Istana Kelantan - Manohara lari ke Jakarta!

Cerita model Indonesia yang bernikah dengan anak raja dari Kelantan banyak menarik perhatian ramai.
Manohara Odelia Pinot, kacukan Indo-Perancis (bapanya orang Perancis), baru berusia 17 tahun, tetapi sebab cantik banyak cerita tentang beliau keluar di media.
Lepas tu cerita sensasi pula - Beliau lari dari Istana Kelantan ke Jakarta tahun lalu, kemudian katanya diculik semasa umrah dengan jet privet kembali ke Kelantan.

Polemik isu ini sehingga heboh di internet, termasuk dari kaca mata pihak Kelantan dengan banyakkkkk gambar yang menunjukkan Manohara gembira di negeri Serambi Mekah.

Dan kini lebih sensasi lagi.
Beliau yang dibawa ke hotel di Singapura dilaporkan melarikan diri sekali lagi ke dakapan ibunya.
Dan kini berada di Jakarta!
Baca laporan akhbar Jakarta Post di sini.
Beliau memberitahu sebuah TV Indonesia bahawa kononnya disuntik dengan hormon agar gemuk dan nampak gembira.
Dan macam-macam lagi tuduhan yang saya tak berani nak tulis.
Detail cerita di sini -
Dari detikNews.com - 'Mano: Saya tidak mau ke Malaysia lagi'.

Gambar Mano kucup dahi ibunya di sini.

GAMBAR HIASAN: Manohara dan Raja Perempuan Kelantan.

Penanti - PKR wins big, but turnout lowest ever

Wow. Fewer than half of the 15,384 voters in Penanti came out to cast ballots.
A historic low of 46.15 per cent, according to Malaysiakini.

Yet PKR candidate Mansor Othman, oppo chief's Anwar Ibrahim's former pol sec, after failing three times to get elected, WON BY A BIGGER MAJORITY than the 2,219 votes the last time.
He got a majority of 6,052.

The three independents all lost their RM5,000 deposits (They will most likely get back the RM3,000 poster deposits because they did not put up much posters and buntings that needed to be taken out, or else).
To keep their deposits, they needed to win at least one-eighth (or 12.5 per cent) of the votes cast. None of the trio did.



1) This is how the opposition will play the issue:

- PKR did NOT lose face. In fact it won bigtime.
- It can crow to the world that Umno-BN is in deep trouble.
This is because of the 7,100 who bothered to vote, 85 per cent plunked for Mansor, the man with three masters degrees (Depa ni banyak sangat belajar, sekarang kita nak tengok depa boleh buat kerja ke tidak sebagai Deputy Chief Minister I). Six out of seven people who cast ballots voted for Dr Mansor.
- 'Minah Ronggeng', she tried hard didn't she? - was not even in second place! She got into third which shows that voters don't buy the issues that local media put on page1 and played up besau-besau.
In there is a lesson for mainstream media.


2) This is how the government and local media will play the issue:

- You can expect these in comments by government politicians - the turnout was very low because the by-election was pointless.
- We made the right decision not to contest because of voter fatigue.
- Sure, PKR won big, but that was because Umno-BN did not contest (Of course Umno-BN won't say it was because it was scared).


One question that I really want to know:
Did many PAS members in Penanti boycotted the by-e?
If true, the implications are big. Sure Pakatan Rakyat will continue on as usual outside Penang, but DAP must move in to calm the PAS ground that it is accepted.
See here on my argument why I thought some PAS members would have given the by-e a miss.

Just as important for both Pakatan and Umno-BN:
If they want to slice and dice the numbers.
The 6,052 could be interpreted as the absolute hardcore opposition voters.
They form 39 per cent of the total 15,384 registered voters in he constituency, a hardcore opposition stronghold (being part of Anwar's Permatang Pauh).
Someone will later come out with the racial backgrounds, which will be significant also. To see how the Malays voted (the Chinese and Indians we all know are still strongly backing Pakatan).

Penanti - PKR loses face if wins by less than 1,700

P is for PKR, a party being moulded by opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim.

P is for Pakatan Rakyat, which had better show that its machinery was in tip top form even when Umno-BN is absent.

P is for Penang, the only Malaysian state divided between a huge tract of land on the mainland and a small island which is more prosperous than its mainland brethren.

P is for Penanti, a State seat with 15,384 registered voters where a by-election is being held.

P is for Permatang Pauh, the Parliament constituency where Penanti is, ensuring a victory for PKR.

P is for Prestige, meaning Anwar and PKR must die-die win big. It won by 2,219 in last year's general elections.
A win by a margin of lower than 1,700 - ie 500 LESS than the last time around - will be seen interpreted as a big loss of face for PKR.
Umno-BN can then crow that PKR has lost support, especially since PKR has from day one said they are confident that they can better the 2,219 votes. I don't think so. I hope to be proven wrong because I have PKR friends who worked hard to get a bigger win.

P is for PAS, some of whose members may not turn out to vote today. Reason? Since the bulk of Penang's seats are held by DAP and PKR, many PAS members mutter that they have been left out of even seats in the town councils and JKKK.
Some also quietly complain that DAP-PKR leaders in Penang are saying that this is a DAP-PKR government, not a DAP-PKR-PAS one (There is no exco from PAS). This issue has been swept under the carpet by Pakatan leaders, who all pretend that everyone is happy.

P is for Penat, the Malay word for fatigue, as in voter fatigue. After this, everyone must go to Manek Urai for another democracy game.
The word I got is that Anwar wants to reshuffle his list of ADUNs in the state to put 'stronger' people up there. Some of the ADUNS and MPs are there simply because there were no other names willing to contest last year (if the case of Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne, he was a reluctant candidate). Others, like the two frogs in Perak and the man with the fake masters degree in Penang, were simply 'not good' enough.
 If this info is true, we can expect more 'scandals' to erupt involving PKR guys, followed by resignations of the said elected reps (or in the case of the Kedah former Speaker, total disappearance!), and then followed by more by-elections. Sigh.

P is also for another Malay word, Penakut. Umno-BN is getting the jitters after losing all the way in Peninsula by-elections. Penanti was the first time that BN did not contest a by-e since 1975 in Perak - a 34-year proud history was wiped out. Minus that 1975 record, BN has ALWAYS contested the opposition anytime, anywhere.
I bet you right now that Umno-BN won't win in Manek Urai either because too few things have changed on the ground in Kelantan.
But do note also that Umno-BN has had bad luck even in terms of the elected reps who had passed away - whether in Kuala Terengganu, Bukit Gantang or Manek Urai - all were tough areas for it to fight and win.
As someone said, if an ADUN or MP were to die in a Umno-BN STRONGHOLD - say in Johor or Malacca - then we will see whether PR can really win.
Only then will we see whether voters in that particular constituency, a Umno-BN stronghold, have all ran away too.
Only then should the big-brother coalition feel real scared.
Only then can the opposition tell Umno-BN:

P is for Podah!



GAMBAR HIASAN: Najib - Terminate the opposition, or get terminated. I guess that makes Rosmah Sarah Connor? :-)

I cannot but be thrilled that after Arnie became California Governor, there will still be a new Terminator movie.
The sci-fi buff that I am (how many of you can say he/she has read practically ALL books written by sci-fi masters Isaac Asimov and ALL of Robert Silverberg's Majipoor series?), my other fav movie series include Aliens and Riddick.

PKFZ - Why the scandal makes me feel sad

Sometimes I feel very sad looking at the way things have turned out for a country with a big potential like Malaysia.
Even Singapore leaders have often said that if Malaysia took better care of the minorities and accept them as equals and run a tighter ship, the country could easily beat that tiny red dot in the South.
As a person who have lived on both sides of the divide, how sad I feel because sometimes one stares at stupidity after stupidity in the North and yet no one wants to see it. Semua buat donno.

