old news...paper...eh?

MIC hires IT experts to tackle online allegations

KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC has hired two information technology (IT) specialists to rebut allegations against the party on the Internet.
You don't need IT experts Samy dude. I can do that for you. A 10 year old can do that for you. You need people who grasp the issues at hand. Only these people know how to assess what at stake, and rebut or congratulate accordingly. Stoopid!

Image by Giovanna Casotto.

____________________________________________________________________

Malaysia not giving up hope on Batu Puteh yet

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has renewed the search for evidence to stake its claim on Batu Puteh, whose sovereignty was deemed to be under Singapore by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Let it rest morons. You wasted enough Ringgits on those stupid rocks. Just get your rocks off. Y'all be less anal. Then start taking care of what Malaysia still legally has. Morons!!

Image by Giovanna Casotto.

____________________________________________________________________

Envoy: Those with Singapore PR also affected

SINGAPORE: The ruling to ban the sale of petrol to foreign-registered vehicles within a 50km radius of the border must consider Malaysian holders of Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) status residing in Johor.
Who cares. Why are you holding the Singapore PR in the first place? To save a few SGD? To bid farewell to Malaysia at the slightest sign of trouble or hardship? Go get your rocks off silly in the Republic for all we care. You're in it for the money anyways. You win some, you lose some. Suckers!

Image by Giovanna Casotto.

____________________________________________________________________

Johor traders fear losses

JOHOR BARU: A group of Johor businessmen is against the petrol ban on Singapore registered vehicles for fear it would affect their businesses....
...Malaysian Indian Business Association president P. Sivakumar agreed, saying the Government should be careful when reviewing policies.

“They shouldn’t have done this. It is a free market and petrol has always been an attraction to draw Singaporeans here,” he said.
Free market my ass! Are you really not a retard P. Sivakumar? Or are you the stoopid half of your President? Malaysians are subsidising those petrol, moron. At the expense of what? Your education maybe. Or are you one of those with a Singapore PR? Is being moronic genetic? You should send your children to school in the Republic dude. At least they have the opportunity to get out of the stupid cycle.

Image by Dave Nestler.

the forgotten years...eh?

Ahhh...the forgotten period. The 80's. No fashion sense. Funny hairdos. But hey, I'm cool with that. Though I barely have any hair now after the dreadlocks decided to call it quits. Anyways, was checking through them YouTubes and came across these gems by the Art of Noise. Ahhh...those funny teenage years....

you lost, morons...eh?

Braving river to get to school on time

ULU PINANGAH: Dangerous it may be, but paddling a boat along the Sungai Kinabatangan to school is routine for four siblings.

Rosmery Saimon, 12, Madzlan, 10, Adzlan, nine, and seven-year-old Malisa paddle one-and-a-half kilometres to attend SK Pinangah on their own, because their parents have to work on the farm.

Smack in the middle of Sabah, Ulu Pinangah is inaccessible by road.....

And we are too occupied by Pedra Branca. Some assholes thought it'll be ours. But they thought otherwise. And more assholes still think that there is this dire need to waste more money on the damn rock.

Hmmm. For a moment there I thought the whole state of Johor was awarded to Singapore. That would be something. Even though I may be a second class citizen should Singapore take over, reckon it'll be worth it.

What's the use of being hollered in the Constitution as Tuan when the reality is very, very far from the truth.

What's the use of being a Bumi when only a selected few benefited from those billions.

What's the use of having a sovereign state when more than half of it belong to Singaporeans anyways.

What's the use of having a sovereign nation when we put morons as leaders. Not just this batch of maniacal baboons mind you, but since the time them Brits gave some senior clerks a taste of power. And we morons let them claim sovereignty and built dynasties.

Maybe we will be better off being taken over by Coca Cola.

Image from the Bitch in Heat series by Giovanna Casotto.

hey stoopid...eh?

DAP terkejut Dr. Mahathir keluar UMNO
19/05/2008 4:07pm

KUALA LUMPUR 19 Mei – Timbalan Pengerusi DAP, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw terkejut dengan tindakan bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad keluar daripada UMNO.

Menurut Ahli Parlimen Kepong itu, beliau tidak faham mengapa Dr. Mahathir secara tiba-tiba mahu keluar UMNO.

Apa sebab Dr. Mahathir mahu keluar dari UMNO. Apakah kerana masalah kepimpinan atau sebagainya. Kita pun tidak faham.

