The Shoe Sequel

Cartoons from Time.com

Mamak Daud pissed in his pants: When a butcher won't bet!

Anwar, Lim visits to S’wak show state govt not scared: Daud

Posted By rajlira On 27th December 2008 @ 00:02 In Local

KUCHING: Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman yesterday said being scared was not why Padang Serai (Kedah) MP N. Gobalakrishnan was denied entry into Sarawak on Christmas Eve.

Describing the no-entry as an “isolated case”, Daud, the Barisan Nasional backbone Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu vice president, said the government generally allowed people to enter the state even if they were personalities like Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Democratic Action Party advisor Lim Kit Siang.

“We practise an open policy. Generally we allow people to enter Sarawak. We do not stop them from entering Sarawak. We let them in because we are not afraid of the opposition. We even have allowed Anwar and Lim Kit Siang to enter,” he told reporters after a function here yesterday.

Daud, who is also Tupong assemblyman, was commenting the latest issue where the PKR supreme council member cum Padang Serai MP (Kedah) N Gobalakrishnan was refused entry upon his arrival at the Kuching International Airport here on Christmas Eve.

When told that the Immigration Department refused the MP entry because of a directive from the State Secretariat, Daud said he was in the dark.

“I don’t know. I was not in the picture. But then again it’s up to the discretion of the Immigration Department,” he said.

When contacted yesterday Gobalakrishnan admitted that he was denied entry into Sarawak on Dec 26, 2008 because of his recent negative comments in Parliament about Sarawak.

He said he had already instructed lawyers here to initiate legal action against the relevant parties over the matter.

Gobalakrishnan admitted to having told Parliament issues relating to infrastructural development, particularly that of Kapit and Hulu Rajang; corruption; oil royalty and native customary land.

He was denied entry at the immigration counter of the Kuching International Airport around 5.30pm on Dec 24.

Immigration officers handed over to him a notice containing suggestions that he was not a resident of Sarawak and that he would only be allowed entry if he had a permit from the State.

“The moment I reached KIA, immigration officers told me that I was not allowed to enter due to an instruction from the State government. An officer gave me a notice which read: ‘Tuan bukan rakyat Sarawak, tidak berhak untuk masuk ke Sarawak tanpa permit atau pas Akta Imigresen 1959-1963’ (You are not a citizen of Sarawak and are not eligible to enter Sarawak without a permit or immigration pass),” he said.

State PKR liaison chief Dominique Ng who is Padungan assemblyman rushed to the airport to negotiate with immigration officials but failed.

Gobalakrishnan then boarded an AirAsia flight back to Kuala Lumpur at 9.50pm on the same day.

Yesterday an immigration spokesman said that the refusal of entry against the MP was a directive from the State Secretariat.

Although the Immigration Department had refused him entry by virtue of Section 66 (1) of the Immigration Act 1959, Gobalakrishnan claimed that the state could not simply use its autonomy on immigration on any MP.

He claimed that by virtue of Section 66 (1) (c), no member of any convention in the country should be prevented from entering Sarawak or even Sabah.

By ‘convention’, he meant any MP or state assemblymen in Malaysia because these are members of a ‘convention’ like parliament and state legislative assemblies.

“How can you kick parliament out? I am also sad with being denied entry because I could not spend Christmas Eve with my ‘adopted family’ at Rumah Jugah in Sungai Sut, Kapit and attend the wedding of a friend at the same area, apart from missing several events like a seminar for PKR supporters in Lubok Antu, a meeting with state PKR leaders in Kuching and Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit’s open house,” the MP said.

He revealed that his ‘adopted father’ Jugah Lidi was not related to family members of the late Tun Jugah Barieng.

Gobalakrishnan said so far he was the first and only member of PKR who had been refused entry into the State. But he said he believed more Peninsular Malaysia-based MPs, particularly from PKR, would be banned from the state because of their choice or brand of politics.

“So far I am the only one from PKR who has been refused entry. The last politician denied entry was the then DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang (now DAP advisor) but that was in the early 1970s. I think there will be more who will be banned from the state,” he said.

PKR information chief Chua Tian Chong alias Tian Chua said he had nothing against Sarawak’s autonomy on immigration if it was to ensure that locals were gainfully employed.

The Batu MP said he would support such measure anytime.

“But I could not agree with the denial of entry of an MP just because he is from the opposition. How can that be when we are living in a democratic country? To target MPs just because they are from the opposition is an abuse of power,” he said.

A news portal Malaysiakini had been playing up the issue since Dec 24, the latest being a claim that Sarawak may use its immigration powers to deny entry to more Peninsular Malaysia-based politicians, including PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim “in the face of what is seen as growing local support for the opposition”.

The Borneo Post Online

Christmas Joy: Jawah Gerang and 1,000 join PKR Sarawak

NEW MEMBER:
Jawah (second left) handing over his membership application to Salehuddin. At right is Bawin | Pix - Borneo Post

Posted By rajlira On 25th December 2008 @ 00:00 In Local

SRI AMAN, Sarawak: Former Lubok Antu MP Jawah Gerang and about a thousand supporters have joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), it was announced here yesterday.

Speaking at a press confe-rence held at a local hotel, Jawah announced his decision to join PKR as he handed over his membership application, along with the applications of more than 1,000 others, to PKR secretary general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim.

“My decision to join PKR is not a surprise; neither is it a political gimmick. I join the party on my own free will,” he said.

Others at the conference were state PKR vice chairman Nicholas Bawin Anggat, former Sri Aman MP Jimmy Donald, PKR Betong chief Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh and members of PKR Sri Aman and Lubok Antu.

Jawah also revealed that he had already travelled the length and breadth of his former constituency to recruit more members and claimed that the response from the people was “very encouraging”.

He claimed that their members were mostly from the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) which was deregistered in 2004.

Jawah who joined Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) after his PBDS’ days was not re-nominated for the Lubok Antu parliamentary seat in the election last March 8.

