From goblok to karaoke singer, that’s the loser Zainuddin Maidin.

Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin today likened bloggers to karaoke singers who take pleasure in their own singing but have no influence although they claimed to have received millions of hits.

He said some people might enjoy their "singing", especially those who shared their views, but many rejected them because they sang "out of tune" and their views were unacceptable to the majority of the people.

He said some of the bloggers were those who had once received the attention of the mainstream media, but were now rejected, and so had to find a new avenue to vent their frustration. However, not many people read their pieces. [Bernama]

The good thing is, blogger Lulu seems to take it all in her stride and cool enough, she even composed a song for the loser.

Hey Zam-ee,
you Zam-ee,
crying at your life.

You’re a discontented newsman and a regimented politician
I’ve no doubt you dream about the things you’ll never do
But, I wish someone had talked to you
Like I wanna talk to you…..

Oh, you’ve been to London and Utusan and anywhere you could run
You took the hand of a beruk man and you made "news" in the press
But you ran out of places and friendly faces because you had to be an-UMNO-man
You’ve been to boleh-land
but you’ve never been to you

After all the hardwork by ZAM, I reckon he deserves this, thanks Lulu.

Or probably, Kenny Sia might want to produce a promotional video for ZAM too.

Three years ago, I voted him because I trust that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will deliver his promise.

"Work with me, not work for me," he said.

Three years down the road, things changed tremendously … and today, we’ve a Black Friday in nation’s history.

#1

All 37 charges against controversial Port Klang assemblyman Zakaria Md Deros and five of his business partners instituted by the Companies Commission (CC) have been withdrawn. [The Star]

#2

Malaysia will give a soft loan to rescue the country’s main port authority from a debt of $1 billion in a free port project, the government said Thursday.

Port Klang Free Zone, or PKFZ, a much-hyped shipping area opened in western Malaysia last year. Its original cost of MYR1.845 billion ballooned to MYR4.2 billion by the time the project was completed in four years. [Dow Jones]

#3

Ruhanie Ahmad @ Ron, the blogging former Member of Parliament. He is in the country and not in Africa, and is now unable to access his blog, mail, etc. "Someone’s hacked into my mail," he told me last night.

It’s the same thing that happened to another blogging Datuk [Rejal Arbee and his (false) mail] just last month.
So, who’s messing with us? Are they trying to tell us that they can now hack into the system and mess with our blogs and mails? [Rocky’s Bru]

We can’t change the country, but we can change the Government.

For the past few days, I’ve received numerous replies from the Bangsa Malaysia Hari Merdeka Get-together participants.

In the questionaaires, participants are required to fill in I love Malaysia because ….. and there is one reply that I’d like to share.

I was born on this land…."Tanah Tumpahnya Darah Ku" You can hate the government, because a government can come and go…but you can never and should never hate you country…tempat "Tumpahnya Darah Ku"

People need to know the simple difference between loyalty to the country and loyalty to the government.

We can’t change the country, but we can change the government.

What about PAS vice-president Husam Musa running against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at P41 Kepala Batas?

Bring it on, YB Husam!

Folks,

As the forum is already bursting at the seams, the registration to participate in the forum/workshop for this coming Bangsa Malaysia Hari Merdeka Get-together is now closed.

However, as for the Get-together at 8.30pm, there are still available seats up for grab.

If you are very sure that you can make it, please send an e-mail to bangsamalaysiamerdeka@gmail.com if you want to attend the get-together.

In your email, please provide the following details :

1. Name ( as per IC ) and IC number
2. Contact number
3. A liitle bit about yourself ( where you’re from, what you do ) [ This might help us identify and decline c-t and SB ] 
4. For those writing in to attend the forum / workshop, briefly tell us how you think you might contribute to making Bangsa Malaysia a reality

Cheers!

Yesterday, we read about how’s money works in Malaysia, now let’s look at how’s certain public agencies work in Malaysia.

When SMS scam was continuously exposed to the public on blog for a few months, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) as the communication and multimedia industry regulator in Malaysia couldn’t be bothered.

However, in less than a week after a report lodged with MCMC against the Negarakuku video clip, actions were immediately taken, starting from interviewing the video clip creator Wee Meng Chee’s family members.

Now comes to the mesra, cepat, betul. Less than 2 days after a police report was lodged against Raja Petra Kamarudin, an 8 hours interrogation was carried out.

Subsequently, even his wife was interviewed by the police too.

However, more than 2 weeks after a police report was lodged against a highly inflammatory article posted on Kelab Penyokong Maya UMNO website, which was particularly offensive to Christians, it’s still under investigation by the police.

Worse still, more than a month after a police report was lodged against against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for seditious comments posted on the Prime Minister’s office website, no action is taken.

