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7th Rangers: March 2008

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No Atheists
In A Foxhole

Rudyard Kipling

" “When you're left wounded on
Afganistan's plains and

the women come out to cut up what remains,
Just roll to your rifle

and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur

" “We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”

“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.”
“Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace,
for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .”
“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.

“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."

Proud To Have
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With His
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Zakaria's legacy
Friday, March 28, 2008
by Terence Fernandez
WHEN I was woken up at 4.30am last Tuesday by an SMS from Norafiza Mahfuz, the public relations officer of the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), it was immediately apparent that this newspaper and I personally had an obligation to produce this article. But it took a few days. Although it was necessary to record our "debt" to a man whose misdeeds had ironically contributed to our claim to fame and solidified our reputation for "telling it as it is", this column had to be tempered with compassion and good taste.

It was not going to be an easy assignment, because while one cannot escape the truth, you never "diss" the dead.But my better and brainier half has a knack for putting things into perspective: "all babies are cute and all dead people are good". Yes, Datuk Zakaria Md Deros is gone. He of the Istana Idaman fame; he who purchased low- cost land worth RM1.3 million for RM180,000 under his wife’s name; he who proposed that his son and daughter-in-law join him as councillors at MPK; he who operated an illegal satay house and tore down a business rival’s shed; he who owed RM22,000 in assessment for over 12 years; he who served as a senator while a bankrupt; he who ran an alleged illegal sand-mining business; he who faced over 30 charges from the Companies Commission.

The former Port Klang Assemblyman whose proxy in the recent general election was his daughter-in-law Roselinda Abdul Jamil (who lost to the PKR candidate) was defiant till the last.His last days were filled with misery as he tried to come to terms with the fact that a state considered to be an Umno stronghold and to a larger extent Port Klang, to which, in his opinion, he had given his all, could be wrested by the opposition. Traumatised by the loss of the state government to the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition, he lamented "Negri kita diambil alih oleh orang asing" (our state has been taken over by outsiders). These were to be among his last words before collapsing and succumbing to a heart attack.

What was unfortunately lost on Zakaria was that the loss of Selangor was partly due to him, as he was after all, the poster boy for the excesses and abuses of those in power. Many called it defiance and sheer arrogance, but his sympathisers say he was just oblivious. "In his mind, he was doing the right thing and he could not understand what all the fuss over his mansion was about," said Faizal Abdullah, who quit as an MPK councillor after it was revealed that he too built a bungalow without approval.Zakaria appeared bewildered as he tearfully thanked the press during a news conference at his home following reports of his unrestrained conduct for "educating me on right and wrong".

But these, say critics were the words of a seasoned politician who knew exactly what he was doing. This second school of thought was probably a more accurate version of the man. "I prefer to be called Abang Z," he told reporters after an audience with the Sultan where he received a royal rebuke and risked being stripped of his Datukship. Zakaria also evoked fear in almost all who he came in contact with. It was difficult to dig up dirt on his abuses, as many were terrified of co-operating. When we front-paged a report on him defaulting on his assessment rates, Zakaria paid a visit to MPK and screamed at the staff, assuming that they had leaked the information.

Once, standing on top of the desk of a district officer, Zakaria shouted at the trembling man and forced him to approve a land transfer. At the MPK, the man was king, dominating council meetings with even council heads cowering in apprehension. He controlled Umno councillors and even told them to walk out of committee meetings if the outcome was not to his liking. "Buat apa lagi duduk dalam? Keluar semua!" (What more are you sitting in there for? Everyone get out!), he bellowed at one session, before all Umno councillors trotted out.

The only person who stood up to him was Datuk Teh Kim Poo, the Pandamaran assemblyman who also lost in the election. The two would go head-on with Teh challenging projects endorsed by Zakaria. At the height of the Istana Idaman controversy, of which Teh had been a vocal critic, Klang police quickly took down banners carrying words bordering on racial incitement attacking Teh, the MCA and even the journalists who exposed it – Citizen Nades and yours truly. It is understood that there is no love lost between Zakaria and Teh, but the two last met three weeks ago, photographed shaking hands at a pre-election function, proving that in politics there are no permanent friends or foes.

But one character who remained an adversary is Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim of the DAP, who Zakaria slapped in 2000 during a break at the State Assembly, following a heated argument when Zakaria took offence to Teng’s use of the word "haram" when referring to illegal factories. But whatever one says about Zakaria, for the many whom he had helped, Abang Z was Godsend. From getting job and university placements, housing, land grants and even financing his constituents’ children’s schooling, weddings and paying for funerals, Zakaria was the man who could get things done.

Just one phone call and the entire MPK team was at his doorstep to patch a pothole or tear down his rival’s satay stall. And he is not one to take "no" for an answer. "He would thrust the pen into the hand of an officer or minister, push the recommendation letter in their face and to the point of intimidation, would force them to sign it," said Faizal. "Sain! Sain! Tak payah baca, ini orang saya, you sain aje! Sain! Aku cakap sain!" (Sign! Sign! No need to read, this is my man, you just sign it! Sign! I said sign!) Even Zakaria was aware of his lack of grace and had confided in a friend: "I am not an educated man. This is the only way I know how to do things".

But in spite of these so-called limitations, the former railway gatekeeper was considered the most powerful man in Selangor – at one time even tipped to be mentri besar himself. But he was more effective as "king maker" and contributed – in cash, kind and delegates to ensure his "men" sat in the State Exco and municipal council. Klang was his own little kingdom with him as Umno chief, his wife Zizah Ngah Wanita Umno head, his son Zainuri Umno Youth chief and Roselinda heading the Puteri wing. When his excesses came to light, even Prime Minster Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo were reluctant to remove Zakaria, with the PM labelling him "a good leader".

To those who knew him personally, Zakaria was the jovial, simple Abang Z. A joker, who was the life of the party – generous to his friends, family, constituents, and those who did his bidding. And he was a die-hard Umno loyalist, even threatening bodily harm to those who wanted to leave the party. However, to the masses, Zakaria represented all that was wrong with Umno and the previous state government where there were different sets of laws for the well-connected and the ordinary man. And this is where Zakaria unwittingly provided the people with the reasons for bringing him and the state government down.

One must remember that Zakaria was not the only rogue politician. There were many more like him or worse, but the revelations of Zakaria’s misdeeds had inadvertently focused the rakyat’s lenses on those in public office and raised the benchmark on how these officials should conduct themselves; and at the same time compelling their leaders to rein them in. The sad part of Zakaria’s story is that had he played his cards well and done things by the book, his would have been an inspirational rags-to-riches story. It is unfortunate that his legacy will be that of the man whose unrestrained behaviour, abuse of the government machinery and exploitation of his position contributed to the fall of Umno in Selangor – the party and state he loved so dearly. Terence prays that Zakaria has finally found peace and clarity. He is deputy news editor (special reports & investigations) and is reachable at terence@thesundaily.com From The Sun
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 10:19 PM   0 comments
Rent-seeking from rain
Citizen Nades - By R. Nadeswaran

Necessity, it is said, is the mother of invention. In the case of Selangor, to remain as the country’s only developed state (whatever that means) it has to be innovative. And there’s no dearth of people or organisations that can come up with ideas and ways to make a little profit here and there to fill up the coffers.Rent seekers are plentiful; the gravy train is getting longer by the day; cronies have to be rewarded and machinery needs money to be oiled. Therefore, there can be a hundred and one reasons (however plausible they can be) to create some revenue earning source to keep everything going.