Adakah Dr. Mahathir keluar UMNO kerana menganggap parti itu sudah tidak relevan lagi, katanya. – Utusan
Do you just love how some politicians suddenly became masters of sarcasms. And how some newspapers are bleeding naive(how do you explain an UMNO newspaper quoting this DAP guy). Or maybe not. Some other motives? And why is the targeted politicians didn't manage to get the message, acting dumb, one will be forgiven for calling them retards.
Everybody is making fun of you UMNO. Even your own newspaper. Just show us some grey matter will ya! Duh!!

seduction...eh?

Sedition or a question of law?

by Raja Aziz Addruse and Andrew Khoo Chin Hock

THE law of sedition is fast getting into disrepute.
As most in this land. But reputations are not too big a deal here. Money and power overrule everything. And everyone.

The public exchanges over the Datuk Jamry Sury affair show yet again that there are still many people who believe that charging a person with sedition for uttering statements critical of someone in high authority would make the problem go away.
If the culprit is from without, they of course will be making enough noise. If just to show to the rest of the herd they are doing something. If it's within, well no carpet will be too small for things to be swept under.

They lack any sense of objectivity and see in every criticism of those in power an intention to commit some criminal offence.
No offence but I doubt they have any sense period.

Jamry was the director of the Perak Religious Department. He had been transferred out of his post to the state secretariat by the Pakatan Rakyat government but was reinstated on the instruction of the Sultan.

That prompted Karpal Singh, the DAP member of parliament for Bukit Gelugor and a senior lawyer, to question the "constitutionality" of the instruction.
He argued that it was the state government which should decide when and where to transfer a civil servant and that the Ruler should not interfere.

One would have thought that the issue was whether it was the state government or the Ruler who had the power of control over Jamry in relation to his employ.

Ordinarily, it is the government which has the power to deal with civil servants since it would otherwise be powerless to control them in the event of their insubordination, disobedience or, as alleged in Jamry's case, for refusing to co-operate with the government.

If, however, as some contend, the power to transfer Jamry is vested in the Ruler as the head of the Islamic religion in the state, then so be it.

Whichever is the correct view can only be determined by interpreting the provisions of the state Constitution, according to established principles of constitutional law, as applied in a democracy.

What is involved is clearly a question of law.

But there are those who do not quite see it that way. Arising from his criticism of the Ruler of the state, a number of police reports were lodged against Karpal Singh, accusing him of sedition, of being rude and of insulting the institution of Malay Rulers.

To the complainants, the question of whether the Ruler's action was constitutional or not is not relevant. What to them is of greater importance is that no one should make any statement critical of the actions of the Ruler of a state.
A ruler. Hmm...is that the straight thingy you use to draw straight lines?

That goes against the express provision of the Federal Constitution, that everyone is equal before the law.

Furthermore, the government itself, when justifying its move in 1992 to remove the legal immunity of the Malay Rulers (by amending Article 181), had made it a point to impress upon the public that: "No one is above the law".
No one is above the law.
Except those chosen ones. And choosing them is my prerogative.
Sometimes what is written between the lines is the law.

No government backbencher had made any complaint then that the various statements uttered by government ministers and senior politicians, against which the recent utterances of Karpal Singh pale by comparison were seditious.
Donkeys and mules are not known for their intelligence. Brute strength and obedience, maybe.

Then there were the inciting statements of ministers and other politicians made in connection with the government's move to amend Articles 150 and 66 of the Federal Constitution in 1983, for which no one was ever prosecuted for sedition.
Inciting, exciting, amusing. Reckon they don't know which is which.

The 1983 amendments, which have since been repealed, transferred the power of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in Article 150 to declare an emergency to the prime minister.

The amendment to Article 66 stated that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong had 15 days to assent to a piece of legislation, failing which, royal assent would be deemed to have been given.

Apart from the question of double standards, a difference of viewpoint on an issue of law and of the interpretation of legislation cannot support an accusation of sedition.

On an issue involving the exercise of the right to freedom of speech, one needs to be a bit more mature and broad-minded in one's outlook.

Members of parliament, especially, have a duty to honour the oaths they made before taking their seats in the Dewan Rakyat -- to "bear true faith and allegiance to Malaysia, and to preserve, protect and defend its Constitution".

When considering the right to freedom of speech provision of the Constitution, they need to remind themselves of the oft-quoted statement, "I may disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." (This was a phrase coined by Evelyn Beatrice Hall to describe Voltaire's principle of the right to free speech.)

