[UPDATED VERSION] No kidding, Coup d’état is happening at our neighbouring country Thailand.

(SOURCE: BBC, 20 September 2006)

(SOURCE: The Star, 20 September 2006)

"I declare Bangkok under a severe state of emergency," Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said in a voice broadcast on Thai television, currently at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

Forces loyal to sacked Thai military commander Lieutenant General Sonthi Boonyaratglin have seized the prime minister’s office in Bangkok, witnesses said, as tanks and heavily armed soldiers were seen in the streets of Bangkok, circling the PM offices with at least 14 tanks, seizing control of TV stations and declaring a provisional authority pledging loyalty to the king.

Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said Thailand’s leadership expects everything to return to normal soon and asked for residents to remain calm and await further announcements.

Read the following first hand accounts from blogs around Thailand. Click here, here, here and here. Detailed chronology here. (Thanks reader Steve for the head up!).

Listen to BBC World Live Radio here on more first hand experience. BBC’s blog has an entry on this too: What’s happening in Thailand? Witnesses to events in the Thai capital tell the BBC what they have seen. CNN’s eyewitness reports here.

Meanwhile, Thaksin’s state of emergency and 1997 constituition had been cancelled by the military chief, who also declared martial law, telling all soldiers to report to base and banned unauthorised troop movements, suggesting the military leadership was worried that Thaksin loyalists in the armed forces might attempt a counter-coup. Below is the statement from the military reformist:

There has been social division like never before. Each side has been trying to conquer another with all possible means and the situation tends to intensify with growing doubts on the administration amid widespread reported corruption.

State units and independent organisations have been politically meddled, not able to deliver their services as specified in the Constitution.

The administration is also usually bordering on "lest majest" actions against the revered King. Despite attempts from social units for compromises, there is no way to end the conflicts.

The revolution body thus needs to seize power. We have no intention to rule but to return the power to the people as soon as possible, to preserve peace and honour the King who is the most revered to all Thais.

The country’s stock market, banks and schools will be closed on Wednesday and the coup leaders have announced that regional commanders will take charge of areas outside the capital, Bangkok.

Thailand’s coup leaders are due to make a televised address to the nation at 9 a.m. (0200 GMT) on Wednesday, and have told civil servants to tune in to hear their new policies, a senior colonel told reporters.

It was also reported by The Nation that many politicians and those with links to Thaksin were spread far and wide.

Steady updating at second links below:

http://www.thaiphotoblogs.com/
http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?p=72394
http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11198
http://www.thailandvoice.com/
http://www.thai-blogs.com/
http://www.sgtowns.com/
http://bangkok.metblogs.com/
http://www.2bangkok.com/highemer.shtml

(Thanks feng37 of Global Voices Online for the head up!)

Still remember the open challenge "Be a jantan, leave UMNO"?

Yesterday, during the winding-up speech on the Budget 2007 debate, he went after a wheelchair-bound Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh.

"You are just jealous because I am standing," retorted Nazri in reference to Karpal’s confinement to a wheelchair following an accident last year."

To be able to enjoy the respect of others, we must first have respect for ourselves. That means, we recognize that we are worthy of respect.

But heck, a Datuk Seri he is!

Everyone is jealous.

No shake hand is one thing, it’s attitude problem anyway, we can’t do much about it.

However, it’s his concern on no issue thus trying to create a big hoo-haa out of it, that will continue to become an issue to the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was seen as saying, "I’m in control".

(SOURCE: China Press, 17 September 2006)

Now, the son-in-law is thinking out of the box, asking Government to look into the reason why highway operators prefer to engage the consultancy services offered by non-bumiputera and foreign firms, rather than to look into a pool of bumiputera entrepreneurs?

Apparently, this is a big issue, according to the son-in-law.

Question time.

You know why the entire Mat Cemerlang’s plans are bounded to fail?

(SOURCE: The Star, 15 September 2006)

Because even Mat Rempit’s do understand that, those who promised them are those who cakap tak serupa bikin.

Can’t you read what Mat Rempit’s has to tell you?

Frankly speaking, we need Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi immediate attention into his Mat Cemerlang, thanks to the great idea no less by the Deputy Umno youth chief a.k.a son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin and Putera Umno chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

Why? The grueling issue is, even before the establishment of Mat Cemerlang’s club, we’ve seen no less troubles posed by the nation’s biggest assets.

Yesterday, it was reported by Harian Metro that during an expedition organised by Putera Umno for its 8,000 Mat and Minah Rempit, some of the participants were alleged to be involved in close proximity (khalwat), openly consuming alcohol, fighting and bathing together in a pond located in a mosque despite being told not to do so.

This lead to the angry residents to file a report with the Manjung Religious Department where an operation was conducted and lead to the detention of eight youths, including teenage girls aged between 15 and 19. Two 18-years-old boys and two teenage girls were caught sleeping together in an intoxicated state.

