Leaving behind 2007. I ushered in 2008 in the (voluntary) solitary confinement of my car. I could hear fireworks in the skies and I wondered how many millions has been blown away last night and how much more I would have to pay for a litre of diesel in the new year. It was just 70 sen when I got the Rexton not 4 years ago!
I thought back of 2007. Of the lawsuits against Jeff Ooi and I that forced the agenda for the blogging scene* in Malaysia, and which has helped redefined me as a journalist. Of Nathaniel and Raja Petra Kamaruddin. Of All-Blogs which we set up to protect and promote what we believe in.
I will remember 2007 for Bersih and Hindraf, and whenever I think of the Batu Burok incident and the people who were arrested for trying to exercise their right to peacefully assemble, I would smile at the courage of my lawyers who shook Putrajaya in their black-and-white and set the mood for the so-called street demonstrations (they are more like street strolls, not too different from - and more peaceful than - the street parties that we saw last night).
Tony Yew derailed my train of thought for a moment with an sms. He wanted to know if I knew who the politician involved in the recent sex video clip was. I gave him the name of the MCA Minister who was supposed to have been in the clip, and wondered how the Royal Commission enquiring into the controversial VK Lingam clip was doing.
Health.
Health also reminds me of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's epic battle with heart ailment. For all of you who wished me good health for 2008, I wish the best for you too.
My thoughts went to the parents of Nurin Jazlin. For me, 2007 will especially be remembered with sadness, the year we failed this little girl who was abducted, brutalised, and murdered. Her death exposed our weaknesses and our failings as a society and as human beings. It brought our cops to their knees and exposed them for the inefficient and politicized force they are.
My hope for 2008 is that Nurin's killers be found.
* For a comprehensive review of the year 2007 for bloggers, read Howsy's:
Wow! What a Year for Malaysian Bloggers Part 1
Wow! What a Year for Malaysian Bloggers Part 2
Semuga tahun baru 2008 membawa harapan baru untuk kita semua.
ReplyDeletedo not be disheartened. much works need to be done to correct the wrong. hope 2008 will set a better direction for future generation of Msian. Our children will curse us if we don't stop the rot and set things right now.
ReplyDeletein 2007 we discovered there is God in a form of a politician shooting his mouth off down at the Parliament House.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and family Rocky!
ReplyDeleteLast night we were at this hotel and it was great to see people enjoying their lives. But after seeing the devastation left by the big flood I was not really in a mood to celebrate, but I was with my wife and a bunch of great people!
Yes my friend 2007 is not a great year for us, me especially, a lot of personal tragedy and loss, too much to handle sometime. But w should have strong resolve to face 2008.
Spoke to Joumana Hanna,a Canadian of a Lebanese descent and she works at the Canadan High Commission, and she is a Maronite Christian.
When asked, she said when she prays at her Church, she refers to her God as Allah.
"Allah means God in Arabic," she said.
I believe if Malays are strong and a confident race, they should not be making excuses to repress if they imagine they are under attack, they must understand that if other religions use Allah to mean God I see there is nothing with it.
Umno and the government must understand one thing, it is one thing to suppress the mind, but something else if they think they can stop people from thinking, Malays or the "Kafirs".
Me I will greet people "shalom" if I want to, for it means the same as "assalamualaikum"! So where is the problem here?! I don't see it if you ask me, do you?!
i am optimistic.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, bro.
May God prosper thy way all the days of your life.
A new day reigns
ReplyDeleteAcross the continents
Surfing along the oceans
Bringing joy and harmony
Will it be happening?
The militants never slow down
There is a rise in its evil plan
Lucifer makes it so
Planning and executions on the greedy people
The crying of lost souls
The looting of lives on the rise
The natural disasters will arrive
Unabated stronger this time
For the people-good or bad- don’t matter
The waves of losses will ring true
Yet with the natural disasters
There will be praying and songs to appease the souls
Drumbeats and smiling faces flow
Lucifer feels cheated once more
The evil doers will unleash
The brand becomes the evil singing
Echoing deep in the mountains and hills
Dare not show their faces
For demons have no place in the sun
We will see
The orgy of evil in every facet of our lives
Ringing true religious disharmony
Branding the people as they wish
Then in the ashes of loss souls
The misty snow rising to make the glow
For once there is a belief………….
Many things will change for the better
bravo rocky bru...
ReplyDeleteyesterday was history, and today we live with in uncertainties. believe in yourself, as you always did, in which the people are your agenda and priority.
good luck...
Happy New Year 2008. whispering9
ReplyDeleteRocky, you can go ahead and mention the Minister's name in your blog. After all he has also been 'MAN' enough to admit - as in the Malaysiakini article below today.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a good start for 2008!
God bless!!!