We have cases of serious crime going to triple in numbers in the reign of the sleepy prime minister, to the point that the royal Malaysian police decided not to put up the crime stats on its website any more.
Kesian abang polis (I am often sympathetic of the police because my car was broken into years ago at PWTC and the IO took me to his office. Until now I feel very sad that the sergeant has to work in that pigsty conditions for long hours with low pay. And the he and his colleagues get slammed by everyone for doing a poor job. My case was never solved, but to me what was more important was on that day, I finally understood the police side of things. Underfunded, underpaid, unappreciated while at the same time being made use of by government politicians to do their dirty work).

And then we have Ah Longs and snatch thieves behaving like they own the streets.
Politicians and their well-paid advisers, strategists and cronies behaving like they own the country.
And we have opposition politicians playing games to smear everyone as if they were born angels and prophets with no sin of their own. Semuanya orang lain salah.

And then we have, of course, the Port Klang Free Zone.
For years and years, during the Mahathir Mohamad administration, many people were aware of what is happening but everyone preferred to bury it under the proverbial carpet.
And during the Sleepy Era with his advisers and overpaid spin-masters, Mr Clean and gang also pretended this wasn't happening. They were busy awarding themselves the lucre.

And now that PKFZ things have been exposed, still I sense a big hesitancy at what to do next. Instead of throwing the book at the alleged perpetrators, seeing that lots of time and public money have been spent to uncover the alleged wrongdoings, what else is everyone waiting for?

Questions from an idiot like me:
- Siapa punya idea pulak buat hotel kat dalam PKFZ ni???
- And why is it that the developer built the WHOLE COMPLEX when it hasn't gotten the tenants yet to fill up even a small portion of it?
We all have seen property launches before whether condos or bungalows - the developer always build a part of the project first - Fasa 1. The other phases are built later when buyers have come in. So that the money can be rolled over.
You borrow from bank to start Fasa 1. You get money from buyers/tenants from this phase to build up the Fasa 2 - at a higher price for those interested!
Then you make money, bengap!

Throw the book at the alleged wrongdoers lah! It does not mean they will be find guilty, but at least have the gut to go all the way and let the public judge you. And judge them.

But the sense I get is: Wow, this government is soooooo brave at having released this PKFZ report, cukuplah tu. Bravo.
Just read this on page3 of The Star here - the government is praised sky-high for having released the report - it is a "fresh direction". Hello!!!
Enough is it? Happy already? Move on? Let's use the newspaper pages attacking PKR at Penanti as if that is THE biggest issue in Malaysia?
This report on PKFZ should be the start, not the end!
MACC cepat-cepat sikitlah. AG, tunggu apa lagi?

Anyway, I thought releasing the contracts of the toll operators was the bravest move by Najib Razak or Sleepyhead. Not this PKFZ one which stank so much to high heavens that the alleged rot just cannot be hidden any more.
In the tolls contracts, there were so many influential parties who wanted these to remain hidden, so that they could all pauper us while they zoom in shiny limos using our toll money.

In the PKFZ issue, Kuala Dimensi should indeed sue the Port Klang Authority and whoever else. Maybe we shall then find out the truth.
As for the Malaysian government, please do the right thing.

PICTURE: The hotel building in the PKFZ.

Penanti - Mahfuz berceramah agak lucah?

Baca cerita Raba Telor Mahfuz di sini oleh Salamba-U, salah seorang yang hadir di salah satu ceramah di DUN Penanti. Nasib baik durian tak runtuh atas kepala penonton!

Malulah beb, pemimpin PAS yang menjadi calon naib presiden guna perkataan seperti ini.
Yang saya tahu, Mat Sabu, calon timbalan presiden, yang kadang-kadang celupar mulutnya ketika berceramah.
Apa dah jadi? Apa nak jadi?

Manek Urai - Nomination July 6, Polling July 14

Untuk sesiapa yang nak ke DUN Manek Urai di Parliamen Kuala Krai - sama ada nak menyaksikan pesta demorakrasi, berkempen atau bekerja, saya diberitahu ianya lebih sejam dari Kota Baru.
Maknanya jika hendak bermalam di KB kenalah jalan jauh sikit.

Dan di sana juga phone coverage, katanya, agak kurang baik - iaitu jika beribu orang berasak di sana kelak, boleh dijangka anda kena sabar sikit jika call tak jelas.

Scoop NST - Inilah gambar Azilah (Altantuya)!

Ini scoop besar, tapi NST letak kat dalam - page 13 (besar gambarnya).
Setelah bertahun cerita Azilah Hadri, 33, dan rakan komando polisnya, yang didapati bersalah membunuh Altantuya, inilah pertama kali saya nampak gambar dia!

Dia hadir di kes lain, tetapi wartawan dan jurgambar ada di sana. Dia tak pakai serkup tutup muka.

Sebab gambar scoop, saya hormat dan tak keluarkan di sini.
Tapi anda boleh lihat di NST online di sini. Yang ini gambar kecil saja.
Kalau yang nak besar kena beli NST RM1.20 lihat muka 13 (Jalan Riong, hamba tolong advertise paper anda, ok kan?)

Aminah Penanti - Strange game by Msian media

I was at the nomination centre in Bukit Mertajam for the Penanti by-election as I have written here.
No big shakes at all, there seemed to be more policemen (uniformed and non-uniformed) than supporters. There were TWO helicopters hovering above - makdatok, buang-buang duit.
About 1,000 supporters turned up.

And, as usual, we reporters chased all the candidates before and after their names were officially announced.
I was joined by about half a dozen other journalists when we stopped to talk to Aminah Abdullah, a former Penang PKR leader and one of the four contestants.
A reporter asked why she chose the key symbol as her logo. This was an expected question to ask.
Yet, to my surprise, a friend beside her gave her a notebook with neatly written answers.
She was reading these notes when answering.
Another question, and she got another set of written answers.

In simple words, I was not impressed at all.
If you cannot even trust yourself or have the confidence to answer basic questions on your platform and programmes without without having to refer to handwritten notes, how are you going to solve people's problems?

Madam ADUN, our longkang tersumbat, how?
Lemme see whether I can answer you from my notebook, okay!

She had announced that she wanted to be a candidate weeks before the others - ie she should by now have rehearsed all the answers and be able to face down reporters easily.

So now,
I find it highly intriguing that New Straits Times, The Star, Utusan all playing up her claims that PKR wanted to buy her off so that she would not contest.
Both NST and The Star put the stories on page 1 for two days running already!!!
As if there are no other major news?
Of course people out there will claim that the media has been told to paint PKR black.

To me though, a person who claimed to be a leader but yet who cannot answer confidently basic questions about why she is running for office should be given a maximum of RM8 as payoff, not RM80,000 - if true at all.
Buang masa saja.

PAS - Husam panggil media, Nash senyap

Taktik berlainan ditunjukkan oleh calon No2 parti Islam terbesar di Malaysia.
Sedangkan Husam Musa tadi memanggil media untuk secara rasmi menyatakan beliau akan bertanding jawatan Timbalan Prez, lain pula cara Nasharuddin Mat Isa.

Dipanggil Ustaz Nasha oleh orang ramai, dan dengan nama timangan Nash Lefthanded oleh rakan media seperti saya, beliau banyak mendiamkan diri dalam beberapa bulan ini.
Tidak seperti di masa lalu apabila beliau akan menjawab call, sejak kebelakangan ini dia hanya menjawab SMS saja (kepada rakan media seperti saya).

Mat Sabu, calon ketiga, juga akan terus bertanding. Beliau berkata bahawa lebih baik beliau tewas di atas daripada cuba mempertahan jawatan Naib Prez dan kalah.
Pada saya, nampaknya advantage awal kepada mereka yang menerima nak bertanding dengan diam-diam. Ini PAS beb, bukan Umno.

Selangor - Khalid wants to give life to Klang river

Sebelum saya kena 'tembak' sebab nampak macam anti-pembangkang, saya turunkan di sini posting dan laporan yang saya tulis di laman akhbar saya, straitstimes.com, tentang wawancara saya dengan Mentri Besar Selangor dan orang kuat PKR, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
Saya bertemu beliau di Singapura Isnin lalu apabila Tan Sri berjumpa dengan agensi air Singapura, PUB, Perdana Menteri Lee Hsien Loong dan memberi ceramah di Institute of Southeast Asian Studies di republik itu.

