Shown the behind

Censorship is the prerogative of the sitting government, so the Malaysian government has every right to censor web sites that are spewing forth pornographic, obscene or libelous content. And so the Malaysia Today web site has been blocked. Netizens and free speech advocates are up in arms over it, reminding the government of the promise it made to the world that it will not censor the internet when it first set up its very ambitious MSC project.

But of course, the Malaysian government cannot be bound by its commitments, particularly when those commitments were made during somebody else's watch, especially when that somebody has already resigned from the political party under which he was PM and is basically acting as a lone opposition figure - opposition to the PM, i.e.

It is naive of anybody to think that a government can be held by its words, particularly where politics (and perhaps pornography) is concerned. Practically, it isn't an issue anyway because the web site that is being blocked has been mirrored and is still accessible. If the news had not broke, you'd think nothing out of the ordinary has taken place. That's the real power of the internet - it just cannot be controlled, at least not in the long run. So for the M'sian government to have done what it has done - blocking Malaysia Today's web site - shows how helpless it really is. Far better to leave it alone than to have its behind exposed, as in this instance.

Punch and counter-punch

Things are coming to a head in Malaysia. Anwar Ibrahim has just been arrested for alleged sodomy (i.e. homosexuality) with a young 23 former volunteer at his political outfit. People are wondering why he was taken to the hospital when a swap of the saliva is sufficient to provide material for determining one's DNA. But I suppose that, going by Malaysian government doctors, you need a specialist to extract the DNA sample 'properly'. You need even to go to the hospital to do it, and I suppose, it had to be a government hospital. No, a General Practitioner (GP) will not do, and much less a police with a mouth swap in his hands, although this is widely practiced elsewhere in the world. I suppose that the Malaysian government wants to uphold the highest standards as they will be accused of un-professionalism when and if Anwar is convicted of sodomy - again. So that's why the government steadfastly refuses to acknowledge the medical report filed by a GP at a private hospital that reportedly stated that Saiful, the accuser, showed no signs of being violated in his private parts - a necessary condition for his accusation of sodomy by Anwar to stand.

I suppose all these started with the opposition gaining a spectacular victory in the last GE in March, where the opposition came 30 seats shy of unseating the incumbent government. With Anwar promising to really unseat the government by September 2008, things couldn't lie still. Real or not, Anwar got slapped with the sodomy charge, which if convicted, would guarantee that he will stay out of parliament for another 10 years. A punch must be met with a counter-punch. Najib was then accused of sleeping around with a murdered Mongolian model, whom he claimed never to have met - in spite of circumstantial evidence that showed he was probably doing a Pinocchio. Curiously, the lawyer who made the charge recanted almost the next day and went missing. Then the government grabbed Saiful and put him under police protection and quickened the pace of charging Anwar for sodomy. They knew that was the most effective and legal way of silencing Anwar, at least in Parliament, if not in public. But truth be told, the Malaysia Police do not have much credibility in the eyes of Malaysians, or foreigners for that matter.

Now, Anwar is trying to beat them all by running for election in the ward vacated by his wife. Many believe that he will win, even if he were arrested and sits in jail during campaigning. A duly elected Indian MP still sits in detention under ISA laws. But Anwar will still be denied if the charge of sodomy is carried, unless a Member of Parliament carries immunity for this type of 'crime'.

What next?

Sleepless nights

First, Dr Mahathir gave his support to Abdullah Badawi so that Badawi became PM of Malaysia. Then Dr M turned on AB and wanted him to step down, like, err, yesterday. He threw his support behind Badawi's deputy, Najib Tun Razak. This Najib is now in a shouting match with Anwar Ibrahim. He is being accused of adultery with Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu, who was killed. Anwar is in turn accused of the crime of sodomy.

In his latest show of support, Dr M is throwing his weight behind Muhyiddin Yassin, for him to be elected a Vice President of UMNO. Dr M is certainly not unaware that the Vice Presidency confers the likely status of Deputy Prime Minister. Is Dr M supporting Muhyiddin for PM of Malaysia one day?

Going by Dr M's track record on judging people, I wouldn't hold my breadth. Even if Muhyiddin becomes PM one day, and if Dr M is still around, I wouldn't be surprise if there is some falling out again. The way I look at it is that Dr. M sees himself as the only person who can rule Malaysia without all these political crisis popping up left, right and centre. But his time is well past now, and Malaysia is now in the throes of sorting itself out for the next decade.

