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For God’s sake?

— Clive Kessler
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 11, 2013

FEB 11 — Disputation in Malaysia over the kalimah Allah, the name of God, has not abated.

On the contrary, it continues to become ever more acrimonious and worrying.

These days we now even have some enthusiastic “idealists” who give advance notice of their readiness for a virtually premeditated amok — or to excuse others who might resort to that kind of intimidatory violence — in order, paradoxically, to uphold their notions of moderation, mutual acceptance and tolerance in interfaith relations. Continue reading “For God’s sake?”

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Dr Mahathir and his mouth

— Greg War
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 12, 2013

FEB 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad seems to think that Malaysians are still intellectually backward and unable to read. In today’s Malaysia where one has access to immediate news from the Internet, the rakyat are not easily fooled.

Still, some of his public statements have been downright shocking, leaving the rakyat revolted in disbelief and protest. Every time he opens his mouth these days he seems either to spew out venom or spew out lies and hatred. He is a man of 88 but he has not lost any of his vengeful leanings.

Even after retirement, Dr Mahathir’s speeches have continued to stink of racism and his thoughts seem bizarre for an experienced former head of government. Is he sensationalising just to grab the headlines from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak or is he rooting for someone else?

Dr Mahathir conned three generations of Malaysians and kept them in check with his various laws to silence them. One would imagine that after having governed the country for 22 years and having enriched many around him, he would be content to rest on his laurels (sic) and spend some quality time with his grandchildren. Continue reading “Dr Mahathir and his mouth”

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58-Day Countdown to 13 GE – Najib’s elaborate edifice of supreme confidence of winning 13GE has collapsed like a house of cards as a result of three “Yes” for Psy and three “Noes” for BN at the multi-million ringgit Psy’s Gangnam Style performance in Penang yesterday

Instead of being a multi-million ringgit coup for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Barisan Nasional, it has turned out to be a multi-billion ringgit disaster for Najib and BN in the run-up to the 13th General Elections.

Completely forgotten are the millions of ringgit lavished by unknown sponsors with unknown motives who brought Psy and his troupe in a direct 20-hour flight from Brazil to Penang, the thousands of 1Malaysia flags which littered Penang island for Najib’s two-day Chinese New Year visit to Penang or Najib’s latest “I help you, You help me” offerings.

What will forever be remembered about Najib’s CNY do in Penang is the one-minute video which has gone viral and an even hotter sensation than Psy and Gangnam Style – when Najib asked the crowd at Han Chiang School grounds whether they are ready for Psy and ready for BN.

In fact, the thunderous three “Yes” to Najib’s questions whether the crowd was ready for Psy followed by the equally thunderous and spontaneous three “Noes” when Najib asked thrice whether they were ready for BN have destroyed Najib’s elaborate edifice of supreme confidence of winning handsomely in the 13GE , which has collapsed like a house of cards. Continue reading “58-Day Countdown to 13 GE – Najib’s elaborate edifice of supreme confidence of winning 13GE has collapsed like a house of cards as a result of three “Yes” for Psy and three “Noes” for BN at the multi-million ringgit Psy’s Gangnam Style performance in Penang yesterday”

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59-Day Countdown to 13GE – Ten thousand 1Malaysia flags on occasion of Psy’s Gangnam Style performance in Penang only highlight abject failure of Najib’s key 1Malaysia transformation programme

The people of Penang woke up on Chinese New Year Day on Sunday, February 10, 2013 to ten thousand 1Malaysia flags lining the routes which would be used by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his two-day CNY visit to Penang from Penang Airport to Han Chiang School which would feature the Korean pop star Psy to Georgetown heartland areas around Komtar.

But can the South Korean K-Pop sensation give life, spirit and soul to Najib’s 1Malaysia policy with the 10,000 1Malaysia flags arrogantly, haphazardly and dangerously planted along the main Penang thoroughfares – showing utter contempt for the welfare, safety and the by-laws in the state as well as highlighting the abject failure of Najib’s key 1Malaysia transformation programme?

It is pathetic that after four years as Prime Minister, there is only one out of 68 Ministers and Deputy Ministers who dare to openly go against the UMNO/Barisan Nasional mainstream and publicly declare that he is Malaysian first and Malay second.

