An Evening Long Pending

I finally had a long outstanding coffee with my friend from PAS, Sdr. Prasad Hanif. Only what I thought would be quiet discussion over coffee about mobilizing Klang for Pakatan turned out to be a good homoured political ribbing session complete with our MP, YB Charles, his two PAs, a couple of social activists and a very cute nephew whose ultimate joy in life seems to be fried rice.

I brought the pseudo infidel Shakir along, coz he's been bugging me to meet some political people.
 
With all the heavy politicking going on, its nice to have a short breather once in a while, and remember that life is not all about politics, that we all need a breather once in a while. With all the negativity around us, constant harrasment, attempts on coup d' etat , one successful overthrow, race being played as commonly a card as development, 8 continuous by elections within a year and a half.The fact that we won 7 out of 8 of them, most with a trouncing, despite the odds, shows with all the brouhaha, the people still are with us, either out of spite for BN, or love for Pakatan.
 
And that, is a most reassuring thought.
 
Prasad was mentioning the counterattack PAS has planned for the Malay belt and its nice to know Dr Dzul and team still have not lost their magic.It will be interesting to watch the coming months.To me its simple. The issue is between race and religion. One cannot claim both together, for religion denounces racism and racism has no place in a religious agenda. The fact that UMNO has forged this two together is impressive, and what would be more impressive is for PAS to break this amalgamation of elements never intended to be uttered in the same breath.
 
And that,would be their sweetest success.
 
It would also translate to the abolishment of this silly notion of people speaking only for their own race.Then Chinese will no longer be suspicious of a PAS man supporting the building of a Guan Yin Temple, and Muslims will not be wary to accept some allocation from a DAP rep for the erection of a mosque.
 
And that, would be my idea of a 1Malaysia.
 
 

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Of Hassan Ali and Ronnie Liu

I strongly disagree with with what Dr Hassan Ali said, but I also strongly support his right to say it.I also say that is not the weakness of Pakatan, but rather, our strength.
 
Many years ago, when I was with Project Disagree under IKD, I remember telling a friend of mine, Gwo Shin,from AMK , now an editor with a Chinese daily telling me that the ideal 'Opposition Pact' would have to be a loose, yet cohesive coalition.I also mentioned DAP and PAS would continue to be at loggerheads and that PKR would continually, uneasily try to mend our fences.I also jokingly told him, MDP, PSM and PRM would be virtually dysfunctional and get swallowed up by the three 'big' parties. That was in 1999. I never knew then how accurate these things would come to pass.
 
Fate has always desired DAP and PAS to work together. Our fates has intertwined as we both share a common history that neither side really realizes. People like Mat Sabu and Guan Eng has shared an ISA block with Khalid Samad,Lau Dak Kee and P. Patto. We have created 1Malaysia long before the overpaid people at the Fourth Floor in JPM Putrajaya coined the term.We are also bonded by the fact that we were, are and hopefully continue to be, vessels of the people's aspirations- PAS for the Muslim community, and DAP for the liberal community.And PKR for those in between.We've also survived 50 years purely on the goodwill of the people.The people kept us going when we were down and out and could hardly find people to fill in as vote counters.You can truly say PAS and DAP is a grassroots party, drawing strength from their people and supporters, all the more meaningful as the only payment you get, is seeing your candidate deny the other side a seat.
 
PAS has always stood for truth and equality, as has the DAP; though they both go about it in different ways, using different words.The problem has always been, the voices of Lim Kit Siang and Nik Aziz has always been drowned by the silly yells of the BN.
 
The image painted has always been the impossible-case-scenario. DAP supporters were told if PAS were going to rule Malaysia, we will all be forced to wear turbans and memorize the Quran, and PAS supporters were told if DAP ruled, pork and alcohol will be served in Malay kampungs.And along came RPK, and Malaysiakini, and blogs and told everyone how stupid they were being.People often believed what the needed to believe, and up till March 2008, people did not have a collective need to reject the government.Now they did; and they executed their collective need, with this new, untested coalition.

 
And so now the onus is on us to live up to their aspirations. The electorate of today is no longer the handlebar-moustache sporting,newspaper reading,Nissan Sunny driving, British educated BN-toting old people who thought that a government pension is the next best thing after RTM news. No, today we have the MyVi driving, degree holding, Starbucks drinking , Pakatan supporting young,who thinks RTM news is the next worst thing to a government job! And all of them are holding their cups of Venti Coffee Lattes, waiting to see if Pakatan sinks into what BN has become, decadent, vitriolic and archaic.
 
