Dr. Azmi Sharom, an associate professor of the Law Faculty of Universiti Malaya, in his column Brave New World on The Star, did a brilliant sum-up by sending a few reminders to politicians in Malaysia on why they shouldn’t be accorded with too much of respect and how those so-called people’s representatives fooling themselves in the Parliament.

Nevertheless, how woman MP can defend the insensitive MPs perplexed him the most when the world is laughing on us of having a truly funny parliament.

I am one of those people who think that politicians are given far too much respect.

After all, they are only where they are because of us. It would be nice therefore to take them down a peg or two every now and then to remind them of this fact.

This would normally be the job of satirists and the like and could take the form of the written word or stand-up comedy or even television puppet shows. Unfortunately, we don’t have very much of that in these parts. […]

We don’t have many people who can play the Shakespearean fool in Malaysia, someone who can show up those in power. But with clowns like Bung in our Parliament, we don’t really need to, as they are more than capable of being fools themselves.

And what wonderful comedic support he has, too.

When one of their fellows said a totally despicable thing and then gets off scot-free, many cheered. Oh, how they cheered.

Hurrah, one of us has made a "joke" that we would be ashamed to make in front of our mothers, but never mind, he got let off. Hip, hip, hurrah!

Or what about the woman MP who defended this jester Bung? I simply must remember my best period joke to tell her if we were ever to meet. I am sure she will find it humorous and in the best possible taste.

Indeed, Bung the fool has plenty of supporting players to make that comedy stage we call our Parliament a truly funny place indeed.

How I laughed. And I think I can hear the world laughing along with me.

And then, I laugh.

Yes, more and more money! Here’s the breakdown:-

• Proton asked for more money from the Government to pay off unprofitable dealers
  Damage: RM16million

• Teachers Day gift
  Damage: RM300million

• Severe roof leakage at the RM90million Parliament
  Damage: "Huge sum," S Samy Vellu said.

I read them in one day. It’s true that I’m chiding myself.

Yesterday, Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn announced stiff punishment on employers who fail to act or investigate complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace.

"This will ensure all employers treat sexual harassment cases seriously and investigate all complaints of such nature."

Interestingly, a few days ago, two MPs who uttered sexist remark in the parliament (who had since apologized as per instruction from the PM), run away clean and safe. Not the first time, not the second time and it’s not going to be last time. One too many times.

So, if sexual harassment is a crime in the workplace, how about sexist remark in Parliament? The existence of parliament privilege doesn’t mean sexual harassment is allowed, especially when we’re talking about  parliament as the highest legislative authority for our country. There is always a place and time for everything.

With power comes responsibility. In this case, when the popular saying no longer works, do ourselves a favor by carrying out the constitutional responsibility and remove the people’s representative who abused the power entrusted to them, then only we can dream of having a world class parliament, a legislature with integrity.

Otherwise, a dream will remain a syok sendiri dream, until the day you dozed off for good.

When two designated carriers Air Sahara and Air Indian Express were being disallowed entry into Malaysia in violation of our bilateral pact, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) retaliated.

(SOURCE: Daily News & Analaysis, 15 May 2007)
A show cause notice on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has been served by DGCA, threatening to stop the Malaysian carrier’s flights to India. To rub salt to the wound, the tussle may hit flights by Air India Express’s parent company Air India and post-the-merger Air Sahara’s parent company Jet Airways to Kuala Lumpur too, hence might the tourist arrival into Malaysia.

A number of Indian tourists fly to Malaysia, especially during  the peak season summer holidays while a section of the traffic to the US also flows through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Given the massive amount of expected 300,000 Indian visitors to Malaysia in conjunction with VMY 2007, it’s a heavy price to pay and a great lots to our tourism industry too. If that’s the case, what’s the point of extending the VMY 2007 to 2008 when a large number of visitors can’t even fly directly into Malaysia? What’s the logic of having facility providing visa-on-arrival for Indian tourists?