Sifat konsisten dan berperinsip Tan Sri adalah sesuatu yang saya minat.
Seperti yang saya dah kata, wartawan seperti saya ni sebenarnya tak boleh mereng ke pembangkang atau kepada kerajaan.


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Dari Blogs di straitstimes.com

From corporate chief, to chief minister

SELANGOR Menteri Besar (chief minister) Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was in Singapore was in Singapore on Monday to meet the Republic's water agency PUB, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana, and to deliver a talk at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) on Malaysian politics.

At the Istana.
ST Photo: Desmond Lim

I had a short interview with him during lunch at a hotel and attended the ISEAS talk, and came away learning quite a few new things about him.

For one, he is not any more the Malaysian corporate tycoon that many people in his country knew him so well for.

For a long time, he was the friendly face of Permodalan Nasional Bhd, the Malaysian government's equity fund (1979 to 1994).

In 1981, he became a household name after leading the so-called "dawn raid" on the London Stock Exchange that led PNB to gain a 51 per cent stake in then-British plantation concern Guthrie - all within a matter of hours. The company became Kumpulan Guthrie.

He later became the much-reported CEO of Kumpulan Guthrie, the giant palm oil grower and property player (1995 to 2003). And his name was often bandied about as a poster boy of the Bumiputera policy.

Then, he retired after a big row with Guthrie over share allocations for him as "promised" by the government.

But he was out of the public eye for only a short while, as he was soon persuaded by opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim to jump into politics.

In the short two to three years that he had immersed himself fully into the rough and tumble of politics, he has morphed (though maybe not as fast as he would have liked) into a surefooted politician.

As he said, his wife told him there is an easy solution to all his current political woes. "You just resign and we enjoy ourselves," the 62-year-old said at ISEAS, to much laughter from the audience of some 100 people in the hall.

He didn't think that was a good solution and said he has to prove to the public that the Pakatan Rakyat government - formed by an alliance of three Federal opposition parties - "could perform better than Barisan Nasional".

It was not the first time that I had interviewed him.

The first time was in the early 2000s when he was chief executive of Guthrie (now merged with Sime Darby). At that time, Guthrie had just bought some 200,000 acres of palm oil land in Kalimantan and Sumatra and I was doing a story on companies spreading their wings abroad as growth in Malaysia slowed.

I also covered the April 2007 by-election in Ijok, Selangor, where Tan Sri - then the new secretary-general of PKR - was contesting as a candidate.

He lost narrowly even if he did lose a few kilos during the campaign walkabouts. One vivid memory of Ijok for me was seeing him walking with Anwar Ibrahim at an afternoon market, shaking hands and smiling with traders and residents, and later using a hanky to mop his forehead. He looked a bit bewildered by politics then.

Not anymore. Weeks after he was sworn into office as Selangor Menteri Besar, around April last year, I was at a big press conference when he spoke with some caution as the new CEO of Malaysia's most industrialised and richest state.

Then on Monday, when I interviewed him, and later watched his ISEAS appearance, I could see that a different man had been moulded over time.

He was much more confident delving into political issues, launched with gusto into his big plans for Selangor, and rattled off numbers quite easily.

And he wants to expand transportation system for Selangor including the extension of the LRT system.

Then there is the plan to upgrade and replace water assets. Another is urban renewal activities with focus on redevelopment of slum areas including in the Selangor townships of Petaling Jaya and Klang.

In other words, despite having done much in his 62 years, he wants to tackle more big-ticket issues.

As he said, the BN government would dearly love to see him fail, as he is a major opposition leader at the Federal level.

Yet, BN also knows that if he fails as Selangor Menteri Besar, the whole country will suffer. This is because Selangor provides the biggest chunk of the country's growth and revenues to Malaysia.

Talk about having his work cut out for him. At age 62.

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The article below was written by me and published in my paper in Singapore last Tuesday. It was picked up by Insider (I include this version because you can see lots of comments below the article).

Selangor keen to tap Singapore's river cleaning expertise

Singapore, May 19 - Selangor is embarking on a RM10 billion project to clean up its longest river and is keen to tap Singapore's experience in river cleaning, Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said yesterday.

Several Selangor officials, including those from its state water authority, yesterday accompanied him on a visit to the Marina Barrage here.

They were also briefed by Singapore officials on the Singapore River Development Guide Plan.

Selangor wants to clean up its 120km Sungai Klang in a 20-year project to 2030.

Singapore has the experience to help Selangor in this after its success with the Singapore and Kallang rivers, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid told The Straits Times in an interview yesterday.

“The experience in Singapore showed that as a result of the cleaning up, they have developed high- end real estate projects surrounding the rivers. The river can also be a source of fresh water,” said Khalid.

During his day-long visit, he also called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana, and delivered a talk at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

The mentri besar and Lee discussed regional developments and opportunities for bilateral collaboration between Singapore and Selangor, a statement from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica) said.

“In particular, Tan Sri Khalid said that he looked forward to Singapore’s assistance in Selangor’s river clean-up project,” the statement said.

The meeting is in line with Singapore’s efforts to nurture friendly ties with Malaysia, both at the national level and also with the Malaysian states, Mica said.

Sungai Klang flows from the highlands in north-east Selangor, winds through Kuala Lumpur before meandering back into Selangor, and drains in the Strait of Malacca.

Khalid said that once the clean-up is completed, sections of the river could be used to transport people to reduce vehicular traffic. Other parts could be used for recreational purposes.

A big challenge is to re-site illegal squatters, factories and animal farms by the riverbanks. Here again, he said, the Singapore experience is valuable.

He expects to announce the project’s management team next month and tender documents will be out soon after that.

Asked about funding, he said Selangor has some funds available as it collects RM1.5 billion in revenues annually while expending RM700 million in wages and operational costs.

Officials are also mulling trading parcels of riverbank land for work done.

Asked whether the move to openly seek Singapore’s expertise in a major project would be a politically sensitive issue in Malaysia, the mentri besar said: “This is not political competition, this is a commercial effort.” — The Straits Times

Manek Urai - Kalau geram, bantai Umno kat sini

Orang Malaysia kan semuanya cintakan perdamaian, peace loving.
Jadi sebab dah tewas di Perak, pihak pembangkang harus tarik nafas dalam-dalam, dan jangan buat hal lagi. Dah penat rakyat tengok ragam kedua pihak. Bosan.

Sebaliknya tumpukan perhatian ke Manek Urai, berkempenlah bermati-matian biar calon Umno kalah lebih teruk lagi.

Lepas tu semua boleh sorak - inilah suara rakyat, jika anda berani berdepan dengan pengundi.
Kalau terus nak serang mahkamah dan hakim baguslah juga, terus saja hancurkan nama negara.
Tapi kan lebih baik ambil cuti seminggu dua kelak dapat kempen kat sini.

Saya difahamkan, selain daripada pilihanraya tahun 2004, Manek Urai biasanya dipegang oleh PAS.
Maknanya ini kubu kuat, kasi hancok itu BN lah. Lupakan dulu Perak dan buktikan bahawa orang Melayu di kampung pun dah tak sokong Umno, dengan memastikan PAS dapat undi yang lebih banyak.
Dari 12,292 pengundi, 99.3 peratus pengundi Melayu.
Majoriti bekas ADUNnya, Allahyarham Ismail Yaacob, dalam March 2008 ialah 1,352.
Umno menang dalam 2004 dengan hanya 53 undi.

Saya di Penanti, cerita besar di Kelantan, Perak

TERKINI
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Pakatan Rakyat dan Nizar Jamaluddin dah kalah di mahkamah.
Maka timbul bermacam tohmahan tentang hakim-hakim dan mahkamah.
Pada saya, berundurlah dari terus mengasak dan membuang masa, dan tumpukan perhatian kepada empat negeri lain yang masih dalam Pakatan.
Kamu juga yang bangang nak pergi mahkamah tu buat apa, kalau dah tahu dia berat sebelah.
Bengap.

