New Retirement Law to be tabled

New retirement law to be tabled soon. This subject has been in the news of late but is it good for everyone. Has the government consulted all those who need to be consulted? Should the retirement age be raised for all? Will there be changes to the EPF and other retirement plans?

Will the new law allow those who are ready to retire at age 55 years to do so.

Read this about one who wants to retire at age 55 as planned ::

"I read with concern the current proposal for a higher retirement age in Malaysia.

The details of the proposal have not been publicised yet and most of us are in the dark about it.

While the trade unions appear to be heavily consulted in the formulation of the policy, there are millions of other employees who are not members of trade unions and whose views may not be represented.

continue to read here.

Happy Malaysia Day

Full text of PM's Malaysia Day message (BM version)

Full text of PM's Malaysia Day message

Summary of Najib's promises ::

.Abolishment of Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960, which allows detention without trial.
•Three Emergency declarations to be lifted.
•Amendments to freedom of assembly laws, which will recognise Article 10 of the Federal Constitution but will be "strongly" against street demonstration.
•Annual renewal of printing permits for newspapers system will be replaced with a one-off licence, which can be withdrawn.
•Repeal of Restricted Residence Act 1933 and Banishment Act 1959


Our PM is full of promises, promises, promises.
Let's await them being fulfilled.
Whatever the PM and BN have conceded today, please give them no credit. Thanks to the Rakyat, concerned NGOs and Pakatan for whatever reforms the PM has agreed to this 48th year of Malaysia.
The PM is well known to be a flip-flopper but now he appears also to be a copy-cat, this is according to those who swear by the Buku Jingga.
The Rakyat must continue to put pressure on the gomen of the day to ensure that it governs transparently and always with the best interest of the Rakyat.
So when the time comes, please vote wisely.

REFSA - Pre-Budget Focus Paper

REFSA is an independent, not-for-profit research institute providing relevant and reliable information on social, economic and political issues affecting Malaysians with the aim of promoting open and constructive discussions that result in effective policies to address those issues.

REFSA is releasing its first in a series of pre-Budget 2012 focus papers that are aimed at educating the rakyat about how public funds are spent.

If interested, one can download it and future focus budget papers from its website.

Download Pre-­Budget 2012 - The Rakyat’s Guide here.

Arm oneself with more knowledge on how our tax ringgit is being spent or mis-spent.

Selamat Hari Raya and while we r at it.........

Selamat Hari Raya Puasa to all those celebrating. And knowing Malaysians, almost all will be. So while you are enjoying the lemang, ketupat and rendang and trying your very best to digest as much as possible in true Boleh-fashion, also try to refect on the state of our dear nation on the eve of another national day. Some say we are going to be 54 years old tomorrow while there are others who think we are really younger at 48 years. Whatever, for one who is much older than Malaysia, it doesn't really matter.

What matters is what is ahead for Malaysia. With all the recent happenings, things can be very worrying. Many in the kopitiams all over the nation are saying "should I go or should I stay". If we have been badly governed in the past so, so many years, the first reaction is to blame the Alliance or BN and the cronies. Please do not bother to do that. We have been trained to look for the root cause of a problem. Please also don't blame yourself, if you have faithfully registered yourself as a voter and when those usually deary polling days come, you have acted responsibly. Remember this :: "a bad government is elected by those who don't bother to vote".

Just take some time to reflect today, this Hari Raya Puasa day and Merdeka eve and look within, as a nation; we, the rakyat, have the government we deserve. So when the next general election, exercise your votes wisely. Before you can do that, have you registered as a voter, even if you are 60 and beyond, it is never too, too late to register? Check with SPR/EC. If not yet, the post office is nearby and in almost all Tesco stores. Do register and when that important day comes, some say as early as November 2011 and by the latest March 2013, do your sacred national duty :: VOTE.

So, let's have the Last Waltz and decide.

Happy Merdeka.



Lyrics | Engelbert Humperdinck lyrics - The Last Waltz lyrics

RElated articles ::

Say NO to politics of fear

Islamic Renaissance Front

Arsenal Imploding?

Arsenal was mauled by MU, Manchester United lah, last night. Eight, big ones and a meek 2 goal reply by Arsenal.

Read more here and here.

Flying Roti Canai

Makes one want to go out now and try one of those roti.

For those in Penang, head for Transfer Road to sample the Roti Canai there. It comes with choice of curry dishes :: mutton, beef, chicken and dhall. Check this link.

Singapore's Curry Protest

Food is not just for eating. Singaporeans are now using curry as a form of protest against increased immigration. Singapore has a population of 5.1 million and about one third of this consists of migrants. The majority of these migrants are from China.

The protest is a result of an immigrant family from China complained about the smell of curry from a Singaporean Indian neighbour's kitchen. A Facebook page has been set up for the protest in support of the curry family. Today some almost 60,000 Singaporeans would be cooking curry in support. What is significant is that

The curry case is said to have gone to a community mediation centre and the local family agreed it wouldn't cook curry when the Chinese neighbours were at home. But according to the Singaporean Law Minister K. Shanmugam this curry case happened some six or seven years ago. Just magine that.

Being highlighted now, will it have any impact on the Presidential election where four Tans are the candidates involved.

Read more here.

Good Tidings for Penang

The ECONOMIST has good news about the Pearl of the Orient in its lastest issue.

Its article entitled :: Malaysia’s Penang state, Getting back its mojo ::

IF YOU are going to have a heart attack, have it in Penang. So one might think, to the see the hospitals in George Town, the capital of this north-western Malaysian state. Patients are flocking in. Ted Mohr, the head of the venerable Penang Adventist Hospital says that he will admit 70,000 medical tourists this year. The hospital specialises in heart procedures and it will perform roughly 23,000 of them this year, including 550 open-heart operations. Such is the demand that the hospital is doubling its number of beds.

Mr Mohr gives two main reasons for Penang’s success with the coronary crowd. First, it is relatively cheap. Open-heart surgery that would set you back $100,000 in America costs only about $10,000 in Penang. Second, Penang’s hospitals are as well-equipped as many in the West. Continue to read here

The online news portal, the MalaysianInsider has more good news to mention with regards to the Pakatan led state of Penang -- As talents fly home, Penang fortunes rise ::

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 20 — Six months ago Dr William Khor quit his London flat in affluent Kensington to fly home to Penang with little more than a rough plan to build a boutique health resort by the sea.

The former student of St Xavier’s Institution had jetted to the UK near a decade ago in pursuit of a medical degree and initially planned to head home immediately after graduating in 2007.

Dr Khor says Penang's got soul.“The prospects then were not good,” the 28-year-old said, explaining the change in his plan.

He decided to stay on another year and complete his housemanship there to qualify as a doctor while reconsidering his options.

It was during that time that he was scouted by the Singapore General Hospital, which offered him a monthly salary of S$7,000 (about RM17,326) to serve as a general practitioner; he accepted and moved to the Lion City to be closer to his family.

Read the rest here.

Not too long ago, Penang assam laksa was ranked 7th in CNN’s top 10 yummiest food. May there be more good tidings and mojo for Penang in the near future. Meanwhile, enjoy Penang and her food.

While there are good tidings and plenty of good food in Penang, there are also sour grapes and seedless/boh hood durians to be found.

Time for THE PRAYER

At the moment the rakyat appears to have a leader who says one thing today and then says something entirely different the next day. He is such a flip-flopper.

Remember sometime in July 2011, before the 9th, he offered to met Bersih 2.0, then he sort of "ayam-out". Instead he wanted Bersih 2.0 to meet with the Pdrm and stadium management.

A long time after 9th July had come and gone, he claimed that he had offered a stadium, the Shah Alam Stadium to be exact, for the use of Bersih 2.0. But he never mentioned it or he never had the time or his memory was running out of space. Bersih 2.0 never received such an offer of the Shah Alam Stadium.

Just a few days ago, on 15th Aug, when he announced that a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) would be set up for electoral reforms, he was quoted by Bernama as saying: “This is so that we can reach a consensus in facing the next election without any suspicion about any manipulation by the government".

Yesterday, the PM appears to have gone back on his words. TMI reported :: Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today (19th Aug) that general elections can be held “anytime” and will not depend on the proceedings of the parliamentary select committee on electoral improvements that will be formed in October.

It appears to the rakyat that the PSC could just be a sandiwara and as many suspected a delaying tactic to buy time for himself and his party and to divert attention away from the 8 electoral reform demands of Bersih 2.0 and the rakyat.

At such times, when the rakyat needs honest and rakyat-friendly leadership, we appear to be having a flip-flopper for a leader. Maybe it is time for the rakyat to pray for guidance.

Lyrics | Charlotte Church lyrics - The Prayer lyrics

When You Say Nothing At All

Lyrics | Boyzone lyrics - When You Say Nothing At All lyrics

Sometimes, it is BEST, "When you say Nothing at all".

Here are some good examples ::

Armed Forces chief Zulkifeli :: "How can we be loyal to you if you're disloyal to us"

PM Najib says :: 100pc meritocracy will breed ‘mediocrity’/Meritocracy alone will lead to inequality

Apology to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak — Jahabar Sadiq
August 19, 2011AUG 19

With regards to the report quoting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on meritocracy and mediocrity, we would like to apologise to Datuk Seri Najib Razak for misquoting him and reversing what he meant. We have pulled the report down as it is erroneous.

The quote should read:

“Kita mesti acukan/adunkan antara meritokrasi dan keadilan sosial. Kalau tak ada meritokrasi, langsung tak ada meritokrasi, apa akan jadi kepada negara kita? We will be a nation of mediocrity. Maknanya, kita tidak mengejar excellence.

“Itu tak boleh juga. Kita tak berlaku adil.

“Kalau yang bukan Melayu ada kebolehan, otaknya geliga, rajin, takkan kita nak ketepikan?

“Tapi anak di luar bandar tak boleh kita pinggirkan, mesti diberi peluang.”
Once again, our deepest apologies, Datuk Seri.

Sincerely,

Jahabar Sadiq

Editor

The Malaysian Insider



Please, please, may this song remind you all that oftentimes, it is best "When you say Nothing at all".

Alone Again Naturally

Lyrics | Gilbert O'sullivan lyrics - Alone Again (Naturally) lyrics

Najib to BERSIH Election Commission Malaysia

More than a month after the 9th July Rally, the PM has taken the first step to respond to Bersih's demands. Najib has propose the formation of a bipartisan parliamentary select committee for poll reforms.

Is this proposal of his a response to Bersih 2.0 mulling legal actions against the EC (Election Commission). Recently, Universiti Malaya dean of social sciences, Redzuan Othman, said that the EC's response to the Bersih 2.0 8 demands were "intellectually shallow", embarassing and not reflecting reality. Was this one of the reasons for Najib's proposal?

Recently, Pakatan requested for an emergency parliamentary sitting to discuss "Mismah-Gate". Till today, Nazri nor the PM has responded positively to this request. Could this proposal of a select committee be a diversionary measure? Pakatan MPs are still demanding for a public inquiry into what they say is a core issue - alleged fast-track citizenship for permanent residents in exchange for votes. Pas claims that it has found another "phantom voter centre".

Whatever, it appears that Najib has not been well advised or he has not consulted or analysed well the situation he is in, as far as electoral reforms are concerned. After having declared Bersih 2.0 and its yellow T-shirts illegal and that there is nothing wrong with the electoral system, he has once again exhibited his flip-flop stance. Is he moving to the right or trying to get back to being a reformist and heading back to the centre. Whatever, he has walked into a minefield of his own making.

While Bersih 2.0 and the alternative parties are going to support this proposal of his, his deputy, the Malay first and Malaysian second deputy PM, is having none of it. Muhyiddin insists that there is no real problem with the electoral system and that only some minor tweaks are required. Muhyiddin is quoted as having said ;; "If you insist that you do not have a disease, then why see a doctor". Once again, the PM appears to be out-of-sync with his deputy. Why, might we ask?

Even, the EC has been taken by surprise and was reported caught off-guard, with the turn of events.

Apart from having the BN and Pakatan in the said parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms; NGOs, especially Bersih 2.0 (PM, remember, you declared it illegal), the Bar Council, concerned rakyat from civil society must be included. The 13th election should only be held after reforms have been instituted. A time frame must also be set for the reforms to be instituted. Would it be expecting too much to press for the 3rd vote at this time? It looks like Najib has lots to think about and do apart from waiting for an inspiration to call for snap elections. Remember, there is also Tajuddin and the GLCs to think of too.

There are plenty of related articles ::

Bersih wants thorough polls reform, panel recommendations made public

PKR: PM must pledge polls committee concludes before election held

Bersih says ‘immediate’ polls reform possible by March next year

Use Suhakam report first, before select panel’s recommendations, say lawyers

Pakatan demands to head polls review committee

Deputy Speaker: Polls reform panel hearings likely to take a year

Bersih wants RCI on poll reforms within a year after PSC formation

Over 12mil registered voters nationwide - EC

Nothing less than a royal commission will do

Reform the electoral system before the next GE

Ambiga: Select committee must consult civil society

Don't let select committee end up like Dompok's :: Lim Kit Siang

Pakatan wants to helm electoral reform committee

Bersih wants select panel report within three months

'Slap on EC's face from Najib'

BN backbencher: No need for opposition to lead PSC

Putrajaya directs GLCs.....

Of late MAS has been in the news.

First it was the AirAsia-MAS link-up. There was worry that the link-up would lead to a monopoly.

Both AirAsia and MAS bosses that said that a monopoly is crazy-talk.

Industry experts hailed the strategic link-up as a win-win deal. It is capable of providing the way for each side to focus on and grow their core markets - MAS as a premium long-haul carrier and AirAsia as an aggressively low-cost option. TDM, also joined in to say that the link-up is a good idea.

But there are others who poured cold water on the deal. DSAI, the PKR defacto, called it a bad idea. He claims the link-up raises too many concerns to make it a viable option for the local aviation industry.

The bad shape that MAS is presently in has also raised questions about the turn around managed by Idris Jala. Anwar wonders whether the turn around was a charade. And Khairy J queries Idris Jala's track record.

