Bung Mukhtar Resigns as MP! (And the mysterious object in pocket)

Kinabatangan MP Bung Mukhtar created a shock that is rated at 9.5 on the political Richter scale when he responded to a call for his resignation with a totally unexpected move!

It had started with a predictable, garden-variety, dime-a-dozen, Yawnn! call by the Sabah DAP after Bung was handed a one-month prison term and fined RM1,000 by a syariah court for committing polygamy with actress Zizie Uzette Abdul Samad without the court's permission.

In the Daily Express, Sabah DAP Welfare and Rural Development Bureau chief, Jeffrey Kumin said Bung, "in being a lawmaker himself, is a bad example for the people to follow, especially among the young generation. "We cannot accept such a figure to continue to sit in Parliament because this will bring a bad image to it," Kumin said.

In a totally unanticipated response, Bung Mukhtar said he agreed with Kumin... and resigned! Bung thus becomes the first person in Malaysia and the whole of South America and Africa to have done so. In a press conference which was also attended by Zizie, an emotional Bung said:

"Yes, I was arrogant to ignore the syariah regulations and simply married Zizie. But you all must understand... Tak tahan oooo! I love Zizie so much I did it.. Uwaaa Huwaaaaaaaa!", wailed a distressed Bung.

CAPTION: Zizie... Can you blame Bung for his favourite song? - Tak Tahan Lagi (Melly Goeslaw)

Zizie quickly hugged Bung: "Hush, Bang Bung Bang (`that's his pet name', Zizie winked).. Here, let me give Bang Bung a BIIGG kiss... SMAACKK!" Bung was immediately silent, and there was a big grin on his face.

CAPTION: Same size or bigger than the microrecorder?

A female reporter, who was slightly behind Bung, made this comment to a colleague: "I don't know whether this is important or not. But I can't get it off my mind. Immediately after that, and unseen by the others, I saw Bung putting his hand into his pocket. I thought he was going to take out something. It looked like... I don't know; a bottle of Livita. Or a battery. Don't know what; he didn't bring it out, whatever it was."

Sibu - The Greatest Miracle Since Moses Parted the Red Sea!

Oh, no! After ranking the Sibu by-elections as "The Battle of the Century", DAP's Lim Kit Siang now declares the party's win as "a miracle".

He'd have added "The DAP's win is the greatest miracle since Moses parted the Red Sea!" had he not been worried about ultra-conservatives in PAS objecting. Savvy politician that he is, Lim - a descendant of Si Lunchai, doesn't want to create suspicions among the Kadok-Pandir clans, whose votes the DAP need to try kill Umno and the BN.

CAPTION: Nizar Kadok-Pandir (Wah, bunyi macam `British upperclass name' ye, with the hyphen)

Inspired by the bombastic declarations, and not wanting to be outdone, Bridget Welsh proclaimed of a `sea change' in Sibu: "The moment I sensed a sea change in the Sibu by-election campaign was during the Friday ceramah, two days before polling." Hardly of Nostradamus class though - this is like a football expert claiming only last week he had sensed Chelsea would win the EPL and FA Cup. 

`A miracle' and a `sea change'... because the DAP won with a 398-vote majority in a Chinese-majority constituency? HAHA! Well, with the problems Pakatan Rakyat is facing - and especially PKR - every floating straw is seen as such by one who is drowning. 

But what is astonishing is the response of those in the peninsular... and especially if they are Malays, and those concerned about racist (as opposed to `racial') politics being on the rise. Read some of the blogs and you'll see descendants of Pak Kadok and Pak Pandir also hailing the DAP's win. It's obvious that many Chinese have moved to giving support to the chauvinist DAP. And yet many in PAS and PKR are happy, for they somehow see this "as a blow to Umno".

CAPTION: Descendants and members of the Kadok-Pandir clans' gathering on 6 Feb 2009 at Bukit Chandan after a clan leader, Nizar Kadok-Pandir could no longer be a puppet of the Lunchai-Belalang clans

The descendants of Si Lunchai and Pak Belalang will be happy for this to continue. Anwar Ibrahim-Belalang only sees being PM as the ultimate - Malays, Muslims, Malaysians be damn. Ronnie Lunchai-Liu wants this to continue too - for the continued support of the Kadok-Pandir clans despite the hanky-panky in Selangor. And the Kadok-Pandir clan members clapped and cheered; always willing to lie down on roads and fight the police... while the Lunchai and Belalang smiled.

