Anti-Blogs Propaganda.
I am convinced that an anti-bloggers campaign is underway.
Today I am hearing about "politically-motivated" blogs. Whatever that means. Blogs by individuals who have political motives?
Well, that's what our Information Minister said. He thinks he can fix the problem (with bloggers) the Singapore way. But he hasn't got it quite right. Read it here.
Too many general and vague statements about blogs and bloggers.
Some statements don't make sense.
Must be made out of fear because people cannot be that "sense-less". Or can they?
These are not criticisms of blogs and bloggers. These are attacks, against specific blogs. Systematic attacks to discredit some influential bloggers. Never mind if the rest get hit.
Nothing spelt out yet. But we get the message. The heat is on.
"Stop criticising what you perceive to be excesses and abuse in government and by the government, of bad decisions and anything you see to be an example of poor administration."
"Stop blogging or else!"
Or else what?
"Or else we will put the fear of government into you."
Are bloggers getting out of control?
Are blogs bad? Are bloggers worse?
I think not.
Read this and get an education.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
Searching For Nazrin
Muhammad Nazrin or Yin (picture) is missing -- somewhere out there, where he shouldn't be.
The 5 year-old was last seen at 2pm on Saturday (March 31) when he was on the 2nd Floor of Sogo Shopping Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur.
Yin was out shopping with his family -- father Shamsul Ghazali Shamsudin, 34, his 25 year-old mother and 4 year-old brother.
They are from Medan Klebang Restu, Chemor, Perak,
His distraught parents are awaiting news of his return.
A police report had already been lodged.
A police report had already been lodged.
PLEASE PLEASE HELP IN THE SEARCH FOR LITTLE YIN. The Malay Mail will be distributing posters to help in this.
The Malay Mail story is here.
BlogosFear And Accountability
Watching the Watchdog
According to TimesOnline of the UK, bloggers have exposed untruths and cover-ups that traditional watchdogs in the mainstream media have missed; one blog scoop famously cost the American newsreader Dan Rather his job.
There is a media revolution with an explosion of blogging and citizen journalism worldwide.
But, there is a need for bloggers who report news to adopt the same standards of journalism as journalists (of the traditional media) if they want to win public trust and confidence.
Read the rest of the story by Bernhard Warner.
"Bloggers have also kept consistent heat on companies for neglecting customers and lying to shareholders, forcing boardrooms to make swift decisions.
Radio Shack’s board sacked CEO David Edmondson earlier this year after a blog swarm erupted over revelations that he lied on his CV. (The board acknowledged the ire of bloggers in the decision to dismiss Edmondson; Wall Street analysts believe the slumping share price more likely did him in.)
Bloggers are also changing the face of spot news coverage.
At the E3 Expo, the annual video game conference held in Los Angeles last month, bloggers were given press accreditation to cover the event.
Handing out press passes to select bloggers is nothing new, but E3 organisers dramatically relaxed the old line, giving bloggers at, say, Blues News (with the memorable tag line "All the carnage that’s fit to post!") access equalling that of the Washington Post.
The coverage was exhaustive. There are more than 25,000 photos of the expo on Flickr alone – many are incongruously entertaining shots of bloggers posing with booth babes.
Blogs can and do take on more serious subjects too.
Iraqi bloggers featured on Global Voices report on the heart-wrenching conditions of life in some of bloodiest parts of Baghdad and Mosul.
Already on the inside, their posts take you on to the streets of the Amiriya neighbourhood where mainstream media seldom tread to report on lethal sectarian clashes.
According to Salam Adil, an editor of Global Voices’ Iraq coverage, there are a hundred blogging news correspondents whom he profiles on the site.
They are dentists, engineers, doctors and some Iraqi journalists.
Adil says they consistently scoop the likes of the BBC, CNN and the news wires, citing the bloggers’ exclusive coverage of militia groups effectively shutting down local newspapers with threats of violence to the staff and on-the-ground dispatches that often debunk official US Army reports.
"The established media has to listen to local people," Adil advises. "Otherwise, they risk getting the story wrong. And if they get the story wrong, how are policymakers going to understand the issues?"
Scalps are mounting in the West too, and the bloggers are reloading with bigger targets in their sites.
Watch for a bloody skewering on message boards, fan forums and in blogs should the national squad limp out in the early rounds of the World Cup next month. Take heed, cable company. The next time you leave a customer waiting without explanation it could land your brand in a spotlight of ignominy.
And big media, don’t for a second believe blogger scrutiny will die down any time soon. Any one of us journalists could wake up one day to see our words being dissected with attorney-like precision by a pack of agitated readers.
I, for one, welcome the post-analysis, comment and critique blogging affords.
Every citizen should have the ability to hold accountable elected officials, chairmen of the board and, yes, news columnists.
The citizen journalism revolution may be our best shot of cleaning up our collective spotty record.
A near daily supply of scandals has badly eroded the public’s faith in government, big business and media.
According to a recent poll financed by Reuters and the BBC, 52 percent of those surveyed trust what the government has to say, while 61 percent trust the media.
Among the 10 nations surveyed, Britons were most sceptical, with 51 percent believing the media and just 47 percent trusting the government. Hardly encouraging.
Can bloggers save the credibility of these once-proud institutions? Can their probing analysis of every utterance keep public officials, journalists and CEOs honest and accountable?
Sadly, the answer is no. Well, not yet at least.
According to the same poll, bloggers suffer the biggest credibility gap of all with just one in four surveyed regarding them as a trusted source of information.
Bloggers bellow that it is illogical and unfair to lump all bloggers into a single category, but, I respond, you could say the same about media and government and business.
Welcome to a club where we are all held to the highest standards. Bloggers also contend that blogs are by their very nature more transparent because they invite feedback and commentary at the end of each post.
But if a blogger’s original post is poorly sourced or misinformed – in short, bad journalism – all the comment in the world will not smooth out the original tone and somehow make it a well-rounded discussion.
No matter how unappealing it may sound, the blogosphere is duty-bound to adopt the basic tenets of journalism – identifying your sources, checking facts and never sacrificing accuracy and fairness for the sake of a "good" story.
The role of watchdog demands you be fully identifiable and accountable. (Full disclosure: we journalists need you.)" - Bernhard Warner.
According to TimesOnline of the UK, bloggers have exposed untruths and cover-ups that traditional watchdogs in the mainstream media have missed; one blog scoop famously cost the American newsreader Dan Rather his job.
There is a media revolution with an explosion of blogging and citizen journalism worldwide.
But, there is a need for bloggers who report news to adopt the same standards of journalism as journalists (of the traditional media) if they want to win public trust and confidence.
Read the rest of the story by Bernhard Warner.
"Bloggers have also kept consistent heat on companies for neglecting customers and lying to shareholders, forcing boardrooms to make swift decisions.
Radio Shack’s board sacked CEO David Edmondson earlier this year after a blog swarm erupted over revelations that he lied on his CV. (The board acknowledged the ire of bloggers in the decision to dismiss Edmondson; Wall Street analysts believe the slumping share price more likely did him in.)
Bloggers are also changing the face of spot news coverage.
At the E3 Expo, the annual video game conference held in Los Angeles last month, bloggers were given press accreditation to cover the event.
Handing out press passes to select bloggers is nothing new, but E3 organisers dramatically relaxed the old line, giving bloggers at, say, Blues News (with the memorable tag line "All the carnage that’s fit to post!") access equalling that of the Washington Post.
The coverage was exhaustive. There are more than 25,000 photos of the expo on Flickr alone – many are incongruously entertaining shots of bloggers posing with booth babes.
Blogs can and do take on more serious subjects too.