What a spectacle it now is. Journalists just cannot sleep nowadays for fear of missing the next juicy bit of news that keeps flooding out of KL.

The Crocs Cometh

What is wrong with Malaysia today? All the buayas (Malay for crocodile) seem to be baring their fangs. First, Anwar Ibrahim's former aid, a very ambitious and young 23-year old - Saiful Bukhari Azlan, accused Anwar of sodomising him. That's not new. Anwar was accused of the same thing 10 years ago, for which he was convicted but which judgement was later overturned by the Supreme Court of Malaysia. I can understand why Anwar bolted to the Turkish Embassy to seek refuge the moment the accusation was made. He had to do so before the Malaysia Police could lay a hand on him. The last time, the Chief of Police (Inspector-General of Police, they call him) gave Anwar such a beating that he blackened his eye. Anwar certainly wasn't going to wait around for another black eye. But why would a young man make a false accusation, if it indeed was one? He is either a morally upright chap, or a opportunistic young man led astray, rather willingly, may I add.

A tit must be met with a tat. Anwar seems to have played a part in Mr P. Balasubramaniam, a private investigator employed by Abdul Razak Baginda who stands accused of killing Mongolian model, Altantuya Shaaribuu, 2 years ago, making a sworn statement that DPM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak knew Ms Altantuya, and that he had had sex with her. If Anwar can be accused of being a homosexual, surely DPM Najib can be accused of being an adulterer?

'I have never met her before", claimed DPM Najib in reply. Given the circumstantial evidence, it is hard to believe that statement. This revelation is not new. 2 years ago, when this tragic crime took place, tongues were already wagging of the DPM's complicity in the case. Otherwise, why blow up the victim into smithereens? Probably to ensure that no trace is left of any other persons than those already accused was involved. But this is all speculation.

When two of the pretenders to the Malaysian political throne go at each other like this, you wonder if there is any more hope for the long-suffering people of Malaysia.

The Great White One

You must give credit to the Malaysian government. After losing Pedra Branca (the Malays call it Pulau Batu Puteh - the White Rock) to the Singaporeans, they have taken immediate action to review the status of about 100 islands that they think belongs to them. But unlike previously when they didn't even bother to station a person (at least from time to time) on the island they claim to be theirs, in spite of Malaysia fishermen frequenting the area near the island regularly, it is taking a long hard look at every rock now and probably to assert their rights in the right way - the ICJ way. Which is simply to care for it.

The Malaysians have learnt to their grief that neglect is a sure way to lose something in international law. That, plus writing ill-conceived letters dis-claiming ownership of anything, even a piece of rock at the mouth of the Straits of Johor on the side of the South China Sea. Now, in spite of what they promised before the ICJ judgement was handed down, they are busy overturning their cupboards and drawers all the way to their former colonial master's to look for a purported document that could get the ICJ fellows to reverse their decision over ownership of Pedra Branca. Those Singaporeans - they think that everything is settled. Think again, man. You are dealing with a 100 pound gorilla in your backyard. It doesn't matter if a 1000lb gorilla half way across the world agrees with you.

Well, you can bet one thing - Singapore is not likely to claim sovereignty over any other island for now. It has better sense than that. So the Malaysians should look askance at the Indonesians. But then again, Indonesia has so many islands already, why do they want to claim some more stoney rocks near Johor? Frankly, those rocks are just not worth the trouble, but tell that to Singapore, who obviously think that their Pedra Branca victory was a significant one.

Taking the guess out of gas

Did Abdullah Badawi really have no choice but to increase the price of petrol? I think nobody will dispute it, not when India, Taiwan, Vietnam, and a whole host of countries recognise that subsidizing fuel prices is no longer tenable, given the skyrocketing price of this commodity. I suppose the only people who are laughing all the way to the bank are the oil producers and the speculators.

But increasingly the prices by about 41% for petrol and 67% for diesel with less than a week's notice? That's mighty strong medicine and obviously very difficult to swallow. In fact, there were long queues at gasoline stations the night before the price increase kicked in (5 June 2008). Motorists were just acting out of economic self-interest by lapping up that last litre of cheap petrol. I wonder if not more had brought along their jerry-cans to get even more savings.

