2 Important Events Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, on April Fools' Day, there will be two events held:

1.Boycott Malaysian Media Day

The Malaysian Mainstream Media has always been biased and it's getting worse. Since the 2008 General Elections the Malaysian Mainstream Media has become more apparent with its biases towards a certain political party! Especially recent reports by BERNAMA who apparently misquoted Penang CM Mr. Lim Guan Eng on the May 13 issue (http://www.jeffooi.com/2008/03/utusan_and_bernama.php) and not to mention making mountains out of mole-hills!

So I say let's switch off EVERY single Malaysian Mainstream Media for a day and let that be April 1st 2008!

Don't buy newspapers (or go to their websites): Say NO! to theStar, NST, Utusan, Berita Harian, etc.

Don't watch local channels: Say NO! to RTM1, RTM2, TV3, etc.

Make this known and make April 1st, a day where we demand the Malaysian Media truth in their reporting!

SHOW OUR COLLECTIVE POWER AND DEMAND OUR RIGHT TO TRUTH!

POWER TO THE RAKYAT!

2.UMNO Pasca Pilihanraya ke-12: Satu Penilaian

The website Mykmu.net is organizing a public forum entitled:

UMNO Pasca Pilihan Raya Ke-12: Satu Penilaian

Keynote Speaker: YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

Forum Panellists:
1. YB Dato Mukhriz Tun Mahathir
2.YBhg Dato Seri Mohd Khir Toyo (Bekas MB Selangor)
3.YBhg Dr. Fuad Zarkashi

Moderator: Dato Ahmad Talib

Date: 1 April, 2008

Time: 9.00 a.m.

Venue: Singgahsana Hotel, P.J.

Places are EXTREMELY LIMITED so thoe interested, please register by sending your FULL name, telephone number and e-mail to either of the following numbers: 019-3082667, 019-2198800, 0192210430, or you can e-mail directly to editor@mykmu.net

Register today and we'll see you there!!

Well, new law has come. But will the law speaks for itself?

I hate Mat Rempits, and this has cheer up my day:

Jail For 'Mat Rempit' Spectators Under Amended Road Transport Act


KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- Illegal motorcycle racing spectators will face up to six months' jail under a proposed amendment to the Road Transport Act 1987.

Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Muhamad Sabtu Osman said the amendment, which was already tabled in parliament, was now awaiting its second reading and subsequent approval.

Under the amendment, illegal racing spectators and those who provoked and cheered at illegal racers could face up to six months' imprisonment or up to RM2,000 in fine, or both, on conviction.

"The amendment is important and relevant to curtail illegal racing. Spectators normally get off the hook but under the new amendment, they too will be rounded up," he told a news conference Friday.

Under the new amendment, Mat Rempit(illegal motorcycle racers) can be jailed up to five years or fined up to RM5,000 and their license be suspended for three years.

For the second offence, the illegal racers can be jailed up to 10 years and fined not less than RM10,000 with their license suspended for at least five years.

Their vehicles might also be confiscated, he said.

Muhamad Sabtu said spectators who cheered at Mat Rempits were provoking them to display acts that could endanger the public and disturb public order.

"Last year 769 youths were arrested and charged. This figure is alarming and the police will no longer tolerate this," he said.

For the first two months of this year, a total of 98 youth, mostly aged 18 years and below, were arrested and charged with participating in illegal racing, he said.

-- BERNAMA

Well this is good news. We'll see how much successful this will turn out to be.

Soulja Boy: A disgrace to musicians and human beings everywhere

When I first listened to Crank That, I thought, okay, he's just a terrible rapper and a one-hit wonder that became popular with the mainstream music crowd. But when it comes to listening to artists I believe "give me bad music once, shame on you, give me bad music twice, shame on me", so I decided to give him another chance. Then I listen to Report Card, and now whatever respect I had for him before has just sunk, and I need to vent about it because it is not just bad music. Vanilla Ice made bad music, but Soulja Boy's crap is also destructive to society.


First of all, it is clear that he is fed up with all of the wannabe's that follow him around, asking for his autograph etc. when he wants to be treated like a regular human being. I don't interact with too many celebs but I'd guess that those people are more annoying to them than the haters. While I'd never be one of those people in front of the celebs I love (for basketball fans out there, I actually saw former head coach Larry Brown in a CVS and didn't say a word to him because I know that they want their private life), I cannot sympathize with the celebs who complain about it because they either know or should know that annoying fans come with the territory for the career path that they choose. Nobody put a gun to Soulja Boy's head and told him to sell music and become famous or else. He is right, everybody should leave him alone and stop buying his music altogether. Then we'll see how he feels about his fan club. Give him peace!!!


Second (and most importantly), in the song he is telling kids that it is okay to fail all of ur classes, not go to school, and ignore the people who are trying to be positive influences (like the guy in the beginning who calls him up and tells him and his friend to put the video game down and go to school). I know rappers send negative images all the time and mostly is meant to be seen as entertainment, but this one hit me particularly hard because I am going to college after SPM and my dream is to study in the UK. I spent countless hours after school doing homework, trying to be a positive influence by helping to get good grades and graduate and go to college, and my fear is that these same kids go home and listen to the exact opposite message from Soulja Boy. I'm not going to give a whole "education is important" lecture here, but I will say that he'd never be able to play that video game he was playing at the beginning of the music video if the people who designed the video game concept (and the TV for that matter) didn't know a thing or two about technology, and wanted their teachers in high school to "throw some D's on that *beep*

This is all I have to say for now. If you're going to respond to my comments in disagreement, please don't respond with either of the following:
-"If you don't like his music then don't listen to it and stop hating" well, 1. How am I supposed to know how I feel about it if I don't listen to it first, and 2. Hating in that context means dissent out of jealousy (usually by picking on little irrelevant matters, an example being those people who say "yeah swizz beatz makes good songs but he has a big nose"). I'm not dissenting out of jealousy, I'm dissenting out of the negative image the music portrays for society.