And thats why, what Ronnie Liu and Hassan Ali did keeps Pakatan on their toes, showing the electorate that,yes, we will continue to argue and bicker, and the formula will never be set, but that this is a good thing. This means your interests will always be at heart, whether your interest is drinking beer, watching MLTR, gambling or the prohibition of the mentioned, we will strive to find the correct formula to best serve the electorate.
 
And so, contrary to what our Home Minister had said, I believe the rakyat are not fed up of this brand of politicking, but would find it refreshing that in this coalition, every view matters.

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Morning Jogs and Dogs

Went for a jog this morning as usual.It was darker as I left at 4.55 as opposed to 5.30 as usual (I had a morning appointment in KL). As one of the street lights were out, I did not see this black dog and accidentally kicked it.And the bugger yelped, surprised, followed by incessent barking.Stupid dog.Now I usually carry two small dumbells with me (to exercise my arms-need to lose weights la)So, I pretended to want to throw it at him.Next thing you know this stupid dog barked in 'reinforcements' and they surrounded me.
 
'Defeated', I retreated all the way around my normal route in an extra 3 km jog.I was late for my meeting. Stupid, stupid smelly dog. Next time I'm bringing a bigger dumbell, one that has bullet firing capabilities.

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Raja Nong Chik and His RM 200 Million Estimate

200 million ringgit is not a small figure. Figuratively, that's RM 200,000,000.00. How can a gathering of 20,000 people simply roaming the roads of KL cost the government RM 10,000 per person?? In perspective, at the lowest point of the economic downturn, we only had 19 billion ringgit in foreign reserves, so a simple gathering of folks in KL has just cost the government 1% of its foreign reserves. Meaning, if the Opposition just organized 100 rallies with 20,000 people on average, our foreign reserves would've been drained, and our economy would have crumbled.

 

So if I decide to walk in KL for one day holding a banner up and yelling, the government is going to spend RM 10,000 ringgit to curb me? Wow, no wonder our country has not got it right till today!That being said, I am truly disappointed with the value the government got for the RM 10,000 per person. As I was in a few rallies before this (I more or less missed this one-left halfway , date with someone) I've had my bit of tear gas and chemical water la (for those belum kena tear gas is like rubbing wasabi and soy sauce in your face, and the water cannon water is like a mild jellyfish sting- as long doesn't splash into your eyes)

 

I  barely got splashed twice the last time, and had nearly no police contact whatsoever (except for one Sarjan who shouted 'Pergi Belakang' and that also was directed at a hyper PKR guy next to me) so if that is all I'm getting for RM 10,000 I would be happy to lodge a MACC report on behalf of YB Raja Nong Chik; with the following arguments

 

1)      -The water sprinkled on protesters was cheap pipe water laced with chemicals, not truckloads of Perrier water laced with lime , SK2 Miracle Signs Uplifter Water laced with ylang ylang extracts, or better still Coca Cola laced with Jack Daniels (or the other way around). Plus, if they source the water from Selangor, the Selangor Government actually subsidizes water, though I am sure their intention is not for the subsidized water be used to spray on their own people.

2)      -The officers knocking on protesters heads with batons were mostly graduates from a local vocational academy, not PHD holders who charge RM 1,000 per hour.

3)     - Police batons are made with wood, metal and plastics, not bronze, silver and gold.

4)      -There was no lunch provided (even YB Teresa's '2 biji telur and kari' would be better than nothing.

5)      -The police band did not play songs to entertain the protesters.

6)      -No balloons, party favours, pit girls or DJ.

 

 

 

For the price he ended up paying, YB Raja Nong Chik should at least be getting the following

 

7)      -Protesters ushered in by kompang playing men in blue

8)     - The police band, police rempit squad a.k.a stunt bikers doing some 360 degree flips and interesting and creative formations

9)     - A very, very good morning coffee, lunch, hi tea, dinner and supper for protesters by Ritz Carlton, served by Russian acrobats riding unicycles balancing an elephant on their backs. Menu should at least include caviar, lobsters, abalone, an albino tiger, a blue cow and at least one roasted flightless bird nearing extinction.

10)  -An MJ tribute concert to serenade protesters

11)  -Police motorcade escort for each and every protestor home to their house, a complimentary ride in a water cannon truck, and sightseeing in KL in a FRU Black Maria.