Jawah’s replacement by William Nyallau Badak did not go down well with the supporters of this five-term MP who had grown from strength to strength – in terms of grassroots support — since his first outing in 1986.

It was, therefore, quite expected of him to claim yesterday that, about 6,000 people from Lubok Antu parliamentary constituency would soon be joining him in PKR “shortly”.

Meanwhile, Jimmy also said about 1,000 people from Sri Aman parliamentary constituency had joined PKR, adding that he had been moving in the constituency to ask his supporters to join the party.

The media members were also told by Bawin that PKR Sri Aman branch had been set up at Jalan Sabu. - [ Borneo Post Online ]

Merry Christmas - Rejoicing Goodwill & Love

To all Friends and Families
and
all Readers

---

BTW Daffy says "Merry Christhmas", too. Says he's a generous receiver now. So give him more, loads of fun!

Saudi girl, eight, married off to 58-year-old is denied divorce

An eight-year old Saudi Arabian girl who was married off by her father to a 58-year-old man has been told she cannot divorce her husband until she reaches puberty.

Lawyer Abdu Jtili said the divorce petition was filed by the unnamed girl's divorced mother in August after the marriage contract was signed by her father and the groom. "The judge has dismissed the plea because she [the mother] does not have the right to file, and ordered that the plea should be filed by the girl herself when she reaches puberty," lawyer Abdullah Jtili told the AFP news agency.

The case was handled by a court in Qasim province, north of the Saudi capital Riyadh. The girl does not know she is married, said Jtili, adding that he will appeal.

More at the Guardian ...

Will there be a brawl in KT?

What is on the line is Kuala Terangganu scheduled for a bye-election on 17 January, 2009 at least for the near future year? It's not all of the "future" although future to many Malaysian can be quite short, these days. You just can never know when some other bad news are going to hit you. You don't talk about decades now: too depressing. You think in terms of quarters: Q1, Q2 not even H1 or H2. Kuala Terengganu is some 3 weeks away, and already the kris has rattled.

Will there be a big brawl in KT (Kuala Terengganu)? Chances are there will be. PAS has promised 1,000 ceramahs (tree stumping so to speak). PAS is lying - they have more than 1,000 which started even before the proclamation by the Election Commission. Well, they may be modest and not lying like Najib, and through his nicotine stained teeth, too.

Perhaps, BN may fight tooth and nail for KT. Rafidah Aziz has declared she will win the bye-election for UMNO. She was no nowhere in Permatang Pauh: not a sound from her! She could have known UMNO was licked even before the whole thing began. Will she tell all the KT women to "shaddaplah"? She will camp in KT, armed with APs around her waist and in her cheeks.

Why would BN fight tooth and nail for KT? What else? The oil, which royalty UMNO stole from the rakyat since Mahathir. That is sustainability for distant future and at least to stave off ravages of the South China Sea in rains and floods.

PAS needs to win this KT and generally build a future for east coast Malaysia. With DAP and PKR they have better things to do than dwell on old busted myths and legends.

Friends and clown

James Taylor, crown gone, but assurredly not a clown

---

Indonesia's star attraction, a world class vocal artiste,
Ruth Sahanaya
in a medley.

Lembu punya susu, Sapi tidak malu

Abdullah said during an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily at his private residence in Kuala Lumpur that during his five-year tenure as the prime minister, he has managed to change the mentality of the Malays.

"Young Malays feel that they need the opportunities, so they begin talking about DAP and PKR. They believe they have better opportunities there."

"I can change the Malays" - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

www.mysinchew.com

US shares Shoe Stinks with Germans

US GENERAL ON BERLIN AGENTS IN BAGHDAD

'The Germans Were Invaluable to Us'

In a SPIEGEL interview, Retired General James Marks, 55, discusses the importance of the BND, Germany's foreign intelligence agency, for US attack plans in Iraq.

SPIEGEL: General Marks, how valuable was the information you received from the BND team in Baghdad during the war?

Marks: The German information was of extreme importance and value for us. That's true of all of the information we received from all of the "eyes on the ground" human intelligence we got out of Baghdad. We were well supplied with electronic, signals and aerial reconnaissance. That made up about 95 percent of our intelligence. When it came to human intelligence, we were in bad shape. That's why the Germans were invaluable to us, but also because the information they provided was detailed and reliable.

SPIEGEL: The German government claims that the information wasn't suitable for US purposes.

Marks: I can only say this: We trusted the information from the Germans more than we trusted the CIA because we knew that the Germans tend to be anal retentive and would only report on things they had seen, felt or smelled or that they were very sure of.

More at www.spiegel.de

George of the Jungle - a Morning Show

---

Knaves or Diamonds or Jack of all trades

Interests rates can go off to 750,000% as in Zimbabwe. What it does is wipe out all civilized attainable means to access goods or services by paper money. The only thing you could do is, driven to despair, to rob and steal. Well, you could do barter. In other words return of the lanun days. During the lanun days, your identity is not on My Card. It's the size of your feast or the doom of your kris. After a while you become King or a Sultan. If you have romantic ideas about royalty get it out of your head. It's pure dung. Had Zimbabwe been a "progressive" state, with enough people able to exert efforts on socio-cultural dynamics, no one need suffer. Our friend Roberto is His Highness and absolute monarch the Sultan of Zimbabwe.

Why should zero interest make people panic? It's just a scale or measure of something. Some crazy scientist bound by the bariers of his mind and society worked out the use of the Fahrenheit measure and we boil at 212 F. Then they took it down and put it to 100 C. We could put it down lower to 50 S or higher 10,000 S and you still boil. I could get angry with just a word. So could you.

Anwar Ibrahim is making compromises by undertaking to restore full rights of Malaysia's Royalty. If we are to see any change in the social fabrics of Malaysian life, it won't be because of Royalty. They had so many chances in the last so many years and they did nothing. If Anwar is going to do same, change will come, but it will be loose change. Change is the cause of everybody, even decent members of the Royalty. Change is the people's bizness. It's everyone's. But we can't keep on clinging to pretences.