Iraqi bloggers featured on Global Voices report on the heart-wrenching conditions of life in some of bloodiest parts of Baghdad and Mosul.
Already on the inside, their posts take you on to the streets of the Amiriya neighbourhood where mainstream media seldom tread to report on lethal sectarian clashes.
According to Salam Adil, an editor of Global Voices’ Iraq coverage, there are a hundred blogging news correspondents whom he profiles on the site.
They are dentists, engineers, doctors and some Iraqi journalists.
Adil says they consistently scoop the likes of the BBC, CNN and the news wires, citing the bloggers’ exclusive coverage of militia groups effectively shutting down local newspapers with threats of violence to the staff and on-the-ground dispatches that often debunk official US Army reports.
"The established media has to listen to local people," Adil advises. "Otherwise, they risk getting the story wrong. And if they get the story wrong, how are policymakers going to understand the issues?"
Scalps are mounting in the West too, and the bloggers are reloading with bigger targets in their sites.
Watch for a bloody skewering on message boards, fan forums and in blogs should the national squad limp out in the early rounds of the World Cup next month. Take heed, cable company. The next time you leave a customer waiting without explanation it could land your brand in a spotlight of ignominy.
And big media, don’t for a second believe blogger scrutiny will die down any time soon. Any one of us journalists could wake up one day to see our words being dissected with attorney-like precision by a pack of agitated readers.
I, for one, welcome the post-analysis, comment and critique blogging affords.
Every citizen should have the ability to hold accountable elected officials, chairmen of the board and, yes, news columnists.
The citizen journalism revolution may be our best shot of cleaning up our collective spotty record.
A near daily supply of scandals has badly eroded the public’s faith in government, big business and media.
According to a recent poll financed by Reuters and the BBC, 52 percent of those surveyed trust what the government has to say, while 61 percent trust the media.
Among the 10 nations surveyed, Britons were most sceptical, with 51 percent believing the media and just 47 percent trusting the government. Hardly encouraging.
Can bloggers save the credibility of these once-proud institutions? Can their probing analysis of every utterance keep public officials, journalists and CEOs honest and accountable?
Sadly, the answer is no. Well, not yet at least.
According to the same poll, bloggers suffer the biggest credibility gap of all with just one in four surveyed regarding them as a trusted source of information.
Bloggers bellow that it is illogical and unfair to lump all bloggers into a single category, but, I respond, you could say the same about media and government and business.
Welcome to a club where we are all held to the highest standards. Bloggers also contend that blogs are by their very nature more transparent because they invite feedback and commentary at the end of each post.
But if a blogger’s original post is poorly sourced or misinformed – in short, bad journalism – all the comment in the world will not smooth out the original tone and somehow make it a well-rounded discussion.
No matter how unappealing it may sound, the blogosphere is duty-bound to adopt the basic tenets of journalism – identifying your sources, checking facts and never sacrificing accuracy and fairness for the sake of a "good" story.
The role of watchdog demands you be fully identifiable and accountable. (Full disclosure: we journalists need you.)" - Bernhard Warner.
The World's Appetite For Blogging
Blogosphere Is So Alive and Kicking
And you'd better believe it!
Here is a quick take on the state of blogosphere:
— Three blogs are created every two seconds
— Japanese is the dominant blog language. Of 70 million weblogs, 37 per cent are written in Japanese. English is second, with 36 per cent
— Chinese remained in third place this year but Italian overtook Spanish to become the fourth most popular blogging language
— Farsi, the most widely spoken Persian language, is the tenth most popular
— Of the Top 100 media websites, 22 are blogs, rising from 12 last year
These facts come from a new report," The State of the Blogosphere", published by Technorati, the blog-search website.
The report was revealed yesterday (Thursday, April 6).
According to Timesonline (the online version of UK newspaper, The Times), more than 70 million weblogs, or blogs, are tracked by Technorati which says that 1.4 new ones are created every second, along with 17 new postings.
Read the rest of the story here.
And in Thailand, its military-backed government refuses to lift the block on YouTube. More on this here.
And you'd better believe it!
Here is a quick take on the state of blogosphere:
— Three blogs are created every two seconds
— Japanese is the dominant blog language. Of 70 million weblogs, 37 per cent are written in Japanese. English is second, with 36 per cent
— Chinese remained in third place this year but Italian overtook Spanish to become the fourth most popular blogging language
— Farsi, the most widely spoken Persian language, is the tenth most popular
— Of the Top 100 media websites, 22 are blogs, rising from 12 last year
These facts come from a new report," The State of the Blogosphere", published by Technorati, the blog-search website.
The report was revealed yesterday (Thursday, April 6).
According to Timesonline (the online version of UK newspaper, The Times), more than 70 million weblogs, or blogs, are tracked by Technorati which says that 1.4 new ones are created every second, along with 17 new postings.
Read the rest of the story here.
And in Thailand, its military-backed government refuses to lift the block on YouTube. More on this here.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
National Bloggers Alliance
The Pro-Tem Committee
Ahirudin Attan, in his speech to welcome fellow bloggers this evening, spoke of why there was a need for a national alliance of bloggers.
Most importantly -- to promote blogging and to protect bloggers.
Ahirudin, better known as Rocky said the idea to form the alliance came about following the lawsuits against him and Jeff Ooi.
"When I found out I got sued, I felt alone. Really alone. Comforting words from friends and fellow bloggers followed. Of course, that helped. Then, Bloggers United, a virtual united gathering of bloggers in cyberspace came about, thanks to Sheih.
"But, in time, after speaking to several bloggers, I felt that we need to be a solid gathering of individuals in order to protect ourselves. I don't think anyone of us should be alone when something like lawsuits hit us.
"I was lucky to have lawyers defending me pro bono. But I'm not sure if they are able to provide a similar service if there are more and more lawsuits against bloggers," Rocky said.
He said that bloggers were not under seige yet but they soon will be, given the attacks by certain members of government including Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin. And just yesterday (April 4) Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Mansor suggested that bloggers register with the ministry.
I beg to differ with Rocky on this. I believe that bloggers are already under seige.Precisely the fact that attacks on them have been consistent and unrelenting.
These attacks will not cease because I believe there is paranoia (of bloggers).
Rocky also pointed out that the attacks were actually aimed at a small group of socio-political bloggers and on-line writers who have been pretty critical of what they perceive to be excesses and abuse (of power) in and by the government.
"So hanya nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga, or because of nyamuk , and we are the nyamuk-nyamuk, they are setting fire to the kelambu", he remarked.
On this, I do agree. But what a sad state of affairs.
I believe that these "pain-in-the-butt' bloggers are the target of the attacks by ministers and government representatives and officers.
Bloggers have been demonised. Bloggers equal anti-government.
The message to the people is that bloggers cannot and must not be trusted because they are liars.
But this attempt to discredit bloggers only serves to present acknowledgement of their influence.
Yet, at the same time, the government cannot seem to be acting against just this small group. Hence the attack against b l o g g e r s.
You wonder if these government representatives are aware of the existence of thousands of blogs in this country representing a cross-section of interests.
There are many bloggers who do not blog about politics!
Some 50 bloggers turned up for the meeting. Among them were Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Ruhanie Ahmad, Syed Imran, Malik Imtiaz, Haris Ibrahim, Zaharin Yassin, Susan Loone (who flew in from Bangkok), Elizabeth Wong, Eric Woon, Nizam Bashir (who drove up from Malacca), Amir Hafizi, Rusdi Mustapha, Norzuhaira and Stephen Francis. Also there were Mob1900, QueenB, Anon fr.Miri (who flew in from Miri), Mat Salo (all the way from Kalimantan) and BigDogDotcom, Paul Yusoff and Shar101. Elviza came but had to leave just before the start of the meeting. She had to attend a wedding.