Buat Barisan Nasional pula, dia akan terus hidup cemas takut dengan bayang-bayang sendiri.
Tetapi saya pasti juga bahawa dengan pengumuman ini, rakyat Perak makin terus marah, dan 2013 nanti bila ada pilihanraya penuh, negeri Rafidah Aziz, Nazri Aziz, Zambry Kadir dan Samy Vellu ini akan jatuh kembali ke tangan Pakatan secukup-cukupnya.
BN pun bengap juga sebab tak mau cari jalan keluar yang gentleman.

Nanti dulu! Ada desas-desus menyatakan mungkin BN akan bubarkan tiga kerusi katak saja dan akan bersetuju negeri kembali ke tangan Pakatan jika tewas di tiga tempat ini.
Boleh lah juga. Sekurang-kurangnya dengan itu isu ini akan dapat ditutup dan rakyat boleh fikirkan benda lain yang boleh berguna.

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Saya tiba di hotel Sunway di Seberang Jaya pagi tadi, untuk pilihanraya kecil Penanti. Hari penamaan calon ialah esok.
Tetapi cerita besar sebenarnya ialah di Manik Urai Kelantan dan mahkamah di KL untuk menentukan masa depan Perak.
Nampaknya jadi juga Umno turun di Kelantan.
Dan di Perak, jika Nizar Jamaluddin kalah, adakah pembangkang, seperti biasa, akan menuduh mahkamah berat sebelah dan hakim dibeli?
Dan jika menang, senyap-senyap masuk pejabat dan puji mahkamah/hakim?

Cerita Penanti di tidak ramai yang menanti.

MIC, Hindraf, PPP, IPF, MIUP, Mindraf, MMSP....

Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC). S. Samy Vellu.
Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). P. Uthayakumar. இந்து உரிமைகள் போராட்டக் குழு
People's Progressive Party. M. Kayveas.
Indian Progressive Front.

Malaysian Indian United Party, formed last year by former tennis star Datuk S. Nallakaruppan.
Malaysian Indian Democratic Action Front (Mindraf), formed last month. Manuel Lopez.
Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party, formed yesterday. R.S. Thanentiran.


Hindraf is not a political organisation, then again, it is the most political.
Indians in Malaysia have many choices to choose from. Too many?

Malays in the Peninsula would basically choose Umno, PAS or PKR.
And the Chinese MCA, Gerakan or DAP.
This is (almost) the full list, and the history of political parties in Malaysia - see here.
Sure, some of the above parties are multi-racial in outlook etc, but their members mainly come from one main ethnic group.
Sure, there are many, many other Malay and Chinese organisations. But the Indian ones all claim to want to unite the community politically.
Does Malaysia need another communitarian party?

I wrote this because I thought of how fractious the Indian community is, with the formation of the latest political group on Tuesday.
The community has some 1.2 million people and major challenges.

Then again, one could argue that at this very moment, apart from the MIC and Hindraf, the rest are too small to even talk about anything.
Anyway, my job here is to just ponder.
All the best brothers and sisters.

One way to resolve snatch thieves problem?

Bangladesh police cross-dress to nab thieves

DHAKA, May 19, 2009 (AFP) - Police officers across the Bangladeshi capital are donning wigs and wearing women’s clothing to catch criminals targeting females on the city’s streets, a senior official said Tuesday.
“We took this unusual move because of rising crime in the city and it is working,” deputy police commissioner Imtiaz Hossain told AFP.
“In the past four days we have arrested some 60 wanted muggers who have been targeting our officers thinking they are women civilians.”
The specially formed teams across Dhaka, nicknamed “burka squads” after the Muslim female garment, are helping to catch muggers, bag snatchers and pickpockets, which are on the increase in the city.
Some male officers wear full burkas, while others opt for wigs to disguise themselves as women at busy intersections and crowded places where most of the crimes occur, Hossain said.
Authorities said the special patrol teams would continue to work on the streets in disguise until the law and order situation improved in the Muslim-majority country.

Umno-BN is NOT contesting in Penanti

UPDATE
----------

Alamak, tersasul.
I thought earlier that Umno-BN (UBN) would indeed go to Penanti to try and fight it out.
In doing so, it would be testing new leaders since its elections.
Tapi depa takut kalah....

So now I will only be there on Nomination Day, not for the whole by-election stretch.


But really, while it is so easy to laugh at UBN, actually I wish both sides would do this from now on so as not to waste time.
In fact, the Election Commission should also get involved.

For example, since UBN is not contesting Penanti, EC should step in and announce the winner right away.
In this case, it is Pakatan Rakyat.
The same way if PR does not want to contest some seat or the other in the future. Giving whatevery excuses.
That way no one wastes time and money.

Of course, this DOES mean a big splat of creamcake on the face of UBN this time around. Because for the first time ever, if I am not mistaken, the ruling Perikatan/UBN steps away from a fight.

Umno katanya akan bertanding di Penanti juga

Nampaknya jadi juga Umno berjuang di Penanti.
Saya kata berjuang sebab memanglah depa kena berjuang keras nak menang.
Keputusan muktamad esok - Isnin Mei18.

Menarik pertandingan ini bukan kerana tak tahu siapa akan menang, tetapi bagaimana dan cara barisan baru Umno akan berjuang.
Muhyiddin Yassin, sebagai orang No2 Umno kini jadi pengarah kempen.
KJ ketua Pemuda baru kenalah berjuang lebih sikit.
Mahathir Mohamad akan turun?
Kerana pertandingan ini di Pulau Pinang, Abdullah Badawi akan turun juga?
Ezam Md Nor?

Dari Pakatan, PAS Penanti akan terus merajuk?
Dan kerana pertandingan ni hampir sangat dengan muktamar PAS, tentu ramai juga nak turun dan kita boleh perhatikan kempen mereka.
Penang dikuasai oleh DAP, jadi team bapa-anak Lim juga kena turun.
Wow.

Saya sendiri telah diberi arahan untuk membuat liputan pilihanraya kecil ini.
Saya akan tiba di hotel di sana pada Mei22, dan seterusnya pada hari penamaan calon pada Sabtu.
Saya dijangka di sana seterusnya hingga Mei31 hari pengundian.

Polis kata hanya 5,000 orang saja dari sesuatu pihak yang dibenarkan berada di kawasan penamaan calon - dulu masa BN boleh bawa 10,000 penyokong dan pembangkang hanya 500, tak ada pula arahan seperti ini.

Jika anda juga akan berada di sana, telefon saya lah. Kita boleh lepak makan nasi kandak.




GAMBAR HIASAN: Cerita di atas ni serious sangat. Jadi gambar hiasan kena cantik sikit ler.
Terima kasih dari seorang Anonymous di posting lama saya yang menyatakan bahawa gambar kucing besau tempoh hari ialah dari jenis Maine Coon dari Amerika.
Ini lagi satu kucing saiz Kelisa.
Amerika ni semua dia nak besau. Kucing dia pun giant nak makan kucing Chow Kit dan kucing Geylang. Kesian kita.

India & Indonesia polls - Congress wins, SBY leads

This story is important because India is the world's largest democracy.
And Indonesia is the world's biggest Muslim country.

(Thanks much to Anonymous for correcting my mistake on Wiranto and Prabowo - now corrected below)


Sebahagian dari kerja saya ialah mengendalikan berita dari benua Indo-Pakistan (selain berita Asia Tenggara termasuk Malaysia dan Indonesia).
Akhbar saya ada buro di New Delhi (dua pemberita) dan Jakarta (tiga orang).

Hari ini, Sabtu, selepas undian selama sebulan, India mengumumkan keputusan pilihanraya umumnya.
Malaysia ada 10 juta pengundi, Indonesia 171 juta, INDIA 714 juta! Makdatuk.
Sebab tu nak undi kena makan sebulan!

Parti Congress yang diketuai Sonia Gandhi dan Perdana Menteri Manmohan Singh menang besar untuk merebut sejumlah 543 kerusi parlimen.
Mungkin Congress menang 250 kerusi.
Kalau nak control parlimen, kena menang sekurangnya 272 kerusi.

