From the Catholic Herald dated Aug 31, 2008.

Triang, Pahang: On August 17, some 1,000 persons protested the attempt to demolish an over 80-year old Catholic Chapel and a school in Triang. These protestors were met by 200 over persons believed to be aligned to the Developer. According to sources, the land where the Chapel of St John and the SJK (C) Triang 1 are situated belongs to the church.

However, a developer had submitted a proposal to the state government to develop the land. The protestors were dispersed by the FRU who were there in full gear. The state government is aware of the situation and has said that it would help to find a solution.

Really depressing news brought to you on the 31st August 2008-edit.

Embattled Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi appealed for the nation's support in a Merdeka day message today, in the face of economic woes and opposition plans to topple the government within weeks. This is the "mahal" part, "No one citizen is recognised as being of a higher position than another in this nation. This nation belongs to all of us. Whether we rise or fall depends on all of us," he said. From Malaysiakini.

This PM loves flowery words, he does not mean any one of them, period, we are not simpletons. We do not want to be led up that flowery path, only to be disappointed again and again. He says, "No one citizen is recognised as being of a higher position than another in this nation. This nation belongs to all of us." Can you really believe this guy, look at what he says when racist filth is spewed forth by UMNO leaders , he lets them off the hook with a very mild rebuke. This is what Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has to say about a recent racist comment by one UMNO goon, that he will personally see to it that does not repeat his remarks about the Chinese community, “I will tell Bukit Bendera Umno chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail not to do it again. You know in a campaign all sorts of things can come up. I don’t think he meant it. I’ll make sure to tell him not to use it again.” His meek response will only serve to drive home the point that nothing has changed since Election 2008. Umno is arrogant and incapable of change.

The best part of this was that this racist remarks were allegedly uttered in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Then Najib is a cut of the same cloth, that explains why the DPM was silent on that issue.

Remember this when Wee Meng Chee, 24-year-old undergraduate, created a six-minute Negarakuku video rap everyone went berserk especially so UMNO. He issued an open apology to Malaysians offended by his six-minute Negarakuku video rap.

Will UMNO Ministers and leaders who have persecuted and demonized Meng Chee by making irresponsible, extremist and seditious statements, and even demanding the stripping of Meng Chee’s citizenship, now publicly apologise to all Malaysians, offended by keris-waving in circumstances and context contemptuous of the legitimate sensitivities and rights of all Malaysians. So what is the difference between a political leader who was pushing his racist agenda against Meng Chee who was only expressing and articulating the frustrations of the ordinary rakyat at police corruption, civil service bureaucracy, discrimination against Chinese education and the insensitivity of the authorities — which is the reason why his rap video had struck such a deep chord among Malaysians particularly among the young generation.

So this bullshit by Pak Lah,"No one citizen is recognised as being of a higher position than another in this nation. This nation belongs to all of us", applicable to all Malaysians? No, I do not think so. He is only saying this, as he sees the writting on the wall. He does not have the "Big Ears" he claimed to have! There is a blog, just dedicated to his Compendium of Flowery Slogans and Quotes. He does not get it, does he? The people do not want the UMNO led government anymore. There is "NO rule of law", rule of law is not applicable to UMNO goons who go around spewing filthy seditious comments. The rule of law is only applicable to people who are fighting against the corrupt for justice.

The Chinese and Indians still believe that the Umno-led government treats them as tenants and that the power-sharing concept of the Barisan Nasional does not protect minority interests.The young voters still believe that Umno politicians are corrupt, arrogant and consumed by power and position. Non-Muslims still believe that the country is sliding down the slippery slope towards intolerance and narrow-mindedness. Many Malaysians still believe that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is the prime minister of grand sounding rhetoric, but rhetoric none the same.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. How can a leader squander an approval rating of 91 per cent in March 2004 and watch it plummet to 43 per cent in July 2008? By not fulfilling a raft of promises including the pledge to be a leader of all Malaysians; to fight corruption; to bring about reform in the police, judiciary and the political system. By the time March 8 came around, many Malaysians had become disillusioned with Abdullah, believing that he was indecisive and could not execute policies.

In the days after Election 2008, he came out strong, saying that he had heard the voices of dissent and was committed to repairing the country’s institutions and tackling the rising cost of living. After the initial burst of enthusiasm, his unwillingness to upset Umno during the party’s election season has seen him go slow on reforming the judiciary. His Cabinet does not inspire confidence nor does his stewardship of the Malaysian economy. Cynicism and skepticism accompanies every promise and pledge that he makes today.

So really no one should be surprised that Anwar won by a yawning gap over BN’s Arif Shah on Aug 26. Malaysians voted for change on March 8. It was not a protest vote, it was a vote for change. Abdullah, Umno and the BN still don’t get it. So the electorate sent them another message on Aug 26.Only this time it was more emphatic. In full from the Malaysian Insider. So Pak Lah's time is up along with UMNO's. They are on their way out.

MCA Youth today slammed Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail for allegedly making racist remarks against the minority community during the recent Permatang Pauh by-election campaign Ahmad, the Bukit Bendera Umno division head, had allegedly said Chinese were "squatters" in the country, who were both selfish and unjust, at a ceramah on Aug 24 whilst trying to buttress support for BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah in the by-election contest against opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim.

MCA Youth leader Hang Cheng Peng demanded an immediate apology and explanation from Ahmad. Meanwhile, Federal Territories MCA Youth today launched a signature campaign outside the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to condemn Ahmad, demanding that he be sacked from his party. In a strongly worded press statement issued today, Penang Gerakan Youth exco member Dr Thor Teong Gee urged BN deputy chairperson and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to take action. Extracted from Malaysiakini. No way are they going to sack him, they might give him a Datukship and swat away you pesky Chinese MCA Chinese chauvinists..

Come on you want to ask another extremist like Najib to take action. This is the same guy who in the midst of UMNO's internal crisis in 1987. Najib Tun Razak, in a widely documented speech threatened to bathe his keris, or Malaysian dagger , in Chinese blood, resurrecting fears of the country's calamitous Malay-Chinese race riots of 1969. MCA knows being with UMNO is a liability for itself when it was rejected by the majority of the Chinese, as it was just a slave of UMNO to hold on to power.

To quote a Malaysian from Malaysiakini , Eileen : Dear readers, may I know which one do you prefer, Umno's scornful ‘Chinese squatter' or Anwar's ‘Anak Melayu anak kita, anak Cina anak kita, anak India pun anak kita'? Are you still enjoying sleeping with the enemy or have you woken up by now?

UMNO has said worst things than that, "Brandishing the keris was hurtful to the non-Malays but the party leadership did nothing to take the Umno Youth chief to task for the menacing and insulting gesture."Which was why he (Hishammuddin) was emblodened to repeat it and provide extra impetus for the Chinese and Indians to abandon BN at the polls." That was the spin then. You Chinese in MCA think that UMNO will repent? Dream on. You are just a foot stool for UMNO to remain in power and wipe it's feet upon you. The more the Chinese accept MCA, UMNO will gain the upper hand against the Rakyat. If you truely want UMNO to apologise and repent and treat you equally get out of the coalition called the Barisan Nasional.

There is this UMNO big wig,Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Umno vice-president worried about some Barisan Nasional component party leaders' comments about the possibility of their parties leaving Barisan. Really, you think he is worried, no way, it is his way of placating the MCA and Gerakan. How short you memeory is? Remember Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wanted the Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute (Asli) to retract its 45% bumiputra equity ownership estimation. Muhyiddin said the report was a challenge to the Government’s integrity and described the report as irresponsible and “rubbish”. “The report is rubbish and cannot be used. As a Malay, I am angry and I think it was done with malice.

We can see the signs when the ship is taking water, meaning it is sinking when the "beloved of Indians", Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on the Indian community to “not look elsewhere” if they have grouses or grievances. For 50 donkey years the Indians were being screwed, have been screwed and will continue being screwed. He has to say that, " I call on you not to look elsewhere but to use this channel. The best way to improve the Indian community is for us to work together." They want you to forget the water canons and the baton charges during the Hindraf rally. Yeah, not forgetting him offering scrap metal licences for Indians, are Indian Malaysians only good for scrap metal Najib, how about some AP's?