So if anybody offers you a deck, you still have a choice of four Jacks! Both ends of the stick are Jack of Knaves and Jack of Diamonds.

But we have to move on!

Shoes for Bush

TV Stringer, Muntazer al-Zaidi of Al-Baghdadia channel which broadcasts from Cairo, is in detention in Bagdad, after he threw his size 10 shoes at Bush on the latter's suprised appearance in Iraq Sunday 14 December, 2008.

It's the biggest insult you can do to anyone, according to Middle Eastern culture. Malaysian Muslims have same belief.

There are plenty targets in Malaysia so take your pick!

I dread the day when we have to get a license for our shoes.

Who has shoe shields to sell? At or away from the seashore!

AFP story by Google News

The Butcher who no gambles

The Butcher

A man walks into a butchers shop asks the butcher "Are you a gambling man?"

The butcher says, "Yes".

The man says, "I bet you fifty dollars that you can't reach up and touch that meat hanging on the hooks up there."

The butcher looks up at the meat hanging on the hooks. He says, "I'm not betting on that".

"But I thought you were a gambling man," the man retorts.

"Yes I am," says the butcher, "but the steaks are too high".

Your Friendly Sarawak Butcher

Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg
of PBB, Sarawak BN component senior party leader

PIX | The Borneo Post 9-12-2008

Selamat Hari Raya 'Aidil Adha - a thought to spare for less fortunate children

Severe acute malnutrition remains a major killer of children under five years of age. Until recently, treatment has been restricted to facility-based approaches, greatly limiting its coverage and impact. New evidence suggests, however, that large numbers of children with severe acute malnutrition can be treated in their communities without being admitted to a health facility or a therapeutic feeding centre.

The community-based approach involves timely detection of severe acute malnutrition in the community and provision of treatment for those without medical complications with ready-to-use therapeutic foods or other nutrient-dense foods at home. If properly combined with a facility-based approach for those malnourished children with medical complications and implemented on a large scale, community-based management of severe acute malnutrition could prevent the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children.

• World Health Organization
  
• Severe Malnutrition

Change and Challenges

Speaking via video conference to "Zeitgest" in 2007, Clinton outlined some global problems. We need to care for future and present children and put them to schools and give them education and better healthcare to prepare them in facing population estimated to reach 9 billion in 43 years and the depletion of resources

We're working very hard in Malaysia overcoming double sessions in both primary and secondary schools and unemployed youths after higher education. In addition the threat of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease is very real in Sarawak and they affect very young children.

In this short video Clinton addresses highlights of these problems and the underlying major challenges of persistent income inequality, education and health care. To challenge present world citizens to act on change he proposes that there must also be very organized systems to reward and recognize efforts made.

It is relevant not only to social action groups but philantrophists, organised government and institutions.

You may watch the full length video (38:24) H E R E.

The Bill Clinton Lecture in KL will be aired "live" by Astro on Awani Channel 501 on friday 5 Nov08 at 5.55pm!

Thanks for the info, Jong!

---

Quotes of the Day

"Umno should be the provider, the one who takes care of everyone and has the trust of all communities. That is how we started, that is our achievement."

Zaid Ibrahim [ Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider ]

“The essence of Malay poverty can only be learned here. Up to now I’m still writing and thinking why the Malays still live in poverty."

Ungku Aziz [ Rashidah Abd Ghani, Bernama ]

Trains, boats, planes and Zaid

After skirting the pheriperal Zaid will now take his flight. Maybe you got to give him good faith that he'll land at the airport in one piece. End of the year weather, you can get stranded half-way up Penang Hill. It broke down before!

---

Adios, Senor Zaid!

The Black Hole is actually a Chocolate Bar

Maybe Hawkings was wrong after he's been right. You won't get out of the Black Hole!

No one can. Unless, you settle for a chocolate bar!

Thanks Omar Sharif, wherever you are now! Stranded in a commuter tram or half way up Penang Hill!

Wood for the Trees

Rains are here. There was lighning, too. Yesterday. It nearly cooked my router modem. Internet speed was at a crawl. Perhaps, there are things that TM just can't help.

In the colder parts of the world, winter's coming and soon. Just musing that you could get 10 years more of your life, if you live there. But could you?

Once, there was a Dutch who came out to Kuching and as a guest. Whilst in the car, the air-conditioning was on full blast. He leaned forward and asked it to be turned down. Another guest asked to let it.

The Dutch said, "You won't die from the warmth!"

The English fler meekly said, "Yes, why don't we pull down the windows? It isn't that hot!"

He kicked my seat and muttered in a low breath, "Or is it?"

Oops ! Jangan ler! Mulut 'tu !

No easy job for Rais Yatem! Being the "budaya" icon, some more!

His "Integrity Quotient" crashes again, and again !

He has to put out so many fires now. You hear Bomba coming?!

The full story on the UMNO women ruckus is H E R E !

Parti Rakyat Sarawak - tearing at the seams?

I wasn’t protagonist of Projek KMS (Ketua Menteri Sarawak): Masing

By Churchill Edward, Tuesday November 18, 2008 The Borneo Post

KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Dato Sri Dr James Masing yesterday brushed aside talks that he had been harbouring the hope of becoming chief minister since the heyday of the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).

Yesterday Masing, also Land Development Minister, denied that he was the protagonist in the so-called Projek Ketua Menteri Sarawak (Projek KMS), asserting that it was “someone else” in PBDS who had harboured such thought.

Responding to allegations by rival leader Larry Sng that Projek KMS was Masing’s plan to become the chief minister, Masing said: “I have never dreamt of becoming CM even during PBDS days. Someone else did. Not me. Larry (Sng) of course doesn’t remember.”

He said Sng was probably too young to recall correctly the then political situation involving PBDS.

He said Sng should not go into PBDS history which he knew very little of “because it only shows his ignorance and naivety”.

“During the days when PBDS was in the opposition Larry was still young and in school. He did not know what was going on then. I now suggest to him that he should not be mentioning things (political situations) during the time he was in school. It will simply show his ignorance of the political situation in those days,” said Masing who is the Baleh assemblyman.

