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Salam 1 Muharram. Wishing all my Moslem friends Ma'al Hijrah and happy hols to everyone. To my brother who flew out to Damascus this morning to lead some members of our media in the convoy to Palestine, fly with God and drive the truck like a hurricane. You ducked bullets from Baghdah to Acheh, so this one should be a piece of cake. I pray.

Was reading OpEd, the half-Malaysian and tiga-suku Singaporean, and would like to join him here in his prayer of a paragraph:

Di Malaysia, sebagai setengah warga Malaysia, saya doakan agar negara kurang berkecamuk dengan politik murahan, dan agar jasa dan perjuangan umat Islam lebih dihargai.

Saya pun doakan agar Malaysia juga kurang berkecamuk dengan politik marahan ... bad for peace.

After hours, English in HK Chinese schools, Mirza

Don't focus on the main headlines (see my earlier posting here for that); I want to highlight three articles on the cover of today's The Malay Mail:

1. MACC pun Boleh

In my posting 27/11 posting Scotland Yard, Interpol Boleh ... Kenapa MACC tak boleh?, The Malay Mail reported that renowned enforcement agencies in advanced countries allow witnesses to be questioned after office hours and, therefore, there was no reason why the MACC should not be allowed the same privileges.

The Courts of Appeal this morning ruled that the MACC can interrogate witnesses beyond office hours. It's not going to be a popular decision but if we want the MACC to do a great job (and we all say that's what we want), we should empower it.

In the meantime, Teoh Beng Hock's inquest mention is on Jan 7 to allow parties to brief court on status of second post-mortem and to fix new trial date.

2. Hong Kong Chinese schools prefer English

And here in Malaysia we shot down the PPSMI ...

3. MACC allowed to appeal Mirza's acquittal

I think the MACC is wasting its time. Yes, it wants to exhaust all avenues in the name of justice, but it's really quite clear to those who know the facts of the matter that the Tourism D-G did not commit any wrong doing.

Whose mansion in the sky?

A mansion in Carcosa. No, fortunately not another sky kingdom of the teapot cult (pic) that infected some of us when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was prime minister and we were hungry for guidance and leadership.

Do get your FREE copy of The Malay Mail this afternoon, or look for the news on-line at www.mmail.com.my on why this proposed mansion in Carcosa is rather mysterious ....

The perils of critical appreciation of Indians in Malaysia

Kecoh, kecoh, kecoh:Indian leaders lodge police reports against Utusan Malaysia editor Zaini Hassan. Free speech? Hehe. Like Azmi Anshar said in his article last week, most Malaysians can't take free speech. Especially those who advocate free speech.

When The Malay Mail wrote the story about caste politics in the MIC back in September, we were slapped with 21 police reports, including from one of our own big vendors who is also an MIC leader. This vendor and I farted ways after that, which is a blessing in disguise!

I've read Zaini's piece. It's a swipe at the likes of M. Kulasegaran who vowed recently to continue questioning some matters pertaining to the position of the Malays (for some, including the "perjanjian keramat" to borrow Anwar Ibrahim's term of social contract). Not against Indians. Not Indians in India, not Indians in Malaysia.

I pasted his article Indians in India, Indians in Malaysia a few days ago h e r e.

Anwar accuses BTN of releasing "basement tapes" on him

“I would anticipate that BTN in its crooked ways will not dare release all the videos of all the speeches. So what they would do is selective and will quote out of context and release." - Anwar Ibrahim to reporters yesterday

History and Rhetoric. I've watched one of the said 40 tapes of Anwar Ibrahim at various Biro Tatanegara courses. He was already Deputy Prime Minister back then around mid-90s and most of what he was saying was nothing new, really. Some history lessons, the rest rhetoric. It's the same rhetoric and history some of the Umno leaders are churning out today, except that now they are being accused (by Anwar and followers, ironically) as proponents of Ketuanan Melayu or Malay Supremacy. It is up to the Umno politicians to defend what they say. On his part Anwar, I'm sure, will at least stand by his words on the perjanjian keramat between the tuans of this land and the pendatangs. “In the historical context during our agreement in 1957, we gave citizenship to the immigrants (pendatang). Since we have given them (immigrants) citizenship, the question of the Malay’s special privileges should not arise." - Anwar as reported by Malaysian Insider. That's history, not rhetoric.

Several friends from Pakatan Rakyat have called to say that the tape I cut-and-pasted on this blog here was a little under-the-belt. I disagree. I am merely sharing what was already on the You Tube and I did not take any credit for it (I made links to the You Tube and to a blog that has posted the video earlier). The NST and Utusan have reported my posting and TV3 aired part of the clippings during prime time news last night, also based on my posting. If the tape and its contents were fabricated, Anwar would have said so but he did not [click here for report on what he said about the release of his BTN tape]. And if what Anwar is saying is that other Umno leaders were dua kali lima (just as bad as he was), then it is true that we should blame the politicians and not the BTN itself. The politicians include Anwar.