UMNO needs MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the East Malaysian parties, more than the other parties need it, to push it's "Ketuanan Melayu" agenda. The component parties in the BN, support this knowingly. Without the component parties supporting them, then only will UMNO abandon it's policies. So, abandon this leaking rust bucket called UMNO for your own good. Your alternative....Pakatan Rakyat whose agenda is "Ketuanan Rakyat!" Now, which is the morally right thing to do? Join Anwar, get the blessings of the Rakyat instead of brickbats for being the stooges of UMNO.

Have you ever been a friend or business associate of a terrorist? Not someone who, to your shock and horror, turned out secretly to have bombed government buildings. No, the question is whether you’ve ever befriended an unreconstructed radical whose past was well known to you when you entered his orbit and walked through doors he opened for you. Have you been chummy with an unapologetic terrorist who, years after you’d known and worked closely with him, was still telling the New York Times he regretted only failing to carry out more attacks — and that America still “makes me want to puke”?

Barack Obama has. Continued here....

Soi Lek dares Tee Keat to repeat threat to Umno

FORMER MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has upped the ante in his media war with party presidential candidate, vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat, with a dare to Ong to repeat to Umno what he told the Chinese press lately -- that MCA may pull out of Barisan Nasional if Umno does not shed its "Ketuanan Melayu" policies. Writing in his blog on Tuesday, Chua, without mentioning names, chided the only man (so far) who has offered to run for MCA presidency for pretending to speak out for the Chinese community.

"One would think that when the only man running for the post of MCA president says the party may have to pull out of the Barisan Nasional if Umno continues to champion the concept of 'Ketuanan Melayu', it should make the front page of all newspapers," he said."Instead, it was only reported in Sunday's Nanyang Siang Pau. "The rest of the Chinese dailies offered up only today some muted reaction to the candidate's suggestion," Chua said, adding that Bahasa Malaysia and English newspapers have steered clear of reporting his statements for now.

He said some people have labelled him (Chua) a "political has-been", and tried to show the party's grassroots, the bulk of whom read the Chinese newspapers, that the endorsed candidate for the MCA presidency is indeed a man with the courage to speak out against Umno. "But has he really spoken out and articulated the frustrations of the Chinese community? "What is the reaction of Umno towards such a strong statement from an MCA vice-president and cabinet minister?" he asked.

One would never know, he said, "because it appears the statement so far is meant only for the eyes of the Chinese community". He said MCA does not need someone who only pretends to speak out for the Chinese but a president who will speak out for all Malaysians and against all injustices. "It is really insulting to members to think that in this age of multi-culturalism, anyone would choose to put on a show in the Chinese newspapers for the Chinese community," he said.

He dared the "endorsed candidate" to send a letter to Umno, repeating his statement that MCA may pull out of BN if Umno does not shed its Ketuanan Melayu policies. "He should also officially issue statements that that will be MCA's policy should he become president," he said, adding that if he (Ong) does not write a letter to Umno or have a private chat with the prime minister about what he said, then he would be very rude in issuing a threat without letting the other party know.

If he does not do any of these things, then it would appear he was just hoping to get political support to attain his ambition without actually intending to walk the talk, he said. Chua, who is regarded as a likely candidate to challenge Ong in the October party election, and Ong have traded barbs in the Chinese press and in cyber space over the issue of moral and conduct for politicians. His latest tirade was given prominent space in the Chinese dailies yesterday. The Sun.

The latest counterpunch from American Issues Project, the independent group running the ad about Bill Ayers that the Obama campaign doesn’t want you to see.

Michelle Malkin has pointed out repeatedly over the past few days, Obama’s attempt to bully TV stations airing the ad and stop scrutiny of his radical ties is part and parcel of a larger campaign to chill the free speech of conservative political activists and donors. "I cannot stress how outrageous the Obama campaign’s attempt to silence the creators of the Ayers ad is".



They intimidate those who want to alert the nation to Obama’s troubling ties to, and longtime relationship with, the unrepentant Weather Underground terrorist. Obama’s lawyers and minions are playing hardball with TV stations that have dared to air the ad. They have the gall to champion campaign finance integrity — even as Obama has just admitted hiding payments to his Chicago cronies at ACORN. The Obama campaign can’t cite anything false or defamatory about the ad because it is accurate and truthful. This intimidation campaign is of a piece with the left-wing MoveOn effort to bully GOP donors. Remember? Michelle Malkin.

There are three links I have placed of "Malaysia Today" on my left side bar, to overcome the MCMC block as reported in Malaysiakini. Here is the main page for people with external servers. Here are the two other alternatives Harapan Malaysia and http://202.75.62.114/2008./

They will be on my side bar until the authorities lift the blockade. Meanwhile feel free to use the 3 links on my blog to access Malaysia Today. Try all three. My contribution towards free speech.

Razaleigh called on BN component parties to stand by Umno, in 'our hour of crisis'. Razaleigh said the coalition's by-election campaign, which was criticised for its racial overtones and focus on sodomy allegations against Anwar, has "embarrassed and divided the nation with its ugliness." From Malaysiakini.


KJ wanted to "Kuburkan Anwar" in this clip

What crisis, you corrupt and racist sinking ship? Many will be glad to see you sink, there are calls from Gerakan to abandon you, there are even mutterings from the Towkay's (MCA) party to abandon you. For MIC, they are sunk and not worth salvaging. The component parties should jump ship, as they would be dragged down into the swirling turbulence created by Anwar Ibrahim. The cry amongst the Barisan Nasional component parties should be, "Jump, every man to himself!" Least you be dragged down. Or jump into the lifeboat of the Pakatan Rakyat, captained by Anwar Ibrahim. There you will seek salvation for the rotten lives you lead, pillaging and robbing the rakyat blind. It’s not that you are all bad, but you serve a very weak set of leaders who are more concerned about their own survival than that of the nation.

For Umno the charade is over. This is a party without spirit. This is a party without a leader. Ministers, deputy ministers and other senior party officials all campaigned in Permatang Pauh but it was more out of duty than anything else. There was no fire in their bellies. Some could not care less how Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah performed in the polls. They showed up in the constituency to canvass for support in the upcoming divisional elections in October. One former menteri besar, eyeing a top position in the party, holed up in a hotel and dished out cash to streams of divisional officials. This is a party made of politicians who are consumed with their own interest and completely detached from reality. This could be the beginning of the end of this once powerful party.

- The Barisan Nasional machinery There was a time when the Opposition used to shudder at the prospect of facing the formidable machinery, the women who used to campaign tirelessly from dusk to dawn, the men who braved the elements to tear down Opposition posters and ferry voters to the polling station. Not anymore. Dispirited, they just did the bare minimum in Permatang Pauh. In fact, it was the Pakatan Rakyat machinery which caught the eye. Their workers displayed the spirit of volunteerism which was once patented by the BN. How the mighty have fallen.

- Abdullah Ahmad Badawi He was not in charge of the BN by-election team but the president of Umno and the chairman of the BN will not be able to absolve himself of blame for this dismal showing. The unvarnished fact is that he has not been able to inspire his party or the ruling coalition since March 8. If his party workers are listless, it is because they do not see him as a general capable of galvanising the troops in the face of an enemy's onslaught. If his coalition partners are feeble, it is because they do not see him as a leader capable of reviving the BN. In all likelihood, there will be calls for him to speed up the transfer of power.

- Najib Razak Without a doubt, the deputy prime minister is hurting. The uninterrupted stream of attacks on his character, his wife and allegations that he was involved with the murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibuu have damaged him in the eyes of the public. His words once used to carry weight but now they ring hollow. His decision to swear in a mosque that he was not involved with Altantuya did not find popular support. Still, he remains best placed to take over from Abdullah. But he will need much repair to his image before he can claim to have the support of Malaysians.