The lastest news on MAS is the news of Putrajaya directing GLCs to drop all claims against Tajuddin Ramli, the former chairman of MAS. The MalaysianInsider reported ::

"Putrajaya has directed all government-linked companies, including Malaysia Airlines and the national debt restructuring company Danaharta, to cease all civil suits against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli, the former chairman of the national carrier and protege of Tun Daim Zainuddin, according to documents obtained by The Malaysian Insider".

Will the rakyat continue to suffer more from this latest MAS happenings?

Bo Lang Chai (Forgotten) --- The Video

Bo Lang Chai (Forgotten) from Pusat KOMAS on Vimeo.

A video produced by Pusat Komas (Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat).

Are we into Christian Bashing :: Lone

If July was the Bersih month, August is starting to look like the month for Christian bashing. Some three months ago, someone started a rumour of a conspiracy that Christians were going to take over BolehLand and installed a Christian PM. Now there are rumours that proselytisation of Muslims is on the way in BolehLand and once again Christians are being blamed. When will this bashing ends.

Inevitably when such controversy arises the names of Hasan Ali and Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria will crop up.

Related articles ::

It started with Multi-racial dinner at DUMC which was raided by Jais.

The validity of the raid was questioned by many.

Hasan Ali backs Jais raid and says "Quran" and "Pray" were used in front of Muslims.

Bar council says no law against muslims in churches, then later says that 1988 Selangor state law allows Jais to act against non-muslims.

Meanwhile, Berita Harian alleged today that Christian organizations are carrying out covert missions to convert poverty-stricken Muslims.

Berita Harian continues with its claims of sustained church efforts to convert in this article :: Pujukan gereja.

The rakyat awaits for the PM and his cabinet for the truth about this latest religious controversy. Lets hope we are not kept waiting too long.

MACC :: THREE and a half MEN

We have had a rather tense and gloomy week with the DUMC fiasco and the blood bath on the glabal and Malaysian markets.

During such times, probably laughter is the best medicine and what better way then to watch MACC 3 and 1/2 Men.

So spend sometime laughing yourself silly at the MACC at PJLA Jaya One and forget all your cares.



Caught the first show :: MACC Internal Affairs, and almost burst my bladder then, luckily the loo in PJLA is easily accessible.

Here's the trailer of that show ::




Hi Doug Lim, how about some complimentary tickets for this free ad.

For more info check up Douglas Lim's new website.

DUMC Fiasco

A multi-racial thanksgiving dinner was held last night at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC)and about 100-120 attended including 15 Malays. The dinner was hosted by an NGO called Harapan Komuniti. Harapan Komuniti 1s a non-profit organisation that provides disaster relief and helps single mothers, children and AIDS patients regardless of race.

About 30 police officers and enforcement officers from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) entered the church without a warrant at about 10pm last night. The authorities claimed that someone had made a complaint about the dinner but did not explain what the complaint was.

Christian groups are ‘shocked and appalled’ by this Jais church raid.

Barisan and Pakatan blame one another over DUMC raid.

Selangor exco member in-charge of Islamic affairs Hasan Ali weighs in and backs Jais raid. Hasan Ali further justified the raid on the DUMC last night, saying that there was evidence of proselytisation.

Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) secretary-general Rev Hermen Shastri condemns Jais for “storming” a Petaling Jaya church last night on questionable grounds.

The Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) has called on all Malaysians to lend support and object to what it called the authorities’ breach of their constitutional right to assemble freely.

The Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has stepped up and asked Jais to justify its raid on the Harapan Komuniti dinner at DUMC last night, adding that he regretted the incident that has caused a public outrage.

The Selangor MB said that he had called DUMC's senior pastor Daniel Ho to personally express his regrets regarding the incident and that he had instructed Jais to provide a full report detailing the incident, including their justifications for their actions that night. The MB also assured that the state government fully respects freedom of religion and the rights of religious groups to manage their own affairs.

Meanwhile, the rakyat should remain calm and wait for the truth to be revealed, it is obvious we have yet to see the end of this fiasco. But the constitutional right to free assembly must be supported and defended.

Clean 3.0?

It might not be safe yet to mention that B----h word, so lets just say Clean 3.0. With Mismah-Gate and the many other permanent resident-cum-voters digged up by Pas, it look like we might have the need for a Clean 3.0 march.

A Bersih 3 against continued electoral fraud?
by Charles Santiago :: Malaysiakini
Aug 4, 11 12:03pm

MP SPEAKS

Sometimes, I cannot help but think that Malaysia's Election Commission is very creative.

This time around, the electoral body is struggling to spin an imaginative yarn over new evidence that clearly shows it has been subtly registering permanent residence (PR) holders as eligible voters.

Following the case of Mismah, who was given a citizenship in a matter of hours to facilitate voter registration, more facts and figures are emerging from the bowels of the government's electoral manipulation to ensure it stays in power.

