When Australia’s Labor Senator for South Australia Penny Wong Yin Yen was appointed as the Australia’s Climate Change and Water Minister by the newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, it creates a big hoo haa in Malaysia.

Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA) talks about how the PM rewards Malaysian-born Wong for her outstanding election work.

The keyword? Malaysian-born.

Past-tense.

Then, The Star put up another entry too, with the headline: Malaysian-born Penny now Aussie minister.

The keyword? It’s still Malaysian-born.

But that’s OK, at least it’s fair enough for the paper to report about how the father is thrilled with his daughter’s political achievement.

However, what’s really unexpected is when Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman said many Sabahans were happy that a Malaysian-born had done well in Australia.

"We feel very proud that Penny has become the first Asian woman to be in the Australian Cabinet," he said.

Come on, when can we stop this f**king syok sendiri syndrome? What’s there for us to feel so proud with an ex-Malaysian achievement in overseas?

Tell me about it.

Great news! I just received a SMS from my friend, who is also Dora’s colleague who eyewitnessed the kidnapping case yesterday.

Found Dora. Released this morning. She’s now in hospital.

Thanks God!

More update soon.

In his keynote address on "Fifty Years of Development: Lessons Learnt" at the National Economic Outlook Conference 2008/2009, organized by the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah delivered his caveat to the Government on the importance of social development in this country.

He said Malaysia, in facing future challenges and to be more competitive internationally, has to redefine its development thinking by making social capital an integral part of its discourse.

"Human capital development without the right environment is futility in itself."

"At the end of the day, the difference between a fully functional state and a fully dysfunctional one may lie in nothing more than the quantity and quality of its social capital." [...]

"I believe that in facing future challenges we will demonstrate both pragmatism and fairness." [...]

It’s not hard trying to grasp what Raja Nazrin was trying to convey, especially when he continuously emphasizing on the need for us to put more focus in promoting pragmatism and fairness in facing future challenges, where it’s essential for the Government to play an effective role in producing a balanced political, social, economic and cultural environment.

He believes that it’s only under the aforementioned circumstance, human capital will flourish together with organizations that transcend ethnic, religious and cultural boundaries.

Food for thought.

I received an SOS sms this morning from a friend working in Shah Alam about an eye-witness kidnapping case involving her colleague.

3 guys kidnapped a Chinese gal in a silver colour Toyota Camry (the boxy version) . The plat no. is 7641 (she did not see the three first digits because of the three guys were looking at her). Please report to the nearest police station if you see this car.

I’ve spoken to her while she was at the police station in Shah Alam.

The victim is Dora Goh Wei Wei, 25 year-old, 155cm with curly hair.

Please help to spread the words around and report to the police station if you spot the number, your help is much appreciated.

P/S: Fearing for her safety, I was advised to take down her photo, please do the same on your blog too, thanks.

The taikoh in the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly - Nozula Mat Diah (BN-Paloh).

Now, the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said the Government will invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) to handle street demonstrations when the situation warrants for such action to be taken.

"The ISA is a preventive measure to spare the nation from untoward incidents that can harm the prevailing peace and harmony and create all sorts of adverse things. So, I don’t know (when to invoke the ISA), but ISA will be there. When it is appropriate to use it, it will be used," he said.

Apparently, with so many pictorial evidence lying on the cyberspace, it looks certain that the PM, who is also the Internal Security Minister was misinformed by his 4th floor officers that the Hindraf rally was in chaotic situation due to the unruly participants, whereas it’s the FRU and police force who provoke the participants with tear gas and water cannons.

Hence, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan wrote an entry of what he thinks about the current premier, the reasons why he said so as well as the power-play politics by the infamous SIL Khairy Jamaluddin.

Abdullah is the most incompetent PM we ever had. He has just sleep-walked his way through his first term.

When he took over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he promised Malaysians the sky - he vowed to wipe out corruption without fear or favour, he asked everyone to tell him the truth even if it hurts, and promised to rid the country of racial and religious polarisation.

Surely, Abdullah must be kicking himself now. You don’t promise what you cannot deliver.

He should have known that he cannot root out corruption without weeding out the real source - the patronage politics in Umno and its sidekicks within the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

You must read until the end story to find out the parting shot, I tell you, it’s a gem!

Abdullah could still be the bureaucrat to bring similar reforms in Malaysia. That is, if his son-in-law allows him to.

Having said all that, there is a survey that shows Malaysians are happy with the current administration and Pak Lah is so happy about it.

He said he’ll continue to administer the country like what he is doing now, in which I call it  - the lemah lembik style.

So, are you happy? Do you think he has done a good job? Or do you think he is as incompetent as what Steven Gan claims to be?