-"Well if you saw the whole video you'd see he tells kids to stay in school at the end" Yeah, with an arrogant smirk on his face. Come on, I know hip-hop portrays negative images of what goes on in the ghetto quite frequently, but to make a mockery of the education system is outrageous. To those of you who think I just don't appreciate hip hop, rap/hip-hop is one of my favorite types of music. I grew up listening to 2pac, Biggie, Mobb Deep etc. rap about their struggles. A lot of times rappers will talk about pimpin' and drug dealing which is already seen as having a negative effect on society by some. However, NONE of those rappers would ever advise children that if someone is telling you to get off ur ass and get to school, that you should just tellem "YAAAAAHHHH". That is a new low.

Postponing the UMNO elections? Are you mad?!

Read Bernama's story, quoting Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Taib, below. He failed to explain, however, what havoc and disaster would befall us if Umno holds its general assembly and election this August.

Umno state committees want party elections postponed to 2009

By SIM LEOI LEOI

PUTRAJAYA: All state liaison committees who have met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over the weekend have unanimously agreed to call for the postponement of party elections until next year.

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib said all the state liaison committees were unanimous in their proposal.

"They asked for party elections to be held next year because the period to postpone party polls will only run out by June 2009.

"So, there is still time. They feel that if elections are held now, it could prove disastrous for the party.

"However, the final decision will still have to be made by the Supreme Council, which will meet on Thursday," he told reporters Tuesday after accepting his duties at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry here.

Many of the state liaison committees, added Muhammad, also thought that efforts should be focused on reviving the party at the moment.

"However, the Umno general assembly will go on as planned this August," he said.

Muhammad, who is also the Selangor Umno liaison chief and the new Rural and Regional Development Minister, said Abdullah was also expected to go to Sabah soon to obtain the opinions of the state committees there.

"He wants to listen to their views himself," he said.

The Star

Finally, this new government has stay contact with reality, after all these years!

Remember teh time we're sick of the government slamming bloggers? And not just bloggers, but also Singaporeans, AirAsia stewardess, leaking parliaments, Al Jazeera, Brad Pitt, MTV, party-goers and tudung-less women? Yeah, the last 4 to 8 years before March 8th has shown that the government & the MPs has lost contact with reality. But hey, it's normal since many conservative governments like Thatcher's conservative UK government and Bush Republican government suffered the same.

But all hope has come since the new cabinet has been formed. Recently Info Minister Datuk Seri Sabry Cheek has been meeting bloggers, and the new Sports Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob has a surprise for all Malaysian bloggers:



Finally, the government has realised how important alternative media is. Anot just that, this may also be a big "FUCK YOU!" to Datuk Zam, Rafidah Aziz and Azalina Othman.

I think i had to thank Rocky Bru, Marina Mahathir, jeff Ooi and UMNO's very own Shahrir Samad for convincing the government to be blogger-friendly. They took the words right out of my mouth, bro.

I think shall monitor the minister's sincerity.

PS: I've read Amir Muhammad's new book "Malaysian Politicians Say the Darnest Things". A very hilarious book filled with quotes of BN & opposition politicians saying...the darnest things!

Revamped UMNO, Revamped BN

This might cause a stir to whom who cant really take reality.

I write this for the sake of UMNO and Malaysia.

UMNO should see that all opposition parties candidates were from professionals sectors (engineers, doctors, lawyers, corporate leaders, finance sectors, etc) and most of them are overseas educated, whom have wide open minds and can accept criticism.

UMNO on the other hand, mostly were government servant, teachers, penghulus, businessmen, self-made politician and etc. No doubt about it that some are from the professionals but they are handful. And no doubt about it that mostly are educated people, but do they have the mindset as what 30-40% of the voters?.. Are they sync with the 30-40% of the voters?..

Another advantage points for the opposition is the power of internet!. Jeff Ooi was not anti-government at first, but he is the voice of the people who sought to solve problems. I have to admit Micheal Chong of MCA did a great job, but what has UMNO done? Maybe MARA but how long MARA will sustain for the Malays ONLY?

I have to agree that UMNO fielded 'new blood', but those 'new blood' were too aggressive to win. The Rakyats tend to move away from those people or without realising, the raykat were pushed accident ly aside by the 'new blood'.

Its not relevant that BN to be a single race party, but the track records shows how effective UMNO-MCA-MIC and Other coalition party worked together. Its just that UMNO, MCA, MIC and GERAKAN need to choose a new set of generation of leaders, who made up from the 30-40% of Malaysian voters, who are the young professionals.

All these points is applicable to MCA, MIC GERAKAN and other component parties.

I love UMNO, and I will be an UMNO member all my life because my family member were those few built UMNO since the British occupancy. I have to admit, some principals from before were deviated a little bit, but it still remains as a MALAY party, and its for the MALAYS to work with other races with harmony, peace and togetherness. Even UMNO is the opposition fence at some state, UMNO will uphold the rights of the Malays.