What is strange about the whole thing is that the attorney-general (also the public prosecutor), who must have been aware of what has been going on, does not seem to have initiated any action against Karpal Singh.
They read law. Both the AG and the PP. Did they?

If the statements were seditious, as alleged in the police report, one would have expected the attorney-general to be the first to act.
Well, reckon all is just a political ploy. By both parties. So more donkeys and mules get to be duped. For in the end, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE. Another one. An Ass.

Image from Pardon My Planet by Vic Lee.

A nice interview here.

thursday blast...eh?

Hmmm. Funny how memories play with your head.



And funny too, them one hit wonders. What happen to those guys and groups now? Taking on a few jobs to pay the bill? But I'd give away me job now for one of them wonders. And retire early somewhere not unlike River Cottage in west Dorset. With a clay oven ala Jamie Oliver's.

Wishful thinking at best.

it's now or never...eh?

Tuesday 13th May, 2008

MP also wants Sabahans in key Cabinet posts

KUALA LUMPUR: The grouses of the people in Sabah should not be viewed lightly as this could bring about major implications in the next general election, Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh said.
Tell it to their faces Datuk. All the riches they harvested, all those votes they garnered.

The Kalabakan MP, who resigned as deputy natural resources and environment minister last month, also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to reshuffle the Cabinet by the end of the year to include Sabah MPs in key ministerial posts.
You better heed their call Mr Prime Minister sir.

“We want justice. Don’t say we Sabahans are talking nonsense,” he said when debating the motion of thanks on the royal address.
That's true sir. They are the ones who were always talking nonsense.

Image borrowed, again without permission from Tom Chalkley.

Ghapur, who was once a Sabah deputy chief minister, also said the speech by Datuk Anifah Aman (BN - Kimanis) in the Dewan last week was a reflection of the sentiments in Sabah.

Anifah had said that it was not wrong to switch parties or “to vacate a bungalow and move to a terraced house if we are not given sufficient room in the bungalow”.
Nicely put Datuk. Let us see how those Semenanjung politicians respond now.

Ghapur said it was an insult to Sabah MPs to be given a total of three ministerial posts when it was Sabah and Sarawak MPs who had helped Barisan Nasional secure a simple majority in the recent general election.

Ghapur also talked about conditions in Sabah where many people still live in attap-roofed houses and rely on wells for water supply.

There were also students who were forced to sit on the floor because there were not enough chairs in classrooms, he said.
Not only in Sabah or Sarawak Datuk. More than a few in Semenanjung are as well. If only the politicians, from both divides, care to look around them, care to get out of their comfy cars and offices and maybe walk a few kilometres in those gravel, muddy pit they call roads. And yes, they can leave their Ferragamos in their SUVs.

shut your collective traps...eh?

Reckon Pakatan Rakyat is having more than it can chew at the moment. Or those glimpses of power are blurring their judgment some. They don't seem to be able to shut their collective traps and get on with what they promised to bring about. It's not just about BN Members of Parliaments, dudes. Most are too rich and too stupid to even put up a good fight.

Problem is, you'll be challenging the SYSTEM. And that system has been put in place for more than 50 years. It's in every nook and cranny, has infiltrated all levels of the government machinery, the Army, Police, the Media and even Big Businesses. It's akin to saying that a few hundred thousand or even a few million hits on a blog prove that the majority had abandoned the Mainstream Media altogether. Thinking one is popular holds no water. Stupid is as stupid does. Convincing them to let go of their trusted SYSTEM, that is the challenge for the Pakatan Rakyat. Are they ready and equipped for that is another matter.

So if you're serious in doing something good for the peeps. Learn how to do it right. Quietly. Then just do it. Very, very quietly. People will judge your actions. Not your oratory skills. Maybe for a while. Or we might as well go for oral sex and forget about the humping, eh?

If the Pakatan Rakyat thought that they can rule the country outright by just winning a 2/3 majority, they should think again.

what have you done for me lately...eh?

Sunday 11th May, 2008

Remember what Umno has done for you

KUALA LUMPUR: Don't forget what Umno has done for you in the last 62 years.


And grassroots leaders should get realistic and stop lying about what is really happening on the ground.

That was the advice Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor gave at the Outstanding Malay Awards ceremony at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.

Forty-one Malays in the fields of education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, non-governmental organisations, religion, arts and culture were given recognition for their contribution to the country in conjunction with Umno's 62nd anniversary.

