About my .my home

Welcome to my mind, for what it’s worth. It has been something that I’ve been toying with for sometime. By the way, this will be what they call, in the parlance, a “sticky post.” In other words, every time anyone visits, this will be the first post anyone sees. Scroll down for the new rants.

This is specifically for my two sen worth. And since I can be quite voluble, I think that my two sen will probably contain as many notes as Zimbabwean funny money. And possibly worth that much.

I write this not for self-aggrandizement or to be a pundit. I am certain that there will be people who will disagree with me. And some who will agree with me. I welcome all comments, bouquets and brickbats but I will moderate all comments before I publish them. I don’t want silly things published in my comments from people who may not have learnt to be constructive yet. But I need all my readers to realise that we CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE and still be fellow citizens who care very much what happens to our country. We all want what’s best and sometimes we are bound to have different points of view. But THAT’S OK!

More to the point, I write specifically to set my own thoughts on paper to test them out for myself AND to have others test them. A diamond will always remain in the rough if it isn’t cut and polished by continuous debate and discussion. And debate and discussion are preferable by far to parangs and bullets. Furthermore, I can hardly expect the level of discourse and debate to improve in this country if I don’t contribute in at least this small way.

I want to feel invested in the future of my country and I feel that people should always look for the hand of God in everything that happens. And to feel invested, it begins with me. To feel invested in good times AND in bad. Even if I contribute nothing more than a few words on a piece of paper or in cyberspace, maybe, just maybe, what I say and how I say it will cause someone, anyone, to think. And stand up to be counted for themselves.

All I can do as one person is to do whatever it is that I CAN do. In heartfelt sincerity. Not out of anger or fear or a desire to get “one-up” over my fellow man. But to say what I feel and articulate it as best as I can.

Gosh, as I’m rereading this, it sounds so earnest!

Anyway, for better or for worse, here it is. Dot My Home.

Press Freedom

When you’re an infant and learn how to walk, you trip, you stumble, you waddle unsteadily.

When you have trained your legs and your torso to exercise that peculiar, deliberate un-balancing act we call walking, you eventually get quite good at it. To the point where you can jog, or even run.

For every step we take, we unbalance ourselves, then catch ourselves with the other foot, then unbalance ourselves again and so on. It is an exercise in timing, balance, strength, and muscle memory practice that people, after awhile, forget doing.

Similarly with media freedom.

The cons simply say that too much freedom to discuss anything will give rise to hatred, unneccesary ill will and can even foment violence and a host of other reasons.

The (I wanted to use “detractors and protractors” but that makes them seem like set-squares) pros on the other hand argue that press freedoms or “the fourth estate” are an integral part of a fully functioning democracy to provide checks and balances and, also, a host of other reasons.

Which is true?

As a person muddling through life, I believe (and maybe this is very “Buddhist” of me) that everything seems to be more intertwined than ever. An individual’s life can mirror a country’s. Or vice versa, as it were.

As an individual, we need to be accepting of critique our entire lives. Or we will never improve or become all that we can be. No, this is not an US Army ad. As a child, we’re guided positively by our parents. As young adults, we’re guided by people of influence; teachers, our superiors at work. As people who achieve positions of higher responsibility, then perhaps in the case of politicians, the “rakyat.” Or in the case of those who have a more spiritual bent, God/The Universe.

And even then, you will have some good advice and some bad advice. Not from God. But from more earthly manifestations. Poor God already has so much laid at his doorstep with all the God Willing/Insyaalah’s that he get’s due to car accidents to motorcycle pile ups when in actual fact the person was just plain careless or unthinking.

Similarly, with the bigger picture, everything communities do is subject to critique. Some of it good. Some of it bad. It’s up to us to sort out the “chaff from the wheat.” And then decide what to do with it.

There are people in this world who live in fear of criticism. These are the individuals who lash out at every perceived slight. Who change friends like their underwear because on one day you’re in and the next you’re out because of the slightest disagreement. In individuals, this is considered most childish. Why is it then ok when our government does this? Why does the government live in that suspicion and fear? Because that’s what it is. The funny thing about fear is that when you live in fear about something, it usually happens. Weird, right? But it’s true. It’s like a self fulfilling prophecy.

Try it next time and see.