BN and PR Agree on Chronic-Candidates Quota!

Barisan and Pakatan leaders are believed to have entered a secret pact to ensure by-elections are held regularly for the "syiok" factor, MC Hammer News Agency reports. 

This comes about after the Sibu and Hulu Selangor by-elections which thrilled the respective winners -- DAP won the former while MIC carried HS. In both cases, the seats were previously won by their opponents. 
CAPTION: More ICU-class representatives, more chances of by-elections!
DAP's Lim Kit Siang, in his usual bombastic style, had proclaimed the Sibu by-election as "Battle of (the) Century". Having more by-elections will give him the chance to declare everything as being "of biblical proportions". 

CAPTION: Doktor jangka setahun lagi `Goodbye'? Berpotensi sebagai calon pilihanraya umum ni!

Since the March 2008 General Elections, there had been a number of by-elections; mostly due to the death of the representative. And most were won by Pakatan. However, since Manek Urai - and despite losing - BN now see these by-elections as avenues to score a point or two against its opponents. In a win-win situation for both, so does Pakatan... and this is how the secret pact has come about.

They have agreed that a certain percentage of their candidates will be those with chronic health problems, and are not expected to live beyond two years. Priority will be given to those with at least three ailments, especially the HIV-chronic, high blood pressure and heart disease. BN and PR also promised that these candidates will be given safe seats.

Film Review: "Nasib So Do Mi"

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's latest attempt to derail his trial by insisting on seeing some documents was unsuccessful, Associated Press reports. The show must go on...

Anwar insists there's a plot to cripple his Pakatan Rakyat coalition after PKR, DAP and PAS made unprecedented gains in the 2008 general elections. Of course there is! What do they really expect - that the Barisan Nasional would send a Hallmark CONGRATULATIONS! card? Pakatan too had a plot to defy the voters' wishes by getting MPs to cross over. So, why this playing the part of `victim'?

And what about that plot which accused Datuk Najib and Datin Rosmah of being involved in the Altantuya murder?...with Raja Petra Kamarudin the main thrust?
Does all this mean the BN - Datuk Najib especially - was responsible for Anwar's trial for sodomy? Actually, the real question that should be answered first is: Is Anwar guilty of the charge against him?

The trial is a good chance to clear his name, if he is innocent. But why doesn't he want to do that? Instead, over the months, attempt after attempt were made to disrupt the smooth running of the trial. And whenever they failed, there would be the attempt for the `consolation prize' by trying to divert attention from the main issue. 
The latest is after the failure to see the statements his accuser, Saiful Bukhari Azlan had made to the police. `Independent' media MalaysiaKini (which is `neutral, no deceit' Haha!) tries hard to create suspicion against others by asking "Why so secretive?". It even quotes a lawyer. WOW! Hopefully, the question of whether Anwar is guilty gets deflected.
UPDATE 13/5/2010 12:40pm : Yet another attempt to interrupt the trial from proceeding smoothly. Bernama reports that Anwar requested for a stay of his sodomy trial pending his appeal against the failure to obtain the witness statements. You can bet that there will be more of the same coming. What is he so afraid of??

England Squad - Liverpool's Jamie Carragher in; Man Utd's Paul Scholes declines

England manager Fabio Capello named a provisional squad for the World Cup that includes a few surprises. Besides Carragher, Spurs' Ledley King and Chelsea's Joe Cole (pix) are included. Paul Scholes of Manchester United, however, declined to come out of retirement despite Capello's offer.

Not many would doubt the strength defender Ledley King could provide. However, he suffers from severe problems where he'd need six days to overcome swelling to the knee before being fit to take the field again. The squad:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

Meanwhile, former England manager Steve McClaren, who was widely derided and branded a "failure" after England missed out on Euro 2008, has signed a two-year contract to handle German club Wolfsburg. McClaren had stunned his critics and football followers with his remarkable success as manager of FC Twente, a club with modest resources in Holland. In his first season, he took them to second place in the Dutch league. This year, he topped that when FC Twente emerged as champion, beating the giant clubs of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, AZ Akmaar and Feyenoord.