PAS has found more than 1,000 permanent residence holders in Selangor who have been included in the electoral rolls of eligible voters, confirming the fear that the government will resort to every devious tactic to topple the opposition-led state government.

The Umno-led BN government is clearly cheating to win the next general election.

Such shocking evidence vindicates Bersih 2.0, the coalition for free and fair elections, and underscores the nature of dirty politics in the country.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is well aware of the dissatisfaction and unhappiness of the people against his government and uses his office as the bully pulpit to garner votes by unfairly influencing the Election Commission.

The stunning gains by the opposition in 2008 has led the government to default to a time-tested strategy by engaging in back door deals with public institutions. This is shameless behaviour.

It also demonstrates the lack of openness and accountability on the part of the government and its reluctance to allow for public scrutiny and debates over its decisions.

Following the rally last month, which saw tens of thousands of people taking to the streets to demand for electoral reforms, the government has clamped down even more violently on activists and opposition politicians by nabbing them under emergency laws to curb dissent.

The people remained defiant while Najib and his cabinet ministers refused to take into account that their days are numbered when the rakyat are no longer afraid of the government's show of force.

MyKad with faulty chips

In June, Malaysia unveiled a plan to fingerprint voters to combat electoral fraud. The Election Commission took a whack for this plan, which in itself, is not foolproof.

Many Malaysian identity cards have faulty chips and the EC does not look into serious allegations of vote buying, vote rigging, gerrymandering and the opposition parties' lack of access to the local media.

But evidence of the EC registering foreign-born PR holders caricatures the shadow play by the government to hoodwink the citizens into believing that it is serious about nipping unscrupulous electoral practices.

We cannot allow the government to win the next general election by using phantom voters. The EC must, therefore, be committed to cleaning-up its electoral roll.

If the EC fails to resolve this issue, then the call for Bersih 3 will become a reality.

And when that happens, it will deal the Umno/BN government with a long-postponed death blow.


For those who missed out on Clean 2.0, are you game for Clean 3.0? This is not an enticement or encouragement to partake :-)

Mismah-Gate :: NRD explains

From Malaysiakini
NRD: Mismah a PR for 29 years, citizen since 2011
Aug 3, 11 8:02pm

The National Registration Department (NRD) today cleared the air about claims that permanent residents were offered citizenships for votes, saying that it was in fact part of a drive to clear its backlog.

In a statement late today, NRD director-general Jariah Mohd Said said that this involved the case of Mismah, which has received much media coverage.

“Claims that she was awarded citizenship within four hours is untrue. Records show that she was granted permanent residency on July 17, 1982.

“Her citizenship application was granted on Jan 31, 2011 under Article 19 of the federal constitution, after 29 years as a permanent resident,” she said.

She added that the Home Ministry had approved citizenships for 29,290 people between April 9, 2009 and July 15, 2011 as part of Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's key performance index (KPI).

This is out of more than 72,334 pending applications for citizenships.

“219, 000 applications were resolved, including 72,334 citizenship applications, 31,449 applications for permanent residency, 108,906 applications following late registrations of birth and 6,311 applications under the MyDaftar programmes,” she said.

PAS today disputed the registration of 1,597 voters on the supplementary electoral roll draft for voters registered up to the end of June, who were listed on the NRD website as permanent residents.

This had included Mismah, whose status was changed from permanent resident to citizen on the NRD yesterday, within hours of Malaysiakini's report on the matter.

In response, Election Commission chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof said that this was due to “technical negligence” whereby the NRD system was not updated.

The publicly-accessible system on its website, he explained, is separate from the automatically-synced system between the Election Commission and the NRD.

The TV8 PSA :: Offensive? Racist? Great?

Here's a video of the notorious/famous TV8 PSA.

See for yourself and decide.



As for the apologies from TV8, see for yourself, whether you wanna accept them. As for me, i have given up on TV8 long ago and it is not because my TV cannot receive it.

PR becomes Citizen...in 4 hours :: Malaysiakini :: "Mismah-Gate"

All rakyat, you gotta follow this ::

At 11.50AM, Mkini reported :: Polls fraud again: PR holder registered as voter

At 3.45PM, Mkini reported :: PR becomes citizen ... in four hours

At 7.19PM, we have :: Politicians want probe into 'Mismah-gate'

We need urgent answers from the EC and the NRD.

While some politicians are calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate Mismah-Gate, the MCA Federal Territories youth chief Chew Lian Keng described the issue as an "error" in the electoral rolls, stating that he was sure the government would not descend to making such a "simplistic and despicable" tactic. He further said :: "Only an idiot will use such a method. I think it is a technical glitch but the relevant authorities have made a grave mistake".

Is this one of the methods the Bn is employing to defend PutraJaya at all costs?

Malay Contractors defend Penang Pakatan

Very interesting turn of events.

