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It's a hunch which I'm hoping will turn out to be correct, that the developments we see today are a start to the first of many phases that will eventually bring closure to a tumultuous period in Malaysian history and from then on, better times for the people.I have a feeling that we will be able to enjoy more peace and quiet from now on.

It is crucial too that the government does better in crisis management because from commentaries in cyberspace and letters to the mainstream media it's obvious that the people are clamouring for a more decisive and strong leadership. A leadership that through it's statements and actions can give the people a peace of mind, that they are being led by people who know how to manage politics, the economy and provide convincing solutions to problems. Act with firmness and fairness, apply the rule of law equally to everyone, discard any signs of bias especially due to political differences.

But in listening to the people and in trying to do what the people want, the government must also remember that the public is not always right and trying to meet every demand by the public is not necessarily what a responsible government must do religiously.

Having read some of the commentaries relating to the politics of Anwar Ibrahim, I sometimes wonder if some people really know what is it they want the government to do and how they expect the police to enforce the law.

On the one hand you have a situation where people say the police must be the first to respect the rule of law and on the other you have those, including some amongst the former, who question if certain police actions are necessary although they are in accordance with the law. Treat someone special and they cry foul but apply the rules and they say the police should be more tactful.

That's why I always maintain that governance is never easy, although it appears like a piece of cake from the outside. Just ask the opposition politicians who are now administering Penang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor. As they say, criticising is always easy.

Many commentators have pointed to the fact that Anwar was freed by the Federal Court in 2004 on a sodomy charge to insinuate that the case was politically motivated and that the charge was trumped up. Yes, it is generally agreed that both the police and the prosecution did a bad job but read the judgement in full and you will understand the 2-1 court decision better.

One online commentary today quoted unnamed Barisan Nasional politicians as saying that it would have been better if the report by Mohd. Saiful alleging sodomy by Anwar had not been made because they thought that Anwar was not making much progress in his attempts to convince Barisan MPs to join his Pakatan Rakyat to allow him to one day become prime minister and that cracks were beginning to appear in the opposition coalition. In short, the allegation is not beneficial to the Barisan.

We don't know if indeed the writer spoke to Barisan politicians but again this in a way is suggesting that politics is involved. But this is not about politics. Many of my friends and I don't think so because if the government was going to find a way to try and put Anwar in jail as a way to kill off his political ambitions for good, it would have looked for another offence to charge him with because sodomy, unlike conventional rape, is very, very tough to prove.

But as a citizen Saiful has every right to lodge a report to the police, who then have to investigate. Charge someone with weak or made up evidence and the court will let the accused ago. That doesn't do the government any good, so to suggest that the government would do this just to fix someone is to me a preposterous suggestion.

A photo of Anwar's arrest outside his home in Segambut today showed at least one cop with a gun and wearing a balaclava. It may appear wrong to some people for the police to do it this way but there were security issues involved. A police method such as this one is not peculiar to the Malaysian police. It is a standard method with police forces all over the world. Go back to that day in the year 2000 in Miami when the police moved into the house of Cuban immigrants to take way six-year-old Elian Gonzalez to be sent back to Cuba to be reunited with his father. What were the cops wearing and carrying as a means of protection?

I'M still not sure what my feelings are about Sunday's rally in Kelana Jaya which was a combo to include a protest against rising prices, another platform for Anwar Ibrahim to take aim at his usual political targets and a band that was supposed to entertain but instead misfired and was lucky to escape with minor injuries after being set upon by the crowd.

I don't expect them to agree with me but I think the news item about Carburetor Dung and its vocalist Alak is quite funny. Although brought to the stadium to entertain, they found themselves targetted by a crowd that appeared not to agree with the lyrics to a song and also with Alak's underwear exposing antic. From what I've read I conclude that everything about them was a bad choice. They would be more at home with the reformasi crowd, particularly their song Mari Nyanyi Menjilat and its lyrics, but then I read that the coordinator of the entertainment segment for the day was my friend and activist Hishamuddin Rais. No surprises there for me.

The crowd of course fell way, way short of the one million the organisers said they were going to attract. In the absence of an established system to estimate the number of people present, not surprisingly one news report put the total at 10,000 while another had it at 20,000!

I've also read and read the remarks by Anwar relating to a suggestion that both he and his accuser Mohd. Saiful swear their positions on the Quran. The many reports quoted Anwar's response differently but I think I'm right to say that he has decided that he was not going to do so, as suggested by Perlis mufti Dr. Mohd. Asri but preferred the truth to the allegation be determined by a syariah court, I assume only if the prosecutors decide there is sufficient evidence to charge Anwar that is.

Other religious officials have since given their opinions on Asri's suggestion. I don't know about the rights and wrongs of it from a religious perspective but if there is nothing against the religion for someone to swear his innocence on the Quran and in the name of God, I would not hesitate to do it if I'm innocent. I'll even do it on my father's grave if that helps to dispel all doubts.

Just as he has been doing since Saiful alleged and reported to police that he had been sodomised, Anwar yesterday announced that he was going "to provide more evidence of wrongdoing by Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail". In the meantime we await what other evidence, if any, Anwar has against DPM Najib Razak. After all Anwar had said a few days ago that he was going to do so "in a few days time".

I THINK it's going to be a classic example of the saying that "you can't cheat all the people all the time", this ongoing saga which has Anwar Ibrahim as the leading act.

Granted that Malaysians have good reasons to be cynical about many things when politicians of all affiliations are involved but surely they can also stop and think. Surely they have the brains and ability to analyse statements, claims and allegations. If only they do this Malaysians will live to be better people, the country more proud of its achievements rather than being known more for its frailties and bungles.