Rejal Arbee who writes for KMU and Agenda Daily chief editor Rosli Ismail were also there.
This first gathering of bloggers was held at the National Press Club in Kuala Lumpur. A pro-tem committee was elected to work towards the formation of the National Alliance of Bloggers.
And what do you know : our two blog brothers -- Rocky and Jeff Ooi - who are being sued for defamation have been elected pro-tem president and vice-president respectively. But, here's the full list:
President: Ahirudin Attan
Vice President : Jeff Ooi
Secretary: Nuraina Samad
Treasurer: Tony Yew
Council Members: Patrick Teoh, Bernard Khoo, Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz, Syed Jamal Al-Idrus, Elizabeth Wong, Rajahram Ramalingam, Annuratha K, Ami Husni and Soon Li Tsin.
The pro-tem committee will meet soon to draw up the Constitution, identify sources of funding, and submit the necessary papers for the Registrar of Societies.
The initial address for the Alliance is the office of Malaysiakini, the on-line news portal. Tea was subsidized by a Datuk blogger.
Click here for m-Star's report.
Ahirudin Attan, in his speech to welcome fellow bloggers this evening, spoke of why there was a need for a national alliance of bloggers.
Most importantly -- to promote blogging and to protect bloggers.
Ahirudin, better known as Rocky said the idea to form the alliance came about following the lawsuits against him and Jeff Ooi.
"When I found out I got sued, I felt alone. Really alone. Comforting words from friends and fellow bloggers followed. Of course, that helped. Then, Bloggers United, a virtual united gathering of bloggers in cyberspace came about, thanks to Sheih.
"But, in time, after speaking to several bloggers, I felt that we need to be a solid gathering of individuals in order to protect ourselves. I don't think anyone of us should be alone when something like lawsuits hit us.
"I was lucky to have lawyers defending me pro bono. But I'm not sure if they are able to provide a similar service if there are more and more lawsuits against bloggers," Rocky said.
He said that bloggers were not under seige yet but they soon will be, given the attacks by certain members of government including Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin. And just yesterday (April 4) Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Mansor suggested that bloggers register with the ministry.
I beg to differ with Rocky on this. I believe that bloggers are already under seige.Precisely the fact that attacks on them have been consistent and unrelenting.
These attacks will not cease because I believe there is paranoia (of bloggers).
Rocky also pointed out that the attacks were actually aimed at a small group of socio-political bloggers and on-line writers who have been pretty critical of what they perceive to be excesses and abuse (of power) in and by the government.
"So hanya nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga, or because of nyamuk , and we are the nyamuk-nyamuk, they are setting fire to the kelambu", he remarked.
On this, I do agree. But what a sad state of affairs.
I believe that these "pain-in-the-butt' bloggers are the target of the attacks by ministers and government representatives and officers.
Bloggers have been demonised. Bloggers equal anti-government.
The message to the people is that bloggers cannot and must not be trusted because they are liars.
But this attempt to discredit bloggers only serves to present acknowledgement of their influence.
Yet, at the same time, the government cannot seem to be acting against just this small group. Hence the attack against b l o g g e r s.
You wonder if these government representatives are aware of the existence of thousands of blogs in this country representing a cross-section of interests.
There are many bloggers who do not blog about politics!
Some 50 bloggers turned up for the meeting. Among them were Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Ruhanie Ahmad, Syed Imran, Malik Imtiaz, Haris Ibrahim, Zaharin Yassin, Susan Loone (who flew in from Bangkok), Elizabeth Wong, Eric Woon, Nizam Bashir (who drove up from Malacca), Amir Hafizi, Rusdi Mustapha, Norzuhaira and Stephen Francis. Also there were Mob1900, QueenB, Anon fr.Miri (who flew in from Miri), Mat Salo (all the way from Kalimantan) and BigDogDotcom, Paul Yusoff and Shar101. Elviza came but had to leave just before the start of the meeting. She had to attend a wedding.
Rejal Arbee who writes for KMU and Agenda Daily chief editor Rosli Ismail were also there.
This first gathering of bloggers was held at the National Press Club in Kuala Lumpur. A pro-tem committee was elected to work towards the formation of the National Alliance of Bloggers.
And what do you know : our two blog brothers -- Rocky and Jeff Ooi - who are being sued for defamation have been elected pro-tem president and vice-president respectively. But, here's the full list:
President: Ahirudin Attan
Vice President : Jeff Ooi
Secretary: Nuraina Samad
Treasurer: Tony Yew
Council Members: Patrick Teoh, Bernard Khoo, Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz, Syed Jamal Al-Idrus, Elizabeth Wong, Rajahram Ramalingam, Annuratha K, Ami Husni and Soon Li Tsin.
The pro-tem committee will meet soon to draw up the Constitution, identify sources of funding, and submit the necessary papers for the Registrar of Societies.
The initial address for the Alliance is the office of Malaysiakini, the on-line news portal. Tea was subsidized by a Datuk blogger.
Click here for m-Star's report.
Bloggers Unite!
Media Bloggers Alliance
Rocky AKA Ahirudin Attan of Rocky's Bru thinks that Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Mansor made that suggestion (that bloggers register with the ministry) not out of sheer stupidity and ignorance but out of FEAR.
Here's what Rocky said in his posting on Shaziman's silly suggestion:
" When certain quarters in government become hostile towards bloggers, I believe they mean to aim their hostility at a small group of bloggers or on-line writers whose views and takes of current affairs they fear. Take the latest remarks here made by Shahziman Abu Mansor in parliament yesterday. It is not stupidity; it is fear. Ok, ok. Shahziman has just shown us how goblog he is but it I believe he said it out of fear."
Rocky believes that the time is right to have an alliance of bloggers. Some bloggers are meeting in Kuala Lumpur at 5.30pm today to discuss this.
Read what he has to say about fear of the blogs and the alliance here.
Rocky AKA Ahirudin Attan of Rocky's Bru thinks that Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Mansor made that suggestion (that bloggers register with the ministry) not out of sheer stupidity and ignorance but out of FEAR.
Here's what Rocky said in his posting on Shaziman's silly suggestion:
" When certain quarters in government become hostile towards bloggers, I believe they mean to aim their hostility at a small group of bloggers or on-line writers whose views and takes of current affairs they fear. Take the latest remarks here made by Shahziman Abu Mansor in parliament yesterday. It is not stupidity; it is fear. Ok, ok. Shahziman has just shown us how goblog he is but it I believe he said it out of fear."
Rocky believes that the time is right to have an alliance of bloggers. Some bloggers are meeting in Kuala Lumpur at 5.30pm today to discuss this.
Read what he has to say about fear of the blogs and the alliance here.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Goblog
Shaziman's Suggestion
You and I may have to register with the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry before we are allowed to blog.
Seriously. Yeah, looks like thousands of bloggers and would-be bloggers would have to jam the ministry's "counter" to register.
This was a suggestion by its Deputy Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor.
Statements made out of sheer and utter ignorance.
Wonder if he has heard of blogspot or wordpress.
Silly asinine statement, I know but well, we'll see if anyone will give this silly suggestion their time of day.
MarinaM sent me and several others an "urgent" email on this. I replied with a "so xxxx, so xxxx" email. You can read Marina's ranting here.
Our sister, Acciaccatura, gives her take on this in her blog, "So, What Now?" under her latest posting, "Blogkage?". Cool, Accia!
I can already imagine the headlines worldwide: "Malaysia Bans Blogging". I know, I know. But, we might as well ban blogging.
