Last Thursday, during an interview by Bloomberg, former premier Mahathir Mohamad accused Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of endangering economic growth, jeopardising growth and that confidence in his government was waning.

Pak Lah, in return, denied he is committing "political suicide" by dropping some of the pet projects of Tun Mahathir.

Now, the meeting between Pak Lah and Tun is expected to take place this coming Sunday at the Umno HQ at the Putra World Trade Center (PWTC). How did their relationship change from being negative to positive in such a short period?

PAS Vice-President Husam Musa believes the talk will benefit Tun more than Pak Lah, where he is able to forsee that Tun will dictate to Pak Lah on what to do on several issues like the bridge and the AP (approved permits) or alternatively, both of them can come to terms with one another.

However, Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin is quick to portrait the PM as an understanding figure by agreeing to meet Tun, but not the son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, who was seen asking: Will Mahathir be satisfied?

Well, he can’t be bothered anyway, afterall, he is merely the son-in-law and the Umno deputy youth chief, who is he to justify whether Tun is satisfied with the outcome? It’s now all up to how convincing the PM a.k.a father-in-law can be.

Meanwhile, while many Umno leaders welcomed the meeting, saying it would be good for political stability in Malaysia, there are an equal number of others who are remain sceptical of the outcome.

But one thing for sure. Will it stop Mahathir from talking? No, he will still continue to do so.

Finally, Hong Leong Bank system crash made it to The Star today, 5 days after the denial of service.

A little bird informed that IBM is busy helping to solve the glitch and reports/updates are being sent out in 30 minutes interval. Worse, some of the HLB’s branches can’t even receive emails for the past few days.

"A lot of idle resources in the HQ, doing nothing!", he said.

[UPDATED VERSION] On August, Putera Umno started the nationwide recruitment on Mat Rempit a.k.a Mat Cemerlang to join Mat Cemerlang’s Club. The objective: To reach out to "national assets" and change society’s negative perception towards Mat Cemerlang.

Yesterday, Federal police traffic chief Senior Asst. Comm (II) Nooryah Md Anvar warned Mat Rempit that their days are numbered.

From now on, we will be going all out to put a stop to them," she said.

"We find that they are just too reckless and are not bothered about their own safety and that of others as they flout the law." […]

"We have been working towards ending this menace, and have identified their hangouts and gathering points.

"Soon, we will conduct operations around the country and hope to bust them once and for all."

Simultaneously, The Youth and Sports Ministry is trying to woo Mat Rempit to register with the ministry. Ministry’s deputy director-general Madzrib Ibrahim said the ministry could create a database on the Mat Rempit and organise legal races for them.

"Mat Rempit should not worry about registering with us because their personal details will be kept confidential and no action will be taken against them," […]

"This is just an exercise to create a mechanism so that healthy activities, that are within the law, can be organised for them." […]

"Youngsters who are involved in illegal races have no clear goals and proper activities. If left unchecked, such activities will spread among other youngsters. We are afraid that it is becoming a trend.

The latest, The Star SMS alert at 12:37pm.

DPM Najib: Cabinet has approved stiffer penalties against those involved in illegal racing, including confiscating motorcycles and suspending license.

Apparently, things seem to become more complicated and run out of control.
 
Now, tell me, if you’re Mat Rempit a.k.a Mat Cemerlang, which force that you’ll reckon with? Putera Umno? Police? The Youth and Sports Ministry? Or Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak?

On the other hand, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who on Saturday said he still command majority support, holds the President Umno post which is in charge of Putera Umno, the Minister of Home Affairs in charge of Police and as the Prime Minister where The Youth and Sports Ministry as well as DPM Najib report to.

In a recorded interview with CNN Talk Asia which was broadcasted yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi insisted that he is still the commander in chief.

"I still command majority support today and people want me to do what I want to do." […]

"I have developed what I call a national mission, which is very big, in order to achieve that vision."

This is the second time where Pak Lah reassert that he is the Prime Minister and he is in charge.

However, something for us to ponder: Does Pak Lah still command majority support? Very big vision indeed?

Whether it’s a 18.9% as stated in the Government statistics or 45% as stated in the report on bumiputra corporate equity published by ASLI’s Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), the resignation of its director Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, according to Penang state executive councillor Dr. Toh Kin Won, is a very refreshing departure from the cultural of compliance, or in another word, "ya-betul" phenomenon.

"His resignation was due to the unprincipled position taken by Asli president Datuk Mirzan Mahathir that the study done by CPPS was based on so-called ‘faulty assumption’ and hence its conclusions ‘faulty’ as well.

"Dr Lim disagreed and stood by his methodology. Being the honest scientist that he is, he took the honourable way of resigning, rather than meekly comply with the views of his president.

