Sayonara Proton !

Well well . Just received a comment that I should put a chatterbox in my blog . I will do so later once I return to Malaysia . Kinda busy these days . I'm having exams beginning 2nd November .... ending 14th November .

After that , will be rushing to Sydney for 1 0r 2 nites to meet up with some friends , shop and dine ... get some nougat perhaps . And then ... will be flying back on 17th November via my favourite and one and only airline - MAS !

Didn't really had time to blog but I read that Pak Lah and Nik Aziz are having a good relationship . This is good especially for UMNO and PAS and the world of crazy politics . I hope their "show" during the ECER launch in Kelantan was sincere . And I wish both of these two senior politicians all the best in future .

However , after reading another news at http://www.kickdefella.wordpress.com/ , I was surprised with some of the photos (shown below) .

This was the car at the airport awaiting for Pak Lah . I wonder if this official car is from KL to be used by the PM or was it an official car provided by Kelantan Government ?

I used to remember during Tun Dr Mahathir's time , there was formal notices that Government officials who are given official cars need to ensure that the cars are from Proton . And that time , cars were Proton Perdana .

But if I'm not mistaken , the car in the picture is a BMW ? Of course we still can remember BMW buying over MV Augusta's division for about RM 300 million ..... and yet we sold the whole MV Augusta for RM 4 . What happened to the business plan to turnaround the terrible performance of Proton after Tengku Mahaleel was forced to quit ? We all wonder what magic "Harry Potter" can do for Proton .

I guess we now know the answer ... bye bye Proton .

All right then ... all the best for finals to all my friends ...

Once Upon A Time

I remember once during Tun's hammering of Pak Lah's administration , officials and Ministers come forth saying that the country has more press freedom , more freedom of expression ... and basically more freedom here and there after Pak Lah took over !

We even have statistics showing that . Unless of course my memory failed me , these were to show off to the public how "bad" Tun Dr Mahathir was and how "good" the current admin was . These days , Malaysia's ranking achieved the best ever corrupted nation standings .... best ever here means new high record for corruption . And we achieved a lower press freedom ranking .

But here we have.... Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin reportedly said that we should not bother about RSF ... the organization that showed how "good" Malaysia is in terms of press freedom . RSF is a very famous and credible organization . My research on Freedom Of Expression - Should we limit freedom of expression - was partly based from work and details on RSF . It is certainly highly credible . This I can assure you .

Now . We should all treat these statistics as "not true measures" , "don't bother about it" , "not a reflection of the situation" ... etc etc etc .

In future , if these Ministers come forth saying .... "Seeeeee , we have improved in corruption rankings !!" , then we should always ignore and tell these Ministers "eleh ... not true measure la Datuk .... last time you told us we should ignore it" .

I was furious when Datuk Seri Zainuddin started to sing another tune and helped in silencing Dr Mahathir , attacking him etc .

You will know why when you read the book personally written by ZAM ... and published as The Other Side of Mahathir . A good book to read on ....

Anyway .... once upon a time statistics used to be trusted and highly revered ... these days in Malaysia , Ministers say we should ignore it .

Kegilaan "Senior Vice President UMNO"

I believe in the principles of Barisan Nasional . The many pillars that hold firm the unity of the country formed and seated together in Barisan Nasional .

Many have forgotten the challenges BN faced . Many have forgotten the sacrifices of the main founding fathers of BN .

http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/corridors.php?itemid=9193

Read this here . Malaysiakini reports the same . Even TheStar reported it . But RPK is a political analyst and he is the cousin of Sultan of Selangor . I believe he has the credibility ... with support from TheStar's news as evidence of this case .

Datuk Ali Rustam .... memang tak betullah kalau Datuk nak kata macam itu . I know that the PPP President and its Youth Chief are troublesome at times . Datuk Kayveas is always having issues with Gerakan , with DAP ... now with UMNO . I know that the PPP Youth Chief was impolite to shout out "Give us back our seats" right at the assembly hall when the event was crawling on .

I do not know whether that sparked off the craziness trapped in Datuk Ali . Maybe his position as CM of Malacca is too strenuous and driving him nuts ? I don't know . Maybe the demands by PPP are pressuring him ? I don't know . Only you know what happened to yourself Datuk Ali .... I think you are formally known as Datuk Wira Ali Rustam ?

Yeah . You have just crashed your votes from PPP's members ... perhaps if this news spread out .... I don't think MCA and MIC like you to be the CM next term . You might be sent into early retirement if the other components of BN launch an official protest .

