When the pot is calling the kettle black, the public is going to witness more dirty linen washed in the public.
In this context, it’s a public spat between the duo, racing along the thin line by scapegoating each other.
Give them enough rope and they’ll hang themselves, doesn’t matter the shut up directive from the top brass.
Before the GE 2008, he brandished the keris.
He insisted that the keris does not necessarily imply Malay supremacy but carries multiple significances such as unity, wisdom and knowledge.
He took the whole event into such a delicate manner, despite the uproar from our multi-ethnic community.
That was before the GE 2008.
Now, he is aware that the aftermath of election is too obvious not to be taken seriously.
He apologized.
He denied he is an arrogant person.
He vowed to take full responsibility but refused to step down.
But I’m especially bewildered when he gave no guarantee that he would not repeat the keris-waving again during this year’s Umno annual general assembly?
For as long as he has been seen indulging in the keris-wielding act for the past three Umno annual meets, he as a cabinet minister for several terms should have known that brandishing the keris could hurt the feelings of other races.
My take is that, ostensibly, he wanted to be seen as retracting his own words, doesn’t mind the riddle on the part of his half-apologetic statement.
Unmitigated evil? Undeniably, he looks like one.
But please, take the Ketuanan Melayu, Ketuanan Cina, Ketuanan Indian crap elsewhere while we’re embarking on a new journey of Ketuanan Rakyat, something which I don’t have to further elaborate on.
However, having said that, no matter how vicious he is as shown based on his track records, I’m willing to give him the benefit of doubt and yes, let’s bury the hatchet too, at least for the time being until the coming Umno AGM, whether he is going to uphold his pledge.
As for Hishamuddin, it’s timely for him to learn some tips from blogger Rocky on how to wave a keris on all proper occasions, and in every proper manner.
Arghh, Lim Keng Yaik the old man, such a despicable character, is at it again!
It’s only a few days when he wished Lee "best of luck" while stressing that he was not being sarcastic about it.
Today, LKY being his own-self, no longer able to curb his fervent desire to lash out at the ex-Gerakan strongman Lee Kah Choon and snubbed him as an opportunist.
"The sooner you can see the (real) face the better. No principles. No spirit of struggle and wants to take the easy way out. […] I’m disappointed and angry because he was picked by me," he said.
Maybe he is too frustrated by the fact that even a "young punk" like Lim Guan Eng who has fallen for PKR de-facto Anwar Ibrahim’s sweet talk is good enough to poach his protege to serve the rakyat?
Anyway, opportunist or otherwise, who cares? Why bothers?
To us, what matters most is for him to deliver on the promise on his skills.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Good one, Kah Choon!
The fact that he has withdrawn his membership as Gerakan member is more than enough to show how dedicated he is to serve the society in his sole capacity as a citizen.
My objective – which is serving the people, is clear and it has remained consistent throughout my political career. Hence, I have decided to answer the Government’s call for me to serve in both state agencies in this trying period."
Besides, his final move to relinquish his party membership might serve a good awakening to the Gerakan leadership, including it’s old guard like Lim Keng Yaik that Gerakan is a past tense, no less than a yesterday’s party.
Being arrogant is a sin. Gerakan is still living in the past, self-deceiving mode, acting and reacting like they’ve won landslide victory in the last GE, which in fact, is the another way round.
Now, they’ve lost a precious talent like Kah Choon who is ready to serve the rakyat. Gerakan suffers yet another big blow, but it’s the rakyat who stands to benefit from it.
So, why bother?
When former Gerakan deputy secretary-general Lee Kah Choon was appointed as director of Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and chairperson of InvestPenang offered by the PR-led government in Penang, it creates so much dispute and hoo-haa when BN’s pride and dignity seems to be put to test by the announcement.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who initially said he is OK with the appointment as long as there is no clash in policy changed his stance the next day (which is today) when he commented Lee’s action as "against the spirit of Barisan Nasional", echoing the statement made by his deputy Najib Tun Razak.
Earlier, Gerakan advisor and former president Lim Keng Yaik being his usual self concluded Lee’s appointment as reflecting the calibre of the Gerakan party to produce good local leaders, something which DAP cannot afford to do.