It hadn't dawned on me that Singaporeans have been living off the largesse of the Malaysians, or their foolishness, these many years. You don't realise it until prices of vegetables, eggs, poultry, and even travel and tours into the Malay Peninsula, in Singapore start to rise. That's the inevitable trend and Singaporeans are bracing for another round of imported inflation. Think about it. For as long as the Malaysian government has been subsidizing the prices of petrol, they have been subsidizing the livelihood, and yes, even the pleasures, of the Singaporeans, both the rich and the poor. So its not just the Singapore motorists who fill up their tanks in Johor that has benefitted only.

So Singaporeans are now understandably very disappointed by the removal of the fuel subsidies. I think they will stand together with ordinary Malaysians in lobbying the M'sian government to reverse the drastic increases of gasoline, notwithstanding its obvious wisdom. But people don't like rude shocks and see their money reduced in value so fast.

This latest policy change will likely cost PM AB his premiership. The knives were already out prior to this latest uproar. It now remains for them to be plunged into the gut for the fatal blow. Will PM AB survived? Who will take over? Can he do a better job? The Malaysians are now not too optimistic about the incumbents. Will the Opposition do any better, or will they turn out to be just as disappointing?

Pull down the curtain

What? Dr Mahathir has quit UMNO? Well, I would imagine that Abdullah Badawi thinks its about time Dr M did so, except that Dr M still retains a lot of influence that his latest move may lead to the dissolution of UMNO and the government. Does he love himself more than he loves UMNO? That's the question on many a lip.

Some say Dr M's latest antic is to ward off attention to the government's decision to investigate him for alleged shenanigans in the appointment of judges during his time as PM of M'sia. That is really a blot on his PM'ship. He has left the country with a discredited judicial bench for which the present government is trying to make right (I hope). Dr M first made the challenge to have him investigated 'fully' - no stone unturned - as he says that there are some things that he can 'expose'. That must have sent some of his cronies and perhaps some other political foes into a state of panic. Now he announces his resignation from UMNO, and has put out a call for everyone to do the same. Its as if he is signaling to those that  do not want their ugly linen to be exposed to follow him. Its a distraction, but one that seem to have several layers of meaning.

Actually, Dr M should just leave things be. He need not have stirred the hornet's nest. Let the newer generation fight their own battles, tackle the country's problems and manage the political landscape. He seems to be implying that the party and the country is going down the drain without him. He's 82 and has suffered a few heart attacks. Why put himself into harm's way again and suffer another, which may be fatal?

I, for one, applaud Dr M's resignation from the party. Shocked? I don't see why anyone should be. He has been doing this sort of things from time to time. There can be no surprises, need be no surprises. At his age, he should have faded away gracefully. instead, he is trying to fight his way out of retirement, which is a pity. History would have remembered him better, but I suppose the ghosts of the past would not let him alone. Whoever wants to can follow him. These people are probably the excess baggage that Abdullah Badawi is only too glad to get rid of - in this case without lifting a finger.

Ironically, Anwar Ibrahim and the opposition parties are probably the beneficiaries of the ongoing spat in UMNO.

Save the ringgit

Malaysia's National Service is a joke, according to some. Yet others refer to it as an "Outward Bound Course" - fun and meaningful. At 3 months, it is 27 months short of what Singapore's more serious National Service is. However, Malaysia does not claim its National Service programme as anything other than social bonding stints. But some Malaysians think the bonding can be deadly - already 6 lives have been lost in its 4-year history. That is perhaps one death too many and some Malaysian want the NS abolished. The newly minted Opposition is carrying the flag for these people in Parliament, which is the only place where abolishing the NS programme can take place.

Predictably the government is not budging, but if the numbers in the abolitionist camp grow, then DPM Najib may not be able to hold out. Frankly, the current Malaysia NS is a waste of time. Social bonding? In 3 months? There is no quicky route to long term genuine bonding. It probably would take a lifetime to bond adequately. I say, save the ringgit for other more pressing national causes. But don't let the ringgit saved go into anybody's pockets.