Everyone, the “kerajaan,” public bodies, communities, mat rempit, everyone, can benefit from an open press. Things, like the first televised parliament, will be chaotic to begin with, like the time we learned to walk as kids, but will eventually settle down to an equilibrium of pros and cons. Our people will start debating the issues intelligently and understanding what it is that they themselves need rather than be told what they need like a child. At which point, you will have a more informed populace who will then take responsibility for their own actions rather than rely on the “nanny state.” And a First World Government.

Televising Parliament

Had a glimpse of Parliament on TV yesterday.

For those who have not seen British, Australian, or even Taiwanese Parliaments in action, it would have been shocking.

Even for Parliamentarians who have grown up over the last generation, unused as they are to the rough and tumble of parliamentary politics, it would have been an experience which would not have been a happy one.

I feel that most of us would expect our country’s highest legislative body to have decorum in spades and also very polite people discoursing and debating in very civil terms about the future of the country.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Parliament IS a fish market. Especially first world parliaments.

The British Parliament, if viewed from the so called Strangers Gallery is nothing more than an avenue for show. There are boos, hisses, catcalls, name calling of the most incisive nature, and all in all, it is a free for all.

Our Information Minister Dato’ Shabery Cheek has basically said that they will do away with the televising of this spectacle as our parliamentarians particularly the opposition don’t know how to behave themselves. What a laugh. Perhaps we should do away with the post of information minister and have a department of information wholly subject to parliament which will then pass on news about the information of government.

First World Parliaments get broadcasted all the time. There’s even a channel in the US that broadcasts ONLY House debates. It’s called CSPAN.

Ever seen the Taiwanese Parliament in action? And I MEAN action…

And Taiwan is a  first world developed nation.

Basically, our government, through it’s information minister mouthpiece has shown again, it’s total lack of understanding of what a democracy is. The politics of fear, of face, of anxiety rule again. What utter silliness.

Yes, there is a lot of nonsense that goes on. Yes, sometimes Bills get delayed due to Filibustering. Yes, sometimes the stuff that get’s debated is procedural. Yes, much of what is said in Parliament is nonsense. But that is the process of a First World Parliament. This happens in developed Parliaments WORLDWIDE. The British are masters of the surgical insult.

It will be messy. Democracy is messy. And the mess should be welcomed, embraced even. Because out of that mess gems and diamonds will be polished and will emerge.

Long live broadcasting of Parliament proceedings.

Mighty Big Pow Wow set to begin but UMNO still speak with fork tongue

As Malaysia’s Parliament is set to reopen and sit, we are treated to spectacles hitherto unknown to most of the population in the Malaysian Polity.

It will be interesting to watch and see what happens.

The thing is, UMNO members still don’t seem to get it.

Quoting from The Star, 29 April 08 “Information Chief of UMNO Kelantan, Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad, said that Karpal Singh had finally demonstrated DAP’s true colours, that it was a party with no regard for the Malay royal institution.”

I’m wondering if, when the words slipped out of his mouth he gave a second thought to how his Big Chief Badawi (wow, that even sounds native American 😉 ) dissed the Sultan of Terengganu/His Majesty The Agung regarding the choice of Chief Minister.

Also, I won’t be updating this blog as often, but expect to see something once or twice a week. Work has finally caught up and while it’s interesting and cathartic to blog about things, the real world beckons.

The Day Catholics Welcomed a PAS Man in Shah Alam

The day Catholics welcomed a man from PAS in Shah Alam

Khalid Samad gets standing ovation from Church of Divine Mercy congregation

Related story: Dzulkefly may be the first Muslim MP at a Catholic Mass. Click to open