Selangor, if the claims are to be believed, has the highest number of tourist arrivals and is the largest exporter in the country. But that’s not because of its achievements.The state is fortunate that the country’s major airport, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the country’s number one export hub, Port Klang, are located here.

Having self-proclaimed this dubious honour with concocted statistics and a half-baked survey, it can now add another feather to its cap. With the high literacy rate, there would be enough people to come up with bird-brained ideas and non-starters just to earn a big fee or a small percentage of the proceeds.Hence, someone had been putting on his thinking cap and came out with a gem which needs no capital investment, no manpower, no machinery and more importantly, no effort. All he has to do is to sit and collect money and keep praying for the heavens to open up.

It is only a matter of time before those in the state will be carrying meters which would calculate the amount of air they breathe and get charged for it. No, it’s not a joke because the way it is going, it could get an honourable mention in that book of records. On the same premise, you could even end up paying for the amount of sunlight you receive. And by the way, don’t discount the possibility of being charged for the air we exhale!

According to a circular (reproduced at bottom) from the Selangor Water Authority (LUAS), factories and golf clubs will have to apply for a licence and then have to pay for rain water! And this is no joke either. The circular, which cites a state enactment of 1999, also acts as a "Notis Pemberitahuan Kesalahan" (Notice of Offence) and requires all commercial organisations to fill up a form and make the necessary declarations.

Golf clubs in particular argue that the ponds in the courses not only exist as water hazards for the golfer to conquer; they also act as retention ponds for rain water. If there are no such ponds, they argue, rain water would flow into public drains causing floods. The rain water collected in the ponds is used to water the greens and fairways, hence saving large amounts of water so that there is enough treated water for public use.

When someone was convicted for oral sex in Singapore, the joke that went around was that in Singapore, you can’t spit and you can’t swallow. Now, In Selangor, you even have to pay to the state whenever God answers the farmers’ prayers! But even if it can be argued that the rates are nominal, the real issue is: Can you propose a levy for God-sent water? The simple way to get out of it is by saying that there is such a law. But is the law fair? Will it be against public interest? But does anyone care?

No, with the "fully-developed state" status, anything goes, because the tagline is Semuanya OK! The Sun
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 10:15 PM   0 comments
Why Do Palestinians Get Much More Attention than Tibetans?
Monks Disrupt Tibet Media Visit




By Dennis Prager
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The long-suffering Tibetans have been in the news. This happens perhaps once or twice a decade. In a more moral world, however, public opinion would be far more preoccupied with Tibetans than with Palestinians, would be as harsh on China as it is on Israel, and would be as fawning on Israel as it now is on China. But, alas, the world is, as it has always been, a largely mean-spirited and morally insensitive place, where might is far more highly regarded than right. Consider the facts: Tibet, at least 1,400 years old, is one of the world's oldest nations, has its own language, its own religion and even its own ethnicity. Over 1 million of its people have been killed by the Chinese, its culture has been systematically obliterated, 6,000 of its 6,200 monasteries have been looted and destroyed, and most of its monks have been tortured, murdered or exiled.

Palestinians have none of these characteristics. There has never been a Palestinian country, never been a Palestinian language, never been a Palestinian ethnicity, never been a Palestinian religion in any way distinct from Islam elsewhere. Indeed, "Palestinian" had always meant any individual living in the geographic area called Palestine. For most of the first half of the 20th century, "Palestinian" and "Palestine" almost always referred to the Jews of Palestine. The United Jewish Appeal, the worldwide Jewish charity that provided the nascent Jewish state with much of its money, was actually known as the United Palestine Appeal. Compared to Tibetans, few Palestinians have been killed, its culture has not been destroyed nor its mosques looted or plundered, and Palestinians have received billions of dollars from the international community. Unlike the dying Tibetan nation, there are far more Palestinians today than when Israel was created.

None of this means that a distinct Palestinian national identity does not now exist. Since Israel's creation such an identity has arisen and does indeed exist. Nor does any of this deny that many Palestinians suffered as a result of the creation of the third Jewish state in the area, known -- since the Romans renamed Judea -- as "Palestine." But it does mean that of all the causes the world could have adopted, the Palestinians' deserved to be near the bottom and the Tibetans' near the top. This is especially so since the Palestinians could have had a state of their own from 1947 on, and they have caused great suffering in the world, while the far more persecuted Tibetans have been characterized by a morally rigorous doctrine of nonviolence.

So, the question is, why? Why have the Palestinians received such undeserved attention and support, and the far more aggrieved and persecuted and moral Tibetans given virtually no support or attention? The first reason is terror. Some time ago, the Palestinian leadership decided, with the overwhelming support of the Palestinian people, that murdering as many innocent people -- first Jews, and then anyone else -- was the fastest way to garner world attention. They were right. On the other hand, as The Economist notes in its March 28, 2008 issue, "Tibetan nationalists have hardly ever resorted to terrorist tactics…" It is interesting to speculate how the world would have reacted had Tibetans hijacked international flights, slaughtered Chinese citizens in Chinese restaurants and temples, on Chinese buses and trains, and massacred Chinese schoolchildren.

The second reason is oil and support from powerful fellow Arabs. The Palestinians have rich friends who control the world's most needed commodity, oil. The Palestinians have the unqualified support of all Middle Eastern oil-producing nations and the support of the Muslim world beyond the Middle East. The Tibetans are poor and have the support of no nations, let alone oil-producing ones.

The third reason is Israel. To deny that pro-Palestinian activism in the world is sometimes related to hostility toward Jews is to deny the obvious. It is not possible that the unearned preoccupation with the Palestinians is unrelated to the fact that their enemy is the one Jewish state in the world. Israel's Jewishness is a major part of the Muslim world's hatred of Israel. It is also part of Europe's hostility toward Israel: Portraying Israel as oppressors assuages some of Europe's guilt about the Holocaust -- "see, the Jews act no better than we did." Hence the ubiquitous comparisons of Israel to Nazis.

A fourth reason is China. If Tibet had been crushed by a white European nation, the Tibetans would have elicited far more sympathy. But, alas, their near-genocidal oppressor is not white. And the world does not take mass murder committed by non-whites nearly as seriously as it takes anything done by Westerners against non-Westerners. Furthermore, China is far more powerful and frightening than Israel. Israel has a great army and nuclear weapons, but it is pro-West, it is a free and democratic society, and it has seven million people in a piece of land as small as Belize. China has nuclear weapons, has a trillion U.S. dollars, an increasingly mighty army and navy, is neither free nor democratic, is anti-Western, and has 1.2 billion people in a country that dominates the Asian continent.

