tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77319677755536440382023-11-17T02:18:55.722+09:00Zandi SabahZandi on just about anything and everything socio-politico on Sabah...and MalaysiaZandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-7993182805887994072009-06-11T16:10:00.002+09:002009-06-11T16:55:00.944+09:00Sedition under the law of this country – N.H. Chan<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Hi blogger world! After 4 months of silence, I started posting again today just to reproduce this article by Malaysia's most honourable and distinguished judge - N. H. Chan. In truth, my silence this past 4 months was underlied by a vehement disgust at what have been happening since early February. These are events that made Malaysia the laughing stock of the free world and they are, in no order of importance, the constitutional sham in Perak; the acsension to the premiership of the current figure who brought such scandalous baggages that no human being in his/her right mind would accord him an iota of respect; the kangaroo court cases on sodomy, sedition, and sacrifical lambs of the corrupt; the Perak Government's appeal and counter appeals on "who is the rightful Perak Government" which no single court in Malaysia would know what to do with or how to decide on; and the malicious persecution of good citizens of this country by greedy politicians who abuse government authority and machinery just hell-bent on squashing any opposing views and dissent. I could go on and on, but that's not the reason I am in this space today. I came on today to reproduce this article by the learned Judge, N. H. Chan, so you and I can learned a thing or two from an endangered breed of wise and honourable men of this land. - Zandi, 110609)</span><br /></div><br />Taken from:- <a href="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/29123-sedition-under-the-law-of-this-country-nh-chan">http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/29123-sedition-under-the-law-of-this-country-nh-chan</a><br /><h2 class="contentheading"> <a href="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/29123-sedition-under-the-law-of-this-country-nh-chan" class="contentpagetitle"> Sedition under the law of this country – N.H. Chan </a> </h2> <p>JUNE 10 – Prelude: Please read it before reading the article</p>I write this article so as to apprise the people who, in the mind of the general public, have taken the law into their own hands through the harassment of law abiding citizens of this country with the threat of using the Sedition Act 1948 on them. <p>They should not have done it without first taking expert legal advice on the technical and difficult law of sedition under the Act.</p> <p>After you have read this article, I am sure you will agree with me that the law of sedition is not easy for a layman to understand.</p> <p>Even lawyers and judges have found great difficulty in understanding it – let alone an uninitiated policeman.</p> <p>If the police are not careful, one of these days they will find themselves at the receiving end of a suit for malicious prosecution, false arrest or whatever the victims of their harassment would throw at them.</p> <p>I hope you will bear with me if this time I am not able to explain difficult law in simple language as much as I would like to. It is at a time like this that I really appreciate the great ability of the late Lord Denning who was so adept at explaining difficult law to us ordinary folk.</p> <p><br /><strong>1870 India lives on in 21st century Malaysia</strong></p> <p>In 1986, I was the judge who tried Mr Param Cumaraswamy for sedition under s 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948. At the end of the trial, I acquitted him.</p> <p>But first, a little bit of history – it is necessary to understand the historical development of how this bit of archaic legislation from 1870 India migrated to Peninsular Malaya in 1948 (Sabah in 1964 and Sarawak in 1969), and how this law has been implanted in modern Malaysia.</p> <p>While other countries of the Commonwealth, of which Malaysia is a member, have advanced into the modem age, in this country, time has stood still. We are still in the time of Sir James Stephen in 1870 British India.</p> <p>This was pointed out by Sinha CJ in <em>Kedar Nath v State of Bihar</em> [1962] AIR, SC 955:</p> <p>“Section 124A was not placed on the Statute Book until 1870, by Act XXVII of 1870. There was a considerable amount of discussion at the time the amendment was introduced by Sir James Stephen ….”</p> <p>The result of my research into the law of sedition is embodied in the judgment of <em>PP v Param Cumaraswamy</em> [1986] CU (Rep) 606. I am sorry for not being able to give you the MU citation – it happened so long ago and I do not have access to a law library. At page 619, I said:</p> <p>“Sir James Stephen, you will remember, was the Judge whose definition of sedition appeared as article 93 of the Digest of the Criminal Law. In facts Section 124A which Sinha CJ had reproduced in the passage which I have just read was the work of Stephen J. Nowhere in 124A of the Indian Penal Code did Sir James include the further qualification of incitement to violence or inciting others to public disorders as an ingredient of the offence.</p> <p>“As I have said earlier (see my decision when I called on Mr Cumaraswamy to enter on his defence), ‘Although it may appear to be the position in English case law that incitement to violence or inciting others to public disorders is an essential ingredient of sedition, it is not so in a criminal code which has as its model Stephen’s definition’.”</p> <p><strong><br />Incitement to violence or inciting others to public disorder is not an ingredient of sedition</strong></p> <p>Sir James Stephen was the author of Section 124(A) of the Indian Penal Code. He did not in drafting that section make incitement to violence, or the tendency or the intention to create public disorders, the gist of the offence of sedition.</p> <p>Nor did he make them the gist of the crime in his definition in Article 93 of the Digest. And Article 93 of the Digest was used as the model for the crime of sedition in the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast.</p> <p>So that when we look at Section 124(A) of the Indian Penal Code or at the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast on sedition, or our own Sedition Act (which I have previously said was modelled on Stephen’s definition), we are merely looking at the definition of sedition as apprehended by Sir James Stephen, and not at English case law ... which had developed separately from Stephen’s definition.</p> <p>Stephen’s definition has been codified as the law of the Gold Coast and of this country. And<em> Wallace-Johnson v The King </em>[1940] AC 231 has laid down that since the law is contained in a code, “the Court must look for the ingredients of the offence from the codified law and not import principles which have been established by English case law, and that, accordingly there cannot be imported into the offence (as created under the codified law) the additional ingredient of incitement to violence or inciting others to public disorder.”</p> <p>The view expressed by Sinha CJ in the Indian Supreme Court in Kedar Nath cannot by any means be supported. In my judgment, the correct view is that as laid down by the Privy Council in<em> Wallace-Johnson</em>.</p> <p>Therefore, as I have explained above, incitement to violence or inciting others to public disorder is not an ingredient of the offence of sedition in this country.</p> <p><strong><br />Nor is intention an ingredient of the crime of sedition</strong></p> <p>Having got that off my chest, the next thing I need to explain is why <strong><em>mens rea</em></strong> is not a necessary ingredient of the crime of sedition under our Sedition Act 1948.</p> <p>As every law student knows, mens rea is Latin for “intention”.</p> <p>Here is how I explained it in <em>PP v Param Cumaraswamy</em>. I said at page 612:</p> <p>“I have shown that the model for subsection 8 of Section 326 of the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast was Stephen’s definition of sedition in Article 93 of the Digest. In <em>Wallace-Johnson</em> the Privy Council has laid down that incitement to violence is not a necessary ingredient of the crime of sedition under the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast. <em>A fortiori</em>, inciting others to public disorders is not a necessary ingredient of sedition.</p> <p>“In Stephen’s definition and as well as the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast, a seditious intention is an essential ingredient, but Stephen in Article 94 of the Digest had expressed the view that intention is no more than the natural consequence of the words, and the Privy Council in <em>Wallace-Johnson</em> has held that it is not necessary to prove actual intention. It is enough if the words are seditious by reason of their expression of a seditious intention as defined in the section.</p> <p>“It looks as if it was with hindsight that the Sedition Act came to be drafted. If intention requires no more mens rea than an intention to publish the words which were published; if it is not necessary to prove actual intention because seditious words are words which are ‘expressive of a seditious intention’ as defined in the section, then the gravamen or an essential ingredient of sedition is not <em>mens rea </em>(intention) but an <em>actus reus</em> (Latin for guilty act). That is, the words must have a tendency (a seditious tendency) to achieve one or more of the objects specified.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Instead, all that the prosecutor needs to prove is a seditious tendency</strong></p> <p>This is what I said in <em>Param Cumaraswamy</em>, page 611:</p> <p>“In both the Stephen and the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast definitions an intention to achieve one or more of the objects specified in the definition is an essential ingredient of the crime of sedition. The important question is whether the ‘intention’ must be proved. In Article 94 of the Digest (4th edition) Stephen put it thus:</p> <p>“In determining whether the intention with which any words were spoken, any document was published, or any agreement was made, was or was not seditious, every person must be deemed to intend the consequences which would naturally follow from his conduct at the time and under the circumstances in which he so conducted himself.’</p> <p>“Stephen’s view did not require any more mens rea than an intention to publish the words which were published. It would not be necessary to prove an actual intention to achieve any one of the objects specified.”</p> <p>In the Privy Council case of <em>Wallace-Johnson v R </em>[1940] AC 231, it was argued on behalf of the appellant Wallace-Johnson, see page 234:</p> <p>“(a) that both in English common law and in the Criminal Code in question there must be some evidence of intention outside the mere words of the instrument before a seditious intention can be said to exist; and (b) that in the present case, when the document is read, there cannot be found in it any seditious intention at all; and therefore before the appellant can be convicted there must be some evidence of seditious intention extrinsically, and, there being none, this conviction cannot stand on any ground.”</p> <p>The judgment of the Privy Council was read by the Lord Chancellor, at p 240, in which he said:</p> <p>“Seditious words,” in the terms of sub-s 8, “are words expressive of a seditious intention”.</p> <p>Then he went on to say, at page 241:</p> <p>“The submission that there must be some extrinsic evidence of intention, outside the words themselves, before seditious intention can exist, must ... fail ... If the words are seditious by reason of their expression of a seditious intention as defined in the section, the seditious intention appears without any extrinsic evidence. The Legislature of the Colony might have defined ‘seditious words’ by reference to an intention proved by evidence of other words or overt acts. It is sufficient to say they have not done so.”</p> <p>The headnote in the report of <em>Wallace-Johnson</em> has summarised accurately what was said by the Lord Chancellor. It reads, at page231, thus:</p> <p>“If the words complained of are themselves ‘expressive of a seditious intention’ as defined in the section they are ‘seditious words’. It is not necessary to produce any extrinsic evidence on intention, outside the words themselves, before seditious intention can exist. If the words are seditious by reason of their expression of a seditious intention as defined in the section the seditious intention appears without any extrinsic evidence.”</p> <p><em><strong>So that in this country, instead of saying “seditious words” are words which are “expressive of a seditious intention”, in our Sedition Act, we say they are words with a “seditious tendency”.</strong></em></p> <p>This is how Section 3(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 of this country states it:</p> <p>3. (1) A “seditious tendency” is a tendency –</p> <p>(a) to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against any Ruler or against any Government;</p> <p>(b) to excite the subjects of any Ruler or the inhabitants of any territory governed by any Government to attempt to procure in the territory of the Ruler or governed by the Government, the alteration, otherwise than by lawful means, of any matter as by law established;</p> <p>(c) to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the administration of justice in Malaysia or in any State;</p> <p>(d) to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or of the Ruler of any State or amongst the inhabitants of Malaysia or of any State;</p> <p>(e) to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia; or</p> <p>(f) to question any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III of the Federal Constitution or Articles 152, 153 or 181 of the Federal Constitution. <em>(This paragraph did not appear in the original form of the sub-section.)</em></p> <p>As can be seen from the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Sedition Act, above, intention is not an ingredient of the crime of sedition, and all that need be proved by the prosecution is a seditious tendency as defined in Section 3(1).</p> <p>This is established by Section 3(3) which says:</p> <p>3. (3) For the purpose of proving the commission of any offence against this Act the<strong> intention</strong> of the person charged at the time he did or attempted to do or made any preparation to do or conspired with any person to do any act or uttered any seditious words or printed, published, sold, offered for sale, distributed, reproduced or imported any publication or did any other thing shall be deemed to be<strong> irrelevant</strong> if in fact the act had, or would, if done, have had, or the words, publication or thing <strong>had a seditious tendency</strong>. <em>(I have supplied the emphasis which is in bold type.)</em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Then, how are we to decide whether the words have a seditious tendency</strong></p> <p>Although it is unnecessary to prove “intention”: see Section 3(3) of the Act above, it is necessary to prove that the words have a tendency to achieve one or more of the objects specified in Section 3(1) of the Act.</p> <p>In deciding whether the words have this tendency, it is proper, and here I would like to use the words of Coleridge J in<em> R v Aidred </em>(1909) 22 Cox CC 1, p 3,:</p> <p>“... to look at all the circumstances surrounding the publication with the view of seeing whether the language used is calculated to produce the results imputed; that is to say, you are entitled to look at the audience addressed, because language which would be innocuous, practically speaking, if used to an assembly of professors or divines, might produce a different result if used before an excited audience of young and uneducated men.”</p> <p>On the other hand, here I would like to use the language of Cave J in <em>R v Burns</em> (1886) 16 Cox CC 355, page 365:</p> <p>“A man cannot escape from the consequences of uttering words with a [seditious tendency] solely because the persons to whom they are addressed may be too wise or too temperate to be seduced [by those words].”</p> <p>Therefore, the words are seditious (1) if they are likely to incite or influence the audience actually addressed or (2) if they are likely to incite or influence ordinary people even though the audience addressed was unaffected by the words.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What is not seditious</strong></p> <p>Stephen in Article 93 of the Digest gave the definition of what is not seditious. Almost identical provisions are to be found in the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast.</p> <p>With regard to the Gold Coast provisions, this is what the Privy Council said in <em>Wallace-Johnson</em>, at page 240:</p> <p>“Question will necessarily arise in every case, as in this case, as to the facts to which it is sought to apply these definitions. Fine distinctions may have to be drawn between facts which justify the conclusion that the intention of the person charged was to ‘bring into hatred or contempt … the Government of the Gold Coast,’ and facts which are consistent only with the view that the intention was no more than, in the words of a later part of subsection 8, ‘to point out errors or defects in the Government ... of the Gold Coast.’“</p> <p>In the Sedition Act of this country, we have Section 3(2). The subsection specifies the circumstances or situations which are not seditious.</p> <p>Fine distinctions may have to be drawn between facts which justify the conclusion that there was a tendency to achieve one or more of the objects specified in Section 3(1), and facts which are consistent only with the view that the tendency was no more than to do the acts or things mentioned in Section 3(2).</p> <p>Provided that in doing any of the acts or things mentioned in Section 3(2), the words used do not have the effect of achieving any of the objects specified in Section 3(1).</p> <p>There is a similar provision to our Section 3(2) in the Criminal Code of the Gold Coast: see the proviso to subsection 8 of Section 326 of the Gold Coast Code. While in this country it is Section 3(2) of the Sedition Act 1948 which reads:</p> <p>3. (2) Notwithstanding anything in subsection (1) an act. Speech, words, publication or other thing shall not be deemed to be seditious by reason only that it has a tendency –</p> <p>(a) to show that any Ruler has been misled or mistaken in any of his measures;</p> <p>(b) to point out errors or defects in any Government or constitution as by law established (<strong>except in respect of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative referred to in paragraph (1) otherwise than in relation to the implementation of any provision relating thereto</strong>) or in legislation or in the administration of justice with a view to the remedying of the errors or defects;</p> <p>(c) <strong>except in respect of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative referred to in paragraph (1)(f) </strong>–</p> <p>(i) to persuade the subjects of any Ruler or the inhabitants of any territory governed by any Government to attempt to procure by lawful means the alteration of any matter in the territory of such Government as by law established; or</p> <p>(ii) to point out, with a view to their removal, any matters producing or having a tendency to produce feelings of ill will and enmity between different races or classes of the population of the Federation,</p> <p>If the act, speech, words, publication or other thing has not otherwise in fact a seditious tendency.</p> <p><em>[I have put the words in bold type to show that they were not found in the original text of sub-section (2)]</em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><br />Did Lim Kit Siang commit sedition?</strong></p> <p>Now that you know the law of sedition as much as any expert on the subject, we shall examine the law to find out if Lim Kit Siang has, in fact, committed the crime.</p> <p>As I have understood from the Internet, all that he did was to point out that the biggest mistake that Najib made in the so-called Perak debacle was to approach the sultan for the appointment of Zambry as Mentri Besar – that step, as we all know, started the political and constitutional impasse in Perak.</p> <p>Had Najib not seen the Ruler but, instead, had he advised the Barisan Nasional assemblymen to obtain a vote of no confidence against Nizar at the time, he would have succeeded and there would have been no constitutional crisis in Perak.</p> <p>By his rash action to have Zambry appointed Mentri Besar when Nizar is still holding the office of Mentri Besar, he had caused the impasse in Perak.</p> <p>Najib had actually committed a serious political misjudgment. Since then he had been unable to extricate himself out of the political quagmire which he had orchestrated.</p> <p>Since Lim Kit Siang’s criticism was only directed at Najib for his personal misjudgment in the whole episode, it would not be possible for any prosecutor to establish a “seditious tendency” under Section 3(1) of the Sedition Act.</p> <p>This is because paragraphs (a) and (b) of the subsection concern a seditious tendency against a Ruler or Government – so these provisions do not apply to a personal criticism of Najib in his handling of the affair.</p> <p>Paragraph (c ) concerns a seditious tendency against the administration of justice – definitely this does not apply to a criticism of Najib’s handling of the matter.</p> <p>In paragraph (d) the seditious tendency is to raise discontent and disaffection among the people – so it does not apply.</p> <p>Paragraph (e) deals with race and class, and paragraph (1) deals with privileges, sovereignty etc – so they too do not apply to a personal criticism of Najib’ s miscalculation of the situation in Perak.</p> <p>Therefore, since it is impossible, based on the above circumstances, to establish a “seditious tendency” against Lim Kit Siang for his criticism of Najib’s conduct in the Perak debacle, Lim Kit Siang has not committed any offence under the Sedition Act.</p> <p>As such, what the police did to him was unwarranted and an inexcusable harassment of a respected politician.</p> <p>Such bullying methods by the police should be frowned upon by all right thinking people.</p> <p>By their bad behaviour in the matter, the police have done a great disservice to the Government of the day which eventually may reflect adversely against them in the next election.</p> <p>As a consequence of such outrageous act of harassment which the police have perpetrated against the people, the police were, in fact, promoting feelings of ill will against the Barisan Nasional government which is the government of the day.</p> <p>I wonder if they could have brought themselves within the meaning of “seditious tendency” under Section 3(l)(e) which says “(1) A ‘seditious tendency’ is a tendency (e) to promote feelings of ill will ... between different ... classes of the population of Malaysia” – i.e. between the people and the Barisan Nasional government?</p> <p>Perish the thought. But then, why were they doing this to the government? Were they trying to ensure a change of government at the next general election? Your guess is as good as mine.</p> <p>I remember when I was a serving judge, we would never dream of doing anything that would jeopardise the standing of our employer, the Government of Malaysia.</p> <p>Sometimes we would take a member of the executive government, like a minister or a public official, to task if they have done wrong but it must be done in a judgment.</p> <p>As a serving judge, it is taboo to criticise the government of the day out of court.</p> <p>But nowadays we find the police jeopardising the position of their employer, the government of the day, by their overt action of harassing some members of the general public.</p> <p>Don’t these people realize that such actions would have an adverse effect on the government come next election?</p> <p>I suppose there are some people who think that it is all right for such an undesirable trend to continue like a cancer among the law enforcement agencies.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>And what about Karpal Singh?</strong></p> <p>All that Karpal Singh said was that the sultan can be sued. And the next thing we hear is that he has been charged for the crime of sedition.</p> <p>We all know that Karpal Singh was speaking as a lawyer. And why is it wrong for a lawyer to say someone can be sued?</p> <p>All of us know that a ruler can be sued in the Special Court, albeit with leave of the court, for certain things, such as in an action in contract or tort, and also he could be prosecuted for certain crimes.</p> <p>There is no provision in Section 3(1) of the Sedition Act which says that saying that a sultan can be sued is a seditious tendency.</p> <p>Moreover, Section 3(2)(a) totally absolves Karpal Singh of any wrongdoing under the Sedition Act for his remark. Section 3 (2)(a) says:</p> <p>3. (2) Notwithstanding anything in subsection (1) an act, speech, words, publication or other thing shall not be deemed to be seditious by reason only that it has a tendency –</p> <p>(a) to show that any Ruler has been misled or mistaken in any of his measures;</p> <p>Rightly or wrongly Karpal Singh thought that the ruler could be sued by way of a judicial review for what was perceived by him as the unconstitutional appointment of Zambry as Mentri Besar.</p> <p>Judicial review was thought by many lawyers at the time to be the proper course to take to correct the mistaken step taken by the ruler in the appointment of a new Mentri Besar when the incumbent Mentri Besar is still in office.</p> <p>So that by virtue of paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of Section 3 of the Sedition Act 1948, what Karpal Singh had said about suing the sultan would not be treated as seditious even though the words spoken by him would show that the ruler was mistaken in his measure to appoint another Mentri Besar when the incumbent is still in office.