Parti cenderong-Hindu, BJP, yang berharapan nak tubuh kerajaan, baru saja mengaku kalah. Mungkin akan dapat 160 kerusi saja.


Maknanya, seperti di Indonesia, parti sekular menang besar, dan yang mirip kepada agama diketepikan.

Dan kebetulan hari ini juga - calon-calon Pilihanraya Presiden Indonesia telah difinalise. Pilihanraya ialah paga Julai8.

Calon-calon Presiden dan Wakil-Presiden (Malaysia panggil Timbalan Presiden):

1) Team 1 - Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, SBY (Parti Demokrat) dan Boediono (tak ada parti, bekas ketua bank pusat).
2) Team 2 - WaPres Jusuf Kalla (Golkar) dan Wiranto (Hanura).
3) Team 3 - Megawati Sukarnoputri (PDI-P) dan Prabowo Subianto (Gerindra).

Nampaknya, SBY akan menang dengan mudah.

Anwar & Sept16 - Anifah says offered DPM post

We all knew why Sabah's Anifah Aman was making a lot of unhappy noises last year, when Anwar Ibrahim was trying to entice BN lawmakers to defect for the big Sept16 takeover.
The brother of Sabah's Chief Minister Musa Aman wanted a bigger post.
Some fella offered Anifah a deputy minister's post, which he promptly rejected.

Now we know the REAL reason for this - Anifah had been offered a Deputy Prime Minister's post by Anwar - see Anifah's claims here. He said this in front of Hillary Clinton too.

And we all have noticed that now that he has been given the big position of Foreign Minister by the Najib administration - the first time such a high post has been given to an East Malaysia - suddenly everything in Sabah seems well and good.
No more complaints about 'di anak tirikan' or not enough attention being paid by the federal government to the Land Below The Wind.

Are we to surmise that it is all about lobbying for positions or have Sabahans now been given the manna from heaven, and everyone now is rich and full?

A bit more on the failed Sept16 plan - there were rumours then that to effect the plan, Anwar will be PM (who else is qualified, anyway, right?), and there could be as many as five Deputy PMs - a Malay as DPM 1, then a Chinese and Indian from the Peninsular.
And one DPM each from Sabah and Sarawak.


UPDATE
---------

Anwar has denied making such an offer, and threatens to sue Anifah.

“I have spoken to Anifah only once on the phone and that’s it…,” said Anwar after a meet-the-people session in his Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.

“I never offered the DPM post to him for him to defect. The issue indeed was never raised. He was never qualified for such a position anyway. Perhaps it was his dream to become deputy prime minister.”

He suggested that the minister was perhaps overawed and overwhelmed by the occasion.

“After all, being a new minister before an international audience for the first time, he was probably prompted to impress his new political master,” chided Anwar.

H1N1 flu - Malaysia confirms first case

- Malaysia has first confirmed case of H1N1 flu, DG Health says.
- A 21-year old student who just returned from the US to study.
- Now at Sungai Buloh hospital.



UPDATE 1am SAT
---------------------

And then there is:
- ongoing meningitis in Melaka - 46 hospitalised.
- lepto virus in Penang - 1 died, 26 hospitalised.
- pericarditis in Johor - 1 died, 29 under observation.


It's worrying.
Keep well, brothers and sisters.

Perak - Now, concerns over economoney

Selagi kerajaan Perak terus bertukar macam musical chairs, maka kita juga harus berfikir sejenak apa akan jadi kepada ekonomi Perak.

As written by my colleague in KL published in ST today.

---------------------------------------------------------

Worry over state economy as Perak remains in limbo

Some say investors may be confused about which 'revolving door' chief to approach

By Elizabeth Looi, Malaysia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR: - The state of Perak remained in a political limbo yesterday, as leaders from both the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and its rival Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance insist their chief is the rightful Menteri Besar.

But concern is spreading among politicians and observers that the continuing mess will affect Perak's economy, as investors are unsure who to approach.

'If you are a businessman and wish to invest in a certain project which can be approved only by the Chief, who are you to see?' Dr Hsu Dar Ren wrote on his blog.

'You see one a few hours ago and then a new one comes in through the revolving door, who is the actual boss?' asked Dr Hsu, a top leader of Parti Gerakan, a component party of BN.

Yesterday, BN's Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir reported to work as Menteri Besar, just a day after PR's Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin had occupied the same office.

But the confusing political game of musical chairs may not be over yet.

Mr Nizar's lawyers were at the Appeals Court yesterday to try and overturn a 'stay of execution' granted by the same court on Tuesday which had him booted out of the Menteri Besar's office. The Appeals Court will hear the application on Monday.

'The leaders should be doing something more important, like solving the economic crisis. We are now confused. We do not know who is the rightful Menteri Besar,' hospital general manager Tsia Kwai Meng, who lives in Ipoh, told The Straits Times yesterday.

The bitter political fight has spread to the economic sphere as both BN and PR are claiming credit for several projects which are coming into the state.

Malaysia Airlines' budget subsidiary Firefly and low-cost carrier AirAsia are both keen to start flights from Ipoh to other parts of Malaysia and South-east Asia.

And a new medical school will soon be established in Perak.

Dr Zambry said these projects were due to the hard work of his administration since BN took over the state three months ago.

But a top PR official had claimed on Monday that it was due to its hard work over the last one year since winning the state in the general election.

Another tussle is over who should be credited for the plan to extend the runway at Ipoh's under-utilised airport so that bigger planes could land, bringing in more tourists.

'Our priority is the extension of the airport runway. I have spoken to Prime Minister Najib Razak about this and he told me that this was the priority,' Dr Zambry told the media yesterday.

He said potential investors should not be worried by a ruling that declared Mr Nizar as the rightful Menteri Besar.

'They can be rest assured about the political climate despite what you have been hearing about the situation here.

'When it comes to business, I think all Perakians are very serious about it and we would like to welcome everyone to Perak,' he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

But others are concerned that the impasse will soon hurt small businesses in the state.

PR assemblyman A. Sivanesan said only one municipal councillor out of 14 in Perak had been sworn in. BN has not sworn in the rest since its takeover in the last three months.

Because of this, many municipal offices cannot issue licences such as those needed by hawkers and small traders, he said.

Gerammmm!

Ini kucing ke rimau?

Perak - Zambry kembali jadi MB, Nizar keluar

Apa ni? Mahkamah kena beli ke?

Atau bagaimana?

Jika semalam pembangkang gembira sangat dengan mahkamah.

Sekarang terpaksa pulak keluar.

Nak tenangkan keresahan rakyat?

Bubar sajalah, Abang Din, bubar.

Ini semua angkara permainan Lompat Si Katak Lompat yang dimulakan Anwar Ibrahim.

Tetapi bukan pembangkang saja yang salah.

Perak - Najib wants to appeal. Pulak.

Before the Sultan Perak managed to say anything, PM Najib Razak said he wants to appeal the High Court ruling on Perak which gave Nizar Jamaluddin and company the state back.
So if BN's appeal is accepted, then how? Pakatan will appeal.
And then BN will re-appeal?
After this we all go Jalan Peel?
And we peel bananas? Then we all become monkeys?
This is a horror movie lah.

Rakyat yang dulunya menyanjung BN hari ini nampaknya sokong Pakatan.
Tapi tak bermakna ianya akan terus begitu. Esok rakyat mungkin buat kornar baring masuk BN lagi.

Kenapa takut sangat dengan rakyat?


-------------------------------------------------------

LAGI SATU ISU:
-------------------

Dulu masa kalah di mahkamah, macam-macam maki hamun. Tetapi bila menang tak ada pulak yang kata hakim berat sebelah, mahkamah boleh dibeli....
Baca komen saya di sini waktu pembangkang tewas di mahkamah:
"Why make so much noise when Perak is lost?"

Inilah sebabnya saya berat hati nak sokong pembangkang (Tentang jengkel dengan BN, dah lama pun....)
Mana Kit Siang, Anwar Ibrahim? Tak nak attack mahkamah ke?
Semua setuju pulak.
Ganjil sikap begini.