We might as well. Because we can't handle bloggers. That is something Malaysia tidak boleh.
You and I may have to register with the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry before we are allowed to blog.
Seriously. Yeah, looks like thousands of bloggers and would-be bloggers would have to jam the ministry's "counter" to register.
This was a suggestion by its Deputy Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor.
Statements made out of sheer and utter ignorance.
Wonder if he has heard of blogspot or wordpress.
Silly asinine statement, I know but well, we'll see if anyone will give this silly suggestion their time of day.
MarinaM sent me and several others an "urgent" email on this. I replied with a "so xxxx, so xxxx" email. You can read Marina's ranting here.
Our sister, Acciaccatura, gives her take on this in her blog, "So, What Now?" under her latest posting, "Blogkage?". Cool, Accia!
I can already imagine the headlines worldwide: "Malaysia Bans Blogging". I know, I know. But, we might as well ban blogging.
We might as well. Because we can't handle bloggers. That is something Malaysia tidak boleh.
Jeff Ooi's Court Case
Postponed
Today's hearing in chambers for Jeff Ooi's application to consolidate his defamation suit (The NSTP & 3 Others vs Jeff Ooi) with that of Ahirudin Attan's, and have them heard in KL High Court S3, was postponed as the plaintiffs' lawyers pleaded for more time to prepare their Affidavits-in-Reply.
Jeff's lawyers agreed, and presiding Judge, Justice Malik Ishak, allowed it. A new date has been scheduled for June 19, 2007. (From Screenshots)
Read more here. Rocky has a story here. And check out the AFP story.
Today's hearing in chambers for Jeff Ooi's application to consolidate his defamation suit (The NSTP & 3 Others vs Jeff Ooi) with that of Ahirudin Attan's, and have them heard in KL High Court S3, was postponed as the plaintiffs' lawyers pleaded for more time to prepare their Affidavits-in-Reply.
Jeff's lawyers agreed, and presiding Judge, Justice Malik Ishak, allowed it. A new date has been scheduled for June 19, 2007. (From Screenshots)
Read more here. Rocky has a story here. And check out the AFP story.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Tuesdays With Bapak (8)
The Wait, The Letter and Jalan Bandar Police Station - Tuesday April 3 2007
"What do you think he is doing now? I asked aloud, as I flipped through the Sunday papers.
Abang Med and Kak Eda were also reading the papers in the living room.
They must have been taken by surprise by this unexpected question on a lazy Sunday morning.
"Bapak?", asked Kak Eda, as though needing a confirmation of the subject in question.
"No, King Ghaz," I replied, half in jest. No one laughed.
"Yah-lah.... Bapak. What do you think he is doing now? This minute?", I asked.
Abang Med put down the Sunday Mail and attempted to find a suitable answer to my question.
I must have interrupted his reading of his music column in the Sunday Mail.
"Probably reading the Sunday papers. Probably reading my column...", he said, trying to make light of a potentially emotional discussion.
Kak Eda who was on the comics section of the papers, was not quite amused by all this.
"Like they allow him to read the papers.
"He's probably in a tiny cell without a window. No papers, no books. Nothing. No one to talk to," she said. It was going to be a very depressing conversation.
"Is he given food?", I asked.
It had been more than two months that we had not seen Bapak. It was not as though Bapak was away on vacation.
It was a highly anxious and a very uncertain time. Quite distressing too.
Azah and Kamal were preparing for their MCE and LCE, respectively.
Although they faced no teasing and taunting in school, Bapak's absence meant that there was an absence of some form of discipline and firmness in their life. This was worrying.
Mak, not used to cracking the whip as far as studying was concerned, allowed these two so much leeway.
She allowed Azah to attend far too many "birthday parties" and Kamal, too many Saturday outings with his friends.
Kak Ton and Abang Med had to interfere which made things quite tensed.
No easy thing handling teenagers.
Kamal seemed far easier to handle, though.
Slow talk, a bit of psychology101, and Kak Ton and Abang Med managed get him back firmly on the ground.
They were usually able to talk some sense into him.
Azah, it turned out, had far too many distractions.
Mak - only when pressed for answers -- would only say that she was "always on the phone".
"Hah, boyfriend-lah tu," I remarked when I was dutifully told about her declining performance in school.
Kak Eda had her own take on this.
"Don't nag her. She doesn't need that. You have to understand her. You must understand the situation," she said.
So, the task of handling Azah fell on Kak Eda who would sometimes come home from college in the middle of the week just to check on her.
We were all anxious. It had been too long a period bereft of any news about Bapak.
One evening, as Mak sat with Kak Piah, Kak Ton and Abang Med over dinner, they discussed the family's predicament of not knowing about Bapak's situation.
Bapak had already made the confession on TV but there had been no word from the authorities after that. Were we able to see him at all?
So, the family decided that a letter had to be written. But to whom?
"To the Prime Minister," Kak Ton suggested. Mak was sceptical. But Kak Ton, feisty and fiery, was convinced that a letter should be sent "to no one less than the Prime Minister of this country". Abang Med felt that Kak Ton, being a journalist "would know what she was talking about".
Kak Ton said she would help Mak write the letter.
"Surat daripada isteri tahanan politik. Rayuan untuk keluarga bertemu dengan Samad Ismail," Kak Ton said, pointing out that Ramadan was nearing.
Good idea that Kak Ton wanted to help. But Mak knew Kak Ton well. A letter written by Kak Ton could be....harsh, perhaps? Even though she might not intend the letter to be so. Mak had a better suggestion, The family would ask Pak Cik Tongkat (Usman Awang) to pen it for her.
When Mak called Pak Cik Tongkat, he was more than willing to do so. He was just as anxious as we were about Bapak.
"Kak Midah jangan risau, ya. Tongkat tulis surat tu. Tongkat tunjukkan kepada Kak Midah. Tengok Kak Midah approve atau tidak, ya?", he told her when he came over as soon as he got the telephone call from Mak.
One Monday morning, I happened to be at home after the weekend, Pak Cik Tongkat came over with the letter that he had written.
Since, I was in the living room, he showed it to me as well.
I was moved to tears reading the letter. Now, if you have read Usman Awang poems, you would know what I mean. It was the most touching letter I had ever read.
"Kalau Hussein Onn tak terasa apa-apa lepas baca surat ni, Ena tak tahu-lah Mak," I told Mak.
Mak stared at the letter, penned by Usman Awang.
"Terima kasih, Tongkat," she said. Pak Cik Tongkat smiled, looking quite pleased.
I was tasked to find out the Prime Minister's address (I got Kak Ton to help), write it clearly on a brown envelope, go to the Section 17 post office nearby and send it by registered mail.
I did all that. We had it all done knowing well that the letter might not even reach the Prime Minister. Kak Ton said if there was no response or if our request was denied, she would make her way to the Prime Minister's office, knock on his door and demand that we be allowed to visit Bapak. I had my own ideas of what I wanted to do.
But as it turned out, none of us needed to resort to any drastic or risky measure because a reply came.
Mak received a call, one morning, from a "pegawai' in the Prime Minister's office to say that a letter was on its way to our home. Our request to see Bapak was approved.
"It must be Pak Cik Tongkat's touch,"I remarked when told of the good news. I could imagine Hussein Onn holding the letter, so touched by the first three lines and then, just slumping into his luxurious leather chair after reading the rest of the letter.
I was sure that the Prime Minister was moved to tears and deep compassion. How could he not be?
A call from the police then followed, detailing a forthcoming visit.
Can you imagine our excitement? It was to be in the morning on a Tuesday at the Jalan Bandar police station.
