck. Maybe he ought to remember that there is always free terrestrial TV available 24/7, and all they have to do is pay for the electricity bill. ASTRO is a luxury, not a necessity. If you cannot afford it, don’t subscribe to it.

I have been Tweeting since 2009, but I kept my tweets private because I use it as a form of communication with relatives. I started addressing “national” issues during the recent Sarawak State Elections. After BERSIH2.0, I made my tweets public. In engagements with politicians from the Opposition, I find that when they get cornered, they block you. Well, there have you: the advocates for freedom of speech. The politicians from UMNO, however, are mostly quiet because although they have a Twitter account, their Blackberry is mostly for sending SMS. Yes, I still believe that UMNO politicians are still trapped in that Buku Hijau period, and probably still think that public phones (which you can hardly find anymore) still have buttons ‘A’ and ‘B.’. For the benefit of those born after 1975, this is what I am talking about:

Telefon Awam jenis A/B courtesy of Everything Kuala Lumpur

Anyway, for KJ, whenever he gets cornered, or is about to get cornered, he will unleash his dogs. Let us take yesterday’s episode. Early yesterday, he and Zaki Zahid were talking about Lim Kit Siang’s demand that the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reforms be headed by a MP from the Opposition. I could see that there was a ding dong of this issue and it looked like it was going nowhere. So I interjected by saying:

The PSC should be co-chaired by an ex-General of the Armed Forces, and an ex-IGP

Of course there was no reply. Then later in the day, the MIC Youth’s Secretary, Sivaraajh Chandran, got his membership suspended for questioning the party President’s decision to admit the three Gerakan Anti-Samy members and reinstate them to their former MIC posts which is a breach of party constitution. When something goes wrong in a household, whom do you expect to handle the problem if not family members themselves, right?

WRONG! According to KJ, he has every right to barge into MIC’s affairs and dictate. The following are the tweets pertaining to this fray:

Khairykj Khairy Jamaluddin
Jadi Menteri terus bunuh bakat muda? Wassup @GPalanivel? RT @mkini_bm: Setiausaha Pemuda MIC digantung 12 bulan

SangSapurba Wan Mohd Shahrir
Eloknya @Khairykj tak perlu campur urusan dalam MIC.

Khairykj Khairy Jamaluddin
@SangSapurba Saya Pengerusi Pemuda Barisan Nasional. Faham?

SangSapurba Wan Mohd Shahrir
@Khairykj ok faham, cuma harap jgn jadi tikus membaiki labu. Good luck!

seademon John F SeaDemon
@Khairykj I think it would be wiser for you to speak personally to @GPalanivel together with @TMohan18 instead

SangSapurba is a lawyer from Pahang who is an active UMNO member, while TMohan18 is the MIC Youth Chief. KJ did not take this advice kindly:

Khairykj Khairy Jamaluddin
@seademon And I think it would be wiser for to understand that Parliamentary Select Committee only for MPs not ex-Generals

seademon John F SeaDemon
@Khairykj really? And what has that got to do with your barging in on MIC’s internal problems?

Khairykj Khairy Jamaluddin
@seademon Haha. Oh, if it were that simple. Just telling you to know your stuff before advising ppl this & that.

seademon John F SeaDemon
@Khairykj and it’s condescending tone like yours towards other parties that cost BN the 5 states

Khairykj Khairy Jamaluddin
@seademon There are different ways and means of putting something across. You assume I haven’t made calls to find out what’s going on.

seademon John F SeaDemon
@Khairykj ah! The all too powderful Pengerusi Pemuda BN, eh? Your phone is obviously for tweeting only. You could’ve called @GPalanivel

seademon John F SeaDemon
I assume nothing. Remember this tweet? RT @Khairykj Jadi Menteri terus bunuh bakat muda? Wassup @GPalanivel?

There was no reply from him. I asked again:

seademon John F SeaDemon
@Khairykj so did you call @GPalanivel BEFORE or AFTER you made that tweet?

Again, there was no response. Not long after, enter the dogs of whore:

Edzfahmi edzrul fahmi Mohamed
@seademon @Khairykj @GPalanivel Ko nak gag order YB KJ ke seademon? Kang kata PPUM takda taring pulak. Pemuda kena bersuara lantang.

seademon John F SeaDemon
@Edzfahmi @Khairykj bersuara lantang against who? Eh, why am I talking to you?

I did not see the need to entertain this dog.

Edzfahmi edzrul fahmi Mohamed
@Khairykj @seademon Macam la MIC ada nilai tambah pon. Sedemon u barking up the wrong tree la.

daxmuhamad dax muhamad
@Khairykj @seademon dont see why kj cant air his views on matter.

seademon John F SeaDemon
@daxmuhamad @Khairykj now what if someone from another component party for whatever reason does the same to @NajibRazak ?

Edzfahmi edzrul fahmi Mohamed
@seademon @Khairykj Aikk..ko twitter ni ko punya ke?

seademon John F SeaDemon
There is such a thing called DECORUM when it comes to handling matters pertaining to component parties. @daxmuhamad @Khairykj

While this went on, I received BBMs from friends who told me to ignore those dogs. Then one of them got personal:

Edzfahmi edzrul fahmi Mohamed
@seademon @Khairykj @daxmuhamad Knp Seademon u frust ke Ayah mentua u dulu tak dpt jadi MB Johor? Dato Mat Zahri ek? SB tak line clear ke?

Obviously this person, whose mother made it out with a dog and never washed herself after and subsequently gave birth to this imbecile, does not know me well. According to the electronic media, my father and other directors of the company he works for earn an average of RM100 million per annum, do I need my father-in-law as the Menteri Besar?

So, there have you, the Ketua Pemuda UMNO cum Pengerusi Pemuda Barisan Nasional is just an air-head who rears dogs to do his dirty work for him. Just when I thought it was safe to vote for Najib’s aspirations, I know now that I should just plan another dive trip come GE13.

Would I vote for BN? NO.

Would I vote for PR? NO.

Talking about dogs, does any of you remember this?

Big Dog’s Christian PM claim reckless, says Khairy

“Don’t be so arrogant Fat Dog. If you’re wrong, the consequences are grave and extremely serious.

“I think if you’re proven wrong you should be charged w/ spreading false news and/or sedition. Berani buat, berani tanggung (dare to do, dare to take responsibility),” Khairy wrote on Twitter earlier.

In light of what has happened at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church, maybe the all-knowing KJ should offer to resign for not knowing.

DAFT PRICK!

I saw the trending topic on Twitter (#tansriteh) and wondered what it was all about. Then I found out about the Cult of Public Bank.

Cult is actually a nice way of saying not many people like you.