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Posted by: Anonymous on August 05, 2007 12:05:35 PM (850
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July 30, 2007 – 1:14 am
For a KLite born in 1960, raised in a working-class family, whose elders are pro-BN and Govt-fearing people; I have always maintained that we need a strong opposition for checks & balance to hold the govt. of the day for accountability. Since I was 21 and eligible to vote, it has always been my right to give my vote to the deserving opposition irregardless of the party. DENY BN 2/3 Majority for a Strong, Meaningful & Upright Opposition! GOD Bless DAP , Keadilan , Pas & Barisan Alternatif! VOTE BN Out of the Government! Vote for Truth , Justice & Peace! Don’t Mortgage Your Children’s Future & Their Next Generations! To ALL the Freedom Fighters & Saviors of Malaysia , I Salute You for Saving Malaysia from Corruption & Oppression! Thanks a million! Cheerio!
Websites - http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv1-msgr&p=jeff%20ooi , http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=jeff+ooi , http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=democratic+action+party&btnG=Search , http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv1-msgr&p=democratic%20action%20party , http://malaysiabaru.wordpress.com/page/2/ ,
Posted by: free&fair on April 11, 2007 3:46:07 PM (1170
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Machap by-election had shown the `wild' face of Malaysian election : election laws are broken with impunity eg Koh Tsu Koon with a `clean' image feeding voters -for what ? Votes buying in full swing eg RM3mil was given away by Najib to Felda voters; Government vehicles are everwhere eg Information Ministry's vehicles have been parking all over the place; Uni students came under surveilance again -with vehicles from 3 unis spotted in the vicinities; Abuse of power by politicians eg A newbie deputy minister Liow Tion Lai brought 2 newly minted badminton heros to promote badminton to Macap ! RTM has been staging shows to even a few spectators in a vain attempt to draw voters away from the political ceramahs-1 of the few channels left to voters to get election information etc etc.
Welcome to the wild-wild West of Malaysia's voters' land ! Real issues are buried alive here:
(Editor note : apologies for not updating this site for a while because the site has been running extrememly slowly-you might have noticed too, and I'm looking forward to move this site to another one where we can serve you better. Any suggestions -given that we can provide alternative coverage to coming by-elections and general elections ?)
Posted by: free&fair on March 05, 2007 11:17:51 PM (1342
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Pak Lah is at it again : if youa re clean -don't be scared. So he said. So why is he not willing to set the ACA free as an independent body answerable to the Parliament ? Right now the PM himself stnad in the way of such a positive and fearless change. Under current system the sandiwara is getting interesting: last time when Pak Lah said no one is above the laws -it was after Mongolian women Altantunya was found blown to pieces by C4 explosives. The message seems to be directed at his political rival speculated to be behind the explosion. Then how times change :
Posted by: free&fair on January 12, 2007 11:02:46 AM (3344
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The excuses for rejecting Oon Jaafar's idea of combining all communal parties into policy/ideology based national parties had in the past centred on the idea that the people are not ready yet. But are they ever ? The point here is : are the people able to make the choice -or they just had to make do with what they are offered ? In other words, it is between a supplier or demand market. And democracy is definitely a demand market-you get what the people want. So do the people want non-communal parties ? The question had never been put to the people in a way that the people can make the choices freely. This is where the election boycot by the Opposition parties can make an impact : they should campaign for free and fair elections as understtod by the Election Commission -which touch on curbs on election spending, stopping money politics, abuse of public amenities, unbalanced media coverage etc. Only when we have free and fair elections -then the question of non-communal parties can be put to the people -and then we will truly know if the people had ever chosen communal parties from day 1 !
Posted by: free&fair on January 09, 2007 9:49:12 PM (1370
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Many political commentators would like people to believe that the coming batu Talam by-election would be a test of BN's popularity specifically its policy to increase tolls and others essentials. But sad to say the fact would not back up such a wishful thinking. The dumping of mountainous Ringgit onto the 10 000 voters will ensure that the voters are not paying enough attention to the national issues -afterall the rubber tappers and other farmers who dominate the area in Pahang are not frequent visitors of the national capital where the relevant tolls are located. The real reflectors of reception of local and national policies are the local elections-which are sadly lacking in Malaysia. Without that the ruling parties just carry on unpopular policies without regards to the people's sentiments. But from experiences elsewhere local elections results always are precursors of voting trends at state and federal levels. Eg in Algeria the anti-military voting trend at local government levels caused the frightened military to suspend all elections ! They however did not go as far as here to suspend/abolish the local elections altogether and go for appointed local governments -as happened in Malaysia !