Besarnya Mat Bond! ... Let's send Aminur's friend to Henry Gurney

Surprised to see the two bonds escorting the accused -- Makan beras berapa guni dua mamat ni?? Or is it a case of the accused being pint sized?

A police corporal, Jenain Subi was charged with causing the death teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah Police corporal charged with causing the death of Aminulrasyid The maximum sentence is 30 years. This should appease the mob calling for blood.

I feel sorry for him, really. But the trial will also be a good avenue to reveal what had actually happened. It will also be the time to grill the witnesses - unlike in press conferences, they will face a lot more scrutiny to what they say. Hopefully, the truth will come out.

Okay, now that one person is charged, how about taking action against the others responsible? "What others?...the other policemen in the chase?" No - the person who had allowed the deceased access to the car despite knowing it is an offence. And the passenger who was with the deceased. 

Did he urge Aminul to stop? (which he'll insist on, I'm sure). Or was he the cheerleader? Or, was he silent throughout... ketakutan lah katakan.

There's something the should be looked into -- after the car stopped, and despite knowing it was the police - the authority - he ran away. Now, isn't there something in the law that this action can be charged with?

Maybe someone is asking why I'm picking on "the poor boy". Well, the poor boy had made various claims against the police in a press conference, which only helped to make things murkier. He was moving around at 2AM like nobody's business -- it looks like the parents don't care. So let's put him in a place where he won't be so free... the Henry Gurney School. Haa, kasi ketar lutut sikit dia ni.

Monkey Business in Kelantan Palace with `Black Panther’

WHO opened the backdoor and let it into the Palace?? Don’t you know about its urine – the stench spreads and lingers if it gets the chance to piss inside.

Like so many, I had hesitated to talk about things related to the Kelantan Royalty out of respect and deference. I was content to let KijangMas, who is a member of the Kelantan-Pattani royalty, express what he thinks… and I will just follow quietly.

But when politicians and those with questionable motives get a foot in, it’s no longer possible to be passive. Laywer Param Cumaraswamy said “this was the first habeas corpus application in the world to seek the release of a ruler of a state.” Sounds gleeful to me…

The affidavit supporting the writ was made by the Tengku Temenggong of Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Sultan Ismail, the third son of the sultan.

KijangMas had said this:"My message to the assorted schemers, shadow play puppeteers and their coterie of sycophants plus the petty usurper wannabe or two, the Kelantan Rakyat will not allow your ludicrous pantomime of the absurd to linger in our midst.”

That was more than a month ago, and unfortunately the said perpetrators have not taken heed. Clearly, something must be done. Unfortunately, we can’t hope that the state government can be relied on.

Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat is content to just say nothing and do nothing. As reported in The Malay Mail, “He [Nik Aziz] said although he was considered as the advisor to the Sultan, it was better for him to remain silent in this case rather than take any action that might offend a particular party as it was an internal family problem.”

`advisor’ means “giving advice”. And being head of the state government also means the Menteri Besar is expected to not just say but also do when it comes to matters affecting the state’s highest institution. When you are the leader, you are expected to make the decisions and do the right thing.

And especially when you claim to base everything on “the Quran and Hadith” – which also means you care only about Allah – why this fear of “offending a particular party” when you do the right thing?

It can be argued that not taking any action is an action in itself; and sometimes that’s the best course (yeah, I’m sure Nik Aziz’s hardcore supporters will claim he “was guided by an inner voice”). But look at what has happened – the authority of the constitutionally-appointed Regent is being undermined… the royal family’s reputation is being tarnished… the people are confused. All this because nothing is said or done.

CAPTION: Tengku Muhammad Faris Sultan Ismail, the Tengku Mahkota and also the constitutionally appointed Regent of Kelantan, which in essence is the de facto sultan. 

But the state government has made its choice – while you are free to choose your actions (or `no action’), you aren’t free to choose the consequences. This is a principle of Life. Since you have washed your hands off the matter, don’t complain when others decide to take action.

Many aren’t willing to keep quiet and let the situation get murkier. Journalist Datuk Yazid Othman has written an excellent analysis in his post of KEMELUT DI ISTANA KELANTAN PERLU PERHATIAN PIHAK BERKUASA. Among other things, he said [translation is my own]:

[…]I am of the opinion that the authorities, especially the Federal Government, does not take these lightly, for fear that it will become a negative precedent and reference for a case of neglect. On the contrary, it calls for an intervention that is serious, firm and effective before something unbecoming happens again at the Palace.