Tengku Adnan said since the general election, some quarters had been calling for the prime minister to take responsibility and step down.
"They fail to realise that the prime minister is advised by the supreme council and we get feedback from branch chairmen and other grassroots leaders."
Are all grassroot leaders stupid or the supreme council members born to be morons? Are all feedbacks received accepted at face value? No wonder the country is going down the drain. Too many liars giving out misinformation. Too many ministers believing everything.

Tengku Adnan said before the election, the grassroots leaders indicated that all was well and that was the message relayed to the prime minister.

"To me, all of us should take the blame. We were proud, arrogant and hasty."
Should all of us share the spoils too, mate?

Tengku Adnan said Umno and Barisan Nasional remained relevant as a coalition representing all Malaysians.

"Umno is relevant, but if you feel that some of the leaders are not suitable, tell us and we will make the necessary changes."
I'll send you a list. Wait, I don't need a list. All those leaders are nincompoops. Change all of them.

He also took a swipe at Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, saying they were formed by disgruntled people.

"If their foundation is based on this, how are they going to build the country?"
This is the truest statement thus far. Umno was also formed by disgruntled Malays opposing the Malayan Union and the British. Look how they built the country. And look how every other Umno leaders have properties on the British Isle.

And some people are still boiling tapioca for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Like their forefathers did before them. Before merdeka.

what if...eh?

What if we are being pressured? What if we are being used? What if...

Images from World of Aspen, May 2008.
(Click on images for larger versions)

whiner...eh?

Well, since I'm in such a pissy mood today, nothing good on TV, I thought I'd just vent a bit about things that piss me off:

Mobile phones!! A car is for driving, dumbo. It's not a mobile phone booth so put the damn phone away, hands free thingy or not, and pay attention to what you're doing on the road. You've got nothing that important to say anyway. Gossiping is not a matter of life and death. And while I'm comparing the price of rice or milk, I don't need to listen to you yakking away with some other shithead about your godforsaken life and your fucking problems. Keep them to yourself when you're out in public. The only people who could use their mobile phones anywhere are the emergency service workers, my bookie and Astro repairmen.

Driving!! Get your collective heads out of your collective asses and pay attention to what you're doing. Use your head! Not too much to ask, eh? If you know you've got to turn right or left on an upcoming street or into a driveway, go to the correct lane long before you get there and don't suddenly swerve across 3 lanes of traffic at the last second because you suddenly realise you're where you want to be. Those little orange thingies at the four corners of your car, FUCKING use them stoopid. They are there for a reason, to indicate to others where the fucking fuck you're going. We are no mind readers, stoopid. And, goodness fucking gracious, if you're in the fast lane and need to turn left, don't fucking stop in the middle of the road, it'll only add a few more minutes to your really miserable life to make a u-turn somewhere and come back. And I don't carry vaseline with me so don't ride my ass on the highway, go to the fast lane. Shithead morons.

Without naming any specific age group, but some of you drivers who just had your P licenses and those of you who should by now surrender your licenses, where the fuck do y'all learn to drive!! What? You bribe those goons RM20 for the license? My blood pressure goes up 50 points every time, not to mention how my arteries are hardening while I'm driving behind you. That sign on the side of the road is called the speed limit. It also means you can drive that fast. 60 means 60...not 15. Duh!!

Yapping dogs!! I love dogs but I don't want to hear yours yapping away. Why did God have to create those little, rat like dogs that continually yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap yap all damn day long? And why doesn't the law allow me to poison yapping dogs? Why don't y'all get a Rottweiler? They just kill and they don't talk much.

Baseball caps!!! Look you little dick heads. The bill of a baseball cap faces forward to shade the eyes. It doesn't go backwards or sideways. You looked like someone slapped the shit out of you. The only person legally able to wear a baseball cap backwards is the catcher on a baseball team when he's wearing his catcher's mask. The rest of you look like idiots.

Rap music!! Two words that don't belong together. Well, that and PM Badawi. Rap ain't music. Period. It's crap without the C.

Speeding cars on residential streets!! This isn't a race track stooopid! SLOW FUCKING DOWN. Too many kids at play. To the guy at the end of the street with a souped up Wira with the windshield smashed in with a sledge hammer one night, uh, I didn't do it. Honest to God!!

Ah, I feel so much better now...

Image? Hmmm, forgot where I stole this. Sorry.

birthday dude...eh?

birthday girl...eh?

blasting roots...eh?

One of them songs I like better than them rest. Reggae should not sound clean nor crisp like them classicals, marn. That is why the Legend is no fave of mine.

your papers please...eh?