After Mohd. Saiful Bukhari lodged the police report alleging that Anwar had sodomised him, the former deputy prime minister claimed that it was all a political game and that his life was threatened because he had incriminating evidence against police chief Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail. Anwar lodged his report against Musa and Gani today but will be hard pressed to convince a lot of people outside of his camp that their alleged indiscretions were serious enough to warrant any ill intentions against their accuser. Like one commentator on Malaysian Insider said Anwar promised a blast but produced a whimper.

It was claimed in the last couple of days that it was what Anwar had on Musa and Gani which was the reason for the threat against him. Now think. No one had heard about Anwar's so called evidence before the Saiful report. No one had ever mentioned it in public before Sunday. This being the case, how could something that was a "well kept secret" be the reason for a threat?

Anwar's wife Wan Azizah was to say yesterday that the threat was received about three weeks ago and that government agents were going after Anwar. Why wasn't a police report lodged on this? What? "We don't trust the police", you say? But you have lodged other reports with the police, including one against the police chief himself!

Think. If indeed his life was under threat you would expect Anwar to be surrounded by at least a dozen bodyguards wherever he went but he didn't have 12 men protecting him. Or he would probably go into hiding. That too he didn't. On the contrary he moved around freely, attending functions which could have easily exposed him to an assassin's bullet.

A political ploy to check on his big plans to form the next federal government and that the Barisan Nasional government had been scheming against him, plotting his downfall, planting a mole by the name of Mohd. Saiful Bukari to do a number on him? Think. He has been free to talk, campaign, travel in and out of the country, earn a living and scheme and indulge in politics since he left prison four years ago right to March 8, where he was said to be the main factor for the unprecedented successes by the opposition. And today he remains free to talk and talk to the world's press.

The allegation by Saiful is frivolous said Anwar and since nothing of that sort happened the government should just drop the case. That's what he says but Saiful has his own story to tell so we'll have to allow a third party -- the police, prosecutors and judge -- to decide the truth of it all. Think. Why should Anwar be in such a hurry to have the case dropped if Saiful is lying? If Anwar is proven right I think he need not coax the Barisan MPs to cross over to his Pakatan Rakyat; I think more than 30 will voluntarily sprint over to his side.

That the report by Saiful was a scheme to derail Anwar's announcement planned for this week about his intention to contest in a parliamentary by-election and also the decision by four Barisan MPs to join Barisan. If he did plan to contest yes I agree that the report has upset everything Anwar has put in place because he may be called in by the police. Then if the police and AG think there is sufficient evidence he most likely will be charged. Think. But surely the report should not in any way affect the decision by the four MPs. Anwar after all is not a parliamentarian who has to be there to guide and lead the four. They can be in Pakatan even without him.

Threat of a political assassination against him? Think. Anything is possible of course but in this country? When was the last time a high-level Malaysian politician of significance at the national level was dumped by his rival? And we are talking about since British times here.

But what is a drama, sandiwara and wayang kulit put together if it doesn't have elements of Ian Fleming's Bond, a bit of Alfred Hitchcock and a lot of J. K. Rowling -- for fiction. Anwar is actually the main distraction that prevents the government from focusing its time and effort to better govern the country.

IT'S amazing sometimes when you look at how a situation can change within such a short time. I remember that it was only 10 months ago when petrol station operators were warned not to reduce their business hours arbitrarily without approval from the government.

Their argument was that business between midnight and 6am was limited and the expenses did not commensurate with profits. Safety was another reason cited. That was then.

Now it's the reverse, with the government telling the stations to operate only from 6am to midnight. Anyone wishing to open round-the-clock will need permission from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry. Minister Shahrir Samad said earlier that the reason behind the shorter hours was to save energy.

When the operators wanted to reduce their operational hours last year a blame game and claims and counter-claims were heard. The petroleum companies said the operating permits stated that the stations must open 24 hours a day 365 days a year while the dealers insisted that the permits were silent on this, pointing out instead to a clause that only said a station cannot remained closed for a stretch of 24 hours. The ministry came into the fray and made clear the government position which was not in favour of shorter operating hours.

The other points of contention put forward by the dealers were commissions which remained unchanged despite increases in the pump prices and the commission imposed by the petroleum companies on payments by credit cards. The latter remains a contentious issue but the commissions on sales for both petrol and diesel have now been increased, giving dealers one reason less to be grumpy.

The real world of (political) governance
Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim yesterday insisted that he had never spoken on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Agency regarding the allegation of abuse of power by his former aide. Instead he said that based on a letter dated June 11 by the ACA he had merely stated that the "investigation had been completed".

For the record, the press at that time all quoted Khalid as stating that "the ACA said there was no abuse of power or involvement" by the officer. But never mind that because Khalid now appears to be facing a bigger test or challenge to his leadership of the Selangor administration in the form of dissatisfaction by a majority of the PKR division heads in Selangor.

That he has been bungling far too often for his comfort in just 100 days at the helm is a fact. The delay in naming the new local councillors is one and the money contributed by companies for the 100-day celebrations by the Selangor PR government another.

As we now know the monies donated were deposited into the PKR accounts, not a fund managed by the state. What is unclear is who asked the companies to donate. Khalid said he was going to ask the companies if there were any strings attached. Common sense tells me that no company will ever admit even if their arms were twisted before donating or that carrots were dangled before their very eyes.