However, being a retired politician, he is being gracious not to intervene in the party’s matter by saying it’s up to party’s central working committee and the central committee will decide on Lee’s future in a special meeting this Sunday.
Hence, before Lee’s fate is sealed, putting aside the eligibility factor of his unprecedented move against the spirit of BN by accepting the post, a few questions remain unanswered.
First, if PR’s government believes Lee is a suitable candidate to lead PDC and InvestPenang and simultaneously with Lee’s consent to take up the challenge posed to him, which is to steer the state forward by making positive contribution to the state economic development Penang for the benefit of the people in the state, doesn’t this is in parallel with the BN’s vision to bring the similar positive effect to the state?
Second, if the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is ready to chart a new course by appointing those who, going by tradition, would not get appointed and to pool all capacities to develop Penang in order to make Penang dynamic, what’s the logic of non-acceptance by the BN’s government as well as the Gerakan party?
Lastly, if Lee continues to reiterate that his job as the InvestPenang chairperson has nothing to do with politics, I hope this is good enough to create some rooms for the top Gerakan brains to maneuver and spearhead a new path for this country with an impending decision this coming Sunday.
Politics nowadays, besides the fact that it’s as unpredictable as ever, change is the essence for survival, otherwise risk being obsolete and outdated.
In this case, Gerakan, for one, I’d consider as lucky to be awarded the chance to make history as such a chance doesn’t come by every day.
Recently, Melacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam started a blog.
Not long afterwards, he put up a posting on the Selangor centralised pig farm, which was entitled "Pig farm, a gift from the elections".
He congratulated Selangor voters including Muslims for voting in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government, which decided to implement the project originally conceived by Barisan Nasional.
"The Selangor people should be happy because, very soon, they will receive an election gift of high value, for supporting their parties in the general election."
Click here to read the clone posting as the original entry had been removed due to outrageous comments posted by readers who are despised by his posting.
Now, PAS piritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has expressed support for the proposed high-tech pig farm in Selangor provided it does not contaminate the environment.
"We support so long as the farm does not contaminate the environment, and non-Muslims have the right to breed pigs," he said.
Some says that it’s a marriage of convenience between PKR, PAS and DAP to establish the PR to win over the public support.
However, if PAS as a party itself is a staunch supporter of the establishment of an Islamic country and simultaneously ready to walk the talk by respecting the multi-racial rights in this country, what is Umno vice-president who is no less than a hypocrite?
Besides the obvious fact that Mohd Ali must learn how to embrace the righteous conduct in a pluralistic society, probably Ali as the senior-most Umno vice president which made him arrogant being the immediate next-in-line to the party’s deputy chief Najib Abdul Razak.
For a start, learn how to become a genial person, if not being arrogant itself is perceived to be a mammoth task for him.
Recently, Home Ministry under the helm of newly appointed Syed Hamid Albar decided to reject the renewal of Tamil daily Makkal Osai’s publication permit.
Interestingly, the letter issued which stated that the daily’s application ‘will not be considered’ without stating any reasons for the rejection.
However, it’s presumed that the ban is due to the Tamil daily’s extensive coverage given to the Opposition leaders such as PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, in which it’s a stark mockery of the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s post-election promise to keep all ears open to comments, criticism and information that might serve as useful feedback to the federal government!
Expectedly, the ban caused uproar among the alternative media, who questioned the ban as unethical since Makkal Osai was doing their best to give fair coverage to Opposition sides, given the fact that Barisan Nasional was given more than enough coverage among the remaining mainstream media, hence easily outweigh the coverage given to Opposition in the last General Election compared to trivial coverage by Makkal Osai and other new alternative media.
Besides, it’s quite apprehensive for the Home Ministry to stoop that low in order to curb rakyat’s voice, which I’m afraid might lead to further resentment among concerned citizens, NGOs, social-activists and etc. towards the Government which is already weaken by the ongoing infighting between the component parties and rumors of defection from the ruling camp to the Opposition camps.