"Jalan Bandar? Where was that?" we asked.
Man, it didn't matter to us if it was in Batang Berjuntai or Ulu Bertam. We would get there even if we had to walk!
Mak had been writing letters to Kak Olin who was in the UK. Kak Olin would call up everytime she received one. Her calls were brief but they would always make Mak's day.
Mak's letters were type-written because Mak was used to typing, having been a journalist with Utusan Melayu in her younger days in Singapore. And later sometime in the 60s, when she was writing her first novel,"Meniti Pelangi", she would be at the dining table, typing and typing away. So, this time, she would be typing her letters to Kak Olin late at night, the only time she was free to do so.
Kak Olin called up one evening and wept on the phone. She received the good news and was so happy but was also sad to not be there with us. It was a weekend and I was at home. I picked up the phone, spoke to her a while and as her voice was choking, I called Mak. I tried to comfort her but I was so bad at it which probably made her even sadder. Poor Kak Olin, I thought.
Ah. Mothers! No wonder the path to eternal paradise is at their feet. How she soothed Kak Olin would only come naturally to me when I have children, I thought.
Tuesday was fast approaching. When the day came, everyone was gathered in Section 16. Kak Piah, Abang Zul, Kak Ton, Abang Ani and Abang Med organised the transport for us to go to the Jalan Bandar police station.
"Remember. We have to be there at 9.30am. Someone will take us to a room and Bapak will be waiting for us there," Kak Piah said. My heart was beating so fast I was breathless. I felt cold sweat streaming down my forehead. I was nervous. Pictures in my mind.
We went in three cars. Mak went with Kak Piah in the car driven by Abang Zul. Lalin and Irwan were with her.
Abang Ani drove his car with Kak Ton and their little girl, Jasmine. Azah and Kamal were with them.
I was with Abang Med in his mini minor. Kak Eda was in the front passenger seat. Nina and I were seated in the back.
The drive to Jalan Bandar was taking forever.
We arrived. The cars were parked somewhere near a performing arts hall. Kak Eda and I found the place to be quite familiar because we used to come to this hall back when we were in form 5 (1972) during an inter-school drama competition.
It turned out that Jalan Bandar was a familiar place for us all. It was in an area where Bapak used to take us Hari Raya shopping for materials and shoes when we still needed parental approval for clothes and such.
Everyone seemed nervous. Everyone was walking briskly as though afraid of missing a very important appointment. Even Lalin and Nina. Mak held Lalin's hand while I held Nina's.
"Hurry," said Kak Piah.
So new for us all, this experience. This visit to the police station to visit a relative.
I looked at Mak. Was it like this for her when Bapak was detained in Singapore? Oh. But the police officers were Orang Putih.
Will we be meeting Bapak in a room as promised? Will there be a glass partition? Do we take turns talking to Bapak? What, what, what?
A plainclothes policeman was already waiting for us. He must have been waiting for us and he knew it was us.
He was very polite as he introduced himself to Abang Ani. He asked for Mak who then stepped forward.
If we had felt anger towards the police -- any policeman, for that matter -- that feeling disappeared. Dissipated. Replaced by this immense sense of relief that we were actually going to meet our father. By this throbbing anticipation.
We actually smiled at this police officer.
We followed him as he took us to the first floor. He stopped in front of a door.
"Oh.. Bapak di dalam?" Kak Piah asked.
The nice plainclothes police officer opened the door to an empty room. It was a large room. Empty except for a long table and a few chairs.
But where was Bapak? He was to be waiting for us.
"Duduk dulu, ya?" he said softly. But before we could ask anything more, he disappeared out the door.
"Tipu ni, agak nya," I thought to myself, not daring to think aloud. Would they dare fool us? How dare they!
Then, before we could make sense of the empty room, the door swung open. The plainclothes police officer walked in with another - a younger man, presumably also a police officer.
The younger officer held the door open as though, for someone.
Then, someone so familiar walked in, followed closely by two other men in plainclothes.
"Bapak!", everyone shouted, in unison. We ran to him. We kissed his hand. He seemed thinner, paler and haggard. He was wearing the same red checkered short-sleeved shirt he had on the morning he was taken away. We wanted to cry seeing this Bapak. But we were overjoyed just seeing him.
"Alhamdulillah!" I heard Mak whispered.
We then took him to be seated. We stood around him, although the police officers offered us chairs.
Bapak must have been overjoyed to see us too. But, how come he was not smiling. He was not frowning. But he was not smiling. He wore a very nervous look. He seemed withdrawn.
"Apa macam semua? ", he asked in a voice which I thought, quivered.
Now, what have they done to my father? Banish such dark thoughts, I said to myself.
Bapak is here and he is okay. He is the same old bapak. I held his arm just to be sure.
"Bapak, macam mana?" I asked. Then, he smiled. A quivering smile.
Monday, April 02, 2007
The Law Suit - April 2 2007
Rocky vs NSTP & 4 others.
The lawyers for NSTP & 4 others wanted Rocky to pay costs for wanting to withdraw his application to strike out the defamation suit brought against him. Rocky's lawyer Edmund Bon, however, argued that his client had to withdraw the application as the plaintiffs had amended their "fatally deficient" claims. After an hour in his chamber, learned Judge Hishamuddin Yunus decided in Rocky's favour. No order for costs. Edmund told reporters and bloggers at Denmark House this morning that his client also reserves the right to:
1/make a fresh application to withdraw the suit or
2/ask the plaintiffs to provide for further and better (FNB) particulars to the amended claims.
Rocky has until May 3, 2007 to file his defence. His next date in court is June 28, 2007.
Before that, we'll Walk With Jeff Ooi on Wednesday (April 4) at Wisma Denmark, 9 am.
Is It Worth Suing Bloggers?
Here are two cases of court action involving bloggers. One is about a big-time advertising agency boss in the UK who sued his former colleagues for running an anonymous blog in an attempt to ruin his name and reputation and the other, about a woman suing her ex-employer for compensation after they sacked her for blogging on the job (I had a posting on her earlier).
In the first case, the plaintiff who has been described as one of the world's most powerful men in advertising withdrew his high court action because the publicity that followed was too much for him. Did more harm than he could ever imagine because people began reading the "vicious" blog.
Sir Martin Sorrell accepted a £120,000 settlement without admission of liability in his high court libel and privacy action. Read about his court case here.
Then, there is a case in Paris, of Catherine Sanderson, a Brit who had her day in court. Her ex-employer who was directed to pay her compensation, are appealing against the ruling.
For her, it was a moral victory.
So, will blogs now be self-moderating or will they get wilder and wilder.
Read about Sorrell and Catherine in an article, "Let Sleeping Blogs Lie" on TimesOnline here.
The lawyers for NSTP & 4 others wanted Rocky to pay costs for wanting to withdraw his application to strike out the defamation suit brought against him. Rocky's lawyer Edmund Bon, however, argued that his client had to withdraw the application as the plaintiffs had amended their "fatally deficient" claims. After an hour in his chamber, learned Judge Hishamuddin Yunus decided in Rocky's favour. No order for costs. Edmund told reporters and bloggers at Denmark House this morning that his client also reserves the right to:
1/make a fresh application to withdraw the suit or
2/ask the plaintiffs to provide for further and better (FNB) particulars to the amended claims.
Rocky has until May 3, 2007 to file his defence. His next date in court is June 28, 2007.
Before that, we'll Walk With Jeff Ooi on Wednesday (April 4) at Wisma Denmark, 9 am.
Is It Worth Suing Bloggers?