Lagi satu perangai gila pembangkang: Bila SPR terlambat buat pengumuman pilihanraya kecil Penanti, wah melompat semua hero-hero pembangkang kata SPR berat sebelah, nak tunggu sama ada BN jadi ke tidak. Di bawah telunjuk Najib.
Bila beberapa hari kemudian SPR kata Penanti tetap diadakan - Hari Penamaan pada Mei 23 dan Pengundian pada Mei 31 - tak ada suara pembangkang pun yang berkata: Bagus! Kami sokong SPR.

Itulah saya katakan, mereka ni pandai merosakkan imej dan nama negara (yang BN pun sama dalam longkang juga), tapi tak pandai nak menjaga nama negara di mata orang luar (pelabur dan pemerhati).

Cuba kalau Nizar tewas hari ini, saya pasti hero Kit Siang, hero Anwar dan sebagainya akan secara lantang berkata Mahkamah telah dibeli! Hakim kena control Rosmah dan macam-macam lagi.
Lagi satu - polis Malaysia telah berjaya menangkap Mas Selamat Kastari - pergilah puji sikit. Terima kasih PDRM, Syabas.
Tetapi yang ada: Senyap saja.
Bengap.

Perak - bubarkan sajalah.

As I have said since the issue first started, the only 'gentleman' way out for both sides is to ask for the State Assembly to be disbanded and new elections for the silver state held.

If the Sultan does not agree if Nizar Jamaluddin were to see him, bring Zambry Kadir along.
Or maybe Zambry go separately to see the dear Sultan to ask for the same thing.
Tolonglah.

Earlier, I did not want to comment on the disgraceful things that happened in the state legislature last week - shouting, shoving, standing on tables, boorish behaviour all.
BY BOTH SIDES.

Malulah saya nak explain dengan rakan-rakan di Singapura - walaupun saya PR/penduduk tetap Malaysia, di pejabat semua anggap saya rakyat Malaysia sebab pandai borak isu politik utara. Kena isu mengarut macam ni nak explain apa - semua orang Perak dah gila?

There is a lesson here for opposition diehards - stop Anwar Ibrahim from trying to shake and topple state governments by defections. Umno and PM Najib Razak have shown that if you want to play that game, you will lose.
You guys just run the states that you have won the proper way and I can assure you the rakyat will support you again the next time.
Orang dah penat main game politik lompat katak dan pilihanrayacil ni selama setahun lebih.

So now, for the sake of the Malay unity, Malay Kings and Malay sanity (to say nothing of the sanity of every Malaysian but those Umno ones in Perak and their media, and some others perhaps...), bubarkan sajalah.

As a former Umno assemblyman who writes under the name of Sakmongkol AK47 said:

The only honourable thing to do is to remit the whole thing to the rakyat and that means calling for a fresh elections. It's better for UMNO to lose honourably than to win detestably.

Mas tak selamat - Tahniah abang polis!

Terima kasih kepada abang polis Malaysia! Kumpulan yang sentiasa dihina di Malaysia kerana kerap menjalankan kerja kotor ahli politik.

1) Mas Selamat Kastari, orang kuat JI yang ditangkap di JB pada April 1 didapati pernah menetap di Skudai.
Hanya kira-kira 20km dari Causeway ke Singapore.
Takuttt.

World scoop berita ini ditulis oleh pemberita akhbar saya, The Straits Times, Leslie Lopez. Yang lain semua copycat. Yahoo.

2) Yang memeranjatkan saya ialah setelah MSK lolos dari penjara ISA Singapore, dia telah berenang menyeberang Selat Johor dengan menggunakan "improvised flotation device" - alat pelampung diperbuat sendiri.
Jauh tu! - dari penjara Whitley Road di tengah Singapore nak ke tepi pantai Selat Johor. Polis belum memberitahu sama ada si penjahat ni menyeberang melalui kawasan dekat Sembawang, Kranji, Changi atau Pulau Ubin atau Pulau Tekong.
Ouch.

3) Lepas tu, selama setahun MSK ni tinggal di kawasan Skudai.
Tak tahulah rumah jenis apa. Banglo ke, teres ke, apartmen ke atau atas rumah kedai.
Yang dikhuatiri para penganalisa ialah Skudai ni tidak jauh dari Ulu Tiram - hanya diseberang North South Expressway.
Di Ulu Tiram dulu sekolah (Madrasah Luqmanul Hakiem - rosak nama Islam kalau orang gila gunakan nama agama dan madrassah). JI diketuai Abu Bakar Bashir dan mula berkembang di Malaysia, Singapore dan Indonesia.
Adakah ini bermakna jaringan atau network JI di kawasan Johor ni masih hidup?
Ouch.

4) Dan satu soalan yang banyak ditanya orang - siapa yang harus menerima wang hadiah S$1 juta (RM2.3 juta) yang ditawarkan Singapore untuk penangkapan MSK.


Nanti dulu!
Mungkin ada yang berkata nanti: ini semua fitnah. Abu Bakar, MSK dan sekolah agama semuanya difitnah oleh Bush, Amerika, Yahudi dsbnya. JI pun masih ada yang kata, sebenarnya tak ada.
Terpulanglah.
Ratusan orang dah mati kena bom di Indonesia. Nasib baik tak sampai kat Singapore-Malaysia.

Pada saya, jika orang gila seperti Abu Bakar tidak menolak pembunuhan orang awam hanya kerana mereka bukan seagamanya ('orang kafir'), rosaklah Islam jika si Muslim yang lain takut nak menentang mereka.
Membunuh ASKAR lawan itu satu hal (baik di Iraq atau Afghanistan misalnya).

Tetapi mengebom orang awam yang bersama keluarga di restoran di Bali dan hotel di Jakarta, saya tak relakan. Mampos nama agama aku kalu terus begini.
Ini kerja orang gila.
Saya berkata begini kerana ramai anak Melayu-Islam Singapore dah masuk JI sebelum ditaubatkan di penjara.
Terror has no religion, my brother - look at the names of the Mumbai terrorist murders here.

Kalau kita cakap 'OK what, dia perjuangkan Islam' esok jika bom meletup di KLCC atau Orchard dan ahli keluarga anda mati hangus, kepala putus, hanya kerana duduk disebelah 'orang kafir' di restoran, dah terlambat nak menyesal.

Tahniah pegawai sekuriti Malaysia, Singapore dan Indonesia.
Tahniah abang polis. Gua caya sama lu!
(Tapi polis ni, kalau esok depa buat salah, kita mesti balon jugak hoi!)

Ipoh tussle - SMS alerts very quiet (strange!)

UPDATE 10am FRIDAY
---------------------------

This morning I suddenly received a burst of 20 SMSes. So it means somehow all text messages were unable to reach my Malaysian cell yesterday.
Now I don't know whether to sue The Star and The Sun and The Moon (Harakah), or Maxis or Starhub (the Singapore telecoms company).
Sigh. I was deprived of pleasure yesterday with all those text messages of how stupid politicians could be in Perak.


-------------------------------------------------------

Even as news websites are reporting all the details of what is happening on the ground in Ipoh now, my Malaysian SMS alerts have been quiet all day.
There has been nothing from Star, Sun, etc. Not even the PAS, PKR SMS alerts.

Or maybe it is just me because I am getting the SMS'es from Singapore. Then again, I regularly get these text messages.

I thought maybe police blocked all calls from Ground Zero, then again Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, Siasah etc all can report what!?

And The Star itself HAS the news on its website.

Strange eh.

If you're an MP or assemblyman, READ THIS

We often have bits and pieces of what an elected politician does. Or even those hard-working unelected ones.
You open their websites and you see him/her cutting ribbons and kissing babies trying to look happy, or standing beside clogged drains and collapsed walls trying to look forlorn.

But it is often difficult to say whether this is a one-off thing for the sake of surfers/readers, or part of his/her regular job.