Is there a second UMNO Minister who dare to emulate what the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, did in September 2010 in declaring that he is a Malaysian first and a Malay second, in line with Najib’s 1Malaysia signature policy as distinct from Najib’s own public declaration?

I say “in line with Najib’s 1Malaysia signature policy as distinct from Najib’s own public declaration” for the Prime Minister, as far as I can recollect and I am prepared to stand corrected, had never said a single time in the past four years that he is a Malaysian first and a Malay second! Continue reading “59-Day Countdown to 13GE – Ten thousand 1Malaysia flags on occasion of Psy’s Gangnam Style performance in Penang only highlight abject failure of Najib’s key 1Malaysia transformation programme”

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Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays Part 3:

by Bakri Musa

[The original, in Malay, appeared in suaris.wordpress.com on January 31, 2013]

Suaris: You advocate strategies that are generally deemed to be evolutionary in nature to change the collective Malay mindset. Should Malays be “shocked” with revolutionary changes as we saw with the Japanese and South Koreans that led to their quantum leap in achievement?

MBM: When Mohamed Bouazizi burned himself to death in Tunisia on January 4, 2011, it was not his intention to start a riot or revolution. He had simply given up hope; he just wanted to end his misery. His personal action however, triggered a revolution not only in Tunisia but also the entire Arab world.

Gamel Nasser was frothing at the mouth in wanting to revolutionize the Arabs; he was lucky that his Egypt was not totally whipped by Israel in the 1967 War. Senu Abdul Rahman and other Malay leaders like Abdullah Badawi, together with our intellectuals, were also intoxicated with their Revolusi Mental back then. Today, you could not even find the book of the same title that they wrote, and we Malays have remained the same.

Whether a change is evolutionary or revolutionary depends not on action or intention but on results and consequences. Bouazizi merely intended to end his suffering but his action reverberated throughout the Arab world, taking down hitherto strong men like Ghaddafi and Mubarak. Continue reading “Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays Part 3:”

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60-Day Countdown to 13GE – When will Najib make a statement whether Malaysia can ever catch up with South Korea or at least begin to close the yawning chasm between the two countries?

On the occasion of Korean pop superstar Psy’s Gangnam Style performance at the Prime Minister’s CNY Open House in Penang tomorrow, will Datuk Seri Najib Razak make a statement whether Malaysia can ever catch up with South Korea or at least begin to close the yawning chasm between the two countries?

A Cabinet Minister said Psy’s appearance will make Penang world-famous but it is more important that Penang and Malaysia become world-famous because of our own achievements in all fields of human endeavour.

Sixteen years ago, when we proclaimed the Multimedia Super Corridor as “a gift to the world”, Malaysia and South Korea were on the same level embarking on the IT journey.

Today, MSC and Malaysia have faded away from the world radar screen as an international IT hot spot, while South Korea has powered ahead to become the first country in the world to become a broadband society as well as the land of fastest internet in the world – with an average internet speed in 2012 of 14.7 Mpbs, 650% higher than the average 2.2 Mpbs registered in Malaysia.

In fact, Malaysia is ranked among the world’s worst nations in internet speed – even slower than Thailand’s average internet speed of 2.9 Mpbs for 2012. Continue reading “60-Day Countdown to 13GE – When will Najib make a statement whether Malaysia can ever catch up with South Korea or at least begin to close the yawning chasm between the two countries?”

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Mahathir’s false accusation of Tunku

by K. Siladass

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister had indeed accused Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman of having done something not permitted by law by granting citizenship to one million foreign immigrants.

Historians of repute will be quick to confirm how inhuman, unsound, flippant and exasperating is Mahathir’s allegation. The granting of citizenship to “foreign immigrants” was not the work of one man – Tunku alone. Besides, it is wicked of Mahathir to claim that one million or so residents in Malaya were purely immigrants ignoring the fact that they had lived in this country for generations; and had been an integral part in the resistance against the Japanese occupation and in the fight against communism. Those one million or so “foreign immigrants” as Mahathir arrogantly and wickedly describes are the ones who saw the economic progress of this country from the time the East India Company arrived here, under constant perilous conditions.