Not so long ago, Penang Umno accused Penang Pakatan of being anti-Malay/Bumi.

Recently, Penang Mca accuses Penang Pakatan of being anti-Chinese.

All these commotions because of the awarding of contracts by the Penang Pakatan government.

With the 13th election fast approaching, is the Mca trying to portray the Penang Pakatan as anti-Chinese and therefore itself, pro-Chinese? All this to gain some brownie points?

Penang Mca went to town, even alleging that a teen contractor who happens also to be a college student was awarded a RM1million project. Also highlighted was that non-bumis only obtained two contracts - a maintenance project for the Penang Hill cable car (2008) worth RM700,004 and another, awarded in 2009, that was worth RM15,000.

Now for the truth of the matter and this comes from the father of the said teen contractor :: "The project was won by Syarikat Syamir, a company managed by my wife Rozidah Omar (mother of the teen contractor). It is worth RM500,000 and not RM1mil as reported by a newspaper". He further explained that his son, the teen contractor, was actually the project manager, a job given him to provide him with business exposure.


Meanwhile, it is good that the Malay contractors of Penang have come out to defend the Penang Pakatan government and strongly rejecting Mca's racial sentiments which insult Malay contractors. The acting chief of the Malay Contractors Association of Malaysia’s (PKMM) Penang branch heaped praise on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for his professionalism and willingness to help Penangites of all races, including Umno-dominated PKMM, despite criticism from “those who do not understand the state government’s policies”.


Hopefully, the Penang Wanita Mca chief Tan Cheng Liang is reading all these reports and will be giving another press release to celebrate transparency and accountability and celebrate youthful enterprise and ability. Hey, even a Bn component has come out supporting the getting of contracts "based on merits". Don't you think the Mca should be on the same same page.

Time for Change :: The 13th Election

Excitement is in the air.

The signs are appearing ::

PM returns to be with the rakyat, cuts holiday with family

PM gets weak knee mended

PM calls for submission of lists of potential candidates

EC appoints returning officers, polls imminent

It is anyone's guess, the 13th could be anytime from November 2011 till March 2012. The BN gomen cannot afford to wait much longer as the global and local economy is ailing and is not expected to improve in the near run. The rakyat is restless with the inflation and removal of subsidies.

Is the rakyat ready for change?

Parachute Candidates, No, No

Looks like the BN is getting ready for the 13th elections. Check out this article in Mkini :: BN divisions told to submit candidate lists to Najib

Most expect the PM, who had a successful minor knee surgery today, to call for elections in the next few months. But with the recent brewing of the Bersih 2.0 rally, the unfriendly economy and the ring, the PM might not be too keen to call for elections just yet, despite his repaired and hence probably stronger knee. Speedy recovery, unconfirmed 1Malaysia PM.

He did give such a weak-kneed response to the question regarding whether he is malaysian first and everything else second. Dap has named him the "lamest" PM ever.

Whatever, lame or weak-kneed, PM has to stand on his own two little feet soon. He will not only have to win the 13th election but he will have the tall order of regaining the much-valued two-third majority in the Dewan.

So Pakatan has got to go one better than what was gained in the tsunami of 2008 and not lose the momentum. When, then, many said that parachute candidates had little problem winning, the landscape is different now. The voters are more discerning after having experienced the said tsunami and expect more of Pakatan. It appears that fence-sitters are increasing in numbers and like the other rakyat, would like to see quality candidates. Dubious parachute candidates and candidates, voters might view as potential "katak" are no, no. So, start doing your homework Pakatan and start screening and filtering your potential wannabe YBs and Aduns. Or you might find Putrajaya slipping away.

Rare Breed :: The First "U Help Me I Help U" Minister

Malaysia has a very rare breed, one of a kind, first among firsts MINIster ::

The First 'U Help Me I Help U" MINIster in 1Malaysia and the PM who appointed him ::

Just Change

it has been more than three years but will never get tired of hearing this and this and the one below ::

Return of the 3rd Vote

Taken from Lone

Finally, after so, so many, many years; Malaysians is seeing the return of the 3rd vote. Even if it is just the election of a village head.

Selangor's Pulau Ketam held the election of its village head, the first local election since 1965.

The village also scored another first in Malaysian history by the use of indelible ink in the voting process to prevent election fraud.

There is hope that one day, in the not distant future, Malaysians will once again get to exercise their rights to the 3rd vote with the return of local council elections. For that to happen we need real change first.

Related article :;

Pulau Ketam scores first in using indelible ink

PM, are you Malaysian First?

We already know, our beloved deputy Prime Minister is "Malay first and Malaysian second. We already know our former minister in-charge of the August house is Malaysian first and for those who are not aware, he is Minister in the PM's Dept, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

The MalaysianInsider reported today ::

At the Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS) :

A student had asked Najib whether he was prepared to state that he was Malaysian first and what he thought of his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s infamous remark of being “Malay first and Malaysian next.”