Khalid Samad, asked for public discourse in church

Partai Islam SeMalaysia or PAS often conveys a fundamentalist, hard-line image to non-Muslims. Getting behind the rhetoric, Insider’s DEBRA CHONG shows there’s a more engaging, even openly embracing, side to some PAS politicians. “BETTER the devil you know than the angel you don’t”. Those familiar with this phrase by Ethiopian satirist Hama Tutu usually hear it advocated in the face of change, when those in power anticipate a revolt. In Shah Alam, however, some 2,000 Christians have learnt that it’s better to embrace the unknown entity than to put up with and suffer a known demon. On March 27, Khalid Abdul Samad became the first elected Muslim Member of Parliament to step into the Roman Catholic Church of the Divine Mercy since it was completed in 2005. The congregation gave him a standing ovation. Perhaps more stunning is that Khalid is from Parti Islam SeMalaysia and was the one to initiate contact. And he reassured the Christians in attendance that they could continue to use the word “Allah” in their worship without fear of persecution. Previously, the federal government had banned Christians from using the word “Allah” in referring to God in their worship for fear that it would confuse the Muslim Malays and lead them astray from Islam. Bibles printed in the national language were also seized. This was reversed sometime last year, but the damage was already done. Khalid said that in all Arabic-speaking communities, “Allah” just means “God”, therefore it is not “unique to Islam”. He had once attended church in the Middle East and heard a Christian priest preach in Arabic with no trouble. “For us, the problem is we’re not an Arabic-speaking country. Therefore some people question why non-Muslims have to use this word when it is not really necessary. People then make all sorts of speculations about idealogy. But there’s no reason for the word to be banned from Christian worship. We’re quite happy if people use it.“ It’s not just my personal opinion but is consistent with the party’s view. Basically it shouldn’t be any problem. And I made it quite clear to the people in church that night,” Khalid explained over the phone yesterday. The parishioners were especially impressed that Khalid was the one who approached them.“It was his own initiative. He contacted our parish priest, Father Paulino Miranda, and said he wanted to come and talk to us,” Joseph Victor, chairman of the church’s parish pastoral council told The Malaysian Insider on behalf of Fr Paulino who is away on sabbatical till April 18. “That’s a good sign. Everybody was very happy. This is the first time a Pas MP is coming to a Catholic church. It shows they’re not against Catholic churches,” he added. It was the first time an MP for Shah Alam had, unasked and unaided, actively engaged the non-Muslim community in public discourse in their own backyard, at least on this side of the peninsula. It spurred a parishioner, Tony Yew, to blog about the experience on his website (www.muststopthis.blogspot.com). “What was evident from the points raised by those who could get their voices heard was crystal clear, abundance of local council issues and the fear of ‘subtle religious’ persecution. “With no one to turn to, YB Khalid took all the questions one by one and stressed that the newly-formed coalition government of PKR-Pas-DAP (in no order) was one of consensus by nature,” he wrote. But Khalid was quick to disclaim credit for the unprecedented move. He said the discourse was made possible because of the mixed effort on both sides. “Our people working in the (Shah Alam) area heard that the parish priest was campaigning for change in the elections and advocated the congregation to use their votes to bring about change,” said Khalid. He recounted that he wanted to speak to them, to thank them for giving the Oposition their mandate for change. “I tried my best to answer most of the questions. We talked about government policies, about discrimination – there shouldn’t be any! – enforcement and implementation, which would require more detailed explanations, but I just talked about it in short.” A 9-minute video clip of the dialogue has been made availble on YouTube.

PM Blames Saboteurs for BN setback – from Malaysiakini

From Malaysiakini

Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today blamed internal saboteurs for the party’s horrendous showing in last month’s general elections.(Oh my, they still haven’t woken up. And are still in denial. Cloud 9 must be a gorgeous place to live.)

Speaking to reporters after a closed-door briefing to about 1,000 party grassroots leaders at the Putra World Trade Centre this morning, Abdullah said that the acts of sabotage were the “main reason” for the party to suffer heavy losses.(He’s either convinced himself very succinctly or he’s lying. And he’s got hundreds of yes men nodding their heads sagely as he makes these incredible assertions. OR, he’s a master politician who knows if you repeat something often enough it will become true. And he’s hoping he won’t run out of time before that.)

He added that the saboteurs resulted in the party losing 14 parliament and 22 state seats – all previously declared safe seats by the party.

According to him, if the 22 state seats were retained, the party would not have lost Kedah and Perak to the opposition.

The Umno-led BN managed to win only 14 state seats in Kedah with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition winning the remaining 22 to take control of the state.

Meanwhile in Perak, BN won 28 of the 59 state seats, again losing marginally to the opposition.

Similarly, Abdullah added that the 14 parliament seats would have also resulted in BN retaining its two-thirds in the Parliament. At present BN is eight seats short of attaining a two-thirds majority.

“Although there are other weaknesses within the party, the main reason we lost was due to acts of sabotage by Umno members,” he said.(I don’t know whether to laugh at the sheer delusion of it all or cry at the outright audacity of being able to lie with a straight face)

“In our analysis, there were at least 14 parliamentary and 22 state seats which we were guaranteed to win. But as a result of sabotage, we lost them.”

Abdullah, who is also the prime minister, said that disciplinary action would be taken against the saboteurs. However, he declined to comment on their reasons for sabotaging the party.

No rejection from voters

The meeting today is widely seen as Abdullah’s first step towards explaining Umno and Barisan Nasional’s setback in the 2008 general election.