Slippery slope

If nothing, there is one thing that is begging for an answer in the arrest of Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) - is Najib Tun Razak involved in the death and murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu? So far, Abdul Razak Baginda has been fingered together with two policemen, but there is fierce talk out there that Najib's hands are tainted too. The Rakyat's questions have not all been answered, and given the state of the judicial system in Malaysia today, it won't be answered any time soon either. And given the state of the justice system in Malaysia today (and this includes the police and their political masters behind them), it is not surprising that RPK is now being thrown into the slammer for even suggesting that Najib is involved in this sordid affair.

Not only is there vehement insistence among the Rakyat of Najib's complicity, I have heard similar sentiments expressed by Singaporeans with equal vehemence. No smoke if no fire, so instead of shutting up RPK, the Malaysian government - the elected representative of the Rakyat - must do what is right to silence idle talk, or admit to the truth. Sadly, since a top politician, the number 2 government official, is involved, the current loyalties in the government makes the telling of the truth impossible.

Malaysia has notched itself one rung lower in the eyes of its own people, if not the world.   

Dr M Speaks

One and a half years ago, some friends of Malaysia's former PM, Dr Mahathir (Dr M) reputedly set up a blog named UndurLAH in support of his call on PM Abdullah Badawi to step down as PM. That blog, UndurLAH was shortlived, or neverlived, because I managed to register the UndurLAH.blogspot.com (the blog that you are now reading) to blog about things Malaysia. A search for UndurLAH.com, UndurLAH.com.my, etc. returned nothing. So I wonder if ever that report was true in the first place.

Now, Dr M himself has taken to blogging, with his freshly minted www.chedet.com blogsite. It is surprising that he has done so only now. His daughter, Marina M, has been blogging for some time now. Better late than never, I suppose.

His one entry has so far has attracted more than 600 comments - not bad for a beginner - although some of those comments seem patronising to me. One thing I did notice about how Dr M blogged - very civil service like, numbering all his points. It is said that Singapore's George Yeo blogs (here and here) in this manner too. I suppose habits die hard for these government (and former government) officials. Once an officialese, always an officialese.

Whatever, it will be interesting to see more of Dr M in print rather than just hearing him shoot his mouth off.

Angkasawan technician

Yes, there is no more funds for Malaysia's space programme. So its second prospective Angkasawan, Major Dr Faiz Khaleed, will have to look at the moon and the universe from one side of a spyglass - the telescope, for now and in the future. Dr Faiz was brave about the decision by the state to stop at one. He reportedly said that the "space mission should no longer be about sending a Malaysian to space but for Malaysia to embark on the aerospace industry" - brave words, those. It this is so, then stop referring to it as the space mission. Its just like saying building the second Penang bridge is not about building a bridge... Ironically, this bridge project is also stalled by a lack of funds.

I pity the Dr. I am sure he trained long and hard for the prospect of going to space. His government failed him because it persisted in wasting money sending its one and only Angkasawan to space on a Soviet Soyuz and giving him the impression that he will still be very involved in the space industry. Wake up Dr Faiz, your employer just admitted that it went bust. Do you still want to be around and stick with them? What aerospace industry are you talking about? The country cannot even sustain its own automobile industry - the national car project has been sick for a long long time - do you think the aerospace industry will go anywhere except perhaps into MRO? Then you will be a glorified Angkasawan technician repairing aeroplanes. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, Malaysia did not buy that Soyuz spacecraft from the Russians. Otherwise there will be yet more space craft to do MRO on....

No UMNO

I find it nothing short of comical that Dr M is now taking the charge to pull down PM Abdullah Badawi through rescinding a rule that he put in place to protect himself. He has gone public to get his UMNO cronies to get AB replaced by changing this rule, which he originally put in place when he was first challenged by Tengku Razaleigh for the Presidency of UNMO back in 1987. This rule required the contestant to have at least 30% of the UMNO party's divisions backing. It was this very rule that kept Dr M. in power for as long as he was, until ill-health forced him to retire. I suppose his health has improved leaps and bounds since then.

