Dirtier and Dirtier

I just wonder...how low can Malaysian politics go? Just last week the initimate Elizabeth Wong photos were leaked to the newspapers...obviously in an attempt to taint her character. Which newspaper? Aiyoh you know-lah...has to be them BN papers ma!! And who else but a stupid devil (toyol in this case...) would equate her victimisation with CSL's well-publicised tryst?? Well, if this is the intelligence of a aspiring future UMNO Youth Leader then there's nothing left to say now right? How about the 'disappearance' of the alleged perpetrator on the eve of the leakage...now please don't tell me you can't smell a rat here? Smelling like a certain private investigator who's whereabouts are still 'not known' hmm?

Obviously the newly-commissioned MACC and JACC will be BN's lapdog...just on Thursday the MACC barked loud and clear to follow its masters commands: this time against the Selangor Menteri Besar! Well I'm sure he has a lot of skeletons in his closet (after all he has done his time with UMNO) but to take the 'cars and cows' incident is stretching it a bit too far! Especially when you compare them to the two biggest scandals to-date - Lingamgate and PKFZ - which incidentally, has yet to be addressed after years in the news! 

PR is to be faulted too, but to a lesser degree. Hey the actions of the Speaker of the State Assembly may be a risky counterstroke, but I doubt it'll work in Boleh-land. Of course BN has decided to go to the judiciary to get the suspensions removed, but err, shouldn't the legislative and judiciary be independent of each other? Hmm, maybe elsewhere but as we have seen definitely not in Malaysia! 

How long more will the sagas continue on? How long more will the machinations continue? And urm, who's steering the ship? Don't the people in power know that the economic tsunami will hit us very soon? Already our new Finance Minister has admitted that the growth forecast for Malaysia for 2009 would have to be cut - oi hello, even the garbage man can tell you that!

Let me tell you my prediction here: negative growth - Malaysia in recession by 2Q 2009.

Kapish?

X-rated Commercial?

Now this is one video we will not get to see ever...in holier-than-thou Malaysia!

Slumdog Millionaire

Well, this is an interesting movie...one of the better ones thus far. Then again I haven't seen much lately. Yes everyone likes a rags-to-riches love story, especially if it involves kids. Better if they were poor kids! The movie was entertaining and endearing, and it also exposes the reality of life for the majority of the population in a major Indian city to the worldwide audience. I guess most of us who haven't been to India would not have guessed that that is the real India! I think it is not whether he wins the 10m rupees - that's a foregone conclusion - but the journey of the lives of the three main characters that is the highlight of the show. Danny Boyle has a penchant for directing shows with kids as the main character (Millions was another - I still can't quite get that one yet). However unlike many other similar shows this movie fail to make me weep - wonder why...

Highly-recommended movie - now everyone would be waiting to see whether it can win the most coveted Oscar of all!

What A Ride!

Wow...how much difference a week makes! I was in Penang on working visit, but couldn't keep my concentration with all the drama occuring in the State below me!! Well, a lot have been stated over MSM and the Net so I'll just summarise my take on the whole event:

1. Like it or not, BN HAS taken over the state government...
2. The way they have done so is sickening to say the least...
3. The people have spoken their minds...just look at the protests!
4. The ball is now with the courts...erm, I'm not even remotely hoping...
5. The defectors have to come out and publicly declare why they have hopped! Or risk being cursed forever... But I pity the family and relatives who will risk similar treatment though they are innocent (I hope)...
6. Anyone gonna do anything about the EC? They have clearly overstepped their bounds!
7. The Sultan may have had his hand forced...Daulat Tuanku!
8. Reinforces the fact that BN is not fit to lead this country...hopefully more people will see it that way now!

Anyway let's hope that this event has another sting in its tail...for BN that is!

PPSMI

I wonder what the fuss is about? Anyway the issue is teaching of Science and Maths in English, not other subjects! I guess a lot of people are taking this as an assault on the Bahasa Melayu (or was it Bahasa Malaysia...) and the Malay culture, as is clearly voiced by the individual interviewed!

What's my take? It is well known that the lingua franca of Science is English - well and good if these people want to teach this subject in Malay. Just don't come crying ten, twenty years down the line and say that our graduates are not equipped to compete with the outside world OK!

Hop, Hop, Hop, Hop to The Top?

Aiyoh, so many hoppers nowadays: no, no not grasshoppers, frogs or even kangaroos! I'm talking about political party hoppers...yeah just recently one UMNO State Assemblyman 'hopped' over to PKR but now there's talk of two 'hopping' the other way!

I cannot say for sure what their motives and intentions are but it certainly does not bode well for the people; come on, if you are to busy thinking where to hop to, the last thing on your mind would be the people who put you there in the first place right?

I strongly believe if someone wants to change alleigances, he or she should be honourable enough to resign and leave it to the people to choose either them again, or another to represent them.

Heck, with all these hoppers everywhere I won't be surprised if there's another general election soon!

Confused?

There's so much conflicting news coming out with regards to the economy...who wouldn't be confused??

First they say Malaysia will NOT go into recession...but there are now TWO stimulus packages, and Bank Negara has cut the OPR to 2.5%! There's also a nugget regarding Khazanah's plan to invest RM 58b (here!) over a three year period... On the flipside Intel is closing down two plants in Penang, and probably more MNCs to go down the same path?

Then again our RM 7b first stimulus package pales way in comparison to Singapore's SGD 20b package...so what does that say about Malaysian policy makers?

Let's us draw our own conclusions...

Another Lock-Up Boo Boo!

Well, the shit has really hit the fan this time...another death in the police lock-up! And of all races...you guessed it: an Indian!

The signs of torture are unmistakable, and for once the pictures have gone viral on the WWW! There can't be any cover up this time...

And with HINDRAF and MIC on the same boat for once, PDRM will have a lot of explaining to do!

Statistical nugget update: A total of 1536 individuals have died under police custody from 2003 to date. What you say? Yeah, apparently it's the truth...

KT Votes

As I write this now, voters in Kuala Terengganu are going to polling stations to vote for their new MP. It's PAS vs. UMNO, PR vs. BN, change vs. status quo. It's a neck and neck race, too close to call. PAS has got a lot going for them - well-liked candidate, issues galore, the 'change' momentum; BN as usual has to rely on bribery and money politics. 

Wonder how the result will turn out...guess we will find out in about 11 hours.

Update. 11.00 p.m.: PAS wins by 2,631 votes!!