Brave or Stupid Act ?

The political turmoil in Thailand which has been going on for months since the ousted of Thaksin is set to cripple the country's economy, especially its tourism industry.

The People's Alliance for Democracy(PAD) started its quest for change of government through another fresh round of elections by a series of massive street protests and then stormed and occupied the Government House, the Thai prime minister's main office. This is already a signal that these protesters are brave enough to challenge the ruling government which they accused it of being a puppet of Thaksin, thereby will govern with greater corruptions.

When these protesters sensed that the army and the police are not taking any stern actions against them for fear of violent retaliations, it gives them the courage to storm Thailand's two major airports, causing them to cease operations. This has resulted in massive confusions and cancellations of flights among the thousands of travelers.
It is truly startling and incredulous for the Thai government and the army to allow these protesters to storm and occupy the two major airports.

Another round of elections means more time and money will be wasted and more politicking. For this to happen in Thailand in the midst of the worldwide financial and economic meltdown, the ordinary people of Thailand will suffer the most.

How long can they tolerate this?

What if the ruling party wins again?
Are the PAD protesters going to storm the Palace next?

When the livelihoods of the ordinary people are severely affected by these protesters, then the possibility of violent clashes among the people seems inevitable.

Now back to Malaysia.

Aren't we lucky that such massive protests are not happening in Malaysia? or
Should we unite and protest like the Thais to call for a fresh election to change an inefficient and corrupt government?
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Food, Marriage and Jakim

Our fist Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, has once said before on national unity:" It is a pity that we do not eat the same food".

Hitherto, it is still a pity since the wise words of the lateTunku, we remain divided, not by the food, but by the incessant politicking and bickering.

So, is there anything that we can do to unite the people?

Looking at the picture of the inter-faith marriage of this blissful couple in The Star paper today, it dawn on me, maybe this could be one of the answers for unity.

If Ah Kow marries Aminah, I believe the bonding and relationship of both families of different faiths will be made stronger with a better understanding and respect of each other's culture and religion.
Later, if their daughter marries Muthu, the chain reaction of racial unity will spread further among all the various races.

Does this sound far-fetched and it is possible in Malaysia?

Although there are issues and concerns of beliefs and policies regarding such intermarriages, ultimately it is the happiness and love of both parties that matters.

Since Jakim has been actively issuing fatwas, maybe they can do something positively for the people by issuing fatwas to simplify the process and with minimum restrictions for such inter-faith marriages to bring the people closer together.

So, what do you think?
Do you think inter-faith marriages should be promoted and encouraged in Malaysia?

The Prince and the frog

It is indeed heartwarming for most of us who have read the wise words from Raja Nazrin on the need on multiculturalism integration and the misleading view on Islam it dominates others.

It is without doubt that the world is getting truly diversified with multicultural societies and religions. As such, if there is always a constant blockade for integration and acceptance for an openness to accept others' faiths, cultures and religions, then the world is certainly going to be a very dangerous one, which we are already witnessing now the sufferings in many countries.

Reading the wise words of Raja Nazrin, Islam seems a simple religion which, like others encompasses every aspect of human life. And yet, in Malaysia, I find it truly complicated and to a certain extent, contrary to the wise words of Raja Nazrin.

To Raja Nazrin, I say Daulat Tuanku!


In stark contrast to the thinking of our wise Prince, the Umnoputras are still cocooned in the well and simply refused to see beyond the ever changing political, social and economic environment.
Like a frog in the well, they seemed mentally trapped.

When putting road signs with multiple languages for tourism benefits can become an issue, it truly demonstrates the mentality of these people. As the Chief Minister of Penang said, “Let them continue to live under the coconut shell. We don’t have to follow them.”
There are many more examples to show how they 'live under the coconut shell'. The list is simply too long for me to highlight but do not worry, there will be more.

To the 'frogs' who refused to change, I would like to advice them to remain in the well so as not to, as the Chinese say,'block the earth from rotating'.

The mental anguish of a VIP

The divorce news of Thailand's ex-PM Thaksin must have caught many of us by surprise.
Whether it is a game plan of Thaksin to save his fortunes or the separation is due to irreconcilable differences, I am not interested. What I would like to write about is: divorce and there are two types of divorces.
The first type of divorce is known as legal divorce, which means both parties have signed the legal documents.

The second type of divorce is known as mental divorce.
The definition of mental divorce: It is the absolute right of the spouse to deny any sexual demands made by the other party in the event he or she has committed adultery or infidelity. As both parties can still remain together, no legal documents are necessary.

Let me give you an example of a couple named Najis and Rosie.

Najis has been implicated in a sex and murder trial of a young woman. Rosie knew all along that her hubby has been a playboy and flirting and screwing around with young women. In fact, Najis had been caught for khalwat at a seaside resort before.
Now, this sex and murder trial is the last straw that really broke the camel's back for Rosie to declare a mental divorce on Najis.

So each time when Najis makes any sexual advances to demand sex, Rosie has the legal rights to deny him that and tell him to go and fly kite. He can screw around and gets AID or STD for all she cares. What she wants is to torture him through mental anguish hoping that he will crawl back to her and behave as a good husband.

So now you know why Najis looks so tame, subdue and has been talking a lot of craps lately.

The Young Ones

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With two million young voters eligible to vote in the next general election, it seems there is hope for change for the better in this country.