Now see here - in the heartland of the Elephant King in Sungai Siput (Perak), a Pakatan Rakyat assemblyman, Jeyakumar Vevaraj, shows how he does his work.
Not only does he detail the types of complain he gets, he also shows a follow-up that has been done - in this case about a Malay village that is often flooded.
Apart from the blaming of the previous BN government (no need lah for this), it shows what can done. It should give other politicians ideas on how to help the little men voters.

This politician though, could perhaps take his work one step further - contacting the media in your state.
After trying all this and not get far, sometimes contacting the media will help. Since PR is still part of the federal opposition, he should NOT contact the media directly in this case - ie if he wants to help the villagers.
Ask the villagers themselves to call the media (by giving contact numbers). Once Karam Singh Walia or TV3 news or Star or NST runs the story, you can bet the state government, district officers, town councils will come a'running to try resolve the issue.

Anyway, it shows that away from all the wayang that is taking place in Perak, there are elected people who actually work hard. Without much fund support as the federal government is unlikely to lift a hand.

I am not highlighting him because he is from PR (I don't know the assemblyman), but just that I received an email about this from beritamalaysia@yahoo newsgroups.
I am sure many BN politicians work hard also, betul tak Ikmal?


--------------------------------------------------------
I am not going to comment on the Perak issue any more. I have had my say - Just call for full state elections.
Kesian polis, do all the dirty work and get blamed.

Pak Lah penasihat IKIM (belum IKIA lagi) & MAS

Apabila saya menulis baru-baru ini - di sini - bahawa Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tun, akan dilantik ke IKIM dan namanya pertubuhan itu akan ditukar jadi IKIA, ramai yang marah.

(IKIM = Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia).
(IKIA = Institut Kefahaman Islam Antarabangsa).

Mereka menyangka saya bergurau cara kasar-kurang ajar.
Adakan PM Malaysia yang baru turun dikatakan nak mengetuai IKIA! Gudang perabot IKEA, mungkin ada yang menyangkakan.
Saya pada masa itu telah menunjukkan laporan tulisan rakan sekerja saya Leslie Lopez bahawa memang benar ada ura-ura tersebut.

Kini lamanberita Insider yang selalu dikatakan dihalatuju oleh 'orang Pak Lah' melaporkan berita yang sama - AAB jadi penasihat IKIM. Cuba namanya belum tukar ke IKIA lagi kot.
Baca di sini.

"The cabinet of Datuk Seri Najib Razak had also decided that Abdullah would play an advisory role at the Malaysian Islamic Understanding Institute (IKIM) as well as serve as an advisor for the various growth corridors which were set up during his tenure as PM.

The idea is for Abdullah, as a former chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), to strengthen the economic linkages between the Middle-east and Malaysia, especially in Islamic finance as well as oil and gas.

In that capacity, Abdullah will be making his first trip this week to Saudi Arabia."

Dan lagi, AAB dijadikan penasihat Malaysia Airlines. Yang ini tak payah garu kepala.

Dr M dulu dikatakan dijadikan penasihat Petronas agar beliau dapat menggunakan jet syarikat minyak itu untuk ke sana sini dalam kerja seterus beliau untuk mengharumkan nama negara. Beliau memang banyak menjelajah dunia untuk bercakap di forum dan seminar antarabangsa untuk menceritakan bagaimana negara Malaysia membangun pesat.

Jadi AAB, sebagai penasihat IKIM-IKIA juga, akan dapat terbang kelas pertama dengan Tun Isteri untuk mengharumkan nama negara dengan berbincang isu-isu Islam yang memang digemarinya di forum perdana antarabangsa.

Lagipun sebagai bekas PM, kena hormat sikitlah beb. Takkan Dr M dan AAB nak kena beli tiket sendiri dan duduk dengan kalian di kelas ekonomoney?
Rilek, jangan nak melenting. Hormat bekas pemimpin negara.

Cuma yang saya tak faham, apa lagi yang beliau boleh buat sebagai penasihat koridor-koridor pembangunan yang dilancarkanya. Semuanya gagal atau s l o w.

Blog & Blogger = Citramaya & Citrawan

Bahasa yang tidak terus berkembang adalah bahasa yang menunggu hari mati.
Datuk Ruhanie Ahmad memberikan idea mengembangkan penggunaan dua perkataan baru bagi orang-orang yang gemar membuat kacau dengan tulisan mereka di laman masing-masing. Atau mungkin ada yang kata membuat penjelasan yang membantu negara dengan tulisan-tulisan mereka.

Beliau mencadangkan kita menggunakan perkataan Citramaya dan Citrawan dan bukan Blog dan Blogger jika bertutur atau menulis dalam bahasa Melayu.
Baca di citramayanya kuda-kepang.blogspot.com.
(Orang Johor, kita dah naik Maserati dan Aston Martin, depa masih nak naik kuda kepang....).

Tetapi mungkin ada yang akan berkata - baca komen dalam posting beliau, sama seperti kita dah biasa kata 'Saya nak gi hospital dan klinik' maka agak terlewat nak tambah perkataan nak ganti Blog dan Blogger ni.
Saya sendiri lebih gemar satu lagi cadangan beliau - blog itu kita panggil 'Lamancitra'.


Datuk Ruhanie ni setiap kali namanya disebut, saya selalu teringat nama timangannya dulu:
YB Ron of the BBC. Sebab masa saya mula kenal beliau, YB Ron ialah pengerusi BN Backbenchers Club atau BBC.

Islamicity - Singapore exports madrasah =2

Referring to my posting below - see the bottom parts - this is just to show a picture of Masjid An Nahdhah in Bishan residential estate taken in the daytime.
The picture in the previous posting was all black and white.
Taken from my bedroom window about 5min ago.
A stadium, headquarters of police football team Home United, is located just behind the mosque - you can see the tall lighting pylons of the stadium.
So sometimes you see a lot of people in the mosque all sitting at its back. Watching a football match. This is what we call a captive audience. Pandai tak orang Singapore dakwah? Heehee.

Islamicity - Singapore exports madrasah system

At a time when the world is concerned, and rightly so, about some madrasahs teaching kids to kill and maim in the name of jihad, madrasahs in a little red dot have long moved in a different direction.
There are four madrasahs here - quite a lot for a Muslim population of 450,000 or so.

The madrasahs here teach children about 'subjek agama', and then science, mathematics and living with others.
Singapore Muslims may not have a choice because they are a small, economically-weak and politically-impotent minority, but sometimes I am glad this is so.
Because it is only when your beliefs are threatened that one fights back. Fighting back does not necessarily mean using guns; sometimes using roses is better.

When one cannot rely on policies and systems such as bumiputera (Malaysia), pribumi (Indonesia), guang-xi ('connections', China), affirmative action (South Africa), then you will do something else to survive.

The Singapore system has been quite successful in bringing matematik dan sains (in English!), and so now two madrasahs in Indonesia have followed the model.
I am not saying they become angels and CEO's, but suffice to say they can merge into society easier because they can speak in English better and their qualifications are not inferior than those from so-called secular schools.

See this article about Singapore's Madrasah Al Irsyad - if you click here - is from the recent front page of the International Herald Tribune.
It is the No1 among the four Islamic schools.
If you read IHT you will see that on its front page is a huge picture and one big story below that picture. This was that story.
The report was republished in New York Times and San Jose Mercury.
Pictures of old school compound and history of Al Irsyad here.

PICTURE: Now this complex is ready. In this picture it was still being built - Masjid Muhajirin (right) and Singapore Islamic Hub - headquarters of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (left). Behind the mosque is Madrasah Al Irsyad (the tall white building).
See the Muis website - all in English, brader. Orang Singapoor Darul Angmor semua tak pandai cakap Melayu dah, tinggal aku sorang and tikus-tikus di Geylang.

And about 150m from this complex is SPH News Centre where I work. And 2km from this Islamicity is where I live in Bishan.
In Muhajirin, which looks like a huge rumah Melayu, every sermon in Malay on Fridays is accompanied by translation on big screens in English. Cantik.