Not even PAK LAH will side you for being so power crazy and foregoing unity among BN . PPP might be small compared to MCA and MIC or Gerakan . But don't forget what happened to TDM when he lost in Kedah once ... he lost due to the sway of 3000 Chinese votes .

In elections , every vote is important , Datuk Wira Ali Rustam . Image is important . There was once a quote I read on politics . Politics is about perception of the candidate ... substance is just a decoration . Sir ... you have just created a great hoo haa for yourself .

Words have been said . The damage is done . It is impossible to tell your Media Secretary to come out and fix things . I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E .... !!! Maybe you should ponder early retirement Sir !

Nitty witty issue ?

SPCA is stepping up on their efforts relative to animals . These days , I receive newsletters from SPCA after my email to the President of SPCA Malaysia condemning the inhumane and illogical act of Datuk Tang and the Council of Selayang recently .

I stress again my disapproval against the actions of Datuk Tang and the Director of MPS . News lately from SPCA's newly established blog reveal all about the Animals Department of our local councils . Not sure what these department are called ... I think should be Bahagian Perlesenan dan Haiwan or something like that .

Wow . The way the dogs are caged and treated ? That is really bad , Sir ( Director of MPS ) ! I understand that dogs are not in line with the Muslim religion . I shall not step foot into religious issues . It is scientifically true that some dogs are not clean and dangerous . Religious wise , I am a Muslim religion friend . However , I believe religion teaches us to be humane and to treat all creations of God like our properties . The dogs in the cages of MPS seem to be wet all the time , even young puppies !!! Their food is constantly soaked wet in water filled bowls !!

Read the blog .... and you will understand . If you drop a comment telling me "Oh ... so what if they are treated like that ?" , then I seriously dont know what to say to your inhumane and satanic heart .

Innocent animals and puppies having to suffer like that ? And the latest news release from SPCA tells us about the many feline in SPCA . They look adorable , young and innocent . Cats you know ? Sigh .

Malaysians are a useless lot of people when it comes to animals . We are not at all educated about being responsible owners . We are not properly advised of the right channel to go through , the consequences ... the feelings of other species .

How Disappointing

Wow . Didn't know the Malaysian Council elections in ACT were over already today . I initially had an intention to run for office . Anyway , forget it . Disappointing of me not to check the dates .

Well well . Yeam was surprised why I wasn't in MSO committee . Not surprising for a demotivated guy like me . I don't see the purpose of running for office here among ACT Malaysian students . Simply because the activities are traditional . We have Malam Kenduri , Malam Merdeka , Hawker Night , Dessert Nite , and some other night . That's all we have . All food .

Haha . Not my type of organization and the way things are run around .... its certainly not my type . Hmm .... well well ...

Just came back from Dickson Shops ... ate some vegetarian food , bought some sauces to cook for the weeks to come . And there are about four weeks left before I fly home to Malaysia !!

Will be in Ipoh beginning 17th November night . But wont meet up with friends till perhaps 20th November ? Need some time to rest and meet my grandma , aunts , spend time with parents .

Perhaps might drop by KL some day I hope ? Then go up to Penang and Sungai Petani for a while . After that ... head off to HK for family holz .... and then back to Australia in January for summer school !

Packed days .... very limited days in Malaysia this time . Sigh . How disappointing to think about all these events .

Dear Datuk Shafie Apdal

Sir , I respect the fact that you are an elected representative , a seated Member of Parliament and doing public service with an office called Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister .

However Sir , the total number of Ministers with chauffeurs are less than a 100 . Let us add another 1 million rich Malaysians who can afford drivers . Also , let us be less restrictive and add another 5 million Malaysians who can still afford any price hike of fuel in Malaysia .

In total , we have approximately 25 million Malaysians . Minus all those figures above , assuming the 100 people in Putrajaya is insignificant , we have 19 million Malaysians who suffer from higher price of oil . This is because it will affect not only our cars but also our daily consumption of food , our sundry , electricity prices will soon go up ... lets see ... what else , Sir ?

Sir , you will come out together with the other Ministers shouting in newspapers ,"THERE IS NO REASON WHY OTHER PRICES SHOULD RISE AFTER WE RAISE OUR PETROL PRICES . WE WILL HAVE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS GOING AROUND TO ENSURE THAT PRICES ARE CHECKED AND UNCHANGED ".

Sir , many times we have read and hear those . After a few weeks , we have you guys standing at the podium announcing a price hike in Milo , a price hike in Chicken , higher prices for eggs .... and the many more items you can think of .