Here are two cases of court action involving bloggers. One is about a big-time advertising agency boss in the UK who sued his former colleagues for running an anonymous blog in an attempt to ruin his name and reputation and the other, about a woman suing her ex-employer for compensation after they sacked her for blogging on the job (I had a posting on her earlier).
In the first case, the plaintiff who has been described as one of the world's most powerful men in advertising withdrew his high court action because the publicity that followed was too much for him. Did more harm than he could ever imagine because people began reading the "vicious" blog.
Sir Martin Sorrell accepted a £120,000 settlement without admission of liability in his high court libel and privacy action. Read about his court case here.
Then, there is a case in Paris, of Catherine Sanderson, a Brit who had her day in court. Her ex-employer who was directed to pay her compensation, are appealing against the ruling.
For her, it was a moral victory.
So, will blogs now be self-moderating or will they get wilder and wilder.
Read about Sorrell and Catherine in an article, "Let Sleeping Blogs Lie" on TimesOnline here.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Walk With Rocky
Rocky's Hearing
His case is scheduled to be heard at 9am at the High Court, Denmark House, Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (April 2).
His case is scheduled to be heard at 9am at the High Court, Denmark House, Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (April 2).
If you have forgotten, NSTP and 4 Others filed a suit against Rocky for defamation.
They have cited 50 articles (for 50 years of Merdeka?) in Rocky's Bru, posted between June and December last year, which they claimed had defamed them.
They had originally filed for an ex-parte injunction but did not get it.
NSTP and 3 Others have also sued Jeff Ooi, the Screenshots blogger.
See you there, Rocky!
See you there, Rocky!
Royal Pain
Immunity For Royalty?
Why do I get the feeling that this is a throwback to those awful pre-constitutional crisis period when Royalty, particularly kin of the ruling royalty, could get away with anything.
The story is out in M-Star online. Its editor Fathi Aris has it in his Patah Balek blog. Rocky's Bru too.
And Susan Loone's two-parter, "the prince, the lady and, the policeman" and "the prince, the lady and the policeman (2)".
We should already have been reading this story in the newspapers.
I'd think that any newspaper worth its salt should be following up on it.
Then I am remembering the directive issued to the mainstream media to not follow up on stories in the blogs.
I'd like to see if they follow this instruction to a T.
In a nutshell: A prince from a southern state beat up (oh yes) mistress for having an affair with a married policeman.
This is not really the story.
This is: Prince got the mistress' lover transferred, within 24 hours, to Sarawak to undertake "desk duties".
Mistress, a young lady, (20-something) attempted to lodge a police report in Johor but no one wanted to take down her report. She had to go all the way to Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur.
It seems threats had been made to her family.
Her 52 year-old father, fearing for his safety and that of his family, has lodged a police report in Johor Bahru.
Rocky came into possession of a copy of the police report. So did many others, apparently. You'd know the father's name as well as the young lady in question. (Read it in Rocky's posting.)
I remember, back in the early 80s, during the first constitutional crisis, how Dr Mahathir went around the country explaining to the people why there was a need to amend the constitution (regarding the Rulers' assent to Bills) and again in 1993, to remove the legal immunity from prosecution of all the rulers (in their personal capacity). The latter followed the Sultan of Johor's assault on a hockey coach and teacher, Douglas Gomez.
Dr M knew what he was up against. But he had the government, the party and the people behind him, with him all the way.
It was the people's victory.
This is a comment by The Scribe A Kadir Jasin, in Rocky's Bru:
"Sdr Rocky,
When a coach of the Johor Youth Hockey Team was allegedly beaten up for sidelining a Johor prince in a tournament, the NST and The Malay Mail broke the story.
Others followed.That incident sparked off the 2nd constitutional crisis, which led to the amendment of the Constitution which took away the immunity of the Rulers and the members of the royal family except in the performance of their official duties.
Beating up people, cheating business partners and getting involved in pub brawls are not official duties surely.
Our brother Dato’ Syed Nazri was in the thick of it then.
I was the NSTSB group editor.
When I asked then PM, Tun Dr Mahathir, about our reporting, he said it was entirely up to us.
We took the risk and the people won.
We have to continue to defend that victory.It does not mean that when a PM is made a member of the royal family by being awarded Darjah Kerabat, he should side with the raja and neglect the rakyat.
This kind of incident, if not properly handled, will make mockery of the hadhari campaign, which is supposedly founded on civilization and civility.
Don’t you feel that our beloved Malaysia is slowly sinking into a state of lawlessness?
Please tell me that I am wrong!
Thank you."
A police report has been lodged. We should be expecting a police investigation to be underway. If the injured/aggrieved party/parties are denied the course and process of justice because of royal bullying and interference, then we may as well take a huge leap back into time.
Why do I get the feeling that this is a throwback to those awful pre-constitutional crisis period when Royalty, particularly kin of the ruling royalty, could get away with anything.
The story is out in M-Star online. Its editor Fathi Aris has it in his Patah Balek blog. Rocky's Bru too.
And Susan Loone's two-parter, "the prince, the lady and, the policeman" and "the prince, the lady and the policeman (2)".
We should already have been reading this story in the newspapers.
I'd think that any newspaper worth its salt should be following up on it.
Then I am remembering the directive issued to the mainstream media to not follow up on stories in the blogs.
I'd like to see if they follow this instruction to a T.
In a nutshell: A prince from a southern state beat up (oh yes) mistress for having an affair with a married policeman.
This is not really the story.
This is: Prince got the mistress' lover transferred, within 24 hours, to Sarawak to undertake "desk duties".
Mistress, a young lady, (20-something) attempted to lodge a police report in Johor but no one wanted to take down her report. She had to go all the way to Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur.
It seems threats had been made to her family.
Her 52 year-old father, fearing for his safety and that of his family, has lodged a police report in Johor Bahru.
Rocky came into possession of a copy of the police report. So did many others, apparently. You'd know the father's name as well as the young lady in question. (Read it in Rocky's posting.)
I remember, back in the early 80s, during the first constitutional crisis, how Dr Mahathir went around the country explaining to the people why there was a need to amend the constitution (regarding the Rulers' assent to Bills) and again in 1993, to remove the legal immunity from prosecution of all the rulers (in their personal capacity). The latter followed the Sultan of Johor's assault on a hockey coach and teacher, Douglas Gomez.
Dr M knew what he was up against. But he had the government, the party and the people behind him, with him all the way.
It was the people's victory.
This is a comment by The Scribe A Kadir Jasin, in Rocky's Bru:
"Sdr Rocky,
When a coach of the Johor Youth Hockey Team was allegedly beaten up for sidelining a Johor prince in a tournament, the NST and The Malay Mail broke the story.
Others followed.That incident sparked off the 2nd constitutional crisis, which led to the amendment of the Constitution which took away the immunity of the Rulers and the members of the royal family except in the performance of their official duties.
Beating up people, cheating business partners and getting involved in pub brawls are not official duties surely.
Our brother Dato’ Syed Nazri was in the thick of it then.
I was the NSTSB group editor.
When I asked then PM, Tun Dr Mahathir, about our reporting, he said it was entirely up to us.
We took the risk and the people won.
We have to continue to defend that victory.It does not mean that when a PM is made a member of the royal family by being awarded Darjah Kerabat, he should side with the raja and neglect the rakyat.
This kind of incident, if not properly handled, will make mockery of the hadhari campaign, which is supposedly founded on civilization and civility.
Don’t you feel that our beloved Malaysia is slowly sinking into a state of lawlessness?
Please tell me that I am wrong!
Thank you."
A police report has been lodged. We should be expecting a police investigation to be underway. If the injured/aggrieved party/parties are denied the course and process of justice because of royal bullying and interference, then we may as well take a huge leap back into time.