My comments and opinion are to revamp UMNO to suit the current lifestyle. Malaysians now are much aware of their rights and responsibility. The newly elected government needs to cater the needs for these sections. UMNO should field more 'people friendly' representative, who stays with the communities and not at such high end enclave in Damansara Heights nor some Bukit Antarbangsa. UMNO and BN should see the biggest chunk of demographic rakyat at that place. For example,in Subang Jaya, people tend to vote Hannah Yeoh because people gone to school with her or chill out together at Subang Parade or studied in Australia together. The contender were a housewife. Apart from her small community of friends, who else knows her?

Please dont get me wrong, but my criticism is to make UMNO better and I know my opinion seldom be agreed by all.

Fuck you Sally Kern!

The death of Lawrence King is the saddest moment of in American history. Civil liberties are gone in the USA. It's not the government whose to blame, it's the people. The people of the USA elects homophobes and Christian radicals into office without any tolerance. They don't think before they talk. They say something stupid, and the people believe them. The result? they win the Senate, the Congress and worse, the Presidency.

It gets worse. It's 2008, and they elect Democrats in 2006 to prevent Republicans from spreading homophobia & Islamophobia, and also to bring the troops out of Iraq. And they're still trying their best, although they've failed alot since '07.

But this Republican bitch said something so stupid that it looks like a serious version of a Comedy Court song:



That's Sally Kern, a state representative for Olahoma who was (surprisingly) elected into office in 2006. I felt sick. Gays are not ruining the country. It's people like Sally Kern that's ruining the country. WHat happened to American civil liberties? Why bother calling America "Land of the Free" if gays are not 'free'? Yes, gays are sinners and haraam, but sinners are people too. Let them sin. Freedom of choice and nature. Let them be gay, atheist, Muslim, Jew, or whatever. It's people like Sally Kern who killed Lawrence King. Sally Kern and Fred Phelps are responsible for the deaths of King and Matthew Shepard. Shame on you Mrs. Kern!

We Need An Intelligent Response to Islamophobia

An excellent note from Farish A. Noor in my facebook:

We Need An Intelligent Response to Islamophobia

By Farish A. Noor


The recent declaration made at the OIC summit that calls for Muslim nation-states to act in a concerted manner and to take legal action against any country, group or individual who deliberately attacks Islam is noteworthy for the seriousness of its intent; but falls short of providing us with a real solution to the problem of racism and prejudice disguised behind the banner of Islam-bashing.

For a start, one wonders if the arena of international law even allows states to take legal action against other actors and agents on such grounds; and one wonders what the modalities of such an action might be. But above all, we need to take a calm and rational distance from the problem itself and consider methods that will work and reject those that certainly won’t.

The problem, however, is this: How can Muslims react rationally and coolly to acts of provocation at a time when even the utterance of the mutest words of protest are deemed by some as the irrational outpourings of misguided pious grief instead? The worry that some of us share at the moment is how the Muslims of the world will react to the release of the film produced by Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party. Wilders is known in Holland as a maverick politician on the make, an ambitious demagogue whose tactics are as loud as they are crude. His decision to make a film on the life of the Prophet Muhammad was calculated to raise the political temperature in Europe at a time when Muslim-non-Muslim relations have hit an all time low. Unlike the murdered film director Theo van Gogh who was a left-leaning activist and long-time supporter of minority concerns (and who, incidentally, also defended the rights of Muslim migrants in Holland), Wilders is a far-right politician who is clearly appealing to the baser parochial and exclusive sentiments of white Dutch society.

It would be hypocritical, to say the least, that Wilders’ film which presents Islam as a religious system akin to Facism and which compares the Prophet Muhammad to Hitler was meant to bring the communities of Holland closer together.

But in reacting to the film the Muslim community worldwide would have to take into account some cautionary points:

For a start, Geert Wilders happens to be a single individual who happens to lead a relatively small (though growing) political movement. In no way can we say that his is the voice of mainstream Dutch society which has historically been critical of racist demagogues and hate-mongers in its midst. Furthermore it should be remembered that thousands of Dutch citizens have also been active supporters and defenders of the rights of Muslims elsewhere, and that there are hundreds of Dutch NGOs and citizens groups that have been actively campaigning for the political rights of the Palestinians and the people of Iraq during the recent Gulf War. In condemning Wilders for his racist rant, it is absolutely imperative that the Muslim communities of the world restrain from condemning Dutch society in toto, and Westerners in general.

Secondly it should be noted that any mode of protest has to be measured and has to reflect the true nature of the insult that is perceived. The concern of many Muslim intellectuals and leaders today is that as the protests against Wilders’ film grow across the planet, we will see yet another round of violent demonstrations accompanied by the now-familiar rhetoric of death threats and hate speeches. When will Muslims realise that reacting to racism and bigotry can only be effective when it is done from a higher moral ground, and not by responding to hate with hate?

To this end, we need to emphasise that Muslims will never occupy the higher moral ground as long as they do not learn to co-operate with other faith communities and realise that our lot is a common one, shared with the rest of humanity. It is therefore vital that any steps taken to respond to the film by Geert Wilders be inclusive and accommodating in character, and that Muslim leaders, intellectuals and activists reach out for support from other faith communities including Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and all those who are against all forms of racism and bigotry. Only then will Muslims give the impression that we are not an isolated, marginalised and parochial community driven primarily by our own exclusive sectarian interests.