Khalid had also admitted that the PR loose coalition may have been over-zealous in drawing up their election manifestoes. I think so and wrote about this earlier, drawing some unsavoury comments from PR followers. My suspicion was that people like Khalid may have not been involved in drawing up the manifestoes. I'm sure the brains responsible just wanted to first and foremost entice for votes and deal with the problems later. I can imagine the dialogue: "Ahh no problemla..... even if we can't deliver we'll look for the justifications later. Our priority is to first win the elections. For the next elections there will be new manifestoes anyway."

As I had pointed out I don't think those responsible went through the numbers although many of the major pledges involve money. For if they had they would have realised that it would have been near impossible to deliver even as little as 10% of the pledges.

What exactly do they want?
The federal government has decided that another round of high-level effort is what is required to resolve the illegal immigrants issue in Sabah and for this a task force to be headed by DPM Najib Razak is to be formed.

But Anifah Aman, a backbencher representing Kimanis who has been highly critical of the federal government over this problem, now says that the task force is unconstitutional as it goes against a provision in the federal Constitution which gives power to regulate and control immigration matters in Sabah and Sarawak to a state authority, in this case the chief minister.

Assuming that I agree with him, my question is why did Anifah all this while target the federal government for blame over this long standing problem in his state? This was a question I posed in an earlier post here. If indeed to him immigration is a state matter Anifah should be barking at no one else but his brother Musa the chief minister and vent his anger and frustration there. But no; Anifah and every other politician in Sabah has been blaming KL for this problem.

And now opposition politician Jefrrey Kitingan of PKR says the real problem is Project IC, not the illegal immigrants themselves because the latter to him is a "normal problem".

Enough confusion for now.

Sabah Progressive Party(SAPP) had dropped a powerful bomb at Pak Lah's administration this morning, as the party president Yong Teck Lee announced two of it's MP will submit or support a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister next Monday when Parliament sessions resumes. This will be the first no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister since independance. And I would regard this one of the most important political benchmark in our country's democracy history.

During this moment of time, when the Pak Lah's administration is being rocked by unrest and disputes across the nation, from inside UMNO to the angry rakyat,and now he's being bombarded by one of it's BN counterpart, launching a fatal attack to force him to step down. This is a serious blow to Pak Lah, being haven't recovered from the disastrous election result and internal UMNO problems, so what's next for Pak Lah?

There's no point of return for SAPP now, as SAPP is launching the attack straight towards Pak Lah, there's just two choices left - either Pak Lah is voted no-confidence in the Parliament and resign, or SAPP will have their ass kicked out from BN.

SAPP being the first party to react to the hoo-hah's of Anwar Ibrahim,had again proved that it's not simply a rumour that Pakatan Rakyat may form the next federal government before Hari Malaysia.Anwar kept saying he got the numbers of MPs who wanted to crossover,he would need at least 30 to do so. But, SAPP only have 2 MPs, people would ask - "Can this plan work out?" Well, I guess its not impossible.

Please bear in mind,Yong Teck Lee was one of the leader of Sabah Unity Party(PBS) who planned the 1990 crossover where we saw PBS came out from BN and ruled Sabah in that year's election.And,also he was also the mastermind who crushed PBS in 1994 by organizing crossover of PBS state assemblyman to BN and eventually helped BN to retain the power till now,in cooperation with the then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.And from those previous record, it’s not possible for Yong to work things out once again with the same person,Anwar Ibrahim.He did it before, and I think he may have the ability to do it again.We shall see that.

And I believe things might even progress faster than we have thought. There might be a second political tsunami striking Malaysia soon after 8th of March.As it was reported, while Pak Lah was in Kota Kinabalu to do some "last minute rescue"(apparently it failed) with the state BN leaders and MPs,some of the important MPs were no where to be seen such as the Kimanis MP Anifah Aman and Kalabakan MP Abdul Ghapur Salleh.Both of them were the candidates who rejected Pak Lah's administration to hold the post of deputy ministers.And Yong Teck Lee was on the absent list too. This is something interesting...

But at the same time,while Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR) was in joy and welcome SAPP's decision,Democratic Action Party(DAP) seemed not so happy about something. The exit and joining of some Sabah BN component party into Pakatan Rakyat would weaken their position in Sabah.And this would threaten DAP's progress in Sabah to emerge as a strong party and expand their political map.Quiting BN and joining Pakatan Rakyat might be a "one stone killing two bird" plan by SAPP to maintain their political position in Sabah(to hold on DAP's strength) and at the same time doing something for the sake of Sabahans and Malaysian(changing the federal government).Well,why not?

Well,back to reality,whether will the no-confidence motion will be accepted by the Speaker of Parliament,this is still a question to be answered.Who will table the motion and how much no-confidence votes will be voted? And will other Sabah political parties such as PBS,LDP and UPKO etc follow the steps of SAPP to quit BN?

IF there is anything to be explained it is simply this; why was the quantum so big?

I find those who say that the Government should have explained the matter better a trifle insulting, because it infers that the Malaysian people do not understand that higher global oil prices will, one day or another make its impact felt here.

We are now beyond explaining the rationale, it has been a few weeks and now most people do not care about the rationale anyway because they have made up their mind that the Government's rationale may well be flawed in the first place.

If it’s flawed why bother listening.

What we need now is action from the Government to help Malaysians cope better with the new global reality that it says it wants to introduce to the country, a world where subsidy is a dirty word.

First of all subsidy takes place everywhere, especially in two areas of economic activities, food production and cutting edge industries that typically serve the military. Some countries, especially in Europe and Japan the Governments also bear a sizeable portion of the public transportation burden

If we want to become a developed nation then we will have to reconsider our subsidy strategies in these three areas of economic activities.