- Saiful Bukhari Azlan He claimed it was a coincidence but his decision to swear on the Quran on the eve of nomination day that he was sodomised by Anwar does not look very clever now. A snap poll of 544 Malay voters by the Merdeka Centre painted him as a pawn in a political game. He should stay out of the limelight till the trial begins.

- Anwar Ibrahim The Barisan Nasional threw the kitchen sink and everything in it at him but by next sitting he will take his place in Parliament. This all but completes his rehabilitation from a political has-been 10 years ago to possibly the next prime minister of Malaysia. He now faces the near impossible task of persuading at least 30 BN MPs to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat and forcing the collapse of the Barisan Nasional by Sept 16. But for today at least he can savour the taste of victory. And yes, the debate on who should be the prime minister-in-waiting is over. Malaysian Insider.

If this by-election provided a resounding victory for Anwar and Pakatan, the flip side is also true, which is that it was a huge blow to the BN. No matter how one tries to spin it, the results were an unmitigated disaster for the government.If the majority had been reduced, the BN could have argued that Anwar's support, especially among the Malays, was slipping. This did not occur. On the contrary, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib emerged with eggs on their faces. Malaysiakini.

Arif Shah has once made the proposal despite his present political posturing as being a candidate who speaks Mandarin and understands Chinese populace to rename George Town to Bandar Datuk Abdullah Fahim. This was done to polish the b**ls of Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Abdullah Fahim was actually, ahem, Tuan Guru Haji Abdullah Ibrahim Haji Abdullah, the grandfather of the PM of all races complete with his big ears of course. This twerp's ba**s polishing proposal to rename George Town was vehemently protested by Penangites, who are largely Chinese by population.

Below is the clip showing a video clip of this fake's antics, in an illegal protest against the legitimate Penang Government with racist banners. It also explains his phony educational credentials.


Malaysiakini Chinese edition has unearthed a string of fake university qualifications that Arif Shah used in his credentials given to The Star.

Ever heard of Edison University of Technology?

Ever heard of Graber International?

All the information in the above post was taken off from Jeff Ooi's blog, of course without his permission.

More information that can be gleaned from the above video clip, is similar to the writeup by Margeemar:

Two things bother me about this guy Arif Shah here, one, if he knew the Phd. from Edision was bogus but yet continued to pursue it, he must be a person of the lowest level of integrity who would be willing to deceive the Rakyat (People) with his phony Phd.. If Arif Shah got into the Phd. program without checking the University's background (Remember, you have to pay a lot of money to get a Phd.), then, he must be the biggest oxymoron around. In other words, he is not fit for public office i.e. State Assemblyman or Member of Parliament.

However, The Scribe has other reasons why Arif Shah should never be voted in as Permatang Pauh MP let alone be the Seberang Jaya Assemblyman for the following reasons:

1. He was the most notable Indian Muslim who claimed himself Malay and participated in the illegal protest at Komtar against YAB Lim Guan Eng and the newly installed Pakatan Rakyat State Government in support of Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy). A man who forgets his origin just because of his religion, calling himself another can never impress me and any right minded person. The Permatang Pauh Indians need to take note of this.

2. The BN had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to put up Arif Shah as the BN candidate because Ariff Shah is the ‘least-hated’ of the five warlords of Umno Permatang Pauh so they hope that with him as the candidate this would reduce the possibility of internal sabotage. Never before had Umno needed to have an Assemblyman to stand for elections as an MP as well.

3. Ariff Shah is the brother of Tan Sri Amin Shah Omar Shah who is in now in self-imposed exile in the UK. He shuttles between London and Dubai but would never dare come close to Malaysia because there are criminal breaches of trust (CBT) allegations he may have to answer to.Amin Shah’s company, PSC Industries Berhad, was awarded more than RM24 billion in naval contracts around 1998 at the time Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was already the Defence Minister. The government paid him billions in upfront money but Amin Shah’s company never fulfilled its side of the bargain. Billions of Ringgit of Malaysian taxpayers’ money went down the drain in the biggest fraud in Malaysian history. Amin Shah’s brother, Azlan Shah Omar Shah, was the Managing Director of the company.This guy (Arif Shah) is obviously lying when he says that he did not know his university is a bogus one. If he can lie about this, can you believe him when he says that he has no interests in his corrupt brother's business? In other mature democracy's, Arif Shah would not even be considered as a candidate.

4. Arif Shah was the Indian Muslim Malay wannabe who made the call as Seberang Jaya state assemblyman to rename George Town “Bandar Datuk Abdullah Fahim”.

5. The BN controlled MSM keeps on spinning that Arif speaks Mandarin and Hokkien and can read and write in Chinese as well. I hope the Permatang Pauh Chinese will remember that this same Arif Shah marched to Komtar with the rest of the Umno racists chanting Ketuanan Melayu with the perceived fear that the Chinese have taken over the State. Do you want this racist as your MP? Don't fall for the pictures of Arif Shah reading Chinese newspaper and speaking in Chinese in the local BN controlled MSM.

6. Arif Shah joined the rest of his racist pals from Umno to pressure the Federal Government to scrap all Mega Projects in Penang as punishment to Penangites for voting Pakatan Rakyat. Do we need to add another Umno racist who punishes Penangites to Parliament.

This Scribe hopes that whoever reads this will print and pass this blog posting around. This Scribe gives consent to fellow Bloggers to reproduce this Blog Posting in their own Blogs. If possible, share this by word of mouth with those who have no access to the Internet. Let's expose Arif Shah for what he really is! Source:Margeemar.

The 15 sen reduction is nothing. Remember the earlier 30 sen that they wanted to save and improve our public transport services. Nothing happened. Then this staggering knock out for the poor and the middle income families, a great hike of 70 sen, no plans to improve the public transport services thus far. Remember the great quote from the DPM, "to change our lifestyles." What life style, when there was a struggle to put food on the table, which came to one meal a day for the poor and the destitute.

This is from Anil Netto's blog. "This price change is clearly politically motivated. When they raised the petrol price in Malaysia by 41 per cent on 5 June, the price of Nymex Light Sweet Crude was around US$125 per barrel (on 4-5 June).

The closing price yesterday was US$121 - not much different from then - and now they announce a cut of 5.6 per cent? Tell me it has nothing to do with Permatang Pauh. Why didn’t they wait until 1 Sept, the date they had fixed earlier for “streamlining” oil prices?" Read more here on Anil's take on the BN's act of desperation.

The government announces that price of RON97 petrol will go down by 15 sen from RM2.70 to RM2.55 per litre at the pumps beginning midnight, a reduction of 5.6 percent. Meanwhile, the lower grade RON92 petrol will be slashed by 22 sen from RM2.62 to RM2.40 a litre.For diesel, the price will go down by eight sen, from RM2.58 to RM2.50. Initially the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made the announcement today - after flip flopping that petrol prices would not be cut before Aug 31. It is believed that the announcement was made ahead the crucial by-election in Permatang Pauh to be held next Tuesday. In full from Malaysiakini.

15 Sen, does it make any difference, no it does not for me. So what was the PM’s excuse, we can longer subsidise the high cost, well that some of us can accept. Do not include me. On TV 3, he said we must change our life styles. My advise to the PM, is get the cronies in your cabinet and you hangers on from your family to change their life style as they are the cause of this hike. Gross incompetence and mismanagement of Government linked companies have brought us to this sorry state. Remember, "Like A Thief In The Night they took 30 sen" the last time! Here is a toast for the BN candidate to lose his deposit in Permatang Pauh. Cheers!

A former Italian president says his country had allowed Palestinian terror groups to roam free in exchange for not attacking Italian targets.

Francesco Cossiga's admission confirmed claims of such a deal revealed last week in an interview in the Corriere della Sera newspaper with Bassam Abu Sharif, the former chief of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

In a letter published Aug. 15 in Corriere della Sera, Cossiga described a "secret 'non-belligerence pact' between the Italian state and Palestinian resistance organizations, including terrorist groups" such as the PFLP. The deal, he said, had been devised by Prime Minister Aldo Moro, who in 1978 was kidnapped and assassinated by the Italian terror group the Red Brigades.

Nonetheless, there were several major Palestinian terror attacks on Italian targets in the 1970s and 1980s. They included attacks on Rome's airport and main synagogue, and the hijacking of the cruise ship the Achille Lauro cruise ship.

Last month, Cossiga accused the PFLP of being behind a terrorist attack at the Bologna train station in 1980 that killed 85 people. That attack has long been ascribed to Italian neo-fascist terrorists, and two leaders of a neo-fascist extremist group were given life sentences for their role in the attack. Jerusalem Post

I REFER to Johan Jaafar's account of decorated soldier Kanang anak Langkau ("For Hero Kanang, the datukship can wait" -- NST, Aug 16).

In our society where a datukship is a much sought-after status symbol, no one will ever turn down such an offer. Kanang, like most Iban soldiers that I had known, was too straightforward, honest and humble. In the old days, bravery was the highest form of virtue in a man. Today, many still hold on to this belief.

I would like to relate my encounters with two Iban soldiers back in the 1970s and 1980s.

Corporal Likau and Corporal Kaya were soldiers of the Sarawak Rangers before it was disbanded on Sept 15, 1963, a day before Malaysia was formed. On Sept 16, 1963, the 1st Malaysian Rangers was formed with 100 former soldiers of the Sarawak Rangers volunteering to join the new unit to form its nucleus. As the Rangers Regiment expanded to more battalions, these old soldiers were sent to the new battalions to impart their skills and enthusiasm.

When I joined 3rd Rangers in 1969, I met Likau in an outpost on the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. I sent him on a number of patrols in the jungle. I noticed that he never carried a map or a compass, which were a must for such a mission, otherwise you could get lost.

"Kalau saya guna peta dan compass saya sesat tuan!" ("If I use a map and compass I will get lost, sir!"), he replied.

I met Kaya in the 10th Rangers in the mid-80s in Bau, Sarawak. He was on the verge of retirement. He had been a dedicated and a hard-working soldier. I offered to promote him to the next higher rank but he declined. He said he was not qualified as he couldn't read and write and the promotion would only make matters worse for him.

I was and still am spellbound by the pure honesty of these Iban soldiers. But when they were in the jungle, they were totally different men -- very serious with their job. I would rather have 10 such men instead of 30 soldiers. They become the hunters for whom the word "retreat" does not exist.

It was these traits that had made them the choice of the Brookes during their 100-year rule of Sarawak. They were also immensely successful and popular during the First and the Second Emergency in Malaya. Similarly, they played an important role in eliminating the communist threat in Sarawak in the 1970s and 1980s.

Are there any more Kanangs, Kayas and Likaus in the Malaysian Rangers? Perhaps there are. What I'm sure about is that this breed of soldier is disappearing. They will totally disappear if the army does not do enough to attract the Iban into joining the army, the Malaysian Rangers in particular. Iban soldiers were synonymous with bravery, tracking skills and prowess on the battlefield. The British Army acknowledged this and made Sarawak Rangers part of the British Army when it became Sarawak Rangers (Far East Land Forces).

The Malaysian Army must ensure that a good number of Iban soldiers are maintained in every Ranger battalion in order to keep this heritage alive. It is something that all Malaysians, not just Sarawakians, should be proud of and try to keep alive for future generations. New Straits Times

August 19, 2008: A Thai-style surge campaign, and change in counter-insurgency strategy, has lead to more than 50 percent reduction in violence in the first 6 months of 2008. Terrorism over the previous 4 years was threatening to get out of control, with some areas becoming no-go zone areas.

In 2004, there was a dramatic upsurge in the violence perpetrated by Islamic terrorists in the three southern provinces ("Deep South") of Thailand which border Malaysia. The population of these three provinces is 1.8 million and Muslims make up around 75% of the population whereas the rest of Thailand is 95% Buddhist.

From January 2004 until December 2007 there had been average of 160 terrorist incidents (assassinations, bombings etc) per month in the Deep South, but this reduced significantly to less than 60 incidents per month in the first 6 months of 2008. The number of killed or injured had gradually increased from 120 per month in 2004 to 200 a month in 2007, but this has halved to 100 per month in the first 6 months of 2008.

The dramatic drop in terrorist incidents and number killed or injured did not happen immediately after the military staged a coup in September 2006. The coup leader was mainly concerned about the return of the deposed democratic government and diverted resources and attention away from the Deep South to the capital Bangkok. The military budget almost doubled, but this was mainly spent on traditional military purchases like new Swedish Gripen fighter jets which were of little use in the Deep South. The result by the middle of 2007 was an increase in violence with 72 people being killed per month compared with 53 before the coup.

Nevertheless, after the coup, there had been a continued increase in troop numbers, raids and detention of suspected terrorists, and a more consistent security policy compared with what existed under the deposed government which was known for its hard line approach. However, it was not until a new army chief (the coup leader reached retirement age in September) was appointed in October 2007 that we saw a greater increase in numbers. There are now over 100,000 security personnel in the Deep South.

The main reason for the drop in the violence was a change in counter-insurgency strategy with a more unified command structure. No longer were security personnel confined to the barracks and being on the defensive. Patrols became more regular and larger in number. As most of the terrorists operate in cells of 8 or less, the increased number of troops on patrols has meant that when the security forces have been ambushed, they have the numbers to fight back. For example, in May 2008, there were 18 ambushes on such patrols, but security forces only suffered one casualty and 8 injuries. On the other hand, the security forces themselves killed 25 terrorists in the first 6 months of 2008.

Raids with hundreds of personnel were also conducted in major terrorist strongholds and areas where cordoned off while houses and people were searched. Instead of arbitrarily detaining large numbers of villagers for 7 days at a military base for questioning and then for months at re-education camps, forensic equipment was now used to test for explosive residue and fingerprints were checked on the spot. Those who were not involved were released which has lead to better relations with the local community. Tip-offs started to increase and security forces now regularly find caches of weapons and training camps on raids.

Whether a corner has been turned or the progress can be maintained is still open to question, but there is no doubt there has been a dramatic drop in the violence. -- Bangkok Pundit Strategy Page

Kabul's early morning silence was broken last night first by the crunch of rockets exploding in the city, then by the emergency sirens at Nato headquarters warning the officers and generals to head for the shelters. France recently took command of the Isaf mission around Kabul It was a vivid and eerie soundtrack of how close the insurgency is to the capital. The second rocket attack in Kabul in less than a week will further feed the paranoia of Afghans and also the international community. But that paranoia may not be misplaced - while the sirens were warning of incoming fire, French forces were fighting for their lives just 50km (31 miles) away.

They had been ambushed on Monday afternoon as they patrolled through Sarobi district in Kabul province, and despite sending in reinforcements, medical teams and attack aircraft they lost 10 soldiers - another 21 were injured.

Significant impact

It is one of the largest losses of life in Nato's Afghan campaign and a huge blow to a French deployment which is already unpopular at home. There are reports of 100 insurgents attacking the convoy, of troops being captured and then killed. What happened in that valley could have a significant impact on the French mission, so much so that President Nicolas Sarkozy is flying straight to Kabul to settle nerves and offer support.

And it wasn't the only major operation launched by the Taleban in one night.France's deployment is unpopular at home In Khost, south eastern Afghanistan, up to 30 militants tried to storm the main American base in the town, just hours after a suicide car bomber had struck at the front gate killing 10 civilians working at Camp Salerno. Among those insurgents were at least half a dozen suicide bombers, trying to break into the camp and kill as many Nato soldiers as possible.

The attack was repelled and, as in Serobi, many of the Taleban were killed or injured, but there appear to be plenty of others ready to pick up their guns, or strap on explosives vests, and take on a much better equipped and more highly trained army. The tactics are becoming more advanced and more brazen - it is as if the insurgents are gathering momentum of the growing insecurity and instability.

On Monday, which was Afghanistan's Independence Day, much of Kabul was sealed off by thousands of extra police drafted in when the Taleban announced they were planning a major attack. BBC. Have you ever done a Google search on "French Military Victory", try it and click on : I'm Feeling Lucky. What you will get is : this.

It is about time for Malaysia to drop the charade. Attempting to convict opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of forcible sodomy is an embarrassment in contrast with the completely ignored and much more serious allegations linking the deputy prime minister to the execution-style murder of his reputed former girlfriend.

As has been reported widely, two sworn declarations have been filed that raise reasonable suspicions that the October 2006 murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu is tied directly to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor. Yet instead of this high profile politician being in the dock to explain himself, one of those who filed a sworn declaration about his actions is about to go on trial for criminal libel. The other was dragooned into recanting his statement before he fled the country.

The courts and the legal system have deliberately overlooked allegations of Najib's complicity in the Mongolian woman's murder, and considerable related evidence of massive corruption on his part in the purchase of three French submarines for the Malaysian military - a purchase that Altantuya apparently participated in as a translator. This has been pushed under the carpet repeatedly and now the nation is being distracted by accusations of Anwar's peccadilloes, real or fabricated.

Mahathir Mohammad, the long-serving prime minister who quit in 2002, had a single ambition - to reach developed-nation status by 2020. But you cannot be a first-world country with a legal system whose main characteristics are shared by the likes of Zimbabwe, Burma and North Korea. Mahathir, of course, bears a major part of the blame for the legal system, starting from his destruction of the judiciary in the 1980s. But what is going on now, six years after he was succeeded by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is nothing more than the United Malays National Organisation's manipulation of the system a la Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. This has nothing to do with ideology but with the dubious necessity of maintaining a political party in power.

When the legendary American bank robber Willie Sutton once was asked why he robbed banks, he famously replied: 'That's where the money is.' Government in Malaysia is where the money is, and that is where UMNO intends to stay despite its disastrous March 8 election results, which cost the national ruling coalition the two-thirds hold on parliament it has enjoyed for half a century. There is no better example of this than the submarine and its ties to the murder of Altantuya.

As Asia Sentinel has repeated frequently, according to testimony in the trial of Altantuya's accused murderer Abdul Razak Baginda, her then-lover and one of the three men accused of killing her, the murdered woman accompanied him to Paris at a time when Malaysia's defense ministry, headed by Najib, was negotiating through a Malaysian company, Perimekar Sdn Bhd, to buy two Scorpene submarines and a used Agosta submarine produced by the French government under a French-Spanish joint venture, Armaris. Perimekar at the time was owned by a company called Ombak Laut, which was wholly owned by Abdul Razak.

The contract was not competitive. The Malaysian ministry of defense paid €1 billion (RM4.5 billion) to Amaris for the three submarines, for which Perimekar received a commission of €114 million (RM510 million). Deputy Defense Minister Zainal Abdidin Zin told the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia's parliament, that the money was paid for 'coordination and support services' although the fee amounted to a whopping 11 percent of the sales price for the submarines.

Altantuya, by her own admission in the last letter she wrote before her murder, had been blackmailing Razak, pressuring him for US$500,000. She did not say how she was blackmailing him, leaving open lots of questions.

Myriad questions have been raised by the year-long trial of Razak and two of Najib's bodyguards for Altantuya's murder. At every turn, those questions could have been answered by calling Najib to the stand. How could Razak, a civilian and Najib's closest friend, get the two bodyguards to kill Altantuya without Najib's knowledge? Najib could answer. How could the record of the victim being in the country disappear completely from Immigration Department records, as was sworn in court? Najib could answer. How could the murderers get their hands on the plastic explosives available only to the military used to blow up her body? Najib could answer. Why did neither the prosecution nor the defense push to investigate a statement made by Altantuya's cousin on the stand that she had seen a picture of Najib, Razak and Altantuya together at a dinner? Najib could answer.

The statutory declaration of P Balasubramaniam, the private detective hired by Razak to keep Altantuya away from him after their relationship had ended, is so closely detailed that it beggars disbelief that it was fabricated. It makes Najib an integral part of the case, something most of Malaysia's top government and judicial officials have been seeking to avoid ever since the trial began.

Balsasubramaniam released his sworn statement in the company of his lawyer, which makes it difficult to believe he was coerced. But immediately afterward he was summoned to a meeting with an assistant superintendant of police in Jalan Brickfields, where he was convinced - outside the presence of his lawyer that his memory was faulty. He then signed a statement that his original one had been compelled, and left the country.

In the original declaration Balasubramaniam said Razak told him he had been introduced to Altantuya 'by a VIP...who asked him to look after her financially.' Najib, the declaration said, had introduced Razak to Altantuya at a diamond exhibition in Singapore and that Najib had had a sexual relationship with her in the past. Razak was to look after the woman because Najib 'did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister.'

Is that true? Najib could answer.

Interestingly, according to the document, Razak told Balasubramaniam that Altantuya liked anal sex, which is illegal in Malaysia whether performed with men or women. Anwar might like to make that point to the authorities.

Balasubramaniam also detailed cell phone calls between Najib and Razak in the period after Altantuya's murder. Did the police check Razak's phone? Najib could answer.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the influential internet journalist, is expected to go on trial for criminal defamation for saying that Najib's wife was present at the murder. Rather than bringing in Najib and Rosmah to answer questions, they have gone after Raja Petra, who has threatened his own time bombs during his trial. Asked by Asia Sentinel what those revelations might be, he said he would prefer to save them for testimony under oath.

The one truly sad dupe in all this is the prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who in all of his sorry reign as prime minister has largely preserved his reputation for integrity despite his fecklessness. Badawi has defended his deputy's reputation in the face of the fact that virtually all of Kuala Lumpur's chattering classes have long since become convinced of the couple's complicity. Unleashing two thoroughly corrupt law enforcement officials to go after Anwar - Abdul Ghani Patail, the head of the anti-corruption agency, and Musa Hassan, the head of the police, who plainly fabricated evidence in Anwar's 10-year-old conviction on the same offense, is particularly egregious.

This isn't to say Anwar is innocent. The jury, to use a newly valid cliché, is still out. But compare the two. What kind of priorities does this government have in going after a 61-year-old opposition leader with a bad back who presumably would have had a hard time chasing down a mobile 23-year-old aide, when there is the possibility of finding the true perpetrators of an execution murder of a defenseless 28-year-old mother? This is the behavior of a despotic system with an eye only to its own preservation. The Malaysian people deserve better. Asia Sentinel Consulting On Malaysia

Finding all kinds of excuses to shut down alternative opinion, keep on doing it, I am sure the little remaining Christian votes will definitely go to the other side. They better get used to it-edit

KUALA LUMPUR: The Christian Federation of Malaysia has called on the Home Ministry to unconditionally withdraw the three show-cause letters it issued to the publishers of Catholic newsletter Herald. CFM said the three letters were unjustified and an infringement of the fundamental right to circulate news within one's own religious community.

“Christians believe that all of life – in its political, economic, social, cultural and religious aspects – comes under the sovereignty of God.“Therefore, Christians have a duty to educate followers of the religion to discern God’s will and purpose by writing and publishing articles in church newsletters,” CFM chairman Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing said in a statement yesterday.

He added that the weekly news contained in the Herald was intended for Catholic Christians who were regular Sunday worshippers and was to help them relate their faith to wider concerns. Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said the Herald had previously carried non-religious articles, but had never received any letter from the ministry before.

“There were even reports about events in the rest of the world, but all this while the Government had not asked it to show cause,” he said after launching the Public Complaints Bureau's website in Putrajaya on Friday. Dompok said he had not read the piece in contention, an editorial, but was told it had asked Catholics to pray for the Permatang Pauh by-election.

The ministry's Publications and Quranic Text Control Division had earlier warned the Herald to stay away from politics. The division said the publication should limit its content to religious issues as stated in its permit, It added that further infringement could result in suspension or revocation of the weekly's licence. From the Towkay's paper.

A new congressional study has found that more than 20 Muslim nations deny entry to American and other foreign religious workers, WND has learned, even as the U.S. State Department grants entry to hundreds of clerics from their countries each year. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and most other Middle Eastern countries still refuse to offer religious visas, they and deny entry to U.S. clergy as official policy, according to a report by the Law Library of Congress, the foreign legal research arm of the U.S. Congress. In a shocker, U.S. allies Afghanistan and Iraq also made the list of religious refuseniks.

"Of this group, the vast majority constitute Arab or Muslim states," said Wendy Zeldin, senior legal research analyst for the Library of Congress. "Since Islam prohibits proselytism by other religions, foreign religious workers will in effect be denied entry to conduct religious work," Zeldin wrote in the three-page report, a copy of which was obtained by WND.

At the same time, Washington routinely issues R-1 religious visas to clerics from the Middle East, including jihadi hotbeds Saudi Arabia and Egypt, even though an alarming number of foreign imams have been suspects in terrorism investigations since 9/11. Continued here....

All said and done, Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen has two simple questions to answer. One: Was it morally right on her part to take an oath of allegiance to the King and country when being appointed Senator in the Dewan Negara while being a permanent resident of Australia? She has since said that she did it for the sake of her three children’s education.

Then that too has to be answered: Was it morally right to take up PR status just for the sake of her children’s education? Did she not deceive the government of Australia? And more importantly by having one foot Down Under, is she implying that she does not have faith in the country’s future and its education system? People living in glass houses should not throw stones. Continued here...

Well, some even swear upon their mother's grave. What on earth am I talking about? This report here, in Malaysiakini Saiful: Sodomy wasn't consensual. Yet the Police charged Anwar with consensual sex, dear cute Saiful was not. The golden question is, if a person can lie about being sodomized, what is there to stop him from swearing about it on the Holy Quran?

They lie, when caught with the goods on them, using the favourite words of theirs," I swear". I swear upon....... It is the last refuge of scoundrels. People lie, to be safe, gaining economically in short to cover their arses. Well, here I go, I swear on the Holy Bible that I have never lied to my wife, my children, my siblings, my friends and to the world. I am telling the truth with a straight face (wink, wink). Well, some people's conscience cannot be stirred when they lie through their bare teeth.

Here is another view from PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang regarded Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's act of swearing on the Quran as an act of "kebodohan" (stupidity) which went against the teachings of Islam. "We don't have this practice in Islam. It is the Christians who swear on the bible," said Abdul Hadi during a press conference at the sidelines of the 54th PAS muktamar in Ipoh today. In full from Malaysiakini.

Here are some views to swearing on Holy Books:

I never understood why people think putting your hand on a book will ensure truthfulness. Maybe if god had struck somebody down for lying just once...

Personally, I think I should be able to make my oath on my copy of Lying is The Right Thing to Do. That should be productive, and I demand my rights!

I am guessing the use of the Holy Book to swear oaths stems from the sin of baring false witness

The U.S. Holocaust Museum (USHMM) today removed from its website the falsified biography of the Holocaust era Mufti of Jerusalem. The Museum was criticized for blurring the line between facts and opinion, and in so doing, opening the door to Holocaust denial.

Watch the chumminess of Hitler and the Mufti of Jerusalem in the clip below.



The father of Palestinian nationalism, the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Hussayni, was a terrorist and a Nazi collaborator, indicted at the Eichmann Trial. The Museum wrote a web biography which presented al-Hussayni as a moderate supporter of non-violence. Falsifying and omitting key facts from the historical record, including photographs of Hussayni conferring with Hitler, the Holocaust Museum attempted to exonerate him from well documented charges of Nazi collaboration. The Museum’s website stated that his “controversial…relationship with Hitler’s government…has led some to label him a Nazi collaborator and war criminal….”

Within hours of the widespread dissemination to the press and public of HMWatch's press release describing the Museum's whitewash of the Mufti, the Museum removed the article. The Museum still does NOT have in its archives the infamous November 28, 1941 photograph of the Mufti meeting with Hitler when he obtained Hitler's assurance to exterminate the Jews of the Middle East. Nor does the Museum have a factual biography of the Mufti and his role in creating the Nazi-Palestinian alliance.

There are direct historical links between the Nazis, the Final Solution, Husayni, the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda. The Museum chose to falsify these historical roots in the Mufti’s biography because the Museum is determined to be silent about current Muslim anti-Semitism and its connection to Nazism. We applaud the Museum for removing the meretricious article and call on them to post an accurate one and to break their silence on the roots and connections of current Muslim anti-Semitism and Nazism. The Source.

By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent Published: August 12, 2008, 18:34

Riyadh: A Saudi man working with the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice recently killed his daughter for converting to Christianity. According to sources close to the victim, the religious police member had cut the tongue of the girl and burned her to death following a heated debate on religion.

The death of the girl sent shockwaves and websites where the victim used to write with various nick names have allocated special space to mourn her, while some others closed temporarily in protest. According to the Saudi Al Ukhdoud news website, the victim wrote an article on the blog of which she was a member under the nickname “Rania” a few days before her murder.

She wrote that her life became an ordeal after her family members grew suspicious about her after a religious discussion with them. She said that her brother found some Christian articles written by her as well as a cross sign on her computer screen. Since then he started to insult her and blamed the internet for pushing her to change her religion.

The “Free Copts” website published a message which it received from a friend of the victim, revealing that the killer is in police custody and that he is being investigated for an honour related crime. Saudi religious scholars have frequently warned against the dangers of Christian internet websites and satellite TV channels which attract Muslim youngsters to change their religion.

They decreed that watching these channels or browsing these websites which call for conversion to Christianity by various means is against the teachings of Islam. Gulf News.

A proposal to turn a medieval palace in Genoa founded by Crusader knights into a multi faith prayer centre for Muslims, Jews and Christians has run into opposition from local politicians who say Muslims are "not welcome". Members of the anti immigrant Northern League - which is part of the centre Right government led by Silvio Berlusconi - said the Genoa council's plan to use the Commenda di Pre for multi faith prayer was unacceptable.

Francesco Bruzzone, a regional councillor for the Northern League, said Muslims had "no business coming" to the hospital and hostel where crusaders and pilgrims had gathered and said mass before leaving for the Holy Land."This shows a lack of respect for history" Mr Bruzzone said. He said he had been due to go on holiday but instead had decided to stay in Genoa to protest. Marta Vincenzi, the centre Left mayor of Genoa, said the council wanted to open an inter-religious centre "where members of the three monotheistic religions - Christians, Jews and Muslims - can all go to pray". Catholics would use the prayer centre on Sunday, Jews on Saturday and Muslims on Friday. Salah Hussein, the imam in Genoa, welcomed the idea, which he said would reinforce "civil co-existence".

However Corriere della Sera said there was already a Catholic chapel dedicated to St John adjoining the palazzo, while Jews had a synagogue in the centre of Genoa. The "real sticking point" was the Islamic community, which had asked to be allowed to build a mosque in Genoa but had encountered local resistance. Ms Vincenzi said that as a compromise she had proposed that Muslims in Genoa be allowed to build a mosque near the port, wherer there was a mosque in medieval times, "but without a minaret". However the imam said that "for us a minaret is indispensable. It's like asking Christians to build a church without a belltower. A minaret has a very important function precisely because it is visible. It would show Muslims who come to Genoa but do not know the city where they can go to pray".

There was no question however of a muezzin call to prayer, the imam said, since Genoa was "not a Muslim city". Ms Vincenzi said a petition for a referendum being circulated by the centre Right in Genoa was "illegitimate - you cannot have a referendum on a constitutional right such as freedom of worship". The Commenda di Pre, with three storeys of open galleries, was built in the eleventh century, and is still decorated with frescoes depicting the knights' battle insignia and coats of arms. Times Online.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is helping "create the space for the most reactionary and even fundamentalist religious leaders to take control of minority communities", according to an article in the current New Statesman..

The author, Pragna Patel, is chair of Southall Black Sisters, a radical feminist organisation. It may be a strident, dogmatic, Left-wing pressure group, but it's right about one thing: Rowan Williams's support for an extension of Sharia law, later backed by the Lord Chief Justice, is utterly indefensible in a secular society. I know: Holy Smoke keeps banging on about this. And it's not going to stop, either. Nor, I suspect, is Ms Patel, who writes:

"The sentiments recently expressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chief Justice concerning sharia law are very telling: in the rush to be tolerant or sensitive to religious difference, they create the space for the most reactionary and even fundamentalist religious leaders to take control of minority communities, and they enable a climate which allows religion to define our roles in both private and public spaces.

"Their sentiments appear contingent on the false assumption that black and minority cultures are intrinsically opposed to universal human rights principles, and that they do not contribute to the body of law based on such principles that now inform the English legal system. In doing so, they allow religious and cultural contexts to become the overriding framework within which those from ethnic and religious minorities are perceived, inevitably drawing on very narrow assumptions about religion and the role of women."

There's the makings of an interesting battle here, between the multi-cultural Left and multi-faith liberals. And my sympathies are with the former. Ghastly as their politics are, at least the Southall Black Sisters have grasped the essence of Sharia – and what it does to women. The Telegraph.

Flying a flag upside down denotes distress. No, I will not fly it upside down. I have spent more than a quarter of the century defending it, of course alongside my brothers in arms of all shades and colours. From dawn to dusk, from reveille to the retreat. We have raised the flag at dawn and lower it in the evening with pomp and pride, complete with a bugle call.

Year in year out, I have seen it happen. It really brings a lump into your throat, when the flag is lowered during the retreat. You will be standing there at an attention with the tips of your fingers at the the visor of the peak cap. Thinking of all the guys who have gone before me and all the guys who have left the service. I cannot tolerate seeing a torn Malaysian flag, neither can I stand seeing a faded Malaysian flag. Many a time a Malaysian flag has been mistaken as an American flag, "You American?" Especially so in Somalia. It is great to yell out,"No, I am a Malaysian." Even foreign soldiers salute our flag during retreat when they are in our strong point.

Maybe it is easy for people who have not been touched by the flag, to fly it upside down. I think it is a fad, influenced by the movies. I have worn a flag patch on my shoulders with pride. I have been shot at when wearing that flag patch on my shoulders. I did not forsake my charges, that small patch of a flag did not allow me to flinch. It carried all that is what a Malaysian soldier was meant to be. We could not disgrace that flag. It stood us in good stead, in our moments of danger.

That flag is not the government, it is our nation. People tend to forget that, the injustices inficted cannot be blamed on the nation but the government of the day. Destiny and the fate of the nation is in your hands. You are the ones who can decide what kind of a nation we can be.The bad things that we experience is bestowed upon us by our elected representatives, who are more interested in maintaining the status quo. Changing it, well you have seen what you had done on the 8th March 2008. You can do that again. Of course, everyone of us wants to be treated equally, even though it is not being practised, rolling over and keeping quiet is not it. Neither is flying the flag upside down.

I was a soldier once, old habits are hard to break, I will not fly it upside down, it will be flown in my blog with pride, right side up

What are the important implications of the Ijok by-election?

First, there is a need to thoroughly expose the electoral malpractice of the Umno-BN government. At the same time, the call for reform of the EC need to be stepped up and sustained locally and internationally.

Second, during the upcoming general election, the Umno-BN will not be able to get strong police support as in Ijok. Their financial resources for each constituency will also be limited, for public or private bribery. Can they afford to spend RM36 million even for each Parliamentary (not to say State) constituency? This would mean they need to have nearly RM8 billion to fight the general elections.

Third, if the trend of the Chinese swing to PKR, as shown in Ijok, continues and at the same time around 50 percent of Malay support is retained, then the Umno-BN position during the general elections, especially in mixed constituencies, which form important bases of their strength, will be in jeopardy. They realise this, and that is why Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that the results of all four past by-elections must be studied. Be prepared for massive attempts to buy Chinese support till general election time.

Fourth, PKR has demonstrated in Ijok that it can get the three main parties in opposition, together with many NGOs, to forge strong electoral cooperation in support of an opposition candidate. This augurs well for the 12th general election.

Fifth, it is very clear that Anwar is now firmly committed to PKR, and he has emerged as the undisputed leader of the party and opposition. The talk about him going back to Umno should be no more. Even Umno is forced to say that it will not readmit Anwar although at no time has he applied for readmission.

Sixth, it has to be admitted that the overall organisation and electoral machinery of PKR is still weak. There is a lot to be done to improve this and it must be done quickly. If the party members, organisations and machinery are strong, it would be easy for PKR to mobilise voters to reject the 3M and rebuff all cheating, intimidation and bribery.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that PKR can stand tall because it has won a moral victory. Continue here for the whole article by Dr Syed Husin Ali ...........

Mahathir aka Mr. Kutty wants to migrate, if Anwar becomes the PM. I guess if he hangs around, his sorry arse will be hauled into the slammer for gross abuse of power. Which literally translates into many things. I hope he has a great time in Zimbabwe, after all his bosom buddy Robert_Mugabe was given free timber for a 25 room mansion. So dear, Robert Mugabe owes him one, therefore I am sure Zimbabwe will not begrudge him refuge. "We have had assistance of course, some countries have donated, they have got some timber from Malaysia thanks to my good friend, former Prime Minister Mahathir," Mugabe told Britain's Sky News TV. Yes, hard cash belonging to us Malaysians. Aah, yes, he is a fine one to call Hindraf racist. His legacy is littered with racist policies. Yes, "Mahathir mudah lupa", especially so when his cojones are held over a fire, during Malaysia’s LingamGate.

I hope he does not go to any "Whitey's country", I think he will be more comfortable with despotic rulers, maybe Egypt, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia and those countries with poor human rights records, after all he has an affinity with them . He might get too comfortable with the Aussies, Brits, the Americans, the Frogs or the Argies. Remember this: The 77-year-old Mahathir, who retires at the month's end, was roundly criticised by the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Britain and the European Union, which said the comments about Jews "have no place in a decent world". He made the comments at the opening of the Organization of Islamic Countries summit in Kuala Lumpur. Read more on Mr.Kutty here....

Here is the write up where he says, that he is going to make a run for it: KUALA TERENGGANU, Aug 10 - Saying he did not want anyone like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim "who stabbed him in the back" as Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday he would rather migrate if the former deputy prime minister succeeds in toppling the Barisan Nasional government.

"If he comes Prime Minister, I will get out of the country. Give everything to him," Utusan Malaysia quoted the former prime minister's reply to a question at the Current Challenges for Malays forum here. However, the acerbic Dr Mahathir was confident that Anwar will not become Prime Minister by September 16 although he was sure his former protégé would be victorious in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election this Aug 26.

He said Anwar was greedy enough for support that he would forsake the special privileges for his own race to cooperate with the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) which is filled with racism. From the Malaysian Insider.

This was sent to me by a friend.

Murphy's OTHER Laws

1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

2. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

3. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

4. A day without sunshine is like, slowest.

4. A day without sunshine is like, well, night.

5. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

6. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

7. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

8. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

9. It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end-to-end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them.

10. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

11. The things that come to those that wait may be the things left by those who got there first.

12. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

13. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

14. The shin bone is a device for finding furniture.

15. When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

This is to remind the thugs and rowdies who protested the controversial forum on ‘Conversion to Islam’ this morning. From Malaysiakini in full. Some dumb asses were even calling for the ISA to be used gainst the Bar Council. Well in Bolehland double standards are the order of the day. Many have not forgotten and are still waiting for action by authorities on the perpetrators who terrorised the Christians, young and old in the Church at Silibin, Ipoh. Well, I have reproduced the article for the benefit of those guys who are blind to the atrocities inflicted on the minorities here in Malaysia. So where is the so called justice for the victims of this Church. This article was first published on the 11th December 2006 in my blog extracted from the Ipoh Echo.

Sunday Incident

Left : Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Silibin

Sunday November 5, 2006, like all Sundays in Ipoh, would have passed into oblivion had it not been for a text message (SMS) sent through the mobile phones by some irresponsible individuals. The message alleged that national mariner, Datuk Azhar Mansor, would lead a group of 600 Muslim students from Politeknik Ungku Omar to a baptism ceremony at the Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Silibin on that fateful Sunday.