Lastly, while responding to Wilders’ outlandish and repugnant misrepresentation of Islam and Muslims, Muslims also need to be honest enough to recognise the faults and errors in ourselves. To condemn racist non-Muslims who deliberately abuse Islam is one thing, but Muslims also need to do some proper in-house cleaning and recognise that not all is well is the house of Islam: Racism, sexism, corruption, nepotism and abuse of power remain pressing realities in so many Muslim countries today. Likewise the hate-discourse of the likes of Wilders can also be compared to the hate-discourse of many radically violent Muslim demagogues, who do deserve to be called Muslim Facists too.

Can this dilemma be resolved in time before we witness yet another round of Muslim-West antagonism as we did in the wake of the Muhammad cartoon controversy of 2004-2005? One will only know the answer to that question when the controversy has passed and the dust has settled. But one thing is for certain at this juncture: No resolution to the perennial problem of Islamophobia and Muslim-bashing can be reached as long as we react to such slander and bigotry with slander and bigotry of our own. One does not fight hate with hate; and an intelligent, universal, inclusive reaction to the problem of Islamophobia is perhaps the first step to finding a solution. Let us hope that Muslims will keep their cool this time round.

End.

Dr. Farish A. Noor is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore; and one of the founders of the www.othermalaysia.org research site.

Bravo Farish. You're Malaysia's voice of Islamic reform!

Full list of 2008 cabinet
Mar 18, 08 1:02pm

The following is the list of cabinet ministers and their deputies as

announced by the prime minister at 12 noon today.

Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Umno)

Deputy Prime Minister
Najib Razak (Umno)

Finance Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Umno)
(Yeah, i know)

Second Finance Minister
Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Umno)

Deputies: Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah (Umno), Kong Cho Ha (MCA)

Defence Minister
Najib Razak (Umno)

Deputy: Abu Seman Yusop (Umno)

Housing and Local Government Minister
Ong Ka Chuan (MCA)

Deputy: Robert Lau Hoi Chew (Supp), Hamzah Zainuddin (Umno)


Works Minister
Mohd Zin Mohamed (Umno)

Deputy: Yong Khoon Seng (Supp)

Energy, Water and Communications Minister

Shaziman Abu Mansor (Umno) (Communications, huh?
This was the guy who said this.)

Deputy: Joseph Salang Gandum

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister
Mustapa Mohamed (Umno)

Deputy: Rohani Abdul Karim (Umno)

International Trade and Industry Minister
Muhyiddin Yassin (Umno)

Deputy: Leow Wui Keong (LDP), Jacob Dungau Sagan

Foreign Minister
Rais Yatim (Umno)

Deputy: Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar (Umno)

Education Minister
Hishammuddin Hussein (Umno)

Deputies: Dr Wee Ka Siong (MCA), Razali Ismail (Umno)

Transport Minister
Ong Tee Keat (MCA)

Deputy: Anifah Aman

Health Minister
Liow Tiong Lai (MCA)

Deputy: Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Umno)

Human Resources Minister
S Subramaniam (MIC)

Deputy: Noraini Ahmad (Umno)

Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister
Syed Hamid Albar (Umno)

Deputies: Chor Chee Heung (MCA), Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh (Umno)

Women, Family and Community Development Minister

Dr Ng Yen Yen (MCA)

Deputy: Noriah Kasmon (Umno)

National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister
Shafie Apdal (Umno)

Deputy: Teng Boon Soon (MCA)

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister
Dr Maximus Ongkili (PBS)

Deputy: Fadillah Yusof

Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development Minister
Noh Omar (Umno)

Deputy: Saifudin Abdullah

Higher Education Minister
Mohd Khaled Nordin (Umno)

Deputies: Idris Haron (Umno), Dr Hou Kok Chung (MCA)

Information Minister
Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Umno)
(Twat)

Deputy: Tan Lian Hoe (Gerakan)

Natural Resources and Environment Minister
Douglas Uggah Embas (PBB)

Deputy: Abdul Ghapur Salleh (Umno)

Rural and Regional Development Minister
Senator Muhammad Muhammad Taib (Umno)
(Need I say anything?)

Deputies: Joseph Kurup, Joseph Entulu Belaun

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister
Shahrir Abdul Samad (Umno)

Deputy: Jelaing Mersat

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister
Peter Chin Fah Kui (Supp)

Deputy: Kohilan Pillay (Gerakan)

Youth and Sports Minister
Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Umno) (Tosser)

Deputy: Wee Jeck Seng (MCA)

Tourism Minister
Azalina Othman Said (Umno)

Deputy: Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib (PBB)

Federal Territories Minister
Zulhasnan Rafique (Umno)

Deputy: M Saravanan (MIC)

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department

Zaid Ibrahim (Umno, to be appointed senator) - in charge of legal affairs
(Yes!)
Zahid Hamidi (Umno)
Bernard Dompok (Upko)
Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (Umno) (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)
Amirsham A Aziz (former Maybank CEO, to be appointed senator) -
in charge of Economic Planning Unit

Deputies: Mohd Johari Baharum (Umno) (nuff said), Mashitah Ibrahim
(Umno, to be appointed senator), SK Devamany (MIC) and
Hasan Malek (Umno).

______________________________________________________________________________________

I wanna see how this new cabinet will be in the next 5 years. We're watching you, Pak Lah. Me, and the rakyat are watching.

Petition in support of Mukhriz Mahathir

Not enough signatures have been collected. Mine is No 1767.

If you believe that Mukhriz Mahathir did the right thing to write to the PM and ask him to step down, not for doing badly in the GE but for daring the People to defy him when they took on the streets to express their unhappiness [read Mukhriz's letter here], click the link below and put down your name and numbers.