Umno division chiefs, wing leaders from the Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri and information heads formed the major segment of the attendees. Also present was Abdullah’s deputy Najib Abdul Razak.

“We received very good support during the 2004 elections due to our manifesto which promised many good proposals. And there was high expectation and hope that we could do something about it,” said Abdullah.

“I admit that the last four years, the government under my leadership have not been able to fully accomplish and implement all of the proposals.”

The government has nevertheless brought many good changes to the economy, he said.

“For without a strong economy, we will not be able to implement other proposals.”

He said that steps will continue to be taken to improve judicial integrity, racial harmony, police and public administration.

“Despite all this, the voters did not reject us and the opposition is not the government of the day. At the federal government level, we were eight seats short of two-thirds majority – a benchmark for success in Barisan Nasional,” said Abdullah.

He also blamed former Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who has expressed his intention to oust him as president, for the party’s inability to wrest Kelantan back from PAS.(And losing your own home state isn’t a case of the pot calling the kettle black.)

Razaleigh, who is Kelantan’s Gua Musang division chief, lambasted Abdullah’s leadership when opening his division’s extraordinary general meeting on Friday.

Abdullah strikes back at Dr M

Abdullah also came out swinging with both hands at today’s press conference in response to attacks against him by his predecessor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He pointed out that it was Mahathir who clamped down on press freedom as well as launching the Operation Lallang mass crackdown against political dissidents in 1987.

“Questions were also raised about the lack of freedom during my leadership and about me being lembik (soft). But if I’m a softie, why would there be a lack of freedom,” said Abdullah.

“Some of these allegations are totally baseless. Were there not restrictions during his administration?” he asked.

“I know that reporters were told (after Mahathir had taken over) that pictures and stories of (former premier) Tun Hussein Onn cannot be carried anymore.

“(And) who’s responsible for Operation Lalang? There are already enough bloggers and opinions given on who was responsible for those events and I don’t need to add more,” he said.

He added that he cannot accept a party split at this time and has asked the members to back him so that he can accomplish his tasks for the good of the country.

On Mahathir’s stinging attacks lately, Abdullah returned fire by accusing his former boss of abusing his position.

“When we won 92 percent in 2004, he said this (lack of opposition) is not good. Did he tolerate opposition during his reign?

“When the opposition has grown stronger, he now directs his attack at us. Menang banyak tak boleh, menang sikit pun tak boleh. Apa yang boleh? (Win handsomely, he complains, win less, also he complains. What to do?),” said Abdullah.

On whether action will be taken to investigate his predecessor for his role in the 1987 judiciary crisis and other matters, the prime minister said that it depended on the proof.

“As far as this government is concerned, our stand is if there is proof, the agencies can go ahead and charge anyone.”

Action against saboteurs

During the press conference, Umno information supreme Muhammad Muhd Taib was asked when action would be taken against the saboteurs.

He answered that it would be “after the disciplinary committee has investigated the matter”.

Delegates who attended the briefing told Malaysiakini that the two-hour party briefing however did not include a question-and-answer session despite that it was on the agenda.

“Although microphones were there but when it came to the Q&A portion, Muhd Taib said that Abdullah’s clarification was very good and asked if the Q&A session could be scrapped,” said the grassroots leader.

“Although some disagreed, after a quick show of hands, he quickly announced that the majority of the members did not want to ask questions. And that was the end of it.”

Similarly, questions posed to Muhd Taib on the recent calls for the abolition of Umno quota system as well as the demand for an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the polls setback were quickly dismissed.

According to Muhd Taib, you don’t change the rules while in the middle of a football game.

(Wait for more of the same.)

“Off The Edge” Apr 2008 Issue #40 with a sketch of Nurul Izzah on the cover

Get it! Very, very good reading. Articles by Farish Noor and Beth Yahp. I wanted to transcribe it here but was not able to. Legalities.

Singapore and our Elections

Haven’t updated in a couple of days because we were down in Singapore for “We Will Rock You.” Amazing!

Some of the stuff we heard was hilarious!

A friend of a friend said “it’s ok. As long as they’re fighting amongst themselves, they won’t attack us.”

Sort of sums it all up really. I always thought Singaporeans were stuck on themselves and well, THEY ARE! 😉 hahaha

Pakatan Rakyat – Good for the country?

Yes.

I am cautiously optimistic.

But let me put a few of my thoughts on ‘paper’ and see how they stand up.