The result was a near riot. A large crowd gathered in front of the church gates with some carrying placards denouncing Mansor. The crowd could get ugly so the Police moved in. The presence of Federal Reserve Unit personnel, who formed a buffer between the church and the crowd, had a calming effect on the congregation which had gathered in the church to witness the first Holy Communion for 98 Indian children of the local parish.

According to witnesses a few from the unruly crowd had scaled the church gates and entered the church compound to seek out Datuk Mansor and the Muslim students. “Simply inconceivable,” said Reverend Robin Arumugam. Robin is an Anglican priest and has been active with his parish at Kem Syed Putra (Tambun Camp). He conducts Sunday mass with the small Christian community in the camp. The majority of whom are Sarawakians serving with the resident battalion of the camp - the Second Battalion RoyalRanger Regiment. “It’s difficult to baptise six let alone six hundred new converts. And being a Muslim country such claim is definitely unbelievable,” he added. The ceremony, according to Robin, was for the benefit of the Indian children who were from the local parish.

A priest from Kuala Lumpur was present to perform the Holy Communion. “How can people be so easily led into believing rumours? It is so baffling.” Robin was visibly shaken by the whole episode. He shook his head in disbelief. The fear is being shared by many peace-loving Malaysians who are beginning to see the ugly side of religious intolerance. Religious bigotry is slowly but surely making inroads and in the process help to erode the fabric of our society. If left unchecked it will fester and will come to haunt us in the future. We must not allow religious tensions to divide us.

Text Message

So how did the incident happen in the first place? Sometime in February this year the Mufti of Perak, Datuk Seri Harusanni Zakaria, commented that apostasy among Malay Muslims had reached alarming proportions and he implored the government, especially the Religious Development Department (JAKIM), to act before it became problematic.
He alleged that over 100,000 Malay Muslims had renounced their religion and had converted to Christianity. He repeated it during sermons at the state mosque.

Left : .........the Mufti of Perak, still walking and blameless ????- edit

On October 21, 2006, the Mufti received a SMS from a woman claiming that a group of Muslims would be baptised at a church in Silibin on Sunday, November 5, 2006. The woman and her husband came to his house the following day to confirm the message that she sent. She claimed to have studied at the International Islamic University and the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Upon her return from Egypt she did social work with missionaries and had converted to Christianity. She, however, returned to Islam. Harusanni video taped the second meeting with the lady whom he said was from Sungei Patani. He handed a copy of the tape to the Police to help them with their investigation.

The Chief Police Officer ofPerak, DCP Datuk Abdul Aziz Bulat, had identified the lady as Raja Sherina who also went by the names of Raja Norasshikin Raja Azman and Shireen. Raja Sherina could not be found in her house in Sitiawan and Sungei Patani and was believed to have gone into hiding. Her picture was displayed on national TV on Monday evening, November 20, 2006 and in the print media on Tuesday, November 22, 2006.

The police chief had made good his promise to circulate her picture if she failed to contact the police. Raja Sherina, unemployed, is in her 40s and wears a tudung. She was arrested in front of the Alor Star General Hospital at 9.30pm, Monday, November 20,2006 together with her husband.

PM’s Response

The incident had prompted a response from no less a person than the Prime Minister himself. Datuk Seri Abdulah Badawi, in his opening speech at the Umno General Assembly on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 touched on the issue of religious intolerance among a small group of Muslims who questioned long-accepted cultural practices like greeting other Malaysians on occasion of their festivals and joint open houses. “These same groups,” said the PM, “are conjuring imaginary threats aimed at inciting Muslims hoping that they (Muslims) will become more intolerant of others.

Their agenda is to see Malaysia torn apart for us to fail as a multi-racial, multi-religious nation. This is not Islam.” The PM cited the incident in Ipoh as an example. He wondered why were claims made without basis such as the mass baptism of Muslims and the purported formation of the Malay Christian Association. He also alluded to the claim made regarding thousands of Malay Muslims who had become apostates. “But when the lies are exposed those who create them scurry into hiding nowhere to be seen and not even attempting to rectify the situation or to calm things down.” Although no names were mentioned we all knew to whom it was directed at.

Azhar’s Admission

The man at the centre of the controversy, Datuk Azhar Mansor, finally came out in the open to quash rumours of his conversion to Christianity. For all intents andpurposes he is still a Muslim. He declared this during the closing stages of the Umno General Assembly. And what an effect it had on the general public and his detractors, in particular. Azhar came to prominence after he sailed solo around the world between February 2 to August 11, 1999. According to Azhar rumours of his conversion began circulating upon his return from his historic journey. He had dismissed it initially but it took a turn for the worst. The Silibin church incident was a blessing in disguise of sorts. “Now the authorities can investigate the truth behind these rumours,” he said.

Azhar said he could not have done what was said in the text message, as he was working at the yacht marina at Telaga Harbour in Langkawi. He has been working at the marina for the past four years. During a press conference at PWTC on Friday, November 17, 2007, Azhar explained that his work required him to spend time with many people including the orang putih (Caucasians). “When I am seen mixing with the orangputih people say I am not a Muslim. This is uncalled for.” He hit back at reporters telling them not to assume that when one wore a pair of shorts he was not a Muslim. “If a person wears a pair of shorts or sits at the kedai kopi, it’s his choice. I have my own responsibilities to Allah. Please don’t question my faith.” And now that Azhar has made an open admission regarding the sanctity of his faith the matter should be laid to rest but will it end here?

This is a million dollar question. Many, however, are still not convinced and feel that Azhar’s revelation is still far from the truth. Perception differs with people but to a small group of illinformed Muslims they have their very own agenda. They think they can bring changes by being vocal and disruptive. How wrong can they be?

Wake-up Call

Hopefully, the incident in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Silibin on the morning of Sunday, November 5, 2006 will be a wakeup call for all Malaysians. We should not take one another for granted. The majority must respect the beliefs of the minority, after all that was the basis our founding fathers had worked on when they forged this great nation. Rumour mongering, as evident from this episode, is harmful for our society. To the disruptive few this quote by Thomas Jefferson should prick their conscience. “It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty Gods or no God.” by Lt Col Fathol (Rtd) Zaman Bukhari in the Ipoh Echo

You can see Ezam then and Mahathir who can candidly and explicitly describes masturbation. This is one farce the Malaysian people will not forget. A farce orchestrated against Anwar by the highest echelons in UMNO. Just a reminder of the sordid conspiracy against Anwar, in the face of the second farce too, known as Sodomy 2. This is a sign that the current regime is a on a spiralling downward slide.

A woman went to her doctor for advice. She told him that her husband had developed a penchant for anal sex and she was not sure that it was such a good idea.

'Do you enjoy it?' The doctor asked.

' Well actually, yes, I do.', she exclaimed.

'Does it hurt you?' he asked.

'No. I rather like it.'

'Well, then,' the doctor continued, 'there's no reason that you shouldn't practice anal sex, if that's what you like, so long as you take care not to get pregnant.'

The woman was mystified....'What? You can get pregnant from anal sex?''

'Of course,' the doctor replied. 'Where do you think politicians come from?"

To those who do not drink - think 10 times and start drinking

As Ben Franklin said:
In wine there is wisdom,
in beer there is freedom,
In water there is bacteria.

Very wise man, this Ben guy.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli (E. Coli bacteria) found in faeces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of of human and animal shit.



However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, Whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember: Water = shit, ..........Beer and wine = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink beer and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service.

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place
__________________________________________

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

WITNESS: I forget.

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
_______________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan!
______________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?

WITNESS: We both do.

ATTORNEY: Voodoo?

WITNESS: We do.

ATTORNEY: You do?

WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-one-year-old, how old is he?

WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty-one.
__________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: You're kidding me, right!
_________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, is that correct?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

WITNESS: Are you shitt'in me? Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?

_____________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?

WITNESS: By death.

ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
______________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?

WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.

ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

WITNESS: Guess.
________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice, which I sent to your attorney?

WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
__________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?

WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that? _______________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
___________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?

WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him! _____________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know
about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
_________________________________________________

--- And the best for last ---

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy,did you check for a pulse?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was still alive?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practising law.