Petition Against Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Finally, you're all conscious my fellow UMNO brothers!

My heart pumps with joy after seeing these below banners:








Once and for all, me and my fellow UMNO reformists would like to say:

PAK LAH LETAK JAWATAN!

I hate the British media. Their naughty behaviour influenced our newspapers

I picked up a copy of The Daily Mail, a daily british tabloid from a drug store in Holiday Villa. I was interested by the weirdness of the headline:

MPs go to war with bishop over lessons in sex morals

Favourite quote:

It doesn't get any better than the headline.

And here is the evidence to prove it. Taken last month in a remote corner of the Middle East it clearly shows that not only are we at war with insurgency forces in Iraq, British troops are also fighting against the might of the Catholic church.



With a headline like that it's no wonder how our silly newspaper headlines evolve from.

PS: That photo up there is courtesy of

An excellent article by M. Bakri Musa

Get Rid of Abdullah and UMNO’s Hang Tuahs

It is utterly reprehensible that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi refuses to take responsibility for the debacle suffered by his party at the recent elections. Even more despicable were his enablers in UMNO, its senior leaders.

They all dutifully lined up peasant-like at Sri Perdana to pledge their personal loyalty to Abdullah the day following the electoral debacle. These latter day “Hang Tuahs” – individuals loyal to leaders but not to principles or the organization – included Najib Razak, Hishammuddin Hussein, and Rafidah Aziz.

I am certain they all obediently bowed down low and kissed the man’s limp hand solemnly. Pathetic! When they should have been apprising their leader of the grim political reality, they instead stooped low to humor and flatter him. Those are the duties of court jesters, not of ministers and leaders.

If these next leaders in UMNO cannot tell Abdullah the bad news to his face, how can we expect them to represent us in dealing with even more assertive foreign leaders? If these are the faces of the future leaders of UMNO, how could we entrust them with the fate of our community? Are these “lembik” (limp) characters the future “brave” defenders of Ketuanan Melayu?

This whole crowd – and them some – must go. UMNO must get rid of not only Abdullah but also his entire retinue of enablers and latter-day Hang Tuahs. There is no alternative. The only choice is whether UMNO members do the dirty job themselves and on their own timetable, or watch voters do it for the party. The recent election is merely a preview; the next time it would be even uglier.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir is wrong in saying that Abdullah destroyed UMNO. It was not only Abdullah who did it; he had his supporting cast of enablers to help him.

It is not all doom and gloom, however. The party had faced many challenges in the past and had successfully overcome them. All it took was the courage of a few or even of single individuals, as Mahathir did to the Tunku, the Father of Merdeka. Where are the young Mahathirs in today’s UMNO?

As for Mahathir, he admits to his grave mistake in selecting Abdullah. Give Mahathir due credit, at least he recognizes his error and is trying his best to rectify it. He has demanded that Abdullah take full responsibility for this electoral debacle. Meaning, Abdullah should quit. Mahathir however, can only do so much. Besides, he has little or no stake in the future of UMNO except in so far as affecting his legacy.

Another party veteran, Tengku Razaleigh, has also called for Abdullah to take full responsibility. It is a crying shame that with today’s UMNO, only the old are leading the charge for change. This should normally be within the province of youth. This reflects how far UMNO has degenerated as an organization.

It is not enough however for Tengku Razaleigh to give press statements to indicate his displeasure with Abdullah. Ku Li must lead the change and challenge Abdullah, as he (Ku Li) did earlier. Even if Tengku Razaleigh were to fail, he would still have paved the way for others to pursue the matter.

Other senior UMNO members like Musa Hitam, Tengku Ahmad Rithaudeen and Sharir Samad must also step up to the plate and fulfill their responsibilities. They must help ease out Abdullah gracefully if for no other reason that the alternative would be too ugly to contemplate. I have no wish to see Abdullah publicly humiliated; enough that he would get out of the way. Let the old man enjoy his pension and new wife.

It those senior members abrogate their responsibilities, then it would be up to UMNO’s Supreme Council members – the party’s governing body – to take the initiative. At its next meeting they should pass a vote of no confidence on Abdullah. Even if that motion were to fail, the message would once again have been delivered. Abdullah is a slow learner; it takes a while for a message to sink in.

Such a motion, even if unsuccessful, would also pave the way for other brave members to introduce similar resolutions at the upcoming party’s general assembly. In short, UMNO members at all levels must continue to put the heat on Abdullah and his coterie of enablers until he and they all quit in shame.

This coterie would include Najib Razak and all the current vice-presidents and leaders of its Youth, Wanita, Putera and Puteri wings. They are not leaders but enablers.

I do not share Mahathir’s high opinion of Najib Razak. He has Hang Tuah’s blind loyalty but without the bravery or charisma. His tenure as Defense Minister is best summarized by the currently unfolding Altantuya murder trial; a tale of intrigues, assassinations, and megabucks commissions.

Mahathir’s confidence in Najib has less to do with Najib’s talent but more in Mahathir expressing his terhutang budi (gratitude) to Najib’s father, Tun Razak, for having “rescued” Mahathir after he was expelled from the party. Najib without the famous “bin” after his name would be just another nondescript civil servant, perhaps a district officer back in his hometown. Tun Razak’s other sons all had considerably more talent than Najib. If Mahathir felt an obligation to the late Tun, he (Mahathir) should have groomed any one of Tun’s other sons.