</p> <p><br /><strong><em>PP v Param Cumaraswamy</em> is still the law on the Sedition Act 1948</strong></p> <p>The law of sedition which I have referred to in this article is taken from my judgment in <em>PP v Param Cumaraswamy </em>[1986] CU (Rep) 606 which was decided almost 23 years ago.</p> <p><em>Cumaraswamy </em>is authority for the statement of the statute law of sedition as it stands. It is also useful for its concise treatment of the Sedition Act 1948.</p> <p>To this day, it is still the law of the land as it has not been overruled by any higher court.</p>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-26188057398556257012009-02-07T06:54:00.014+09:002009-02-12T05:01:12.475+09:00As Malaysians Cry for Perak, the Senile and Evil One Goes "He, He, He"!<div style="text-align: justify;">As our hearts bleed and Malaysians cry in shame for the sinister power grab in Perak, the senile and evil old dictator finds it in his black, black heart to joke around and laugh at his own Malay race in Perak who felt betrayed by their elected leaders, and, woe of woes, by their very own beloved Sultan. How sick can the senile one get!<br /><br />"He, he, he!" the evil senile laughed as he saw how thousands upon thousands of betrayed and angry supporters gathered at the residence of rightfully elected Perak Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, who had been ordered to quit by the royal one. The evil one knew from experience that come tomorrow and as sure as the sun will rise, the police will throw tear gas into the crowd of disappointed and betrayed subjects of the royal one if they continue with their protestations. At this thought, the senile and evil one gleefully went "he, he, he!" Only a sicko can be tickled to his funnybone at the sight of the battalion of police and FRUs clashing with unarmed citizens, many of whom would have just returned from Friday prayers at a nearby mosque.<br /><br />"He, he, he", the senile and evil one laughed louder at the sickening event unfolding in Perak. He laughed at the corrupt frogs jumping in and out. He laughed at the rightfully elected Perak Chief Minister who was dismissed by the royal one but who refused to resign as Menteri Besar. He was gleeful at the thought of the rightfully elected Perak Chief Minister being 'campak' (thrown) out of the latter's office which had already been emptied by the police. Come to think of it, how strange that the evil one knew that Datuk Seri Nizar's room had already been emptied by the police at about the same time that the latter found out that his office was emptied and was being thrown out of his office. It must be true,then, that this senile and evil one is, indeed, the 'devil incarnate' himself (as someone once said), since he sees all and knows all that <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">are</span> happening around him. Either that or the template for this sinister power grab was his own making and put into immediate practice by his proxy.<br /><br />He gleefully scorned as he recalled the failed attempt by his one-time nemesis, the Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take over the Federal Government by 16 September of the previous year. And the devil incarnate laughed the loudest as he poked fun at DS Awar's embarrassment as the UMNO frog jumped in and out of the Opposition Coalition front, followed by the corrupted frogs from the opposition, the actions of whom had caused the Perak Opposition Government to fall, escalating into the illegal power grab that we witnessed on this dark 5th day of Feb 2009 in Perak.<br /><br />Yes, O senile and evil one, go on, laugh at the expense of betrayed and pained Malaysians. Laughed your heart out at the mess you made and the havoc on democracy that you wreaked upon this country during your 30 years' rule. What happened in Perak today was the fruit of your evil creation. True Malaysians hold you accountable for what happened in Perak today. You had promoted corruption in the Government for 30 years. You had encouraged money politics in UMNO elections. For 30 years, you run this country with your evil dictator claws. You governed Malaysia with rampant corruption, nepotism, and cronyism. You are the Greatest Abuser of Power Malaysians have ever seen, falling short only of Mugabe's record abusive rule. O Senile and Most Evil One, YOU ARE THE FATHER OF CORRUPTION, NEPOTISM AND CRONYISM.<br /><br />Go on, go laugh at us, poor Malaysians. Poke fun at our betrayal by the royalty that we pinned our hopes on. Enjoy our pain. Laugh at us, and we will repay you with prayers and curses that will run down through your very own descendants to eternity. Do unto others what you would that they do unto you. You will reap what you sow. On judgment day, be prepared for whatever will be inflicted upon you. Yes, senile and evil one, just laugh with all your might. Go on, continue to "he, he, he" as we heap our curses upon you, and laugh some more and loudly as you laugh yourself to your grave...<br /></div><br /><strong style="font-size: 12px;"></strong><span style=";font-family:'lucida sans unicode';font-size:11;" ></span>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-21792235033913073772009-01-12T17:24:00.007+09:002009-01-12T17:48:03.112+09:00A Historic Change: Obama's Victory SpeechA HISTORIC CHANGE. America dare to change...President-elect Barack Obama on the night of his victory:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jll5baCAaQU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jll5baCAaQU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><p></p><p>The Full text of Obama's Victory Speech:</p><p><br />PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.</p> <p>Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.</p> <p>Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.</p> <p>Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.</p> <p>Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.</p> <p>I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.</p> <p>I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.</p> <p>I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.</p> <p>To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done.</p> <p>But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.</p> <p>I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didnt start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.</p> <p>It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.</p> <p>I know you didnt do this just to win an election and I know you didnt do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.</p> <p>The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.</p> <p>There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.</p> <p>What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.</p> <p>So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.</p> <p>Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.</p> <p>And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.</p> <p>For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.</p> <p>This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.</p> <p>She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.</p> <p>And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.</p> <p>At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.</p> <p>When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.</p> <p>When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.</p> <p>She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.</p> <p>A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.</p> <p>America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?</p> <p>This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:</p> <p>Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.</p>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-42470070015935351202008-11-20T17:33:00.015+09:002008-11-28T13:32:33.628+09:00There goes UMNO Again...Chokeholding Sabah with Project 'M' Round ?th<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">My blood boiled when I read it in Daily Express on Tuesday, 18 November 2008. They are at it again... Project 'M' Round ?th.</span></span><br /><p style="font-weight: bold;font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><blockquote><p style="font-weight: bold;font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Thousands register for green MyKad </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Daily Express) - </span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >Thousands of "stateless" people thronged the National Registration Department (NRD) offices at the Federal administration building here and in Tawau, Monday, after the Department announced it will start re-issuing the green MyKad. </span></p> <p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >In Tawau, the number was estimated at several thousand. Police also had to be called in for crowd control. </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >Applicants started lining up as early as 8am, forcing the NRD to set up desks, acting as temporary centres, outside its office to handle the large crowd showing up. </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >Its Public Relations Officer, Jainisah Mohd Noor, said the exercise which started last Saturday nationwide, is strictly for those with Malaysian birth certificates and existing green MyKad holders. </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >"They must be born in Malaysia. (Usually) in their birth certificates, there is no information about the parents or details about the parents' nationality or documentation status. </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >"But that does not mean green MyKad holders (or those obtaining it) have been granted citizenship status, they are only temporary residents, not Malaysians," she said, in a telephone interview from Kuala Lumpur. </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >Like other NRD offices nationwide, she pointed out the office here only receives applications but whether they are granted was up to their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >"The approval process is done on-line and centralised," Jainisah said to a question on foreigners or illegal immigrants trying to pull a fast one on NRD. </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >"We will not issue such documents to just anyone or foreigners." </span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial;font-size:85%;" >She said the card is a form of documentation to the holders to show they are stateless but registered with the NRD and to make it easier for these people to carry out personal transactions involving money and such.</span></p></blockquote><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial;"> </span></p><br />Many Sabahans are alarmed. But these alarmed ones are people on the streets, people without a voice. And some who could speak because their job is to speak on behalf of the people include just less than a handful of non-UMNO politicians.<br /><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Green MyKad move queried</span></span> </p><p style="font-size:12px;">(Daily Express) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Both Sabah Barisan Nasional and opposition leaders Tuesday questioned the current registration of "stateless people" at National</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> Registration Department offices statewide that would enable them to obtain the green MyKad. </span></span></span> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">They feared that the document would end up not in the hands of "stateless" locals in the interior but to foreigners who may be armed with birth certs issued by hospitals in Sabah.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">They said the Federal Government's decision to issue the green MyKad should have been explained fully to the people before the NRD went ahead. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Already IMM13 holders and illegal immigrants with children born in the State are treating it as an opportunity to make their presence in the State easier and trouble free, said Moyog Assemblyman, Donald Mojuntin. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"We can gauge this by their numbers congesting the NRD offices here and in Tawau," he said on the sidelines of the State Budget sitting, Tuesday. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Daily Express reported that thousands of "stateless" people had thronged the NRD offices at both places, some as early as 6am, since the weekend after the department announced it will start re-issuing the green MyKad. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It is understood that holders of the Green MyKad are allowed to work without requiring a permit and the card is valid for five years. If they are found to be involved in criminal activities during this period, the document would be revoked. A birth certificate is necessary for the registration. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"I would have thought the ultimate purpose of the issuance of the green MyKad is to ease the problem of genuine Malaysians who have trouble getting their citizenship due to the fact that their parents did not register their birth. This is due to many factors such as geographical and lack of knowledge on the need for such an important document. I believe this problem is prevalent in Sabah, especially in areas like Sindumin, Paitan and Pensiangan," said Donald, who is also State Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">He said even in Penampang, which can be regarded as a suburban area, he had received, in his capacity as Chairman of the Upko Citizenship and Security Bureau, a number of cases involving "anak watan" (native) Sabah who have no birth certificate and, therefore, not citizens of Malaysia. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This birth certificate problem is real and needs a focused effort to sort out, he said, adding the issuance of the green MyKad should be prioritised to locals without birth certificates who are waiting for their late registration of birth to be approved and, subsequently, would be waiting for their citizenship application to be considered. </span></span> </p> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"What we don't want is this exercise further aggravating the perception among the genuine Sabah populace that it is easier for illegals to obtain identity documents than for locals to do so," he said. </span></span></p></blockquote><p style=";font-family:arial;font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It angers me more. Where are the people Sabahans voted for to represent them, to voice their concerns. Only UPKO, and only minows at that, seem concerned. Where are the PBS bigwig politicians? What happened to Pairin, Dr Maximus, Dr Yee? Cat got your tongue? And, more significantly, why are the UMNO politicians in Sabah so, so deafeningly silent on the matter???! Are you UMNO so-called leaders not concerned that the illegal immigrants are overtaking our people? Or are you just too busy enriching yourselves and your cronies? Yes, we know who you are.<br /></span></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Just mentioned </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">NRD</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">, MyKad and</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Tawau in one breathe, and any genuine Sabahan would cringe in fear. Fear for their future, fear for their children and their children's future. Tawau is the haven, the gateway for the illegal immigrants into Sabah. The NRD, the tool of UMNO, is reopening the floodgates again for illegal immigrants to become Malaysian citizens. Put them together, and we have a lethal combination for a permanent UMNO chokehold on Sabah because these illegals form the bulk of the present and future voters of UMNO. These are the very people who will ensure that UMNO and ketuanan Melayu will hold on to power and rule Sabah and Malaysia forever! The non-muslim indigenous will be overrun, overtaken and replaced by these illegals in every aspect: social, economic and political.</span></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">And what can Sabahans do? Nothing. Just watch in fear. Watch as your future evaporates. Watch as your children's future goes down the drain into a bottomless pit. Sabahans will become beggars in their own country. And there's nothing much Sabahans can do. Because of our own stupidity, the stupidity of the founders of Malaysia, the stupidity of Sabah's so-called pioneer politicians, we have come to this. The 20 points in the Malaysia Agreement didn't and couldn't protect us. Sabahans, because of our own political naivety and stupidity, we allowed this beautiful land below the wind to be raped and plundered by UMNO. UMNO is allowing the illegals to overtake us. UMNO is allowing our future and out children's future to be stolen from us.<br /></span></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Who should we blame? Nobody but us and those earliest kampung brand politicians who didn't brave it out like Mr Lee Kwan Yu of Singapore. Then, because of our own political stupidity, we allowed UMNO to gain a foothold in Sabah. So now, nothing much we can do but just watch and weep. Weep for our children's future gone forever from this once beautiful land of our forefathers.<br /></span></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></p><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span> </p>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-21592802426226188552008-10-14T17:19:00.019+09:002008-10-17T13:21:48.065+09:00Pak Lah Doing A 'Marc Anthony' on Najib?I sense a 'Marc Anthony' being pulled on Najib by none other than the seemingly 'harmless' premier that Najib and his UMNO warlords are ousting from office and whom Najib will replace as premier come March 2009.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[What is a Marc Anthony stunt? This I derive from the clever stunt pulled by Marc Anthony in subtly rousing the rabble to avenge Caesar's death. Marc Anthony, a close friend of Julius Caesar, cleverly used his famous "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" speech to rouse the rabble to mutiny to revenge Caesar's death. Julius Caesar had just been murdered by a group of conspirators (that included Caesar's trusted friend, Brutus) and Marc Anthony is now trying to reveal the true story to the public. However, Marc Anthony is in quite an awkward situation, he cannot directly accuse Brutus and others of this heinous crime because of their high positions and power. He must stir up the crowd and rouse them to anger and mutiny, and he does this through this famous eulogy by using different types of speech strategies and communication to let them see what happened without just bluntly telling them. Marc Anthony cleverly uses everything in his repertoire, from sarcasm to gesticulations, and from repetition to antidotes. Once he started his speech it seemed like he already had the crowd under his spell. He continued to put down the assassins of Julius Caesar until the rabble reacted just as he had wished and planned. By the time he finished his speech, he had turn the word 'honourable' around to, in fact, mean dishonourable. In the end, he successfully rouse the rabble into mutiny and wreak vengeance upon the conspirators responsible for Caesar's death.]</span><br /><br />Pak Lah gave the statement below to the media when asked to comment on the explosive report on the sms exchanges between Najib and lawyer Shafee Abdullah on the progress of the Altantuya murder case. Somehow, Pak Lah's utterances and words keep bringing that 'Marc Anthony' stunt to mind.<br /><br />Extracted from <a href="http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/13782/84/">Malaysia Today</a>:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">PAK LAH GIVES STRONG ENDORSEMENT TO NAJIB</span><br />Posted by St Low<br />Tuesday, 14 October 2008 09:09<br /><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;">KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has come out with the strongest statement yet to back his successor Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.</p> <p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;">“I want Datuk Seri Najib to succeed me, I want all party members to give their support to him and <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I believe <span style="font-size:130%;">he can be</span> a good leader</span></span>,” he said.</p><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;">The Prime Minister said he was happy that Najib received nominations to contest the party president post from all the 28 divisions that met on Sunday.</p><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;">“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Of course <span style="font-size:130%;">I should be</span> happy</span> because people are supporting him. That’s very good,” he said after delivering his keynote address at the US-Islamic World Regional Forum .</p><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;">To a question on an allegation by <em style="font-size: 12px;">Malaysia Today</em> that Najib had allegedly abused his power and interfered in the investigation into the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, Abdullah said he did not believe Najib had abused his power.</p><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;">Abdullah said: “<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I can’t believe</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> that Najib would want to abuse his power. If he’s the one who <span style="font-size:130%;">plans to abuse</span> his power, <span style="font-size:130%;">how can he </span>be my successor?</span>”</p><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;">“<span style="font-weight: bold;">I believe in him, <span style="font-size:130%;">I believe</span> he’s a good person and he <span style="font-size:130%;">would be </span>a good prime minister and would be able to provide good leadership, so <span style="font-size:130%;">I can’t believe</span> he would be involved in the abuse of power</span>,” he said.</p></blockquote><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;">With the choice of words that Pak Lah picks, and repetitive use of ambiguous words and grammar tense, I just can't help but go off on a Marc Anthony tangent. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Well, it is probably coincidence given Pak Lah's tendencies to go into 'blur'-dom when confronted with seemingly obvious issues and tight situations. But could the choice of words be deliberate? Someone, somewhere did point out that Pak Lah may not be as dumb as he seems. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">So, note the choice of words in the following:<br /></span></p><p style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">“I want Datuk Seri Najib to succeed me, I want all party members to give their support to him and I believe he <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">can be</span></span> a good leader,” he said.</span></blockquote><p></p><p face="georgia" size="12px" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">Why say "he </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">can be</span> a good leader" when it is more convincing to say "...he </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >is</span> a good leader"? Is Pak lah saying: Najib is not a good leader <span style="font-style: italic;">now</span> but he </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">can be</span> a good leader? Then, there is the:<br /></span></p><p face="georgia" size="12px" style=""></p><blockquote>“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Of course <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">should be</span></span> happy</span> because people are supporting him. That’s very good,”</blockquote><p></p><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">should be</span></span> happy..."? Why not just say "I <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">am</span></span> very happy that people are supporting him"? Looks like Pak Lah is not really that happy...but he <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">should be</span></span> happy for his so-called appointed successor! Using the words '<span style="font-weight: bold;">Of course</span>' doesn't make Pak Lah sound more convincing either. Is it just me or is that a hint of sarcasm there? Oh, and it gets better...<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"></p><blockquote>Abdullah said: “<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">I can’t believe</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> that Najib would want to abuse his power. If he’s <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >the one who</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >plans to abuse</span> his power, <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">how can he</span> </span>be my successor?</span>”</blockquote><p></p><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Pak Lah says "</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span>I</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-size:130%;">can’t</span> </span><span>believe</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">..."</span> when he should have said "I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">don't</span> believe that Najib would want to abuse his power". There 's a huge difference between <span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">can't</span>" and <span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">don't" </span>here, innit? Isn't Pak Lah saying: "OMG, I just can't believe Najib would want to abuse power. See...he is the one (not me!) who plans to abuse his power (sic), so how can you dungu people nominate him to be my successor!" This would be a more correct interpretation of what Pak Lah says above, I would say.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"></p><blockquote>“<span style="font-weight: bold;">I believe in him, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >I</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> believe</span> he’s a good person and he <span style="font-size:130%;">would be </span>a good prime minister and <span style="font-size:130%;">would be</span> able to provide good leadership, so <span style="font-size:130%;">I can’t believe</span> he would be involved in the abuse of power</span>,” he said.</blockquote><p></p><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I <span style="font-weight: bold;">believe</span> he's a good person"? Why not just say: "He<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span></span> a good person, of high morals"?!!! Further, Pak Lah says "...he <span style="font-weight: bold;">would be</span> a good prime minister". Why not say, "...he <span style="font-weight: bold;">will be</span> a good prime minister"?! And notice how Pak Lah repeated "</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I can’t believe</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">he would be involved in the abuse of power</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">”</span><span style="font-size:100%;">. (Sounds more like: OMG, I really just can't believe Najib is abusing his power!) I would think using "I <span style="font-weight: bold;">don't</span> believe" here instead of "I can't" would be more convincing should Pak Lah have full confidence in Najib.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Many may argue that English is not our mother tongue... so Pak Lah (and Malaysians, at large) can be excused for picking certain 'not-so-convincing' words in such impromptu media interviews. Aiyaaa, who really gives a damn about my beliefs, my <span style="font-style: italic;">don't's</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">can't's</span>, my <span style="font-style: italic;">would-be's</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">will-be's, and should-be's</span>? As long as I get my incoherent thoughts across. Who bloody cares! </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Well, maybe so. But Najib didn't help diffuse the situation much. His own admission that there had been such an exchange is truly shocking. But even more shocking is his arrogance that it is none of our bloody business to be concern about such sms exchanges between the second most powerful person in the country and a shifty defence lawyer! </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Najib himself puts it <span style="font-style: italic;">wonderfully</span> when ask to comment on the sms exchanges between him and Shafee:</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:12px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Why should it be a major concern</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">?</span> The important thing that is of public concern is the (allegation of abuse of power).<span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">If you read it (the messages) very carefully, there is no abuse of power. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Period</span>."</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Still, the budding parallels between Pak Lah's public utterances and Mark Anthony 'honourable' speech linger. Whilst there is an open endorsement of Najib as the next premier and that "he <span style="font-style: italic;">would be</span> a good prime minister", there's seems to be an underlying sense at rousing public sentiment to question "<span style="font-weight: bold;">If he’s <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">the one who</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">plans to abuse</span> his power, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">how can he</span> be my successor?</span>”</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Do I sense some emerging doubts here? Why the necessity to say "...how can he be my successor?"!!! Seems to me like a subtle stunt to plant some doubts in the public mind as to the credibility of his successor.<br /></span></p><p face="georgia" size="12px" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">And in view of recent events, could this also be moving towards a tit for tat here, much like Marc Anthony's quest for vengence? An eye for an eye...cos when you oust me, I will make you pay! Are those the unseen hands from the fourth floor at play?<br /></span></p><p face="georgia" size="12px" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">In the first place, how did those sms exchanges leaked out from deep within the belly of some telephone companies' </span><span style="font-size:100%;">database</span><span style="font-size:100%;">? Don't you need some powerful hands to be able to retrieve those? And it didn't help much either when more leakages occurred ...like the complaint letters to Najib on the controversial shady Eurocopter deal and other sins of Najib that were made public for the whole world to see.<br /></span></p><p face="georgia" size="12px" style=""><span style="font-size:100%;">So, watch out, world ...what the fourth floor boys can do, </span><span style="font-size:100%;">you ain't seen nothing yet!<br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 12px; font-family: georgia;"><br /></p>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-6518055080248213642008-10-10T14:11:00.004+09:002008-10-10T15:18:22.185+09:00In Support of RPKAs part of my daily ritual when visiting MT this morning, one article titled "Bermulalah Perang Terhadap Najib" caught my attention, and I followed the link:<br /><br /><a href="http://aminiskandar.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/bermulalah-perang-terhadap-najib-razak/">http://aminiskandar.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/bermulalah-perang-terhadap-najib-razak/</a><br /><br />Interesting post by Encik Amin. Reading En. Amin's post, it becomes increasingly clear there is a real concern among many Malaysians on the the future of this country after the premiership change come March 2009. The concern centres on the fact that there are many, many unanswered questions regarding the Altantuya murder case, and more importantly, the alleged connection of this country's 'possibly' future premier to this notorious murder case. It would be worth their while if the powers that be make some attempts or are seen to make some attempts to address the concerns of the rakyat on the matter. If people's concern and suspicions are left to fester, then it would not be far wrong to say that the situation will only get worse, and the two banners included in the said post could multiply tenfold in terms of banner numbers, but surely a hundredfold in the minds of the masses.<br /><br />But what further caught my interest was another article on the same page. En. Amin had posted a letter which the father of the late Altantuya wrote in support of RPK. I thought I'd heed En. Amin's call to publish the letter. And not just the letter but the post is reproduced in total below:<br /><br /><div class="post hentry category-akta-hasutan category-altantuya-shaariibuu category-demokrasi category-jahat category-kekuatan-rakyat category-politik category-raja-petra-kamarudin category-semasa" id="post-986"> <h2><a href="Surat%20Bapa%20Altantuya%20bela%20RPK%207%2010%202008%20%20Diatas%20adalah%20surat%20yang%20dikirim%20oleh%20bapa%20kepada%20Altantuya%20Shaariibuu,%20Dr.%20Shariibuu%20Setev%20kepada%20Raja%20Petra%20Kamarudin%20%28RPK%29%20yang%20kini%20terpenjara%20selama%20dua%20tahun%20di%20Kem%20Tahanan%20Kamunting%20dan%20sedang%20menghadapi%20perbicaraan%20di%20Mahkamah%20Sesyen%20Petaling%20Jaya%20diatas%20tuduhan%20dibawah%20Akta%20Hasutan.%20%20Surat%20tersebut%20dikirimkan%20olehnya%20kepada%20penulis%20blog%20Susan%20Loone%20yang%20ditulis%20dengan%20tulisan%20tangannya%20sendiri.%20Terjemahan%20dalam%20Bahasa%20Inggeris%20surat%20tersebut%20berbunyi%20begini:%20%20%20%20%20%20I%20understand,%20Mr.%20Raja%20Petra%20has%20good%20personal%20character%20and%20has%20a%20good%20reputation%20and%20runs%20humanitarian%20activity.%20%20%20%20%20%20I%20understand%20that%20the%20below%20issues%20were%20directly%20connected%20with%20murder%20case%20of%20my%20daughter:%20%20%20%20%20%20-%20Who%20did%20arrange%20visa%20issue%20for%20my%20daughter%20while%20she%20visited%20in%20French?%20%20%20%20%20-%20Who%20was%20attending%20in%20the%20trip%20to%20French%20and%20what%20did%20they%20do?%20%20%20%20%20%20If%20it%20could%20make%20clear%20those%20issues,%20they%20would%20understand%20every%20thing.%20Why%20is%20there%20so%20much%20force%20and%20influence%20in%20the%20case?%20Because%20there%20was%20a%20serious%20issue.%20Thus%20they%20destroyed%20my%20daughter.%20%20%20%20%20%20Unfortunately,%20they%20pressed%20down%20Mr.Raja%20Petra%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s%20statement.%20I%20think%20this%20issue%20needs%20to%20get%20attention%20from%20international%20human%20right%20organizations.%20%20%20%20%20%20He%20%28RPK%29%20shouldn%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t%20be%20a%20victim%20of%20politic%20for%20justice.%20It%20would%20be%20justice%20if%20they%20release%20Mr.Raja%20Petra.%20%20%20%20%20%20As%20we%20are,%20all%20Mongolian%20worry%20for%20him%20and%20his%20justice,%20we%20lack%20of%20information%20on%20truth%20and%20situation.%20%20%20%20%20%20Signed:%20%20%20%20%20%20Mongolian%20citizen:Shaariibuu%20Setev%20%20%20%20%2006.Oct.2008%20%20Dalam%20surat%20tersebut,%20Dr.%20Shaariibuu%20turut%20mempersoalkan%20tentang%20siapakah%20yang%20menguruskan%20visa%20Altantuya%20untuk%20ke%20Perancis.%20Selain%20daripada%20itu%20beliau%20merasakan%20bahawa%20RPK%20menjadi%20mangsa%20ISA%20kerana%20membongkar%20pengelibatan%20pemimpin%20tertinggi%20kerajaan%20Malaysia%20dalam%20kes%20pembunuhan%20warga%20Mongolia,%20Altantuya%20Shaariibuu.%20%20Diharap%20teman-teman%20penulis%20blog%20yang%20bersimpati%20kepada%20RPK%20dapat%20turut%20menyiarkan%20surat%20ini%20diblog%20masing-masing.%20%20Mansuhkan%20ISA%21%21%21" rel="bookmark" title="Baca Surat Bapa Altantuya bela RPK"></a></h2><blockquote><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="Surat%20Bapa%20Altantuya%20bela%20RPK%207%2010%202008%20%20Diatas%20adalah%20surat%20yang%20dikirim%20oleh%20bapa%20kepada%20Altantuya%20Shaariibuu,%20Dr.%20Shariibuu%20Setev%20kepada%20Raja%20Petra%20Kamarudin%20%28RPK%29%20yang%20kini%20terpenjara%20selama%20dua%20tahun%20di%20Kem%20Tahanan%20Kamunting%20dan%20sedang%20menghadapi%20perbicaraan%20di%20Mahkamah%20Sesyen%20Petaling%20Jaya%20diatas%20tuduhan%20dibawah%20Akta%20Hasutan.%20%20Surat%20tersebut%20dikirimkan%20olehnya%20kepada%20penulis%20blog%20Susan%20Loone%20yang%20ditulis%20dengan%20tulisan%20tangannya%20sendiri.%20Terjemahan%20dalam%20Bahasa%20Inggeris%20surat%20tersebut%20berbunyi%20begini:%20%20%20%20%20%20I%20understand,%20Mr.%20Raja%20Petra%20has%20good%20personal%20character%20and%20has%20a%20good%20reputation%20and%20runs%20humanitarian%20activity.%20%20%20%20%20%20I%20understand%20that%20the%20below%20issues%20were%20directly%20connected%20with%20murder%20case%20of%20my%20daughter:%20%20%20%20%20%20-%20Who%20did%20arrange%20visa%20issue%20for%20my%20daughter%20while%20she%20visited%20in%20French?%20%20%20%20%20-%20Who%20was%20attending%20in%20the%20trip%20to%20French%20and%20what%20did%20they%20do?%20%20%20%20%20%20If%20it%20could%20make%20clear%20those%20issues,%20they%20would%20understand%20every%20thing.%20Why%20is%20there%20so%20much%20force%20and%20influence%20in%20the%20case?%20Because%20there%20was%20a%20serious%20issue.%20Thus%20they%20destroyed%20my%20daughter.%20%20%20%20%20%20Unfortunately,%20they%20pressed%20down%20Mr.Raja%20Petra%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s%20statement.%20I%20think%20this%20issue%20needs%20to%20get%20attention%20from%20international%20human%20right%20organizations.%20%20%20%20%20%20He%20%28RPK%29%20shouldn%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t%20be%20a%20victim%20of%20politic%20for%20justice.%20It%20would%20be%20justice%20if%20they%20release%20Mr.Raja%20Petra.%20%20%20%20%20%20As%20we%20are,%20all%20Mongolian%20worry%20for%20him%20and%20his%20justice,%20we%20lack%20of%20information%20on%20truth%20and%20situation.%20%20%20%20%20%20Signed:%20%20%20%20%20%20Mongolian%20citizen:Shaariibuu%20Setev%20%20%20%20%2006.Oct.2008%20%20Dalam%20surat%20tersebut,%20Dr.%20Shaariibuu%20turut%20mempersoalkan%20tentang%20siapakah%20yang%20menguruskan%20visa%20Altantuya%20untuk%20ke%20Perancis.%20Selain%20daripada%20itu%20beliau%20merasakan%20bahawa%20RPK%20menjadi%20mangsa%20ISA%20kerana%20membongkar%20pengelibatan%20pemimpin%20tertinggi%20kerajaan%20Malaysia%20dalam%20kes%20pembunuhan%20warga%20Mongolia,%20Altantuya%20Shaariibuu.%20%20Diharap%20teman-teman%20penulis%20blog%20yang%20bersimpati%20kepada%20RPK%20dapat%20turut%20menyiarkan%20surat%20ini%20diblog%20masing-masing.%20%20Mansuhkan%20ISA%21%21%21" rel="bookmark" title="Baca Surat Bapa Altantuya bela RPK">Surat Bapa Altantuya bela RPK</a></span></h2> <span style="font-size:100%;"> <span class="date_day">7</span> <span class="date_month">10</span> <span class="date_year">2008</span> </span> <div class="entry"> <div class="snap_preview"><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-987" title="2008oct" src="http://aminiskandar.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/2008oct.jpg?w=510&h=663" alt="" width="510" height="663" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Diatas adalah surat yang dikirim oleh bapa kepada Altantuya Shaariibuu, Dr. Shariibuu Setev kepada Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) yang kini terpenjara selama dua tahun di Kem Tahanan Kamunting dan sedang menghadapi perbicaraan di Mahkamah Sesyen Petaling Jaya diatas tuduhan dibawah Akta Hasutan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Surat tersebut dikirimkan olehnya kepada penulis blog <a href="http://sloone.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/altantuyas-dad-speaks-rpk-shouldnt-be-a-victim-of-political-injustice/#more-2876">Susan Loone</a> yang ditulis dengan tulisan tangannya sendiri. Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Inggeris surat tersebut berbunyi begini:</span></p> <blockquote><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>I understand, Mr. Raja Petra has good personal character and has a good reputation and runs humanitarian activity.</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>I understand that the below issues were directly connected with murder case of my daughter:</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>- Who did arrange visa issue for my daughter while she visited in French?<br />- Who was attending in the trip to French and what did they do? </em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>If it could make clear those issues, they would understand every thing. Why is there so much force and influence in the case? Because there was a serious issue. Thus they destroyed my daughter.</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>Unfortunately, they pressed down Mr.Raja Petra’s statement. I think this issue needs to get attention from international human right organizations.</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>He (RPK) shouldn’t be a victim of politic for justice. It would be justice if they release Mr.Raja Petra.</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>As we are, all Mongolian worry for him and his justice, we lack of information on truth and situation.</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>Signed:</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>Mongolian citizen:Shaariibuu Setev<br />06.Oct.2008</em></strong></span></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Dalam surat tersebut, Dr. Shaariibuu turut mempersoalkan tentang siapakah yang menguruskan visa Altantuya untuk ke Perancis. Selain daripada itu beliau merasakan bahawa RPK menjadi mangsa ISA kerana membongkar pengelibatan pemimpin tertinggi kerajaan Malaysia dalam kes pembunuhan warga Mongolia, Altantuya Shaariibuu.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Diharap teman-teman penulis blog yang bersimpati kepada RPK dapat turut menyiarkan surat ini diblog masing-masing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><strong>Mansuhkan ISA!!!</strong></span></span></p></div></div></blockquote>It is such a tragedy that RPK and his family have to suffer for trying to do something to uncover the truth. And I'd like to thank brave souls like RPK and like-minded Malaysians and bloggers for simply trying to make Malaysia a safe and better place to live in. Thank you, Brave Malaysians!<br /><br /><br /> </div>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-77801540908808794432008-09-23T01:07:00.007+09:002008-09-23T17:56:24.756+09:00Raymond Tan Spilled Beans on Prime MinisterSometimes morons can do some good, it seems. Thought I'd never see the day this would happen. It did, this week. Guess, only in Malaysia, huh?<br /><br />The Sabah Progressive Party's (SAPP) pull-out of the Barisan Nasional (BN) last week exposed another political blunder committed by BN's pool of incompetent, grovelling, shameless and politically dumb politicians that have been running this country. In a 'hey-you-owe-me-big-time' move on his former boss cum SAPP President Yong Teck Lee, SAPP's disgruntled ex-Deputy President Raymond Tan unwittingly ratted on Prime Minister Badawi when he revealed that it was he who saved SAPP President Yong's behind when Badawi wanted to arrest Yong months earlier under the ISA for supporting a vote of no confidence on Badawi. So, now the whole world knows that in spite of his rhetorics for legal reforms and the rule-of-law, Prime Minister Badawi is the biggest culprit who is not practicing what he preaches. In fact, he is doing exactly the opposite of what he preaches on reforms, democracy and rule-of-law. Yesterday, 22nd September 2008 was a sad day for Malaysia when Raymond Tan so proudly announced, "I Stopped PM from Ordering Yong's Arrest". Waah, so powerful ahh you Raymond! And every newspaper and news websites carried the report similar to this:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">The war of attrition continues over the sudden withdrawal of Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) from Barisan Nasional last week as a “shocking revelation” came to light.<br /></span><div style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; left: 0pt; top: 0pt; position: absolute; visibility: hidden;"><span style="font-size:85%;">MCPX<img style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" src="http://media1.malaysiakini.com/track/?id=Y2hhcmxlcw%3D%3D" width="1" align="left" height="1" /></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img src="http://media1.malaysiakini.com/144/90157bbc74cffca370ec4b3f7046c130.jpg" alt="raymond tan" title="raymond tan" width="64" align="left" height="64" />Its disgruntled ex-deputy president Raymond Tan (<em>left</em>) claimed on Saturday that he had been instrumental in preventing the arrest of party president Yong Teck Lee in June in relation to allegations of corruption.<br /><br />An English-language daily in Sabah quoted Tan as saying that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had wanted Yong arrested by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA). This was after Yong spearheaded a <strong><a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/84771" target="_blank">no-confidence vote</a> </strong>against Abdullah’s leadership.<br /><br />In defending himself against claims of ingratitude by failing to support the Sapp pullout, Tan revealed that he had intervened on Yong’s behalf<img src="http://media1.malaysiakini.com/129/082cec9c04eb50e008ba358e69ff988f.gif" alt="abdullah ahmad badawi bn and yong teck lee and sapp" title="abdullah ahmad badawi bn and yong teck lee and sapp" width="219" align="right" height="146" /> in June.<br /><br />He said he had pleaded with Abdullah not to arrest Yong as it would be a bad move, and had even gone on television with a plea to allow the latter to speak up.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> - Malaysiakini, 22/9/08 - 'I stopped PM from ordering Yong's arrest'</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/90153">http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/90153</a>)</span><br /><br /></span></blockquote><br /><br />Just great! Now we have another made-in-Sabah political blooper! A boast which turned out to be a rat! Haiiayaaa...malulah! Raymond's ex-colleagues in SAPP were quick to criticise:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">In an immediate response, SAPP newly-appointed information chief Chong Pit Fah described this as a “a shocking revelation [...] that he can influence the prime minister to stop ACA action”.<br /><br /><img src="http://media1.malaysiakini.com/144/6c83bdaeb798574cfbd88428cc6f5aec.jpg" alt="chong pit fah" title="chong pit fah" width="64" align="left" height="64" />“This is an admission by a BN deputy chief minister that the prime minister can interfere with ACA work,” Chong said in a statement issued yesterday.<br /><br />He also wanted to know if the same influence could be used on other persons such as serving ministers, or similarly abused.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> - Malaysiakini, 22/9/08 - 'I stopped PM from ordering Yong's arrest'.</span></span></blockquote>This incident and his refusal to support SAPP's pullout apparently have earned Raymond Tan and array of labels - from ingrat to moronic rat to an Independent in BN, the latter is what Raymond called himself ever since the pullout. Is there such a thing - an Independent in BN?! I've always thought that if you are an Independent candidate, you are a stand-alone with no affiliation to any party. I guess this moronic genius has come up with a new definition for an Independent Candidate.<br /><br />Still, Raymond Tan has refused to resign from all his government posts including the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah and the Minister of Infrastructure Development. Raymond has the blessing of the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman to retain both his government posts (as reported in Daily Express today, 23 Sept 2008, headlined "Tan Keeps Cabinet Posts for Now" accompanied by a huge pix of the CM and Raymond shaking hands with equally huge, wide grins). What this means depend on who one is talking to. To some, this implies hogging and an inability to let go of power; to others, this may mean Raymond is merely 'jaga periuk', loosely translated to 'protecting his source of income'. Of course, that 'periuk' cannot be Raymond's and raymond's alone, Of course, not. It goes without saying that that 'periuk' must be too huge and lucrative to let go (being Minister of Infrastructure, whaaat...) and is being shared by many many around. And you don't have to be a retard to see that the 'many' could include those who gave their blessing....Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-70458016338933839632008-09-08T13:15:00.008+09:002008-09-08T16:40:34.634+09:00One Down, 29 To Go - Advantage Pakatan RakyatToday, 8th September 2008, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Opposition Leader of Pakatan Rakyat scored another point towards realising his 16th September campaign to overthrow the National Front (BN) Government, eight days ahead of the scheduled date. Today, the BN has one less Member of Parliament (MP), thanks to the Kota Kinabalu High Court which this morning ruled against Tan Sri Joseph Kurup the unopposed winner of the Pensiangan Parliamentary seat in the March 8 general elections. This was reported in major online news portal more or less like this:<br /><div class="jazin-box clearfix"> <div class="jazin-content clearfix"> <h4 class="jazin-title"> <a href="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/8679-bn-now-has-one-mp-less" class="contentpagetitle"> </a></h4><blockquote><h4 class="jazin-title"><a href="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/8679-bn-now-has-one-mp-less" class="contentpagetitle">BN now has one MP less </a> </h4> <div class="article-content"> <p>KOTA KINABALU, Sept 8 — The Kota Kinabalu High Court today declared null and void the election of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup as the unopposed winner of the Pensiangan parliamentary seat in the March 8 general election. — Bernama <span style="font-size:85%;">(http://www.malaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia)</span></p></div></blockquote><div class="article-content"><p>At the rate things are moving, Anwar might just make his dream come true, well...maybe not overthrow the BN Government exactly on 16th September but sometime before end of the year. Even with the whole Malaysian Government machinery fighting every move Anwar makes to realising his ambition of becoming the next Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar seems almost certain and closer to making this ambition a reality.<br /></p><p>The BN Government, especially UMNO, has pulled every stunt in the book, even the seemingly most foolish and illogical, to deny Anwar his ambition. The past few months, ever since Anwar announced his intention to contest in a by-election as the first step towards getting into mainstream Malaysian politics, have seen incredulous allegations and charges against Anwar:<br /></p><ul><li>the ridiculous Sodomy II and the impending court appearance on 10 September;</li><li>the high drama arrest of Anwar by 30 policemen in full blalacava gear in 16 police cars;</li><li>the demand for Anwar's DNA samples by UMNO people in high places including the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, himself;</li><li>the 'oath-taking' demands on Anwar from numerous UMNO parrots just as his accuser, Saifool, and Deputy Prime Minister Najib, ridiculous as it seems, have done;</li><li>the conspicuous tabling of the DNA Bill in Parliament on the very day polling for the Peramatang Pauh by-election was going on, and where Anwar and all his men were on the fileld ensuring Anwar's landslide victory; and</li><li>now, the all-paid trip to a retreat (or is it a course?) in Australia for BN MPs from 7th to 19 September, obviously to head off Anwar's 16th September plan.