Najib did not answer the question directed at him.

“I don’t want to respond in a way that will divide me from my deputy.

“1 Malaysia is our guiding philosophy. It does not matter what you say, just as long as you follow (the 1 Malaysia concept),” he said today.

What is the PM trying to say? Does he want us to follow his 1Malaysia concept while he and his deputy stick to the Malaysian 2nd concept? Is he telling that he and his deputy do not accept his 1Malaysia concept and it is just all talk, talk.

Sometime, in the distant future, he will probably say "I thought of saying "I am Malaysian first but I didn't want to hurt my Deputy". So like what he did today, when he said that he thought of offering Bersih the Stadium Shah Alam for the 9th July Rally. Stop being a Mushroom, have a spine.

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

Soon we will be in August, the month when Rais Yatim, the PM and others in the BN gomen would like us to show our patriotism in the usual manner ie by flying the Jalur Gemilang. This element of loyalty to the nation, we live in, is often mistakenly considered to be loyalty owed to the BN gomen.

These are some of Mark Twain's quotes regarding this element ::

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”

"Patriot: the person who can holler the loudest without knowing what he is hollering about.” And some patriots even get wet.

"Patriotism is usually the refuge of the scoundrel. He is the man who talks the loudest."

A man can be a Christian or a patriot, but he can't legally be a Christian and a patriot -- except in the usual way:.......(read the rest here)

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel :: who said this?

After reading this article by Josh Hong, here's another quote on patriotism :: "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

Remember all these quotes as we go into the months of August and September, while you are flying the Jalur Gemilang and wearing your yellow-clean/bersih-what-ever. Cheers.

Happy, happy, bersih/clean Merdeka and Malaysia Day.

Saga of PSM 6

Saga of PSM 6: A lesson in mishandling
Terence Netto | Jul 30, 11 9:36am

For three weeks now, appalled observers of the train wreck of the Bersih disaster may have assumed that at some point someone within the Najib Razak administration would have the presence of mind to pull one damsel, at least, off the track of the onrushing train.

That happened yesterday when the PSM 6, or the EO 6, were released by police after nearly a month's detention on grounds that shifted from the farcical (rebellion against the king) to the incredible (threats to national security) to the manifestly false (they were central planners of the Bersih 2.0 march).

By arresting the PSM 6 for no good reason and then continuing to hold them on successively unsustainable grounds, the government had gratuitously deepened the mess of its handling of the Bersih-organised march for electoral reform on July 9.

While it lasted, the detention of the six was an abscess on the wound of the government's mishandling of the entire Bersih issue.

The terseness of the inspector-general of police's explanation yesterday that further action on the released detainees will be determined by the AG's Chambers only served to underscore the implausibility of the case for the detention of the six.

Those familiar with the temperament of the PSM cohort know that they are just about the most pacific of activists: about the only danger the party's activists would pose to the public is that one of them might be moved, on occasion, to smack somebody with a poster of Che Guevara.

If that were to happen, the victim may well feel complimented by the evidence that someone from the party could get ruffled enough to do something as mildly aggressive as brandishing a poster.

Socialist panaceas

But don't get this minuscule bunch of mainly social workers masquerading as politicians - led by the amiable trio of PSM chairman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, secretary general S Arutchelvan and MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj - wrong.

They are only mild in temperament; in person, they are unwavering in their belief that socialism is panacea for the ills of the national and world economy.

Sometimes when you chat with them, it is as if they have not heard of the world's history between the time of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Or rather, they subscribe to a wholly different narrative as to what really happened to the socialist theory that you can build a society on the basis that each member would contribute according to his ability and take according to his need. This is essentially the core of socialist ideology.

The contrary theory holds that human beings are essentially self-interested who can only be enticed by incentives to give according to their ability and take according to their economic worth.

Proponents of socialist ideology would criticise this theory as furnishing the basis for the exploitation of the many by the few.

No matter what you tell the PSM crowd about the history of the world since October 1917, you are not likely to dent their enthusiasm for socialist panaceas.

Fostering separatism

From 1999, they have been trying to get their party recognised as a legal body by the Registrar of Societies, resorting to the courts for remedy when the ROS spurned them.

Only in 2009 did PSM succeed in gaining ROS recognition. And that recognition, as everyone knows, owed more to the desire of the powers-that-be to cause division among the opposition.

An unrecognised PSM would tend to contest elections under the banner of PKR rather than any other opposition party.

The powers-that-be would rather foster separatism among the opposition rather than allow a situation where the use of proxies by PKR might promote eventual solidarity between it and PSM, daunting as it is to bridge the divide between the two, on economic matters at least.

Even as a separate entity, PSM are not likely to garner more than a small corner of the political market for votes.