It is worthwhile to note that Datuk Yazid wrote about this interesting and pertinent observation by a historian – Every 40 years since the 17th Century, there had been bloody incidents in Kelantan started by the Tengku Temenggong.

The Regent and Tengku Mahkota, Yang Maha Mulia Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra (pix above), must be able to rule in peace. And the perpetrators must be dealt with firmly… NOW!

Technorati Tags: kelantan royalty,tengku muhammad faris petra,tengku fakhry,kijangmas,dap,malay mail

Prison Break (Bad Blood) - Teabag and the Janda Anak Dua

Remember the Prison Break series which made its appearance on our screen in 2006?...with Michael Scofield purposely going to prison to rescue his brother, Lincoln Burrows, who was on death row? 
I had missed it, but thanks to the generosity of Noor Azman Othman aka ArahMan7, plus a bit of cetak rompak, I have all the episodes covering four seasons. Season 2 is my favourite - it starts with the prisoners being on the run after escaping from Fox River, and their efforts to recover $5 million buried by an old prisoner.

One of my favourite episodes is #17 where murderer/rapist Theodore Bagwell, who obtained the loot, set out to continue his relationship with Susan, a single mother with two children. Susan was his girlfriend... until he was arrested and convicted for six rape and murder cases that included children. 
A shocked Susan left him. Bagwell aka Teabag swore revenge - although Susan moved to another place when Teabag escaped, he managed to trace her... and holds the family hostage.
Now Teabag is a despicable character, but there are moments in the series when his past and hopes for the future are revealed. He really loved the janda and wants to head "his new family". There are poignant and touching scenes in Episode 17... and frightening, as the scene above.
Having taken Susan and her children to his house, which was abandoned, isolated and vandalised, there are flashbacks of Teabag's history. He is the in-bred child of a man who had raped his retarded sister... a victim of circumstances. But he showed intellectual capacity, and his father would show that off to his drinking buddies, exclaiming "My boy's gonna be President!" But he didn't provide the way -- instead, the father was a vile and disgusting cretin who had also sexually abused Teabag when he was a kid.

In the dreary, abandoned house, Teabag poured his heart out to Susan... how he became like that, and his promise and resolve to be "a new, good person who will love Susan and her children". He pleaded for Susan to "just love him a little". But Susan couldn't lie... and this angered Teabag. He locked them up in the wood cellar, thinking about what to do with them. Susan was at the top left opening, crying while pleading. Teabag's eyes then rested on the axe...
When the door was opened, Susan and the children were jolted; expecting to be killed. But it was two armed policemen who came to their rescue! They told Susan they had received a call about "a hostage situation". Susan said no one knew they were there... except Teabag.
It was Teabag who called in the police... he couldn't kill them. And there was that scene of him after making the call... with tears in his eyes of not getting the affection of the woman he truly loved. BRILLIANT EPISODE!

PAS' Mustafa Ali Wins "Kepala But*h-lah!" Award!

This is what you'd let out when you hear or read something that you - and the speaker too - know isn't true. In this case, PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali's statement about Kickdefella's RM4 million allegations wins this week's award. TAHNIAH, YE!

CAPTION: April, May, Jamadilawal, Rejab and whole year fool --- In Wednesday's New Straits Times under the title of "Pas sec-gen refutes blogger's claim", Mustafa has denied Pas funding the blogger to discredit former Prime Minister Dollah Badawi. Here's the statement that won him the prestigious "Kepala But*h-lah!" award:

"If Pas wants to topple Umno, then Umno wants to topple Pas. But it is not Pas' agenda to discredit an individual because it is against our principle as an Islamic party."

 Hello, Mustafa - KEPALA BUT*H-LAH!


Vulgarity on my part? Maybe. But no apologies from me -- when someone claims himself as "guided by the Quran and Hadith", he has set high standards... and he must walk the talk. Pas leaders and supporters have shown countless times over the years that they don't. Offhand, I can quote at least a dozen within a minute where Pas had knowingly and gleefully launched shameless attacks against individuals; especially Umno leaders. So, for Mustafa to try claim that they don't and that they are "an Islamic party" is a no-shame lie that deserves an appropriate reply.