A fifth reason is the world's Left. As a general rule, the Left demonizes Israel and has loved China since it became Communist in 1948. And given the power of the Left in the world's media, in the political life of so many nations, and in the universities and the arts, it is no wonder vicious China has been idolized and humane Israel demonized. The sixth reason is the United Nations, where Israel has been condemned in more General Assembly and Security Council resolutions than any other country in the world. At the same time, the UN has voted China onto its Security Council and has never condemned it. China's sponsoring of Sudan and its genocidal acts against its non-Arab black population, as in Darfur, goes largely unremarked on at the UN, let alone condemned, just as is the case with its cultural genocide, ethnic cleansing and military occupation of Tibet.

The seventh reason is television news, the primary source of news for much of mankind. Aside from its leftist tilt, television news reports only what it can video. And almost no country is televised as much as Israel, while video reports in Tibet are forbidden, as they are almost anywhere in China except where strictly monitored by the Chinese authorities. No video, no TV news. And no TV, no concern. So while grieving Palestinians and the accidental killings of Palestinians during morally necessary Israeli retaliations against terrorists are routinely televised, the slaughter of over a million Tibetans and the extinguishing of Tibetan Buddhism and culture are non-events as far as television news is concerned.

The world is unfair, unjust and morally twisted. And rarely more so than in its support for the Palestinians -- no matter how many innocents they target for murder and no matter how much Nazi-like anti-Semitism permeates their media -- and its neglect of the cruelly treated, humane Tibetans. The source....
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 9:57 PM   0 comments
Anderson Mutang's speech to the 47th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Saturday, March 22, 2008
"The government says that it is bringing us progress and development. But the only development that we see is dusty logging roads and relocation camps. For us, their so-called progress means only starvation, dependence, helplessness, the destruction of our culture, and the demoralization of our people. The government says it is creating jobs for our people. But these jobs will disappear along with the forest. In ten years, the jobs will all be gone, and the forest which has sustained us for thousands of years will be gone with them.

"Why do we need jobs? My father and my grandfather did not have to ask the government for jobs. They were never unemployed. They lived from the land and from the forest. It was a good life. We had much leisure time, yet we were never hungry, or in need. These company jobs take men away from their families for months at a time. They are breaking apart the vital links that have held our families and our communities together for generations. These jobs bring our people into a consumer economy for which they are not prepared.

"An old man I know once asked a policeman why it was he could not blockade a road on his own land. The policeman told him that Yayasan Sarawak had been given the license to log the forest, and so the land belongs to the company. This is what the old man said in reply: 'Who is this Yayasan Sarawak?' If he really owns the land, why have I never met him in the forest during my hunting trips over the last sixty years?'

"A woman I know who has seven children once came to me and said, 'This logging is like a big tree that has fallen on my chest. I often awake in the middle of the night, and I and my husband talk endlessly about the future of our children. I always ask myself, when will it end?'"

Anderson Mutang Urud at the UN General Assembly, December 10, 1992 Source....
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 2:46 PM   0 comments
Official confirmation not forthcoming but Dr Chan says no quit letter from MP and brushes aside news as mere rumour
KUCHING: Serian MP Datuk Richard Riot Jaem is said to be quitting the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP). Serian town was abuzz with news of his resignation but official confirmation was not forthcoming from anyone in his party, including the MP himself who has made himself incommunicado.

In an immediate reaction, SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan denied that he had received any resignation letter from Riot, brushing aside the news as just a rumour. “The party secretary-general and I have not received anything yet. I don’t think it (rumour) is true. I have tried to contact him but to no avail,” he said.

Riot’s house in Kampung Pichin, which also acted as the operations room in the just concluded election, was closed while the pole that used to fly the SUPP flag at his office in Serian town had no flag on it. Sources close to him, however, said Riot was in Singapore, and for whatever reason they were not revealing.

Talks, however, were rife that this state of incommunicado began after the announcement of the federal cabinet line-up on Tuesday. The same sources said Riot knew he was not in the federal cabinet hours before the announcement, and that he had called for a meeting of local party leaders to have a measure of their sentiments to reconsider his position in the party upon his return to Kuching from Kuala Lumpur later that day.

The MP, it was said, not only talked about his frustration in not getting a cabinet post after serving as Serian MP for close to 20 years, but that the new cabinet had totally excluded the Bidayuh community. Riot was unreachable even by his own party leaders, after he was said to have sent a resignation letter together with a few hundred supporters yesterday.

After the meeting that evening, Riot was said to have asked his men to collect SUPP membership cards from five sub-branches in Serian, namely Mongkos, Tebakang, Lanchang, Balai Ringin and Tebedu, to be surrendered to the party headquarters in Kuching. “He was unhappy not only because he was not in the line-up but also because there was no representation from the Bidayuh community in the cabinet,” said one particular source.

According to the source, Riot had on Wednesday handed over 300 membership cards (including that of the source) and a letter to the SUPP headquarters to notify that the MP and members were quitting the party en masse. It is also learned that SUPP secretary general Senator Datuk Sim Kheng Hui along with other leaders were asked to go to Serian to talk things over with Riot and persuade him to retract. “But he failed to meet Datuk Richard Riot because he was nowhere to be found,” said the source.

A local party member in Tebakang Jimmy Choo said a group of people claiming to be Riot’s men approached him on Wednesday morning requesting for his membership card. “I was made to understand that they had gone to the residences of SUPP members in Serian asking for membership cards to be surrendered to the Hq,” he said.

Dr Chan, when reached for his comments yesterday, said he had not received Riot’s letter and the membership cards. “As far as I am concerned these are just rumours. Nothing official. But we also hope they are not true,” he said. He nonetheless expected the Bidayuh community to be unhappy with the cabinet line-up now that they were no longer represented. The first and only Bidayuh in the last cabinet — Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe from Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) — was dropped from the line-up.

“I knew right away that the Bidayuhs would be unhappy. More so when the Prime Minister dropped the only Bidayuh federal deputy minister Dr Tiki. But this has got nothing to do with SUPP. They (Bidayuhs) are unhappy because first of all, Dr Tiki was dropped and then Riot did not get it (appointment). Dawos also did not get it. But what can we do?” he argued. To a question, he said Riot’s name was among the four names submitted by the party to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to consider.

“The Prime Minister did not appoint him (Riot) but then again that is his (Abdullah’s) prerogative,” he said. In the new cabinet line-up, SUPP has one full minister and two deputy ministers. Datuk Peter Chin was retained as the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Robert Lau retained as Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government while Datuk Yong Khoon Seng was made Deputy Minister of Works.

He said he could well understand Riot’s frustration but would like the MP to stay calm as “SUPP will find more ways to allocate more posts to him and the Bidayuhs”. He revealed that even state BN backbone Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) failed in its bid to get another Bidayuh, Mambong MP Datuk James Dawos Mamit, appointed to the cabinet. “Party members should not simply quit because of this. Even when we (SUPP) did not get another seat — Sibuti, we were also unhappy but we did not quit BN,” he said.

SUPP central executive committee member Ranum Mina, who is Opar assemblyman, also denied hearing about Riot’s purported resignation. “No, I did hear anything like and nobody has informed me,” he said. His party colleague Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil also gave the same reply. Riot has one of the best election records among candidates in parliamentary elections in Sarawak. His votes had increased in each election since he first entered the fray in 1990.