And now, IGP Musa Hassan, who was recently cleared on claims that he took RM2 million in bribe to free three criminal suspects held under the Emergency Ordinance, has his service as Inspector-General of Police extended by two years until September 2009, in which the appointment is based on Prime Minster Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s advice.

So, tell me, what else is new in Malaysia, especially when even the former IGP Tun Hanif Omar is unsure which side to believe?

Curfew was declared at Bangladesh and my colleague is stuck at the capital Dhaka.

The Government cut-off the mobile network, fortunately the internet connectivity is still up and running, which is her only access point to the outside world.

"They hijack cars on the road. One of the car that sent Grameen Phone staff back home was hijacked too. They stopped the car and broke the window. I can’t think right now, I just want to resolve my issues and then go back in one piece," she said.

You take care, mate!

Now, the Internal Security Ministry headed by the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi comes into the picture, when Malaysiakini reports that its Publications Control and Al-Quran Texts Unit senior officer Che Din Yusof confirmed the ministry has directed the mainstream media to stop publishing reports related to the ‘Negarakuku’ controversy.

"There are so many other things that can bring benefit to the nation, why focus on this issue and bring in other points?," he asked.

Sounds good.

Enough of decoy from the ‘Negarakuku’, let’s look at some (and more) staggering figures!

Iskandar Development Region (IDR)

The price tag: RM382 billion.

Next, Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER)

The price tag: RM177 billion.

Next, Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) a.k.a Mega Ghost Town.

The price tag: RM2.32 billion in 2003 to RM4.63 billion in 2007.

Next, the new palace.

The price tag: RM400 million in Nov 2006 to RM1.1 billion in 2007.

So, I did some simple math and the accumulated price tag is RM564.73 billion or RM564,730,000,000.00.

Put it this way. Like it or not, it’s you and me who gave them the permission to spend that money, so we’re guilty as charged too.

Come this general election, exercise your democracy rights wisely, otherwise we really do get the kind of government we deserve.

Two days ago, Umno information chief Muhammad Mohammad Taib said bloggers are coward they’re afraid of using (web) addresses in the country but use overseas addresses to slam our country leaders.

"Is this the character of a man? This is not a man, this is a ‘pondan’," he said.

Now, you get what you wish for and here’s an open invitation by Raja Petra Kamarudin.

So you see, Muhammad son of Muhammad, I will not be making all these allegations in a website that is based outside Malaysia in a foreign country. I will be making these allegations live, on Malaysian soil, in the Umno headquarters. I will therefore not be immune from prosecution under Malaysian laws if my allegations are false and without tangible evidence to back up these allegations.

It took you two weeks, Muhammad son of Muhammad, to organise last Saturday’s gathering. Would one month be sufficient for you to organise this next one? In the meantime, I shall be working on all my evidence in preparation of the expected gathering in the Umno headquarters. I shall of course be bringing my team along so that they can personally testify as to the authenticity of all these allegations, documents, etc., in the event my word alone is not good enough. I seek your permission to webcast this coming event live on the internet so that all those not able to present themselves at the PWTC can follow the events in the comfort of their homes or offices.

One can never predict what’s going to happen next.

When you’re so confident that you’re on your way to make a political comeback, it’s indeed a grave which is awaiting you.

In another word, you pick the wrong candidate, that’s it - political suicide.

So, in two weeks time, we (the whole world) shall see who’s the coward.

Not coward as if in pondan, I mean, the real pengecut.

When SMS scam was continuously exposed to the public on blog for a few months, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) can’t give it a f**k.

Reasons are unknown.

When student Wee Meng Chee sang Negarakuku rap in which the government alleged that the rap sung in a mixture of Mandarin and Bahasa had racially sensitive and seditious lyric, MCMC takes immediate action, starting from interviewing the Wee’s family members.

Reasons are well known.

So, when Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that Wee will not be exempted from possible legal action and could be charged under the Sedition Act, which carries as maximum three-year jail sentence upon conviction, I would like to send a reminder to the PM and the public.

A video on YouTube gets the attention of the entire cabinet and the Prime Minister’s Office but a whole freaking port thrown away, a bus load of casualties, and a complete collapse of a public transport monitoring system deserves an attention that is almost non-existent.

We are told earlier that we are not ready to understand a public broadcast of Parliamentary debates, not ready for a jury-based judiciary, not capable of interpreting information on new (blogs, forums and wikis) and International media correctly.

I think whoever who said that could well be probably right, if the cabinet is to represent this country, our people would probably look like they don’t even know what the word PRIORITY or IMPORTANCE means.

This is how progressive or otherwise f**k up we’re, what’s more when we’re going to celebrate 50th years of nationhood 10 days down the road.