As a Malaysian, I am just glad that if the BTN had indeed been used to promote semangat Melayu, it was done so not at the detriment of race relations in this country. If the BTN was a brainwasher and propaganda machine, it obviously didn't do a good job (otherwise, we would not have Nik Nazmi who attended BTN course as an undergrad would have been "turned"; instead, he became even more resolute to change things from outside the "system" and today is a YB with PKR).

We haven't suffered any racial clashes since the last one in May 1969 despite of all the fiery speeches by Anwar and whoever else at BTN. Despite BTN itself.

Dewan Rakyat to probe PM's pol-sec's conduct

Nazri Aziz to table motion. The Minister in charge of Parliament, Nazri Aziz (pic with the finger) is expected to table a motion in Parliament this morning to initiate a query into the conduct of Shafie Abdullah (below, right) the political secretary to Najib Razak the Prime Minister, who had allegedly confronted an MP over references the YB made to him in the august house.

The MP, YB Wee Choo Keong (with glasses) has accused Shafie of confronting him in Parliament last week for calling him (Shafie) "the de facto Mayor of Kuala Lumpur".

Hop over to Wee's blog to find out details of the committee that will be set up for the purpose of investigating the allegation.

Nazri had met Najib the other day h e r e over his spat with the elder statesman Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the BTN. I don't know if the Shamurai had discussed the possibility of the parliamentary investigative committee with the Shogun. If he did, we can safely conclude that the PM raised no objection.

Nazri to shut the duck up!?

Last Sham-urai. I just left a comment at Jalan Sudin, about how Nazri has succeeded in telling the whole world two things:-
1. that Najib is dictatorial (for tellng him to shut up about BTN or argue about it with Dr M) and 2. that Najib is fearful of what people think of him and is even more fearful of Dr M ("... the Prime Minister is very concerned that some quarters may think that I am being used by the leadership to criticise Dr Mahathir...").

Mangkok hayon betul mamat ni. Sorry, I can't find the equivalent in the English language.

Read Joceline Tan's report Nazri to back off from attacking Dr M after talk with Najib h e r e. The sub-head for this posting, "Last Sham-urai" is in reference to Miss Tan's analysis on Friday Of civility and the last Samurai h e r e .

Basement Tapes on the Bureau (Biro Tatanegara)

BTN and Ai. In my previous posting, a blogger called Panglima Perang Cyber left a comment and pointed me to a site that has put up a 16-year old clipping supposedly of Anwar Ibrahim when he was UMNO, still Dr Mahathir's blue eyes, and in charge of the BTN (which he and followers now label as racist, etc).

Watch the 6-minute tape and listen for yourselves. There are subtitles too. You can watch it on YouTube h e r e or go to www.anwaraidc.com, which is not a pro-Anwar blog. The latter carries a commentary underlining some of the things that Anwar has probably never said in public, like calling some people "pendatang".

And I hear there are 40 (forty) such tapes in all.

Early show of leniency by Malaysian court in big graft case

RM350,000 only bail for alleged RM254 million CBT. The AG Chambers and the two enforcement agencies - PDRM and MACC - must be thoroughly disappointed with the judge in the case of OC Phang who was charged yesterday with two others for criminal breach of trust amounting to RM254 million. Bail was initially set at RM2 million!

The Court has also kindly allowed her to travel to the US on family matters. OC Phang can hold on to her passport until Jan 12.

I don't know about you but I think the Court is being very lenient. Maybe unnecessarily too lenient.

p.s. I would like ot thank those of you who highlighted the role played by Allahyarham Ancient Mariner - al-Fatihah - in making Malaysians aware of the PKFZ issue. The Malay Mail spoke to Imran, the late Captain's son, h e r e. On his last day on earth, Capt Yusof was in Port Klang, probably talking to his sources. Read his last posting (July 12) on PKFZ headlined PKFZ: Who will take the rap?

Crackdown at PKFZ: First arrests, more in the offing

With Updates ..
More to be charged over PKFZ, says AG [Malay Mail]
PKFZ: More people to be charged [NST]
Ex-PKA GM claims trial to 3 counts of CBT amounting to RM254 million [The Star]


Original article:-
Phase One. The authorities arrested 3 people last night and will charge them in court this afternoon in connection with corruption, misappropriation, embezzlement or whatever else which have led to multi-million losses at the Port Klang Free Zone project.

These are the first arrests made re the PKFZ scandal since Najib ordered investigations into all aspects of the case, here.

"This is just Phase One". And I'm told that we will see SEVERAL more phases in the coming weeks and months as the police, the AG Chambers and the MACC (with the new man at the helm) conclude their investigations. The list of people to be hauled in includes at least two politicians, one of them a former Cabinet Minister.

The PKFZ was conceived during the 1990s as a project to provide improved facilities for international cargo distribution and consolidation at Port Klang, the world’s 16th busiest port. Its development, covering some 400 hectares, opened up a can of worms when its cost rose to RM4.6 billion from RM1.1 billion.