Beyond that the Government will need to convince thinking Malaysians that they actually have a long term plan for the country in terms of its global role and competitiveness in commerce.

That Malaysia seems to be stuck between the rock of a manufacturing economy and the hard place of a service or knowledge economy is old news and it is also tiring to read that we seem to be no closer to an exit plan from this potentially lethal vortex.

I say that we are groping in the dark because there has been no strong injection of effort and improvements in the areas which will determine our competitiveness in the future, namely higher education and professional education.

If we are serious about taking on the world in the field of high technology and service, the Government must pour a large chunk of its money into higher education which comprises research development and it must also make Malaysia's professionals among the most desired in the world.

In my mind the first priority must go towards higher education and research. Here the Government should simply make education freely available to everyone who wishes to continue their studies.

This will substantially increase the burden of public expenditure but it is an unavoidable position as the future of the country hangs on it.

At this point we should not make the mistake of simply building more universities and colleges but also give the students more room to stretch their intellect and not be too focused on getting a degree for the sake of a job.

We must inculcate a love for knowledge among the young because this is sorely lacking in the country. If a child wants to get a degree then more often than not it is because they want a comfortable job. The pursuit of higher education in this country is rarely about satisfying the hunger for knowledge or the desire to become a pioneer in a particular field.

This change of mindset is crucial to the future of the country. As a small nation we have relatively little natural resource that we can keep digging up and sell to the world so, more than America, Australia, China, Russia and many African nations Malaysia is heavily reliant on its people to guarantee future prosperity.

More than anything else Malaysia must reverse the brain drain and start on a new economic masterplan that revolves around the development of our intellectual infrastructure and capacity.

A master plan that involves the building of more universities and packing them with world class teachers will have far fewer pitfalls than one that centres around the building of physical infrastructure in the hope of attracting foreign capital.

While there is no doubt that we need foreign investment to keep the economy humming along we also have to keep in mind the importance of knowledge as opposed to manufacturing capacity in this modern world.
Manufacturing capacity or even the actual products themselves are fast becoming generic. Even cars, which are considered the most complex mass produced item is becoming nearly identical except in design and branding.

As modern manufacturing technology becomes cheaper, the actual production of many items will be farmed out to countries which have a large pool labour that can be harnessed cheaply and we will see semi finished products being shipped back to the country owning the intellectual rights for finishing, branding and marketing.

With many contract manufacturers springing up we will see margins narrowing very quickly and this is why we must have an exit plan from low end manufacturing and enter the world of services.

The new trend now is to farm our research and development work. At the moment most of the work farmed out involves product development as developed countries try to tap the relative low cost of engineering services and keep the more critical concept development and specifying work in their home country.

India, for example is firmly entrenched as the supplier of accounting services and customer relation management solutions. Their position as software developing nation is hardly challenged.

Singapore is fast becoming a research hub in many high technology fields and they are taking a lead in some areas of financial services as well.

Thailand on the other hand has decided to become a major regional manufacturer and food production hub.

Malaysia on the other hand is left dangling in no man's land, seeing our manufacturing advantages eroding fast and being left behind in the K-economy.

We need to get on this bandwagon quickly; I believe that we have the next five years to establish ourself as a service industry investment destination.

Apart from our current lack of capacity to take on the service industry, the country may also be suffering from an image problem.

While Singapore may practice a political system that is repressive by Western standards, it is known for efficiency and excellence in many fields, its professionals are well respected the world over while Malaysia's institutions of higher education are slipping in the global ranking.

We need to find a field to excel in and quickly attract the best minds into the country to lay the foundation for the future.

The field we chose has to be a sunrise industry and one that is growing fast and has few competitors and in my mind, there area few:

1. Energy - Sustainable energy because the world cannot afford oil in the future
2. Biotech - Stem cell research, specifically organ replacement
3. Money - Finance/venture capitalism (we can do a lot more in this field than what we are doing now)
4. IT - Information warehousing and processing incorporating artificial intelligence which is what Google is doing and making a lot of money out of it and the reason why everyone should be afraid of Google
5. Food - production and processing and marketing- food will never be a sunset industry.

Personally, I think fuel prices in Malaysia need to be UNsubsidised. Subsidies are a downward spiral and are nothing less than switching of the burden of higher cost from consumers to taxpayers.

However, subsidies cannot be looked at in isolation. All national budgets are simple creatures. What is the cash inflow, and how is it matched by the cash outflow. Cash inflows are few, mainly taxes and returns from govt investments. Cash outflows are more complex, from govt spending, to govt investment, to these fuel subsidies.

I think the issue here is not the fuel subsidies. It is unrealistic for the public to expect the govt to 'PREVENT' the increase in fuel prices. Malaysia is insignificant to the overall crude oil dynamics as a producer, or a consumer. Trying to hang on to the subsidies in the face of current oil price trends is like trying to hold back a tidal wave with your bare hands. Everybody still gets drenched, and we'll also drown in the process - because we stubbornly stood on the beach staring down the incoming tsunami instead of running for higher ground.

In my mind, there are 3 connected issues:

1. Since Malaysia is a net oil exporter, the net profit from oil will always increase as oil prices increase. Because we produce more than we consume, the increased profit from selling oil that we produce, will always be more than the increased costs of paying for (including subsidies) the oil we consume.

The matter is whether the govt (via Petronas) should spend their oil production profits to 'subsidise' the consumption of oil. For me, that's a matter for the public to decide. BN and PR have made their intentions know (albeit after the elections) in that BN wants to eliminate the subsidise while PR (via Anwar's statements) promises to use Petronas profits to subsidies consumption. So vote wisely.

