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Books and politicians

By Hafidz Baharom
[email protected]
The Nut Graph

WHAT’S the difference between a book and a politician?

This was a question posed to me recently by a close friend after having one too many beers. Somehow, the mind gets more creative when it’s intoxicated.

Well, I said the first major difference was that I find books interesting to read. From Bill Maher’s New Rules to Lewis Black’s Nothing’s Sacred, political satire is definitely alive in Western comedy. Heck, these books are even selling well.

On the other hand, I view the Malaysian politician as someone with minimum knowledge and memory, but who can outspew a rabid spitting camel.

Take the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Jerai, Datuk Paduka Badruddin Amiruldin. Recall the 2007 Umno general assembly, during which delegate Zaleha Hussin implied that the uniforms for Air Asia’s women flight attendants were a tad skimpy.

I’m not sure if it was plain idiocy or whether he was merely gatal, but our dear Badruddin agreed: “Yes, we can see a tunnel under her skirt.” Perhaps if he was at a bar after a few shots of vodka, I’d understand. But to be sober at the Umno general assembly and say this in front of the media? Continue reading “Books and politicians”

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Another White Elephant for Putrajaya?

Letters
by Moaz Yusuf Ahmad
Subang Jaya,
Selangor

RE: Putrajaya monorail report and Putrajaya Corp. bus purchases

When it was announced in early 2008 that the government was taking another look at the Putrajaya monorail, it could hardly have come at a better time. This was in late April/early May, and I had just finished participating in the Majlis Bajet Consultation 2009. My experience trying to get from Persiaran Putrajaya (the site of the Finance Ministry) to Putrajaya Sentral was ironic. Though the bus fleet had improved (in terms of size) information about bus services and bus shelters was still non-existent on the main island.

My comments about the poor infrastructure for the bus services and the lack of demand to justify a monorail would strike a chord with many people. They agreed with me about the irony of investing millions of RM to build a monorail instead of investing a few thousand RM to build bus shelters that could be enjoyed by many.

Now that the report on the monorail has been completed it would be very interesting to hear what it has to say. Sadly, the government is keeping quiet about the report. Continue reading “Another White Elephant for Putrajaya?”

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Only one BN MP signs petition for debate on ISA

Only one BN MP signs petition for debate on ISA
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz
Oct 23, 08 4:19pm
Malaysiakini

One Barisan Nasional member of parliament was among 76 other MPs who signed an opposition-initiated petition calling for a debate of the review and repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in the Dewan Rakyat when it reconvenes after the Deepavali break.

Revealing this today, Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) said while it is “historic” that as many as one-third of all MPs inked their support for the debate, the signatures did not reflect the public pronouncements of several top leaders of Barisan component parties who have called for a review of the preventive detention law.

“I am disappointed that up until now, only one Barisan Nasional MP has been willing to support this letter to the prime minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi), as this is not a commitment to abolish the ISA… but only a call to debate whether the ISA should be reviewed or repealed.” Continue reading “Only one BN MP signs petition for debate on ISA”