Saturday May 3, 2008

Women's groups express outrage

KUALA LUMPUR: Regressive. Unfair. Biased. These were some of the words used to describe the proposal by the Foreign Ministry that women leaving the country alone be required to have declarations from parents or employers stating the reason for their travels.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said yesterday he had submitted a proposal to the cabinet.

The proposal drew flak from non-governmental and women's organisations, with their representatives making clear their outrage.

Image stolen from The Teacher by Bruce Morgan.

National Council for Women's Organisations Malaysia (NCWO) deputy president Faridah Khalid called the proposal "backward and unfair".
"This is an infringement of our rights," she said.
"We're the victims and now you're creating more problems.
"Why must you put more restrictions on women?
Yeah, why? You should be investigating why those women were too easily manipulated. A simply too good to be refused offer or are there darker and more sinister reasons behind those breaking news.
Were they being intimidated?
Were they being blackmailed here in Malaysia?
By Malaysians? International rings?
Is the problem serious? How big is the real picture?
How can we protect these girls better?
How can we make our country safer?

Faridah said the government should think it out properly before taking such measures.
Methinks, thinking is too straining an exercise for some. And time consuming. They got ribbon cuttings to attend to. They have to meet their ever demanding voters in their constituencies. They have to fight for projects too. Not for personal gain mind you. All for their constituencies.
Yeah.

"Sometimes, ministers make suggestions and decisions in haste," she said.
And sometimes, ministers make a complete turnaround on their suggestions and decisions in haste too.

idols...eh?

Saturday May 3, 2008

‘Excited’ MPs provide entertainment but little substance

By ESTHER NG

IT was a week of firsts for Parliament.

It was the first time the Dewan Rakyat convened after the so-called political tsunami, it was the first time proceedings were telecast live over national television, and it was the first time Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia took the Chair facing an enhanced block of Opposition members.

Thanks to the firsts, much attention was focussed on the Dewan Rakyat when it opened for its new session.

Image borrowed without proper permission from Bizarro.

Observers were not disappointed – the 12th Parliament was explosive.

The Yang Berhormats were loud, insistent, almost in your face. While it’s true that this was only to be expected after the recent elections, many felt that the MPs went beyond expectation.

it's over...eh?

Friday May 2, 2008

Plenty of sex but for many, it’s not all the way

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are having lots of sex but they just do not seem to be enjoying it all that much.

While last year’s Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey said four in five Malaysians were having sex on a weekly basis – this year’s results reveals that only 44% of Malaysians managed to achieve orgasm every time they have sex. Us men or them ladies as well? It usually shows, men. Ladies? Are they faking it? Hmmm... Thanks for making me look good, dear.

Image taken nicely but without permission from Pinnochia by Gibrat.

Reproductive and sexual health specialist, Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi, said that while orgasms are not the be all and end all of sex, regularly achieving orgasms improves emotional and overall well-being.

“If you want to have an orgasm, it is important that you surrender yourself to the good feelings you are experiencing. Relaxation is crucial.” Hear! Hear! Err...darling, you don't have to worry about the dishes. I'll do it. After.

may day...may day...eh?

They always said money is not everything. But as the AKPK would like to remind us before it's too late, everything revolves around money.

Finding it hard to scrape a living in a desolate and destitute country is quite acceptable. But in a country where the Malaysia Book of Records is as thick as some Malaysian politicians, it is definitely unforgivable. Especially when the government is talking about mega these and mega that worth mega billions. Corridor here and corridor there when them school corridors are not properly maintained. And sending people to Mars. Well, I made up the last bit but the message should be clear. The government can afford to spend to impress, and maybe to stay in power but they somehow forgot whom those actions are supposed to benefit, or in their case, the reverse.

I dunno, maybe am a bit shallow on them economics but to me there could be an impending economic doom when you see people desperately doing what they normally not do. You see people of all races in their late thirties and younger collecting cans and plastic from garbage bins. You see peeps you know who had good jobs became guards, cleaners, in their prime years. Imagine the indignity, not because the said jobs are undignified but things you have to do to get food on your plate, and the plates of your loved ones at home. Putting aside whatever dignity left, misplaced or otherwise, to bring home not the bacon, but scraps of leftovers.