Me, I prefer that the govt spend the money on improved public transport, better schools and better infrastructure so that the public can increase their earning power in order to cope with the additional cost of living, rather than trying to subsidise living costs. There is no benefit in subsidise (other than delaying the inevitable doom). Additionally, subsidies are so easily and rapaciously abused as I'll show in point 2 below (only one example of many).

2. The consumption of oil itself is fraught with problems. Namely, which consumers do you subsidise? Right now, everyone is subsidised. From the kapcai riders earning RM800/mth to the biggest towkays and royalty driving Mercedes S-classes and Aston Martins. But my thinking is that individual consumption of fuel for private transportation is actually a small proportion of oil consumption.

It's the transportation industry, power generation industry and the smugglers to Thailand (by road) and Indonesia (by boat) who are the biggest users of these subsidies. Should they be entitled to it?

Smugglers... definitely not. But subsidies are like banning liquor and gambling. The more you do it, the more illicit and illegal activities will occur.

And take the power generation industry. Tenaga buys fuel feedstocks from Petronas at subsidised prices. That is justified as electricity prices to the public are also controlled. And electricity tariffs are staggered in that smaller consumers pay less, and larger, commercial & industrial consumers pay more - which is somewhat fair.

But the IPPs (independent power producers) like YTL and Tanjung also pay ridiculously subsidised prices for their fuel feedstocks. If they were selling the power back to Tenaga at Tenaga's cost of production (maybe with a small premium of for the IPP's smaller scale vs Tenaga), that would be okay. However, IPPs sell power to Tenaga at cost+ (ie. guaranteed profits), and the most ridiculous thing is that Tenaga has to buy everything the IPPs produce, even if it is in excess of Tenaga's needs. This means that the IPPs will produce as much as they possibly can to maximise profits, and therefore they are consuming the maximum amount of oil as well... at subsidised prices.

And because IPPs are currently producing excess power that Tenaga doesn't need, the excess power is wasted because it can't be stored, translating into higher costs for Tenaga and higher tariffs for the public. That also means that billions in fuel subsidies are being spent to subsidise IPP production of wasted power. Everyone loses, much is wasted and the only party gaining from this arrangement are the IPPs... and of course, their politician sponsors from BN in the background.

3. Lastly, is govt spending itself. What's the alternative spending if public funds are not spent on subsidies?

How can the govt justify such drastic moves to reduce overspending on subsidies, when we don't seem to be doing anything to reduce overspending on guaranteeing profits for IPPs, highway toll operators, GLCs like Proton, Bernas, Class F contractors, AP permit holders, govt dept waste etc?

I hope government would review the fule price.

Black Wednesday, as some people have come to call the day that fuel prices skyrocketed right up into our collective ass, has been a series of long sighs for me.

I hate sighing because it is a sign of defeat but defeated is what I felt the whole day.

I listen to the television news and reel from the many positive comments about higher fuel prices. I wondered aloud if I had gone crazy and failed to see the positive side of having to pay 40 per cent more for a tank of gas?

A friend called me to say that he is so exasperated he does not know what to say or think anymore. Speechlessness was a major feature of my interaction with people today.

Most of my friends start their conversation with a short burst of anger then shake their heads in disbelief, shuffled nervously and finally lowered their gaze to their feet and just went quiet from disbelief at what had happened.

As far as I can tell from my circle of friends, acquaintances and colleagues, the country is stunned into incoherence. There are just too many anger jostling for words and most people find their brain grinding to a halt while their hearts simmer with frustration.

Many wonder if the Government actually did think through this decision or did they arrive at it on a whim and a prayer? I think the country would like to see the numbers that our decision makers looked at before they concluded that the best thing for the country and its people is a huge fuel hike.

Have they worked out the frictional value of the fuel hike on consumer spending?

I mean if someone have to pay RM500 extra a month just to move around he/she certainly not going to go out as much. Can anyone tell me how much it will slow consumer spending? Some body had better know this number before they make this very important economic decision.

I wonder what the reaction will be when we get over our initial shock over this price increase.

My view based on the article on Thestar : Group barred from holding customary dance prayer

Living in a diversity country, mingling with all races everyday and conversing in many languages, I just could not acknowledge the ignorance of certain groups on unity. I came to a conclusion that there's no racial harmony in Malaysia, there's only racial tolerance. How interesting and true.

I can't believe how tactless the new state director of the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry, Ramli Salleh is. What happened to all that talks on "toleransi" and "semangat muhibbah" and what-not? Are they starting to go back on what they have promised the rakyat here in Perak?

If they are going to make that kind noise about a short, simple, unobtrusive but meaningful (to the performers) ritual, then perhaps we should also start making noise about the "sound" that we've been subjected to for DECADES:-

--> When our morning sleep is disturbed by a certain “song" from a certain place of worship, and intermittently for 4 more times throughout the day after that.

(Did we complain? NO - we accommodated)

I can go on and on ...but should I? NO.

Why?

Because we all know that it won’t get us anywhere. Nothing will be solved. Certain races will still be ostracized for what they believe in.

Everyone just need to be a little bit more considerate for the other racial group, maybe tolerance will soon become harmony.

What if we can't tolerate anymore, Will there be a racial riot again? It occurs to me that such an issue is only a precursor of many controversial things to come.

EVER SINCE the general election, there have been calls and challenges by Umno members for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down as party president and with it his position as prime minister.