It is indeed shocking that Mahathir had not acquainted himself of the negotiations among the Alliance Partners consisting of UMNO-MCA-MIC, the predecessor of Barisan Nasional (BN) which played a prominent role in achieving Merdeka. Aside this, it is also shocking that a man of Mahathir’s stature would descend to cheap politics in hurling condemnation against the late Tunku, who was indeed instrumental in ensuring that the radicals from all sides did not scuttle the movement towards Merdeka by their emotional actions. Continue reading “Mahathir’s false accusation of Tunku”

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61-Day Countdown to 13GE – Thanks to Najib and Psy, Malaysians as patriotic duty must ask why Malaysia failed to live up to our potential to be a leading global nation in all fields of human endeavour 56 years after Merdeka

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Pakatan Rakyat is jealous of Barisan Nasional for scoring with Korean “Gangnam Style” star Psy because it derailed DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng’s plans to invite Psy to a function under the Pakatan Rakyat name.

Whether Najib is gullible to believe such a canard when DAP and Pakatan Rakyat just do not have the millions of ringgit to throw around as Umno/BN is doing in the run-up to the 13th General Elections and which would finally be paid by the taxpayers, the Prime Minister should not think that Malaysians as a whole are so gullible as to believe his “tall tale”.

This is reminiscent of his “tall tale” at the 66th UMNO anniversary at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on May 11, 2012, when he made the ludicrous allegation that Bersih 3.0 organisers “want to fight…want to kick at the cops…or their story won’t come out in CNN, Al-Jazeera, BBC”, after defaming Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” at Dataran Merdeka held two weeks before the UMNO anniversary as a “coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government” with “salt and mineral water bottles”!

It was at the 66th UMNO anniversary that Najib claimed that he was so uplifted by the support and “jubilant mood” shown at the celebration that he was ready to seek an audience with the Yang di Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament the next day.

But nine months later, and with less than a month to go before the fifth anniversary of the watershed of Malaysian electoral politics – the 308 political tsunami of March 8, 2008 general elections – Najib is still dithering on when to hold the 13GE.

Nobody should be “jealous” about Najib’s alleged “coup” with Psy and Gangnam Style. In fact, the nation should be very thankful to Najib and Psy, as Malaysians are now asking why Malaysia failed to live up to our potential to be a leading global nation in all fields of human endeavour 56 years after Merdeka. Continue reading “61-Day Countdown to 13GE – Thanks to Najib and Psy, Malaysians as patriotic duty must ask why Malaysia failed to live up to our potential to be a leading global nation in all fields of human endeavour 56 years after Merdeka”

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The decline and fall of Najib

Mariam Mokhtar | February 8, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

The prime minister had the perfect opportunity to act, but he neglected to do so. Consumed by greed and power, like many politicians in Malaysia, he looked the other way.

COMMENT

As soon as Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announces the date for 13th general election, it will probably sound his political death knell.

For the benefit of the rakyat, and in front of the television cameras and news photographers, Najib and his Cabinet present a united front; but behind the scenes, another story emerges.

Damaging leaks about the shortcomings of his leadership continue to undermine Najib. His grip on the party is tenuous. His strongest ally, the self-styled First Lady Rosmah Mansor, will do her utmost to ensure he succeeds.

Last month, the independent organisation, the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, found that Najib had high popularity ratings of 63% among voters in Peninsular Malaysia.

For the sake of “completeness”, why not a survey among voters in Sabah and also, Sarawak? It would have been interesting to gauge Najib’s popularity in Sabah, before and during the proceedings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) for Sabah.

If the same survey had been conducted among ministers in Najib’s own Cabinet, the results would be a good gauge of their confidence in his leadership. Continue reading “The decline and fall of Najib”

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Can Psy horse power boost BN?

Jeswan Kaur | February 8, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

Is getting Psy a pathetic reflection of how desperate BN has become in gearing up for the coming 13th general election?

COMMENT

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad just cannot have enough of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, finding any excuse possible to meet the actor, be it here or in India.

But the rendezvous with Shah Rukh Khan is always a private affair for Mahathir unlike the desperately seeking-attention Barisan Nasional, which is banking on South Korean “happening” rapper Psy do deliver them the much-needed people’s support.