I am in full agreement that we need to move away from race based politics AND the identification of ethnicity as a criteria for assistance/advancement/handicap. People are different because and ONLY because we define that difference between us. The idea that we are different makes us different.

If we accepted that all of us deserve the same amount of space required to grow as a people, we would be! Sounds so simple but yet it is so contentious.

And it will remain so.

We need to vote. To vote to continue to CHANGE MINDS with regard to being a Bangsa Malaysia. I don’t want another conversation like I had yesterday with a market research firm who said to me at the end “you not Malaysian ah?” after I gave them my name. When I said yes I was the next question was “what race are you?” It irritates me when I hear that.

However, having said that, we had a NEGATIVE vote against a ruling party NOT a POSITIVE vote for the opposition/government now in 5 states.

This means that we will have serious resistance to change by forces STILL in play.

Mat Taib Defends Pak Lah Against Bad, Bad Tun Dr M

From Malaysiakini

Umno information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib today lashed out at former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for launching scathing attacks on his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Sounds suspiciously like a temper tantrum. “Don’t be so bad to my fren!” *pout* Perhaps he’s seeing the considerable amounts he can bring to Australia evaporate before his eyes!)

Defending his party president during a press conference at his Rural And Regional Development Ministry in Putrajaya, Muhammad said people should stop pointing fingers at Abdullah.(Let’s blame the internet instead and try and divert attention away from the perceptions of corruption, arrogance, and greed)

“What Mahathir and people are doing now is very, very wrong. It is not fair to point fingers at one person when everybody knows there were many contributing factors.

“It is very unfair to dump the blame on the PM. This is unfair and done in bad faith,” he said. (It IS a temper tantrum. “SOOO BAAAD” *stamps feet and jumps about*)

Muhammad was referring to “unfair” comments from Mahathir made at a forum yesterday on how Abdullah was shameless in refusing to resign for Barisan Nasional’s biggest election setback last month.

‘Not a level playing field’

He pointed out that there were also other contributing factors to BN’s performance including the role played by bloggers, news portals and short messaging service (SMS).

“It wasn’t a level-playing field (between the BN and opposition). BN did not use the portals, SMS and ICT (information and communications technology) to the fullest,” he said.(“Waaaaahhhhhh. The bad people TOLD EVERYONE about EVERYTHING we did. SO NOT FAIR!!!! It’s NOT OUR FAULT! They told! They told! How caaaannnn!!!!” *lies on ground and kicks and screams* Just a question though…so the flip side of this is that, it’s been a “level playing field” all these years?)

Muhammad noted that the BN lost in the “virtual elections” while opposition had cashed in on using video CDs showing temple demolitions which caused the swing of Indian voters.(Hmmm, so the violent handling of the HINDRAF rally did not have anything to do with it lah…and the fact that the Indians felt that Samy Vellu aka MIC didn’t represent them anymore)

The former Selangor mentri besar also questioned why are the people picking on Abdullah when other leaders have also previously lost in the elections.

“We lost Terengganu in 1999. How come nobody asked Mahathir to step down then? When PAS lost Terengganu in 2004, how come nobody told (PAS spiritual leader) Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to step down?” he quizzed.

Muhammad noted that Mahathir was a good leader but his comments are not helping the party at this particular time.

“We are trying to fight one person but our guru is hitting us at the same time. Nobody can call for Mahathir to be disciplined because he is kebal (untouchable). This is too much,” he told reporters.

Football analogy

Asked whether ‘yes-men’ in the party had made Abdullah’s administration different from his predecessor, Muhammad said ‘no’.

“The ‘yes-men’ did not make a difference to the administration. I was under Mahathir since 1982 for 11 years. I think the way they did business and dealt with things is almost the same,” he asserted.

“Leaders are saying things that are pedas (scathing), bebankan (burdensome) and they label Pak Lah with all kinds of labels. That’s unfair,” he added.

The Umno veteran also said that what some party leaders are trying to do in abolishing the nominations quota system is like changing the rules of a football game.(I like these rules. I know these rules. I can use them to my advantage.)

“It is like changing the rules […] and the goalpost itself while the game is going on. It should happen after the game,” he said.(Wait laaahhhh till I take some more moneeeyyy firsstt from the kampungs! Like this how caaann??)

With that, Muhammad stressed that the abolition of the nominations system should be done after the party’s elections in December this year.(So that we can intimidate people not to nominate anyone else lah)