Sng is assistant minister in the chief minister’s department and Pelagus assemblyman.

Masing was asked to explain the circumstances surrounding the so-called Projek KMS to clear the air.

“The Projek KMS was an attempt by the Dayak community in 1991 to be the chief minister of Sarawak. PBDS was in the opposition and it was led by (Tan Sri Datuk Amar Leo) Moggie, (Dato Sri Daniel) Tajem and (Dato Sri Edmund) Langgu,” he said.

The Projek KMS claim suddenly cropped up yesterday when Sng was talking to The Borneo Post alleging that some of PRS members aligned to Masing were present at the ‘Friends of PKR’ dinner in Sibu on Saturday night.

“Ask him (Masing) if he still harbours the hope of becoming the chief minister? Since the PBDS days there was this project called Projek Ketua Menteri which James was interested in so that he can become the chief minister,” Sng had said.

Masing also said yesterday that he had received a name list of PRS members associated with Sng, who attended the ‘Friends of PKR’ dinner.

The list which Masing shared was entitled ‘Narna kaban PRS ke enggau makai begulai enggau PKR kena malam 15.11.2008 di Sibu’ (Name of PRS members who attended the Nov 15 PKR dinner in Sibu) and subheaded, ‘Kaban PRS Pelagus (Penyukung kuat Larry Sng - ke betanda celum agi)’ (PRS Pelagus members - Larry Sng’s strong supporters in bold lettering) and ‘Kaban ari Baleh’ (Members from Baleh).

The names listed were:

TR Cr Rabar Nasat,
TR Kendawang Ujan,
TR Lanting, TR Lugum,
TR Along Kik,
Jangi Jemut,
Sengiang Anjan,
TR Melintang Leng,
TR Jengging,
Donald Ding,
Anding Bangai,
Nyambong Rape and
Cikgu Minggu (from PRS Pelagus) and
Deo Kusan (PRS Baleh).

Under the sub-head ‘Kaban ari Baleh’, names like TR Jamit, Johnson Nabau, Ugul and Banggau also appeared.

The names of Ugul and Bangau were followed by initials SPDP which referred to another Barisan Nasional (BN) component Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party. It did not indicate which political party or PRS faction, TR Jamit and Johnson Nabau belonged to.

Masing said he was revealing the names in the hope that Sng would in turn reveal person or persons aligned to him (Masing) who attended the PKR dinner.

“I bet he (Sng) can’t find any. I will be surprised if he can find one,” Masing said.

In response, Sng said even though he had the names of Masing’s men who were present at the PKR dinner, he could not reveal them to the press.

“Kapit is a small town whereby news travels fast. I will submit the names of James’ supporters who attended the dinner direct to the BN leadership. The BN chairman (Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud) ought to be informed first,” Sng said.

“It is not proper for him (Taib) to find out (about the list) through the press. Besides I am not in any rush to grill these small potatoes (ordinary members). I have bigger fishes (party leaders) to catch,” he said.

In response to this, Masing said: “I am sure Larry has bigger fishes to grill - like his (faction) deputy president Jimmy Donald, Women chief Josephine Mawat and Youth Chief Leon Donald as well as vice- president Munan Laja.”

If there is anything in the world which both Masing and Sng can agreed upon it is to sack PRS members who went to the PKR dinner. On Sunday, both leaders said they would take action against these disloyal members.

The King

What can you say?

A range of this species will be gone when they flood the jungles for the Bakun Dam. It's locally called "Durian Tembaga Isa". I doubt the EIA ever mentioned this. Was told this came from the Bakun area. You'll find them right now in Sibu. Season ends December!

It could make you forget we have a world crisis, for a while!

Makan hatilah! Berulam jantunglah!

UPDATE

12:45 AM 11/23/2008

I was mistaken about the name of this Durian.

This evening my brother-in-law said it was Durian "Isa", not "Tembaga"!

Only one way to find out tomorrow at Sunday Market! :D

Sarawak - Change in the Making

Anwar Ibrahim at Friends of PKR and Gabriel Adit's Sibu Dinner, 15 Nov 2008

The initial foray of Parti KeAdilan Rakyat into Sarawak received it seemed was met with a cold shoulder, although there was no mistaking the responses from ardent believers of change. It struggled on and in the last Sarawak State Election won one State seat in the Sarawak DUN in the representation by Dominique Ng.

Thereafter, as the State BN dug its heels in making sweeping changes in land leases, the Dayak community became more fractured as the PBDS-PRS debacle strenthened Taib Mahmud's grip on the political landscape. In the last 8 weeks this changed with the first real stirring of dissent manifest in Beginda's call for the CM of Sarawak to quit. Gabriel Adit, the Independent DUN member for Ngemah followed next building more and more confidence, embolding otherwise nascent support to a culmination of the event last Saturday 15th November, 2008.

The Rajang Exhibition Centre was packed to capacity with more outside unable to get places and donate to the event. Some 7,000 and more in and out of the venue listened to Anwar's message.

Diners had come from all around the outskirts of Sibu, from their farms and kampungs and as many were from Kanowit and Kapit. Sibu City Chinese and Malay citizens came out and many were found among the diners. Others came from far off Kuching. Most were Dayaks in the Rejang heartland, disenchanted with the present sense of disarray and dismay at Dayak and the overall leadership.

They came and they heard Anwar Ibrahim as he declared Sarawak, the frontline in the challenge for Pakatan Rakyat to bring change as he themed "Sarawak: Change in the Making".

Earlier in the afternoon, he had officially declared open the Lanang Division Center and Dudong Branch, at 52, Jalan Chengal, Sibu.

---

---

• Sarawak state rep leads 12,000 into PKR


• Anwar: Sarawak holds key to PKR government


• Should Taib step down? All, but one disagrees.