Not So Petite
Blogger Wins Compensation
Here's a story of a British secretary in Paris who was sacked for blogging on the job.
She won a compensation claim case against the Paris office of British accounting firm Dixon Wilson.
AFP has the story:
Catherine Sanderson, 34, had been blogging under the pseudonym of "La Petite Anglaise" and had built up a sizeable international following with many people reading her diary-style accounts about work, relationships and the travails of single-motherhood.
On Thursday (March 29), a Paris labour tribunal, or "prud'hommes", ruled that the firm pay Catherine 44,000 euros (USD58,800), tantamount to a year's salary, following her dismissal last April for alleged misconduct.
"I'm so relieved that good sense has prevailed," Catherine told AFP on Friday.
The reasons behind the tribunal's decision in the case, one of the first of its kind in France, will be released in two weeks.
Catherine said managers had discovered from reading the blog that on two occasions she had lied about having nanny problems to take the afternoon off. They also objected to her using the computer in office hours to write the blog.
"I always felt that my dismissal was an unnecessarily harsh sanction and clearly the prud'hommes shared my view,"she said.
Dixon Wilson, which offers tax and financial advice to private clients in Britain and France, refused to comment on Friday. The company has a month to appeal.
If Catherine were in Malaysia, would her case reach the courts?
She lied to her bosses, and then told the truth in her blog. She had been blogging on company time. Got the sack, went to court for compensation, and won.
A point to note here is that managers in her company had been reading her blog. That's how they discovered that she had lied about her "nanny" excuse.
How do you like that?
Here's a story of a British secretary in Paris who was sacked for blogging on the job.
She won a compensation claim case against the Paris office of British accounting firm Dixon Wilson.
AFP has the story:
Catherine Sanderson, 34, had been blogging under the pseudonym of "La Petite Anglaise" and had built up a sizeable international following with many people reading her diary-style accounts about work, relationships and the travails of single-motherhood.
On Thursday (March 29), a Paris labour tribunal, or "prud'hommes", ruled that the firm pay Catherine 44,000 euros (USD58,800), tantamount to a year's salary, following her dismissal last April for alleged misconduct.
"I'm so relieved that good sense has prevailed," Catherine told AFP on Friday.
The reasons behind the tribunal's decision in the case, one of the first of its kind in France, will be released in two weeks.
Catherine said managers had discovered from reading the blog that on two occasions she had lied about having nanny problems to take the afternoon off. They also objected to her using the computer in office hours to write the blog.
"I always felt that my dismissal was an unnecessarily harsh sanction and clearly the prud'hommes shared my view,"she said.
Dixon Wilson, which offers tax and financial advice to private clients in Britain and France, refused to comment on Friday. The company has a month to appeal.
If Catherine were in Malaysia, would her case reach the courts?
She lied to her bosses, and then told the truth in her blog. She had been blogging on company time. Got the sack, went to court for compensation, and won.
A point to note here is that managers in her company had been reading her blog. That's how they discovered that she had lied about her "nanny" excuse.
How do you like that?
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Bloggers And Seed of Discord
Band of Trouble Makers
Another politician joins the chorus of blogger-bashing.
This is a Bernama story:
KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 -- The government has to find ways to curtail bloggers from abusing the Internet to spread lies and defame the leaders, said Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera)."
We notice that a lot of bloggers have been sowing the seeds of discord among the races, religions... I believe there must be a limit," he said in a debate on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat here today.
He felt that there ought to be a law governing bloggers like those imposed on the print and broadcast media.
"The people believe more in the bloggers than the newspapers... I am aware that a newspaper was censured by the Internal Security Ministry for publishing a sensational story but the bloggers could continue churning out malicious stories," he said.
Another politician joins the chorus of blogger-bashing.
This is a Bernama story:
KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 -- The government has to find ways to curtail bloggers from abusing the Internet to spread lies and defame the leaders, said Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera)."
We notice that a lot of bloggers have been sowing the seeds of discord among the races, religions... I believe there must be a limit," he said in a debate on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat here today.
He felt that there ought to be a law governing bloggers like those imposed on the print and broadcast media.
"The people believe more in the bloggers than the newspapers... I am aware that a newspaper was censured by the Internal Security Ministry for publishing a sensational story but the bloggers could continue churning out malicious stories," he said.
New National Press Club President
Now, it's Rocky, NPC Adviser
Rocky (Ahirudin Attan) decided not to seek re-election as president of the National Press Club (NPC) because he wanted to "do other things".
"Two terms, enough-lah", he remarked.
The NPC election is held once in two years.
Rocky was elected NPC president in 2003. In the 2005 election, he won unopposed.
Last evening, (Friday, March 3 2007), the NPC held its annual general meeting and election of office-bearers.
Deputy president Mokhtar Hussain, an editor with Bernama, was elected unopposed as president.
Veera Pandian of The Star was elected unopposed as the deputy president and Joe Fernando, also of the English daily, was elected unopposed as the vice president.
Jugjet Singh of the New Straits Times was elected unopposed as the secretary and Jane Ritikos of The Star as assistant secretary.
S.P.Manivasagam retained the post of treasurer, also unopposed, while the assistant treasurer's post went to Lum Chih Seng of the Oriental Daily.
Eight committee members were elected; Jairajo Letchumanan, Krishna Rao, Sharmini Darshni, Anthea De Lima, Farrah Naz Karim, P.Ananthan, Ghazemy Mahmud and B. Kaderes.
After the election, there was a proposal from the floor that Rocky be made an adviser of the NPC.
It was accepted unanimously.
Rocky (Ahirudin Attan) decided not to seek re-election as president of the National Press Club (NPC) because he wanted to "do other things".
"Two terms, enough-lah", he remarked.
The NPC election is held once in two years.
Rocky was elected NPC president in 2003. In the 2005 election, he won unopposed.
Last evening, (Friday, March 3 2007), the NPC held its annual general meeting and election of office-bearers.
Deputy president Mokhtar Hussain, an editor with Bernama, was elected unopposed as president.
Veera Pandian of The Star was elected unopposed as the deputy president and Joe Fernando, also of the English daily, was elected unopposed as the vice president.
Jugjet Singh of the New Straits Times was elected unopposed as the secretary and Jane Ritikos of The Star as assistant secretary.
S.P.Manivasagam retained the post of treasurer, also unopposed, while the assistant treasurer's post went to Lum Chih Seng of the Oriental Daily.
Eight committee members were elected; Jairajo Letchumanan, Krishna Rao, Sharmini Darshni, Anthea De Lima, Farrah Naz Karim, P.Ananthan, Ghazemy Mahmud and B. Kaderes.
After the election, there was a proposal from the floor that Rocky be made an adviser of the NPC.
It was accepted unanimously.
(Photo: NPC newly-appointed adviser (left) and newly-elected president.)
Maulidur Rasul
Selamat Menyambut Maulidur Rasul!
I wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters a Happy Maulidur Rasul.
Let us commemmorate the birthday of our Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah S.A.W with peace and charity.
Salawat and Salam for our beloved Rasulullah S.A.W.
I wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters a Happy Maulidur Rasul.
Let us commemmorate the birthday of our Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah S.A.W with peace and charity.
Salawat and Salam for our beloved Rasulullah S.A.W.
Of Old Rivals and a Mansion in Perth
Dr M "exposes" PM and Meets Tengku Razaleigh
I am way too late here. If this blog were a newspaper, it would've been scooped by other newspapers-- left, right and centre, as they say.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in Kulai, Johor on Thursday (March 29) to speak at a forum.
There he addressed some 800 Umno members and others, and spoke on Umno, the Malays and a mansion in Perth, Australia, purportedly belonging to the Prime Minister.