In the 1990 polls, Riot contested as an independent candidate in Serian in a straight fight against BN’s William Aham. Riot polled 10,349 votes to win with a majority of 2,685 votes. In the 1995 polls, Riot defended Serian on the BN ticket against four contenders. Nevertheless, he polled 12,116 votes to win with a majority of 7,554 votes. Garnering 12,491 votes in the 1999 polls, Riot increased his winning majority by 8,451 votes in a three-cornered fight. In the following election, he again increased the vote majority to 9,695 votes after garnering 13,960 votes.

The March 8 polls saw Riot getting his best result. Challenged by Sarawak National Party’s (SNAP) Sylvester Belayong Jayang, Riot garnered 15,793 votes to win with a majority of 13,427 votes — the third highest in the state. Following BN’s simple majority win helped by 30 seats from Sarawak, many expected an increased representation from the state, especially from among the minority Bumiputera communities — Bidayuh especially.

If Riot has indeed resigned from SUPP it will mean that the state BN is now left with 29 parliamentary seats and SUPP one less from six.
*******************************************************************************
“Party members should not simply quit because of this. Even when we (SUPP) did not get another seat — Sibuti, we were also unhappy but we did not quit BN,” he said.

The Best Advice to Bidayuh for Brighter and Prosperous Future. Thank you to Dr. George Chan!tbsbidayuh
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 2:22 PM   0 comments
The “Undisputed” Hegemony’s New Order that Slowly Creeps into Our Community…
The latest craze among the Bidayuhs is that a new, “Malaynized” Bidayuh resettlement known by its infamous name - “Kampong Tun Razak” - is now becoming a reality and to be nestled among the Bidayuh villages in Padawan area. It is believed that the blue print is already made available under the purview of handful (and yet unreliable) Bidayuh elites. These Bidayuh elites are HELPLESS and COULD DO NOTHING more for their own people, rather than to follow and obey orders given by their powerful political masters.

Well, there’s no need for me to explain in details on how the new resettlement became a reality, as I assume that most of my readers already knew about it. So to speak, the new settlement was launched on March 4, 2008. The next morning, the news about it then creates a kind of “Tsunami uproar” among the Bidayuhs all over Malaysia! Ya lah, satu Malaysia gago, apa! The SMSes were flooded/crisscrossing Malaysia cyberspace with different versions of the story, but then, it does focused on ONE reality - that the “undisputed” hegemony’s new order is now invades further into the Bidayuh highland! Majority of the Bidayuhs have voiced their dissatisfaction over the issue and one Blogotician have put his “sorrow” into a kind of lamentation song that goes like this, “(S)udah luka, disembur(simbah) cuka… (Wounded, and yet poured with formic/acetic acid/vinegar…)” (Well, I am not sure lah, which one he “likes” most!).

So, what are the benefits that our affected folks will get from such debolotment and “have to” stay in the new resettlement area? To me, there’s NOTHING, as more social problems will arise in a few years to come. Tak caya, tunggu dan lihat! We have seen lots of examples happened all over Sarawak. However, if you are not satisfied with my answer, just wait for Rintos Mail, Jacob Achoi and/or (BORNEO?) POST READER to find it out in the future or you too can do your own, “unofficial” social survey based on the affected community. Just go and visit them next time whether they are doing fine with their newly found livelihood.

Another silly question to ponder is: Will the next, new resettlement area be named with “Kampong Toon So and So” (as already been discussed earlier by fellow Blogoticians), following the undisputed hegemony’s new order?! And what will be the major economic activity? Mao tanam getah (lagi kah)? Let say lah, if other Bidayuhs are forced to move from their ancestral villages due to acquisition of “pristine” limestone mountains! Thus, we should be more vigilant against such new debolotment!

Another example to look at, what are the benefits gained by the Bidayuhs with the establishment of Borneo Highland Resort? Of course, the benefits are in the form of basic infrastructure, but then, there’s no need for me to elaborate on that lah. Oh, by the way, thanks for it, anyway! But, when you look around you, who are the fore runners of the resort? Do we see any Bidayuh that hold high (managerial) position(s)? Anybody? NO? Why? Lack of education awareness, kah? It could be, otherwise, we won’t see our fellow Bidayuhs work as gardeners or any other low paying jobs at the resort. The same situation could happen again in few years to come once the nearby water resort is fully operational. And who will gain from such project? No doubt, it would be a few Bidayuh elites (again)! For sure we - the Bidayuhs - would be a laughing stock to the Bidayuh elites, including other Malaysians and foreigners, as we are the coolies (and not the masters) in our own land.

And how can we make our pandat (the Bidayuh sword) match with the keris in the near future? Only through aggressive education campaign, I think, starting with our own family members. If you ask me on why I don’t contribute through DBNA Educational Wing (of hope?) kah and so on, well, I live and work in Dallas lah, so it’s hard for me to lend my help. I can only give sort of online brainwashing. So, let’s brainwash our young ones to take up their education seriously, so that we would have more future Bidayuh professionals who can survive in this cruel world led by the “undisputed hegemony” in Malaysia. And not just a few of us - the lucky ones - who have made it “to the top” - the hard way! I’m sure that there are other fellow Bidayuhs out there who are willing to contribute their ideas on this and that, so I do encourage them to create their own blogs lah.

As a concluding remark, we must remember that we shouldn’t act like Judas Iscariot who sold his Master (including Judas’ own soul) for only 30 pieces of silver. Do you get what I mean? No? Well, the message is simple. Whoever has the power in the authority, please do not behave like a traitor who betrayed the trust of his/her fellow country men and women, especially whenever you are tempted with sort of “Ringgit and Sense” gifts. God is watching over us. His wrath - especially the hell fire - is more painful than burn on the skin caused by minyak goreng panas (hot & brewing, cooking oil).

Finally, remember to “give Non BN Big Guys another chance by voting them to power during this 12th. General Election and send those goons home to where they once belong!!!”

See ya around!

———————————————

Just to inform my readers that I have got the idea to compose this article (on March 5, 2008), as I feel that the Bidayuhs have their sole rights and should fight and protect their identity, dignity, and culture; demand for MORE equality, etc. PREJUDICE IS PAINFUL AND SINFUL - that’s what I have experienced before - the hard way! Anyway, most of the inputs used to compose this article were obtained from online discussion held at our public forum (including “teleinterviews”) and further refined to create the output that you are reading just now. My thanks and gratitude to all of you out there lah… Tiyung Dayak
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 2:10 PM   0 comments
Message to my dear sisters and brothers in Sarawak and Sabah
Saturday, March 15, 2008
They do not have many Sarawakian or Sabahan Ministers, do they, at the Federal level? If they had, they are given unimportant Ministership as Minister in the PM's department like Bernard Dompok and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Joseph Entulu Beluan for window dressing, and are you all only good for that? . You guys gave such a big win for UMNO , you do not have proper representation in the Cabinet to depict the power you hold over the coalition. UMNO makes you look like wimps. The combined total of your seats in Sabah is 24 seats and Sarawak is 30 seats. Which totals 52 seats. Then why are there NO East Malaysians not being a Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister. Okay, go down one rung, why are you not good enough to be at least the Deputy Prime Minister?

