Son Of a Gun!

and ours not to make a judgement....

The story of a man with 39 wives and 100 (give or take a few) children. Not in Malaysia, though.

Read the story here.

Bringing Down Taib Mahmud

From the latest posting by Rocky's Bru "Bolsover Revolution, Against Taib Mahmud : At 9am on Feb 28 (Monday), a group calling themselves Friends of Pakatan Rakyat will be at Bolsover Street, London, to speak up against Sarawak chief minister Taib Mahmud, highlighting his excesses and abuses, his ill-gotten wealth etc.

Here's the email that Rocky received:

"On 26th March 2011, it will be 30 years since the Sarawak Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud, one of the most corrupt politicians of South-East Asia came to power. On the 28th February concerned Malaysians and friends would like to highlight Taib's personal responsibility for the chopping down of most of Sarawak's rainforests at the expense of the indigenous communities. We would also like to protest against the international community's inaction with regard to Taib's blatant corruption and his placement of assets worth millions of dollars in Western countries.

With the impending election, we aim to:
- discredit the Taib reign internationally as a corrupt kleptocracy that has earned its riches through logging and corruption.
- Pressure the authorities in Malaysia (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission MACC) and western countries (Canada,USA, UK and Australia) to start investigations against the Taib family.
- In England - assets of Ridgeford Properties Ltd, belonging to the Taib family, should be frozen. The serious fraud office (SFO) should determine if the Taib family financed the real estate swindler Archilleas Kallakis."

-----------------------

Selangor menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim has already called on the Sarawak people to bring down Taib in the upcoming state elections.

"Stepping down is the biggest challenge Taib has to face, and I hope that the people will answer this challenge by electing leaders whom they believe have the interests of the people at heart and one who will lead the state to greater heights and prosperity.

"There is no need to be agitated or frightened by Taib's refusal because we do not want to answer him by arguing with him. The answer for the people of Sarawak lies in the ballot boxes," he said in an interview with Radio Free Sarawak yesterday.

The rest of the story HERE.

Salam Maulidul Rasul...

Kepada umat-umat Islam semua, saya ucapkan selamat menyambut Maulud Nabi!

Tomorrow, Muslims the world over celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW.

Peace!
Glorious Peace!

Today, We Celebrate Love...

with a beautiful poem by the late Usman Awang.

KEKASIH

akan kupintal buih-buih
menjadi tali
mengikatmu
akan kuanyam gelombang-gelombang
menjadi hamparan
ranjang tidurmu

akan kutenun awan-gemawan
menjadi selendang
menudungi rambutmu

akan kujahit bayu gunung
menjadi baju
pakaian malammu

akan kupetik bintang timur
menjadi kerongsang
menyinari dadamu

akan kujolok bulan gerhana
menjadi lampu
menyuluhi rindu

akan kurebahkan matari
menjadi laut malammu
menghirup sakar madumu

Kekasih, hitunglah mimpi
yang membunuh realiti
dengan syurga ilusi.

-----------------------------------
here's the English translation

BELOVED

I'll twine the froth of the sea

into a rope

to tie you.

I'll weave the waves

into a carpet

for your bedchamber.

I'll spin the clouds

into a veil

for your hair.

I'll sew the mountain winds

into a nightgown

for you.

I'll pluck the star of the East

a brooch to sparkle

on your breast.

I'll bring down the darkened moon

a lamp to light

my desire.

I'll sink the sun

embrace your seas of night

drink your crystals of honey.

My beloved, how many dreams

murder reality

with illusions of heaven.

The Journey Is Just Beginning For Egypt!

History was unfolding in Egypt before our eyes as Egyptians rose to demand freedom from the regime of Hosni Mubarak.
We are all witness to this uprising, this incredible story.
United in wanting Mubarak to step down as President, the people of Egypt unflaggingly kept the momentum for 18 days.
Anger, desperation, frustration and despair were etched in the faces of the people who converged in Tahrir Square, Cairo.
Finally, that moment to rejoice came yesterday. Historic and awe-inspiring it was for people of Egypt when Mubarak announced that he was stepping down.
They wept for joy. They celebrated like never before.

They have overcome.

I salute you!

May the future be yours to shape. May Egypt be better and be the country you want it to be.

But after the euphoria, what next?

For sure, this is just the beginning of the journey, the transition, for Egypt and her people.
Changes/ reforms will take place, no doubt.

As a journalist puts it:

"The questions that floated just beneath the euphoria included: whether the authoritarian regime was indeed over, how a country of weak political institutions and few opposition leaders would organize a transition, and whether Egypt could both transform itself and remain a stable force in the region."

May it all be good news for the people of Egypt. We all pray for your well-being and glory!

(Anyway, one of the many blogs I follow on the Egypt uprising is THIS.)

Early Valentine's Day Greetings, Y'All...

I suggest that JAKIM and other religious authorities, government agencies work doubly hard to ensure that orphans are not exploited by people who pose as ustaz who care for their welfare.

Just saying... prompted by all these calls of anti-Valentine's Day!

Here's an excerpt:

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is launching an anti-Valentine’s Day campaign Friday.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom said the campaign would be launched during a forum, "Awas - Jerat Valentine's Day" (beware of Valentine's Day trap) in Putrajaya Friday night.