12)  -A pair of Police sunglasses given free after it all, plus two complimentary 'Get-Out-Of-Jail-In-Case-I-Get-Arrested' passes and one free for life 'Gimme-A-Lawyer-Its-My-God-Damned-Right' card

 

Then OK la, 10K is still a bit pricey, but all the above, hey, I'd be happy to cash in my time deposits!

 

 

After all, 20,000 is not such a large crowd (of course I am going by MSM estimates, as they are always true :P)  St Anne's Feast has a bigger crowd than this, and the church in BM certainly spends far less than 200 million ringgit (mainly because we use holy water to sprinkle on people, it only has a little bit of salt in it, and no chemicals. On this note, the Church would like to thank BN for subsidizing salt and water.)

 

Even Thaipusam in Batu Caves, where 1 million Hindus converge, does not use 200 million ringgit a year on crowd control. Sure, the incense smoke hurts the eyes a little but I can live with it. I have the following suggestions instead for the Federal Government to use the 200 million purportedly spent on peaceful protesters –

 

 

• Save Kg Buah Pala
• Save Paya Wetlands
• Save Putrajaya and Cyberjaya
• Save the MRR2
• Save the Corridors
• Save PKFZ
• Save the Crooked Bridge
• Save the MATRADE Building and finally
• Save your Souls from Eternal Damnation.

 

 

 

 

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A Death That Must Not Be In Vain

My heart stopped for more than a beat when I received the bad news yesterday. I had hoped it was a joke in bad taste, and was extremely disappointed when it turned out to be true.

 

I did not know the late Teoh Beng Hock very well, just the occasional hello and nods when we cross paths whenever I would visit my friend Danny or when I have forms etc to pass to Danny or YB Ronnie in the SUK. I also shared an apartment with him in a Penang trip some time back when Pakatan just took over Selangor.

 

Even in the few contacts I had with him, he always struck me as lively and animated. Seeing his lifeless body's photo must have been poignant for whomever who knew him. It was about 4pm when I got the SMS. My friend Danny, who works in the office next to Teoh did not know about it when I called him, neither did my friend Adrian, who coincidentally works in Plaza Masalam, only a few floors above the scene of the incident. According the press conference, they found his body at 1.30; yet no one noticed. His co-workers were unaware, neither were those in the same building. A little fishy, isn't it? All it takes is a car accident to drive most workers of a building to a window. We are after all, curious Malaysians.

 

There are a string of issues surrounding this death. First is the unnatural speed in which the MACC is conducting this investigating this allegation. From some of the people I spoke to, friends of mine who have been interrogated for the same case, the MACC seems hellbent on insisting many activities conducted are not 'Mesra Rakyat'

 

What is 'Mesra Rakyat?' People friendly. As long as people benefit, than what the fuck is your problem? Its only 5,000 ringgit la. What about the billions, maybe trillions of ringgit squandered by mysterious people? PKFZ? What about the various disproportionate spending vs. known income of so many BN people? Or the questionable allocations of hundreds of thousands of contracts in so many places? Or the volumes of encyclopedias worth of reports made by so many Opposition leaders from the time of the Seenivasagam brothers right up to the time of  Lim Kit Siang?

 

Its almost as though you have someone you are eager to please. You know how prostitutes feel compelled to give you a good time, after taking your money?

 

Or how dogs vigorously wag their tails when they see their owners, well aware of the fact that their owners feed them?

 

I go to Plaza Masalam pretty often, and if you look up from the floors, you see balconies of the floors below. It does not look as though you'd die jumping down if you know what I mean (not like when you look down most skyscrapers)

 

Why would a careered young person who is going to get married tomorrow commit suicide? Why did it take so long to move the body? Why did they assign a tiga paku investigating officer? Too many questions with too few answers.

 

Too all people from BN with a heart, ask yourselves, what would have happened if it was an UMNO Youth Leader who died up there?

 

The deceased was a to-be husband, a son, a cousin, a brother, and a nephew. His death deprived many people of many things. What is the value of one human life? And how many more must die?

 

We can add this to the string of accolades the Malaysian government has collected in their stride towards democracy ala Gestapo.