Sir , I myself loves to take public transport . The system in Australia is punctual . If the time says at 5.45pm the bus will leave Canberra for Sydney , it sure will . The same goes for busses in the city . But in Malaysia , we have busses screaming "Aaahh mari mari ... Pudu ke Klang , Pudu ke Klang ..... mari mari !!"

Then when you board that bus , wow ... some had to wait an hour . Why ? Because the bus drivers want to fill up the bus before he moves ! The busses for inter - state is even worst . They will ask you " Aaah brother...... mana nak pi ?" .

Answer any place . They will say "Oh ada ada ... bas ini syarikat XXX ... VIP seats ada ...... bas sekarang sudah ada ..... "

That was how I got cheated 3 times . Out of the 3 times , twice I had to wait for four hours . Because they sent me to the last platform in pudu . I think it is platform 39 . This platform .... everyone is simply stuffed into busses and there is no law and order here . That is why from these experiences , I always take Sri Maju busses or parents will send me around (EVEN THOUGH IT IS INTERSTATE) . I am pretty sure the busses running around in Malaysia ... at least 10 - 20 % are unlicensed . The same goes with the tragedy in Tioman Island where the ferry sank due to fire .

Speaking about the ferry issue , lets see ... we once have the busses operating unlicensed and lives had to be sacrificed before the Government from all levels shout out "I WANT A FULL DETAILED REPORT ON THAT" . What a comedy ! Now we have the ferry issue ... again the statement ,"GIVE ME A FULL REPORT AND SUSPEND THE OPERATOR" .

After lives are gone ... only then we take action . Why then can such a HUGE FERRY operate without license over there !? I don't get it . Does that mean I can drive a car with a Malaysian Government logo around and nobody will do anything about it ? Does that mean I can also own ferries and busses just like that and nobody cares ?

Now now . We had the bus incident . Now the ferry one . Both are transporation issues . What next ? Unfit trains on the rail ? Bad condition airplanes ? Might be . After all , the land transporatation problem occured..... the water one happened as well .... the next one should be air or rail . My advise ? Take a look at both .

In Shah Alam , the self declared MODERNIZED STATE's capital , there are soooooooo many bus stops . But none tells the time when the bus will come , what bus will come , and where that bus is heading to .

Sir , how then with all these problems can we expect to factor in higher future price of fuel into our budget constraints ? How Sir ? I suggest the Government makes a deal with us the public . NO FUEL HIKE UNTIL THE DAY WE HAVE PROPER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION .

Also , stop making statements that will cause panic among the public Sir . It will cause a frenzy of price hike in food and sundry .

Don't be a hero .

Selamat Hari Raya

Well well , another year is about to be completed . Sigh , don't you think time passes so fast ? I hate missing Hari Raya . It is the time where I get to eat Cikgu Sidek's satay , rendang and cookies . All handmade by him ! Though I know his wife cooks some other dishes which are delicious too .

Haha . Anyway , it is the 2nd Raya I'm missing . Sigh . I miss Malaysia ! I seriously have not visited the buka puasa stalls or bazaar for two years !!!!!

Arrrgh . Frustrating don't you think ?

Anyway , Selamat Hari Raya to all my readers and my dear friends especially ! I believe I dropped a SMS to all my Muslim friends . But I could have missed some . So , selamat hari raya to you and your family . I wish you all a very happy and memorable festive season !

A Much Improved SPCA

From an official website of www.spca.org.my , SPCA Selangor has improved . Now , they are more tech savvy and trendy with a new SPCA BLOG !

http://spcamissionhelp.blogspot.com/

I have read a bit at this blog site . They have interesting articles and pictures . For those of you looking for a pet , you might seriously want to consider adopting a puppy or cat from SPCA .

For those of you who are in support of the SPCA cause , put the link in your blog !

The Fight For Democracy ?

Time and time again , civilization has not showed us how good democracy as a whole in the nation is as compared to "democracy" in a single united party ruling the administration .

This of course is not a reference to the giant Barisan Nasional of Malaysia .

In Hong Kong , some people ( not all - just a handful ) are screaming the words "WE WANT DEMOCRACY" . To me , and I've just heard from a friend of mine Yu Jin , Hong Kong is the nearest model of economy to a "free economy" model .

It is the best possible example . And though the cost of living there is high , so are the wages , payrolls and lifestyle . Was trying to book some hotels in Hong Kong for my tour there this year , the prices are rocket high ! Though in Aussie Dollars in would seem like normal prices . Haha .