Posted by: free&fair on December 19, 2006 10:25:43 AM (1507
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The statistics are out on developers who have been found guilty by the Housing Tribunal-but the reason why this tribunals can't expand beyond Kl remain a mystery. The lack of confidence of the citizens against the justice system in the country is well supported by various inexplicable but simple implementation (or lack of it) of some measures which proved to be effective to weed out the rule-breaking industry players. Enforcement officers are often short handed-compared to service charges collection counters. Errant developers get used to act above the laws -and the returning of the same parties to power ensure that the same rotten system continue. Solution : choose another party/ies to run the government/country !
Posted by: free&fair on December 19, 2006 1:02:07 AM (1384
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It was a surprise presentation at a gig held in conjunction of the world Human Rights Day on Dec 10th-at D' Space. While metals music may not be everyone's cup of tea -there are many who could be sympathetic-but get put off by the difficulties to make sense of the music. But not all bands are making it difficult for the audience to make sense of their performance-here we have a nice sample where the band did try to put across simple and strong message to the responsive audience -try download it :
Posted by: free&fair on December 13, 2006 5:33:37 PM (998
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Pak Lah's reported happiness with his achievements in 3 years (appended) is cause for worries : with his anti-graft campaign practically abandoned his `happiness' almost read like `happiness' over lying to the people ! It also embarass apologists of Pak Lah's regime who had excused Pak Lah's lack of achevments in anti-graft campaign and other integrity reforms on Pak Lah's lack of control over UMNO. But Pak Lah is already `happy' with what goes on now ! What to say ??? Another report which reported Pak Lah as saying that accusations of nepotism is only to bring him down -forgetting that he had earlier said he welcome criticisms. He forget that he should clear the air over his close relations' making millions since his ascendancy as PM of Malaysia -not to distract the issue by questioning political motives of the accusers. If he persist very soon there will be no one left to criticise him/his regime anymore !Is that his ideal society ???
Posted by: free&fair on December 13, 2006 5:15:43 PM (923
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The Housing Development Act has just been amended to among other things, lift the level of claim on faulty delivery of housing units to RM50K-a 100% increase over previous unrealistic limit of RM25k. With low /low medium cost housing going for Rm45K it is very restrictive if the limit for claim is set at Rm25k-practically cutting half of the claims away! This will help people like a friend of mine who have been waiting for the amendment -his claim is RM35k -so he could not make the claim to the Housing Tribunal. But with persistent pressures from house buyers groups the `dream' had come true !
Posted by: free&fair on December 12, 2006 1:15:58 PM (1077
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The text book version of Malaysian history is coming under increasing scrutiny nowadays : the `dongeng' of Malays' history started in Melaka has been demolished by a finding that Kedah had an earlier Islamic history. (Appended) However did Malays' history only started with Islam ? Quite implicit in all the `stories' in text books are that there were `ignorant' history (`Jahiliah') before that -quite an insult to the very developed hindu civilisation which influenced the pre-Islamic history in Malaya ! The interesting point is : how did the Melaka `story' got ascendancy even over other Islamic history -and how did any islamic history is regarded as the starting point of Malay history ???? Was it a crude `history of the victors' that we are witnessing at work here ????
Posted by: free&fair on December 12, 2006 1:13:41 AM (826
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Bernard Dompok self-contradict himself when he denied that `race' was not a factor in the Public Service Commission's selection of civil servants. He was answering a question in Parliament about lack of non-Bumis in the civil service. But he disclosed that non-Malay Bumis are also lacking in the civil service -prompting him to ask the PSC to explain their recruitment policy. Could the issue of UMNO's over-zealous support for 1 ethnic group be finally addressed openly -and let the issue be solved once and for all ? A good question is half a solution reached-so some people say.