The UMNO strong hold of Johore has only 25 seats, initially 26 seats. The myth of that is that UMNO is very strong there like a fortress, will not fall. Well, a foothold has been gained, one of their seats has fallen to the DAP, so it can be penetrated. You have the greater weight. The Barisan National has a total of 140 seats. The opposition has 82 seats. Demand from UMNO that the post of of Deputy Prime Minister be given to an East Malaysian. Without you in this coalition, UMNO being the big bullly will have only 88 seats, that is inclusive of the motley crew from MCA and MIC.

While at this, being an ex- soldier and all, I have seen many East Malaysian Officers serving in combat units, why did not any one of them make it to General? Not good enough? Look at how brave, loyal and patriotic you are. Go to the archives.

How are you going to get UMNO to agree to that? Just tell them that you want to cross over to the Barisan Rakyat, if they do not appoint a Sarawakian or Sabahan to be the Deputy Prime Minister.

Just cross over and the opposition will have 134 seats to form the new Government of Malaysia. Ask Anwar, I am sure he will be agreeable to an East Malaysian being his Deputy. Whilst at it, ask for the Defence and Education portfolios too. Do not accept less then the Deputy Prime Minister's post. For good measure, demand for Finance Minister's portfolio too. Can you even imagine, in one stroke you can uplift the sufferings of the poor in both Sabah and Sarawak ? You will have all the financial resources at your finger tips, ushering a new dawn for the people of Sabah and Sarawak. Have an imagination.

One more thing, do not let them cheat you by saying they will give you the post of Deputy Prime Minister 2. It will take away the ooomph of being the only Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. If you become Deputy Prime Minister 2, they might not allow you to use the helicopter or the executive jet. As Deputy Prime Minister 2, they will ask you to use the long boat when you vist Song, Kapit, Ulu Baram or Long Danau (have to walk long distances too, carrying your own fuel). You do not get to be Acting Prime Minister of Malaysia when the Prime Minister is out of the country. Or when he visits Nasi Kandar Perth.

You were elected by the people, I am sure you want greater things than the peanuts that are being thrown to you. They have been sidelining you as a non entity. Never giving you due prominence and the respect due to you. You are just someone to wipe their shoes on, once elections are over.Umno has only 78 of the 117 parliamentary seats it contested (67%). What is the diffrence? You have only two states and 52 seats. UMNO has the whole of Malysia and has a pathetic 78 seats, a difference of a mere 26 seats! Do you know how many Johoreans are Ministers, with their pathetic 25 seats, 7!

Are you East Malaysians going to continue being the foot stools for UMNO? For them to keep on holding to power. Can you imagine it, the Prime Minister from Peninsular Malaysia and the Deputy Prime Minister from East Malaysia, we will be bound from across the South China sea as one people. Just cross over to the Barisan Rakyat, if UMNO does not give in to your just and legitimate, demands. You are smart and intelligent, stop being taken for a ride. You are as good as a politician from Semanajung. Maybe even better, so what is it to stop an East Malaysian from being the Deputy Prime Minister, only UMNO. Stop being used, chew on this and think BIG.
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 1:59 PM   0 comments
In Memoriam
Howsy, thank you.


posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 11:21 AM   0 comments
The Aftermath of the Elections - Enjoy !!!!!!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
ELECTIONS Blah blah blah
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 6:04 PM   0 comments
Massive electrol fraud - updated
Saturday, March 08, 2008
I find this discovery amazing and flabbergasted. The fraud that is being conducted by the SPR is therefore true ! Click on the image to enlarge. I have been cloned into a 81 year old Chinaman, with a name Yap Fook Sang. How did I do this? I keyed in my old sevice number here which is 3002553. This is what I call fraud. I was a Second Lieutenant in 1982, as I was from rank and file, this clone of mine would be a 55 year old 2Lt. So why not we question the integrity of the SPR? This is what I got after keying other service numbers..

3001620 / 430718105216 Female - Lim Mooi
3001623 / 380919105578 Female - Foo Ah Swee
3001624 / 440912045076 Female- Goh Sock Hwee
3003847 / 370519015267 Male - Ibrahim bin Abdullah
3001469 / 341223085458 FemaleChan Nai @ Cheng Kum Yoke- This is interesting as the service number belongs to a seving officer Lt Col Ishak bin Hj Johar, we were Cadets together.
1066227 / 320629085068 Female - Chook Thai Moi - which belongs to one of my ex-soldier's, Cpl Fakharuddin.
1032098 / 270622085070 Female- How Ah Lean, this too belongs to one of my ex soldiers, Rosli Zakaria. The average age of these will be 44 years old, there are no 2nd Lt's that old in the regular service, during my time. The service numbers are the ones in front. The civillian IC numbers after the slash are the false ones.

I keyed in some more numbers within or somewhere around my batch of officers, which were 3002555, 3002557 and 3001617. All the guys are above the age of 70! These guys should be around 45-50 years old. In my case I got my service number late, as I was a ranker. This is what I call fraud. So why not we question the integrity of the SPR? I am sure the soldiers serving/non serving, whose service numbers are being used are NOT aware of this massive fraud. I hope the people are made aware of this. All the above I plucked ou of the SPR website in half an hour. I believe there are thousands more.
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 7:23 PM   0 comments
My name is Yap Fook Sang and I am 81 years old !!!!

I find this discovery amazing and flabbergasted. The fraud that is being conducted by the SPR is therefore true ! Click on the above image to enlarge. I have been cloned into a 81 year old Chinaman, with a name Yap Fook Sang. How did I do this? I keyed in my old sevice number here which is 3002553. I keyed in some more numbers within or somewhere around my batch of officers, which were 3002555, 3002557 and 3001617. All the guys are above the age of 70! These guys should be around 45-50 years old. In my case I got my service number late, as I was a ranker. This is what I call fraud. So why not we question the integrity of the SPR? This is what I got.
DIWARTAKAN PADA 5 FEBRUARI 2008
MEDAN KETERANGAN
Kad Pengenalan
271123715175 / 3002553
Nama
YAP FOOK SANG
Tahun Lahir
1927
Jantina
L
Lokaliti
163 / 52 / 04 / 001 - BATU 19 KULAI
Daerah Mengundi
163 / 52 / 04 - KULAI
DUN
163 / 52 - SENAI
Parlimen
163 - KULAI
Negeri
JOHOR
Pusat Mengundi
SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEBANGSAAN KULAI BESAR
Saluran
1
Masa Mengundi
08.00 PAGI - 05.00 PETANG
No Siri
43
Untuk sebarang maklumat, sila emel : info@spr.gov.my
Hakcipta Terpelihara 2008 © Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya MalaysiaTEL : 03-8885 6500 FAKS : 03-8888 9112
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 3:45 PM   0 comments
DAP wins, in the polls, .............................
in my blog with a huge majority of 67 %. PAS came in second place with 14.5 %, with PKR a close 11.9 %. The Barisan Nasional came in a distant 6.6%. The number of people who participated in this poll was 304. I wanted to place it until the end of March 2008. As today is the polling day, this poll ends as of now. This poll was set up on the 8th of January 2008 at 10.44pm. I wish to thank all of you who kindly participated in this polls. I hope the GE will bring about the change that many of us hope for. That, no more are we divided by ethnicity and religion, like in the Barisan National, which comprises of race based chauvinistic parties. Happy voting.
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 1:33 PM   0 comments
Why bother? When Impotent MCA & MIC Ministers who sent a memo to Pak Lah on the body snatching case of Everest hero Morthy....they
Friday, March 07, 2008
got castrated by UMNO voices, threatening them. And you call these representatives of Indians and Chinese? The only Minister was Bernard Dompok who did not back pedal. The point is why have Ministers who cannot sound out unpopular policies. This is the last stretch, before the votes are cast.