Anyway , the economy there is flourishing , everything there seems good . Government running the country well , no military oppression , no discrimination , no supreme crime rates . We all know that triads in Hong Kong are powerful , but crime rates are still low and Hong Kong is not only a land of peace and harmony , it is also a land of opportunities like America . It is where wealth spills like mad , business opportunities pop up for you and voila - you are rich !

Democracy in the sense of administration of Hong Kong ? I don't get it . Why not fight the powerful Li Ka Shing ? I once read a magazine - either Fortune or Business Week ... can't remember... an article in it said Li Ka Shing is so powerful in Hong Kong that he can decide to cut water supplies and electricity to Hong Kong anytime he wants !

He controls a huge chunk if not all of the ammenities in Hong Kong . He owns basically all the basic necessities of human survival in Hong Kong . And this includes telecommunications because without phones and internet , you will suffer these days . And of course I am talking about electricity and water . If he decides to threaten the HK people , boom !

So you see . Isn't Li Ka Shing a more dangerous man to the agenda of Hong Kong's future compared to the march of Democracy against the ruling of People's Republic of China by putting a puppet admin in Hong Kong ?

Puppet you may say . But the administration in Hong Kong basically runs Hong Kong by themselves quite well . Did President Hu or President Jiang ever ordered a Tsim Tsa Tsui police officer to shoot anyone they want ? No . Have they ever said ... we want the fuel price in HK to rise 500% tomorrow and we want a higher income tax rate at 70% ?

HK is not like the much needed democratic model in Myanmar . HK is not like Pakistan . HK is nowhere near a Junta rule . HK is HK with tourists flowing in , ships and containers carrying goods in and out , flourishing economy with a superb bunch of tycoons and life seems all right there .

Don't start arguing about poverty in HK with me . I've said before that poverty can never be eradicated in this world . It is because we have a benchmark for poverty levels and time after time , the US revise their poverty level calculations . And the results are always the same . Poverty exists . But that's not the point . HK ... a business district ... poverty is the reason for the march of democracy ? Rubbish !

Now . Why then the fight for democracy ? In Hong Kong , there are not many people holding office and running Hong Kong because it is under the administration of China . Hong Kong is like a state ... like Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia .

If indeed HK is given a full fledged independence , it will mean that there will be more positions in the upper office to be filled ...

Now now .... does this mean that the initiators of HK's quest for democracy are power hungry or the quest really came out deep down from their hearts ?

Are they willing to risk their life fortune , their lifes and their family for the sake of democracy ? I wonder . Every rational person will fight for something that they think is beneficial and worthwhile in return . So what do the people of HK who scream "WE WANT DEMOCRACY" want ?

Is the democratic model better ? Look at the United States , look at Malaysia and look at Japan . With democracy , there are many subpoenas issued , many scandals , many corruption and also "dictatorship within democracy" .

Within China itself , they have their own politics though they are run by a single party . It is democracy within a single party in a country . I believe . In Japan , democracy is unstable even within a single party .

Is HK willing to risk their future with possible political instability ? Some HK people scream out loud "LET US DECIDE OUR OWN FATE" . This message was loud and clear from all over HK aimed at Beijing . But then , what is it that you want to decide on ? It is not like HK's administration is sitting down doing nothing at all . It is not like the councils in HK , the legislative arm , the law enforcers and the public servants are sitting around and "yumcha" every day without bothering what's happening .

HK is all right now . They are flourishing , living their lives well . That is why I believe many of the Hong Kong artists and people joined the HK - China celebration a couple of months back . Nothing is bad under China currently except at some provinces where the air quality can choke us to death . Other than that , till today , I can't see the reason for the fight of democracy in HK against China .

Make no mistake . I am not a communist and I don't have anything against Li Ka Shing . I don't want Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (DNA) shouting in Parliament tomorrow that I have the brains of a communist and I am a threat to the national security . Make no mistake DNA . I am somewhere a mix between pro democracy and communism . But my idea is , HK is safe and sound now with their current model . There is no need to change .

IJN Media Statement 8th Oct 2007

Hi guys ... just got an email from Encik Sufi with regards to TDM's getting well period in IJN .
Below is the official media statement dated 8th October 2007 .


Institut Jantung Negara, 8 October....YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad has been transferred to the Bunga Raya ward of Institut Jantung Negara from the Intensive Care Unit at noon today.

IJN doctors are happy with his progress and will continue with post-surgery rehabilitation including chest and muscle strengthening exercises. Tun Dr Mahathir has also been able to walk unaided since yesterday.

In order to give him adequate rest in between physiotherapy sessions, visitations continue to be limited to immediate family members.