Posted by: free&fair on December 12, 2006 12:30:25 AM (1121
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The government has finally come around to pluck some blatant loop-holes in the management of high rises in Malaysia: a new Building and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Bill 2006 will be used to address old problems -and we need to watch out if they can really deliver. Look out : 1. Do they really implement the rules -since a big part of the problems till now is the government's refusal to act against errant developers/management of high rises-even according to the old rules. Developers can flaunt the rules as though with immunity eg selling off common areas as parking lots. 2. Even with good rules -what is the catch ? Eg Housing Tribunal is good -but only operate in KL ! Why it takes so long for them to spread out of the capital ? Look out for when the housing commissioners will be appointed in all states ! Previously there were supposed to be a Strata Title Board to be set up in all states -but no one was appointed for years-ending hopes that it could help anyone. So now we have another post created serving similar purpose -calling it another name is no guarantee that the posts will be filled soon !
Posted by: free&fair on December 09, 2006 12:06:51 PM (803
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Whenever I hear the Govt said GLC's help Bumi's I can't help recall a joke told by a friend: are the son & son-in-law of the PM Bumi's ? So GLC's certainly have helped Bumi's ! Who could be so stupid to think otherwise. The idea is: the GLC's are supposed to help all Malaysians -but if we limit it to their own admitted range ie Bumi's -then they should help all or the majority of Bumi's -not just an ethnic community -or actually even less-the UMNO related Bumis only ! That's the point. They sell their policies on serving all -then actually enriching a few. That is the tricks of politicians all over the world. Then are the people not entitled to take them to task over this hypocricy ?
Posted by: free&fair on December 05, 2006 7:29:44 PM (1543
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Malaysians are unhappy with racial splits -but look closely -there are those who benefit and enjoy the splits. They rely on it for political survival ! That is the frank reason for the playing up of ethnic differences and ethnic insecurities in Malaysia. Until there is a formula to allow political leadership to be decided on a different basis this tragic charade will continue for a long while yet -with the ethnic politicians doing it wiht their eyes open. To call them racist is to compliment them -they are just a small minority who managed to get the majority on their side by scaring them enough of other communities ! They are not big enough to be a `race' or `ethnic community'. They are a political community ! Our suggestion : start addressing this ethnic politics from local government levels ! Demonstrate that people of different ethnic backgrounds and religions can live and work together at local levels -before we push this change upwards. Notice local governments -where they are elected, is always a precursor of political change at state & federal levels in other countries ! Local government elections which were won by Islamists in Algeria scared the hell out of the militarists rulinggroup that they nullify the elections at higher levels -proving the power of democracy rather than disproving it ! But political parties always see things from the apex of power -thus neglecting politics at the ground levels-and local governments without elections does not help. But there is nothing in the law to say that if the government won't hold local elections then the people can't do it on their own !!!!So let's do it -it should be real fun !!!
Posted by: free&fair on November 21, 2006 9:34:54 PM (394
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By now Penang and Malaysia had added `the biggest computer chips heist(RM50mil)' to their cap of dishonour -leaving a shade of suspicion on how security guards with rifle/guns got overcome by robbers with only parangs ? Was it a case of `willing robbers and the willingly robbed' ? There are at least 3 rings of security at the Mas-cargo air-port security area : the entrance custom-with armed officers; the individual warehouse security -most probably with rifle (?), In between there should be at least another layer of security for the entire warehouse area-most likely also with armed security. At all 3 levels there are also security cameras -so to say that all cameras and tapes were taken away by the very `well planned' robbery is baffling-given that many recording storage (tapes, hard discs) nowadays are located at some distance from the actual cameras-with some even linked to distant computers! On top of all the above there are also various alarm systems at various points at the warehouse complex. All these shows that for the robbery to succeed a big section of the warehouse to custom areas must have been compromised ! That this could be done prove that Penang International Airport is most inviting to robbers -as proven by the previous robberies which grew bigger and bigger....