Why are Jerai MP Badruddin Amiruldin and Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin returning? Perhaps, to entertain the August building with their pearls of wisdom once more. Nobody has also offered any legitimate explanation why one of Forbes magazine's top four philanthropists, outspoken lawyer Zaid Ibrahim, was dropped from its lineup. Also dropped was Kelana Jaya MP Loh Seng Kok who asked why the contributions of Chinese towards the nation’s Independence were played down in school history books. He was threatened by UMNO goons. With enough holes in them (Barisan Nasional) to sink the Titanic, Abdullah, MCA chief Ong Ka Ting and MIC evergreen S Samy Vellu find themselves outnumbered in ceramahs and out-argued on issues such as Hindraf, religious freedom, the Klang Free Trade Zone debacle and charges of cronyism.

As such it is little wonder that on the eve of Polling Day, Abdullah has to threaten or promise Chinese voters that if they abandon MCA, they would face a smaller or no voice in the cabinet. As it is many Chinese are already asking "Can MCA be any quieter in the cabinet?" So, is it not better to have law makers in Parliament fighting corruption and taking care of the peoples interests, rather than having Impotent, Castrated Eunuchs, who call themselves Ministers?

Borrowing this insightful piece, I suppose we should also ask the question, "What do you do with an old, arrogant and overfed wolf which bites the hand that feeds it?" Old because we are in the company of very few countries who have had the same party in government for 50 years. Illustrious company includes Zimbabwe, Singapore, Cuba, Vietnam, China, Sri Lanka and Burma (a popular choice of PJ Selatan MP Donald Lim). Arrogant because the dominant party within the coalition has on more than one occasion whipped its partners for having a different stand on issues. Remember K Devamany who attempted to agree with some of Hindraf's claims. He immediately told to apologise by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak the next day.

Not to worry, deny them to 2/3rds, it is now or never. If they get it prepare for an upward spiral of all essential goods for our daily needs. I got this from a friend in the retail industry, who said the price of rice and floor are set to go up by 50%, when the BN gets an overwhelming mandate. Why does the BN need a 2/3rds victory, when they can still govern the country, with a narrow win? The answer to that, is that they would like to ride rough shod all over us with impunity! So that checks and balances cannot be done, on the warlords of UMNO. About losing the Chief Ministership in Penang, so what, after all the incumbent was a Lame Duck Chief Minister, remember when UMNO protested against him after Khairy's infamous "Malays are marginalised" quip. There was not even a squeak from him.

Some of the points above were extracted from Chan Kok Leong's article in Malaysiakini
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 7:04 PM   0 comments
Response to Wong Chun Wai - Why Christians prefer to vote for PAS, not BN
Monday, March 03, 2008
I got this via e-mail-edit
Dear Mr. Wong Chun Wai,

I refer to your commentary in The Star (29 Feb 2008) in which you wrote:

" I hear church groups telling their congregation to vote anything opposition including PAS, which is simply naïve and emotional. Whatever the flaws of the system, it still works, despite some occasional hitches," said one Penang Barisan leader. Why didn't you name that Penang Barisan leader? Because this quote is your personal view. Writers like you, who are de facto press secretaries of the MCA, write your views and attribute them to some sources or political analysts. Please lah, don't mock at our intelligence!

Mr Wong, a flawed system doesn't work!!! If it is flawed, it is flawed. How can it work? I understand you are a Christian but I wonder how much you understand the Gospels or the very life of Jesus Christ and what he stood for. Our Lord would not have been crucified had he accepted "the flaws of the system" of His times. He never asked his people to close their eyes to the "flaws of the system" and instead focus on development , personal comfort, bank accounts and roads.

He stood up against the corrupt leaders who were fleecing the people. He condemned them as dead man's tombs, hypocrites, vipers etc ( please read Matthew 23). The entire chapter is condemnation of the corrupt leaders of the Law. How could one who professes to be a Christian choose to prop up a regime that is utterly corrupt and immoral? How could a Christian vote for candidates who are unwilling to defend the rights of his religion? How could a Christian support a regime that denies the weak non-Muslim to seek redress in any court of law? What is your take on abuse of power, the dismantling of the Judiciary, the corrupt government leaders who inflate their bank accounts with money that belongs to the people? What is your stand on the confiscation of Christian literature and the Bible or the banning of the term "Allah" (mind you, this was approved by the Cabinet of which MCA Ministers are members)

Aren't all these precursors of more frightening things to come? Have you thought what awaits your children's future if this trend continues? What is your stand on the creeping Islamization of the country and the utter subservience of the MCA that you represent, to its political masters, UMNO? Why should I give my vote to a MCA or Gerakan Chinese who will not defend my religious rights? A good MCA leader who cannot defend my rights is of no use to me.

As a Christian, should we be more concerned about Truth, Freedom, Justice, good governance, honesty and righteousness than bread and butter issues or clogged drains and tarred roads? Shouldn't a Christian stand up for the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized. (Please read Matthew 6). UMNO has done more damage to my religious rights than PAS. It is UMNO which is snatching away dead bodies, not PAS. It is UMNO which is separating children from parents and husbands from their wives, not PAS. It is UMNO that threatened us with the keris, not PAS.

Therefore it is not "naïve or emotional" for a Christian to give his/her vote to PAS against the apartheid inclined regime that is racist and utterly devoid of honestly and morality. The government has to earn that Christian vote. It is not given free of charge. Sir, there is such a thing as protest vote. Thank You.

NOTE TO CHRISTIANS: If you are Christian and has never registered as a voter or has never voted in your life, shame on you. You are an irresponsible Christian and citizen. (Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's). A good Christian is a responsible citizen.

Mr Smith
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 3:18 PM   0 comments
Open letter to all Malaysians
By True Malaysian Feb 25, 08 3:52pm
Open letter to all Malaysians:
If you believe that:

The ISA is necessary to arrest Malaysians who are deemed to be a security threat to the nation even if there is no concrete evidence.

all Malaysians are not equal even though the constitution says so and you believe that the NEP should be continued

Umno leaders can utter seditious and racist remarks and not get arrested

it's okay that Malaysians cannot even assemble peacefully to air their grouses

Cows can be slaughtered in public against the religious sentiments

it is okay if non-Muslim children have nothing to eat during Ramadan because the school canteens are shut down

it is okay if only BN views are expressed in the media and newspapers

it is okay if a letter to government departments is greeted with a deafening silence

it is okay to have a discriminatory university intake and public scholarship system

it is okay that the housing discounts are not given to all citizens

it is okay if your children have an uncertain future under the Malaysian sun

it is okay not to have friends of other races because polarisation is not that big an issue

it is okay if judges can be bought

it is okay that you have to be constantly on the alert to see if your spouse has converted to Islam because there is no law to protect you and your children

it is okay if non-Muslim children are barred from bringing ‘wet food’ to school for fear that it may contain pork because Umno thinks only Muslim sensitivities should be looked after.

it is okay if Chinese and Indians parents try to limit themselves to two children max because they realise how difficult it is to give their kids a decent education

it is okay if the Malaysian population uses Indonesian to expand

it is okay if Umno forever plays the racial and religious card to remain in power.

If all of the above is okay by you, then please, by all means, vote for BN. Malaysiakini
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 1:21 PM   0 comments
Christian vote set to swing to Opposition and sleepy head is committed to implementing Islamic Law
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Judging by the number of election talks held in churches across the country and the enthusiastic response to critical speakers and opposition candidates, it appears likely that Christian voters will swing to the opposition this time, in sharp contrast to 2004. Our special correspondent reports on a lively forum held at the St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Petaling Jaya during which the BN candidates were heckled and jeered. I attended the closed-door debate between the Incumbent and Opposition parties at Loyola Hall, St. Francis Xavier's Church (SFX) in PJ on Wednesday, 27 February 2008. The speakers were Margaret Martinez, chairperson; Hee Loy Sian, the PKR Candidate for the PJ Selatan parliamentary seat; Donald Lim Siang Chai, the BN (MCA) candidate for PJ Selatan; Dr. Lim Thuan Seng, the BN (Gerakan) candidate for the Bukit Gasing state constituency; and Edward Lee Poh Lin, the DAP candidate for Bukit Gasing.

Now, this isn't the first time that there has been such a debate at SFX. I also attended the one in 2004. But what a sharp contrast. In 2004, the SFX parishioners asked a lot of questions in a very civil manner. Although the PKR candidate outshone the DAP candidate plus the two BN candidates in the debates then, it would be the two BN candidates, Donald Lim and Lim Thuan Seng, who would actually win in the 2004 election. This time, in 2008, the DAP candidate outshone the PKR candidate, plus the same two BN candidates. But it remains to be seen who wins the actual 2008 election. The crowd, which consisted of more than 300 SFX parishioners, was very vocal. People clapped when Thuan Seng mentioned that the Opposition lawyer who campaigned against him in the 2004 election won 40 per cent of the vote!

On the other hand, Lim Thuan Seng and Donald Lim were booed, heckled and even laughed at. It reached a point where Lim Thuan Seng commented that this was "not a sympathetic crowd"! At one point, he was so flustered by the questioning that he even handed the microphone to the DAP candidate to answer.

Now, a lot was discussed, but let me highlight a few issues, though not necessarily in chronological order:

"Compared to Myanmar..".

Donald Lim, who is also the Deputy Minister for Tourism, attempted to explain how Malaysia had gone from an agricultural to an industrial and now to an information-based country. He spoke about how per capita income was increasing. While he was saying this, someone started heckling him saying that "A vote for BN is a vote for corruption". But this wasn't the worst. Donald hit a raw nerve when he started comparing Malaysia with Myanmar. The audience started booing him over this, and told him to compare Malaysia with Singapore! To make matters worse, Donald made the same mistake of mentioning "Myanmar" a second time, later in the debate. This time, the audience laughed.

Thuan Seng tried to explain that oil prices were increasing globally, giving statistics on oil prices/barrel from 1971 to 2008. He explained that this was beyond their control. Still, he said that Malaysia was doing better than "other countries". (He obviously learned from Donald not to mention "Myanmar" to this crowd.) He said that while Malaysians may not be happy, "to outsiders we are doing well"!

Brain drain

Now, one of the parishioners mentioned that the BN candidates were making "fantastical" remarks about how the country was doing, but highlighted that many people have migrated, and this was causing a brain drain. He asked the candidates what they would be doing to retain talent. Donald brought the house down in laughter when he said that even his two sisters-in-law had migrated! He also said that many migrated leaving behind those who are "not so well qualified". He later tried to say that many foreigners do come to Malaysia via the "Malaysia, my second home" programme. By this time, the audience was laughing at poor Donald. Thuan Seng did say that migration was a loss to the nation. He did try to back Donald up in the "Malaysia my second home" policy, but this didn't go down too well with the audience. At some point during the debate, I did record Thuan Seng as saying "If you put Lim Kit Siang as Prime Minister, even I will migrate!"

Edward Lee mentioned that all this reflected a crisis in leadership, integrity, honesty, and good sound judgment.

Rising crime rate

Thuan Seng acknowledged that the crime rate is increasing and said that he himself had "felt scared" as he himself was a victim. He said that he would fight for this issue to be addressed and that it was in his manifesto. Edward Lee mentioned that the solution was not CCTV cameras or Rakan Cop (which is what I assume the BN is proposing), but rather a better-qualified police force. He said that the low salaries made cops hungry for bribes, and that one way to counter it was through better salaries. This met with audience approval.

Hee Loy Sian spoke about the Royal Commission report for police reform and the need for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to be set up.

Jalan Gasing jam

Now, all politics is local. Given that, questions about the constituency were clearly going to be raised. Sure enough, there was the issue about how some new highway that was leading into Jalan Gasing was causing a traffic jam. I am not sure if Thuan Seng had anything to do with the decision to allow the highway through or not, but one thing was for sure: he came late for the debate, as he was stuck in the jam on Jalan Gasing! Edward Lee did say that the authorities did not take into consideration the views of the people when they did that. He then asked the parishioners if they agreed there should be an elected council system in the country. Thunderous applause greeted his statement.

Gasing Hill development

One lady highlighted that they had been fighting against the development of Bukit Gasing for the past few years, but that their pleas were being ignored. Note that Bukit Gasing is viewed as a green lung. The BN candidates gave some evasive answers, but promised to look into it. Later, an elderly man came up and said that a study of Bukit Gasing revealed that it comprised mostly of soil and sand, and not granite. It was therefore unstable for development. He added that any development in the area could potentially result in another Highland Towers-type tragedy. This old man then asked the BN candidates to take a pledge - not a verbal pledge but a written one. He whipped out the document and passed it to the candidates to sign. He received a standing ovation for his actions!

The BN candidates responded that they would not sign it, but pledged verbally to speak to DBKL about it. Donald told the old man that he'd have a private talk with him and that he would teach him how to go about it! This brought some heckling from the audience..."close one eye"!

People's Declaration

A blogger named Bernard Khoo, who was not an SFX parishioner, made a few comments about corruption at Port Klang. He asked why BN had listed many things as price controlled items, but not pork. This brought laughter from the audience. Bernard also said something to the effect that BN was about to lose. He therefore wanted to address the candidates in the losing party. He then asked why the BN had not endorsed the "People's Declaration" when every opposition party had.

Thuan Seng made some noise over the fact that this was a blogger who was gate-crashing an SFX do, to which Bernard gave him a piece of his mind that this was a free country.

This rattled Thuan Seng, who could not even remember what the question was. Once the question was repeated, Thuan Seng said that he'd "try to bring it up". It was obvious to Thuan Seng that his answer didn't meet with the audience's approval, as many in the audience could be seen shaking their heads. Another lady in the audience again brought up the People's Declaration, stating that had the BN adopted it, then it wouldn't belong to any party but to everybody. She then went on to try and explain why the BN should endorse it.

People in the audience demanded that Donald answer her question as he was a Minister and that this was a Federal issue. Donald did respond to this, but it was such a lame answer that I didn't bother to record it. I did however record Edward Lee's response. He said that DAP had endorsed the People's Declaration. He said something about the ACA being a lame duck and that the Judiciary was under the government's control, to which the audience loudly responded, "Correct, correct, correct" (you may recognise those words from the Lingam tape)!

Breaking ranks with the official party line

Another parishioner summed up everything by saying it all boiled down to the erosion of individual rights. He then asked whether BN candidates would break ranks with the official party line, if it were in the public interest. Thuan Seng said yes. It would have been interesting to see what position Thuan Seng and other Gerakan member took when their fellow colleague, Paramjothy, broke ranks with the BN over the Hindraf issue.

Why BN?

Someone in the audience asked why he should keep voting for BN, if they continue to take away his rights. Donald started his answer with "In life...". He said something about some people being comfortable and uncomfortable...whatever. The few parishioners whom I did speak to in the audience after the debate weren't at all impressed with the BN. It's obvious where their vote is going. I picked up a copy of the Catholic Asian News special on Elections 2008 after the debate. It's pretty clear where the Church stands on whom to vote for - just based on the articles written in the magazine. I sense from speaking to quite a few Christians that the Christian vote, irrespective of whether it is Catholic or some other denomination, will swing to the Opposition this time around. Aliran

Be prepared for more body snatching as sleepy head says the goverment is committed to implementing Islamic Law without affecting the non-Muslims, you wanna believe this guy. Since this guy took over there has been an increase in body snatching incidents.
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 8:55 PM   0 comments
Moral Duty Of Christian Voters and I am responsible for non-Muslims too, says Pak Lah
That he is responsible for the non-Muslims is a joke , why? scroll down, then you will know why. He is fast asleep as far as Malaysians are concerned, especially the non-Muslims. An MP when he takes an oath, it icludes an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution. The latest was the EC Chairman's extension. That is not upholding and protecting the Constitution. They have actually violated their oath! These UMNO warlords have been lording over us by amending the Constitution according to their whims and fancies with the 2/3rds majority they command. What have Pak lah and his gang been doing is, they have been chipping away at our Constitution. The call by the Church to vote with a concience to Christians is a subtle call to deny the BN(UMNO) the 2/3rd's majority, for those who do not understand the meaning of concience.

Malaysia is a democratic state, where citizens choose their leaders through an electoral process, and to who they vest authority for the common good.

The Recent unjust events:
* The systematic erosion of the freedom to practise our religion found in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution;
* The right to manage our religious affairs, e.g. having our own Christian publications, example the Catholic Herald, without restrictions;
* denial of water and electricity to the Church built by the Orang Asli in Kg Pasu, Temerloh, Pahang;
* the case of Revathy who was separated from her family and sent to the religious rehabilitation centrein Melaka for 180 days for apostasy; the tussle between the Selangor Religious Department and family members for the body of Rayappan, a Hindu who had passed away in November 2006;
* the Federal Court decision in Lina Joy's case that ruled matters relating to conversion from Islam lies only with the Syariah Court;
* confiscation of Christian materials and books by the Internal Security Ministry's Publication and Al-Quran Text Control Division;
* proclaimation of Malaysia as an Islamic State by the former Prime Minister on Sept 29, 2001 and later by the Deputy Prime Minister on July 17, 2007 that goes against the Social Contract for Independence.
* erosion of citizen's right to freedom of peaceful assembly, contrary to Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution: application of draconian laws, such as the Internal Security Act(ISA) to arrest and detain a citizen without trial for a long period of time.

The above events constitute an attack against our fundamental rights and are intrinsically evil. Source Catholic Herald after editting.
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 7:14 PM   0 comments
Remember this before you vote
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 7:12 PM   0 comments
Mahathir confesses that Anwar was fixed & not guilty
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Yes, with a lot of sarcasm, a confession whether in a sarcastic form or not is a confession. There is no duress, so there you are. Maybe the old man wants to make his peace with his maker, because of his pride he does not come straight out and say it. He will be remembered for the destruction of all the renowned institutions that he has systematically destroyed. That will be his legacy. Listen to him on this clip.

posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 12:49 PM   0 comments
Barisan National is NOT Malaysia
Neither is Malaysia a Barisan National. They are arrogant when they make the BN seem synonymous with Malaysia. These are the ads run on radio. Please do not insult Malaysia, Malaysia is greater than the BN. The BN is also known as UMNO, the others like MCA which is a raced based party along with MIC are there like little lights, you know, window dressing. Some famous quotes from BN (UMNO) :

“I will never allow non-bumiputeras to enter UiTM. I will ensure that the percentage of Malay students given places at public universities will always be higher than the percentage under the previous quota" - Former Higher Education Minister Shafie Salleh, Umno AGM, 2004

“Universiti ini tempat Melayu.” (Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, Umno AGM, 2004, in referring to UiTM)

The 2004 BN General Election Manifesto contradicts the above, “BN has worked hard to provide universal access to education. We will foster student interaction to enhance national unity.”

“I hope the public will not question the money saved…” (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, March 17, 2006, on the RM4.4 billion saved from fuel subsidies). “Why are you complaining? What more do you want?’ (Abdullah, April 7, 2006 on the 9th Malaysia Plan).- What happened to that money? Saved or Pocketted?

“The 2004 BN General Election Manifesto contradicts the above again," BN cares about your needs and will seek your views on important issues.”
On “religion and culture”, the 2004 manifesto said: “BN will continue to promote peace, prosperity and harmony among Malaysians. BN upholds the diversity of religious practice, language and culture.

The reality however is very different, especially with the recent spate of Hindu temples demolition.

Or consider what Badruddin Amiruddin (left), who has been picked to defend his Jerai parliament seat, said: “Let no one from the other races ever question the rights of Malays on this land. Don’t question the religion because this is my right on this land. Don’t poke at this nest, for if it were disturbed, these hornets will strike and destroy the country.”

During a parliamentary debate, the same Badruddin lashed out at the opposition: “Malaysia ini Negara Islam, you tak suka, you keluar dari Malaysia.”

On human rights and freedom, the 2004 manifesto promised, “BN safeguards the interests of all citizens. We listen to and act on the hopes and aspirations of all groups regardless of age, gender, ethnic background and religion.”

Here’s the reality - Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz on March 20, 2006 said, “We will not think twice about using this law against anyone who incites - that’s why we still need the Sedition Act and ISA (Internal Security Act)”. On Suhakam’s ineffectiveness, he said, “I think you are dreaming, we have never planned to give any teeth to Suhakam. To give them teeth has never been a proposal.”

On the corruption and abuse of power issue, Umno secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (commenting on money politics) said, “Umno does not intend to report the cases to the ACA. We have our own mechanism.”

“A responsible government would say what it wants to do after the elections. You cannot dupe the electorate - they know what is coming.” The gist of this post taken from occnotes.blogspot.com
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 11:38 AM   0 comments
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