No Internet

How does it feel without internet for two days ? That is what I have been experiencing since Friday . Sigh . Internet connection in our rooms were all down . According to news , ANU is upgrading some modules and optics cable I think . Hmm ... but it sure feels bad without internet !

IJN Media Release

MEDIA STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Institut Jantung Negara, 4th October....YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad spends more time sitting up as he continues to gain strength in his post surgical rehabilitation process.

Eleven days into his second surgery for wound debridement, he is now able to consume home-cooked food. It is vital for Tun Dr Mahathir to continue to get good nutrition to build up his strength.

IJN doctors are happy that his vital parameters continue to be stable. Tun Dr Mahathir will continue to be warded at the Intensive Care Unit.

Make the Senate Useful

In countries like US and Japan , the have different houses of democracy . Their Upper and Lower house , their Minority and Majority leaders as well as their Senate and Congress are full functioning and efficient .

Today , we need to ask ourselves . What is the Senate there for ? Do they serve the public ? Are they useful in anyway ? Of course we all know Senators also debate on motion .... bla bla bla .

But , are they effective ? No . Because whatever the Senators say or decide , everything is useless ! Dewan Rakyat don't care what outcomes are from the Senate meetings .

And thus , what is the Senate there for ?? As far as I can see , it is useful only to the PM of Malaysia . This is because whenever he wants to fill a ministerial post and the chosen one is not a MP , the PM can then elect him as a Senator and .... taaadaaaa ... Minister of XYZ Dept.

We need to make the Senate useful . Turn it into a Congress ala US style . Make it functional in check and balance , listening to the public , and serve the people . Check and balance should be on the top list of the portfolios of Senators . Amend the laws and make Senators more powerful . We do not need to wait a week or a month to have an Independent Panel set up whenever a scandal occurs and there exists a public outcry .

Let the Senators have the power to summon anyone to appear in Dewan Negara and answer on record to the Senate on issues involving the accused . Let it run like a mini High Court . Also , we should allow the Senators to form units to monitor activities of ministries , organizations and individuals . Any "funny and weird" activities moving around , issue a subpoena !

And that is one way on how we could make things better back home .

Congratulations to Datuk Shaziman . Well done in making the 999 the sole and core emergency number instead of us having so many . I'm glad to hear that even you yourself felt confused at times about the numbers 991 , 994 etc . That is how the public feels as well . You can't expect a Ah Pek or a Pakcik at the age of 80 seeing a fire happening and thinking what is the Fire Dept Emergency Number , right ?

Well done to you and your Ministry for fixing this .

Where is the Law , DNA ?

DNA . We know you are in charge of the judiciary and the Parliament . However , I believe the Government and the Royals should come up with a proper guideline for this portfolio . It is truely questionable as to the authority , spread of wings and power of this ministerial portfolio .

Also , the three men panel has been set up . I believe they will be independent . However , there need to be laws and guarantees that those who step up to "tell all" will be given full protection by security and laws and their identity will be kept a secret to all except the 3 men panel who must take an Oath , the Prime Minister of Malaysia , and the Malay Rulers Council .

Then , I believe we will have a lot of juicy stories not only in this Lingam-Fairuz issue but also in perhaps more facts and happenings in the future .

Congratulations to The Loaf

We can call it successful perhaps due to Dr Mahathir's name and shares in this business . Just by mentioning his name , everyone knows how influential he is , and how charismatic he is .

Now , instead of leading a country , he has retired . I would prefer to describe him now as a supplier of superb quality food . Bread . Now he is leading us not only in check and balance to the rotting government , but also in satisfying our desires for bread .

Well done for the successful opening of a branch at The Pavilion KL ! Will go there and grab some items to try once I get back home to Malaysia !

Kepakaran KJ

KJ oh KJ . Of all the stories I read , you are indeed a brilliant Oxford graduate . But to read so many events of you being involved .... it is truely spectacular .

First we have the famous protest note to Condoleeza Rice . We all saw how the demonstrations went on and how you guys charge forward . Then , people are claiming you hijacked the protest of Junta ruling at the Burmese Embassy ??

My my . What a heroic act . I remember once seeing a time capsule with a message inside during a ceremony / celebration when Tun was the PM . The first ever if I'm not mistaken in Malaysia .

And from Rustam Sani's blog , I read a surprising paragraph .

On two occasions, Khairy did the honour of unfurling the Malaysian flag and of leading the procession of youths to present a capsule – to be opened 50 years later – to the PM. The latter even shouted “Merdeka!” seven times, exactly as the Tunku did fifty years ago.

All I can say is ... wow ... you guys are "heroic".