DAP PERAK Representative stole the thunder from self-proclaimed Guardians of Islam

All Malaysian Muslims should be humbled by believers of universal Islamic values. These believers of values may not have to be Muslims or Malays. They are what ordinarily Malay Muslims call "kafir" or "unbelievers" of the Faith. To members of UMNO, the self-professed Guardians of Islam, this may shatter quite a few things. The general one is the "Guardians of Islam" notion attributed by UMNO members upon themselves. It may be hard to swallow, but that sounds like some sky has fallen down: non-Muslims understand and profess the universalism of Islamic values.

Let's not quibble on this. Both the UMNO members and DAP members are learning. Nothing can be more worthy than that.

In the ensuing weeks or months let's see how the Landas Season fare.

It's raining outside my window and the leaves rustle gently among the branches.

News report from the Newspaper of the Islamic Party, PAS

Khamis 13 November 2008 | 14 Dzulka'edah 1429 Hijrah

Adun DAP baca ayat al-Quran ulas bajet
Johari Jaafar
Thu | Nov 13, 08 | 12:45:56 pm MYT

IPOH, 13 Nov (Hrkh) - Wakil Canning dari DAP yang juga merupakan Setiausaha Kelab Penyokong Kerajaan Negeri Perak telah dua kali menyelitkan ayat al-Quran semasa membahaskan Bajet 2009 Negeri Perak sebentar tadi.

Wong Kar Woh mendapat perhatian daripada semua yang hadir bila beliau menyebut ayat ke-12 dari Surah Al-Hujurat.

Beliau menekan bahawa kita semua adalah adik beradik berdasarkan dari ayat tersebut.

Sekali lagi sebelum beliau menghabiskan ucapannya beliau membaca kalimah "Takmuru nabil maaruf watan hau anil mungkar" dari surah Al Imran ayat 110. - mns_ +

HarakahDaily.net

---

TRANSLATION of the News report from the Newspaper of the Islamic Party, PAS

DAP Representative debated Budget and quoted Qur'an

IPOH, 13 Nov (Harakah) - DAP Canning Legislature Representative, who is also Secretary of Perak State Supporters Club quoted the Qur'an twice whilst debating Perak State 2009 Budget.

Wong Kah Woh, drew the attention of all members present when he recited Verse 12, Surah Al-Hujurut.

He emphasized that "all are brothers" according to the Verse.

In his closing remarks, he concluded his speech and recited the verse "Takmuru nabil maaruf watan hau anil mungkar" from Verse 110, Surah Al Imran.

The Qur'an verses quoted

§ 12. O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother ? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.

Al-Hujurat

[The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân, by M.M. Pickthall]

---

§ 110. Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers.

Al Imran

[The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân, by M.M. Pickthall]

Abang Jo - a politician and a gentleman

Johari gets good words from DAP-Pending

Wednesday November 12, 2008 The Borneo Post [ Print Edition ]

Although Johari did say the tribunal may be ‘ad hoc’ -- meaning that because the number of complaints may not be enough to warrant a full tribunal -- it’s still better than not having one in the State.
...Violet Yong, DAP assemblywoman for Pending

KUCHING: Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) is pleased that the Sarawak government may set up a Housing Tribunal as soon as next year, modelled after Sabah’s version.

Yong, commenting on Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg’s reply to her clarification a day earlier, said she was “looking forward” to the tribunal.

“Although Johari did say the tribunal may be ‘ad-hoc’, meaning that because the number of complaints may not be enough to warrant a full tribunal — it’s still better than not having one in the state,” Yong said.

In Johari’s response to Yong on Monday, the minister told the august house the state government had already began “studying” Sabah’s Housing Tribunal.

A tribunal would allow disgruntled house buyers to voice out complaints against developers, without the need to launch a court case.

Besides legal proceedings, under present practices, house buyers can approach the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developer’s Association, but action can only be taken against association members.

“Once a suitable model is found,” Johari was quoted as saying, “the state government will make an amendment to the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Ordinance 1993 and the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Regulation 1998.”

Meanwhile, Yong also told The Borneo Post at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday that she was “pleased” the minister had allowed her an opportunity to seek a clarification.

“He’s a gentleman in the Dewan,” Yong said.

“At first after he had answered the tribunal question I asked earlier I stood up, wanting to seek clarification on (whether) a time frame (has been set for setting up the tribunal), Johari said he would allow me a question later. So before he concluded his speech, he let me have my question.”

Batik signals to Land Lease

Pix: The Borneo Post

The Sarawak State Government led by Abdul Taib Mahmud had put the clamp on reasonable period of land tenure and ownershp and curtailed it to 30 years. The uproar caused great loss to the SUPP a local BN component member in the March, 2008 General Elections.

The implications on shorter tenure are obvious. The fees for lease renewal would drive ownership to Taib's cronies. Can this be changed? Will there be reforms? PKR ran a campaign to collect signatures for 'Change to Sarawak Land Code' in addition to earlier one arganized by others, and submitted a memorandum to the State Legislature.

3 signatories to the Memorandum came down to Kuching from Baram to bear witness to the event and took the opportunity to attend the State Legislature in session. They weren't allowed entry. They were wearing Batik shirts, the Malaysian national attire.

No one is uncertain, that any move to land reforms will be stifled.

PKR submits land memorandum to State Legislative Assembly

November 12, 2008, The Borneo Post [Print Edition]

A MEMORANDUM was presented to the State Legislative Assembly by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) yesterday.

PKR Sarawak liaison chief, Dominique Ng (Padungan), made clear the latest memorandum “is separate from Monday’s, but also concerns land matters”.

Entitled ‘Change to Sarawak Land Code’, it requested the state government to amend the Sarawak Land Code “to be in line with Sabah and Semenanjung Malaysia”.

It added: “We want to be able to have 99 or 999 years lease. We request the government to help us by extending our lease to 99 or 999 years in line with the rest of Malaysia.”

The document also urged the state government to allow lease renewal “20 years before the expiry date, so that we can charge our land to the banks and obtain loans in order to develop our land”.

“We have about 1,000 signatures for this (the second) memorandum,” Ng told reporters, after Dewan secretary

Abang Othman Abang Fatah received the documents.