"His stand is a very refreshing departure from the culture of compliance and subservience that the ruling elites in our country attempt to cultivate,"

However, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak hopes the people will accept the Government’s official figure of 18.9 percent as not to cause public discontent which could hurt the feelings of certain races(?).

Meanwhile, ASLI’s president Mirzan Mahathir was reported as saying that it’s he and his colleague decision to back down on the report, without any intervention/pressure from anyone(?). He also agreed the resignation of Dr. Lim based on principle.

The reality is, let’s grow up and not to kid ourselves and face the brutal reality. How long the Umno is going to exploit the usage of NEP to enrich their cronies/politicians and let alone the poor Malay to become poorer?

Instead of calling the 45% figure of the equity participation of the Malay as rubbish(?), instead of anger, we Malaysians should rejoice over the achievement, which means we have much more wealthy Malays now.

Why can’t we just move on from here and help those who are poor and marginalised regardless of race rather than squabbling over who got the figures right?

Certainly, while I can’t see any visionaries out there, I saw monkeys everywhere, harping on those least opportunities they have to be perceived or to be seen as the hero, albeit a racial one.

We’re screwed.

Crude oil prices dropped to their lowest levels of the year at below $58 in Asian trade today as the market discounted news of a planned Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut in output.

OPEC ministers have agreed oil markets are oversupplied by around one million barrels per day, but have yet to decide on whether to make a reduction from a notional 28 million barrels per day production ceiling or from actual supply of nearly 27.5 million barrels per day in September.

However, some analysts say prices could fall further with or without an output cut, as lower OPEC production would increase spare capacity, meaning OPEC were better able to cope with any unexpected supply disruption.

On July, oil prices once hit a new high above $76 a barrel, a huge difference of $18 compared to the now lowest.

Oliver Stone, in his new movie World Trade Center, recreating what happened that day in the lives of two resilient men, has done more than any politician’s speech could ever do.

As it happens, the most refreshing thing about Stone’s new film is that it is anything but political. World Trade Center focuses on the lives and near deaths of two Port Authority police officers. We see 9/11 through their eyes.

In those seemingly endless days and nights where "missing" posters lined the streets of New York city, with a desperate hopefulness in the smoky air, only 20 people were pulled from the Ground Zero rubble. Sgt. John McLoughlin and Officer William J. Jimeno, played by Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena, were the 18th and 19th rescued, having kept each other alive while "living in hell". Nicolage Cage says toward the end of the movie.

9/11 showed us what humans are capable of, the evil, yeah sure, but it also brought out a goodness we forgot could exist.

People taking care of each other, for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. It’s important for us to talk about that good, to remember, because I saw a lot of it that day.

Evil and goodness, it’s a choice.

Putera Umno’s "biggest assets", remember still? Since then, they were left behind like unwanted pets.

Yesterday, two rival groups of Mat Rempit clashed, leaving one dead and three injured at Bukit Damansara. The Internal Security Ministry is pissed with Mat Cemerlang. Deputy Minister Johari Baharum said the is considering introducing a new legal provision which will allow the confiscation of motorcycles of those caught involved in illegal racing.

"We have carried out various operations against illegal motorcycle racers, but they are back on the road again after paying their summonses and getting back their motorcycles."

How about "Mat Cemerlang’s Club"? If the entire idea of Mat Cemerlang’s is so great, why not Johari Baharum as the a senior rank member in Umno gives Putera Umno Chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and Umno Deputy Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin a leg up, providing them with a list of illegal racing activities and where to approach them, if the duo is sincere in educating Mat Cemerlang?

Or shall we be fair enough to give them a chance of survival in the next mammoth motor carnival and witness the event to turn ugly? Let’s give Azeez the spotlight he desires so much.

October 6, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi instructed all ministries and government agencies to settle outstanding bills submitted by contractors and suppliers within three weeks.

Immediately, Works Minister S Samy Vellu ordered the Public Works Department (PWD) to speed up payments to contractors and suppliers in less than two weeks, trying to give an impression that he wants to do better than what had been told by his boss.

Now, what amused me is this, Samy Vellu being a cabinet minister for almost 27 years since 1979, virtually made him the third longest person to hold a minister post in the country after Lim Keng Yaik and Rafidah Aziz, needs the Prime Minister himself to speak the order before he knows well on what to do with the execution part.

Afterall, logically speaking, holding the office as Works Minister uninterrupted since 1995, he should have been smarter by now to realise what to do without the high level intervention on this minor kind of payment issue, isn’t it?

First deputy minister to question the new national language policy move? Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Tan Chai Ho.

(SOURCE: China Press, 6 October 2006)

Chai Ho was reported as saying that "Mykad" is just like another brand name, it’s not about the proper or improper usage of language.

He asked: If "Mykad" to be renamed, would it be called "Kad aku"?