No, Muhajirin is NOT my neighbourhood mosque.
Mine is Masjid An Nahdhah in Bishan housing estate - see here.
Except for the bulan-bintang, An Nahdhah looks like an office block because Singaporeans are shy to announce that they have mosques like those in Makkah or Madinah. Takut nanti depa JI-kan kita.
Bishan is an estate where the Chinese population is like 95 per cent. Indians, and especially Malays, are few and far between (unlike Malays in Geylang and Bedok - there are as many of them there as there are tikus).
So, inside An Nahdhah mosque is Harmony Centre - facilities, books, pamphlets and people to explain to non-Muslims issues on Islam and matters of concern to them.
If they are not convinced that we are all not jihadis about to lop off their heads, we give them a spread of nasi lemak and kuih-muih.
They go home smiling. It works every time!

Gempar di Temasek - Aware dan isu lesbian

Isu yang Paling Besar di Temasek sejak dua minggu ini - mengatasi cerita ekonomi lemah dan demam al-khinzir ialah laporan-laporan tentang Aware.
Apa tu?

Aware ialah singkatan bagi Association of Women and Research, sebuah pertubuhan wanita yang terkemuka di sini.
Walaupun ahlinya tak ramai - lebih kurang 300 saja dulu - tapi sekarang dah melonjak menjadi ribuan orang sejak kontroversi meletup - kumpulan ini telah melahirkan tiga Anggota Parliamen.
Aware memperjuangkan isu-isu wanita.
Kalau nak banding dengan Malaysia memang tak ada pertubuhan wanita yang disegani seperti Aware ini di Negara Singapurr Darul Geylang.

Dua minggu lepas, akhbar saya The Straits Times membuka tirai tentang kumpulan wanita baru yang secara mengejut 'merampas' exco Aware dalam perhimpunan tahunannya.
Mungkin 200 orang hadir - satu rekod besar bagi Aware. Kebanyakan yang datang adalah ahli baru yang bersatu hati nak ambil kuasa secara mengejut.
Kumpulan baru ini seperti berdolak dalik tentang mengapa mereka 'merampas' lalu katanya menghalau exco lama.
Selepas dikorek oleh wartawan, cerita sebenarnya ialah exco baru (lihat GAMBAR) sebenarnya adalah sekumpulan wanita Kristian yang tidak senang hati bahawa exco lama kononnya memperjuangkan hak homoseksual dan lesbian.

Exco lama Aware berkata mereka adalah kumpulan "inclusive" - iaitu menerima dan memajukan apa jua isu yang membantu wanita tidak kira lesbian ke apa, dan juga tidak mengenepikan kaum homoseksual.
Maka tercetus bermacam polemik di akhbar, internet dan hingga ahli politik dan menteri pun masuk campur mengajak semua mengamalkan sikap toleransi yang telah berakar di sini.
Dan dalam dua hari lepas ini, orang agama - paderi-paderi Kristian pun buka suara.
Gaduh besar!
Detailnya di sini.
Seperti kata seorang blogger: Excuse me, your religion is trampling on my rights.

Ooooi, Singapour Darul Woodlands bukan macam kat Malaysia, di mana semua orang boleh bawa isu agama ke tengah lepas pun main tembak-tembak berbulan-bulan. Kadang-kadang negera sampai nak karam sebab orang Malaysia ni syiok nak menang saja kalau dah gaduh.

Isu yang paling penting bagi negara empat juta orang ini ialah: Adakah pertubuhan sivil (civil society) patut digunakan oleh orang beragama untuk memaksa orang lain tetang pendirian kita?
Maksudnya jika anda tak suka orang majukan isu homoseksual dan lesbian, pergilah buat persatuan sendiri dan bukan ambil alih secara 'merampas' Aware yang memang terkenal dengan sifat "inclusive"nya.

Hari ini, perhimpunan tergempar Aware diadakan.
Yang hadir? 2,000-3,000 orang! (lihat cerita dan gambar di sini).
Fuyoh. Sejak isu ini meletup. Ribuan orang baru masuk sebab nak defend Aware.


Dari channelnewsasia.com, TV berpangkalan di Singapore:
"One Malay Muslim woman said she was not comfortable with an-all Christian and all-Chinese group representing a secular group like AWARE.
"And members of the Christian faith stood up and said the action of the new Exco set back constructive dialogue between Christians and secularists in Singapore.
"Over 90 per cent of the people who spoke up said they were against the encroachment of religious values on a secular space."

Selepas gaduh pompuan ni, perhimpunan baru saja tadi membuat keputusan untuk menolak exco yang baru!!!

TERBARU - 10mlm - Exco baru meletak jawatan!!!
Presiden dan timbalan lain - dari kumpulan exco lama kembali.

Tak tahulah apa akan terjadi lepas ini, tetapi tidak pernah di Singapura yang saya tahu sampai perhimpunan pertubuhan sivil pun polis masuk campur nak pastikan keselamatan.
Saya rasa banggalah sebab perjumpaan lima jam (rekod lagi) itu diadakan dengan aman, walaupun banyak yang bertengkar, mengherdik dan memekik.

Ini Reformasi kecil di Singapour Darul Bedok - jika anda nak majukan pandangan tentang sesuatu isu, pergilah tubuhkan persatuan sendiri. Jangan kacau hak orang lain.
Pengajaran untuk Malaysia? Jika nak bawa isu agama dan kaum ke tengah berhati-hatilah, jangan sampai menghinakan atau melukakan hati orang lain.
"Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition".

Arghh. Women drivers!

Next, let's do a vid on Men Drivers!

Daud Iraqi - Hanya ulama utk 2 jawatan atas PAS

'Dua jawatan tertinggi PAS mesti ulama', lapor Utusan Malaysia hari ini.

"Bagi saya, kedua-dua jawatan tertinggi itu mesti alim ulama, siapa yang tawarkan diri, tidak kira sebab masing-masing hendak naik, cuma kita orang parti ada pertimbangan sendiri. Mesti utamakan kepimpinan ulama.
"Nombor satu atau dua mesti ulama.
"Untuk jawatan lain tidak apa. Intelek atau profesional."
- Ustaz Datuk Mohamed Daud Iraqi, ketua Dewan Ulama PAS.

Bukanlah maksud beliau ulama tak ada 'intelek' dan tak 'profesional' kot.
Cuma mengingatkan dasar Kepimpinan Bersama Ulama parti sejuta ahli ini.
Apa yang dikatakannya adalah penting kerana beliau ialah seorang 'ideologue' utama dalam parti (yang lain termasuk Mursyidul Am Nik Aziz Nik Mat dan Presiden Abdul Hadi Awang).

Jawatan Presiden tetap selamat di tangan Abdul Hadi Awang.
Tetapi jawatan Timbalan Presiden agak goyang kerana seperti yang saya pernah tulis, pihak Erdogan hendak menggantikan Ustaz Nasharudin Mat Isa.

Adakah dengan 'fatwa' Ustaz Daud Iraqi ini bermakna beliau menyebelahi pihak pro-unity, pro-Umno, dan menentang puak Erdogan dalam PAS?

Dan bagaimana pula niat Husam Musa, Mat Sabu dan Hassan Ali nak tanding jawatan timbalan presiden? - mereka bukan dari golongan ulama.
Orang lain yang berhajat nak sandang jawatan No.2 ini ialah Ustaz Nasha sendiri dan Ustaz Azizan Razak yang juga Menteri Besar Kedah ('kan dah banyak kerja jadi MB, Datuk?).

Husam dan Mat Sabu, katanya, gusar nak menetap di tahap sekarang - kedua-duanya Timbalan Presiden. Ini kerana Nizar Jamaluddin bekas MB Perak yang kian popular dalam parti, nak bertanding di sini.
(Timbalan Presiden PAS yang ketiga ialah Ustaz Ahmad Awang).

Jadi jika Husam dan Mat Sabu tak cuba merebut jawatan di atas, mereka khuatir Nizar akan dapat undi yang lebih daripada mereka dan mereka mungkin diisytihar sebagai 'yesterday's leaders'.

Begitulah politik. Nak duduk diam pun susah.
Tak macam wartawan. Tak naik pangkat 10 tahun pun - dan orang lain pijak kepala kita naik ke atas - kita masih tak tahu malu. :-)