We Malays, and that includes UMNO, have no shortage of talent. We just have to be more inclusive and exhaustive in our search. We have to cast our net deep and wide, and not be content with netting the fish that float by us. Usually those are the rotting or nearly rotting ones. The vigorous specimens are out there swimming and enjoying the deep blue water. We have to make an effort to get them.

Well said Mr. Bakri…

I think PM got lousy advisors who gave him wrong advice and feedback and how it badly mishandled the Bersih rally and indians issue, also UNMO has its own in-fighting especially from Dr M camp .Other than these, most people get frustrated about his failure to deliver his promises. I suspected some changes when i attended the ceramah, the opposition attracted huge crowd compared to BN ones but never thought about the extent. What surprise me is the malay vote swing, maybe this time, they find PKR a credible alternative to UMNO.

For the final time, Zam is wrong about his bullshit

In Datuk Seri Zainuddin's final press conference, Datuk Zam denies that the new media influenced the recent general erections, and said that people relied more on the newspapers rather than blogs. Hello? How the hell did Jeff Ooi win his seat? Where did Loh Gwo Burne get hsi support from? And do you know that Malaysiakini's microphone is just below you?

Another reason BN leaders are out of touch with reality.

PS: Zam said "cunts" at 3:56.

Mahathir is so nice today.....

Resign, Lah. Dr Mahathir said yesterday's election result sends a clear message that the people are angry. "Not only the Malays are angry. The Chinese are angry. The Indians are angry. Malaysians are angry," he told a packed media conferenec at his Mines residence in KL.

Abdullah should take responsibility for the defeat.

Q. Would you resign if you were the PM?
A. Yes, I would resign.

Q. But the BN loss heavily in 1999?
A. We won then, we had two-thirds majority.

Mahathir started to rain on Abdullah's charade in 2005, after his successor started dismantling his pet projects, citing lack of funds. In 2006, after the media, especially Kalimullah Hassan's NSTP, started demonizing him, Dr M went all out to expose Abdullah.

Najib's resounding victory in Pekan and the performance of his homestate Pahang means that people accept the DPM, he said.

And soon after telling Pak Lah to take responsibility for the BN's heavy losses in yesterday's general election, Dr Mahathir said while we shook hands: "Someone told me that we should thank bloggers ... I don't know for what." He said it with a cheeky smile.

A lady blogger behind RockyBru managed, "You're welcomed".

Ahh that's so kind of Mahathir!

This election has ups and downs, but i'm still not satisfied.

It was surprising to see the results of this election. For the first time, the Barisan Nasional has been kicked in the balls. They have lost Kedah to PKR-PAS, Kelantan(again!) to PAS, Penang to DAP, Perak to DAP and Selangor to PKR. I'm afraid of Selangor under Anwar & Khalid because, Selangor is Malaysia's equivalent to California aka, Selangor is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. But will PKR change the status, or will PKR make Selangor move forward?

But the biggest news is the ups and downs of this elections. Here's the summary:

UPS:

-Mukhriz Mahathir won Jerlun

-Jeff Ooi won Jelutong

-Datuk Zam lost Sungai Petani

-Jenice Lee won Teratai

-Shahrir Samad won Johor Bahru

But the biggest surprise is:

-SAMY VELLU LOST SUNGAI SIPUT!! WOHOOOOOO!

And now, here's the DOWNS:

-Khairy Jamaluddin won Rembau

-Datuk Sharizat lost Lembah Pantai

-Lee Hwa Beng lost Subang Jaya

-Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri won Padang Rengas

-Hadi Awang won Marang

-Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob won Pelangai

Well, that's 6 ups and 6 downs. I'm going to miss Lee Hwa Beng from now on, and i'm still angry over Nazri & KJ. But i'm looking forward to 2012/3. 5 years from now, i would love to see the goods, the bads & the uglies that PKR & DAP would bring to Selangor & Penang.

And living in Subang from today onwards will look strange. I don't know how to react to Loh Gwo Burne, esopecially his face:



but still, i and fellow Subangites will try and cooperate with this man.

Rocky says that Pak Lah should resign, and i agree with him

Dr M is scheduled to hold a media conference at his Mines residence at 11 am today (Sunday 9/3).
As usual, bloggers are welcomed.


Not, this is not a wake-up call. After the Barisan Nasional's worst showing in the history of the country's general election yesterday, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to do the right thing and that is to resign.

The Umno President and BN chairman lost Penang, his own home state. He also lost Kedah, Perak and Selangor. And despite everything, he failed to take Kelantan away from Pas. Many of his senior Ministers or/and party component leaders lost their seats yesterday, including S. Samy Vellu, Shahrizat Jalil, Kayveas, Aziz Ismail, and Zainudin Maidin.

Interestingly, Umno deputy president Mohd Najib Abd Razak delivered Pahang and won his Pekan parliamentary seat by a bigger majority compared with 2004. The party will most likely look at this and weigh the options for this year's Umno elections, expected in August.

Whatever the Tun plans to say at the media conference today, I don't think it Pak Lah wold enjoy hearing it.

Watch for updates

This is a huge "Fuck You" to the un-Islamic Islam Hadhari

Islamic Theme Park Fails to Impress

By Farish A. Noor


THE merry-go-round is painted in bright hues of pink, yellow, green and blue; the slides and rides shine in the sun as the little girl contemplates which of the two plastic horses to mount first. Her mother sits by the swing in the near distance, her eye firmly fixed on the pride of five boys and girls frolicking around the sand pit and climbing ropes.