For a BM translation, courtesy neutraldaily.blogspot.com below, click H E R E.

A Pol Sec in the soup

With updates

Dewan Rakyat to investigate YB Wee's allegations against Shafie Abdullah. Next Monday, or perhaps Tuesday, a motion will be tabled in Parliament to initiate a formal inquiry into claims that Shafie, the PM's political secretary, had confronted the Wangsa Maju MP' over the few references Wee had been making about him as the "de facto Mayor of KL".

If Wee's allegations are true (the MP says in his blog here there were at least one witness to the incident), Shafie would be in for a tough time. Not to mention the embarassment he'd be causing his boss.

Updated: Check out YB Wee's latest posting D-Day for Shafie Abdullah

Updated 13/12/09
Political aide: I did not confront Wee (The Star, 11/12)
Datuk Shafie Abdullah lied through his teeth in the Star today (WCK, 11/12)

Nazri's true intentions behind "racist" remarks

Creating friction. Nazri's latest antics, here, can spark a crisis between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Prime Minister. So far, their relations have been cordial. If Dr M thinks that Nazri was put up to it and Najib Razak chooses to keep quiet, the situation can be like what we saw during Pak Lah's tortured reign, when the PM was seen as using his machais to demonize Dr M, which forced Dr M to attack Pak Lah.

If Dr M and Najib are at loggerheads, it won't be good for Umno and BN. And if Dr M starts whacking Najib the way he was whacking Pak Lah, it can't be good for the current Prime Minister.

Already, pro-Umno bloggers have called for Nazri's sacking from the party. Read Nazri Aziz wajar dipecat and Another turncoat: Just watch this caveman!

Updates: Syed Imran thinks Mahathir and Nazri dua kali lima
Jebat Must Die's Nazri Battling Against His Own Intelligence (and he won!)

In Malaysia, another blogger is sued

updates, cont'd:
4. Nampaknya Zaid tak tidur nyenyak, by I am a Malaysian (Eric, I thought this was a posting in BM. If it was, I would have bad news for you: Zaid pun Melayu jugak, so he understands BM and you may still get sued for this! So lucky for you coz your posting's not in BM!)
5. Zaid blames Kadir for insomnia by Mat Cendana

Original article:

Senator Zaid Ibrahim Saman Saya by The Scribe

Zaid Ibrahim vs A. Kadir Jasin. I can't explain how Zaid Ibrahim, whom I once described as "maverick", has gone down this way. When Jeff Ooi (now YB) and I were sued by the NSTP and its top execs in early 2007, Zaid was one of the people who "walked" with us, meaning he supported us (which included Marina Mahathir, Haris Ibrahim, Bernard Khoo, Syed Imran, Sheih Kickdefella, Mob1900, Elizabeth Wong, Big Dog, A Voice, Raja Petra Kamarudin, and many, many others). Now Zaid has joined the queue of influential and wealthy individuals who are suing bloggers.

Why, Zaid, why?
The Scribe, who is being sued by the former Umno strongman who resigned to join PKR and is now one of Anwar Ibrahim's trusted lieutenants, isn't the only one asking the question. We all want to know. A Singapore blogger was so taken aback: "And that's the future Prime Minister of Malaysia?"

With his latest action, I no longer want to describe Zaid as a "maverick". A maverick is unique, someone who dares go against the flow, a person you respect - even grudgingly - for his principles. (In any case, Barry Wain has given the title the "Malaysian Maverick" to Dr Mahathir, a fact that many commenters have been reminding me lately). Someone suggests another adjective - a 5-letter word that rhymes with"maverick" - to describe Zaid, but hit my head with a brick (which also rhymes with"maverick" and is a five-letter word), why would I risk being sued by Zaid for calling him a "prick"?

Notes: Kadir's article that offended Zaid is entitled Zaid, the Hurrican Hattie of PKR dated Oct 21. Zaid's scathing response to that article came just a day after, entitled Kalau Hati Dah Busuk ..

Pic is the cover of this afternoon's The Malay Mail. Read the stories online, h e r e.

Bloggers' takes:
1. Pembangkang takut hadapi kenyataan by Syed Alhabshee
2. Pro freedom of speech senator suing blogger by Jebat Must Die
3. Kadir Jasin sued by Zaid Ibrahim by Zakhir Mohd

Glassman's scoop

Just to put on record that I saw this picture first at Glassman's blog under the posting biaDAPs. Utusan Malaysia front-paged the news only the next day. Click here to see the upright picture and read Glassman's words. Kit Siang and son Guan Eng have since said sorry for the antic.

“I was taken by surprise when confronted with the doormat and tried to avoid stepping on the three pictures but not completely with success," Kit Siang said.

Hehe. Iyeke? Click h e r e to see the picture upright.

Updates: More pictures at Unspinners h e r e.