Pray tell.

Remember S. Nallakaruppan, the guy who quit PKR mid-year, a day before the PKR congress?

On Sunday, he launched a new political party, which is called Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP) and the best thing is when he said MIUP would apply to join the Barisan Nasional (BN) as it strongly supported the policies of Prime Minister and BN chairman Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (?!)

"MIUP will always support the BN and not go against its policies as my team and I believe that we can achieve our aims by working with the BN," he said.

Strongly support the policies of PM? Always support the BN? How real.

Not sure about you, but I’m seeing another Kayveas in the making, it’s just a matter of time before he is sucked into the system and being harassed by Umno and their big brother S Samy Vellu.

Is this what we called realpolitik?

The rally is now over.

Malaysiakini reported that more than 30,000 people - a mix of young and old Indian Malaysians participated in the rally organised by Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

Even though I didn’t walk with them, I fully respect their rights to assemble peaceably and without arms granted to granted to every Malaysia citizen as stated in the Article 10(1b) of the constitution of Malaysia.

Hence, I strongly condemn the excessive use of police force with sustained firing of tear gas and jets of water laced with an eye-stinging chemical at participants.

Furthermore, it was also reported that hours before the protest is due to take place, the police have already begun firing tear gas and chemical-laced water to disperse crowds.

(SOURCE: Reuters)

(SOURCE: Reuters)


(SOURCE: Reuters)
Oh, just because the SIL Khairy Jamaluddin represents Umno Youth with the later self-confessed "special protection" due to his close relationship with the father-in-law cum Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Umno Youth was given permit to organise a rally during US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Kuala Lumpur with KJ acts as the leader of the protest group while both BERSIH and Hindraf certainly do not have such luxury.

Obviously, tear gas and water cannons are nowhere to be seen in the YouTube above (nevertheless, I did observe KJ’s high fighting spirit), so this time around (including the BERSIH rally), why the use of excessive force by police? Why the double standard? Why the third world mentality demonstrated by the police force? How about the personal dignity of Hindraf supporters?

The People’s Parliament Haris Ibrahim is not going to walk in the Hindraf rally, here’s why …

Last night 2 Indian gentlemen approached me and asked me to lend support for the Hindraf rally on Sunday.

I apologised to them and said I could not lend support to this initiative, not because I do not support the call to alleviate the lot of the Indians in this country, but because the Hindraf call is only to address the economic and social neglect of the Hindu / Indian community, and not the fate of all underprivileged, deprived and marginalised Malaysians, regardless of race.

And make no mistake, there are underprivileged, deprived and marginalised Malaysians of all races, without exception, in the country.

The Hindraf call, to my mind, is as chauvinistic and communal as is the UMNO call to defend ‘ketuanan Melayu’. 

Both stand in the way of any earnest effort to forge a nation of a single people.

That is what I stand for and that is what I will walk for.

Justice and equality for all people.

Haris is absolutely right for not participating in this rally, for the fact that as long as we continue to have this chauvinism mentality in us, Malaysians will never learn to see beyond skin color and continue to put the blame on other races when things become unfavorable to certain group.

Certainly, the way forward is that, we must fight for a Malaysia with justice and equality for all Anak Bangsa Malaysia.

By now, it’s a known fact that Proton ditched Volkswagen (VW) and General Motors (GM) as Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop said Proton’s business plan has been "very, very real".

Apparently, the taxpayers do not know how real it’s, besides the fact that Proton’s latest model Persona is doing well with an average selling of 3,500 units a month and a record 22,000 bookings for the model since it was launched in August.

Now, the thing is this. A day after the no deal announcement, Nor Mohamed said no specific timeframe will be given to the management of Proton to turn the national carmaker around, whereas the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Proton is doing well and should be given a second chance, even when the shares in Proton sank to a new seven-year low?

I can’t remember any non-GLCs in Malaysia where no timeframe is set when comes to a turnaround and restructuring. Even when Idris Jala joined Malaysia Airlines during it’s turbulence period, he was tasked to bring MAS back to its glory day within a specific deadline.

Next, I can’t remember how many chances given to Proton for the past few years and based on the latest small lift, on what basic the PM cum Finance Minister concludes that Proton is successful?

The fact is, the market outlook for Proton is visibly disappointing. To establish oneself in a global scale, one would need strong sales numbers and economies of scale to cushion the fierce price war. Proton does not even have this at home, let alone overseas. It still needs the network and very strong brand name to catapult itself in the overseas market.

Having said that, after years of discussions, Proton is still bold enough to ditch VW and GM, feeling confident that its turnaround plans would revive the company, even when the so-called business turnaround plan is not in place yet?

Despite all the feel good factors, I remember there is a say, it’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt?