Zaid Ibrahim Speaks Out... Worthy Read!

Our earlier prime ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn were truly leaders of integrity, patriots in their own right and most importantly, men of humility. They believed in and built this nation on the principles and values enunciated in our constitution.

Even when they had to enact the Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960, they were very cautious and apologetic about it. Tunku stated clearly that the Act was passed to deal with the communist threat.

“My cabinet colleagues and I gave a solemn promise to Parliament and the nation that the immense powers given to the government under the ISA would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silent lawful dissent”, was what the Tunku said.

Our third prime minister, Tun Hussein Onn, reinforced this position by saying that the ISA was not intended to repress lawful political opposition and democratic activity on the part of the citizenry.

At around the same time, members of PAS were also detained for purportedly being militant and allegedly having links to international terrorist networks. Those detained included Nik Adli, the son of Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the menteri besar of Kelantan. Malaysians were made a promise by the government that evidence of the alleged terrorist activities and links of these detainees would be disclosed. To date no such evidence has been produced.

The same formula was used in late 2007 when the Hindraf 5 were detained. Malaysians were told once again that these individuals were involved in efforts to overthrow the government and had links with the militant Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka. To date no concrete evidence have been presented to support this assertion.

In the same vein, the grounds advanced in support of the most recent detentions of Tan Hoon Cheng, Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamarudin leave much to be desired. The explanation that Tan Hoon Cheng was detained for her own safety was farcical. The suggestion that Teresa Kok had been inciting religious sentiments was unfounded as was evinced by her subsequent release.

As for Raja Petra Kamarudin, the prominent critic of the government, a perusal of his writings would show that he might have been insulting of the government and certain individuals within it.

However, being critical and insulting could not in any way amount to a threat to national security. If his writings are viewed as being insulting of Islam, Muslims or the Holy Prophet (pbuh), he should instead be charged under the Penal Code and not under the ISA.

- Some of the excerpts from Zaid's open letter to PM

Read more...

Raja Petra blogging his first piece from Kamunting..

"I can now better appreciate the battle cry “give me liberty or give me death”. They say you appreciate something only after it has been taken away from you. Today, my liberty is at the top of my priority list. But I know it shall not come soon and it shall not come easy and it shall only come if there is a change of government and if the new government fulfills its promise to abolish the ISA."

- Raja Petra Kamarudin from Kamunting

Read more..

“Please send MT readers’ my Hari Raya greeting and thank them for remembering me and to continue supporting Malaysia Today. Malaysia Today now belongs to them and they will have to keep MT going until I am out to make that change”.

- Greetings from Raja Petra through Marina

What say you people out there? For me, He inspires me in many ways and for that, His Legacy shall lives on in me... Doing something simply because It is the Right Thing to Do...

Sadly, in this country, doing what is right comes with a heavy price. Doesn't make sense at all. Something is very wrong somewhere. That is Why we Must go on Fighting as It is The Right Thing to Do now!!

Market Trend: Cash Is King!!!

USD 700B bail out? Full of craps. Subprime problem exceeds at least USD 20 Trillion conservatively. USD 700B proposed by Treasury, Feds and SEC is only for bail-out of companies related to them. Why the selective rescue plan? Why Fannie and Freddie and not Lehman? Explain to me about it.

So what if US lawmakers push this proposal through? Maybe it will stabilize Dow for another 2 weeks. But when this USD 700B fail, we are talking about the Mother of All Depression. I have already see it coming months ago. Further financial collapse is expected. Read here..

With such worrying scenario, Cash remains the King. Why would investors risk their money in situation like this. Other than cash, Gold would be a better instrument to invest in to hedge against the sorry state of US economy coupled with all the 'scandals' behind the bailed out.

Sorry to be sceptical here. Sorry if I am being too direct here. Just my nature to make my statement the way I see it without holding back. The lawmakers can say what they want but the truth is they knew US is fucked for sure. High chance that US economy is heading towards Depression. How one country survive would very much be dependent on the efficiency and the flexibility of the administration. How are they going to cope with such negative scenario?

Bailing out is not the answer here. Not a time to be aggressive. Keep interest rate low. Push for more mergers and acquisitions.

Time to consolidate and feel the pain.

Update 10:45am

The House's rejection of the bailout package throws the future of the proposed bailout into confusion. Dow plunged 777 points. Read more here and here.

So what would happen from now? Reasons for bail-out not convincing enough? Perhaps, this bail-out package needs more transparency. After all, the manner of which they came out with this bail-out thingy is enough to stir up suspicion of a scandal behind this move. Malicious when they imposed a No Short Sale rule in the middle of the game when all the cards are opened up to them. Sure win situation for the bankers.

Whatever it is, Just Hang On to Your Cash. You may find it useful few years into the future. You may even feel the real satisfaction of holding cash as there will be abundant opportunities to grow your cash.

Keep It Coming... We, The People have been Dared!!!

"He said he is also given the previous day’s NST newspaper to read. Then he asked us about what he was told by an officer on a report in the NST that there was a signature campaign asking for 150,000 signatures to free RPK and it was not getting any respond and it was a failure."

- Excerpt from Anil's Blog on Marina's visit

Are We Going to Take This Lying Down?

It Definitely Won't Be Me.. I have come too far to Stop Now.

Fellow Bloggers and 'Friends of Change',

Lets take this message as a challenge to start a Drive to collect more signatures to Free RPK and All the ISA Detainees, and call for the draconian ISA to be Abolished.

Pass the words around and promote this signature drive on your blog.

Petition link:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?isa1234

Total Signatures currently stands at 34.845.

Time for Us to Show Them that We Mean Business and We are Here to Stay!!

Now who is telling the truth - time for heads to fall...

Temple demolition?

So many conflicting stories..

Ronnie Liu said that the state government had issued a directive to all local councils to halt action against places of worship when it came to power and it was Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) officers that have had acted in defiant.

Then the next day, Ampang Member of Parliament Zuraida Kamaruddin of PKR claimed that the temple was demolished by its own committee to make way for renovation and a face lift without consulting or seeking approval from the state government.

On the same day, Selangor Health, Estate Workers and Caring Government committee chairmanDr Xaxier A. Jayakumar said that five to six MPAJ enforcement officers were involved in tearing down the Sri Mahakaliamman shrine.

Take a good look at this picture (stole from zorro without permission).


It is a demolition for sure. Question is Who Did It!!

If it is the temple committee who did it, then they ought to be ostracized for showing disrespect to their deities just by placing them around in such a disrespectful manner.

But if it is indeed the handiwork of the council, then we really have some serious problems at hand. This is an blatant act of disrespect towards other religion and they have been crying out aloud that they have been tolerant... Excuse me!! Who is tolerating Who? We don't go around vandalising or demolishing places of worship nor do we go around making racist remarks trying to stamp supremacy over another races.

Pakatan Rakyat need to take a serious view over this matter. If the Mind starts losing control over the movement of its limbs, it's better to have the limbs amputated before they do further irreversible damage to the credibility of this coalition.

And this is exactly what is happening to Pak Lah. He called for reforms but his Home Minister did exactly the opposite - mocking the Judiciary and the Law repeatedly. Chaotic situation within Umno now. We can learn from their foolishness.

It is time for Pakatan Rakyat to put down it's feet. If any of their officers in their duties breaches the religious and racial lines, they should be serious reprimanded and be sacked if found guilty regardless of their ethnic status or position. These people don't deserve to be in any position to serve the rakyat. Period!! There is no other way around this.

Back to you, MB Khalid. Walk your Talk. Leave No Stones Unturned.

We Are Watching You!! The People Thirsts for Disciplinary Actions!!

Ponder on this...

A WOMAN CALLED ROSE

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'

I laughed and enthusiastically responded; 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.

She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...

"No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began,

We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do any thing I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.'

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Good friends are like stars........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

something light for the weekend....

A guide for expatriate drivers in Malaysia

What are roads in Malaysia used for? A funny read, written by a foreigner residing here, David Astley, a British/Ozzie guy now living in KL

Since arriving in Malaysia in 1997, I have tried on many occasions to buy a copy of the Malaysian road rules, but have come to the conclusion that no such publication exists (or if it does, it has been out of print for years). Therefore after carefully observing the driving habits of Malaysian drivers, I believe I have at last worked out the rules of the road in Malaysia . For the benefit of other expatriates living in Malaysia , and the 50% of local drivers who acquired their driving licences without taking a driving test, I am pleased to share my knowledge below:

Q: What is the most important rule of the road in Malaysia ?

A: The most important rule is that you must arrive at your destination ahead of the car in front of you. This is the sacrosanct rule of driving in Malaysia . All other rules are subservient to this rule.

Q: What side of the road should you drive on in Malaysia

A: 99.7% of cars drive on the left hand side, 0.2% on the right hand side, and 0.1% drive in reverse (be on the look out for drivers reversing at high speed in the left hand lane of freeways, having just missed their exit). Therefore on the basis of 'majority rules', it is recommended that you drive on the left. However, be aware that only 90% of motorcyclists travel on the left hand side - the other 10% ride in the opposite direction or on the sidewalk. Fortunately, motorcyclists traveling in reverse are rarely seen.

Q: What are the white lines on the roads?

A: These are known as lane markers and were used by the British in the colonial days to help them drive straight. Today their purpose is mainly decorative, although a double white line is used to indicate a place that is popular to overtake!

Q: When can I use the emergency lane?

A: You can use the emergency lane for any emergency, e.g. you are late for work, you left the toaster plugged in at home, you are bursting to go to the toilet, you have a toothache or you have just dropped your Starbucks coffee in your lap. As it is an emergency, you may drive at twice the speed of the other cars on the road.

Q: Do traffic lights have the same meaning as in other countries?

A: Not quite. Green is the same – that means 'Go', but amber and red are different. Amber means 'Go like hell' and red means 'Stop if there is traffic coming in the other direction or if there is a policeman on the corner'. Otherwise red means the same as green. Note that for buses, red lights do not take effect until five seconds after the light has changed.

Q: What does the sign 'Jalan Sehala' mean?

A: This means 'One Way Street' and indicates a street where the traffic is required to travel in one direction. The arrow on the sign indicates the preferred direction of the traffic flow, but is not compulsory. If the traffic is not flowing in the direction in which you wish to travel, then reversing in that direction is the best option.

Q: What does the sign 'Berhenti' mean?

A: This means 'Stop', and is used to indicate a junction where there is a possibility that you may have to stop if you cannot fool the cars on the road that you are entering into thinking that you are not going to stop.

Q: What does the sign 'Beri Laluan' mean?

A: This means ' Give Way ', and is used to indicate a junction where the cars on the road that you are entering will give way to you provided you avoid all eye contact with them and you can fool them into thinking that you have not seen them.

Q: What does the sign 'Dilarang Masuk' mean?

A: This means 'No Entry'. However, when used on exit ramps in multi-storey car parks, it has an alternative meaning which is: 'Short cut to the next level up'.

Q: What ! does the sign 'Pandu Cermat' mean?

A: This means 'Drive Smartly', and is placed along highways to remind drivers that they should never leave more than one car length between them and the car in front, irrespective of what speed they are driving. This is to ensure that other cars cannot cut in front of you and thus prevent you from achieving the primary objective of driving in Malaysia , and that is to arrive ahead of the car in front of you. If you can see the rear number plate of the car in front of you, then you are not driving close enough.

Q: What is the speed limit in Malaysia ?

A: The concept of a speed limit is unknown in Malaysia .

Q: So what are the round signs on the highways with the numbers 60, 80 and 110?

A: This is the amount of the 'on-the-spot' fine (in ringgits - the local currency) that you have to pay to the police if you are stopped on that stretch of the highway. Note that for expatriates or locals driving Mercedes or BMWs, the on-the-spot fine is double the amount shown on the sign.

Q: Where do you pay the 'on-the-spot' fine?

A: As the name suggests, you pay it 'on-the-spot' to the policeman who has stopped you. You will be asked to place your driving licence on the policeman's notebook that he will hand to you through the window of your car. You will note that there is a spot on the cover of the notebook. Neatly fold the amount of your fine into four, place the fine on the spot, and then cover it with your driving licence so that it cannot be seen. Pass it carefully to the policeman. Then, with a David Copperfield movement of his hands, he will make your money disappear. It is not necessary to applaud.

Q: But isn't this a bribe?

A: Oh pleeease, go and wash your mouth out. What do you want? A traffic ticket? Yes, you can request one of those instead, but it will cost you twice the price, forms to fill out, cheques to write, envelopes to mail, and then three months later when you are advised that your fine was never received, more forms to fill out, a trip to the police station, a trip to the bank, a trip back to the police station, and maybe then you will wish you had paid 'on-the-spot'.

Q: But what if I haven't broken any road rules?

A: It is not common practice in Malaysia to stop motorists for breaking road rules (because nobody is really sure what they are). The most common reasons for being stopped are: (a) the policeman is hungry and would like you to buy him lunch; (b) the policeman has run out of petrol and needs some money to get back to the station; (c) you look like a generous person who would like to make a donation to the police welfare fund; or (d) you are driving an expensive car which means you can afford to make a donation to the police welfare fund.

Q: Does my car require a roadworthy certificate before I can drive it in Malaysia ?

A: No, roadworthy certificates are not required in Malaysia . However there are certain other statutory requirements that must be fulfilled before your car can be driven in Malaysia . Firstly, you must ensure that your windscreen is at least 50% obscured with English football club decals, golf club membership stickers or condo parking permits. Secondly, you must place a tissue box (preferably in a white lace cover) on the back shelf of your car under the rear window. Thirdly, you must hang as many CDs or plastic ornaments from your rear vision mirror as it will support. Finally, you must place a Garfield doll with suction caps on one of your windows. Your car will then be ready to drive on Malaysian roads.

Q: What does a single yellow line along the edge of a road mean?

A: This means parking is permitted.

Q: What does a double yellow line along the edge of a road mean?

A: This means double parking is permitted. Q: What does a yellow box with a diagonal grid of yellow lines painted on the road at a junction mean?A: Contrary to the understanding of some local drivers, this does not mean that diagonal parking is permitted. It indicates ajunction that is grid-locked at peak hours.

Q: Can I use my mobile phone whilst driving in Malaysia ?

A: No problem at all, but it should be noted that if you wish to use the rear-vision mirror to put on your lipstick (women only please) or trim your eyebrows at the same time as you are using a mobile phone in the other hand, you should ensure that you keep an elbow free to steer the car. Alternatively, you may place a toddler on your lap and have the child steer the car whilst you are carrying out these other essential driving tasks.

Q: Is it necessary to use indicator lights in Malaysia ?

A: These blinking orange lights are commonly used by newly arrived expatriate drivers to indicate they are about to change lanes. This provides a useful signal to local drivers to close up any gaps to prevent the expatriate driver from changing lanes. Therefore it is recommended that expatriate drivers adopt the local practice of avoiding all use of indicator lights. However, it is sometimes useful to turn on your left hand indicator if you want to merge right, because this confuses other drivers enabling you to take advantage of an unprotected gap in the traffic.

Q: Why do some local drivers turn on their left hand indicator and then turn right, or turn on their right hand indicator and then turn left?

A: This is one of the unsolved mysteries of driving in Malaysia .

Umno Imploding? Possible and The Show Has Just Begun..

Ku Li attacks Abdullah-Najib pact, it 'fools no one'

Former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today attacked Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for insisting on going through with the power transition pact made with his deputy, Najib Abdul Razak.

Muhyiddin attacks power transfer plan, again

Trade Minister and Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin today warned that the ruling party and the coalition it has led for half a century faces oblivion at the next elections if it fails to reform.

Rais wants contest for Umno's top 2 posts

The two top positions in Umno must be contested in order to strengthen the party's democratic process, said Umno supreme council and Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim.

Umno top guns meet on power transfer

Twenty-five of the most powerful leaders in Umno have begun a 10am meeting, where they will sit down to chart a course of direction for the party's future leadership.

All these headlines hogging the limelight in a furious pace over a span of 5 days could well signifies the beginning of a self-destructive process in Umno.

Following these turning of events, perhaps we can now get a clearly picture on what 916 was all about. Here's some worthwhile comments from the public on 916:

Toong: I think Sept 16 was a brilliant strategy by Anwar and was successful in many ways. It created mutual suspicion within the enemy (BN) camp, thus causing internal dissension and weakening it from within. Umno leaders are now bickering and BN component parties are standing up to Umno.

The strategy also boosted the confidence of Pakatan supporters and at the same time weakened the enemy’s morale. It broke an important psychological barrier in Malaysians' mind set that only BN can govern the country. Now, many Malaysians truly believe that BN can be toppled, to the extent that even BN leaders themselves believe that they are in danger of losing power.

Sept 16 was a milestone on the way to Putrajaya. The journey to the designation continues.

Daljit Singh: It does not surprise me that many people are questioning Anwar's credibility and the existence of his list of defectors after the September 16 takeover failed to materialise. The government controlled media has been harping on Anwar's ‘failure’.

I do believe the transition will happen, but it will need the resolve and patience of all Pakatan Rakyat supporters. This delay in forming a new government is a test of our resolve. And even when the new government is formed, the public should not expect problems to simply melt away. We are talking off unravelling the mess of the past 51 years.

I was least affected when 916 didn't materialize. I won't be surprised if many of you felt disappointed. But then, it is not too late for those disappointed souls to rise again. You see, 916 is just a doze of catalyst to speed up the decaying process of Umno. At least, 916 did brought out their best- the use of ISA indiscriminately which further plunged their popularity into the twilight zone.

Now that it has began, all we need to do now is to sit back and enjoy the further unfolding of the imploding process and if we are lucky enough, we may get to see some spectacular firework displays. In other words, Stay Away from Their Fight.

Perhaps, allow me to share with all of you something interesting here. This one is from one of the blogger. Truly a masterpiece- criminal mind at its best. It's amazing how he can piece all the events together so convincingly and come out with his version... enjoy this read and have a good laugh.

Pak Lah is smart and very sly. He is not going to give up the PM to Najib while under pressure. It is a known fact he does not like Najib and only tolerates him . He chose Najib as a DPM because he has dirt on Najib. Do not spend to much time reading into PaK Lah but watch Khairy's wheeling and dealing with Anwar. Khairy is throwing the support behind Anwar and to stay relevant. He will not show his hand but have his people support Anwar.

In the mean time as soon as Umno is out of power he will consolidate his power in UMNO by instigating a witch hunt. Najib and the others who plotted against Pak Lah will be surrendered to Anwar with evidence to prosecute them in court. These senior UMNO plotters when convicted and will be bar from political office. He will rebuild UMNO and will have UMNO allied with PR has a stragetic partner. MCA/MIC/Gerakan and other BN parties will be left high and dry if by this time they have not gone over to PR. Khairy knows once he has made UMNO strong and he can bid for power in PR as a stragetic partner. This is the only way for Khairy to survive. Do not write off Khairy.

Read the Anwar's PR statements that the BN MPs do not necessary need to cross over to support the PR government. This way Khairy keeps UMNO intact and mold into a progressive party in the mold of PKR. UMNO will remain a Bumiputra party but the UMNO constitution will be change to bar racial politics and statements by UMNO members. In 2 or 3 years Khairy will made a bid for PM with the blessing of PR.

He will prove that UMNO without the racist will be a assest to PR and the people.Pak Lah in next fews days is going to get the King to call Anwar to show prove that he has the backing of the majority of the MPs. What Pak Lah is saying in the media is a wayang kulit to keep his enemies in UMNO off balance. This is the only way to say his legacy and history will judge him as a man who place the country before himself.

As the days get neared to the suppose target day, the haze suddenly stars to clear as the plot / script becomes clearer.

Anwar Ibrahim as say very famously "why wouldn't Abdullah Badawi want to meet me, He is my friend". This statement is to assure Abdullah Badawai the he Anwar has not ditched the plan agreed by both of them.

Abdullah Badawi when he says something but means the opposite. He says no Emergency session of Parliament is planed but what he is try to say is that there will be a emergency session of Parliament in the next few days. Abdullah knows that for UMNO to survive, it has to be reformed, getting rid of the self serving UMNO warlords and be in the opposition and reflect on it self. When UMNO is in the opposition, it will be easy to rid the party of the Warlords. Simple reason is to hand them over to the PR government with evidence for prosecution.

Khairy is the Middle and point man between Anwar and Abdullah. Remember when he returned Anwar's passport personally to Anwar on his release from prison. Khairy knows if he wants to succeed, he must get rid of the obstacles in UMNO. Down the line after 2 to 3 years UMNO in the opposition, UMNO been reformed will be invited by PR to be a partner. Anwar will be PM for another 9 years and when he reaches 70, Khairy will be the PM by virtue of the largest party in PR. These 9 years Khairy will work to polish his image and the public will be grateful that he was instrumental in placing Anwar in power and getting rid of racial politics. He will prove to be an even better PM that Anwar.

Najib , ooh Poor Najib. He has already got a smell on the plot (But too late) and had to call of his visit to the Middle East. Najib knows that Anwar with Abdullah's backing have sent the letter to the King to seek an audience with the King. Najib is trying to foil the plan. Once Anwar has the audience, Abdullah will have Parliament in session. Najib is no longer the Defense Minister (Abdullah's master stoke) and can not call on the Armed Forces to effect a coup d-eta. Najib is working hard now to marshal the BN MPs and trying to prevent the defections. All is lost now for Najib. It is too late for him as he has already been checkmate by Khairy . Najib must be wondering about his fate either in exile, prison or in the hangman's noose.

Syed Hamid has played the dumb Interior minister to the hilt and deserves an Oscar. He has as per plan made UMNO and the government unpopular with the tactic approval of Abdullah / Khairy. When the BN government falls, no pity will be felt for UMNO. Khairy knows he needs to get rid of the 40 to 60 years old warlord if he wants to be PM in 9 years time.

Mahathir, poor Mahathir, he was sucked into the plan unknowingly by Abdullah and Khairy. He made the Government very unpopular when he criticized the Government. Including washing the dirty laundry in the public. He is a has been and would not be of any use now to anybody. He is an old man past his glory days.

Muyuddin is just a stooge of Najib to force Abdullah out as a PM. This is only role and he has no more value except spending time in Prison.

The intense infighting in UMNO for the Premiership is one of the most telling factors as of why Taib Mahmud Chief Minister has swung his support behind Anwar. You have may or may have not notice that Taib Mahmud is been silent. He is very much pissed off at the attitude of UMNO warlords. He state and Sabah (UMNO) hold the balance of power. He has not been consulted as who will succeed Abdullah. As a senior BN leader and the second biggest party fraction in BN, he is not getting the due respect from UMNO. Taib have already sounded Anwar that he will have the support of PBB MPs and some of the other Sarawak BN MPs. It is too late for Najib now to reconcile Taib to his side. Remember it is also important to keep you friends and partners informed on important decisions. Taib knows that his days are getting fewer and fewer as he will not live long enough. His family influence is Sarawak may die with him and PBB and its allies will be wiped of in the next Sarawak state elections. His son's and relatives political fortunes and their riches and wealth must be safe guarded. Hence the alliances with Anwar will safe guard his legacy and empire in Sarawak.

Majority of MCA MPs are in a dilemma and state of shock. They have been told point blank by Anwar that he does not need their MPs to have a majority in parliament. Anwar has offered them a place in PR, provide DAP approves it and no special favors. MCA as a party will not be accepted in PR because DAP is already championing the Chinese rights. A few MPs will join DAP and PKR as not to miss out on their political careers.MIC is a no no and have not been offered a place in PR nor their MPs.

MIC will die a natural death and no CPR can help them to live.

Gerakan is already a has been party and the party will die and natural death once the MPs join PKRUMNO is in a very serious coma state. It will remain so until the end of the year and will come out of coma once Khairy is the leader.

Najib is having his people camping day and night out at the istana and having the King followed. Can not do much as Syed Hamid has told the police to stand down and make sure the security of the King.

The King has already informed the fellow brother Sultans of Anwar's letter. There is going to be an emergency meeting tonight or tomorrow of the sultans and Agung. This could be a Video conference meeting or a formal meeting to discuss Anwar's letter. Abdullah will attend the meeting to lend his support to Anwar's letter.

Abdullah is a good and sincere man and tried to make the country better. The UMNO warlords did not let him. His legacy for Malaysia was to be reforms of the police, judiciary, economy, Education, racial and religious rights of all races and religions.

Anwar is now on a standby mode and within an earshot once the King summons him. He is very heavily protected as talk in the streets is that his life is in danger. Knowing Anwar he will laugh out this threat.

More and more MPs are getting into the Anwar band wagon. They all know it is credible that he has the numbers.

Tonight is going to be a long night and tomorrow is going to be even longer.

Khairy is busy as a beaver and fine tuning the necessary details and arrangements to have a smooth change over from Abdullah to Anwar as a PM.

The police and immigration has been given a list of people who are barred from leaving the country and Bank Negara has a list to inform the banks to freeze the accounts of the names mentioned.

The Royalty and deciding factor in the battle between Najib's UMNO –BN (I did not mention Abdullah Badawi as it is not his fight but Najib's fight with Anwar) and Anwar's PR

The flexing of the Royalty powers in Terengganu, Perlis, Perak and Selangor

Perlis – the Raja of Perlis has been a career military man until he was made a Raja Muda and then Raja of Perlis. He has known the excess of the pervious MB. He knew Abdullah after the near defeat of BN in the 13th General elections has not stomach for any fight. He has given up in the face of the massive reversal of his political fortunes. Sharidan was the guinea pig which the Malaysian royalty was to experiment one to see if they still have the powers. Abdullah was unknowingly dragged into the experience. The plot (Experiment) was agreed by the brother Sultans to test the resolve of Abdullah Badawi. Raja of Perlis started the ball rolling when he refused Shahidan to take the oath of MB of Perlis. The success of this experiment spread like wild fire to the royal states. This in effect was payback to BN for humiliation in public and curbing of their powers.

Terengganu was a small experiment for a later much larger stage (which is now been played out in KL – The play is called the testing of the Agung's constitutional powers in appointing the PM. We all know how it is going to turn out now. Again is Terengganu the excess of the pervious state government was noted and the MB was shown the way out. Another successful experiment and not a whimper from Abdullah Badawi. All systems go and Anwar was encouraged to make a go for the PM post.

Selangor and Perak another set of experiment to see if PR will respect, all successful. Now is the eyes of the public the royalty has been redeemed.

Najib was not promoted to Finance ministry but moved out as a request from the King. The King feared chaos with Najib as the defense minister during these trouble times. Najib does not think twice when it comes to a violent decision as in the case of the Mongolian girl.

The Royalty in effect hijacked some of the constitutional powers of the PM who meekly surrender it to the Royalty. The Agung and Sultans will act on the advice of the PM, but this is no more the case now.

If Mahathir has not curbed the Royalty powers and humiliate them in Public, the royalty will not be taking the side of Abdullah's BN. Milk is spilled and no point crying years later. The seed of this chaos was planted by Mahathir 20 years ago and now it has grown into a monster. The people are all behind the Agung now and that is where the power is "THE PEOPLE".

That Night At The Forum: From a Different Perspective..

About 600 people from all walks attended the Forum in One Voice calling for draconian ISA to be abolished. I was there among them.

What transpired during the Forum is well accounted for by Malaysiakini reports. Indeed, a well detailed coverage and i must salute them for their style of journalism. No detail was left out especially with the report on Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan's speech. The exact context of her speech was reported here.. Thank you and Syabas, Malaysiakini.

Marina presence helped in lifting up the atmosphere to a higher level judging from the overwhelming support from the crowd in thunderous standing ovation as Teresa Kok announced her arrival and then again, when she took the stage.

But for me, her presence brought back the pain that i shared with her on May 7th when Raja Petra refused bail and subsequently landed himself in Sungai Buloh. It was also then at that moment I somehow related myself to her ordeal and went through an imaginary journey of her past journeys. That incident prompted a tribute to her in my blog. Click here to read..

Thanks Marina, you did it again.

Nonetheless, it was an honour to finally get to meet up with her face to face. She is indeed a Great Charismatic Lady.

It is also my wish that the people would look up to Her Strength and Sacrifices as motivational factors to spur us further in our quest to make this country a better country for all Malaysians.

Update:

Read here on Marina's trip to Kamunting- 'Straight from My Heart'

Malaysia slips in Corruption Rankings: Would be surprise if we don't slip much further...

At the unveiling of the 2008 Corruption Perception Index, which measures the level of corruption taking place in a country, Malaysia scored 5.1 last year.

The mediocre score is little different from the 4.9 to 5.1 range it has been straddling since 2001.

"This shows that there are a number of countries that have progressed much better than us," said Transparency International (Malaysia) president Ramon Navaratnam.

Navaratnam was referring to Singapore, which topped the list in South East Asia with a score of 9.1. Overall, the island state was placed fourth among 180 countries assessed.

By comparison, Malaysia came out 47th in the overall list, compared to 36th placing it secured in 2001 when the index had surveyed only 91 countries.

However, Malaysia still managed to stay above other regional neighbours such as Thailand (3.5), Vietnam (2.7), Indonesia (2.6), the Philippines (2.3), Cambodia (1.8) and Burma (1.3).

"The high degree of corruption that still exists in these economies could impair business efficiency, obstruct or slow down cross border trade and makes doing business more expensive and riskier," Navaratnam said.

Read in full here..

Still no improvement despite the call to reform. I would not be surprise if our ranking drop further mainly due to the refusal by our authorities to reform. Reforms means more drastic policy changes which have been generous and enriched them thus far. It has always been their type of policies that breeds rampant corruption. Perhaps, we need to be thankful as we are still rank here because of their inability to implement their projects mainly due to limited funds plus all those internal infighting as to who will get the better slice of the economic cake which is always laced with big commissions.

It is indeed a blessing to the people that all these so called mega projects are stalled at this moment. At least, it gives the new leadership the chance to review and revise the feasibility and the cost structure of these projects in question.

Deutsche Bank on Malaysia: A cocktail of negative trends...

A painful adjustment period for equities, fixed income and the currency

Not the time to own Malaysia; no quick resolution to political uncertainty

The market is going through pain not felt since the Asian crisis. We anticipate further risk to earnings (commodity slowdown, higher input costs and waning consumer spending), a weaker currency, higher funding costs for companies and further deterioration in the political landscape. We now expect the economy to grow at a slower pace of 5.8% and 5% for 2008 and 2009, respectively. But much of this assumes that commodity prices do not tumble further. Also, the lack of policy direction and much needed reforms adds to what is already a fragile market.

Not at bargain valuations yet; inferior EPS growth (with more downside risk)

The market is not yet at bargain valuations. In fact, valuations look expensive with the market at just a 2% PER discount to the region at 12.3x PER and 1.9x P/B. The market should be trading at a wider discount considering inferior growth of 1.7% and 6.5% for 2008 and 2009, respectively (vs. the region at 6.8% and 17.8%). Watch out for further EPS cuts as the street adjusts for falling palm oil prices, higher input costs from steel, fuel, etc., potentially higher cost of funds (spreads have widened by 100-150bps) and waning consumer spending. We think the worst is not yet over. Critical policy decisions should be made to reverse negative trends but there are just too many political distractions in the way for now.

Worrying trends: widening fiscal balance, weaker currency & wider spreads

The recent budget failed to restore confidence in the market. The overly generous handouts to soften inflationary blows and the big lifts in development expenditure (fiscal deficit to rise to 4.8% in 2008 vs. 3.2% in 2007) have sent the bond market worrying about the 'wall' of issuance from the Government. This has put pressure on the currency at a time of significant negative interest rates. Beneficiaries of a weaker currency are: MISC, KNM Group, YTL Power and QL Resources. Potential 'losers' are Tenaga, Lafarge, MAS, AirAsia, Proton and UMW.

Underweight maintained; KLCI target at 975, suggesting 9% downside

Our KLCI target of 975 is based on a 10% PER discount to the region, implying 8.5% downside or valuations at 11.3x and 10.7x for 2008 and 2009, respectively. We are Underweight large cap sectors like banks and plantations. For investors who have little choice but to remain invested in Malaysia, we advocate defensive names like TM, PLUS, Berjaya Sports Toto and KLCC Property. For longer term investors seeking deep value, we like IGB, Gamuda and KNM. The key risks on the upside for the market are: (a) a sharp recovery in commodities lifting the palm oil sector, (b) resolution to the political uncertainty, and (c) Government policies to restore confidence in the currency and the domestic bond market. Underweight.

RPK Kamuntingized For Two Years...

Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin will be sent to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak today to begin his two-year detention under the Internal Security Act.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had signed his detention order last night for the blogger to be held without trial under section 8(1) of the tough security law. Under the Act, the government can renew his detention indefinitely.

Section 8(1) of ISA states that " If the Minister is satisfied that the detention of any person is necessary with a view to preventing him from acting in manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to the maintenance of essential services therein or to the economic life thereof, he may make an order (hereinafter referred to as a detention order) directing that that person be detained for any period not exceeding two years."

The Kuala Lumpur High Court is to hear a habeas corpus bid by Raja Petra's lawyers to overturn the detention of the controversial blogger today.

Only yesterday, the habeas corpus hearing which was scheduled for 26th September was brought forward to today, 23rd September, at 9am at the High Court, Criminal Court 2, Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, Jalan Duta, before Justice Suraya Othman.

Damn you, botak!! You can't even give RPK , his rights to a habeas corpus hearing. What's the hurry here? Because you don't have any solid reason to nail him with ISA except for the few reports by your running dogs and the power vested in you as a Home Minister. That's all the grounds you have.

Look around you.. Many of your colleagues has awakened to the fact that the people's voice need to be acknowledged. But there you go around continuing to ignore the wishes of the people and abusing your power without giving any regards to the intelligence of the people.

The people could not see any justification behind this Section 8(1) detention. As we see it, it is only based on your personal justification which is clearly politically motivated.

Again, ISA has been wrongly abused for the wrong reason.

market trend: a whole new horizon?

Just as i posted my view on US Treasury call for a balance sheet cleanup, the US authorities jointly came out with a rescue plan to save Wall Street:

The buyout plan—with few firm details—is announced. President Bush says the move puts "a significant amount of taxpayer dollars on the line," but he says the risk of not acting "would be far higher." In additional actions, the Treasury and Fed act to guarantee the assets of money-market funds, which had been threatened by the meltdown of the financial markets, and the SEC places a temporary ban on the short-selling of nearly 799 financial stocks.

Indeed, some very drastic moves by by the authorities which could very well change the face of the US financial system forever. A step away from what they had preached for decades - a financial deregulation. It is like imposing a capital control only stopping short of currency peg and a regulated flow of dollars.

The ban on short selling prompted a short covering spree by shorties resulting in a 368 points rise in Dow.

So what will happen now? What will happen to Dow after all the short covering is done? Is the further injection of USD 700B enough to turn everything around?

All these drastic moves can be translated as a serious failure in US financial system. A USD 700B is just an insignificant figure given the seriousness of the subprime mortgages which have clearly wiped out tens of trillion in terms of market capitalization worldwide. Not mentioning the damages from the the wild swings in derivatives markets.

However, these moves can also be seen as the beginning of a consolidation stage where everything will more or less stabilize from now. Don't dream for an instant recovery. Rule of thumb applies. No instant recovery when damage is of such magnitude. The recovery factor rest on the real economy from now. All these takes time. Real economy remains gloomy. It may takes at least 5 years before US could find it's footing again. Again, these measures only tell the weakness of US and it does not change the poor fundamentals of US economy and financial system. Dow would remain downside biase after the initial uproar over these measures.

Temporary ban on short selling. A drastic and draconian move subjected to open abuses. Congress should call for an investigation into substantial long trades taken days before these moves were announced. If they can do it for 911, they need to do the same for this situation especially so, for those 4 powerful guys pictured above. Nevertheless, this very move by the SEC has incurred the wrath of all hedge funds. Once that happened, be prepared for a longer consolidation period as hedge funds would move away to markets with greener pastures.

These moves has indeed created a whole new horizon for other parts of the world as the exodus of funds will begin sooner. Whether it will reach our shore remains very much on the ability of our administration to reform the rotting system.

With the recent development, it would be advisable to stay on the sideline. For the index futures traders, it is almost impossible to trade with contracts crossover activities about to start soon. When this activities happen, the futures trend would move independently without regard to the cash market. It's a transferring activity from the left hand to right hand and looking for suckers to kill at the same time.

Stay neutral for the next few days with eyes on volume and index. Very good indicators with this battered market condition.

market trend: some interesting points for all to ponder on...

Oops! a two months lapse since my last update. Well, that end of August thingy did happened. When i posted my comment then, there was no news on budget being brought forward. And bang!, there it happened. Anybody caught on short would have soiled their underpants on that budget day. Sad to say that i was one of them( short Sept on 29th August at 1056.5). Ironic, isn't it? But i truly deserved it.. That's for going against myself. Once we get caught on the wrong way, it actually mean that we lose out on opportunity to make both ways on index trading. I sat on my paper loss and came September, the market started to turn negative again. I sat because the volume was unusually thin. We haven't see this volume for quite some time now. Anyway, I managed to make some money out of this trade. Covered my last lot at 1016 on September 15th because of the 916 hype about change in government. Moral of the story: It's alright to be smart but don't try to be too smart.

Enough said here. Just another repeated mistake on my part. Even after i realised my mistake, I had two chances to cover back even and turn long but i didn't react. Stubborn and indiscipline or whatsoever but it was blatant stupidity.

So, what now? Subprime woes still looms. Fannie & Freddie bailed out. Lehman Bros busted. AIG screwed up. Surprising? Not really though. It was all there waiting to be exposed right from the beginning. It was them living in state of denial.

So much have been written off and it is still not enough. Now, Paulson wants a balance sheet cleanup. All illiquid assets have to be written off from the balance sheet. Sounds familiar? Lets go back to Year 2000 with Mahathir-nomics... Tax free year with base accounting at Year 2000. In another words, it is balance sheet cleanup. All illiquid assets is being taken off from balance sheet through write-offs or transferred out somewhere. For our case, it was danaharta. From that base year, the future operating accounts and balance sheet will reflect positively. Yeah, taking it out from the accounting system and parked it somewhere off the record. Another way to buy time and create a positive perception toward the health of the the country's economy. Lets not talk about the scandals behind this move on the local front.

Allow me to do my layman view on this balance sheet cleanup move by the Fed. Illiquid assets from subprime carries in balance sheet at high value (probably at 90% of the asset valuation during the peak). With the housing market slump now, the value would have fallen by a conservative 50% ( many which are rotting away in ghostly residential estate). This is indeed a major one time write off. I don't really have the exact figure but this amount could very much be in the region between 15-20 trillion USD.

The message here is clear. It is time for us to lick our wounds and pray that our Real Economy is going to get us out of this subprime shit. That is for US and these will definitely takes time to materialize. To me, Dow is going to remain volatile for the time being with more downside until the state of their Real Economy dictates the direction of their capital market.

When US goes into that mode, then only we can see some actions in other part of the world. Simply because funds cannot lie ideal for long. There will be some creation of themes and hypes. Asia would still be their favourite haunt as Asia countries were spared from subprime woes.

And for us, we clearly have our own problem here. Politically, we are at a crossroad. Uncertainty looms. And it is not about who wins or who prevails at the end of it. It is about whoever that leads this country having the ability to reform and steer us away from this regulated system. Good human rights record, free market, good business climate and good governance are some of the important factors that funds look at. And until we straighten out ourselves, don't expect too much here. In fact, my calculation tells me we have 2-6 months to do so. That's based on cycles.

Technically speaking, our index broke 970 level momentarily with the help of a 4 over percent drop in Dow. That was a strong support level. Anytime when there is a breached of support level, a technical is inevitable. I did made my stand known to 2 friends but i was reluctant to commit due to our political scenario.

The USD247B injection into capital market would stabilize the world market momentarily. It is seen as a measure to soften the landing but the fact remains: damage has been done. Not forgetting the recent collapse in commodities derivatives... many funds got burnt and yet to unfold..

On the local front, again we need to monitor the volume. Overhead resistant is cap at 1035, 1056/57 and the strongest is at 1067/8. Again any breach of these level, do expect a major retracement. Catch my hint??

Personally, after missing that 970 yesterday, I would stay sideline for the moment. Once volume dwindle and resistant level hit, i might take a short and go for 20-30 points.

Again, the index futures is still a better instrument to make a punt. Forget about shares for the time being.

No Further ISA Arrests: To Believe or Not to Believe...

No further ISA arrests

The premier also said he did not intend to use the Internal Security Act against Anwar.

Hope you are a man of your words.

"I have no plans regarding the use of the ISA on anybody. I did not say anything (about the ISA arrest) to anybody. If a person feels he will be arrested under the ISA, maybe he is guilty, I don't know." Utterly childish and kampung mentality kind of talk.

- Excerpts taken from Malaysiakini

This very statement from the Prime Minister sent chills down my spine. Who wouldn't be for he has a long history of flipping and flopping? Remember February 13th? He dissolved the parliament in less than 24 hours after denying it. And the oil hike incident... a 78 sen hike barely 72 hours after denying it. Another flip flop? We shall see...

Come On PM, Give Us A Break, Will You!!

Asked what action the government would take against him, Abdullah refused to reveal his cards, saying: "I will not indicate what plan I will take, what I do will be in the best interests of the people and the country."

"Because of Anwar's actions, there are fund managers who have reported that Malaysia is purportedly no longer a good place for investment because of the unstable political climate."

Abdullah said the opposition leader has lied a lot about the country's economic status, even claiming that there is no Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) coming in.

On the contrary, the premier said FDI is still flowing in and Malaysia is popular among investors."Anwar wants to destroy the country and exploit the people’s trust and tarnish the country’s image abroad."

More here..

How convenient for him to push all their incompetency onto Anwar and We, The People, must be dimwits enough to buy his lame reasoning. Perhaps, the funds manager are also stupid to listen to Anwar. In the first place, why should they listen to Anwar instead of Pak Lah?

Mr Prime Minister, can you explain clearly to me the status of the economy our country is in now? It would be interesting to know how you come to this conclusion which clearly differ from more than 20 million of us out here, not to mention those outside Malaysia.

Political instability caused by Anwar? Finally, you admit to this fact that the people has turned the tide against BN. If you pay enough attention to what The People have been saying, you wouldn't be making the above statement so blatantly. I would like to say that we did gave you a fair fight despite of all the dirty tricks of racial intimidation and money politics that your coalition used during the 12th General Election.

What about those incidents that have transpired recently? Endless sagas, one after another. Frame ups, racial intimidation, thuggery and endless abuses of power. Mostly played up from within your organisation. And now ISA is being used against the wrong people for all the wrong reasons.

And now, you have the guts to tell us that you will do whatever is necessary in the best interest of the people and the country.

Mr Prime Minister, please quit playing politics and get down to work and let your performance win back the trust of the people. The People has Spoken and all you need to do is to Listen.

The Lallang got his way and is now the Finance Minister...

Shocking News? Breaking News? So that was what those 3-hours meeting was all about.

So now, this fight is all about these two idiots against the Malaysians citizen. At this juncture when the country economy is in bad shape, all they can do is negotiate by themselves in their desperate bid to stay in power. Swapping ministerial duties at this time is beyond me. A cabinet revamp would be a better political move.

And what does this deal tells us? Khairy is being buried and Pak Lah getting ready to let go and migrate? Nevertheless, do expect some goodies from the new Finance Minister. Perhaps, a further drop of 15 sen in fuel price.

What good would this swap brings to our country? Help trim down our woes?

I really doubt their ability. It would be a blessing if they don't sink us down further. However, at this very moment, our share market reacted negatively to this piece of news. Ironic, isn't it? Possibly due to the threat of a further ISA dragnet. ISA dragnet is interpreted as a threat to national security at this juncture.

Read news in full here..

Strong Messages from Zaid Ibrahim: A Tribute from The Whisperer...

Some strong messages have been sent out to the leader and all aspiring leaders in this interview with journalists during his press conference yesterday.

One can't help but hold high admiration for this one guy who speaks out his views and vision for a better Malaysia. Well, for the very least, his views and vision goes down well with me. And that is enough to earn him a Tribute spot in my blog.

I am just going to reproduce the whole Q&A here for everyone to read those Messages that it carries:

When you said you have failed, what exactly have you failed in?

I have failed to convince those in authority to effect changes about how this government should move forward. I failed to convince them.

I believe in the basic principle that this country respects all rights and citizens. This country is for all, there is no room for discrimination, this country is about rule of law and transparency, these are the things that we need to change.

If you don’t subscribe to these principles or just pay lip service to them, it will be difficult to translate (these) into policies. This is my feeling.

You are adamant about resigning despite the prime minister rejecting it?

I am not adamant, I am just saying that I have made up my mind. I thank the prime minister for asking me to take leave but I have my point, I think it’s best I leave (resign).

Why are you giving up on your efforts to push for reforms?

This is not giving up, this is paving the way for transformation. In a way I hope (my decision) can wake up people and result in some changes, that’s my hope, to trigger some positive changes.

You’ve been brought in to the cabinet to introduce judiciary reforms, what is going to happen to that?

All these (questions) you have to ask after December (Umno party polls,). I don’t know, you have to ask the prime minister, maybe he will re-organise the cabinet and supreme council (line-up who) will be more supportive (of reforms). It depends on so many things, I can’t answer that.

Will judiciary reforms come to a stop with your resignation?

I don’t know, you will have to ask the new prime minister (smiles), or rather the prime minister.

Are you disappointed with Prime Minister Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi)?

He is a nice man. He has other things to deal with that I may not know (of). Remember he is the party president, I am just an ordinary guy, I don’t have to worry about other things, he may have other things to worry about, you have to ask him.

Did the prime minister support your reforms?

Within the constraints he got, yes, he was supportive but he got constraints.

Do you think the internal party conflicts are hindering his ability to be an effective prime minister?

I believe so. That’s why I feel that things will be better - for the government or the Barisan Nasional - after December.

Do you think if Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim forms government, you will have the support to initiate reforms?

I just hope that anyone who forms the government - be it Abdullah, Najib Abdul Razak, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Muhyiddin Yassin or Anwar - I don’t care who - but I just want all those (things on) my wish list to be transformed. That is of course my hope, but as I said we have to see what happens first.

What's next for you - still with Umno or join PKR?

It’s a very difficult question. The reforms I talk about, I got much criticism from Umno. Sometimes I think I should have changed (to be) like them instead of me trying to change them.

I do have some problems (in Umno) but at the same time I don’t know PKR well, I don’t know the leaders, so it’s too early to say but I have an open mind and I’m not in a hurry to make any decision.

Have you been courted by the opposition?

Courted? The last time I was courted was 30 years ago (laughs). No, but I have friends all over the place who call up but these are things happening to everybody.

But there is a rumour that you are joining PKR?

No, I have not made any decision of joining anybody. I am just saying that I have to do this. I hope it will trigger some good things, it will trigger some changes on the people in power, self-reflection and I hope the prime minister will overcome his challenges without the burden I carry (on him).

Are you going back to practice?

I don’t think so. I want to start a foundation to help build closer relations among the people in this country. I think race discrimination, prejudice and race relations are very bad. When I was young, I remember I thought we had much closer interracial (ties). Today we are a divided country.

Are you staying on as a senator?

Yes, because it will be nice to talk sometimes in the Senate to give my views on public issues. I love and care for this country very much like you all, I will do what I can. I believe this country is founded on very simple principles but very strong principles - fairness to all, justice, freedom, all those good things, I will work towards that.

What is the cause of the racial divide?

We have to do something to bring back trust and take action against some people who are bent on creating this division because of their own political agendas. We must overcome this.

You have been hailed as a hero and a man of principle?

I am not a hero, this is exaggeration. If I am a hero, I would have been successful in transforming this country. I just happen to say what I feel and do what I think is right.

What is the most important thing that the prime minister should do to bring some sort of changes?

The one single thing I think, is (for him) to trust the people in this country - all races. If you can’t bring yourself to that level of trust and acceptance, you will always worry if a particular policy will benefit this group or not. You worry whether you will upset certain benefits and privileges you have.

So long as you think sectarian or (along ) racial (lines), if you have too much thinking of that, it’s hard for you to have a policy that reaches out to everyone and applies to all. That psychological barrier has to be overcome.

We have to trust that we are one people and want to build one country and we want to have laws that apply to all.

In that sense, is it time for race-based parties to go?

I said before you can have race-based parties, you can fight for your community but you still can think of the country and common principles which bind us. You don’t have to be narrow-minded or cultivate the feeling of hatred, you have to do the opposite. These changes and reforms are for the country.

What do you have to say about your cabinet colleagues who have criticised you?

To my cabinet colleagues, I think some of them are very fine gentlemen. We have differences of views but there is no hard feelings, I hope to maintain that.

Before the Internal Security Act arrests, has it ever crossed your mind to resign?

Yes, it has crossed my mind a couple of times, even in the early days (of my tenure).

Excerpts taken from Malaysiakini

Press Conference and It's Underlying Tone....

The following is the statement given by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at a 2pm press conference at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya today. Read in full here...

These are the few demands made for smooth transition of power which I would like to highlight here:

1) That the BN shall not hinder or prevent their BN MPs from acting in accordance with their conscience, constitutional rights and independent judgment;

2) That the BN government shall not invoke the Internal Security Act to detain any of the MPs who will join Pakatan Rakyat, or any of the present 82 Pakatan Rakyat MPs;

3) That the BN government shall not invoke emergency or police powers, or suspend the constitution, or dissolve parliament in response to our intention to form a new government;

4) That the Barisan Nasional government shall not impose roadblocks and impede the MPs from gaining access to the House of Parliament and the institutions of government.

Why the need to press for these demands here? What is the underlying tone behind these demands? Preemptive measures, one of my friends commented. I sincerely wish that everything could be this simple. These are probably the very few options left for the ruling coalition in their attempt to stay in power.

Again, we ask ourselves this question: Are they going to give in just like this without a fight? We gave them 6 months since the 12th general election to listen and reform but they chose to ignore and self-destructed themselves further. So much so that they are now resembling themselves to that of a cornered wounded animal. That is a dangerous precedent. In situation like this, we must always make sure that we leave a way for this wounded creature to escape.

So far, we only get denial statements from them demanding the name list and etc etc. It is advisable to wait for further reaction from them. Don't rule out those measures mentioned above and other provocative measures. Stay vigilant. be patient and take this opportunity to spend some valuable time with your family.

The Final Push?

Update: 17th Sept 2008

The prime minister also described Anwar as a "threat to the country's economy as well as possible threat to security".

"I will not indicate what plan I have," he said when asked if he would act against Anwar.

Now here is his threat... Get ready for some power abuse dramas.

Mr. Prime Minister, lets not play with fire here. A threat to national economy? Nothing compare to the rate you and your guys corrupt at the country's coffer. Threat to national security? We don't feel threaten at all by this call. We only felt threatened by your little napoleans instigations esp those by Ahmad Ismail and that Javanese Toyol.

That would narrowed down to one option left for you. Call for a Snap Election as soon as possible. It would be a graceful choice for you. Face saving choice and still get a fighting chance to stay in power. Any dirty tricks from you would shame our country further. Now, that's the threat to our country's economy and security.