Probably, the ban on the Tamil Daily is merely the tip of iceberg and does that equal to the start of a new round of massive clampdown among papers which are perceived to be anti-establishment soon?
Rumors are rift that Chinese daily Oriental Daily’s fate is in jeopardy too. Do or die, the verdict is going to be made known soon, and as unfortunate as it might sound, Syed Hamid is going to be the decision-maker again.
theSun’s investigative journalist Citizen Nades is at it again.
As usual, he continues to write the way he does best, investigative journalism with no holds barred.
This time, it’s despicable to find out his latest discovery, or at the very least, shocking enough if I’m to read the figures right, what’s more when the minister at stake strutted across the room with two uncontested win in the last two general elections.
Not an easy feat, one might say.
However, with the exposed dirty numbers, even though it’s merely the tip of iceberg (as some might say), as far as we are concern, can one safely assume that complacency is one of the many factors that lead to disaster too?
Not convinced? Let the numbers tell the story of how your money goes down the drain.
Staggering amount of money. No? How about the whopping RM1.4 million of entertainment expenditure?
Hence, by all means, if there is any point that Citizen Nades is trying to make via his latest article, it must be an urgent need to put a mechanism in place to counter check and balance, on top of "telling us the truth, nothing but the truth" which the director-general and the board members owe us - the taxpayers.
If there is a big shot who is still oblivious to the influence of media (I take it as both mainstream media and alternative media) after the GE 2008, it’d be the comeback kid Muhammad Muhammad Taib.
We know why he is so protective of the party stalwart Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for he was given a second life by the later.
Here’s why.
First, Former Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo called on the PM to put in place a succession plan that will see Najib taking over without any delay.
Second, Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Umno vice-president said the party would "fade away" if there were no immediate changes to the leadership.
Third, Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said it was the right of Umno members to request Pak Lah to step down or announce a succession plan.
Fourth, it’s publicly known that former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his son Mukhriz Mahathir were among the Umno leaders openly calling for the PM’s resignation, hence the chain reaction throughout the party.
Notwithstanding the facts mentioned above, we do aware of the reason why he is particularly protective of the party stalwart Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for he was given a second life by the later, what’s more with his sudden sprung into a full ministerial role via a senatorship, as well as reclaiming the position as Selangor Umno and Barisan Nasional chairman.
However, it’s wrong for him to put the entire blame on the media, be it mainstream media or alternative media, whichever it’s.
In fact, that’s how the media should react and play their roles effectively when comes to report nothing but the truth.
Hence, if the Umno Information Chief is such a melancholic over the state of economy of this country and simultaneously, if Umno Deputy President Najib Tun Razak is so gung-ho to prove to the public that democracy is indeed alive within Umno, then walk the walk and clamp down on unnecessary rubbish talk among his subordinates, if rumors that Pak Lah has effectively losing grip over the party is true to believe in.
The reform must first start from the party itself, only if things continue to go the wrong way, then only the need to look outward.
Anything less than that is nevertheless perceived as irrelevant and a lame act in finding scapegoats.
When blogger Zaharin Yasin a.k.a Sang Kelembai became the the first Umno blogger to be sacked from the party in 2006, it’s unprecedented, hence a history maker he is.
However, the story never end there, it’s merely the beginning of another eerie thought, if you may allow yourself to have one.
Why?
Because, soon, he is going to set another record when he becomes the first blogger sacked from the party applies to re-join Umno!
Besides stating the obvious that it’s indeed an astounding comeback, you must be puzzled with leering look when RM1 million is mentioned to be at stake for the "change of heart", to be seen embracing a sacked blogger?
In responding to the allegation, the blogger has this to say.
"If I was offered RM1mil before the election, I would have accepted, but after the elections even if they give me just RM10 to cium tangan (kiss the hand of) Pak Lah once again, I would do it."
If you read his blog, you’ll realize how outspoken he is as a blogger in criticizing the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and suddenly, you find him "kissing" the hand of the PM, even it’s for a cheap RM10 as what he alleged.
Is this yet another act of a hypocrite’s masquerade of virtue, made in Umno?
I hope he doesn’t strut around as if he is some kind of superstar as I find it such an insult to me as a blogger.
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