 
 

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Response to Taming Sari

My response to a self-bastardizing post by a certain blogger

 

Taming Sari is the name of the legendary kris belonging to the great warrior Hang Tuah. Hang Tuah was reputed to be a hero, one brave enough to face off mighty Jebat in a battle which is rather unbelievable, if you read the story (Hikayat Hang Tuah) either the Malay version (where Hang Tuah is the hero) or the Indonesian version (where Jebat is the hero).

 

Points of controversy aside, Tuah was someone with guts, who does not hide behind a mask or a pseudonym. Tuah did not hide behind his grandmother and throw poison darts at Jebat. Neither would he have the face to put up a half baked blog with articles and pieces that has as much literary value as a caveman's wall scribbling, or the artistic markings on a used piece of toilet paper.

 

If Tuah were alive, I have no doubt with commanding articulacy, and may even have mastered Chinese, Tamil, and most definitely English, so as to stand eye to eye with Rambo, Wong Fei Hung and other heroes produced by a global world. Its an utter disgrace therefore, that a bumbling, pathetic excuse for a blogger would have the tenacity to use the name of Hang Tuah's sacred weapon as the name of that person's blog, and definitely with poorly copied graphics and lamely stitched-togather HTML. As an IT person,I know my own blog is not exactly Pulitzer material, hence the name "Daily Dread". Should I have named my blog "Glamdring"(from LOTR) or "Excalibur" (From Arthur) or "As-You-Will-Golden-Banded-Cudgel" (From Sun Ng Hong) it would definitely be of a much higher standard. Unlike some I know.

 

Enough about talking about a certain blog's apparently below average IT knowledge and poor taste in HCI theory. And obvious thick racist agenda plastered in every corner of his blog, oozing as much hatred as a godless Nazi. But this post is not about Taming Sari.

 

Let's talk about this another person instead. Let's call this person Damning Sorry. Damning Sorry the Bastard. Damning Sorry is not the same person as Taming Sari, because Damning Sorry is a true blue bastard.

 

 

 

Because only a bastard would resort to speak ill of a dead person. Only a bastard and would resort to politically exploit a victim's death. A victim of a grossly unfair 'justice' system that bastard help put in place. Only a cheap, lowlife motherfucking bastard does this things. Now I am not saying the earlier blogger I mentioned in this post did it, I am just saying whoever did it, is really a bastard who deserves to burn in hell.

 

With blind worship and lack of ambition in life, only bastards born of an aged, herpes infected, dermatologically challenged prostitute would spew forth-foul lies in the hope of gaining cheap political mileage. That's like running a home NGV canister when everyone else is running RON97. It may get you somewhere, but eventually it will blow up with that same bastard behind the wheel. And you know what the bastard's liege lords will abandon that bastard then.

 

But then again, what can such bastards do? Because this bastard has probably been tasked by his liege lords to do their bidding, to spin, spin and spin some more to swing the angry masses  back to their fold. Well, I have a few tips for such bastards. Stop trying. This is the age of information. Meaning as soon as the results are out, before the police finds the experts, locksmiths, building engineers, ex policemen, forensic specialists, lawyers and other people with knowledge matter on the subject would, within seconds connect on, read it, give their expert opinion and be viewed by the world. Which means the world as we know it, is getting smarter and smaller. Only some bastards rely on news from officially sanctioned party mouthpieces ,and thus, probably is forever stuck in Jahilliyah.

 

Sebelum saya dicerca sebagai rakyat import atau pendatang atau lebih dashyat dari itu dituduh komunis Cina, penoreh getah India, atau penjajah Portugis, eloklah saya menulis sedikit dalam Bahasa Malaysia.

 

Jika saudara-saudari secara kebetulan singgah di laman blog saya dan terbaca artikel ini saya minta saudara-saudari membaca artikel di atas dalam konteks. Bukanlah tujuan saya menghina keperibadian si blogger Taming Sari. Tujuan saya hanyalah mengetengahkan sikap acuh tak acuh sesetengah makhluk bergelar manusia yang sedikitpun tidak sedih melihat seorang lagi manusia kehilangan nyawa, malah turut menjadikan kematian tragic itu sebagai modal politik dengan cerita dongeng yang hanya dapat melipatgandakan kesedihan keluarga dan sahabat mangsa.Manusia bangsat seperti ini harus dikasi, direjam dan mayatnya layak dijadikan makanan anjing.

 

Cuma dikhuatiri, anjing sekalipun sanggup kelaparan dari mendekati binatang tersebut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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