“The signatories come from throughout Sarawak, from Lundu... to Baram. Their message is very simple, that they want the state government to understand their problems are real and genuine, and is facing them right now.”

Meanwhile, the first memorandum, presented after abriefpicket the day before, was regarding Native Customary Rights.

Ng described the memorandums as “the people’s response”.

“They signed the petition because they are concerned about land leases, which affect urban and rural areas. They signed and came here on their own accord,” the opposition member said.

“At the same time, I would also like to thank the (Dewan) secretary, who was kind enough to receive the two petitions.”

In a separate incident, three of the six signatories from Baram, present with Ng yesterday, were briefly denied entry into the assembly’s public gallery because they were wearing Batik shirts, but without neckties.

A security guard told Ng thai dress rules had to be adhered tc strictly in the Dewan.

However, three others with neckties were allowed in, which prompted Ng to ask the guard:

“They do just need a tie? All right, I’ll get them some (neckties) from my car.”

The trio was allowed in moments later.

“This is a national attire and yet they were not allowed in,” Ng told reporters later. “I hope that ruling can be changed.”

Meanwhile, Tan Joo Phoi (BN Batu Kawa), when asked regarding, the matter did not disagree.

“At most government depart. ments, we encourage employees, once a week, usually on Fridays, to wear Batik,” Tan said.

On whether batik should be allowed in the assembly, hc replied: "I'm not very sure about this. You must ask the Speaker... But personally, I think it should be allowed as long as the ‘batik’ is worn in a formal way.”

We have competition ...

Jaxon S asks have you tried ...? His blog describes his deep interests on Borneo wild life.

As for competition, another is a grim prospect of competition for our own kind. The act is extreme and mindboggling. It's just gross ...!

What ails ...?

Who knows? Here is a teka-teki by DH Lawrence ...

Tell me a word
that you've often heard,
yet it makes you squint
when you see it in print!

Tell me a thing
that you've often seen
yet if put in a book
it makes you turn green!

Tell me a thing
that you often do,
when described in a story
shocks you through and through!

Tell me what's wrong
with words or with you
that you don't mind the thing
yet the name is taboo.

... DH Lawrence

What ailed us ... mustn't fail us

"I am not a centrist because I can’t make up my mind about the Right and the Left. It is because each of those has proved itself to be so non-optimal that rationality and experience move me toward the dynamic moving center."

"However, using markets is not the same thing as unregulated capitalism so beloved by libertarians. Such systems cannot regulate themselves, either micro-economically or macro-economically. Wherever tried they systematically breed intolerable inequalities. And instead of such inequality being the necessary price to encourage dynamic progress via technological and managerial innovations, it instead breeds dysfunctional shortfalls in what economists call "total factor productivity."

"Yes, public policy should regulate (rationally regulate) corporate life and should work to stabilize the macro economy. Yes, future fiscal systems can in a limited degree reduce the more glaring evils of inequality. However, a centrist system can do measurable harm if it acts too strongly to reduce inequality. My goal is the Limited Centrist State."

[ Paul A. Samuelson, 93] || spiegel.de

Sarawak Pressmen tail 'Change' prospects

Pix : The Borneo Post

PKR dinner puts Adit ‘on the run’

THE BORNEO P0ST Wednesday, November 12, 2008
By Puvaneswary Devindran and Zora Chan

Independent assemblyman avoids pressmen hoping to get him to confirm his joining PKR



KUCHING: Independent Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit Demong was yesterday avoiding pressmen who were trying to get him to say something about his reported liaison with PKR.

Adit was quoted in a national daily as saying: “I don’t want to confirm or deny it (joining PKR) but you’re invited to our dinner in Sibu on Nov 15. I can’t make any announcement today because I want the ‘Boss’ to be the first to hear it.”

Adit who was speaking to The New Straits Times also said: “Anwar (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) will attend the dinner. We’ve invited our friends from DAP and PAS as well and some of them have confirmed attendance.”

The dinner referred to is one that is being organised by the opposition front slated for this Saturday in Sibu and which they called dinner with ‘Friends of PKR’.

Reporters hoping to get the proverbial words from the horse’s mouth yesterday, however, could not get an elusive Adit to confirm the New Straits Times report.

The reporters then turned to Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa who promptly dismissed the possibility that he (Dr Rayong) would join PKR because he “is still hopeful about joining BN”.

He said his constituency was still in need of development and believed this could only be remedied through the BN.

“I support all of BN’s bills, the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s leadership and the politics of development,” he told reporters at the sideline of the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

Dr Rayong refused to comment in regards to Adit’s purported plan tojoin PKR, saying that it was the latter’s political rights.

He said on his part he still hoped that SUPP would absorb him, having sent in his application to join the oldest party in May last year.

He said he had met with SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan several times on this and “things looked promising”.

He also reminded that he was never a SNAP member even though he stood on a SNAP ticket in the last state election.

Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak chairman Dominique Ng said the report on Adit was certainly a welcoming piece of news.

“We welcome anyone who wants change and subscribes to our struggle and politicalbelief,” he said.

He said this Saturday’s dinner would be marking a “significant swing and shift towards PKR in the rural areas” and he believed that many Dayak leaders would join the party.

“We have not officially received their membership but many Dayak leaders will join PKR on Nov 15 We expect thousands of people to join PKR,” he said.

He said Monday’s demonstration staged by some non-governmental organisations concerning native customary rights land was also an encouragement to the party.
“They believe PKR will bring change to Sarawak,” he said.

Ng who is Padungan assemblyman said the party was confident that Sarawak would be the next state to be taken over by opposition party after the five states in Peninsular Malaysia.

He conceded that it would be challenging for the party to overturn BN because Sarawak was one of BN’s bastions.