It would appear like any other children’s playground in any other suburban setting, save for the fact that the plastic palm trees are there to lend the place a somewhat exotic, middle-eastern feel: Welcome to the kiddies playground in the Islamic Civilisation theme park, one of the latest innovations bestowed upon the people of the state of Trengganu in Malaysia, as part and parcel of the Malaysian government’s attempt to promote its brand of Islam Hadhari (Civilisational Islam).


Islam Hadhari was the brainchild of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after he became premier. The banner that hangs in front of the visitor’s complex carries the image of Abdullah, and the slogan: “Thank you for bringing Islamic civilisation to Trengganu.” (Though one would have thought that the Muslims there were already civilised long before…)

Other attractions in the park include model replicas of famous mosques from around the world. As one drives through the main entrance, the first sight to greet visitors is a replica of Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock, save that this model is diminutive in scale and ambition, and the gilded dome gives the uncanny impression that it is made of gold-painted plastic instead. I asked the construction worker how long it would take for the park’s completion, but speaking only Bengali, he could not understand me.

The Crystal Mosque
Right at the park’s end stands the so-called “Crystal Mosque” that is meant to be the theme park’s main attraction except that the mosque is not made of crystal. Rather, sheets of glass line its domes and minarets.

A crowd of Malay women meander around the floating mosque complex and laze about indifferently. I ask them where they are from and why they are here. One of them answers me in Kelantanese dialect: “We are from Kuala Lumpur and heading to Kelantan to vote.” I ask her if she and her friends are impressed by the Crystal Mosque. “It’s pretty, like a crystal toy. But it also looks a bit plastic to me. Is it finished yet?”

The Crystal Mosque, unfortunately not made of crystal, is the theme park’s highlight.


It is election season and the flag and poster war is being fought in earnest. The streets of Besut, Marang and Kuala Trengganu are lined with hundreds of posters and banners proclaiming the achievements of the ruling Umno party and the leadership of the prime minister. Since he came to power in 2004, Abdullah has pushed ahead with his agenda of inculcating the values of Islam Hadhari – said to be an approach to Islam that is moderate, pluralist and progressive – to win the hearts and minds of, in particular, Malaysia’s Malay-Muslim voters.

In the 2004 general election, Umno succeeded in wresting Trengganu away from the opposition PAS despite some allegations of electoral fraud. This was a significant victory for Abdullah because in the 1999 elections, Umno had lost the state to PAS in the wake of the reformasi movement following the unpopular sacking of then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by then Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Who’s more Islamic?
However, despite Umno’s victory over this eastern state in the 2004 elections, PAS remains strong, and Trengganu is certainly a key state in the election. The election campaign here has returned to the old ways of the past, with both Umno and PAS claiming to be more Islamic than the other.



The Umno banners proclaim that over the past two years alone, the Umno government in Trengganu has built 62 mosques all over the state – a boast that has gained the state government a place in the Malaysian Book of Records, no less. PAS on the other hand retaliates by noting that the instances of absolute poverty in Trengganu is higher now than ever before, and that building mosques will not feed the people’s stomachs, or give them a better future. Right in front of the main entrance to the Islamic Civilisation theme park, the Islamists of PAS have erected a banner that reads: “RM250 million for a Mosque built for Tourists: What for?”

While the tone and tenor of the election campaign in the more urbanised, multiracial states of the west coast reflect the concerns of the urban middle-classes, here on the eastern coast of Peninsula Malaysia, another election is being fought altogether. The leaders of Umno and PAS continue doing what they do best, which is to assume the holier-than-thou posture beloved by Islamists and conservatives.

Umno claims that thousands of children below the age of 8 have read and memorised the Quran in Trengganu thanks to the efforts of Abdullah’s Islam Hadhari programme. PAS in turn responds by noting the cases of drug abuse, violence, prostitution and casual sex among the young in the state at the same time. Neither side really talks about the issue of democracy, human rights or an election campaign that is free, fair and transparent for all to see.

The few exceptions to the rule seem to come from the younger leaders of PAS who are more reformist-minded and policy-oriented. In the state capital of Kuala Trengganu (P36), PAS firebrand Mohamad Sabu goes round the local market and fishing villages calling for the return of democracy and the right to equal development.

Mohamad Sabu is contesting in a three-cornered fight for the parliamentary seat against incumbent Umno candidate Datuk Razali Ismail, and independent Maimun Yusuf. In Mohamad Sabu’s campaigning, for once, the common slogans of Islam, syariah and hudud laws are not mentioned. But such attempts at injecting some degree of political education into the campaign are few and far between, and sadly the election campaign that has been fought in the predominantly Malay-Muslim states of the northeast reflect the same parochial concerns of the 1980s and 1990s, with more than a little hint of communitarianism thrown into the bargain.

One wonders to what extent the campaign in Trengganu and the other Malay states has really been shaped and informed by Prime Minister Abdullah’s Civilisational Islam project. Thus far, little effort seems to have been made to civilise the conduct of the campaign, or to introduce ideas and themes that are really modern and progressive.

On March 4, with only four days before polling, the Election Commission (EC) suddenly announced it had to drop the idea of using indelible ink to mark voters’ fingers. With no other measure in place to placate fears of election rigging through multiple voting, the move has raised more questions about the EC’s independence and the irregularities that seem to haunt Malaysia’s general election. How these can be reconciled with the glittering empty mosque in the vacant theme park is an easy guess.

[Note: Kuala Trengganu total voters: 80,325; Malay (87.5%), Chinese (11.5%), Indian (0.7%), Others (0.2%).]

Dr. Farish A. Noor is senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and one of the founders of the www.othermalaysia.org research site.