Apart from members of the public, Jakim has also invited 1,000 students from higher learning institutes to participate in the discourse.

Jamil said the National Fatwa Council had, in 2005, decreed that Muslims should refrain from celebrating Valentine's Day, as it was not part of Islamic practices.

Today, The Council of Churches responded:

"Valentine’s Day is a secular observance that is not celebrated religiously by churches in Malaysia or worldwide.

The council's general secretary Reverend Dr Herman Shastri said the National Fatwa Council had erred when it referred to Valentine’s Day as a Christian observance and has hurt the feelings of Christians in Malaysia.

“To suggest that Valentine’s Day is observed by Christians is unfair and misleading".

Here's the thing: I'm no ulamak...but I can tell you that you won't go to hell if you celebrate Valentine's Day.

Besides...How is celebrating Valentine's Day sinful?

Can't buy cards? Can't buy flowers?

Duuh!

Does Selangor Really Need Another (police) Force?

The Selangor Government has got to convince me that the state needs its own auxiliary police.

Right now I am not convinced.

According to Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, the state government has already written to the Home Ministry for approval of the plan. It has not got a response yet.

Khalid said the state needs the auxiliary police because of the increasing crime rate in the state.

This, he said had created concern among the people and the state government wanted to seek a concrete solution to counter the problem.

"The people’s safety is the state Government’s priority and there is no reasonable excuse as to why the Federal Government has to reject our service in efforts to protect the people,” Khalid said.

He cited as examples recent incidents where two security guards were hacked to death in Damansara Perdana and an eight-month pregnant woman was allegedly assaulted.

Khalid also said the state’s intention was to assist the police to carry out crime prevention and not to take over their duties.

Certainly, the home ministry would need time to make a decision on such a matter. You can't be hasty in this sort of thing.

I'm a Selangorian. But I'm sure people in other states are just as concerned about rising crime rate.

I am heartened to know that measures have been taken to reduce the crime rate across the country. That's what Pemandu CEO Idris Jala said last month.

Anyway. I don't want an auxiliary police force in the state.

Sure, the setting up of one will help curb crime. But having it presents other problems, I foresee. So, at what cost?

The police should take the cue. Obviously the state government thinks that the police are not doing a good job or that the police really need help. Unless, of course, it has other motive. I'm not going to speculate.

But, I can't believe that the police force needs an auxiliary police force (of the state) to help it out.

If the police force is suffering from manpower shortage, then it has to find ways to overcome the problem.

Back to Idris Jala's report on the crime index.

The crime rate has been brought down. It is not ZERO crime rate, he said.

He said:

“The numbers we have from January to November show that crime has dropped – for every cousin who is robbed there are thousands of others who are not robbed. Zero crime only exists in heaven lah.”

He said the government has been working hard to reduce crime in the last 11 months, starting with the mobilisation of 14,222 police officers to 50 hotspots, mainly in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor. This was followed by the installation of 496 CCTVs and ranking of 753 police stations for their achievements.

These measures, he said, have worked as crime incidents in those hotspots have gone down.

Overall crime index and street crime fell by 16% and 38% between January and November this year as compared to the corresponding period last year.

But this is fast changing with the revelation of the positive police statistics, Idris believes. From January till November 2010, crime has dropped to 157,000 recorded cases from the 180,000 during the corresponding period last year.

So...there you are!

Sorry, John, I'd Have To Disagree With You!

I know that John Malott, former US ambassador to Malaysia is a good friend of Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

So, it stands to reason that he would defend his friend. I understand that.

But, his take on Malaysia published in the Wall Street Journal, "The Price of Malaysia's Racism", is a misrepresentation of facts. Yep. There is such a thing as a misrepresentation of facts. You cite facts, and then you misrepresent them. Like THIS.

Reading his piece, you'd think that Malaysia is a terrible country, torn apart by racial clashes.
We should all be packing up and fleeing to some wonderful civilized country.

I take exception to his portrayal of Malaysia. But well, he is free to say what he likes and the good part is, I don't have to agree.

Do read Rocky's Bru
Jebat Must Die
Shamsul Akmar's
Johan Jaafar's

GONG XI FA CAI!

By tomorrow, everyone would be back in their home towns. Most towns and cities outside the Klang Valley will be crowded and congested, as usual during festivals. Yay! KL and PJ roads will be traffic-free.

Anyway, folks, have a safe journey home and happy holidays.

Have a wonderful Chinese New Year!

May the year of the rabbit bring us all prosperity and lotsa good things!

Oh Mubarak! Oh Mesir!

Egyptians have taken to the streets to protest their president of three decades, Hosni Mubarak.

According to activists on the ground, the numbers are just getting bigger and bigger. And soldiers are joining the protesters.

There is a tangible, strong sense of solidarity.

Embattled and very unpopular Mubarak says that he'll step down -- in September,

They say he is "offering a mixture of concession and defiance". Some say it's a trick.

I'm just really wondering -- what will Egypt be after all this is over? Will it be a better Egypt? More democratic?

Meanwhile, our students in Egypt (mainly in Cairo), numbering some 11,000, are trying to get out of the country. Most are so scared.

The government will be evacuating them. The first evacuation of Malaysian students from Cairo to Saudi Arabia will begin by tomorrow (Thursday) at the latest.

Two C130 RMAF aircraft are being despatched to Cairo today to fly the students to Jeddah.