Abdul Samad Ismail (Pak Samad)- traversing epochs

A Samad Ismail (1925 - 2008)


... a glint in the eye, a knowing smile ... a life that traversed epochs

"...Japan's abrupt collapse led to a period of chaos involving bloody ethnic reprisals (as anti-Japanese Chinese struck out against collaborating Malays, for example) as well as common banditry-all this as Britain slowly reestablished its colonial authority. Amid the mayhem, KERIS and Samad worked with the Chinese underground of the communist-led Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) to urge Malays and Chinese not to fight each other. These connections, as well as Samad's role during the Occupation with Berita Malai, attracted British attention. As Hamidah described it, "British army officers with Gurkha escorts armed with sten guns came almost daily to the house to 'interview' him or to take him away to their headquarters. He spent three months in a military prison and was finally tried and discharged, in part, evidently, because his defense counsel argued that twenty-year-old Samad had been too young to have written the seditious wartime articles of his own volition. ..."James R. Rush

Heartfelf condolence to blogger, Nuraina A Samad and family. May Allah keep Pak Samad in His Blessings!

"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions". - (Shakespeare).

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* Pak Samad belongs to Malaysia and his passing will be felt by family, and very many others.

Budget 09 - Anwar Ibrahim outlines PR's concerns and proposals

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The essence of The Opposition's 09 Budget Debate

The substance is ...

"...a plan of constructive stewardship of the economy and of aggressive realization of policy to restore business and consumer confidence in the years ahead. ..."

Key Policy Initiatives:

• PRODUCTIVE BUSINESS INCENTIVES
  
• REFORMING THE PUBLIC TENDER SYSTEM
  
• DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENT OF THE FUEL PRICE
  
• STRATEGIC PUBLIC TRANSPORT INITIATIVES
  
• CURBING PUBLIC EXPENDTURE ON MEGA-PROJECTS
  
• REFORMING THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF AWARD of AP’s

Excerpts on Sarawak:

"...concerns extend equally to many other sectors. For example, in Sarawak, there is a 20% allowance for Sarawak tenders, on top of the 10% allowance for bumiputera, i.e., a total of 30% allowance for those individuals and companies that can claim Sarawak bumiputera status. If the RM3 billion allocated to Sarawak for infrastructure is subject to this, it means that, RM1 billion will immediately have been siphoned into pockets of such companies as CMS and individuals directly associated with key BN political leaders and their families. ..."

Read more at NATIONAL BUDGET AND ECONOMIC POLICY BRIEF BY DSAI

SARAWAKIANS: Pak Lah, your Budget ain't mean nothin'!

Sarawakians - hurting at the top!

Whilst Jeff Ooi of PR calls the 09 Budget a handyplast budget for the bleeding Malaysians of lower incomes, hurting on the current double digit inflation, Sarawakians say, Abdullah Badawi's maestro stroke at financial management ain't mean nothing!

I was down at Bandar Samariang Baru yesterday in Petra Jaya, some 20km out of Kuching, a day before Puasa and stopped by a grocery shop to get a cigarette lighter. While digging for my loose coins I chanced to ask how bizness was like.

You know they would answer, "Ok lah sikit!"

I persisted, "Macam ne jualan, laku sik?"

Reluctantly he offered some insights, "Dolok kamek jual 200 beg beras dan laku semua!"

"Sekarang?", I pressed on.

"Kinik tok, 100 beg aja laku!" he lamented. "Tapi, shampoo ngan barang macam ya, masih OK!"

I suppose those in the residential areas he services, a mix of larger groups of low-cost houses to lower-medium costs ones, have started fasting and it seems inflation is double digit!

But, despite that, his customers have to keep body and soul intact and maintain their health and keep their hair healthy, even though they are far off the boundaries of being wealthy!

Anwar Ibrahim : Name your working Shadow Cabinet now!

Soon after Permatang Pauh was done and dealt with and the official position stated on 27 August, I asked this question ...

Now that we've laid some spirits to rest, how's that 09 Budget Proposals this Friday?

Apparently, nobody had any glimpse of the 09 Budget prior to Friday 29 August except those few in the dark corridors of power. I would have thought a complete set of the papers would have been with the MPs, BN or Opposition MPs. Ok they could have been temporarily embargoed till a certain date. But Malaysian citizens should have been privy to a preview from their MPs. How do you expect to intelligently respond to an amount some RM$210 billion to be spent just from Dollah Badawi's couple of sheets of speech? Are Malaysians amoebas?

The Opposition MPs, those from PR have no excuse not to have a few right people to dissect the Budget even before speech day. OK, so Anwar has just won the Pauh elections and everybody was busy fighting the the Total BN Government machinery. Still, it's no excuse! We would be naive if PR does not have a working central system to crunch every crisis and problem they face. It is now IMPERATIVE for Anwar Ibrahim to tell us, PR has a visual Shadow Cabinet. Anything less is inexcuseable.

So this is the month of Ramadhan! But we still have a lot of living to do. Ramadhan is not a truce for anything. Doing right and good has no break, no truce! Can we "forbid good" and "command wrong"
in Ramadhan?

COMMENTS AND POST

I've opened comments to anonymous posts but am retaining moderation rights. Please leave your thoughts behind. I would appreciate that. And if you please, leave a psudonym while using anonymous, like Mr/Mrs/Miss X, Y or Z or any names that strike your fancy!

Many thanks and may Ramadhan bring us inspiration and enlightenment!

Malaysian Lifestyle this month - FASTING begining tomorrow

...doubling the fast...

PIX - anilnetto.com

I'd like to quote a response from anilnetto.com about our national economic life from an ordinary citizen of the grim effects of life in these times. It distills a kind of resilience and fortitude amongst us. Our BN government call was for citizens to change their lifestyle as if every morning everyone of us bathe in Brute aftershave

Justin Choo on August 30th, 2008 at 10.33am

Anil,

Makciks and Pakciks, kampongs and long houses, may be far away in the rural areas. You have not mentioned the retired people like me. No more active income. Some still got to feed grandchildren. I live a very very simple lifestyle. No smoking, no drinking, no gambling, no womanizing (too old lah, and also not rich!), always stay at home, eat small breakfast, and two simple meals a day, drive an old red “taxi” Proton Saga, and wear shorts and t-shirt, and slippers. What lifestyle to change? The only change is upgrade! Eat the most sumptious cuisine in fine-dining style? Savour fine wines and caviar, birdnest soup, abalone with scallops, baked lobsters drenched in the finest red wine. Fly to New York, Paris and London for shopping. ETC ETC…. How nice.

anilnetto.com

But many had begun the fasting way back when they made that rotten hike on fuel prices. I guess it might mean biting the bullet when you break your fast tomorrow at dusk.

To all Muslim friends and readers --- skip breakfast tomorrow morning!