</li></ul>Despite the might and power of the Malaysian government machinery, all the above (not including the latter) failed to stop Anwar's landslide victory in Permatang Pauh. And now even with Anwar in Parliament, the BN Government is being made even more desperate to ensure, as openly promised by PM Badawi himself, that Anwar is stopped in his tracks to Putrajaya.<br /><br />But by the way events are unfolding on a daily basis, Anwar might just get to Putrajaya. The 30 Members of Parliament (MPs) that Anwar needs to change the Government, as Anwar himself has openly announced, are from Sabah and Sarawak. There rumour mills have been on overdrive as the 16 September date looms near, and numerous rumours have been making their rounds. In the case of Sabah, the two Sabah SAPP MPs have made their intentions clear ever since announcing their support for any 'vote-of-no-confidence' against Prime Minister Badawi for BN's disastrous performance in the general elections last March. In addition to these two doubtful SAPP/MP seats for BN, today's decision by the Kota Kinabalu High Court to rule BN's win in Pensiangan as null and void could spell greater trouble for BN as these could mean 3 less seats for BN.<br /><br />So, in the light of all that have been happening these few months, including and especially today's Kota Kinabalu High Court decision and the loss of an MP seat for BN, Anwar might just be headed straight to Putrajaya, maybe not on scheduled on 16th September as planned, but still on track to Putrajaya. Yes, right on track to a change in the government, and on to a new and better Malaysia for all Malaysians.<br /><br /></div> </div> </div>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-55637452495680841632008-08-26T23:54:00.007+09:002008-09-08T16:41:09.042+09:00Anwar Ibrahim Wins Permatang Pauh By A Landslide!Congratulations, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim! You did it! You won Permatang Pauh! A landslide victory for Anwar, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Reformasi</span>! Now on to Putrajaya, Mr Prime Minister-in-waiting...<br /><br />The official results of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Permatang Pauh By-election </span>today, as announced by the Elections Commission at 10.02 pm, 26 August 2008:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim: 31,195 votes</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah: 15,524 votes</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hanafi Mamat: 92 votes</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Majority: 15,671</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Voter Turnout: 80%</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Total Votes: 47,258</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spoilt Votes: 447</span><br /><br />Datuk Seri, you have successfully made the first step on the road to Putrajaya. You've won the ticket to be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia. This is a huge victory for <span style="font-style: italic;">reformasi</span> and democracy in Malaysia! While we rejoice with you, it would be worth our while to take into account that this is only the beginning of the more difficult task to bring about the necessary changes to this country.<br /><br />Be aware, as we know you are, be very aware that UMNO/BN will do whatever it takes to stop you. You beat the odds, and it is a great psychological bonus for you to have destroyed whatever tiny hope that UMNO/BN had to reduce your majority from the 13,348 votes that Datin Seri secured in the General Elections last March. You even denied them of that puny little hope as proof of the erosion of the people's trust in you. On the contrary, your increased majority of 15,671 votes can only mean that more and more Malaysians are beginning to look up to Datuk Seri to lead this nation to greater heights.<br /><br />We know as well as you do that the road ahead will be very hard and tough. On top of that, Datuk Seri will have to carry on your shoulders the hopes and aspirations of the people of Malaysia. But while we, the rakyat, have placed our hopes and dreams on you, be assured that our prayers are also with you on your journey to Putrajaya. Our prayers and support are with you as we work together towards the fulfillment of the people's aspiration in building this great nation called Malaysia.<br /><br />Thank you, and our prayers are with you, Datuk Seri.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-91551406207955581992008-08-26T14:29:00.011+09:002008-08-26T18:59:33.407+09:00D-Day in Permatang Pauh, D-Day for MalaysiaToday is an exciting day for Malaysians. It is D-Day in Permatang Pauh.<br /><br />Today, 26 August 2008, is polling day for the by-election in Permatang Pauh. Never in Malaysia's history has so much focus, hope and expectations of millions heaped on a single by-election. This by-election is critical because Malaysia's Opposition de facto leader, the iconic and charismatic Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be slugging it out at his home base with BN/UMNO's Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, and an Independent unknown, Hanafi Mamat, who had become nearly invisible since nominations day on 16 August. This by-election brings the hope for changes in the country's governance that millions of Malaysians are looking forward to. <span style="font-weight: bold;">This Permatang Pauh by-election could be the re-birth of true democracy and good governance in Malaysia</span>.<br /><br />This by-election is also a Do-or-Die for both sides. The fight is not so much between the two major contenders - Arif versus Anwar. The implications goes beyond these two contenders. The actual battle is between Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and and Malaysia's ruling government, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Barisan Nasional</span> (BN). Anwar is seeking a comeback to politics after an absence of 10 years, during which he was sacked from UMNO in 1998 and after that jailed for six years on sodomy charges which Anwar now alleged was fabricated by UMNO, then led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed and involving some in the government. As Anwar had often publicly announced since his active return to politics, he is seeking a comeback to overthrow the corrupt UMNO/BN out of government, and formed the next Government of Malaysia, albeit from political crossovers by BN lawmakers to his <span style="font-style: italic;">Pakatan Rakyat</span> (PR, or the People's Coalition).<br /><br />Anwar was Member of Parliament (MP) for Permatang Pauh from 1982 to 1999, the year he was hit by corruption and sodomy charges that landed him in jail. Anwar's wife, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, the PKR President, held the seat for 3 terms until she resigned last 31st July 2008, paving the way for Anwar's return to Malaysian politics. From then, all hell broke loose for the charismatic and ambitious Anwar. Since the General Elections (GE) last March, where the opposition coalition wrested control of five states, Anwar created havoc for UMNO and BN when he repeatedly announced that he will form the next Government come September 16, 2008 as he has at least 30 MPs waiting in the wings to cross as as soon as he enters the House of Parliament. The GE last March heralded a New Dawn for Malaysia, Anwar declared, and he announced to all that he is the Prime Minister-in-waiting. Hence, the significance of today's by-election. This Permatang Pauh by-election is the ticket to head the new government of Malaysia for this Prime Minister-in-waiting. Permatang Pauh will lead the way for Anwar to Putrajaya, the seat of the Government of Malaysia. Hence, the by-election's battle cry: From Permatang Pauh to Putrajaya.<br /><br />Today, 26 August 2008, Malaysia is on the threshold of a historical event of the political kind. Should he win, Anwar will have put an end to the 50-year dominance of UMNO in leading the BN government. Fifty years is quite a long time - enough time for corruption, cronyism and abuse of power to fester and take root. These are what Anwar claims he want to fight and get rid of. For such noble goals, many Malaysians welcome Anwar with open arms. For many Malaysians, sick and fed-up with all the repressive abuse of power, corruption and cronyism reaching high up in the highest BN echelons, Anwar represents a change - a change, not immediate, but a change nonetheless away from this sickening, repressive and abusive manner in which government of the day is manipulating the people in their desperation to hold on to power. The people are simply tired. The people are fed-up and sick at the revolting tactics the ruling government is using against anyone who dared to stand up to them. Anwar represents that beacon of light that dared to shine and expose to the world the terrible darkness that engulf the corrupt and the evil that is UNMO/BN.<br /><br />Because Permatang Pauh could spell the political demise of those presently in control of UMNO, led by the Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and his Deputy, Najib Tun Razak, all stops were unplugged and all possible means to stop and get Anwar were put into fast drive. The path to Permatang Pauh had not only been difficult and challenging for Anwar, it had been soiled with filth and vile accusations of the sordid kind that could only have been borne from the brain cells of the clones of the devil incarnate himself. Because of the success of the trumped-up sodomy charge of 1998 that had thrown Anwar in jail for six years, a similar sodomy charge was hastily cooked up at end-June/early-July when Anwar was still mulling in which Parliamentary seat he would be contesting. The sodomy charge was similar to that of 1998 in every manner conceivable that it became Sodomy II. It is laughable at how UMNO top officials are totally devoid of any creativity and new ideas at how to get Anwar. The copy-cat sodomy charge is evident of UMNO's desperation to stop Anwar at all costs. The past weeks since end-July have been terribly sad, maddening but mostly embarrassing for many Malaysians to be exposed to all the sodomy charges that only people in UMNO are capable of hurling at Anwar. They even have the stomach to drag such filthon to their holy ground, to the oath-taking by Anwar's sodomy accuser in a mosque in Kuala Lumpur. It is just incomprehensible that the UMNO top officials are blind to the people's true sentiments. They are obviously blinded by their greed and their desperation to hold on to power. I have a strong feeling that for all these bad deeds and all their devious actions and tactics, the UMNO top officials will pay for in Permatang Pauh.<br /><br />As I write this, it is past 4.00 pm, I am also surfing to see a few websites that give live reports and updates from Permatang Pauh. From noon to nearly 5.00pm, the eye witness reports coming in by the minute say that the voters turnout has risen from 50% at noon to possible 70%-75% by 4.30 pm; the polling stops at 5.00pm. High turnout is great for Anwar. Some reports say that Anwar's majority is climbing over and above 10,000 and could reach 15,000 or possibly 20,000. Another report claims that Anwar has already won, garnering 60% of the votes. Some supporters have started their chants, "Hail to the new Prime Minister of Malaysia!" This are good news for Malaysians and democracy.<br /><br />Indeed, today looks set to be a good day for great changes in Malaysia. This day looks real good for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This day will bring in a New Dawn for Malaysia. Indeed, today will spell the rebirth of democracy in Malaysia.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-48774231603931814472008-08-18T17:40:00.032+09:002008-08-20T14:21:28.160+09:00Big Time Betrayal For Sabah by Yet Another UMNO Chief MinisterBarely have Sabahans gotten over the folly of its infamous gambler cum ex-Chief Minister, Osu Sukam (please refer to my earlier post "<a href="http://zandisabah.blogspot.com/2008/03/of-elections-and-get-rich-via-politics.html">Of Elections, The Development Promises, The Betrayal</a>), now Sabahans are further embarrassed, not to mention made very much poorer, by the current Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman should a report on money traficking and money laundering (see below) be true. The report below basically says that the Hong Kong Government has arrested one Michael Chia, the adopted brother of Datuk Seri Musa Aman, at the Chep Lap Kok Airport and has seized the RM16 million worth of Singapore currency which Michael Chia was attempting to smuggle out of Hong Kong. Chia is alledged to be involved in money laundering and traficking in Hong Kong together with two other partners of Musa Aman. When arrested, Chia pleaded to be freed as the money belongs to Musa Aman, and that he (Chia) is merely an agent to take the money out of Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur for the Permatang Pauh by-elections.<br /><br />It comes as a shock to many Sabahans to think that the Chief Minister they voted in the General Elections last March would be even remotely involved in money laundering and traficking, much less have an adopted brother who had confessed to the police that the ill-gotten money belongs to the Chief Minister. Come to think of it, in the current manner Malaysia is being managed by the powers that be, it would be naive for Sabahans to think that the Chief Minster could be where he is today without having to pay 'ang-pow' money (much like the mafia protection money) to those higher-ups in UMNO who govern and corrupt Malaysia every which way they can. The timing of this latest revelation involving Musa Aman and BN/UMNO couldn't have come at a better time - on the third day of the campaign period for the by-election in Permatang Pauh (polling day is on 26 August 2008), deemed a critical by-election that could forever change the political landscape of Malaysia and spell the end of the corrupted BN Government, the ruling coalition that had governed and held Malaysia by her throat for the past 50 years since Independence.<br /><br />The article which, if true, reveals concrete evidence and the missing link between Musa Aman and the more than an average joe's riches that the Aman brothers/family flaunt (riches which obviously belong to Sabah), was posted in Malaysia Today on this 18th day of August, 2008:<br /><br /><a href="http://malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11529/84/">http://malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11529/84/</a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kerajaan Hong Kong Rampas Wang Musa Aman?</span><br /><br /><span class="small">Posted by Super Admin<br /></span>Monday, 18 August 2008 13:20<br /><em style="font-size: 12px;">Oleh: 'Deep Throat' Sabah</em><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Penangkapan adik angkat Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman iaitu Michael Chia di Hong Kong pada jam 2.35 petang khamis (14 Ogos 2008) telah membongkar misteri di sebalik enigma.</span> <p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Michael Chia ditangkap polis Hong Kong di Lapangan Terbang Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong ketika ingin menyertai penerbangan ke Kuala Lumpur.<br /><br />Menurut sumber rapat Polis Hong Kong dan Interpol, mereka telah memantau kegiatan haram Michael Chia sejak tiga tahun lalu dan akhirnya berjaya menangkap Michael bersama bukti wang tunai Singapura bernilai RM16 juta yang diseludup keluar daripada Hong Kong di dalam beg pakaiannya.<br /><br />Setelah disoalsiasat, Michael merayu agar dibebaskan kerana wang berkenaan milik Musa Aman dan beliau hanyalah agen membawa keluar wang berkenaan ke Kuala Lumpur bagi membantu meringankan beban kewangan Barisan Nasional dalam proses penamaan calon di Permatang Pauh dan sebahagiannya untuk kegunaan pilihanraya kecil berkenaan.<br /><br />Penangkapan ini membuatkan Musa Aman berang dan bimbang beliau akan terjerat berikutan penahanan Michael Chia bersama bukti dan lebih malang lagi apabila akaunnya di beberapa bank di Hong Kong dibekukan serta merta.<br /><br />"CM (Musa) marah betul atas kebodohan Michael Chia kerana bawa wang tunai. Kenapa tidak TT (Telegraphic Transfer) saja? Saya rasa CM kita dalam bahaya," ujar Datuk Amin Khan, seorang proksi Musa Aman ketika memberitahu rakannya yang juga Datuk melalui telefon di sebuah coffe house hotel terkemuka yang sempat didengar wakil Malaysia Today di Sabah yang secara kebetulan menikmati makan malam di situ.<br /><br />Penangkapan suspek ini mengejutkan semua pihak terutama Badan Pencegah Rasuah Sabah kerana Michael Chia tidak boleh meninggalkan Negara ini tanpa mendapat izin BPR kerana pasportnya dalam simpanan BPR atas beberapa pertuduhan rasuah bersama Loh Man Heng.<br /><br />Michael yang sebelum ini ditangkap bersama rakan kongsi Musa Aman, Loh Man Heng dan Chong 'Khung Long' (Chong Dinasour) kemungkinan akan dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Tinggi Hong Kong pada hari ini bagi menghadapi pertuduhan penyeludupan wang dan pengurupan wang haram (Money Traficking dan Money Laundering).<br /><br />Penangkapan Michael ini memberi tamparan hebat kepada Ketua Pengarah BPR, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan kerana desas desus yang tersebar meluas mengatakan bahawa Kes Rasuah Loh Man Heng telah ditutup berikutan pengakuan Loh Man Heng sendiri bahawa beliau telah membayar sejumlah RM4 juta melalui pegawai kanan BPR, Mohd Jamidan Abdullah yang sebelum ini menutup kes Musa Aman dalam kegiatan pembalakan haram di Keningau.<br /><br />Sebelum ini, Pengurus Besar Operasi Kumpulan Yayasan Sabah, Mohd Daud Tampokong yang sering kelihatan bersama dengan Michael Chia di Hong Kong dan Singapura untuk menjalankan transaksi kewangan bagi pihak Musa Aman.<br /><br />Namun bak kata pepatah modern, sepandai-pandai ayam melompat, akhirnya menjadi KFC, Michael Chia terjebak walaupun sebelum ini telah berjaya melakukan traksaksi pemindahan wang dalam jumlah yang besar, namun kali ini tertangkap kerana gelojoh membawa wang tunai dengan jumlah melebihi had yang dibenarkan.<br /><br />Musa Aman begitu mempercayai Michael Chia kerana syarikat bapa Michael, Chia & Sons telah banyak membantu Musa di era beliau membina kerjaya dalam bidang pembalakan dan kontrak, terutama penyewaaan skau (tongkang) untuk menarik kayu balak Musa.<br /><br />Apabila Musa menjadi Pengarah Yayasan Sabah dan Ketua Menteri Sabah, Michael telah menjadi 'Taiko' dalam bidang perhutanan terutama di konsesi Yayasan Sabah.<br /><br />Michael turut dibantu oleh Chong 'Khung Long' atau yang digelar 'Dinosour' kerana kegiatannya dalam bidang pembalakan haram untuk membekalkan balak kepada Michael selain daripada konsesi dengan kerjasama Pengarah Perhutanan Sabah, Datuk Sam Mannan @ Sam Singh.<br /><br />Berita penangkapan Michael Chia belum diketahui umum namun tidak mengejutkan penduduk Sandakan kerana selama ini beliau menunjukkan kekayaan luar biasa dan hidup mewah dengan memiliki sekurang-kurangnya dua bungalow dan 17 kereta mewah, selain harta yang dibeli di Hong Kong dan Singapura.<br /><br />"Satu sport rim keretanya sama nilainya dengan sebuah proton wira," ujar William, seorang mekanik yang menyelenggara keretanya sejak tujuh tahun lalu.<br /><br />Dalam pada itu, hubungan antara Daud Tampokong dan Michael Chia terlalu rapat kerana mereka sering dilihat bersama di Shang Hai, Shang Zen, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapura dan Quang Zhou untuk menguruskan 'ang pau' untuk Musa Khan yang kebanyakannya dimasukkan ke dalam akaun Hajjah Rosmawati Haji Lasuki (Gundik Musa Aman) yang juga Pengurus Sumber Manusia dan Pentadbiran Yayasan Sabah.</span></p></blockquote><p style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p>The article above confirms how terribly desperate the powers that be are to hold on to power in the already terrible political state that Malaysia is currently embroiled in. What easier way to stay in power than play money politics. This RM16 million that is making its way to Permatang Pauh is obviously just tip of the iceberg. (I have not even started to mention the UMNO party elections later in October where even party members have publicly complained that delegates are already rampantly and openly buying nominations to be elected into UMNO supreme council and top party positions.) The UMNO/BN Government is pulling out the plug on this no holds barred by-elections in Permatang Pauh in a desperate bid to stop opposition de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim <span style="font-weight: bold;">at all costs</span> from becoming the next Prime Minister of Malaysia. Just as it's crucial for Anwar to win this by-election and embark on his way to the country's premiership, it is a more critical Do-or-Die for UMNO, the dominant party in the ruling coalition. This desperation on the part of UMNO to hold on to power is alleged to be the reason behind the conspiracy to politically assassinate Anwar using an old political ploy - the infamous sodomy charge against Anwar. Based on an old 1998 script, for total lack of creativity on the part of the perpetrators, this latest sodomy charge - now known as Sodomy II - just seems too ridiculous to be true. And the fact that the whole UMNO machinery is moronically supporting every move the 23-year old complainant makes is evident enough that Sodomy II is all politically choreographed and, as Anwar says, a political conspiracy as only UMNO is capable of.<br /><br />Should Anwar win the Permatang Pauh by-election on 26 August 2008, the Prime Minister and his cronies and the Deputy Prime Minister and his cronies, too, should be counting the days to their political demise. The former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who ruled Malaysia with an iron fist for 22 years and who everyone now knows was behind Sodomy I had recently said that if Anwar becomes Prime Minister, he will migrate. So to those behind Sodomy II (by now many Malaysians know who they are because of the internet), be prepared to join Mahathir in his migration plans. And should Anwar win the by-election, Malaysians can look forward to a change for the better and to a New Dawn for Malaysia.<br /><br />This piece of information is important to Sabahans. This information has revealed the type of Chief Minister we have under BN and in UMNO and which Sabahans have voted for in the General Elections last March. See what Sabahans voted for as their leader - a Chief Minister who sole purpose during his chiefministership tenure seems to be self-enrichment. This RM16 million - just the tip of the iceberg, obviously - is a hell lot of money. It could built schools and provide clean water supply in many villages in Sabah where even these basic amentities are glaringly lacking. Many Sabahans were terribly dissapointed at the conculsion of the General Elections last March: Sabah was the first State in the country to announce a win for Barisan Nasional. It seemed Sabahans never learnt!<br /><br />Well now, Sabahans, learn this. The current political situation is troubling many right thinking Malaysians. The blantant use and abuse of the total Government machinery, especially the police and the public prosecutor's office, by BN/UMNO for their own political agenda raises serious questions on the current <span style="font-weight: bold;">misrule</span> of law in this country. What this country critically needs at this point in time is a CHANGE from the direction this country is heading into; we need a change towards a better future for all Malaysians .... a Malaysia for all races. At this point, if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim represents that promise for change and seems to be our only hope for a change, so be it. Malaysian will want to support those individuals/parties that promise a change for a better future and equality for Malaysians, irrespective of race. To initiate such a change immediately, Sabah's Members of Parliament (MPs) must be among the 30 or so MPs that Anwar needs to jump over to the alternative front (Pakatan Rakyat) to form the next Government of Malaysia. To the Sabahan MPs, do the wise thing when Anwar Ibrahim wins Permatang Pauh on 26 August 2008. Join en masse the Pakatan Rakyat and help Anwar Ibrahim form the next democratic Government of Malaysia. Let Sabahans be counted and let us make a difference in forever changing the political landscape of Malaysia. Let Sabah go down in history as an important kingmaker at a time when it is duty bound and critical to do so. Sabahans, let us redeem ouselves. Let us save Sabah and Malaysia from the clutches of the evil, corrupted and greedy UMNO. Let us do the wise thing - support and vote for change - and, for once, let us do good for our country, for our children and for own future.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-47325416325674556052008-07-29T16:27:00.022+09:002008-07-30T01:50:45.736+09:00An End to the Vile Malaysian Ruling Elite Brand of Politicking. Finally?Is that a silver lining I see on the dark threatening cloud that has hovered over Malaysia's political landscape this past month? Is this really <span style="font-weight: bold;">the</span> end to the vile and filthy brand of politicking that has become synonymous to Malaysia's ruling gangster elite aka UMNO? We had prayed so.<br /><br />This past month, right thinking Malaysians have been praying for an end to the Government's devious charade against a true Malaysian citizen. Malaysians have been deeply troubled by the unfolding events this past 4-weeks, especially the blatant acts of law of the jungle by our law enforcers right up to the highest office of the Government of Malaysia, the Prime Minister himself. Right thinking Malaysians were horrified at the vigorous actions taken against one single Malaysian citizen by the combined force of Malaysia's law enforcement system and high-ranking Government officials and lawmakers, largely comprising the UMNO elite, especially in their hounding demands for Anwar's DNA samples. Right thinking citizens of Malaysia at large could only stand and watch, question and pray that this abuse of power by the government of Malaysia against a Malaysian citizen and his family will come to end soon. And God seemed to have answered our prayers exactly one month to the day this evil attack was launched against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on 28 June 2008.