But, from one standpoint, that small corner is worthwhile if it succeeds in creating the impression that the opposition is an ideologically disparate lot, not worth the public's attention or support.

Public sympathy

However, public perceptions have changed rather much since June 25 when a bunch of PSM activists was detained in Penang while on a campaign swing through Kedah and neighbouring states.

The police decision to hold six senior officials of the party - the PSM 6 who later became the EO 6 - on inherently incredible grounds only served to boost the public profile of this hitherto little-known party into a force that is bigger than its actual size would warrant.

The party's membership is about 500 but in recent days it has been deluged with inquiries from the public about membership.

The police action has given the party an unprecedented boost. This is not likely to increase its membership figures to rival those of its comparatively gigantic allies in Pakatan Rakyat, but it has made it that much harder to render PSM susceptible to the argument that their socio-economic agenda is attainable through the egalitarian goals of Pakatan.

In sum, by myopically, albeit briefly, incarcerating the PSM 6, the authorities have aroused public sympathy for the party and, by extension, for the opposition and its aim of supplanting Umno-BN in Putrajaya.

But it has made the larger goal of opposition solidarity on a common socio-economic agenda more difficult to achieve.


TERENCE NETTO has been a journalist for close on four decades. He likes the occupation because it puts him in contact with the eminent without being under the necessity to admire them. It is the ideal occupation for a temperament that finds power fascinating and its exercise abhorrent.

Related Articles ::

Najib’s credibility still ‘in tatters’ despite PSM6 release, says Lim

PSM6: The end of the farce — The Malaysian Insider

The gov't must now apologise to PSM 6

Jubilant supporters give hero's welcome to PSM 6

Explore Balik Pulau, Penang

Explore Balik Pulau

Those who want to experience a “different side” of Penang, Balik Pulau might be the place for you.


The newly opened Balik Pulau Visitor Centre offers a variety of services to ensure visitors an experience they will never forget.


This includes a free guided tour with bicycle rental to the heart of Balik Pulau. Some of the places of interest in the tour are the Balik Pulau paddy fields, traditional Malay villages, fishing village, the Sungai Burong estuary (Kuala Sungai Burong) , Balik Pulau Fruit Farm and many more upon requests.


The free guided tour departs every day at 4:30pm from Balik Pulau Visitor Centre. Pre-booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. Bookings can be made through e-mail or the hotline.


Below are the details of the Explore Balik Pulau Visitor Centre:


Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 2pm > 6.30pm
Saturday-Sunday: 12.00pm > 6.30pm
School/Public Holiday: 12.00pm > 6.30pm


Service Offered:

- Visitor Center
- Local travel information & Assistance
- Balik Pulau Tour
- Farm Walk (Seasonal)
- Bird Watching (Seasonal)
- Bicycle rental


Contact Person: Mr Eddie Chew

Hotline: +6 016 4522 100

Al Fatihah YB Dr Lo' Lo'

The Malaysian Insider has just reported the passing away of Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo' Lo'.

A text message from her mobile phone number was sent to The Malaysian Insider stating that she died at 10.13pm.


PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub confirmed the death when contacted by The Malaysian Insider.

It is understood that the first-term MP will be buried at 8am tomorrow.

A lost to Pakatan and the constituents of Titiwangsa.

Review of Malaysian History TextBooks

Dear All,

All those interested in Malaysian History textbooks being reviewed to reflect real Malaysian history do sign the petition ::


CALL FOR REVIEW OF HISTORY SYLLABUS AND TEXTBOOKS IN MALAYSIAN SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS PETITION

We, concerned parents and citizens of Malaysia, note with great concern the following weaknesses and problems in the history syllabus and textbooks in our nation.
They:-
(a) are filled with many historical errors and half truths;
(b) fail to reflect fairly on the contribution of all communities in the development of the nation;
(c) are written from a narrow world perspective that fails to capture the wealth and diversity of all past and present civilizations and religions in the world and Malaysia.

In view of the great impact the history textbooks have on the minds of our young children, we call upon our Government and the relevant authorities to undertake an immediate and comprehensive review and rewriting of the history syllabus and textbooks in schools and all other institutions of education in Malaysia.

We propose that this review and rewriting of the syllabus and textbooks be undertaken by a panel of qualified historians . They should be representative of all the major communities in the nation.

The objective of the review should be to introduce a liberal and progressive history syllabus and textbooks. These should:-
(1) equip our students with a broad and balanced perspective of the major civilizations and events in world history;
(2) capture the wealth and diversity of all civilizations and religions;
(3) accurately record historical facts from a diverse viewpoint;
(4) give due and fair recognition to the contributions of all communities towards the historical development of the nation;
(5) focus on historical facts and processes, instead of promoting any political or other agenda.


Mushrooms arise. Sign the said petition at ::

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reviewhistorysyllabusinmalaysia/

Thank you.