Scandal, Sodomy and Murder - Malaysia on Trial

Malaysian Politics: Scandal, sodomy & murder Part 1 of 3

Malaysian Politics: Scandal, sodomy & murder Part 2 of 3

Malaysian Politics: Scandal, sodomy & murder Part 3 of 3

---

RPK or Raja Petra Kamaruddin was released today and declared as inappropriately or wrongfully detained. It isn't clear whether they'll rearrest him and cook up other excuses for him to spend Hari Raya Haji back there.

Today, too, Anwar Ibrahim was understood to have been able to convince the Judge to hear his case in the same Court as initially instituted.

These two events should be good business for the Malaysian dailies as Malaysians who can't access the Internet would need to know what's happening and how these events will unfold. It is about their country. At the moment, the BN government only allows their corporate and individual supporters to run newspapers and whose reports are suspect, at least in the way they are presented.

Malaysians need to know about their country - their country is on Trial now with these two cases.

Obama - Solemn assurances

Click H E R E to listen to Speech!

"...And all those watching tonight from beyond our shores;

From Parliaments, Palaces, to those who are huddled around areas radios in the forgotten corners of the world;

Our story is singular but our destiny is shared.

A new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those who tear the world down, we will defeat you.

To those who seek peace and security, we support you.

And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright, tonight we prove once more, that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms and the scale of our wealth but from the enduring power of our ideals - democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope!..."

Black Man at the White House

Out with the Old

In with Change

It's just not about race. It's about the new American Soul

Pixes : "Spiegel" Online

“It’s been a long time coming. But tonight, because of what we did on this date, in this election, change has come to America.”

"Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive."

The New York Times

What's your wish-list for Malaysia?

Flood in the North

Pix : The Borneo Post

15 years ago, I was up north in Limbang helping MARA talk to small Bumiputra contractors. The Market in the picture was not built yet. Hardly any news come out of the place. It has now, with shortage of vegetables! Limbang people are basically Bruneian Malaysians. They speak Brunei Malay with a very strong accent.

Limbang faces vegetable shortage

By Philip Kiew
November 4, 2008 The Borneo Post

Limbang, Sarawak: Floods which hit several parts of this district recently- at least for four days - have destroyed vegetable gardens leaving consumers here short of vegetables, especially leafy ones.
Hawkers at Limbang market (Tamu) are claiming they are facing a shortage in vegetable supply now.

The shortage in supply has forced prices to shoot up and the distributors have to source for supply from neighbouring Sabahto make up for the shortfall during the monsoon season which wreaked havoc on crops.

According to a local Fatimah Raub, 60, she first noticed the lack of leafy vegetables during her shopping trip recently when only long beans were on sale instead of the usual display of various types of leafy vegetables at the Tamu.

“I was caught by surprise when I went around the market for the first time after my village, Kampung Merambut, was hit by flood for days,” she said.

She suspected the recent floods could have wiped out vegetable supply to the Tamu. Fatimah was resigned to picking up non-leafy vegetables during her shoppingtrip, expecting the situation to return to normal soon.

Limbang town was cut off by floods on Oct 28 when. flood waters submerged the Pan Borueo Trunk Road near Batu Danau bridge, and travellers were caught on both sides of the flooded 100 metre-stretch.

The raging floods even swept one vehicle off the road and those inside were lucky to escape alive as only the roof of the 4WD was visible at its height.

The Pan Borneo Trunk Road was submerged under a metre of flood waters, about 31 km from Limbang, Sunday leaving thousands stranded on both sides.

The locals said the floods which occurred at 4.30 pm on Oct 27 made the road impassable to many vehicles leaving hundreds of them stranded on either side of the stretch.

View of Limbang when not under flood. | Pix by Google

Vows : Claptrap, Humbug and Bunkum

It isn't reported clearly why Valuecap ploughed into the market just before the Iraq War with good money after bad, apparently. That was 2001, during Mahathir's time. Whatever they put in there is now gone, as the papers were non-tradeable and maybe not even good enough for toilet paper.

And Najib said about that was about "injecting" funds into the market? How does that help "rakyat"? That doesn't sound like helping the country but cover-up bad decisions Mahathir made during his premiership.

State investment company Valuecap Sdn Bhd owes its three shareholders RM5.1 billion, which is due to be repaid in February 2009.

This debt, in the form of interest-bearing unsecured bonds, raises questions over plans for the Employees Provident Fund to lend RM5 billion to Valuecap to invest in the stock market.

In March 2003, Valuecap borrowed RM5.1 billion from shareholders Khazanah, Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen and Permodalan Nasional Bhd to invest in the stock market. At the time, world stock markets were bracing for a looming war in Iraq which followed on the September 2001 attacks on the US.

More ...

---

When there is an economic crisis or disaster, wealth is not destroyed. It is MERELY transfered!

Click Image to view!

Read C.K.Liu's Banking Bunkum!

Vows galore

Lagi?... Sumpah lagi!?

Najib vows to repay trust placed in him

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 - Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who won the Umno presidency unopposed today, has expressed his resolve to shoulder the trust placed in him by the Umno grassroots.

The Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister said he believed the nominations reflected the confidence of the grassroots in the transition plan he had formulated with Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“I resolve to shoulder this trust and responsibility to the best of my ability to tackle all the challenges faced by Umno and Barisan Nasional.

“I am thankful for and touched by the trust which has been translated into nominations by the 134 divisions signalling my victory unopposed as the president of Umno,” he said in his 1Malaysia.com.my website.

Najib said he hoped that the ongoing election process would proceed in a clean and orderly manner.

“Let’s work together to carry forward the noble struggle for the sake of religion, the people and nation,” he said. -

The MalaysianInsider

Mat Tyson - Fully garbed and brutally honest

Rural and Regional Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib

-->

Mat Tyson seems to imply that Malays and all bumiputeras are dumb. He never ceases this unrelenting dumbing-down even to take a breath.

You have to ask him who he means. ;))

He is supposed to make a clever response to Zaid's speech at LawAsia 2008 on Friday 31st October, which might perhaps be about a completely different kettle of fish.

Maybe Bernama wants to make fun of him to the literate Malaysians or Bernama had a terrible sense of humor for their masters!