<br /><br />Ever since that day, 28 June 2008, when the sodomy charge was filed against Datuk Seri Anwar, an obvious repeat of the political fiasco that brought him down 10 years earlier, Malaysia struggled to hold on to its dignity and integrity. Or at least, the average Malaysians tried to, but their efforts at keeping a straight and honest face kept getting derailed by, of all people, their own leaders, those tasked to manage the Government, from the law enforcing personnel, the law upholders, the ministers in charge, and right up to the highest offices in Government, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister. Malaysians, at large, cringed at the thought of a repeat of the 1998 legal fiasco - an alleged sodomy that took place at an apartment building that didn't even exist, the kangaroo court, the disgusting sight of a mattress hauled in and out or court - that have left a bad imprint on the public's mind. Malaysians, in general, fear a repeat of the the sodomy charge of 1998 which, manipulated by Mahathir Mohamed's ala Zimbabwe rule, managed to put an end to the career of a rising political star who ended up jailed for the next 6 years. Oh no, not again, you can literally hear Malaysia groaned. And to our horror, the political drama began unfolding much in the same manner as that notorious case against the same individual 10 years earlier: the police report by the alleged victim (which was never made available to the accused) was followed by a dramatic arrest of the accused by police dressed in full balaclava gear and in 15 police vehicles, and the desperate attempt to secure fresh DNA samples of the accused via medical checkup and overnight cell confinement, the failure of which was followed by thundering cries and demands from notorious lawmakers, the Home Minister and the clueless Prime Minister for fresh DNA samples of the accused. This time around, however, Anwar Ibrahim knew better, and did not heed to such idiotic demands by the ruling elite gangsters for his fresh DNA samples . This time around, too, Malaysians at large, and much of the world's free countries kept a close watch, admonishing and warning the Malaysian government to heed the rule of law in their handling of Anwar's case.<br /><br />The ruling elite should have known better as this is no longer 1998. People always learn, even monkeys do. When you know that the enemy is up to the same tricks, you steer away, call their bluff and you fight back, tooth and nail. The enemy should have known that when you prepare for battle using faked ammunition, you need to mobilise an idiotic bunch of soldiers who are willing to die for your idiosyncrasies and your craze for power. Therein lies the problem. You may fool some people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time. There are bound to be good people somewhere in this God forsaken country who still possess these things called conscience and integrity. Thank God, there are. There are people who will use their conscience to do the right thing in their line of duty. We are grateful for the noble act of one Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid who gave a factual medical report on the real status of the alleged sodomy victim.<br /><br />I first read about the leaked hospital report yesterday (28 July 2008) on the Malaysia Today website, which I have been trying to access since 2.00pm today (it is now 6.30pm) but couldn't. The website is obviously being hacked again. I had to go to Anwar Ibrahim's blog for the life-saving report. The following leaked hospital report confirms that the sodomy charge is a political assassination of Anwar Ibrahim:<br /><br /><a href="http://anwaribrahimblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/rep2.pdf">http://anwaribrahimblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/rep2.pdf</a><br /><br />The good doctor's report confirms Anwar's contention that the sodomy allegation is baseless and nothing but a political conspiracy by political figures high up in the government. Anwar Ibrahim held a press conference today to condemn the police for "their negligence, dishonesty and recklessness in humiliating the nation by dragging us all through this vile and filthy charade" and told the police to stop the probe.<br /><br /><a href="http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2008/07/29/sidang-akhbar-dsai-jam-1130am/">DS Anwar Ibrahim's Press Statement, 29 July 2008, 11.30am</a><br /><br />Today, 29 July 2008, is a great day for truth and justice in Malaysia. Today, in Malaysia, is the beginning of the end to the vile and devious politicking tactics of the ruling elite gangsterism that is UMNO. Is it? Finally?<br /><br />Today should have been a great day for truth and justice in Malaysia. Today should have been the day to start putting an end to the shame and disgrace that have painted the political landscape of Malaysia. But it is apparent that these shameless and disgraceful political attackers have not yet shown the white flag. No, in their line of battle, these political attackers never have any white flag on them, and neither do they intend to have one. They do not know the meaning of defeat. Even if they fall hard to a shameful death, they would still be screaming bloody victory to their name. Obviously, they do not seem to possess the humble characteristic of being gracious in defeat. No, these political animals do not have the word 'conscience' in their vocabulary and neither do they know the meaning of justice and integrity. How then can we, mere citizens on the street, expect them to possess even an iota of 'good' in their governance?<br /><br />Is that a silver lining I see on the dark threatening cloud that has hovered over Malaysia's political landscape this past month? Is this really <span style="font-weight: bold;">the</span> end to the vile and filthy brand of politicking that has become synonymous to Malaysia's ruling gangster elite aka UMNO? We had prayed so. But, by the way events are moving, and the manner in which the Malaysian clones of the devil incarnate continue to operate, it looks like we have to pray harder. Pray hard, but play even smarter.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-9167643445400200332008-07-21T10:11:00.022+09:002008-07-31T21:29:10.436+09:00Malaysia's Innocence Destroyed by Disgusting Sex Crime ChargesInnocence is robbed from the cradle. Young minds in Malaysia are being exposed to sickening sex details of the perverted kind. And innocence is lost. Forever.<br /><br />It must be very tough growing up in Malaysia these past 10 years. Innocence is robbed from the cradle by the public keeper itself, the Malaysian Government, driven in this rampage and rape of innocent minds by the dominant ruling party. Blinded by power craze and completely devoid of conscience, the ruling politicians bring down their political opponents using not just simple sex charges but the more perverted kind - sodomy - and make complete use of the government-controlled media, the daily tabloids and the courts system to feed young innocent Malaysian minds with daily doses of disgusting sodomy details. It seems that Malaysia's political favourite to bring down the enemy is the sodomy charge. Whenever their positions are threatened, these political animals mobilise the whole government machinery, the notorious ones being, as events have shown, those that uphold and enforce the law of the land, spearheaded by none other than the offices of the Attorney-General (AG) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).<br /><br />A child who was an innocent 8-year old in 1998 would be 18 today. The beginnings and the learning of his sexuality, or leaning thereof, would have started in 1998 or much earlier. Now remember the shameful court debacle in 1998 under the rule of the longest-term Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammed? Remember the sordid and disgusting sodomy details charged against a single Malaysian citizen by the powerful might of the whole Malaysian Government machinery, its media circus and its kangaroo courts, all 'according to standard operating procedures' and legalised by the public prosecutor office and protected by the police? Remember the sickening sight of the mattress being hauled in and out of court, the so-called semen stains evidence and intimate anal intercourse details for all and sundry? The word 'liwat' (sodomy in Malay) instantly became a popular household word and the butt (pun intended) of silly jokes! To a wide-eyed 8-year old just beginning to explore his sexuality, can you imagine what sort of ideas and questioning curiosity can start seeding and growing in his little brain? The whole Government machinery, the media and the legal system were teaching and showing the child that if you want to cut a man down and destroy him and his political ambitions, all you need to do is use the sodomy charge against him <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">the Malaysian way</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>Sodomy, a very serious crime in largely Muslim Malaysia and punishable up to a 20-year jail-term, is probably the only crime very impossible to disprove, and especially in Malaysia, any shortcoming in evidence can easily be trumped up and fabricated. And the fabrication procedures, as events have shown, are all very legal, covered and protected by the upholders and enforcers of the law in the land - courtesy of the offices of the AG and the IGP!<br /><br />If the 8-year old child knows how to take the right from the wrong, then everything will be fine and dandy. But remember when you were eight? What sort of ideas on human sexuality did you have then? I was 12, and I couldn't, for the life of me, understand why this particular girl in our school would let herself get pregnant only to be thrown out of school. Why is she so stupid, I fervently asked my friends. They just laughed at my own stupidity. Stupid, perhaps, and no matter how short-lived, innocence and its beauty in childhood were very much alive then.<br /><br />I may not be a sociologist or psychologist, but common sense tells us that all ideas an adult tells that wide-eyed 8 year-old and those much younger, chances are they will take them for the truths, the facts of life, and the probability are high that they will put those ideas into practice. Notice how, when you thought they were not listening, your 5 or 6-year olds absorb nearly every word that you said (especially those cuss words) just like a sponge, and throw them back to your face at some point later, if not soon? We don't have to have a PhD in sociology or psychology to know that much of our learning on life and our orientation in life start at that tender age. What we heard, saw or were done to us mould us into what we are today.<br /><br />So having made the issue of sodomy a favourite national past-time of Malaysians starting in 1998, the Malaysian Government should not waste precious time wondering why the problem of homosexuality in Malaysia is reaching a worrisome level. This was what some lawmakers and a Minister recently complained in Parliament just a week or so ago. Do you fault that child of 1998 wanting to explore and experiment with his sexuality, after all, the whole Malaysian Government machinery, the courts system and the circus media fed him all the sordid and perverted sex details for breakfast, lunch and dinner back in 1998? Do you fault that child for trying to figure out what's right from wrong, and what's proper sex and what constitutes sex crime under a religion and the law? Fast forward to 2008. And the same sickening sodomy debacle is being played in public all over again involving the same charge against the same poor fellow (the charges against whom were cleared by the Courts in 2004). And that 8-year old who first witnessed that shameful disgusting event in 1998 is, today, a terribly confused adult, now doubting and wondering what teachings on sexuality he should practice. So, if one puts the blame for rising homosexuality in Malaysia squarely on the Malaysian Government, its legal system and its law enforcer, would one be totally in the wrong?<br /><br />Be that as it may, one puzzling thing about this whole issue of rising homosexuality in Malaysia is that prior its Parliament debut, this issue is actually a NON ISSUE. All this while, in spite of the 1998 Anwar-sodomy debacle, there has never been a complaint, nay a squeak, from the immensely silent gay community, let alone a demand for their rights. Homosexuality and the gay community are part of the societal landscape in Malaysia but it is more case of 'you may be seen but you are not supposed to be heard'. Homosexuality is snickered at and made fun of, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">tolerated</span> simply because the homosexuals may be your sons or daughters, your brothers, your sisters, your relatives or your friends. In a country whose official religion is Islam, the very religion under which sodomy is a very serious crime punishable up to 20 years jail, and sodomy being an inherently homosexual activity, no homosexuals in their right mind would dare utter a single word to officially declare their homosexuality, let alone complain against another of their own and risk imprisonment. Correct me if I am wrong, but aside the 1998 trumped-up sodomy charge against Anwar, I have not yet come across a single news article highlighting or even mentioning the plight of homosexuals in Malaysia. It makes you wonder why a non-issue about homosexuals was suddenly discussed and addressed by Malaysian lawmakers in Parliament as a worrisome problem recently? Incidentally, this discussion in Parliament coincides with the timing of the current sodomy charge against Opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, the same fellow charged with the same offence in 1998.<br /><br />I not only strongly feel that the Malaysian Government should not waste time debating the issue of homosexuality in Parliament because it is a non-issue, but also believe that the Government should not waste precious tax payers money to set up some silly government programmes to handle a non-issue, a problem that no one has ever complain about!<br /><br />On behalf of right thinking Malaysians, I would like to appeal to the Malaysian Government, its machinery, its courts system and the law enforcers to PLEASE STOP THIS VILE ACT AGAINST A MALAYSIAN CITIZEN. Malaysians are disgusted and sickened by the whole sodomy debacle which is so obviously a political conspiracy against a single Malaysian politician who shows his concern for the plight of the masses. Please stop Malaysia from becoming the biggest laughing stock in the history of the world. Personally, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I am not concerned about being laughed at by the world. That we can survive. I am more worried about Malaysia losing the innocence of her children and, more importantly, her conscience.<br /><br /><br /></span>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-80909140532062589192008-07-16T12:26:00.008+09:002008-07-16T14:56:01.237+09:00The Debate & Anwar : The Great Malaysian Statesman, a Far Cry from BN's IncompetenceAnwar Ibrahim showed what an excellent orator, great statesman and honourable gentleman he is. In Malaysia's first live debate on fuel price on 15 July 2008, Anwar won hands down over his opponent, the so-called Minister of Information, Shabery. If previously I had supported him/PKR simply because PKR is the only credible alternative to BN, but after last night's debate PKR has my vote, my family's, my relatives' and friends' votes ... heck, even my villagers' votes. At the very least, Anwar showed his concern for the plight and pain of the rakyat caused by the high food and fuel prices. At least, he has an action plan as to where he can get the RM3-5 billion to keep fuel price lower in order to ease the suffering of the rakyat.<br /><br />Shabery, on the other hand, is UNPROFESSIONAL and lacks substance throughout the debate. He attacks the person rather than addresses the issues. He circumvents the issues, avoids answering a simple direct question, and is still feverished and obsessed with the fiery 'Anwar' of the 70s? Shabery is still stuck in 1974. Grow up, man! Get on with your life. Everyone else has moved on. By the way, Mr Minister of Information, if you have any honour left in you, resign from your post as promised (you failed big time, man!) and go back to school to learn some basic economics, debating skills and good governance.<br /><br />Shabery, like the others in UMNO & BN, they couldn't care less whether the people starve to death! They even applaud the fuel price hike just to have an upper hand over their political foes. Shabery and the whole UMNO & BN wolf-pack are completely insensitive and unconcerned about the plight of Malaysians. Yes, we all know fuel price hike is a global issue..Anwar knows that, we all know that...but being an oil-producing country, if the govt can do something, anything, no matter how small, to ease the burden of the rakyat, we - the rakyat - will love you and will be indebted to you. Anwar has already listed the few sources of funds that the govt can set aside to keep fuel prices low for the rakyat. Anwar has the heart and the brains to help the rakyat. How come ALL the cabinet ministers, all the BN MPs, UMNO-hooligans put together cannot come anywhere close to thinking a little bit like Anwar. From last night, it's so obvious this Shitbery has the typical mentality of UMNO/BN...just plain stupid, corrupted and incompetent.<br /><br />And to top the Government incompetence, Malaysians have to put up with academic fools in the person of one Nordin Kardi, if ever there is such a fool. Is he really the Vice Chancellor of UUM? From which sewer did they pick this guy? Nordin Kardi brings shame and total disgrace to the Malaysian academic circle! He does not even know what an IPP is! And a Vice Chancellor who cannot pose a simple question?! It is a sad day for UUM... your VC has just destroyed your repute as a dignified university. The staff & students of UUM should band together and kick Nordin Kardi back to the sewer where he came from.<br /><br />Can the BN Government not see that lowering the price of fuel by even 50 sen could put a rein on the spiraling prices of food and other consumer products? Striving to keep fuel price low will not only contribute towards curbing inflation but also, and more importantly, helping to alleviate the suffering of the people caused by rising fuel and food prices. Why is Prime Minister Badawi and his deputy Najib blind to this simple fact? Why are the BN Members of Parliament blind to this fact? They continue to applaud their action to hike the fuel price, saying this is beyond their control because price hike is a global issue. Isn't everything in this day and age a global issue, whether directly or indirectly? Every issue, global or not, that affects the masses has be addressed and resolved. Or at least, attempts must be seen to be made to try and resolve the issue. It is not good governance and is, indeed, a great social injustice to just say that the price hike is a global issue and then rest on your laurels. You must be seen by the people to be trying to do something about it. Giving the RM625 per year direct rebate to vehicle owners only aggravates inflation and will have <span style="font-weight: bold;">no</span> impact at all on easing the people's burden in the face of rising prices. I wonder where BN and these UMNO people studied their basic economics? Saudara Anwar should teach the UMNO & BN people a thing or two about simple economics and good governance.<br /><br />In the end, the whole issue is about the People, the Rakyat, the masses. I am only interested in the oil price issue <span style="font-style: italic;">vis-a-vis</span> the Rakyat. To me, the bottom line is: in the face of economic hardship caused by rising prices, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anwar gives the people HOPE</span>. That is the crux of the matter. Whether he is successful or not in eventually lowering fuel price does not matter much to me in this time of hardship. The important thing is Anwar gives me hope for tomorrow. He convinces us that tomorrow will still be alright. Yes, the fuel price hike is a global problem, but we still have some control over our own economy if only we know how to manage our resources. It is a matter of proper management and good governance. The key to the rakyat's heart is to let the people know you feel their pain, and to give them HOPE for the future.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-29180805703698041452008-07-15T12:21:00.009+09:002008-07-15T15:03:16.478+09:00Illegal Immigrants are only Good for their Votes in SabahIllegal migrant workers are only good for their votes in Malaysia, or more specifically, in Sabah. This was implied by Javellana-Santos in her news piece "Sabah Migrant Workers Often Deported After Polls: Labour Leader". Read full story here: <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=125136">http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=125136</a><br /><br />For once, I agree with a Filipino opinion. Actually, Filipino migrant workers are also great for manual labour in Malaysia, especially in the construction industry. However, in the eyes of the power that be, this usefulness is eclipsed by the migrant workers' usefulness at the polls. To quote the trade unionist, Ambet Yuson:<br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"the mass repatriation of undocumented migrants in Sabah crops up when Sabah politicians don't need voters, but disappears during elections when politicians need their votes. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"They only deport the undocumented migrants in Sabah after the elections,"</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></p>The only thing I'd like to qualify in the above statement is that 'Sabah politicians' should read "Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians". As regards to the rest of the statement, many in Sabah know this to be true as this has long been an open secret. Not only the Filipino migrant workers but also the Indonesian migrant workers are good for their votes. However, most Indonesian workers are properly documented, so the problem of mass repatriation of Indonesian workers does not arise. Still, this does not erase the fact that the Indonesians are also used as voters to ensure the ruling parties hold on to power.<br /><br />For years, both groups of migrant workers (Filipinos and Indonesians) have been playing their role (with monetary rewards, of course) as phantom voters and have been helping the ruling parties hold on to power by ensuring that the votes swing to their benefit in many constituencies in Sabah. In the past, bus loads of these migrant workers would be transported on polling day by the ruling power to rural constituencies where they then cast their 'already paid-for' votes. After the election, the foreigners' squatter houses (mainly, the Filipinos) are torn down and flattened by bulldozers, and they are deported only to return in two weeks' time and set up colony somewhere else.<br /><br />These are the truths and the facts of the twisted democracy in Sabah. I was eye witness to one such incident in the 1999 general elections in the town of Kuala Penyu, Sabah. The locals in Kuala Penyu got wind that bus loads of foreigners are coming into town to cast their votes in a few villages nearby. The locals only managed to ambush two bus loads that made the mistake of entering the town via the river ferry which was the other means of entry into town (instead of using the the longer route via dirt road through Beaufort District). While the other buses using the dirt roads manage to escape the wrath of the locals, these two bus loads of foreigners were ambushed by locals just as their vehicles were getting off the ferry. Stories had it that many of the foreigners were beaten, some escaped by jumping into the Kuala Penyu river, while others were chased like dogs all over the town (lucky or rather unlucky for them, the town is rather tiny with only two rows of shophouses). The small town authorities had to come to the foreigners' aid to prevent the locals from beating them to death. The foreigners took refuge and were holed up in the Barisan Nasional (BN, the ruling National Coalition) Office in Kuala Penyu from mid-morning to late afternoon. Their action to take refuge in the town's BN Office only confirmed further who exactly were behind this act of betrayal to the process of democracy in Sabah. The BN office was surrounded by a huge angry crowd shouting verbal abuses and demanding the heads of the foreigners holed inside. I was part of the angry crowd that had to be held back by police called in to control the situation. In the end, two buses accompanied by police vehicles arrived to transport the foreigners out of town. Although the BN incumbent won the Kuala Penyu State constituency that election (thanks to the phantom voters), but in the next election 5 years down the road, this particular BN politician was finally send into political retirement by an independent candidate.<br /><br />For years, come election time in Sabah, one hears and witnesses such acts of betrayal to democracy in Sabah by the parties concerned, driven by their insatiable craze for power. In the 12th General Elections last March 2008, it was not much different. The same dirty tactics were used by the parties concerned; this time, however, their strategy to hold on to power was strengthened by what is known as 'postal votes', the ruling parties' <span style="font-style: italic;">contingency votes</span>, again, to help them hold on to power.