Is this the birth of something new from Umno? Or have they so matured? This has never happened before. Even when a former president wanted to quit, there were appeals and cries of support for him to continue. Some cried openly like there was nobody who could take his place. But suddenly today there seemed many who want to take over the hot seat. Some Supreme Council members of the party openly criticise and even demand that the incumbent president vacate his post immediately. Hey presto! And Umno will be united and strong. That is what the aspiring members say. Wow! Houdinis or David Copperfields exist in Umno. Never knew that.

Maybe, the Umno president should call for the resignation of these “mushroom” hopefuls. Where they and what were they doing since the 2004 elections? Didn’t they live and rest on their laurels after the handsome win? It was that big victory that created egoistic and arrogant winners among the members. With that attitude, they took the rakyat for granted. Never in their wildest dream did they imagine they would lose so badly. What happened to the Houdini’s and David Copperfield?

Aren’t these the same group of people who now boast they can change Umno’s fortune?

I would like to urge Abdullah not to succumb to these pressures but to continue the good work that he has done and to cast aside dissenting voices and demands for his resignation.

A ship captain doesn’t abandon ship when it is sinking but is the last to jump. Let the crew jump ship and it probably will make the ship lighter and easier to float while repairs are being done to remedy the situation. That is what Pak Lah should do. Let the disloyal members leave; thus a big headache is cast off.
This action will help consolidate his position. There is no reason to fear a chain reaction. Those who jump ship can be termed as jumping from the tiger’s den into a crocodile’s territory. If at all, this will create a slide in support, it will augur well among the masses and Pak Lah’s honour and dignity will remain intact.

My concern is not so much what will happen to Umno but what will happen to Malaysia. Now, Umno with other Barisan Nasional parties administer the country and Umno holds the hottest seat – the prime ministership.

Without support from the other BN parties, Umno members would be biting their fingers. Together, these BN parties delivered 140 seats in Parliament. A simple majority but enough to run the government. There may be tough situations in Parliament but it is to be expected.

Frontbenchers and backbenchers must allow room for dissent and disagreements
Be attentive and accommodative. Show cooperation and coordination because the usual arrogance and unparliamentarily attitude and gestures are now things of the past. Tolerance and patience from both sides will create a healthy debate and save time and effort which will translate into quality results.
Pakatan Rakyat under Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as Madam Opposition should also set exemplary standards of parliamentary ship and not oppose for the sake of it. Both BN and PR can demonstrate cooperation by practising respect and goodwill in or out of Parliament.

Parliament is not a place to seek vengeance. It is a constitutional monument of decorum and dignity. People who cannot meet the requisites of an MP should stay in coffee shops instead.

If all Umno and BN party members keep calling for Pak Lah to quit, it only goes to show they are not interested in the nation’s and the rakyat’s wellbeing but only theirs. And these sorts of people Malaysia does not need. Maybe they want Pak Lah to use brooms to sweep them out.

Instead of harnessing the power of politics, Malaysians seem to be engrossed with the politics of power. I know that Malaysians love a good drama but I don't think we expected our politicians to do their best and give us our money's worth.

Less than three months after the election, Malaysia seem to have slid down the slippery slope of uncertainty, thanks to endless politicking after the people have spoken. Who would have thought that the party that won the election is tearing itself apart without much provocation from anyone? How crazy is that?The opposition must be watching and scratching their head.

Let us not forget that the election is over. The people want to get back to their daily life and they want the Government to get back to work. Lest those in Government forget or are confused, politics is not the business of Government. Politics is something the people tolerate every five years. Politics should take place after office hours, especially for politicians.

Politics should not put the country at risk.

I do understand that Pak Lah may not be the most popular person in Umno,Dato Ong Ka ting is accused of organising peeping tom squads and Dato Seri Samy Vellu is rebranding MIC but hmm, what about the unity in BN? Whatever problems the various parties have please sorted it out amongst yourselves and don't make it look like all you are consumed with is politicking.

Right now, for obvious reasons Umno is under the brightest spotlight. I say all efforts to clean up Umno and put it back on the right track must be given full support by everyone because Umno is the backbone of the Government and if it breaks, the Government will collapse.

When the world is staring at the very real possibility of a global economic meltdown, instability in Government is the last thing that the country needs. If Umno and its leaders and former leaders feel that they are the right party for the people then they had better start pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and prove it.

Again, sort out whatever problems that you have quickly and cleanly and get on with the work of governing this country.

You want a new leader? Well the party election is in December right? Open it up and let the full force of democracy rip through the party. This cyclone of member’s opinion will be the best thing for the party, it will uproot and fling aside the weak and pointless, and it will pick up deadwood and throw them out.

All that will be left behind are the strong and purposeful.
What Umno leaders enjoy now is not genuine respect and I say this because for the past three decades we hear that telling off leaders is not the Umno way, challenging the leadership is not the Umno way and open dissent is not the Umno way.

Respect cannot be enforced by tradition alone; it still has to be earned.

I do want UMNO to regain its strength, I want it to regain the people's respect and I want it to lead again not because I want Umno to lead but because we need two strong opposing parties for a two party system to work.

If Umno collapses then it would bring Barisan Nasional down with it and the people would be left where they started with a one party system, only now it would be called Pakatan Rakyat. Well, at least that is Anwar Ibrahim's dream.

A note on leading: When I say lead I don't mean just being in front by being the most powerful political party in the country. When I say lead, I mean the party should have foresight and vision and be able to bring the people together and march towards the greater good of the country.

Yes Umno is still the strongest political party in the country but leading it is not.
It is staggering with every heavy step, dragging its feet under the heavy burden of false tradition and bleeding respect from the many wounds of infighting.