Meanwhile, in case if the sanction is on and I’m stuck in this Maximum City, I know who should I look for — to give a good f**k.

IF a quarter of government’s coffer spenders can emulate a quarter of Perak’s Crown Prince Raja Nazrin Shah, I’ve no qualm about voting for Barisan Nasional for the rest of my life.

IF and only IF. Who should I chid? Myself?

Now, the 2 MPs have apologized.

Next, more questions to ask.

Why did Barisan Nasional’s MP need such high level instruction from the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also the BN’s chairman to get them to apologized over the remarks?

Why reporters are asked to stop writing about this case?

Why PM allows monkey to continue to rule when it’s not the first offence committed?

Why?

Yesterday’s joke and will continue to be today’s joke too.

RM4 for four-kilometers?

By the way, don’t blame it on Works Minister S Samy Vellu, not his fault, really.

Hehehe, as a Works Minister, he has warned early of March that if you don’t want to pay, you can always opt for the 90 minutes journey. Unlike him, blame it on your blood cheap life for not having the luxury of a escort team without paying a single cent.

That’s why when the former premier Tun Mahathir can’t sack him for an apparent reason, you’ve to put the blame either on MIC members or Sungai Siput voters if you can’t afford to blame your blood cheap life.

…. when he tells the world that he is still alive and kicking!

When the PM allegedly ‘lost his balance‘ at Lumut, I am sure few hundred people would have witnessed it. You don’t need the Internet to spread the news. I am sure the celcos already made a tidy sum from SMSs before the PM regained his footing.

As citizens, we have the right to know and be concerned of the PM’s well-being. Instead of timely and factual news from the mainstream media, they waited until some blogs scooped them with some creative reporting. Who gets the blame? Mobile phones? Human beings? Goats? No, the Internet again.

Penal code? Internal Security Ministry? RM50,000 fine? One year jail? Wahh, both?

Indeed, let’s take the easiest way out, blame the goat. (Heck, it’s not even among the selection list!)

In conjunction with the recent insensitive remarks made by 2 MPs in the parliament, DAP is organising the following forum entitled "Respect Women’s Dignity, Towards A 1st World Parliament!".

Respect Women’s Dignity, Towards A 1st World Parliament

The Parliament has failed in its duty to the nation and people, in particular Malaysian women.  It has shirked its responsibility to redeem itself and punish the two sexist BN MPs who have brought shame and dishonour to Parliament by the use of derogatory, crude, vulgar, sexist and gender-offensive attack on Sdri Fong Po Kuan and all Malaysian women on Wednesday, 9th May.

Since Parliament is not prepared to do what it should do to redeem its honour and those of Malaysian women and the nation, it is now up to the ordinary Malaysian public to do what Members of Parliament and Ministers have failed to do – by making their condemnation of the sexist conduct of the two BN MPs loud and clear to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the country!

Date:
17 May 2007 (Thursday)

Time:
7.30pm

Venue:
YMCA Hall, Kuala Lumpur.
No.95, Jalan Padang Belia, Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
(Opposite of the KL SENTRAL Station)

The panel of distinguished speakers include:

Ambiga Sreenevasan
Bar Council President

Maria Chin Bte Abdullah
Executive Director of Women Development Collective (WDC)

Zainah Anwar
Executive Director of Sisters in Islam

Azmin Ali
PKR Vice-President

Lim Guan Eng
Secretary-General of DAP

Lim Kit Siang
Parliamentary Opposition Leader

Teresa Kok Suh Sim
MP for Seputeh

Fong Po Kuan
MP for Batu Gajah

The forum will be chaired and moderated by Tony Pua, please contact him at tonypua[at]yahoo[dot]com for details.

The Start SMS alert at 5:18pm

Former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted to Langkawi Hospital’s ICU after breathing difficulties at 4pm, his condition reported to be stable.

According to Tun’s aide Sufi Yusoff, he was reported to be in stable condition.

Let’s pray for Tun swift recovery.