ADDITIONAL BONUS POST: There's an interesting post by Tam Dalyell here, about DAP's lies concerning "Ketuanan Melayu"... and how the Melayu Bingai which include supporters of Mustafa & Co morphed into cows... Tam Dalyell: Setakat Rakan Kenduri.

Tough Life for the Mat Bond

The police detectives aka Mat Bond… named after the 1967 comedy starring one of my favourite slapstick comedians, Mat Sentul.

This film was, of course, a local parody of that international megahit franchise of 007 James Bond. If you watch Mat Bond in 2010 with a critical and fault-finding eye, there are a lot that you can criticise.

But back then, as a kid and with not too many entertainment sources, Mat Bond was one hilarious and memorable film. Who can forget Mat Bond’s secret room – accessible by lift from the toilet!

See this post last year titled “Malay James Bond Rocks” from the blog WASTED 2.0 by Shanmugam Lakshmanan. The picture is taken from there incidentally.

Anyway, for our policemen, it’s a tough position and situation they’re in. So often, they are always regarded with a negative view with various accusations thrown in. Unfortunately, some of them are true.

And so they’d live with people eyeing them with suspicion and some loathing… until those times when their presence and authority save you or a loved one from some crime. Or, in helping you seek retribution towards something committed against you.

Right now they are under a lot of heat due to the Aminulrasyid Amzah fatal shooting case. And with the deceased being only 15, most people appear to have thrown in their lot against the police. This includes politicians, of course; for better or worse.

But there’s one thing we should remember – is it too much to ask that we be fair in our judgment?…or at least try to?  Can the IGP be faulted for being displeased with how the family of the deceased had given a press conference, using a key witness who was also in the car?

But then again, could they really be blamed when the police claimed they had found a machete in the car – a fact that Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad refutes based on the account of another witness? If what this witness says is true, then it’s tampering with evidence… and the Mat Bond are now saddled with another issue to deal with.

Technorati Tags: malaysia police,aminulrasyid,khalid samad,mat sentul,mat bond,malay mail

APCO Bites Anwar in the Ass

Eh, ini dah jadi `terbalik’ – biasanya, Anwar yang dikatakan… Heheh! Ini tak tuduh apa-apa ye.

Anyway, what goes around comes around, and Pakatan’s attempts to score political points regarding Apco have rebounded on themselves.

PAS and PKR especially had flogged the Apco issue to death during the Hulu Selangor by-election, in a desperate attempt to make this stick in people’s minds: “Umno is Apco is Yahudi”.

Unfortunately, it was met with a yawn by the voters. Worse, unintentionally, it has opened questions in Americans’ minds about what Anwar really is. Previously, they saw him as “Malaysia’s liberal democrat”. Now, it’s something else… and it’s not too flattering.

There are American journalists who really have a good grasp of Malaysian politics, who take the time to do their homework and are fair in their analyses. In the case of Rachel Motte of The New Ledger, she is also accurate.

In The Reversal of Anwar Ibrahim last Thursday, Anwar fanboys and Pakatan Rakyat supporters won’t be too happy that an American publication isn’t automatically on their side; isn’t automatically praising “Anwar’s virtues” and his purported “just cause” as some two-bit western `journalists’ are wont to do.

Here’s a bit of Motte’s analysis from The New Ledger:

Unfortunately, Ibrahim has decided to make his mark in domestic Malaysian politics — away from CNN, Al Gore, and Johns Hopkins — as an anti-American, anti-Semitic demagogue […] [Anwar] Ibrahim has now effectively trashed his old friends in Washington and has used this PR contract as an excuse to spin a dark conspiracy theory of Jewish control, Zionist plots, and subversion.

Well, congratulations, PAS and PKR!… your dumbass cheap attempts to exploit Apco have definitely made an impact! But to Americans and Jews, don’t worry: Anwar the chameleon will move the opposite way when it suits him politically. Don’t be surprised that he’ll then wear a small skullcap, and also claim he’s from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel who somehow found its way to Malaysia! HAHA! 

Technorati Tags: malaysia,united states,media,anti-semitism,anwar ibrahim,the new ledger,rachel motte