These young voters are internet savvy and have a high political awareness. With such exposure, it is very important for the political parties to woo them to their sides.

To change for the better, these young voters must understand the need for the change and the traits of a good government.

Although the following have been written many times over, it is our duty to continuously remind them of what their future will be like, if the political landscape is left unchanged in this country.

1) The CAT concept

This is of utmost importance because a government that governs without competency, accountability and transparency will cause the country into bankruptcy. It is akin to daylight robbery!

With so many scandals: from the Defense Ministry to the Sports Ministry and from the Tourism Ministry to the Works Ministry and many more, it only makes one wonder whether there is rule of law in this country because at the end of the day, no one is held accountable for these scandals.

Although the government has eased the way for doing businesses by removing bureaucratic red tapes, the ever moribund civil service remains much to be seen for improvements.

Why does this government seems not able to follow the CAT concept of good governance?

2) Economy

With the major world economies grappling with the financial crisis, the outlook for next year will definitely not be a rosy one.

With the government rolling out a smorgasbord of fiscal policies and economic stimulants through the pumping of RM7 billion into various projects, the people remain pessimistic and the using of the EPF money of RM5 billion to inject into Valuecap to shore-up the market capitalization in the Stock Exchange only adds to the pessimism.

With the high cost of living now, the people are finding it extremely difficult to cope with their daily expenses, let alone a decent meal for the family.

What will Malaysia’s economy be without EPF and Petronas?

3) Judiciary

It has been for far too long the Judiciary system is being perceived by the people to be tainted with corruptions. The Lingam Tape controversy, the use of the ISA and the judgment of several high profile cases have left us in awe for all the wrong reasons.

Can the new Chief Justice instill back the confidence of the people who have been clamoring for justice for a long time?

4) Democratic Freedom: Speech, Religion and Equality

Although freedom of speech has its limitations, the interpretation and action of the government leaves much to be desired.

If a peaceful candlelight vigil gathering and even blogging can land a person to be arrested and detained under ISA, then what freedom of speech do we have?

If an inter-faith dialogue can lead to near riots and protests, then what religious freedom are we talking about?

If an appointment of a non-Malay to be a General Manager in a government department can trigger so much animosities and rejections among the civil servants and the Umnoputras, then what equality are we talking about?

If the NEP, social contract or the branding of the ketuanan Melayu is sacrosanct to one race, does it mean the other races must be denied equal opportunities?

5) Security

Maybe, with so many police personnel being deployed to 'prevent' the peaceful gatherings of the people from causing trouble, the robbers, snatch-thieves and murderers must be having a field day committing crimes.

Almost daily, we read of reports of violent crimes being committed to the extent that as if these criminals dare the police to catch them. The people are basically now living in a state of constant fear of being robbed, maimed or even being killed.

Have the police done enough to protect the people against crimes?

Of late, the police seemed to be active in arresting people, albeit the wrong people. The current spate of arrests and detentions of the government critics and the members of the opposition parties which seemed to be politically motivated by the governing party have created a deep distrust of the people towards the police force.

My eldest daughter was part of the victory that denied the BN two-third majority in parliament during the last election and the second daughter is one of the two million eligible voters come next election. It is my fervent hope that she will be part of the victory that changed this government.

So dear all, stand-up and be counted to vote for your future!

Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim: The man whom my father hated before

-->I remember clearly during my younger days, each time when the image of DSAI is flashed during primetime news, my father would quickly switched-off the TV and starts to curse the man for being ultra-Malay and anti-Chinese.

Now as I aged towards the half century mark, I fully understand the unhappiness of my father towards the BN led government of which DSAI was part of it. At that time the implementation of the NEP was at its peak: from education to the civil service and from business to religion. It was basically the beginning of the drumming up of the ketuanan Melayu mentality by Umno.

I have three grown-up children now who, like many other grown-ups, are beginning to have a good understanding of the country’s political scenario and start to question on the many political issues we are facing now.

One need not be a rocket scientist to see where this country is heading. I would not like to delve into and repeat the many issues and scandals which all of us are aware but seem not able to do much, except to make noise. Even the humble call of the people for fairness and justice has not only fallen on deaf ears, but responded with threats.

Instead, I would like to pen a few words on the man whom all true Malaysians are hoping can salvage this distressed country from doom.

My father is gone now and it is a pity that he is not able to see DSAI as a changed man. He has changed because he was forcibly pushed down from the top. He has changed because he was humiliated with untold miseries, from the court to prison. And he has changed because he now knows the evils of politics are tearing this country apart.

As the leader of Pakatan Rakyat, which controls five states, DSAI must be seen able to govern with integrity and dignity, by hook but never by crook.

For DSAI to be able to do so, he must get rid of three types of politicians:

1) The racist in the likes of Ahmad Ismail.
2) The evils in the likes of Khir Toyo.

3) The extremist in the likes of Zulkifli Nordin.

The road to Putrajaya for DSAI will not be a smooth one and there will certainly be many hurdles laid with intent to make him fall again. It is imperative for DSAI to tread with extreme caution for another fall will spell disaster for his political career.

With the build-up of people’s power, these hurdles can be removed as soon as it is laid so that the ascension of DSAI to Putrajaya can be hastened.

In the meantime, we will wait.