BN has invited the rapper to grace its Chinese New Year open house in Penang on Feb 11, a move which comes at a cost of RM1 million to RM3 million.

Psy will be doing his “horse riding dance” or tarian kuda in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and some 60,000 guests expected at the CNY open house.

Where will BN get the money from? Has it “appointed” sponsors to take care of the massive payment Psy wants for his debut performance here?

Does BN or rather Najib seriously think getting the 35-year-old singer, songwriter, rapper and dancer Psy to do his “Gangnam Style” dance moves will bring in the crowd to its CNY open house?

If yes, then it is a pathetic reflection of how desperate BN has become in gearing up for the coming 13th general election. Continue reading “Can Psy horse power boost BN?”

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The essence of journalism

— Bob Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 08, 2013

FEB 8 — The worst headline that can greet a journalist is this: Malaysia records worst-ever ranking on press freedom. Let’s face it, we have reached rock-bottom.

In the latest index compiled by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, Malaysia has dropped 23 spots to a new low by ranking 145 out of 179 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index.

Some are quite happy to live with this sorry state of affairs. After all we are three steps ahead of Singapore which is ranked lower than Malaysia at No. 149.

But this is no consolation considering Bangladesh, Libya, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei are better off than us. And if that’s not bad enough, Myanmar is fast catching up — it climbed 18 spots to No. 151, just six steps behind us.

The moot point is that journalism as practised in Malaysia has fallen from grace.

Journalist, particularly senior editors, should start redeeming the profession. Sure there are many things we can’t influence or change but one thing we can do. We can change our attitude towards journalism and believe that press freedom is not only possible but essential. Continue reading “The essence of journalism”

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Star Headlines (07/02/13) “150k loans for students”

By PW Cheng
Feb 7, 2013

I would like to remind those students and parents who had read the Star today (07/02/2013) on “150k loans for students”, do not feel ecstatic about it. Please be prepared for a rude shock. No banks or any financial institutions in their right mind will give loans without any collateral. As according to Najib “this is a creative way of helping the rakyat”, I do not see anything creative about this. The interests charged is far too high and much higher if you were to take a mortgage loan. Najib should be sent back to school to study mathematics and calling it as creative, do not emanate intelligence.

In 2004 or 2005, the government has a loan scheme for tertiary students studying overseas. I was one of the few who knows about this loan scheme. Not even Dr Wee Ka Siong ( who was then the MCA Education Bureau chief) knows about this. I tried applying the loan for my son who was studying in Australia then but PSD kept on giving various excuses by twisting their terms and conditions to turn the loan down. Continue reading “Star Headlines (07/02/13) “150k loans for students””

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Pengiraan Detik 62 Hari ke PRU13 – Memenuhi impian Bapa Malaysia dalam pilihan raya 1990 untuk memperkenalkan sistem dua perikatan dan meletakkan asas kepada Malaysia untuk merapatkan jurang dengan Korea Selatan

Hari ini merupakan ulangtahun kelahiran ke-110 Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman – dua hari sebelum Tahun Baru Cina 2013 dan dua atau tiga minggu sebelum pembubaran Parlimen bagi diadakan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13.

Pada hari kedua Tahun Baru Cina yakni pada 11 Feb, bintang pop Korea Selatan Psy yang video “Gangnam Style-nya” telah ditonton lebih daripada 1 bilion kali (rekod terkini: 1.27 bilion) di Youtube, telah dijemput ke Pulau Pinang untuk menjadikan Rumah Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak sebuah acara yang julung-julung kalinya dan bersejarah.

Secara terbuka saya katakan bahawa rakyat Malaysia sepatutnya bergembira dengan persembahan Psy, tetapi sebelum dan selepas keriangan dan hiburan, rakyat Malaysia perlu melakukan pencarian diri terhadap persoalan mengapa nasib negara terbalik sepanjang setengah abad lalu, dengan Korea Selatan kini dua hingga tiga kali ganda lebih kaya berbanding Malaysia dan jauh kedepan dalam semua usaha yang dilakukan sedangkan negara kita pernah tiga kali ganda lebih kaya dan membangun berbanding Korea Selatan ketika kita mencapai Kemerdekaan pada 1957.