<br /><br />Over the years, the trend had remained the same. No deportation or repatriation of migrant workers from Sabah before election time. But once polling is over every time, then a few of the easily visible Filipino colonies are bulldozed to the ground to drive the illegals out. The illegal immigrants are repatriated to their home country only to come back in two weeks' time to rebuild their squatter colonies elsewhere. And the cycle continues.<br /><br />And so the cycle continues, making it very difficult to completely rid Sabah of these illegal immigrants because the political powers that be have no political will at all to resolve the problem once and for all. How serious is the ruling government in the current mass repatriation exercise? Sabahans can only hope and pray that this time they will fulfil their promise to cleanse Sabah of these undesirable illegal immigrants. How serious is the BN government in fulfilling its promise to Sabah? Only time will tell.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-15267854727843199882008-07-11T11:05:00.019+09:002008-07-14T17:21:56.220+09:00Bung Mokhtar Radin - A Disgrace to Sabah<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7731967775553644038&postID=1526785472784319988"></a>I wish the ground will open up and swallow this SOB alive! The next time Bung Mokhtar Radin travels on or near the Kinabatangan River, I hope the river will rise and swallow him and send him to the deepest pit in hell! Poor Kinabatangan River, your name will forever be spoiled by this sorry excuse for a human being who takes your name for his MP label. I would not be far wrong to say that the whole of Sabah, if not the whole of Malaysia, are sickened by his monkey antics in Parliament.<br /><br />As an Member of Parliament (MP) for Kinabatangan for years now, Bung 'Bigfoot' Mokhtar has NOT made a SINGLE positive contribution to the Malaysian Parliament, and worse, to Sabah. All he does in Parliament is complain, interject, interrupt and throws a huge tantrum like a spoilt brat. Every time this sorry goon speaks, nothing but garbage, discriminatory,derogatory and lewd remarks spew out of his uncouth mouth, putting Sabah and the people Sabah to shame time and again.<br /><br />I fail to comprehend how such cocky <span style="font-style: italic;">biadap</span> SOB who repeatedly makes sexist remarks in Parliament and behave in a <span style="font-style: italic;">kurang ajar</span> manner gets to be elected and become a lawmaker. I would have thought Malaysians/Sabahans would have been pissed off by his sexist remarks last year in relation to the ceiling leaks in the Parliament House that he would not be re-elected as MP ever again. Correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure he had some (if not, a direct) say in the "<span style="font-style: italic;">if</span> <em>cannot resist rape</em>, <em>lay down n enjoy</em> it” controversy also in Parliament some time back. After all these disrespectful, uncivilized and sexist remarks, I just cannot understand why Sabah BN (National Coalition) nominated him to stand as MP for Kinabatangan. For the 12th GE last March, I was hoping they'd drop him off the list. But no, Musa Aman, the BN Head in Sabah picked him to stand on the same ticket again. Why, Musa, why?! The only answer seems this: people like you, Musa, and the bigfoot Bung Mokhtar share the same wavelength and the same mentality. And the <span style="font-style: italic;">biadap</span> SOB's nomination was endorsed at the country's highest level, by BN head, Badawi, himself. Hence, Malaysians should not be surprised. Bigfoot Bunghole was selected to be a lawmaker by his own kind, an uncivilised bunch of the worst kind!<br /><br />And this begs another question, why did the Kinabatangan people voted for Bigfoot Bunghole to win last March G. Election? This, I cannot answer because I cannot fathom the people's mentality there. I could only guess, if BN puts a monkey as a BN candidate in Kinabatangan, the monkey will still win. Guess, they did pick a bigger monkey there, the Bigfoot Bung Mokhtar! And so to the Kinabatangan voters, you can now be proud about putting a <span style="font-style: italic;">biadap, kurang ajar monyet</span> in Parliament, and who continues to put the rest of Sabahans to shame!<br /><br />So what did this <span style="font-style: italic;">biadap</span> nincompoop do this time around? Watch this:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPBA2fw4T5w">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPBA2fw4T5w</a><br /><br />Sickening!!! A disgusting gesture by an uncivilised barbarian bunghole mokhtar! Unrepenting, he arrogantly admitted to making the lewd gesture (<a href="http://malaysiakini.com/news/85812">http://malaysiakini.com/news/85812</a>)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Kinabatangan MP: Yes, I did it but...</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Rahman Ghazali, Jul 9, 08 1:46pm<br /><br />Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan-BN) today did a U-turn, admitting that he had made an obscene gesture in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday during a dispute with some Pakatan Rakyat MPs.</span></blockquote>Then realizing his folly, he denied it two days later. When approached by reporters at the Parliament lobby then, Bung Mokhtar denied it was a lewd gesture, and demonstrated to the reporter what he claimed he did - slapped the back of one hand with the palm of the other (pix).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/8558/zulparlbungvl8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 320px; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/8558/zulparlbungvl8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LYING SOB!!! </span>Big, fat lying F%@#face! Just look at that sickening face! How can you trust a lawmaker who lies through his teeth to your face!<br /><br />Even by last year, many were already sick of this barbarian bigfoot, to the point of writing critical articles on him. Some time in May last year, a member of the Malaysian Bar wrote this piece:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">THERE he goes again with his looney tunes. The incorrigible Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin has once again infuriated most Malaysians with another of his off-colour remarks.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">The loud Sabah politician, who has a notorious reputation for using un-parliamentary language, created Malaysian parliamentary history when he uttered a four-letter word against a DAP woman six years ago.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">The microphones of all MPs had to be switched off by the Speaker in the heat of the debate but Mokhtar’s profanity was loud enough for other members and reporters to hear. He must be proud of his record. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">Strangely, the Hansard, which records the House meetings in verbatim, has no record of the outburst during the debate. Things would have remained that way until the media approached Bung Mokhtar in the lobby and, to their surprise, he admitted the deed and went on to defend himself on record. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">Before that, the MP sparked a controversy when he uttered a sexist-tainted <i>boleh masuk sikit</i>? (Can I come in a little?) remark in his attempt to seek clarification from Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">As expected, he said he meant no harm and that the phrase was commonly used in Sabah. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">Last week, Bung Mokhtar was back in the limelight again but this time he was joined by the “close one eye” Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusuf, who once accused certain top Customs officials of selling confiscated luxury cars cheaply to their “friends” in the palaces and other government departments but failed to produce any evidence. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">On Wednesday, Bung Mokhtar reportedly said: “<i>Mana ada bocor, Batu Gajah pun tiap-tiap bulan bocor juga</i> (Where is the leak? Batu Gajah leaks every month too) against Batu Gajah MP Fong Poh Kuan who had complained about the leaks in the Parliament lobby.<br /></span></p><span style="font-size:85%;">..... <b>It’s amazing how our lawmakers who repeatedly display political cockiness, make sexist remarks and behave in an uncouth manner can still get themselves re-elected.... (Read in full here: </b><a href="http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/opinions/comments/there_they_go_again.html">http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/opinions/comments/there_they_go_again.html</a></span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span><br /></blockquote><br />Barbarian Bigfoot's antics are just as disgusting here (13 Dec 07):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjGHY-nOalQ&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjGHY-nOalQ&feature=related</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Watch this uncivilized creature's sexist remarks...</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> “<i>Mana ada bocor, Batu Gajah pun tiap-tiap bulan bocor juga</i> (Where is the leak? Batu Gajah leaks every month, too):</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqnw-q93wyc&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqnw-q93wyc&feature=related</a><br /><br />Then, when this lazy SOB want to skip the rest of the day's session, this lazy bunghole manipulates the Speaker to justify his leaving and taking the rest of the day off! (13/05/08)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig1D-tdxpw0&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig1D-tdxpw0&feature=related</a><br /><br />Malaysia, Malaysia ... poor country you, brought down to the level of pariahs as uncouth, disrespectful, disgusting and sickening as one who goes by the name of Bigfoot Bung Mokhtar Radin! Such a disgrace for Sabah, too. And poor River Kinabatangan, your unique name is forever spoilt. But tell you what...the next time, this disgusting creature comes your way, please help us get rid of him, swallow Bigfoot Bung up and cleanse this Beautiful Land Below the Wind. Please!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjGHY-nOalQ&feature=related"></a>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-56077876654785124092008-07-04T11:14:00.012+09:002008-07-04T16:09:07.215+09:00PR for Filipinos in Sabah? WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER!!!NO! NO! NO! NEVER! Permanent Resident status must NEVER be given to Filipinos in Sabah. ANY MALAYSIAN WHO APPROVES OR GIVES PR STATUS TO FILIPINOS WILL BE DEEMED A TRAITOR TO MALAYSIA! And a traitor should rightly be shot to death! PR to the Filipinos in Sabah? When hell freezes over! That's when and only when you can give them the PR status!<br /><br />The Filipinos in Sabah have been nothing but burdensome and troublesome to Sabah. They have caused so much hardships and pain to Sabahans. They brought into Sabah everything bad and evil under the sun. They brought in drugs, criminals, prostitutes and gays as well as their uncivilized culture. They have drained Sabah's economy, burdened our health and educational resources, took over substantial part of the small business economy throughout the state, and are the biggest cause for the rising social problems and crimes in Sabah. The Filipinos and the Indonesians are the main reason for the high incidence of poverty in Sabah; Sabah is now the second poorest state in Malaysia when it was once the richest. Together, the Filipinos and Indonesians must have repatriated billions and billions of ringgit back to their homelands. How many billions exactly has been channeled out of Sabah, we shall never know.<br /><br />A nagging thought strikes me. Why should a high ranking Philippine Migrant official want his fellow citizens to become Malaysian permanent residents? Isn't that tantamount to turning your back on your fatherland? Why would a Filipino government official encourage his fellow citizens to have dual citizenship? Doesn't that make it easier for Filipinos to commit crimes (that's what they are most noted for, anyways) in their homeland and escape easily to their second country, i.e., Malaysia. Since this official is a representative of the Philippines government, can we say that the Philippines government condones a criminal-friendly environment or criminals dens to flourish in both Philippines and Malaysia?<br /><br />I find it ridiculous that this official, one Estaban Conejos, would propose the granting of PR status to Filipinos when they came in here illegally in the first place. It is also ridiculous for this Conejos to say that many Filipinos have lived in Sabah for so long that they no longer have relatives left in the Philippines. Common, Mr Conehead, what do you take us for? Sabahans are not fools, and we don't think stupid like you! How can one lose all relatives in a single lifetime, let alone in plus-minus 45 years because that was when your Filipino illegal immigrants and refugees started coming in. Even in two or three lifetime you'd have some relatives left, heck, possibly even more!<br /><br />What agenda does this Assistant Secretary Estaban Conejos have? My only conclusion is this: This is the easiest way to claim Sabah since Philippines has never dropped the claim on Sabah. What better way to claim Sabah than by just residing permanently in Sabah, courtesy of the Malaysian Government, of course! Yes, <span style="font-weight: bold;">this is the Philippines agenda: to claim Sabah by invading and taking over Sabah, not through military occupation but through socio-political and economic invasion via the PR status.</span><br /><br />One can easily imagine this nightmare. Picture this. Given the PR status, the Filipinos will breed like mosquitoes in Sabah. They will take over the economic and commercial sectors. They breed and multiply some more because now they are more comfortable and financially well-off. The Filipinos will now rape and rampage all natural resources that they can make money off - our forests, our oil and gas, our minerals and our gold. They will repatriate back billions and trillions of ringgit back to their homeland to feed their people and to build and modernise their country. By now, they are so economically powerful that they can take over politics and the government. So now, they control the economic and government sectors. By this time , too, the Filipinos will be flooding our schools, our hospitals, our social institutions, and our churches and fully capitalizing on and utilizing all social and physical infrastructures in Sabah. (Incidentally, the Filipinos - and Timorese from Indonesia - are currently flooding our churches since these two groups are essentially Catholics.) Then, to strengthen their economic, political, government, and social control of Sabah, the Filipinos will bring in their military to complete their total invasion of Sabah. The Filipinos will now be in complete control of Sabah in every sense of the word, that Sabahans have become the minority in their own land. In the end, Sabah will become Southern Philippines. Hence, territory annexed , and mission accomplished on Philippines' claim on Sabah!<br /><br />What a scary picture the above!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Essentially, this is what Sabahans fear most: a takeover of Sabah by the Philippines, starting with commercial, then economics and social, then political, followed by government control and finally military invasion. This is the Sabahans' greatest fear.</span> Hence, the Malaysia Government must be totally serious and committed to its promise to repatriate ALL Filipinos back to where they came from. ALL Filipinos must be send back, including the women and children. Especially the children, because these are the children roaming the streets of Sabah, hence, the term street-kids. These kids MUST be send back with their parents and/or to their country of origin. Failing this, the children will form the next generation of illegal aliens in Sabah, and all our efforts of getting rid of illegal immigrants in Sabah will be in vain.<br /><br />In conclusion, our Malaysian Government must fulfill its promise to Sabahans to rid Sabah of the illegal immigrants that have been the biggest source of all social and criminal problems in Sabah. To the Malaysia Government, please honour your promise and save Sabahans from becoming the minority in their own country.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-50245581658638510392008-06-20T17:21:00.009+09:002008-06-21T22:20:59.992+09:00Sabahans, Seize This Window of Opportunity!Fellow Sabahans, the window of opportunity is <span style="font-weight: bold;">here and now</span> in our political landscape. This window of opportunity is the largest it has ever been since Sabah helped create this reality called Malaysia. Seize this opportunity now, or forever hold our peace.<br /><br />Fellow Sabahans, come out in one voice. Come speak in one voice. An united voice is loud and clear and can reach the highest of heavens. The power of a united people is strong and mighty and can, in one stroke, topple a seemingly invincible dictator. We have succeeded before, we have shown that a united people can overthrow an autocratic government. Sabahans can do it again.<br /><br />We have been silent or silenced this past 45 years; that's how old this nation state of Malaysia actually is. The frivolous Malaysian Government keeps forgetting that had it not been for Sabah and Sarawak, there would be no Malaysia. The Malaysian Government is not even sure how old Malaysia, in actual fact, is. The frivolous Malaysian Government, thus, continue to mislead the people that Malaysia is 50 years old when, in reality, the country is only 45 years old. By refusing to acknowledge these facts, the Malaysian Government is essentially downplaying and denying the crucial role of Sabah and Sarawak in the formation of Malaysia. Crux of the matter is, the Malaysian Government has been denying Sabahans of our rights since the day Malaysia was formed. The 20-points was the document to safeguard the full Sabahan rights as we conceded to become part of this nation called Malaysia. But from day one, the 20 points have been eroded and sidelined, resulting in this once beautiful land of plenty and abundance to become, today, the poorest state in Malaysia.<br /><br />Fellow Sabahans, BE SILENT NO MORE! The window of opportunity is here! Let's stand up for our rights and be counted. We can be the king maker for Malaysia at this crucial point in time. We can make history here. Let's together redeem ourselves for the sake of our children and this beautiful land that is Sabah.<br /><br />Sabahan political parties, stand up in one voice. Save Sabahans from oppression by West Malaysian politicians. SAPP has started the ball rolling. SAPP will support a vote of 'no-confidence' against the Prime Minister of Malaysia scheduled Monday, 23 June 2008. Kick out the incompetent Prime Minister first. This will create havoc in the ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional. If more dissenting voices emerge from other BN component parties, the ruling coalition will be in crisis. The Prime Minister's party, UMNO, will be weakened, and the dominoes will fall. Come September, we will see a new dawn for Malaysia. UPKO, are you in? PBS, where is you fighting spirit?! Kick UMNO out of Sabah. Let Sabahans rule Sabah! LET US SEIZE THIS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!<br /><br />Fellow Sabahans, let us demand the following:<br /><ul><li>Complete borneonisation of federal departments in Sabah: Sabahans know the local sentiments. Sabahans know the local culture and traditions. Sabahans know Sabah like the back of their hands. Hence, all federal departments in Sabah must be headed by Sabahans;</li><li>Resolve the illegal immigrants issue in Sabah once and for all. Deport all illegal immigrants, even their children. Why should Sabah be burdened by 'street kids'? The illegals bore them, so send them all back to their mother land! Clean Sabah of all these problem people;</li><li>Demand 20% oil royalty for Sabah. Sabah has been funding mega developments in Kuala Lumpur and other parts of West Malaysia. It is time to develop Sabah and return Sabah back to its glory days, back to being one of the richest states in Malaysia;</li><li>Take back the island of Labuan. Sabahans have been inhabiting Labuan. They are our relatives, our brothers and sisters, and they have been working there all their lives. With the 20% oil royalty, we can build Labuan to be a great off-shore business centre and a grand tourist destination;</li><li>Kick UMNO out of Sabah. Sabahans in UMNO should form a new party, and eliminate any remnant of UMNO in Sabah;<br /></li><li>Take back all lands that have been allocated to Peninsular-based companies, and resolve all land grabbing controversies and return all lands to genuine Sabahans; and<br /></li><li>Re-look the 20-points. Those that are relevant and protect the rights of Sabah should be enforced.</li></ul>The above are demands that Sabah should pursue if we are to stand up and fight for our rights. They are meant to protect us, safeguard us for they are our birthrights. By demanding them, we take back our resources and use these resources to heal the rot that have been destroying this beautiful state of Sabah. We take back our rights. We take back our resources. We get back our riches. We regain our birthrights.<br /><br />Fellow Sabahans, the window of opportunity is here. Seize it! Demand what are rightly ours. Sabahans, let us stand united to fight for and demand our rights, our resources, and our riches. Regain the Sabahan pride and dignity. Take back what is truly ours so that we can save Sabah and keep this land safe and rich for our children and our future generation.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-20850832014360541482008-06-11T14:55:00.013+09:002008-06-13T14:01:06.248+09:00People Are Suffering And the PM Still Wants To Entertain?What?! Only 10%? Cut only 10% of PM's entertainment allowance? And only 10% of his deputy's and his ministers' ENTERTAINMENT allowance, too? Shit! I thought it was their salary. I nearly almost regain a little sense of respect for Badawi. Hell, any bit of respect left is all gone now. Is that what the rakyat is worth to our leaders? only 10% of their entertainment's fees? That's all they are willing to sacrifice; not their salaries, mind you.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span><blockquote><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span>PUTRAJAYA, June 9 - The entertainment allowance for the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will be reduced by 10 percent effective July 1, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday.</span></span></span></span></p> <span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span><br />The move is part of the austerity measures to save public spending amounting to RM2 billion anually which include the freezing of paid leave for members of the Cabinet, aspects on travels for ministers, deputy ministers, government officers abroad, prohibiting renovation works on offices, the postponement in asset purchases and the holding of official functions.<br /><br />"The government too feels the hardship faced by the people and felt that the leadership must show a good example in facing this challenge," he told reporters after chairing the first meeting of the Council on Tackling Inflation, here.<br /><br />Abdullah said the savings of RM2 billion would be utilised to assist the lower-income groups.<br /><br />Currently, the monthly entertainment allowance for the Prime Minister is RM18,865, Deputy Prime Minister (RM15,015), Federal Ministers (RM12,320) and Deputy Ministers (RM6,000).<br /></span></span></span></span></blockquote></span></span></span></span><br /><br />Even if Badawai slashes his entertainment allowance by 50% (as some quarters suggested), many won't be satisfied. At least, I won't be. I would be a tad happier if they totally do away with his and their entertainment allowance. Do away with the entertainment allowance altogether, please. Cancel, abolish all entertainment allowance for the government and public sector. Even if the cut is temporary, only until this crisis tides over, it would show that the leaders care for the people. To the leaders, please, just stop entertaining for a while. If you do away with the entertainment allowance, even for a short time, then and only then will we, the Rakyat, believe that you really feel for us.<br /><br />The thinking of such a human being, much less a leader, just doesn't make sense at all. Only the entertainment allowance gets cut, and even that, only 10%? The logic borders on sheer callousness, unfathomable stupidity and the highest form of insensitivity! <span style="font-weight: bold;">The people are suffering, yet the Prime Minister still wants to entertain???! </span><span>The people are scrimping, all worked up and worried sick about how to get food on the table, trying to sell off their cars and take the bus to work, and here we have Badawi and his merry ministers still having the heart to entertainment amongst themselves. What an insensitive bunch! My daughter complains that the canteen in her school has increased the price of a bun from 60 sen to RM1.00, and I am worried sick because I have to increase her and her brother's daily pocket money. Yet, PM and his ministers have 19k, 15k, 12k etc to throw away. I am so angry that I hope the money they spend to eat and entertain themselves at a time like this will..... (<span style="font-style: italic;">whatever, you fill in the blanks!