Dr M was famously irked by AB for canceling the many programmes and projects he had put in place before he retired. I suppose that is akin to tearing to shreds any vestige of the prestige he could take away with him to the grave. Projects like the KLIA, Petronas Twin Towers, MSC, the Malaysia Car and Cyberjaya are examples of these projects that came to fruition, but many have not turned out to be the successes that he had hoped for. Fortunately, for Singapore, his crooked idea of a crooked bridge to replace the Singapore-Malaysia Causeway was never realised. Maybe that is why AB had to cancel the projects still on the drawing board - so that the country does not waste time and money putting up a veneer of grandeur - grandeur that Malaysia cannot really find meaningful in their lives and are often sources of cronyism, nepotism and corruption.

BN is now more broken that it was just after the losses it suffered in the last GE in March. I can see a gleeful Anwar Ibrahim, who has gone on to form a formal alliance of the 3 major opposition parties that took control of 5 states and denied the BN a 2/3 majority. If the state of turmoil continues in UMNO, and the people in UMNO do not band together instead of fighting one another, then the end may not be far off.

Say what?

Dr Mahathir is again not doing credit to himself and the Islamic world at large. In response to Geert Wilders' Fitna video, Dr M is calling on the entire Muslim world to boycott Dutch products. Can we hear something more original and more effective, please? As a long-serving PM of Malaysia, with geo-political experience, I expect him to have more than a certain level of understanding and knowledge of the world today compared to the common man/woman. Therefore he cannot not be aware of the fact that many people in the Netherlands are Muslims, his brothers and sisters in the faith he professes and claims to be defending in his latest 'call to arms'. His call for the boycott will probably hurt Geert Wilder, but it will also hurt his brothers and sisters in the faith too, many of whom live in the Netherlands today. The world is no longer a monolithic Dutch vs Malays vs Chinese, etc. in any one piece of land. And Dr M labeling every person who is Dutch anti-Islamic just because one of them acts in a certain way is surely immature and unbecoming of a former statesman and PM . I daresay that some 17 year olds can be more mature in thought compared to him. Is he getting senile, I wonder? On the other hand, the Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has reportedly called on the Islamic world to be level-headed in its response to the film. "Let's keep a cool head and warm relations," Mr Verhagen was quoted as saying in Asharq Al Awsat, which is read in many Arab countries. He has "...distanced his government from the text of the film, which he said made generalisations and was polarising." (Today, 31 Apr 2008 "Dr M calls for Dutch boycott').

Dr. M will do well to keep his own counsel and not shoot off that mouth at every opportunity. It appears that the more he says, the more he chips away at the goodwill and legacy he has built up over so many years among his people and those of the world. Granted not many in the Western world are particularly enamored of this straight-talking man, but continuing to give offence in such as a manner discredits his thinking and makes even his friends cringe.

Shadow Krising

For Abdullah Badawi (AB), it isn't going to rain. It is pouring. First, he led his BN alliance to its worst showing in a General Election, though it did help him shed some major deadwood from the government. Then Mukhriz Mahathir fired off a letter urging AB to step down. AB is now facing a constitutional crisis in the State of Trengganu (Terengganu) when the state's royalty (whose sultan is also the King) rejected the government's nominee for Menteri Besar (Chief Minister). Tungku Razaleigh Hamzah added oil to the burning house of UMNO by challenging AB for the Presidency of UMNO, which is the same as challenging AB to move aside and let him be the PM. Now, there are poison-pen letters swirling around Malaysia that is seeking to pull down AB, Anwar Ibrahim-style.

Gosh, these politicians in Malaysia sure have a thousand and one Keris' up their sleeves. Strike while the keris is hot, I suppose, and pull down the incumbent. When the Opposition party claims they can save Malaysia, that is to be expected. But when the untried (Mukhriz), the also-run (Tengku Razaleigh) within the same party, and the silver-spooners (the King) want a piece of the action, you begin to wonder if Malaysia is going to the dogs (who let the dogs out, woof, woof), if you would pardon the expression. If Mukhriz and Razaleigh had any wonder formula, they should have shown it already. As it is, Razaleigh didn't even contest the last elections and Mukkriz's margin of victory is nothing to shout about. Sure, you might say that AB is a failure, but people who failed the first time around should be given a chance to make amends. If half way through and he doesn't show results, then people can boot him out, no questions asked.

Would a change in leadership bring about any good at this time anyway? I think not. And even if a change is necessary, UMNO should support Najib Tun Razak instead, not an also-ran uncle of a royalty.