UPDATE : From info from a security camera firm the security cameras in the Batu Maung warehouse area are all old styled cameras which used tapes to store the video captured on the cameras-so easy for the robbers to just take the tapes away ! Newer cameras store their videos in hard disc stored away from the scene ! And the security there also don't seems to carry arms -according to a reported speech from the Minister of Transport Chan Kong Choy -thus they are easily overcome by the parang wielding robbers ! In addition there were also no alarm system for a facility which store multi-millions goods ! Now you see !
Posted by: free&fair on November 21, 2006 2:32:19 PM (418
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Najib responded to criticism of the racist outbursts at the just concluded UMNO Assembly by suggesting that the 1st ever live broadcast of the UMNO annual meet be suspended-glossing over a number of important issues here: if racism is the problem -just stop the racism! Why stop the live-broadcast instead ? People are not complaining about the live broadcast as such ! If they really stop the live broadcast without stopping the racism -is it any better ? Was it not because of the live broadcast that the entire population get to know how racist UMNO delegates and leadership are ? So people do have to thank the live broadcast for exposing UMNO's real identity ! Of course to be fair to all live broadcast should be extended to all political parties, and also to the Parliament proceedings, State Assemblies etc. What go on in these functions are public events -why cover them up ?????
UPDATE 2: MCA's Dr Chua Soi Lek admitted that all race-based parties hold racist AGMs -thus not suitable for live /public telecast(report appended). So this chap has made a significant condemnation of his own party -and Malaysians should accept his suggestion -and go further by stopping such racial parties !
Posted by: free&fair on November 17, 2006 10:32:02 PM (468
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UMNO President's reported gladness of the openess at UMNO's assembly (appended) is given a stark contrast to his unhappiness about the `openess' by Mahathir's son, Mukhritz's negative comments about Badawi's speech (appended). What this say is important : Badawi seems to be happy with all the racial speeches at the UMNO assembly (seems that nothing was done to discourage racial outpours-despite some lame exhortation against doing that) -but not happy when the `openess' target himself ! The intolerance seems to boil over with UMNO Youth from top to bottom try to `skin' him after he criticised Badawi for not saying anything new in his speech-an arguable case to make. If this assessment of Badawi's `openess' is confirmed Malaysians should keep little hope of Badawi's `openess' -it is the same as Mahathir's `openess' against the West -which was not matched with similar `openess' with regards domestic critics !
Posted by: free&fair on November 16, 2006 6:30:46 PM (739
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What do you expect a pack of men talk among themselves if not women -and not so approvingly ? What do you expect a pack of Malays (incidentally in this case) talk among themselves if not `the other races' ? It seems that despite the live broadcast of the proceedings there is nothing from the assembly organisers to pre-empt the likely racial speeches from being snatched up as headlines in the media ! By not willing to identify where their members themselves had indulged in racial advocacy and chauvinism the party leaders -the PM included, are guilty of endorsing the assembly as a forum for free venting such sentiments ! Such scenario also admittedly happened when MCA & MIC hold their 1-race only forum. But since UMNO is the dorminant party in the ruling coalition then its standard on this set the standard for the rest. So was it a good standard set ???
Posted by: free&fair on November 16, 2006 6:00:59 PM (318
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The murder of the Mongolian women who came to see her analyst boyfriend produced a bizzare set of charges : the 2 police were charged for `murder' whie the analyst who is nearest to the murdered women in terms of personal interests, got an `abetting murder' charge. Questions : would the 2 police who presumably don't know the women murder the women ? Why would they risk their own life by doing that ? If there are doubt about the motivation for murder on the part of the cops then where could the motivation come from afterall-since the analyst was only `abetting' the murder ? Is there someone higher up/lower down who supplied the murder order ???? Even more questions:
Posted by: free&fair on November 14, 2006 8:00:08 PM (351
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There is something definitely smelling like pork around the UMNO General Assembly : PM Badawi saw it fit to announce RM600mil extra allocations (on top of 9th MP) at a pre-Council meeting to party leaders. This is called `pork barreling' according to some political science terminology! But there is a difference : Pork barreling usually involve announcement of goodies to lure voters at am election -but UMNO extend it to enticing UMNO members. A suggestion is to stop its assembly members from attending a prayer for Tun M's health which take place not too far from PWTC where UMNO meet. Whatever it may be -why a government's pronouncement can legitimately be timed to coincide with a party function ?
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