</span>)</span><br /><br />And the irony of it all is that the PM got the cheek to publicize the current entertainment allowance that they are enjoying. It's like pouring salt on an open wound of the rakyat! How INSENSITIVE and callous can the PM , the deputy and ministers be! Here we are all stressed up on the price increase of petrol, rice and other foods, transportation, etc, etc., and the flip-flop PM publishes for all the world to see how much they are enjoying life with thousands upon thousands just on entertainment allowance...189K, 15K, 12K... like they have so much money just to entertain. And what about all the <span style="font-weight: bold;">other </span>allowances on top of their salaries? What about all the other perks? Badawi and his ministers don't have to pay for petrol from their pocket (salary), right? Petrol for government cars are all paid by the government.<br /><br />So, how can Badawi claim that "the Government too feels the hardship faced by the people"? How can they feel our suffering if they don't have to pay for petrol from their own pocket? It is the Malaysian government who pays for the petrol that they use and for all the other things that we don't know about. And from where does the government earn the revenue to pay for the allowance of our leaders? And don't those revenue include taxes paid by the rakyat?<br /><br />By announcing the above, Badawi and his stooges have only managed to anger the people a hell lot more. It befuddles me how stupid the Malaysian leaders are. If they announce that the PM and his deputy and ministers are doing away with the entertainment allowance in total, only then will they get a minute fraction of my respect. Cut 10% of their salary? Then maybe I will increase my respect just a fraction more.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-57747547995940896682008-05-26T15:22:00.079+09:002008-05-28T11:03:08.439+09:00Kiandee's Rejection of RCI Motion Makes Him Sabah Public Enemy No. 1<p><span style="font-family:georgia;">When Ronald Kiandee, the greenhorn Deputy Speaker of Dewan Rakyat, rejected the motion on the proposal to set up the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal Immigrants in Sabah in Parliament on 22 May 2008, I immediately sensed trouble. Kiandee's senseless action to reject tabling the motion borders on sheer stupidity. I felt immediate anger. And I knew I will not be the only one. I knew that any right thinking Sabahan would be incensed. Kiandee's excuse was that the motion by LKS on illegal immigrants was 'irrelevant', 'disrespectful' and 'impolite' when the Parliamentarians were winding-up the debate to thank the King for his majesty's address.<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">My question to Kiandee is: Why are you using some technical irrelevant excuse (eg., the standing order) to get in the way of finally helping Sabahans tackle the long-standing issue on illegal immigrants? IS 'POLITENESS' IN PARLIAMENT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE LIVES OF SABAHANS AND OUR FUTURE GENERATION???!! Sabahans are being robbed (literally and economically), raped and murdered almost everyday for the past 30 or so years by the good-for-nothing illegals, and here you are rejecting a rare opportunity to resolve the biggest problem Sabahans faced? That makes you, Kiandee, as good-for-nothing as the illegal immigrants themselves, and obviously even more stupid than them! Why are you throwing the standing order at Lim Kit Siang? He has been in Parliament as far as we can remember. You have only been Deputy Speaker for, what, less than a month! Don't try to act smart with your stupid interpretation of the Standing Order? What standing order in Parliament are you talking about? Many MPs (especially your neighbour, the one that Karpal calls big-foot, and big foot's buddy, Ibrahim ...something) have been acting like barbarians and baboons and have never practised orderliness in Parliament</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">When have the MPs ever practise politeness in the House, I ask you?? Never, ever! You and Big Foot are becoming the biggest disgrace to Sabah. </span></span></span></p><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Here, I just want to show how angry Sabahans are with Kiandee. The disgust of not only Sabahans but also Malaysians have flooded the alternative media and threatening to spill over into mainstream media:</span><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Kiandee's rejection of motion a betrayal to Sabahans: PKR</strong><br />Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah has taken Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee to task for having rejected the motion on the proposal to set up the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah. Its Deputy Chairperson Christina Liew said he had betrayed Sabahans and done great injustice to the people.<br />"Ronald, being a Sabahan himself, should understand the critical and pathetic situation facing Sabahans for almost four decades. The influx of illegal immigrants has a devastating impact on the people of Sabah, from prevalence of communicable disease to drug trafficking, mushrooming of squatter colonies and security issues. It is not surprising if there are more illegals<br />than locals in some parts of the east coast of Sabah.<br />"Therefore, Ronald's rejection on the ground of irrelevancy is totally unacceptable," she said ...<br /><em>(Read more here </em><a href="http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=57789"><em>http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=57789</em></a>)</span></blockquote>Malaysia Today also posted this Daily Express article on the same day (and don't forget to read the comments) :<em> </em><br /><em></em><br /><a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/7998/1/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/7998/1/</span></a><br /><br /><br />I personally share the sentiments of 'Immeasurably Angry Sabahan' posted on Malaysiakini:<br /><br /><p><strong></strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>'Ronald Kiandee, we will remember you'<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">May 26, 08 10:48am</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">‘Rest assured that every Sabahan will never forget that you rejected the tabling of the motion to set up the royal commission on illegal immigrants in Sabah.’<br />On </span><a href="http://malaysiakini.com/news/83351" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">Kit Siang challenges speaker's ruling on Sabah motion</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />An Immeasurably Angry Sabahan: Dear beloved Ronald Kiandee, rest assured that every Sabahan will never forget what you did when you rejected the tabling of the motion to set up the<br />royal commission on illegal immigrants in Sabah. You said that nobody will vote for the motion to be passed, including the Sabah BN MPs.<br />It is unbelievable that Sabah MPs would not vote in support for this motion. Why? What, may I ask, is your reason for not supporting this motion. Please don't give me stupid reasons such as, ‘irrelevant’, ‘unnecessary’, ‘pointless’ or other stupid arguments. The fact is you are hiding something. You prove to us that Barisan Nasional is not for Sabah.<br />To all the Sabah MPs, you must all feel relieved by this for you need not be put in a difficult position of voting against the motion. We will remember you. We have your names. We will not be like before where we say: ‘Apa boleh buat?’ This issue will not be put to rest. We will<br />carry on this fight so that truth and justice prevails. </span><a href="http://malaysiakini.com/news/83408"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://malaysiakini.com/news/83408</span></a></p></blockquote><p><a href="http://malaysiakini.com/news/83408"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></a> </p><p>The disgust of the Sabah Forum community was clearly overwhelming. If I were Kiandee, I would probably not have a good night's sleep from this day forth.</p><a href="http://www.sabahforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4774&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=105">http://www.sabahforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4774&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=105<br /></a><br />And the best part is the following pix campaign that the Sabah Forum community came up with:<blockquote><blockquote></blockquote> <p></p></blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWhWwSpK8Nw_QL2mpPzEU-p72WvTt0DV7WoBxO_kKnDzqnu2T5hRHo7dvOSry13mXtCL0c8W9nmzw9zg6XEJPNnY6Q1HhYHnlPuyZroxmMbsJ2kYc1k8KdG61gFTOUOivtoVib5FuWrm4/s1600-h/Ronald_Kiandee2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204900033867539074" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWhWwSpK8Nw_QL2mpPzEU-p72WvTt0DV7WoBxO_kKnDzqnu2T5hRHo7dvOSry13mXtCL0c8W9nmzw9zg6XEJPNnY6Q1HhYHnlPuyZroxmMbsJ2kYc1k8KdG61gFTOUOivtoVib5FuWrm4/s400/Ronald_Kiandee2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Sabahans, in general, have no problems with Kiandee on a personal level (well, initially at least but now he has given us one). Sabahans are merely disappointed and frustrated. We have suffered in silence for so long since under Mahafiraun Mahathir, where the illegals boasted and bragged about Project Mahathir that this 'Project M' which gives myKad to all illegals in Sabah became an open secret. Project M was part of the strategy to keep UMNO in power in Sabah. Sabahans have pleaded and begged for the problem to be resolved by the Federal Government. Nothing was ever done. In fact, UMNO further aggravated the problem with Project M and provided the illegals with homes and facilities better than what the locals could get. When Sabahans were appointed Speaker and Deputy Speaker in Dewan Rakyat recently, Sabahans rejoiced. And when the motion to table the Royal Commission on illegal immigrants came up, Sabahans finally felt there is hope and that solutions are on the way. Finally, we can end this long-standing problem of illegal aliens. Sabahans would have been happy with anything, JUST ANYTHING, that would have some effect, no matter how small, in tackling the illegal immigrants issue. But nooo, Kiandee thinks he is smarter (personally, he'd only be as smart as an ass###!). So now, Kiandee is trying to play God with the lives of Sabahans.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">How dumb can you be, Kiandee! You see, Kiandee, the motion would have been a first step towards tackling the illegal immigrants issue. THE FIRST STEP, GET IT! With the illegal immigrant issue, Sabahans are akin to a drowning person. We would have grabbed at anything, even a straw if it means saving ourselves and our future generations. The proposed RCI motion is like a straw to Sabahans. Sabahans would have grabbed something, anything, that would save our children from the threat of the illegal immigrants.<br /><br />Can't you get this through that thick skull of yours, stupid! To hell with your politeness, or relevance or your standing order. We are talking about saving this beautiful land of ours from are our safety and the safety of our children and our future generation. But you have let Sabahans down, to say the least. To redeem yourself, if you are a true Sabahan, you must do what is right for our beloved land, Sabah. Deputy Speaker, sir, please don't misinterpret me as you did the Standing Order in Parliament. Since you are prone to misinterpreting written words, let me put it in black an white. Redeeming yourself here means resigning from the Deputy Speaker's post and jumping into the nearby Kinabatangan River!<br /><br /></span>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-1390568189703470022008-05-14T16:21:00.004+09:002008-05-14T17:23:26.067+09:00"SDO to take over from JPPS, says Musa." For Real?!<span style="font-family:arial;">Is this for real? That the Federal Development Dept Sabah (JPPS) will be closed down and Sabah Development Office (SDO) will take over its functions? Not only the functions, but also honestly manage development funds from the Federal Government that are meant for Sabah? According to the Sabah Chief Minister, this seems to be in the works:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>"SDO to take over from JPPS, says Musa</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">13 May, 2008<br />Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Federal Development Department (JPPS) that has been the cause of discomfort among state leaders is now being slowly phased out with the re-introduction of the Sabah Development Office (SDO).<br />Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said State Secretary Datuk Sukarti Wakiman has been tasked to look into the revival of the SDO, which has similar function as the JPPS.<br />The SDO, that will be under the jurisdiction of the Chief Minister's Department, was particularly active during Usno and Berjaya government era.<br />He said the re-introduction of the development office is part of the Federal Government's promise to do away with the JPPS." (Daily Express, 13/05/08) </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Well, I've been harping on this issue of JPPS in my last few posts. I've been saying that they will never close JPPS because it is cashcow for a selected few. And I remain skeptical that this will really happen. If it does, it can ony mean two things:</span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family:Arial;">The PM must be really in dire straits. He must be in a really, really desperate situation that he is willing to fulfil one of the promises he made to Sabahans. So the Anwar threat is looming large and near, is it? So much so that the PM is going to give in to one of the demands from Sabah? or</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Arial;">This revived SDO is only different in name. SDO will be manned by the same people, doing the same things over again. JPPS with a different name.</span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">I was about to say, I'll take back my words, that I'll take back what I said about them not closing down JPPS. But, nothing is concrete yet. JPPS still exist. The CM only gave instructions to the State Secretary to look into the matter to revive SDO. SDO may never materialise. It could only be a carrot on a stick so that certain Sabah MPs will not 'frog' over to Pakatan Rakyat to enable Anwar Ibrahim to become the next Prime Minister of Malaysia come September 16, 2008. So, I will not take back my words, not just yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Still, if SDO does materialise, I'll probably still not take back my words. Because if SDO replaces JPPS, SDO might STILL be JPPS only with a different name. Remember, Sabah is demanding for oil royalty to be increased from 5% to 20%. Goodness, that should be about RM2 billion per year for Sabah. So, our cashcow has just gotten much, much fatter, eh? And the fat, fat cow will continue to enrich the same chosen few. Greater days are definitely coming for this chosen few, inspite of the skyrocketing prices for consumer goods and daily necessities, which the common Sabahans on the streets shiver to think about.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">A small part of me want to believe in our elected leaders, but because of so much dirty, toxic water under the bridge, it is really difficult to get rid of this phobic instinct of distrust towards all Malaysian politicians, Sabahans included. So, we will see. We will wait and see. We will see if SDO is for real, and it is not a wolf in sheep's clothing. We will wait for SDO to be up and about doing its job, understanding the real needs of Sabahans and serving Sabahans in the true sense of the word. If and when all these become reality, then and only then will I take back my word. </span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-65607999584146386472008-05-06T10:36:00.031+09:002008-05-09T18:04:40.293+09:00Sabah 'Robbed' of its Natural Gas & Urged to Use Coal Instead<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Federal Government has urged Sabah to use coal to resolve its power supply crisis whilst it siphons off natural gas from Sabah to Sarawak. What kind of senseless governance is the Federal Government using? Simply put, the Federal Government through Petronas is 'robbing' Sabah in broad daylight of its natural gas, and then try to pollute Sabah (and thus risk poisoning Sabahans with poisonous coal emissions) by urging Sabah to use coal-fired power plants. This is an insult and total outrage </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">to all Sabahans</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">. What are they trying to do? Pollute us so and destroy this beautiful Land-Below-the-Wind and poison us in the process? Sabahans, let us stand up for our rights (and our lives) and put a stop to all this bullying treatment!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Earlier in February, it was reported:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span>Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has awarded a RM1.01 billion contract to China National Electric Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) to build a 300MW coal-fired power plant in Silam, Lahad Datu, Sabah." (</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Feb 20 2008, Bernama)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In 2nd April 2008, the Sabah Government rightly cancelled the project following fierce criticisms from many quarters including experts. Then when on April 21 and 30 SESB transmission towers collapsed, due to greed of scrap metal thieves (only illegal aliens have the stomach to do this), Sabah was thrown into power crisis. </span><br /></span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Then in trying to resolve the crisis, Mr. Leo Moggie came into town on 2nd May 2008, gave a press conference, and tried to push the coal-fired plants down Sabahans throat again. He arrogantly announced again that there is no <span style="font-weight: bold;">available alternative that is better and more viable than coal </span>to boost the power reserve margin in Sabah. Such coal-fired plants now use clean coal technology, he pointed out. Then he went into a dialogue all by himself to convince Sabahans that coal burning is clean these days, and went on into a tirade, again by himself, questioning Sabahans' rejection of coal-fired plants:</span></p><p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">..."What is so bad, so dirty about coal? Yes, coal is black, giving an impression it is not clean and if you talk about coal plants 20 years ago the worries would be more than today. But in the last few years clean coal technology had been developed and is increasingly sophisticated." (Daily Express, 03 May 2008)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Yeah rite, Mr. Moggie, if coal is clean, try rubbing it on your face. But seriously do you really believe what you are saying? No matter how clean the technology, and whilst the process may not seem all black and dirty, but it has to involve heating or burning, right? So with the heating/burning, where do the gas emissions go? Will the emissions not go right back into the atmosphere? And how many tons and tons of coal do you need to burn to supply the East Coast of Sabah with 200mw that it needs?</span><br /><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The State Government again rightly responded by saying it is sticking to its decision against building the coal plants in Lahad Datu:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"KOTA KINABALU: The state government is sticking to its decision against building a coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjum.</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Masidi said the government could not afford the environmental risks of such a facility close to key pristine conservation areas.</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“We are aware of the argument that coal-fired plants in the peninsula are sited close to a resort and Singapore. But these places do not have the Danum Valley, the Maliau Basin or the Darvel Bay,” he said here yesterday.</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The minister said the Sabah cabinet had heard views and advices from various experts before deciding against the 300MW coal-fired plant on April 2.</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">He found it surprising that Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) was insisting coal was the only viable option for power generation in the state’s East Coast.</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“We have no intention to quarrel with SESB but we hope they appreciate that our obligation is to preserve the delicate nature of our environment,” he added.</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">On Saturday, Sabah Environmental Protection Association president Wong Tack said Tenaga Nasional Berhad chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie had insulted Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Masidi and Sabahans for saying that there was no alternative for the state but to accept the coal-fired power plant in overcoming the shortage of electricity supply.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >On Saturday, Sabah Environmental Protection Association president Wong Tack said Tenaga Nasional Berhad chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie had insulted Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Masidi and Sabahans for saying that there was no alternative for the state but to accept the coal-fired power plant in overcoming the shortage of electricity supply. " (Borneo Post Online, 05/05/08)</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">What is scary about such coal-fired plants is that they can put the health and lives of many Sabahans at risk . To quote published reports:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >"EAC’s Lahad Datu chairman Wong Tack said the project was an unnecessary risk. He said there had been worldwide opposition to coal plants due to concerns over emissions such as sulphur dioxide causing acid rain, soot particles causing visibility and respiratory problems and carbon dioxide contributing to global warming."</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Isn't that trying poison Sabahans living in the vicinity not to mention destroying our pristine Danum Valley and Maliau Basin? And where are they going to find coal? Are they going to dissect, destroy and burn our beautiful land to mine for coal?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A thought just struck me. Why is the Federal Government so desperate to convince Sabahans to use coal plants. Sabah has enough natural gas to supply the power for its own use. Why the desperation in trying to convince Sabahans to use coal plants and pull the wool over our eyes? Is the Federal Government trying to distract Sabahans whilst Petronas siphons gas from Sabah to Sarawak? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yes, indeed, whilst the Federal Government through TNB distracts us with stupid issues, Petronas is preparing to 'rob' Sabah of her oil and gas in broad daylight! They have to rationalise this senseless act by the Federal Government & Petronas to pipe natural gas from Sabah to Sarawak in the midst of a power supply crisis in Sabah. This Petronas 'robbery' project was launched by who else, the Prime Minister himself. The Daily Express reported:</span><br /></span><p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:date month="1" day="18" year="2008"><span style="color:gray;">18 January, 2008</span></st1:date></span><span style=";font-size:85%;color:gray;" > </span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style="">"Kota Kinabalu</span></b></span><span style="font-size:85%;">: The Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) project at Kimanis, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in February last year, is expected to transform significantly the State's socio-economic fabric, particularly in the Kimanis area. </span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The project, covering an area of 101.17 hectares, undertaken by Petronas would not only be a symbol of </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:place><span style="">Sabah</span></st1:place></span><span style="font-size:85%;">'s brisk economic development but also create employment opportunities in oil-related industries for the local populace and in the process raise their standard of living. </span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The basic infrastructure such was water supply, electricity and transport facilities to be developed for the project would indirectly benefit the locals. </span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">SOGT is among components of the Sabah-Sarawak Oil and Gas Integrated project undertaken by Petronas. Other components of the project include the development of oilfields offshore </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:place><span style="">Sabah</span></st1:place></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> and the construction of the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipe project (SSGP). </span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The SSGP project would involve the construction of gas pipes overland spanning 500 kilometres (90km in Sabah and 410km in Sarawak) linking Kimanis in Sabah and the LNG Petronas Complex in Bintulu. </span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Although the total cost of the project to be completed by 2010 has yet to be revealed, news reports have estimated it to be around RM3 billion....</span></p><p face="arial" style="font-style: italic;"> </p> <p style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">.... The natural gas piped to Bintulu would be processed into Liquefied Natural Gas for export."</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />And typical of the mainstream media, large part of the report went on and on about how great this project will be for Sabah and how the project will open up new developments along the 550km span from Kimanis to Bintulu and stimulate further economic activities for the locals blah..blah..blah.</span><br /></span><p face="arial"> </p><p face="arial"><span style="font-size:100%;">What struck me and why I call this a daylight 'robbery' is because (and I quote) "</span><span style="font-size:100%;">The natural gas piped to Bintulu would be processed into Liquefied Natural Gas for export."