Just remember one thing, Democracy is about choosing leaders from the ranks of the people and the people are made of the intelligent as well as the stupid, the honest as well as the criminal, the strong as well as the weak, the visionary as well as the backward.

We can choose whichever way we want.

If the system is open and free, then most of us will try to choose representatives who are smart, honest, with strong conviction and a visionary. If the system is manipulated, the stupid, bent, weak minded and backward can remain in power.

If I can only have one quality in a leader, it would be sincerity. A leader can always find smart advisors to help him or her run the country but if a leader is not sincere then no one can help him.

Once again, stop the politicking and get back to work.

Watching the ICJ judgment of Pulau Batu Puteh and subconsciously my law lessons started flooding back and I found myself glued to the screen. Shocking.. I never thought I would ever find a court judgment interesting again but this one is really gripping.... at the moment the tribunal is showing favour to Malaysia....it keeps saying that the island is still part of the Johor sultanate but then it began wavering slightly…..oh the suspense

Then when it got to 1844 in the timeline, the court decided that the actions beyond this point will determine sovereignty----it said intention is crucial...

Did we acquiesce to the Singapore? Did Singapore's act require a response by Malaysia to determine that we conceded sovereignty...

It started by saying that Singapore is merely lighthouse keeper.....

Then said that Singapore is unclear of events in the preceding century....

But when a Johor state secretary gave away our claims to Singapore things get really interesting...

Singapore said this merely confirmed that Johor had no historic title to the island...huh?

Malaysia says state sec does not have rights to give away territory

But then we did nothing about it so it looks Singapore is getting into the lead..

Latest news: VERDICT:

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered its judgment on the sovereignty dispute case over Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge between Malaysia and Singapore today.

The decision for Pulau Batu Puteh was in favour of Singapore and Malaysia was given sovereignty of Middle Rocks. Decision on South ledge was unclear.

I was thinking of writing about my view on how MIC or BN should rise again from the GE12 downfall then, as usual I need to voice out my view on our current political situation.

2 months after the elections and things don’t seem to be slowing down. Here are some of my thoughts on the elections as we herald the coming five years of political showdowns.

Critical Politics
Perhaps one major political mainstay in any country is criticism. All types of criticism. The freedom of expression was meant to protect that criticism. The goal of it is to see that the current administration does not go unchecked in any and every policy that it executes. It is there to expose a corrupt politician, raise awareness on current social issues and seek reform.
It is also an outlet for anger and frustration and a justification for harsh words, the government, or “Send the Altantuya murderers to hell”.

There’s a spirit behind destructive criticism. It spells pride, unforgiveness, anger, rebellion and perhaps, a lack of self control. It demeans the other and seeks to raise the anger of others. It tears down a country (not just the administration) and offers no means of cohesion. No country was ever built up in anger.

I don’t doubt the arguments these critics raise. Yes, there are problems with the administration. Yes, there is corruption. Yes, some races have been neglected. However, I doubt the spirit behind these criticisms. Judgmental, perhaps? Condemning? Derogatory?

It’s not just bloggers I’m referring to. It’s the public in general. The coffee shop conversations, the small talk at the office pantry, the discussions around the dinner table and perhaps, behind Cabinet’s closed doors too. It permeates all sorts of relationships. It taints Parliamentary discussions with mind-numbing talk [just look at KJ’s and other MP’s debate between Projek Khinzir Raksasa (Giant Pig Project) and Babi Negara (National Pig)].

We need to rethink our use of criticism. Does it construct, or destroy? We don’t just want people who are willing to be imprisoned, which makes for good anti-government propaganda, but we want people who are willing to risk their lifestyles (note: not life) to bring change. There is a lot to commend bloggers for, despite their often frustrated attitude, and as we progress, we hope our criticisms will begin to exhibit a love for the country and *gulp* its administration - a love that rebukes and a love that rebuilds. We critique with hope.

PAS?
As a result of protest-voting, many people took a chance and voted for parties led by leaders with disputable backgrounds or conflicting ideologies. It did not matter to voters, even if parties like the Pan-Malayan Islamic Party (PAS) had extremist tendencies. Suddenly, the media was abuzz with how tolerant PAS-led states were compared to the creeping Islamisation in the rest of the country during the previous government’s rule.

Maybe it is all political - that PAS would shed its extremist views in favour of ‘tolerance’ or ‘religious harmony’. This election’s results sort of put PAS in a quandary. Yes, more seats, but their sustenance depends on their compromise with the rest of the Opposition. So much to the effect that PAS itself was considered a swing party in some Opposition-led states.

What effect will this have on religious issues in the country? I don’t know. What I do know is despite whatever is said or done, the people must continue to strengthen the relationship without being biased about race.

Malaysia’s next 50 years will write a radically different history from its first 50. :)

Although the 12 GE has over, the consequences of the outcome still haunts Barisan Nasional day and night. What I can conclude ( my personal opinion and experience ) is we can learn 3 things based on the upshot.

First, we must constantly learn and develop ourselves. If we stop learning, we’ll be obsolete very fast. The oppositions were hard pressed to spread the news of a need to change the way of governing. Due to the restrictions in media, they learnt to use current technological means of disseminating news. Blogs, Youtube and websites have only grown popular in the past few years, yet the opposition is able to use it effectively. BN however, were ignorant about it until after the election. If we continually invest in personal development, then we can keep up with the changing trends of the world and keep abreast of new developments. This will enable us to find opportunities and seize it.

