Former Education Minister Khir Johari dies of heart attack at 10am on Sunday.

Being one of the longest serving cabinet ministers from 1950s till his retirement in 1983, not only he has played an instrumental role in the country’s independence and the setting up of Umno, he was also known of his active sports personality.

He will be greatly missed by not only politicians but also the sports fraternity, which described him as a "beacon of guiding lights".

This is sickening.

In the parliament, when being asked on what the Malaysian astronaut might do in the International Space Station (ISS), Agriculture Ministry parliamentary secretary Rohani Abdul Karim who was replying on behalf of the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry, said the astronaut would play traditional Malay children’s games without gravity, besides the planned batik painting and making teh tarik.

So, is this the kind of strategic experiments that would be carried out with hundred of millions burnt just like that, just to fulfill the ego and the "Malaysia Can" hype?

Real sickening.

"Kurang ajar", which translates into a highly derogatory equivalent of "ill educated and ill mannered", infuriating many Malaysians at the time.

Truth spoken, I’m neither a fan to Works Minister S Samy Vellu nor Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon, however I believe that’s way too harsh for them to be openly branded as "kurang ajar" by a small time opportunist to gain political mileage.

The uncalled derogatory remark not only fail to imply the good relationship and bilateral understanding between Barisan Nasional component parties, however to a certain extent, deepen the already worse ethnocentrism mentality among Malaysians.

So, in this case, who is showing the best examplary of "kurang ajar"? The fact is, it’s like a pot calling a kettle black.

When a perverted council worker zoomed onto the thighs of women journalists instead of council proceedings, the Penang Municipal Council president Abu Bakar Hassan blamed it on the sexy attire.

"The issue is the sexy dress worn by the journalist. If it was not sexy, the incident would not have arisen," he said.

And that’s not about it. Municipal councillor Geeta Suresh Chand said the CCTV system at City Hall was quite new and that there could have been a technical malfunction(?).

Now, let’s be fair. Benefits of doubts should be accorded to the person accused of the sexy attire.

By now, you’re left with two choices. It’s either you help to consult the journalist in hotsoup Melissa Darlyne Chow on her attire or making sure the bewildered president get immediate and proper consultantation regarding the terminology.

Afterall, Penangites are the taxpayers who help to make sure the president gets his three square meals not by making insensitive and fault-finding remarks, but rather, put more effort into the development of the progressive state.

An option or a green light deal? 51% controlling stake? Sure?

This time, Volkswagen is believed to be wanting to buy a controlling stake in Proton’s manufacturing operations, instead of Proton’s holding company.

If the deals go through, the Malaysian company would control sales and distribution, while Volkswagen can access Proton’s assembly lines.

Early 2006, VW snubbed a deal with Proton, quoting that Proton wasn’t willing to give up management control due to the national pride.

If the deal does go through, it would be good for the country, as it would provide Proton new technology and a new direction.

Former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad has been admitted to National Heart Institue (IJN) for a mild heart attack.

Let’s us pray for his speedy recovery.

Unlike good infrastructure planning as shown by Singapore, Malaysia way of doing things, typically do first and think later.

Here comes another good example. First, we built the first Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in SEA, then only comes to think of the railway connecting the LCCT to the main terminal of the KL International Airport.

Currently, passengers travelling between LCCT and main terminal via the bus service provided. Upon the completion, according to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the journey would take only 11 minutes instead of 20 minutes on bus.

Apparently, the inconvenience caused is in a great mess, especially oversea inbound travellers who intend to reach domestic destinations via low cost carrier or vice-versa.

However, having said that, we need to compliment the Cabinet Committee on Public Transport and DPM for the inititiative. It’s better to rectify the flaw now rather than causing the country a punitive setback, especially when Visit Malaysia Year 2007 is around the corner.

We can’t afford to miss it this time.

Yesterday, Johor Umno chairman Abdul Ghani Othman’s comment that the implementation of a wrongly interpreted concept of Bangsa Malaysia will jeopardise the stability and Constitution of the country.

He described the Bangsa Malaysia concept as a "rojak" of races, which to him, was unacceptable.

"After 49 years of Independence, we should be mature enough not to try and introduce vague and unclear concepts.

"The term Bangsa Malaysia continues to be lauded by our friends under the name of unity and understanding without proper thought for its definition."

Subsequently, the statement has drawn much criticism from other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties and the Opposition. Among the heavyweight who condemn Ghani, is the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

"Malaysian race concept is a general concept that does not require detailed definition," he said.

"It does not need to be defined in detail,"

"I like to stress that it is more towards a state of the mind, meaning that we rid of the prejudices, incompatibility among the races and unwillingness to mix with other races,"

"If we treat it as a state of the mind, I think we can avoid the polemics. And if we try to define it, it will raise a lot of questions and debate on the matter,"

Having said so, it’s good for Ghani to understand that it’s pointless to cry like a baby over the "rojak" concept, so-to-speak.

My advice to Ghani is, rather than overindulging in this trivial matter, it’s good to watch his back and focus on the RM382 billion worth of South Johor Economic Region (SJER).

It wasn’t even highlighted on the mainstream media, however Reuters is kind enough to help Malaysia to shed some lights on the South Johor Economic Region (SJER), where the people harbor high expectation on South Johor to be turned into a world-class metropolis.

JOHOR BARU, Malaysia, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Malaysia unveiled a $105 billion blueprint on Saturday to turn the area around its second-largest city into a prosperous Asian metropolis, determined to overcome its reputation for street crime and broken dreams.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, keen to boost a slowing economy and his own political support, said the government would set up a central planning body to oversee 20 years worth of projects to transform Johor Baru and its surrounds.

"We mean business," he told a crowd on city’s foreshore, overlooking the island state of Singapore, whose rapid economic success over 30 years has mocked Johor Baru’s failed ambitions.

"Our vision is to make south Johor the new international address for business, investment, leisure and culture."

Read the amount right, $105 billion (RM382 billion) spreads over 20 years or rather, RM19.14 billion a year!

Even from where I sit right now, I think I can hear blogger Aisehman yelling afar. Probably I should have prayed hard that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will stay at the helm long enough to oversee his pet project, justifying the growth and achievement of SJER after 20 years of its conception, starting from this year 2006.

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo is one real ignorant MB, not only he came out in defence of the Port Klang state assemblyman Zakaria Md. Deros who quitted the Klang municipal councillorship yesterday, he confessed there are a lot of buildings in Selangor built without proper local council approval but no action been taken.

"If I go strictly by the book instead of taking into account public interest and racial harmony, imagine the outcry if I were to execute the demolition orders," he said.

"Datuk Zakaria (Md Deros) is not the only person who had constructed a house without getting all the approvals first.

"I have been told I should not practise double standard. If his house is demolished, can all others in the same predicament accept the demolition of their properties?

"I have received many calls from the public, saying this place, or that, the neighbour’s extension has no building plan approval, should I demolish them?"

If I don’t get Khir Toyo wrongly, does that mean he is harboring those who has offended laws all the while? Does that mean if Zakaria illegal mansion wasn’t played out by the media, the people of Selangor state, including the Sultan of Selangor are in the dark too? Does that mean that for the sake of "preserving" the mansion, he had no other way out but to "expose" the truth?

Or in another word, is Khir Toyo trying to defy the rules by acting above the law?