Muhammad: Malay supremacy can only be a reality if race is successful

SHAH ALAM, Nov 1 - Malay supremacy can only be a reality if the Malays had positive traits to become a race that was successful, said Rural and Regional Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib.

He said it was no use clamouring for Malay supremacy if Malays did not show superiority in important fields like the economy and others.

As such, he said, talk about Malay supremacy was mere rhetoric as what was more important was how Malays educated the younger generation to use Article 153 in the Constitution on Malay privileges to take the race to greater heights.

“As such, (Datuk) Zaid Ibrahim might have misunderstood that Malay supremacy is not mere sloganeering but a programme to take the Malays forward as provided for under Article 153,” he told reporters after opening the biennial general meeting of the Selangor branch of the Former Education Service Officers Assocition of Malaysia here today.

Zaid, who resigned as de facto law minister and senator recently, had said when addressing the 21st Law Asia Conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, that the concept of Malay supremacy had failed and was a distraction from the real issues confronting the country.

In Penang, the Bagan Umno division, which held its delegates meeting today, unanimously passed a resolution calling for Articles 152 and 153 of the Constitution pertaining to the status of Islam and Malay privileges not to be politicised. - Bernama

Jalan Alor - flowing stream on a Street

Jalan Alor - A small Sungai Wang

| Pix: The Star |

The peversion of the political-economy, I thought is the Bush doctrine! “Let’s make the pie taller!” so OKU’s can’t reach up!

Is it all about the economy or is it about humanity? Or is it about nothing else, but … !

There are a few economic possibilities.

Of course, we could increase productivity by making more bullets and bombs and better software to hack or crack jet avionics.

Work up numbers so we can easily reach the absolute point - all the global property, physical and intellectual equal to so much money until we have no where to go! Or we beat up derivatives again and create ‘non-cent’ !

And Wallah! Destroy all that, and start the numbers again!

We could start bartering again, even to butter up our lives. Of the 6.75 billions humans on this planet, there must be one genius who could work out a ‘better’ deal, with the butter, of course!

The irony is, no one will work if there is no poverty!

Let’s go to market - to …Jalan Alor… where there is a black one! ;)

The IRD are busy there!

---

• The DJ Blogger
  
• The Greatest Transfer of Wealth in History
  
• Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime
  
• Travel - Jalan Alor

For the next Malaysian Prime Mininster

Without a high pain threshold, you can't be a successful President.

...Bill Clinton

PAK LAH declares he will not contest UMNO Presidency

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is not contesting for the post of Umno president. He spoke to the press after chairing the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting Wednesday. Listen to part of his speech here. Pak Lah will remain as PM untill Marc 2009, when UMNO will have elected the new party President who will then assume the Premiership

---

PRESS RELEASE FROM YAB PERDANA MENTERI

1. I have been in public service for over 45 years. I have served this country as a civil servant, and as an elected representative of the people. I have served as a member of government and feel blessed to serve in the highest office in the land. I have seen this country grow from a small, poor nation into the modern, prosperous Malaysia that we live in today.


2. Despite our successful track record, for the past few years I have firmly believed that our nation is standing at an historic crossroads. We must reform some elements of our nation, we must evolve and mature, or we risk losing all that we have gained in over 50 years. Throughout this time of reform and transformation, we Malaysians need to be united now more than ever before.


3. In all my years of service, I have always been guided by my conscience. I have always placed the interests of the nation above all else. It is with this in mind that I announce I will not stand for the Presidency of UMNO. I do not want a divided party and governing coalition, but one that is united and harmonious. A united Barisan Nasional is vital in order for the country to face the global challenges ahead and for Malaysia to become a fully developed nation, with prosperity and fairness for all.


4. My current term as President of UMNO ends in March next year. There are several initiatives I intend to see through before I leave office. These initiatives are important because they are necessary to move our country forward. These initiatives are needed to regain our country's competitiveness. They are necessary to enable our nation and our society to face the challenges that the world has in store for us. I ask all Malaysians to unite and join me in working towards making Malaysia a better place.


5. First, our institutions need to be reformed and strengthened.


i) The judiciary needs to enhance its stature and credibility in the eyes of the public. Before I end my term, I will table a Parliamentary Bill to establish a Judicial Appointments Commission. Such a Commission will propose judicial appointments in a transparent and merit-based manner.

ii) We also need a strong and effective anti-corruption body that can combat the cancer of corruption without fear or favour. Before the end of the year, I will table a Parliamentary Bill to establish the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, with greater powers of investigation and enforcement. The Commission's oversight structure has been modelled after the successful ICAC in Hong Kong.

iii) I also intend to complete the establishment of a Special Complaints Commission to enhance the integrity and effectiveness of enforcement agencies


6. Second, I have long spoken about the need to ensure that the fruits of growth are more equitably distributed. In the recent Budget, I explained the government's commitment to strengthening and enlarging the Social Safety Net.

We will speed up work on this front to help poor and disadvantaged Malaysians, regardless of background, race or religion.

I will also work to ensure that tangible results can begin to be enjoyed in Iskandar, as well as the development corridor initiatives around the country.


7. Third, I would like to see the Government and Barisan renew their commitment towards building a united and harmonious nation.

Society has seen an alarming decline in inter-racial and inter-religious relations. Various issues have cropped up which threaten to tear the very fabric of Malaysian life.

We need to tackle these issues head-on, through dialogue; deal with the issues constructively and even-handedly; ensure greater clarity and certainty for the people; and focus on the points that unite us, rather than the points that divide us.

For this reason, I will convene a BN Convention early next year. This is a long-term effort that I hope to kick-start and continue to contribute towards.

I fully intend to see through my mission, and I am sure that my successor will carry on this agenda.

I want to hand over to my successor a Malaysia that is capable of weathering the challenges of a dangerous global economy, a Malaysia not of rich and poor, of young and old or of the city or the kampung (village), not of south and north, and not of one religion or another but of unity and harmony.

This is not the time for infighting and narrow politics but for greatness, unity and cooperation.