Meanwhile some people are contemplating migrating to a greener pasture. They say this country ain't playing fair. It's not about being fair or not. It's about doing the right thing. Some may say that the special treatments for the Malays are actually hurting them in the long run. And it is unfair to the other races. I tend to agree. But I am of the opinion that special treatments and privileges should be there. For all in need, for all Malaysians. Those who can stand on their own, should be given a pat on the back and encouragements. It is a matter of giving assistance to those needing assistance and not those requesting assistance. And the main task for elected leaders is to ensure prosperity for the people and country. How they want to go about it, it's up to them to decide. Public discussions, think tanks, blogs, sms's or whatever. The problem with elected people in our society, politicians or otherwise, is that they are only ensuring their own prosperity without any regards to what their actions or inactions may cause. They are very fortunate indeed because most Malaysians tend to suffer silently. It's a built in thing or maybe something big brother inserted while we were being delivered. No need for demonstrations. No need for protests. Malaysia boleh.

Last week was a particularly bad week in me area. On Wednesday, a bank's customer was robbed in broad daylight of her car, handbag and some gold accessories as she alighted. It happened right in front of the bank but nothing could be done as them four assailants were armed with automatics and machetes. The same evening me staff became a victim of snatch theft when she left the office at 8pm. Dragged some 5 metres and lost her handbag. Fortunately she was not badly hurt. Some deep cuts, lacerations and few swollen joints. Those injuries would heal but a girl with scars? Psychological scars? On Thursday a lady colleague was mugged on her way to work. Lost some jeweleries and all the contents of her handbag. Fortunately not her modesty. Beautiful lady, she. If I may say so.

Should we blame the police? Regardless of what we read or heard about them cops, they too are trying to make a living. I believe the majority are honest and good people. But how much do they get for a job that require them to sacrifice life and limb so that some lucky bastards can plot on how to empty the government coffers and enriching themselves and their goons in the process. Even the most resolute will be tempted if their families are surviving on instant noodles and their children are telling them what other children are having and getting. So can we really blame them?

Should we blame them Indonesians, Nigerians or Vietnamese? It is an undeniable fact that some of the criminal elements here are of foreign origins. But how do they get here in the first place? Are those supposed to look after our borders sleeping? Or are there any at all? Why are them foreigners becoming more ruthless nowadays? Apart from their countries are in such a mess and their rulers are no worse than ours, have we done something that pissed these criminals and would be criminals? Did our companies employ them legally or when them authorities are looking the other way, bring them in illegally? Are those employing them pay them properly or hold on to their wages and when the projects are nearing completion, call the same authorities who looked the other way and shout illegals?

Should we blame the world economy? As a minor economy, we will always be subjected to them majors. So what are we doing about it? Should we adjust our industries and the way we do business? Shouldn't we be looking at a bigger picture and plan for the longer term instead of kowtowing to the captains of industries call for short term gains? And when we emulate them Japanese and Koreans, do we just go for scraps of old technology or do we emulate their work ethics and attitude at all levels as well? Where had all the good managers and planners gone? Bahamas?

We have petroleum and yet the government claimed that they could not subsidise petrol any longer. Why do they subsidise in the first place? How much will petrol cost without subsidy? Why are we affected by world prices? Shouldn't we have substantial reserves by now to soften the impact of price fluctuations? We have abundant land but we have unsold houses. The latest count is some 20k plus units of various price ranges. Why were there no planning made? Now everybody is alarmed at the prices of food items. And the government is going green. So will they fell them forest reserves or those unsold houses?

The fact is, some section of the society are really desperate. And what these elected leaders are doing is denying that facts even when some people are eating escargot and appearing on TV3 Bersamamu just to survive another day. I won't feel bad if this country is one of those African aid receipients. My Chinese neighbour, when asked for his opinion on the country's economy, had this to say. When the harvest aplenty, all is fine and all is forgiven. But when times are bad, the Chinese tend to suffer more because there is this need to portray this well-off image, and of course there are not many places for them to turn to, despite all those Chinese associations, despite the perceptions that the Chinese always help each other out. Maybe Micheal Chong but he too had to give up sooner or later.

And when all else failed, could we still turn to Jalaluddin Hassan? He could give you three lifelines. You could ask the audience, which could be your friends or families. You could make that phone call to a buddy, or them alongs. Finally you are pushed into the fifty-fifty situation, a do or die situation. The latter are the petty crimes you are currently reading in the news. Crimes committed not to be rich or committed by career criminals. Just by rakyats who are being pushed into a corner. Just to survive another day when Who Wants to be a Millionaire didn't.

Image hijacked from The Dave Nestler's Sketch Book Volume One - Bad Girls Drawn Nicely!