Second, blogs, youtube and news websites cater to targeted readers and viewers. They flock to such sites because they are looking for answers. They are looking for solutions to problems. In this election, the people were unhappy with the problems caused by the government, so the people were looking for solutions. The opposition provided the solutions in the blogs, youtube and news websites. Not only that but the blogs and news website also pointed out and reinforces more problems and provides the solutions as well! This is the way to be successful in internet marketing. You need to find a big problem or problems faced by many people. Then you provide a solution to the problems and charge an affordable fee for it. Internet marketing is that simple. But implementation is difficult because there are some basic technical skills you need to know first or if you are press for time, you can outsource it.

Third, know your competitors. If you are sitting in an ivory tower and don’t know anything outside the tower, you are being ignorant and doomed to fail. BN has failed to hear the people’s voice in the last 4 years. They also grossly underestimated the opposition team. If you apply this in your internet marketing or offline business, you are sure to fail. If you don’t hear what your customers want and just anyhow offer something which the market dislikes, how are you going to make a sale? You need to understand or know your competitors so that you can formulate successful strategies to fight for sales. So, understanding your customers’ taste, preference, market trends and your competitors are very important.

I'm a new kid in the blogasphere,guess i'm one of the late bloomers yet latest in the arena..

Blogs and bloggers have always been a subject of interest for many. Some say bloggers hide behind the mask of anonymity when criticizing or condemning people, organizations or policies. Others say bloggers are irresponsible cowboys who "shoot" randomly at people. Others meanwhile want to regulate blogs.

However, it is interesting to note that blogs started off as an alternative means to relay information and disseminate news from a different perspective - usually from the man-on-the-street's point of view. Most definitely, blogging has gained momentum in its popularity, so much so that it is now no longer considered to be an "alternative" or "underground" media, but instead it is regarded as "mainstream."

Certain quarters here fail to acknowledge this until the political Tsunami that hit Malaysia on the March 8th general election. Now, it seems everyone is blogging. Of course, a number of politicians (mainly from the opposition) have started blogging a long time ago. Lim Kit Siang for instance is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, to do so. Then there's Jeff Ooi with his famed Screenshots blog, although he started blogging way before he joined active politics. And there's also Tony Pua who blogs from Parliament. From PAS, the one that I am aware of that has a blog is Husam Musa. Then there is PKR's Che Gu Bard - who took on and lost to Khairy Jamaludin Abu Bakar - in Rembau in the general elections. And of course, the list wouldn't be complete without mentioning Anwar Ibrahim’s blog.

Barisan Nasional members have also joined in the fray, although I must say that I wish they had done so much earlier. Former Selangor Menteri Besar, Dr. Mohd Khir Toyo has started blogging after BN lost in Selangor. Perhaps he now has a lot more free time to spare in the blogosphere. The Ketua Menteri of Melaka, Mohd Ali Rustam has also started blogging. Perhaps the earliest of the BN leaders to blog is the maverick politician, Shahrir Samad, who is now a minister in the current federal cabinet.

Retired politicians also have their blogs these days. One of the earliest retired politicians to blog is Ruhanie Ahmad. And don't forget the latest kid on the blog - Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad!

While Tun Mahathir may be new to the blogging world, his outspoken daughter is not. Marina Mahathir's ranting is as spicy as ever as her articles in The Star. And most certainly, there are many more political blogs around. We are actually spoilt for choice. The only thing that I wish to state is that, it is best that we don't take what is written at face value without counterchecking the facts. What is presented may be one person's point of view. As with many things in this world, there are many views as there are people.

It is good to see that freedom of speech is alive and well in the blogosphere at least. While freedom of speech is much cherished, equally important is the wisdom that has to be coupled with the freedom. Wisdom must exist on the part of bloggers as well as blog-visitors. Nonetheless, it goes without saying that everyone is indeed blogging these days....

..including Amitabh Bachchan!

Living in Malaysia all my life, I have never seen deadly riots ala LA 1992 or France 2005. I have never seen a leader assassinated the same way Juvénal Habyarimana, Rafik Hariri, Indira Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto were. I have never seen Indians chopping Malay heads, nor have I seen Chinese people burning Malay homes.

But what if someone did? Who will be responsible? What can be done?

Those are three questions that have led to the creation of the ISA. After May 13 1969, the ISA is set up so that such event won't happen again.

In the cases of Ops Lalang and the HINDRAF 5, I know it's unfair for journalists, activists, and politicians to be locked in Kamunting and get punished ala Shawshank Redemption, but that doesn't mean the ISA should be repealed. Sure, the mistreatment was unfair, but we can change that.

I partially support street rallies hold by Bersih, UMNO Youth or any organizations. I again partially support the causes of HINDRAF because it's the best way for the MIC to reform itself.

However, street demonstrations must be held in a civilized and orderly manner just like Anonymous and Stop the War Coalition, and the protestors must be responsible for their own actions. I don't want street demonstrations to be turned into riots. I don't want shops and businesses being destroyed. I don't want this country to have a bad worldwide image. If such happens, where do i look up to? Of course, I look up to the ISA.

In the wake of the DAP and the Pakatan Rakyat calling for the repeal of the ISA, here's an advice: Don't repeal it, but reform it. I say let's make things better. Let's change the ISA. Give more freedom, more trials and less punishment. Give its detainees sunlight. We don't want a South East Asian Guantanamo Bay. We want the ISA to be a lesson for May 13.

Let me tell you this: If Lim Kit Siang/Abdul Hadi Awang/Anwar Ibrahim is the new PM, none will repeal the ISA. Why? Because street riots always happen in every country, and the only way they could control is through he ISA.