</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Why siphon the gas to Bintulu? Why not just build a LNG Complex in Sabah and export LNG from Sabah? I am sure we have more than ample space in Sabah for a LNG Complex. We already have the oil terminal depot in Sepanggar, and building an LNG complex in Sepanggar, which would be peanuts for Petronas, will no doubt boost the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) after all the KKIP is a landmark of Sepanggar, and it will also create economic spillover throughout the State. Why pipe our gas all the way to Bintulu? As it is, Petronas is already bleeding Sabah dry of its oil and gas resources, and Sabah is only given 5% percent royalty each year? Isn't that 'robbery' in broad daylight? A LNG complex, say in Sepanggar, will only be a tiny, tiny drop in the hugely lucrative bucket for Petronas.</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">And why is Leo Moggie saying that "</span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >there was no alternative for the state but to accept the coal-fired power plant in overcoming the shortage of electricity supply. " ? With all the so-called educated people staffing TNB and SESB, is this the best alternative that they could find? Any 6-year old can figure out that burning coal gives out so much smoke and make people cough which may not be good for their health. Go figure that one out, Mr Moggie and all you educated people in TNB/SESB!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">And Mr. Moggie, sir, Petronas is piping our natural gas from Kimanis into your home state Sarawak, and you come in here and announced arrogantly that we Sabahans have <span style="font-weight: bold;">no alternative but to accept</span> the coal-fired plant!!! What kind of bullshit is this? You think Sabahans are so stupid that you can just bullshit us? The way I see it, you people (Fed Govt, Petronas & TNB) are not only 'robbing' from Sabahans but you are also trying to pollute the air that we breathe and that could probably end up poisoning us all!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sabahans are relieved that the State Government has cancelled the coal plant in Lahad Datu. Thank you, State Cabinet. It is time Sabahans object to the unethical tactics and bullying done by the Federal Government in Sabah. Why should we use coal-fired plants when we have natural gas? We have so much natural gas that could easily resolve the power supply crisis that we are facing now. We probably have so much natural gas in Sabah that if we were to blow it all up, the whole island of Borneo and, hopefully Peninsular Malaysia, will disappear from the face of the earth!<br /><br />I think I speak for many Sabahans when I say that I just don't understand why Petronas will be siphoning off our natural gas from Kimanis to Bintulu in Sarawak while we are, at this very moment, suffering from a power supply crisis in Sabah. Can the Sabah Government not put a stop to this horrible treatment of Sabah by the Federal Government, Petronas and TNB?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Could we not demand for an increase in oil royalty to 30% or even 50%? After all, Sabah with all her oil and gas resources FORMED this country called Malaysia together with Sarawak and Malaya, making Sabah and Sarawak an equal partner to Malaya in the formation of Malaysia. Hence, Sabah should be entitled to a 50-50 arrangement in anything that directly concerns and come from Sabah. We are not like Trengganu which was part of Malaya. We were a sovereign nation-state that</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">, with Sarawak and Malaya,</span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > formed Malaysia, hence, equal partners by right where federal-state matters are concerned. The oil and gas comes from </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >bumi</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Sabah, and we should share it 50-50 (or something very close to that) with the Federal Government. Likewise, anything directly concerning Sarawak and her resources should be treated likewise.</span><br /><br />C<span style="font-family:arial;">an't the Sabah Government do anything at all about this worrying situation, especially the act by Petronas to siphon off gas from Sabah to Sarawak? Is Petronas so powerful that it can do anything it wants that even the Prime Minister has no say? Or, he has a say but will/can not do anything about it? How did Petronas get so powerful? And the only answer I can come up with is that Petronas is so powerful because it controls so much money from the oil and gas that were extracted from oil rich states including Sabah. Yes, Sabah used to be one of the richest states in Malaysia. Today, Sabah is the SECOND POOREST state in Malaysia. What happened? How come with all its oil and gas resources, Sabah is the second poorest state in the country? I just have trouble trying to understand this.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Again, I ask, can't the Sabah Government do anything about this at all, review the agreement on our oil and gas resources, for instance? Are the agreement covering Sabah's oil and gas written in stone that there is nothing we Sabahans can do? Can someone out there enlighten us, or at least me. Or should we, Sabahans, just resign ourselves to this fate of being forever sidelined, bullied and bled dry of our rich resources by the Federal Government for generations to come? With the deep frustrations that we, Sabahans, feel about Sabah's rights at the moment, I fear to think about how our children will feel in the future.<br /><br /></span></span>Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-53049826889329330792008-04-11T14:01:00.013+09:002008-05-16T12:49:01.113+09:00No Cabinet Decision to Abolish JPPS: SidekSee... I told you so!<br /><br />Didn't I tell you so?! The Prime Minister WILL NOT disband the Sabah Federal Development Department (JPPS). The Federal BN has no intention to close down the JPPS . To quote the report under this headline in a local daily today on the statement by Chief Secretary to the Government, TS Md Sidek Hassan:<br /><br />"no decision has been made on the proposal to disband the Sabah Federal Development Department (JPPS). He said the Federal Cabinet did discuss the proposal on Wednesday but that no decision was made on the issue, which was raised by the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) when it met with the Prime Minister earlier this week. We did discuss the matter and I have related the results of the discussion (at the Federal Cabinet meeting) to the Chief Minister of Sabah this (Thursday) morning. <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">As what has been promised by the Prime Minister, we are willing to consider the proposal and it will be discussed thoroughly to achieve the objectives that were discussed earlier</span> (during the the Prime Minister's meeting with the Sabah BN leaders on Monday), he said." (Daily Express, p1-2, 11/04/08)<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Uuiii urang BN Sabah, kamu inda sedar kah kamu kena tipu oleh ketua BN kamu, itu Perdana Menteri sendiri???</span> The Prime Minister lied through his teeth right to your face, and you cannot even SEE the reality of the situation. All Sidek need to do is <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">putar belit</span> on the words the PM used (look again at the pix of his face in the article...can't you see the obvious snicker as he struggles hard to hide his laughter at your stupidity!). Of course, the PM made a promise to you last Monday. Yes, he made you a promise. The promise that he made to you was: <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">'he will consider your proposals and to discuss them thoroughly". </span>Technically, as stated by Sidek (see the purposely bolded part in para above), the PM fulfilled his promise which was to <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">'consider your proposals and to discuss them thoroughly'</span> on Wednesday (09/04/08) at the Federal Cabinet meeting. Yes, he did fulfill his promise, after all, so no more accusing <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">si lembek</span> of only giving empty promises! So, to all BN leaders who submitted your wonderful proposals last Monday, the Prime Minister has indeed fulfilled all his promises to you. He promised you that <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">he</span> <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">consider ALL your proposals and to discuss them thoroughly, </span>which he did.<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span>So, technically, he fulfilled his promise. You see, the PM never lied to the Sabah BN reps and the Sabahans. The fact of the matter is this: the PM NEVER promised to close down the JPPS. The PM NEVER promised to resolve all problems relating to illegal aliens, MyKad, giving more ministerial posts to Sabah MPs, borneonisation of federal departments, street kids, poverty, etc. He NEVER made any promise to resolve any of these Sabah problems! The PM never promised to make any decision on these problems. The ONLY promise he made to the Sabah BN leaders last Monday is this: <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">he will consider your proposals and to discuss them thoroughly'</span>. Come the following Wednesday, the PM fulfilled that promise, <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">he considered the proposals and discussed them thoroughly </span>at the Federal Cabinet. Promise fulfilled. Job done. Sidek informed the Sabah Chief Minister on the fulfillment of PM's promise. End of story. See what excellent <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">loyar buruk </span>we have managing this country!!!<br /><br />Next question. Why won't the PM disband the JPPS? Because JPPS is more or less like the 'Wang Ehsan' for Terengganu. The JPPS was established in Sabah during the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) rule (1985-1994 thereabouts) when it was still an opposition party "to oversee the implementation of Federal projects in the State" (DE, p2, 11/04/08). Last Monday, the Sabah BN leaders propose to PM "to abolish the JPPS so as to smoothen the implementation of Federal projects by channeling funds to the State Government through the Chief Minister's Department". Gosh! Does the Sabah BN leaders actually believe that the PM would allow federal government money to be channeled to the Sabah Chief Minister's Office? Are you people serious in actually believing that that is a remote possibility? Gosh! I am just speechless! <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Buduuuh butul urang Sabah ni!</span> I bet my bottom dollar that those in the Federal Cabinet must have been rolling on the floor laughing their heads off last Wednesday at the stupidity of the Sabah BN leaders. I'm sure they must have ask: Are these Sabah BN leaders for real?!! Whoah...back up a minute, there. No, don't be fooled by all these <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">wayang kulit</span>. Something is definitely going on behind the scene. You think the Sabah BN leaders are fools? Nahhh. They, too, want (and all these while must have been having, I am sure) their hands in the cookie jar. It's all <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">wayang kulit</span>...and it's all about dollars and <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">sen</span>!<br /><br />If you can recall my take on this in my last article "Sabah will be duly rewarded: PM", posted last 8th April, that I was very sure the Federal BN will NOT close down the JPPS. In that article I wrote:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">"JPPS has been in Sabah for about 20 years. It doesn't look like it is ready to close shop. It is already deeply entrenched within the underground halls and dark spaces where fattened contractors and well-fed government servants negotiate and roam. Imagine, if you may, a cancer growing and and flourishing in a human body for 20 long years. Imagine how obnoxious and abhorrent that cancer would look today. You cut away the cancer, not sure whether the host will live. So are we still surprise that JPPS is very much alive, fat and kicking even as we speak? You think they and their few hosts will want JPPS to close shop? Well, think again."</span><br /><br />Of course, the PM and his cronies, his SIL included, will not allow the JPPS to close. Otherwise, how can they get their grubby hands on the federal government money that are meant for development in Sabah. Remember, the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wang Ehsan</span>, the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Patrick Lim</span> and the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Monsoon Cup</span> of Terengganu. Well, the JPPS will be the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Patrick Lim</span> (the proxy of you-know-who) <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">et al</span> who will control the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Wang Ehsan</span> and build all kinds of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Monsoon Cups</span> (including the RM15 million schools-turned-white elephants, projects that we don't hear about, and possibly the upcoming Sabah Development Corridor) in Sabah. JPPS will be very much needed to continue in Sabah to enrich certain umnoputras especially in the next 5 years and hopefully forever, if Sabahans continue to be <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">buduh</span>. In the end, Malaysian politics is about grabbing or stealing as much money as possible from the federal and ALL states (so-called) development projects. Yes, that, in a nutshell, is Malaysian politics.<br /><br />I'd give my left pinky to know what the Sabah Chief Minister is now thinking, now that TS Sidek had already informed him that the PM will not share with him even a single sen from all that federal development money that Sabah should be getting in the next 5 years. Or maybe, they have made some nice arrangement already (in which case, I'll take back my bet). <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Wayang kulit lah</span>, of course...it's all just <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">wayang kulit</span> and oscar-standard acting. That and of course the fact that politics in Sabah, and worst , politics in Malaysia, is all about becoming rich instantly. Malaysian politics (state politics included) is the biggest, largest and most successful get-rich-quick scheme in the nation's history. Oh my...that is Malaysian politics in a nutshell.Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-50800158339061287282008-04-08T17:41:00.000+09:002008-04-10T12:23:03.376+09:00Sabah will be duly rewarded, vows PMYeah rite! If you believe this, then you must still believe in the tooth fairy! Wait all you want for that vow to be fulfilled, and I can assure you that you will wait till kingdom come!<br /><br />The title above was a headline in a Sabah daily yesterday which among others also reported that the PM also gave assurance to look into issues related to illegal aliens, giving more ministerial posts to Sabahan MPs, illegal MyKad, street kids, JPPS, borneonisation of federal departments, poverty, etc. Bold headline indeed: Sabah will be duly rewarded. You think?! Any reader with a pea brain could already see the vagueness of the PM's statements and emptiness of his vows.<br /><br />And that's exactly what the opposition, a VP of PKR, said today, that "... the PM's visit to Sabah was a total disappointment. He did not bring anything solid from Kuala Lumpur, and gave all sorts of vague statements and promises."<br /><br />Each and every issue highlighted by the BN reps who came to consult PM last Monday, all of them, are old issues. Nothing new, some are as old as Malaysia itself. And, correct me if I'm wrong, is it not BN who has been ruling Sabah since the mid-nineties? How come these same-old, same-old issues continue to remain unresolved and have to be brought over and over and over again to the attention of the Prime Minister? Is he hearing these for the first time in his life? Didn't the State BN Government has had ample time to mend Sabah's problems with the help of big BN?<br /><br />Headlined yesterday, too, was that the Jabatan Pembangunan Persekutuan Sabah (JPPS) might close shop. The JPPS was set up way back when PBS (now, a BN component) ruled Sabah as an opposition (1985-1994 thereabouts) as a means of channeling federal funds directly to the development projects without having to go through the State government coffers. Then BN came in and ruled Sabah after 1994. Somehow, NOBODY in the State or Federal Government relised how redundant the JPPS has become since 1994 to the present day. It is just mind-boggling how it took the State and Federal BN 14 years to realise how stupid this JPPS arrangement has become, save for certain quarters, of course. JPPS have been deciding and acting on its own where development projects are concern. Even past state MPs have questioned why JPPS never consulted local representatives and authorities in many development projects. Cases in point were the many RM15 million schools build in the middle of nowhere throughout the State, in areas where there are not enough student population. Many of these schools are empty or near-empty. The JPPS when they build these schools think they are too smart to consult the local reps and authorities. No Sabahan is stupid as to not see that JPPS just build for the sake of building, to disburse the funds and enrich a few. Not surprising, a PKR member today (DE, p. 3) claimed that "JPPS had also flourished corruption in Sabah.... I call on the authorities concerned to investigate all Federal-funded projects implemented through JPPS." This same member pointed out that "JPPS caused overlapping of duties to several State departments which was probably why a simple flyover in Kota Kinabalu took six years to be implemented."<br /><br />JPPS has been in Sabah for about 20 years. It doesn't look like it is ready to close shop. It is already deeply entrenched within the underground halls and dark spaces where fattened contractors and well-fed government servants negotiate and roam. Imagine, if you may, a cancer growing and and flourishing in a human body for 20 long years. Imagine how obnoxious and abhorrent that cancer would look today. You cut away the cancer, not sure whether the host will live. So are we still surprise that JPPS is very much alive, fat and kicking even as we speak? You think they and their few hosts will want JPPS to close shop? Well, think again.<br /><br />What about the illegal aliens? They are staying in Sabah as if they own the State. No sane Sabahan would dare wander into any of their notorious colonies and expect to come out alive. Many locals have been stabbed and killed in public places in broad daylight by these illegals. And the illegal MyKad issues... so many things to say on this topic as well as the rest of the issues mentioned above that I don't even know where to start. So I won't even try to begin.<br /><br />But one thing's for sure. The PM's vows will just remain that ...empty promises. Of that, I'm pretty darn sure. Just carefully read his statements. One very obvious case is when the Sabah reps ask for more ministerial posts for Sabahan MPs. Oh yes, he promised he will give "but it will take time"! Duhhhh...his ministers have already been sworn in, the present federal government has only few more years to go, and it is not sure how stable his government will be the next few years. You think he will bother to waste his limited precious time to accommodate some so-called conscientious Sabahan MPs? Again, better start thinking again. So, when the PM says "but it will take time", just take it to mean ..."when donkeys fly, my clueless friends!" And let's just get on with our lives.<br /><br />But if any still insist on waiting for the PM's promises to be fulfilled, be my guest...Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731967775553644038.post-15686956948386628102008-03-31T17:20:00.000+09:002008-04-02T13:45:00.509+09:00Funny These Two-faced Sabahan Politicians...Now, all of a sudden Sabahan BN politicians are jumping on the bandwagon ... criticising the <span style="font-style: italic;">Barisan Nasional</span> government for their unfair handling of various issues involving Sabah when all the while they are BN members. Only now they dare voice their concern for Sabahans?!! Where were these politicians all these while? On 8th March 2008 when they were give the chance, did they choose to exercise their right and voice their so-called genuine concern for Sabahan rights? On 8th March 2008, they had their chance to tell their BN masters what they thought about all the unfair policies that the BN were dealing Sabahans? And what did these politicians (who are only now criticising) do? They voted BN right back to power knowing fully well how unfairly the BN have treated Sabahans all along? You, the same politicians who have been licking the crumbs off the BN table, kowtowing to your masters in Kuala Lumpur, only now you say KL is taking us for granted and have been unfair to us. I was expecting the opposition people to highlight these issues as it was the opposition who push and paved the way for the political change that is beginning to transform the political landscape in Malaysia. Instead, all I see is a bunch of BN politicians in Sabah who are trying to salvage their reputation, and trying to win back the people (read, revive or prolong their political career).<br /><br />In the local dailies yesterday, one Sabahan BN politician was whining about how the BN takes Sabah's contribution for granted, and another groveling that it's time KL review 'unfair' policies in Sabah. The BN government has been taking this unfair stand vis-a-vis Sabah since God knows when. And only now they suddenly realise that Sabahan have been taken for a ride for the past 45 years? Pelizzzz... It is funny how these two-faced politicians think that people on the street are too stupid to see right through them. We see right through you, misters! Behind the garbage that are gurgling out of your mouths, we can hear you loud and clear saying : "I can now afford to criticise the BN a bit because there is a 'Goverment-in-waiting'. Datuk Seri Anwar's Barisan Rakyat (BR) will certainly be impressed when I try to act smart and academic and speak up for Sabah's rights, that they will surely offer me millions to join BR."<br /><br />To DSAI, be aware of politicians such as these. When you trudged and campaigned in the State leading to GE2008, these same politicians were singing to the high heavens the so-called goodness and glories of BN. Only now, they dare change their tune and openly criticise the BN. Of course now they dare change their tune, only because the PM and BN are at the most vulnerable, and then there is that Government-in-waiting akin to a safety net for them. I knew the minute DSAI spoke of the Government-in-waiting that they will a flurry of opportunist politicians bearing application forms rushing to get into the Barisan Rakyat coalition. They are just too many political frogs in the country, and Sabah is full of them, these opportunist frogs. These <span style="font-style: italic;">kataks</span> have been responsible for bringing down good governments in Sabah, and have created much havoc for the State in the past.<br /><br />These sort of politicians think they are showing some sense of bravery <span style="font-style: italic;">konon</span>, but all we see is a bunch of opportunists! Yes, that what these politicians are. They jump to the fore and take credit of the situation created by the Barisan Rakyat to revive their own dying political careers. As one opposition leader in the State puts it, the Sabah BN leaders are now singing the same song as him with regard to the treatment of Sabah by the Federal Government. Only now these politicians show their so-called bravery to criticise the BN. Why? Because the BN and the Prime Minister are at their weakest, and this is the opportune time for blackmailing. And if all does not go well with the BN, there is now that other option... the Government-in-waiting of DSAI, or so these politicians think. Well, think again, misters! You are all political has-beens. Some of you only won the election because they made use of the postal votes - the contingency votes.<br /><br />If you think about it, these are the sort of politicians that we should keep away from. Prior to this, they were singing BN praises, and kissing the hands of leaders in spite of Sabahans being treated unfairly. Now that the BN leaders are seen as vulnerable and weak, only then these politicians start coming out and criticising BN and the Federal government. It's like stepping on your opponent when he has already fallen to the ground. That's taking advantage of another's vulnerability. And that's the type of politicians we should be wary about because these politicians are, in effect, cowards.<br /><br />To these politicians, I say, show your principles and bravery at all times. Stay committed to your vision and political values at all times and speak without fear or favour. We expect you to do so. That was why we voted for you in the first place. Don't just speak up and pretend to be brave when others, especially your bosses, are weak and vulnerable. Be consistent with you values and your principles. Speak without fear or favour on behalf of Sabahans who voted for you. And never forget WHO or WHY we voted for you. Looks like you have already forgotten why you are where you are today. So before, the voters make you fall with such disgrace that you've never seen before, it's best for all around that you just vanish into the night...Zandi Sabahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04092370467660655301noreply@blogger.com0