Saya percaya sekiranya Tunku masih hidup lagi hari ini, itu akan menjadi perkara yang paling diberi perhatian dalam urusan beliau, tentu beliau akan menjadi lebih sedih berbanding orang lain melihat kemunduran Malaysia bukannya kemajuan apabila membandingkan Malaysia dengan Korea Selatan.

Bukan sahaja dalam demokrasi dan tadbir urus yang baik, perkembangan ekonomi, kemajuan teknologi, pembangunan modan insan, seni dan budaya, tetapi juga dalam bidang sukan, Korea Selatan telah jauh mendahului Malaysia dalam setengah abad lalu. Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 62 Hari ke PRU13 – Memenuhi impian Bapa Malaysia dalam pilihan raya 1990 untuk memperkenalkan sistem dua perikatan dan meletakkan asas kepada Malaysia untuk merapatkan jurang dengan Korea Selatan”

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Pengiraan Detik 63 Hari ke PRU13 – Bolehkah Psy dan Gangnam Style menyelamatkan populariti BN di kalangan pengundi Cina, yang menjunam daripada 17% ke 6% dalam tempoh 10 bulan dari Febuari sehingga Disember tahun lalu?

Perang saraf bagi membentuk persepsi pengundi menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 masuk ke pusingan akhir, dengan Parlimen dijangka akan dibubarkan dalam dua atau tiga minggu lagi.

Skrip terbaru tukang putar UMNO/Barisan Nasional adalah serampang tiga mata:

  • mereka-reka laporan dan dakwaan palsu serta tidak berasas untuk menfitnah DAP dan pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat terutamanya melalui laman tak berwajah, tak bernama dan tak berjiwa di media sosial dan media perdana UMNO/BN;
  • menimbulkan kesangsian dan rasa tidak percaya di dalam parti DAP, PKR dan PAS serta memprovok permusuhan dan ketegangan di antara parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat, dengan matlamat utama untuk memecahbelahkan Pakatan Raktyat terutamanya kerjasama antara DAP dan PAS untuk menyelamatkan UMNO/BN daripada cabaran “hidup atau mati” dalam PRU13; dan
  • untuk mencipta persepsi bahawa UMNO/BN di bawah Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak akhirnya berjaya meraih sokongan popular kepada UMNO/BN, baik di kalangan pengundi Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan atau Iban.

Inilah sebabnya mengapa ditonjolkan Rumah Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina Najib di Pulau Pinang pada 11 Febuari – persembahan berjuta-juta ringgit bintang Korea Selatan dan lagu terkenalnya Gangnam Style.

Tetapi adakah kemunculan sensasi Psy dan Gangnam Style di Pulau Pinang adalah “harapan menjadi kenyataan” untuk Najib sehingga meraih sokongan popular di kalangan pengundi Cina untuk UMNO/BN dalam PRU13? Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 63 Hari ke PRU13 – Bolehkah Psy dan Gangnam Style menyelamatkan populariti BN di kalangan pengundi Cina, yang menjunam daripada 17% ke 6% dalam tempoh 10 bulan dari Febuari sehingga Disember tahun lalu?”

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MCA’s empty threats

— An SME businessman
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 08, 2013

FEB 8 — Many argue that the most important reason why Pakatan Rakyat must be elected the new federal government in the forthcoming general election is to bring an end to 55 years of Barisan Nasional government. While Umno’s frequent threats that May 13-style riots will occur if the elections produce a new government have lost their effect, the MCA has now joined this “threat game”.

Seeking to claim its traditional role of the party of big business, its president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was reported in the mainstream media over the weekend as saying that Bursa Malaysia will drop 500 points if Pakatan wins, which would “have a direct impact on the national economy”.

Chua went on to say “PAS has also mentioned that it will close Genting and the Bursa. All these will frighten investors, be they local of foreign”. Clearly these are empty threats.

For Pakatan to be elected the new federal government it must have a simple majority in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat, say, about 125 seats.

Because of the gerrymandering of constituencies by numerous Barisan administrations, Pakatan must receive a popular vote exceeding 55 per cent in order to win that number of seats required to form a working government with a comfortable majority that can also withstand any party-hopping that may occur thereafter.