Enforcement officer Mohd. Zainuddin Mohamed Zaini confirmed to have received a report from the mosque’s committee and said all the youths will be charged at the Manjung district Syariah Court.

No such thing

However, the chief Abdul Azeez came out in a denial mode, saying that they’re innocent until proven to be wrong. He added that it’s impossible for the youths to run away from the camp under heavy surveillance. Short say, he denied everything and doesn’t aware of anything. (Click here for the full screen capture)

Period.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before the old stuff gets done, here comes another fresh cake.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Ong Tee Keat was quoted as saying Education Ministry officials pocketed funds meant to refurbish Chinese primary schools, Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussien dismissed the allegation as inappropriate and accused Ong as trying to act like the only leader who champions the cause of the Chinese.

While neighbouring countries continue to move forward and strive for excellence in education, we’re still stuck in a political deadlock, worse in the name of education!

Initially, police lowered fines by up to 75% for traffic offences. The reason? To fight corruption and alleviate the public’s rising cost of living caused by oil price increases.

Minister of Transport Chan Kong Choy, whose ministry is tasked with reducing road accidents and improving road safety, said he wasn’t consulted by the police who decided to reduce traffic fines and he only knew of it through the media. The cabinet, in an immediate response, decided to to postpone the reduction of traffic fines, agreed that compounds imposed on traffic offenders, especially for serious faults, should be a deterrent.

Yesterday, Chan said maximum RM300 fines for exceeding the speed limit, queue jumping, beating red light, abusing the emergency lane and overtaking at double lines will not be reduced.

"We want to get the right message across to road users," he told reporters. The newly appointed IGP of Police Musa Hassan, agreed the coordination of the fines is to ensure safety of road users and admitted the idea of lowering fines is not right.

I hope IGP would be able to understand the root of corruption, where it’s not about high compound and people not willing to pay thus lead to bribery. Even if fines are being lowered, corruption will take place too, albeit at lower "amount of payment", if proper education on integrity is not being given the right priority.

Fire fighting measure won’t cure the corruption issue, but merely reduce it for a short term period, for it to resuscitate and makes a come back to haunt the country sometime in the future.

On the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, America is at war, suicide bombers appear in video games, Osama bin Laden is still at large, and bottles of shampoo have replaced box cutters as potential weapons of mass destruction.

Five years later, the "raw humanity" of that period is still what most remember most, seeing what was left in people after their egos and social structures were gone.

(SOURCE: AM New York)

The Transformation

Three renowned architects have unveiled designs for skyscrapers at the site of the September 11 attacks, revealing the first comprehensive look at how lower Manhattan’s skyline will be transformed.

Britain’s Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, and Japan’s Fumihiko Maki, each designed one of the three buildings that will swirl around a memorial where the World Trade Centre’s twin towers once stood.

All building work on the site is due to be completed by 2012, a decade after the demolition.

The most successful driver in Formula One history Michael Schumacher announced his retirement after winning the Italian Grand Prix. However, he will remain in Ferrari in a new role which will be revealed soon.

(SOURCE: Promikatur)

"I have decided that I am going to retire from racing. It has been an exceptional time," the 37-year-old said. […]

"What motorsport has given me in more than 30 years has given to me, I have loved every moment of it, good and bad." […]

"It has been a tough decision to not work at this level. The day has come and I felt this is the moment."

Following the announcement, McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen was announced as the replacement next season.

I remember Schuey as someone who was often seen as too ambitious and aloof to capture the hearts of fans and peers the way the late Ayrton Senna of Brazil did.

But he got the respect he deserved for his racing and his dedication to racing was complete, driven by desire for perfection.

Schumacher has won 90 Grand Prix races in his 15-years career and finished in the top three 153 times, more than any other driver in the history of the series.

[UPDATED VERSION] The Star SMS alert at 5:17pm.

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad failed in his bid to become a delegate of the Kubang Pasu Umno division.

Malaysiakini reported that Tun received 227 votes and was ninth on the poll out of 15 candidates. His son, Mukhriz is one among the selected candidate with 289 votes, 5th highest number of votes.

It was also reported that Tun’s three former loyalists, in the name of former Kedah Menteri Besar Osman Aroff, Kubang Pasu chief Johari Baharum and Tun’s former political secretary Saad Man told branch delegates that he was "too old" and that it would "split Umno".

Osman told delegates that Tun had a track record of causing disarray in Umno and thus should be rejected as a delegate.

"We must remember it was because of Dr Mahathir that Umno was de-registered in 1987. It was also he, who chose to fight with his deputy (Anwar Ibrahim) in 1998. Such is Mahathir’s record."

Tun was seen leaving the hall where the divisional annual meet was held at about 3.30pm.