For someone who claims to be well read and learned, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s choice of word “stab”, to describe the claim that he had neglected to help the Indian community. Check this link/article in Malaysiakini. Around the world, the cases of stabbings are staggering. Terrorists on the rampage in London. Children bringing knives to school for “protection” from bullies. People with mental health issues carrying knives to kill others as in the Sydney tragedy. Gang members demand recruits to their gangs to knife people as an initiation process into the gang. Gang members stabbing rival ..read more

By P Ramakrishnan It’s very clear that neither KK Mart nor its local supplier had ordered socks bearing the word “Allah”. Then how did the socks – only five pairs – reach KK Mart? This issue has spiralled out of control. A petrol bomb was thrown at KK Mart in Bidor. Lives have been threatened. Unreasonable demands were forced on the supplier company by a flash mob and NGOs. If some Muslims, particularly the Muslim politicians, were upset that socks bearing the word “Allah” were on sale, it is perfectly understandable. It is shocking that such socks could be manufactured for sale. Was it done ..read more

By Yin, Wad 5, Tanjung Rambutan Let’s get this straight, this is a Malay Economic Congress, the blanket term “Bumiputra” does not give the true picture because what do the Orang Asli of West Malaysia and the Orang Asal of East Malaysia get from this? The word “Bumiputra” is often used so as to make it appear that they are fighting for the minority indigenes when it is almost exclusively about the Malay majority demands.  I am not being racial about it, merely calling it as I see it. If one were to distil the title further, it should be called the Elite Malays Congress. Ask yourself ..read more

By P Ramakrishnan Pas is politicizing the Federal Court decision, agitating the Muslims seemingly by stirring the cauldron of hatred and fear, and it further wants to amend the Federal Constitution to empower syariah laws. The photo inspiration Whenever there arises a dispute over a matter of disagreement which cannot be settled by commonsense and compromise, it is referred to the judiciary to act as an arbitrator for a settlement. In most cases, the final decision of the court is accepted graciously and the matter ends there. But it is not uncommon to have disgruntled disputants who ..read more

By P. Ramakrishnan In this article I’m not discussing the merit for pardoning Najib. I’m not questioning the Pardon Board’s decision. I’m just stating some facts which have not been raised so far! It is my considered opinion that the Federal Territory Pardon’s Board (FTPB) is not legally obliged to announce to the public its decision on Najib’s appeal for pardon. There is no law to compel it – this is a fact. Nobody has clarified this legal position and therefore many speculations are floating around. This is not the first time the FTPB has met. In the past after they had met they had not com ..read more

By Yin, Wad 5, Tanjung Rambutan What is “pragmatism”, this word which has been much bandied about by self-proclaimed “realists” (another word in danger of becoming hackneyed). Veering from the narrow dictionary definition and to put it in the Malaysian context, it means that if something is too difficult to change one should be pragmatic and accept the “reality” of the situation. In other words, to accept what is unacceptable because these pragmatists/realists think change is impossible.  Or if one were less generous, that they are too apathetic to attempt change. All changes require sac ..read more

By Yin, Wad 5, Tanjung Rambutan When news of Najib’s pardon surfaced it brought a collective howl of protest by Malaysians not seen in a long time. Why? Malaysians ask in a collective gasp. Then it turned out to be untrue. Utusan Malaysia could not retract the news fast enough. But who fed the rag this news of Najib’s pardon? Utusan Malaysia could not have fabricated it out of thin air, thin smoke perhaps . . . be careful what you smoke.  I suspect the government’s department of disinformation has been working overtime on this. Call me cynical if you want but I am convinced it was a deli ..read more

The new Mis-Communication minister, Fahmi Fadzil is the other minister besides the Federal Territories Minister, Zaliha Mustafa, who should tender his resignation, and failing that, should be sacked. If you recall, Zaliha, as the rakyat’s representative of the Pardon’s Board, failed to make known the rakyat’s needs which is NOT to grant the convicted felon, Najib Abdul Razak, a full pardon. We also did NOT want the board to commute or shorten Najib’s sentence. We do not agree to both. What have Malaysians gained from Fahmi’s tenure as the Communications Minister? Websites were blocked and requ ..read more

By Yin, Letters from Ward 5, T.R. How much has 53 years (using 1970 as the start of robust racist policies) of Ketuanan Melayu/Bumiputraism/Racial Discrimination cost us? How much has it cost us as Malaysians? As a country? How much has it cost the Malays as a community? Cost to the Malays Though it may not be apparent, there is a cost (some unquantifiable in monetary terms) to the Malays for the decades of privileges they have given themselves.  Article 153 was formulated as a means to lift the Malays to the socio-economic level of the other races – and rightly so. Initially th ..read more

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) deals with corrupt politicians and civil servants with the one bullet to the back of the neck. Russia sends corrupt politicians to work as forced labour in the Siberian gulags. In South Korea, Egypt, and some countries in the west, corrupt politicians are swiftly brought to trial. Incredibly, our system of justice appears to move at a snail’s pace. Puad Zarkashi On 2 January, Umno-Baru supreme council member, Mohd Puad Zarkashi, said that the rakyat would like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate both former prime minister, Dr Maha ..read more