Finally, it has been reported!

After being ignored by many in the mainstream media, the news finally reports the sleeping PM:

Seeking re-election, Malaysia's leader denies sleeping on the job
The Associated Press
Published: March 3, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia's prime minister rejected critics' claims Monday that he deserved to lose in this week's general election for being a poor leader who sleeps on the job.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi insisted that his time in office since October 2003 has "not been a time of failure, but of success," citing steady economic growth and bolstered job opportunities under his government.


Opposition officials have urged voters not to hand Abdullah another five-year mandate in Saturday's general election, claiming that crime, corruption and racial and religious tensions have mounted because of his weak leadership.

"We are not deaf for we hear what the people say," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama. "We are not asleep for we are working."

Opposition rivals have accused Abdullah of being a "sleeping prime minister" who dozes off at Cabinet meetings, while anti-government Web sites have circulated photographs of him yawning or bowing his head with his eyes closed at political gatherings.

Abdullah, speaking while campaigning in northern Penang state, acknowledged that "problems will be there," but pledged his administration would try to resolve any grievances. Abdullah's National Front ruling coalition is expected to retain power but with a lower parliamentary majority.

Aides traveling with Abdullah could not immediately be contacted for comment.

Cash-strapped opposition leaders meanwhile said they have been seeking donations through the Internet for the first time for their election campaign, but that they cannot match the National Front's massive spending power.

The Democratic Action Party's candidates have pleaded on Web sites and online journals for supporters to contribute funds through credit cards and bank transfers to help them print campaign posters and hold public forums, party official Tony Pua said Monday.

One of the party's candidates, Jeff Ooi, has secured about 113,000 ringgit (US$35,000; €23,000) from readers of his Web journal.

Hatta Ramli, treasurer of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, said online donations were nevertheless still insufficient, adding that government candidates have been "very much advanced in the number of campaign posters and banners that they can afford to put up."

Candidates i'll be supporting for this GE (Along with those i'll NOT support)

Most of you have been wondering which candidate i;'ll be supporting in this general election. Well, without further ado, here's some of them:

Mukhriz Mahathir (BN, Jerlun)


Jeff Ooi (Jelutong, Pahang)


Lee Hwa Beng (BN, Kelana Jaya)


Jenice Lee (DAP, Teratai)


And here's some candidates i'll NOT support in this election:

Datuk Bung "Bocor Man" Moktar Radin (BN, Kinabatangan)


Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abd Aziz (BN, Padang Rengas)


Khairy Jamaluddin (BN, Rembau)


Hadi Awang (PAS, Marang)


Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu (BN, Sungai Siput)




Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob (BN, Pelangai)


Yes, those are the guys i'll support and i'll NOT support for this election. Oh, and you may wonder why there are alot of BN politicians on the list of people i don't support. Why? Because BN politicians has the tendency to make themselves look stupid and shameful to the public eye. And the reason i'm not supporting Hadi Awang himself is because that he introduced Hudud laws, something which is totally Taliban in a Muslim country like Malaysia.

If everyone in the whole wide world listens to this song......

they would have stopped fighting eachother right now:



From Jamaica to the world

French beauty Marion Cotillard lost her hotness today...

I like Marion Cotillard. I enjoyed La Vie En Rose and i was delighted she won an Oscar(eventhough i was rooting for Ellen Page). But i can't believe she has said something so stupid last night on the papers:

Marion Cotillard's 9/11 conspiracy theory
By Peter Allen in Paris
Last Updated: 8:50pm GMT 01/03/2008

London Telegraph


Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard was facing embarrasment with her new American public last night after it emerged that she doubted the official account of the September 11 attacks.


The 32-year-old French star has swept this year’s best actress awards, also receiving a Bafta, Golden Globe and a César for her performance as singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.

Marion Cotillard questioned the September 11th attacks and the moon landings
Miss Cotillard, who earned under £1 million in 2007, could expect her Oscar success to significantly increase her earning power. She is due to start filming Public Enemies with Johnny Depp.

But the actress faces a potential backlash in the US over comments she made in an interview in France. Footage which surfaced on the internet showed her questioning the New York terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the 1969 moon landing.

"I think we’re lied to about a number of things," she said, singling out September 11.

Referring to the two passenger jets flown into the World Trade Centre, Miss Cotillard said: "We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes, are they burned? There was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burned for 24 hours.

It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there [New York], in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed."

Miss Cotillard suggested that the towers, planned in the early 1960s, were an outdated "money sucker" which would have cost so much to modernise that it was easier to destroy them.

advertisementTurning to America’s space programme, she said: "Did a man really walk on the moon? I saw plenty of documentaries on it, and I really wondered. And in any case I don’t believe all they tell me, that’s for sure."

Miss Cotillard, who was born and brought up in Paris, made the comments on Paris Première – Paris Dernière (Paris First – Paris Last), a programme first broadcast a year ago.

They were largely ignored at the time, but appeared yesterday on a French website. Miss Cotillard’s film career began in Luc Besson’s 1998 film Taxi. She is an environmental activist, who once worked as a spokeswoman for Greenpeace.

News of Miss Cotillard’s comments comes at a time when Franco-American relations appear to be thawing, following Paris’s refusal to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

President Nicolas Sarkozy insists that he is pro-American, supporting so-called Anglo-Saxon economic reforms and going on holiday to America.

There is no such thing as a 9/11 conspiracy. But if someone like Marion believes in the 9/11 conspiracy theories, then i've lost total respect for her.