In this scenario, surely the 55 per cent of Malaysians who voted for Pakatan will not wish to have their newly elected government destabilised at any level, including our economy. Continue reading “MCA’s empty threats”

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62-Day Countdown to 13GE – Fulfil Bapa Malaysia’s dream in 1990 general elections to promote a two-coalition system and lay the basis for Malaysia to close the gap with South Korea

Today is the 110th birthday anniversary of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman – two days before the 2013 Chinese New Year of the Snake and two or three weeks before the dissolution of Parliament for the holding of the 13th General Elections.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year on Feb. 11, South Korea’s global pop sensation Psy whose “Gangnam Style” is the first video to be watched over 1 billion times (latest record: 1.27 billion times) on YouTube, has been invited to Penang to make Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s CNY Open House a historic and unprecedented event.

I am on public record as saying that Malaysians should enjoy Psy’s show, but before and after the fun and entertainment, Malaysians must conduct a soul-searching as to why there had been a reversal of national fortunes in the past half-a-century, with South Korea now two to three times richer than Malaysia and ahead in all fields of human endeavour when this nation was twice as rich and developed as South Korea when we achieved Independence in 1957.

I have no doubt that if Tunku is still with us today, this will be topmost in his pre-occupations, as he would feel even sadder than anyone at Malaysia’s regression instead of progress when comparing Malaysia with South Korea.

Not only in the field of democracy and good governance, economic progress, technological advance, human resource development, art and culture, but also in the field of sports, South Korea has shot well ahead of Malaysia in the past half century. Continue reading “62-Day Countdown to 13GE – Fulfil Bapa Malaysia’s dream in 1990 general elections to promote a two-coalition system and lay the basis for Malaysia to close the gap with South Korea”

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It’s over for MCA

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | February 7, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

If the voting trends go along the same lines as it did in 2008, it is then the end for both Umno and MCA.

COMMENT

If only 30% of the Malay electorate in each of the parliamentary seat where MCA is the incumbent vote for PKR, then MCA is wiped out.

But Umno wants to save its Islam-bashing partner at all costs even if it means speaking like an infidel.

MCA, on its part, must do everything to keep the Chinese intact but it’s facing an uphill battle.

MCA has lost its credibility and relevance. It goes to town, saying if Pakatan Rakyat wins, then PAS will “Talibanise” everything.

It claims if Pakatan wins you can’t play mahjong, eat pork, bah kut teh, wash hair, yam seng and all that.

But we all know that MCA must say that PAS will restrict everything.

Umno and MCA are playing two sides of the same coin, but the subterfuge is not fooling everyone.

So, how do we kill off MCA for good? There is a simple formula.

If only 30% of the Malays vote for Pakatan and 80% of non-Malays vote the same way, MCA is finished. This is all we need.

MCA can lose all its 15 parliamentary seats in the next general election. Continue reading “It’s over for MCA”

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My Beautiful Malaysia, My Dream Malaysia

by Allan CF Goh
Feb 7, 2013

My dream Malaysia is full of charms,
With white beaches and tall swaying palms.
The redolent air is fresh and cool,
Blowing with gentle, caressing balm,
Not ravaged by ugly constructions,
Mother nature is blessedly calm.

Malaysia empowers greenery;
Forests grow in protected freedom.
Myriad flowers bloom in ecstasy,
To thrill us from unwanted boredom.
Native animals are free to roam;
Their habitats are saved by wisdom.

This country is a peaceful nation,
Where people live in real maturity.
Each respects the other’s differences,
Celebrating our diversity.
We live within shared common values,
Forging a lasting unity. Continue reading “My Beautiful Malaysia, My Dream Malaysia”

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Last chance for MCA to change history for the better

— Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 07, 2013

FEB 7 — As the curtain comes down on the MCA and its demise as a force in Malaysian politics, Malaysians are being treated to demonstrations of desperate behaviour by the MCA top brass to show that they are still relevant.

The latest is the attempt by MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai to reach out to Chinese voters by offering health tips for the Chinese New Year season.

No doubt the book launch speech by the health minister has been widely reported in the mainstream media. His backroom boys will probably be flattering the minister about how clever he is in referring to the lucky number of 8888 and its association with wealth and health in reaching out to the Chinese electorate.

But will it work on the Chinese electorate? Continue reading “Last chance for MCA to change history for the better”