Chua: I'm the one in sex video
Jan 1, 08 4:32pm
Health Minister Chua Soi Lek today openly admitted that he was the person featured in a video depicting a man having sex with a woman purportedly in a hotel room.
Chua, 60, who is also MCA vice-president, made the confession at a press conference this afternoon in his parliamentary constituency in Labis, Johor.
However, he said that he will not resigned as minister but will instead let Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide on his fate.
The senior MCA leader, who is married with three children, also said that the 30-something woman featured in the video clip was a "personal friend".
“I am the man in the tape. The girl is a personal friend,” said Chua.
He emphasised that he did not make the tape himself.
“Who have done this is not important. What is most important is that my family, wife and children have accepted my apology,” he added.
Chua said he had met with Abdullah as well as Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and MCA president Ong Ka Ting to “personally apologised to them”.
“I appeal to the press to give me and my family some space during this difficult time.”
Over the past three days, the Chinese dailies have reported that free DVDs - allegedly showing the politician in various sexual antics with a woman - were first distributed in Muar and later, Batu Pahat and Seremban.
The scandal first broke on Saturday when copies of the DVD were anonymously placed in various streets in Muar town for people to collect. Some copies were even distributed by unknown individuals to a number of shops in the area.
Wife backs Chua
Meanwhile, Chua’s wife Wong Sek Hin released a statement in support of his embattled husband in the wake of the sex video scandal.
She said that Chua had apologised to her and the family for his sexual indiscretion.
“It is a difficult time for all of us but we have accepted his regret and apology,” she added.
“He has been a good husband, father and family man who have never shirked his responsibilities.
“We know that it will be difficult during this time but we will go through this together as a family and will support him.”
Hey bro Bru... Happy New Year to you and yours... And what, I wonder, do we as a nation want to see happen in '08? (Yeah, yeah... survey time again)
ReplyDeleteI've put up 10 of the multitude of things I'd like to see, and each "voter" gets to choose 3 of their top wishes... call it an '08 wishlist, so to speak.
Fuel price hike is almost inevitable, and frankly, I do not hold this against the government. In fact, what I would like to see happen is the proceeds of the retracted subsidy go towards a real, and world class public transportation fund (whatever happened to the RM 2 Billion promised, I wonder). We should stop gloating, comparing ourselves to other hell-holes like central African states, and other worse off countries.
We should be aiming high - which is exactly what the government is not doing. Instead, we're told constantly that we're better than Ghana (except for the RSF rankings)... WTF...
Anyways... PEACE to all, and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
happy new year rocky =)
ReplyDelete2007 is really bad!
ReplyDeletePolitical shows after shows
Many should be Oscars
for Comedy mixed with Tradegy!
The Call for Justice for RCI with sharp turn into consent of 3-man Panel!
Lina case on religion of IC.
Subashini case a flipflop of Federal & Syariah Courts!
Issue of Injunction to walk!
Attempted murder with bricks
after escaping Water Cannons & Teargas!
Hindu Lawyers under Bail & re-arrested, finally ISA with quote out of context!
Appointment of Judiciary Commissioner seeing part of an Act!
Constitution challenged by Courts!
HR celebration cannot walk!
HR poster clean-up by DBKL!
Are they the worst?
A lawyer paid and not doing work
not attending mention dates even was purportedly asked to explain to court!
Eventually Judge told client to ignore the lawyer and client has to do the work!
A bill sent in to settle further unlisted cost!
Talk to Bar, they can do not!
What the hell is Bar, lawyers and the court?
Can anyone advise how to take the recourse
or MM2H, the reverse direction to take?
Happy New Year to you, your family and readers.
ReplyDeleteNot much differrent at all living in Malaysian time domain...
ReplyDeleteJust the end digit changed from 7 to 8..the clock still rotating clockwise, still same ministers' mega pictures we see hanged all over the place..hahaha!
Anyway..Happy New Year... NKVE toll already up 10% yesterday..
Next.. petrol price.. WTF! We produce our own oil yet still have to depend on foreign market for domestic use unlike Brunei..
For diesel, I do agree we are vulnerable to market price hike due to the fact that the oil suck from Malaysia seabed is so good (also selled at higher market price compared to Arab oil)..you cannot get lower end distillation process product such as diesel & bitumen with Malaysia oil..low sulphur content (info from friend working with Petronas)..! For natural gas & petrol.. price up is totally bullshit oxymoron excuse by the govt..! Why give up long term commitment supply contract for our oil before the oil not even suck up yet from the seabed without taken into account the domestic need first?
Its the year of the rat also for coming CNY..
Deep shit screwed up country..!! Just have to live on with the life..at least I live my own life, not moaning, ranting, babling & helplessly crying for others hand to do the necessary changes for me... *sigh*