He said much much more. I was not there so I cannot quote him.
But, blogger BigDogDotCom was.
In his posting, "Tun Dr Mahathir Strikes Again", he quoted Dr M as saying:
“The fate of the people is determined by the people themselves” and “The people gets the Government they deserve”.
The forum, at Kelab Taman Puteri, was on Malays and Globalisation. Dr M was invited by the Kulai Besar Umno division.
Read more here. And by A Kadir Jasin and Ruhanie Ahmad.
Malaysia Today also has the story. You may want to check out AP story here which according to Rocky's Bru is damning.
Yesterday, (Friday, March 30), Dr M was at Universiti Malaya in Petaling Jaya to attend a lecture, “The Thoughts and Vision of Tun Abdul Razak in the Nation Building-Nation State, Across Ethnic Boundaries”. It was held at the Main Hall, Akademi Islam.
Tengku Razaleigh, former Umno vice-president and and Semangat 46 president, was invited to speak at this round of lecture series.
Dr M was also invited to speak. He spoke off-the-cuff , according to BigDogDotCom who attended the lecture.
I am way too late here. If this blog were a newspaper, it would've been scooped by other newspapers-- left, right and centre, as they say.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in Kulai, Johor on Thursday (March 29) to speak at a forum.
There he addressed some 800 Umno members and others, and spoke on Umno, the Malays and a mansion in Perth, Australia, purportedly belonging to the Prime Minister.
He said much much more. I was not there so I cannot quote him.
But, blogger BigDogDotCom was.
In his posting, "Tun Dr Mahathir Strikes Again", he quoted Dr M as saying:
“The fate of the people is determined by the people themselves” and “The people gets the Government they deserve”.
The forum, at Kelab Taman Puteri, was on Malays and Globalisation. Dr M was invited by the Kulai Besar Umno division.
Read more here. And by A Kadir Jasin and Ruhanie Ahmad.
Malaysia Today also has the story. You may want to check out AP story here which according to Rocky's Bru is damning.
Yesterday, (Friday, March 30), Dr M was at Universiti Malaya in Petaling Jaya to attend a lecture, “The Thoughts and Vision of Tun Abdul Razak in the Nation Building-Nation State, Across Ethnic Boundaries”. It was held at the Main Hall, Akademi Islam.
Tengku Razaleigh, former Umno vice-president and and Semangat 46 president, was invited to speak at this round of lecture series.
Dr M was also invited to speak. He spoke off-the-cuff , according to BigDogDotCom who attended the lecture.
Both Ku Li and Dr M were invited by the Federation of Malay Development and Education Organisation.
BigDogDotCom said about 150 people were there.
BigDogDotCom said about 150 people were there.
Dr M and Ku Li were political rivals. They may no longer be.
I can count the number of times they have been seen together. Usually their being seen together was coincidental.
At the Universiti Malaya lecture? Your guess is as good as mine.
Could we be seeing a comeback of these two veterans and once powerful Umno leaders?
(Photo of DrM and Ku Li at Universiti Malaya, courtesy of blogger Shahbudeen Jalil. )
Read BigDogDotCom's post on the event as well as on Ku Li's speech here .
The Scribe, A Kadir Jasin, who was there, commented in Rocky's Bru .
"Sdr Rocky,Ucapan Ku Li mengenai tajuk "Pemikiran dan Visi Tun Abdul Razak Dalam Pembinaan Negara-Bangsa Malaysia Merentas Sempatan Etnik" di UM petang ini membuka mata dan menyedarkan.Ia harus menjadi bacaan semua rakyat Malaysia -- Melayu, Cina, India, Iban, Kadazan dan semuanya.
I believe even Tun Dr Mahathir, who was among the listeners, found it stimulating and useful.
In fact he said so in his brief comment.
They later had tea together.They were in agreement about the danger of opening up the country to foreigners the way it's being done with Southern Johor.
Ku Li mengingatkan hadirin tentang penaklukan tentera dan ekonomi seperti yang dilakukan oleh Israel ke atas Tebing Barat dan wilayah -wilayah Arab yang lain dan tidak mahu ini terjadi kepada negara kita.
You should read Ku Li's speech."
Meanwhile, DPM Najib Razak wants us to continue feeling good because "things are changing" in this country.
Better development, better leadership. A great future for Malaysians.
Najib who is Umno deputy president said this yesterday (Friday,March 30) after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting on behalf of the Umno president (the PM) who is overseas.
Read BigDogDotCom's post on the event as well as on Ku Li's speech here .
The Scribe, A Kadir Jasin, who was there, commented in Rocky's Bru .
"Sdr Rocky,Ucapan Ku Li mengenai tajuk "Pemikiran dan Visi Tun Abdul Razak Dalam Pembinaan Negara-Bangsa Malaysia Merentas Sempatan Etnik" di UM petang ini membuka mata dan menyedarkan.Ia harus menjadi bacaan semua rakyat Malaysia -- Melayu, Cina, India, Iban, Kadazan dan semuanya.
I believe even Tun Dr Mahathir, who was among the listeners, found it stimulating and useful.
In fact he said so in his brief comment.
They later had tea together.They were in agreement about the danger of opening up the country to foreigners the way it's being done with Southern Johor.
Ku Li mengingatkan hadirin tentang penaklukan tentera dan ekonomi seperti yang dilakukan oleh Israel ke atas Tebing Barat dan wilayah -wilayah Arab yang lain dan tidak mahu ini terjadi kepada negara kita.
You should read Ku Li's speech."
Meanwhile, DPM Najib Razak wants us to continue feeling good because "things are changing" in this country.
Better development, better leadership. A great future for Malaysians.
Najib who is Umno deputy president said this yesterday (Friday,March 30) after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting on behalf of the Umno president (the PM) who is overseas.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Up Close And Personal With Camilla Gibb
Writing From the Heart
How often do we get to meet well-known authors from abroad to share an informal evening with?
We get to learn about them as writers. As talented individuals, as artistes. What inspires them, touches and moves them to write the books they have written. Whether they be about life and humanity. Or love and war.
Last evening (Tuesday,March 27 2007), we shared a quiet session - "The Fiction of Truth and the Truth of Fiction" -- with Canadian author and socio-anthropologist Camilla Gibb at the National Press Club.
How often do we get to meet well-known authors from abroad to share an informal evening with?
We get to learn about them as writers. As talented individuals, as artistes. What inspires them, touches and moves them to write the books they have written. Whether they be about life and humanity. Or love and war.
Last evening (Tuesday,March 27 2007), we shared a quiet session - "The Fiction of Truth and the Truth of Fiction" -- with Canadian author and socio-anthropologist Camilla Gibb at the National Press Club.
She talked about her life, her country, her work and her third book, "Sweetness in the Belly".
It was informal with only about 15 people there. A wonderful evening where we got up close and personal with her. No barriers.
Camilla's earlier books are "Mouthing the Words" (1999) and "The Petty Details Of So-and-So's Life" (2002). "Sweetness in the Belly" was published in 2005.
It was informal with only about 15 people there. A wonderful evening where we got up close and personal with her. No barriers.
Camilla's earlier books are "Mouthing the Words" (1999) and "The Petty Details Of So-and-So's Life" (2002). "Sweetness in the Belly" was published in 2005.
I find "Sweetness in the Belly' intriguing and compelling, not least for the style she employs, but how she is able to write convincingly about deep and serious issues facing a Muslim woman.
And the richness in the vivid images she conjures of Ethiopia.
Her narrations are powerful, yet gentle.
And the fact that a non-Muslim dared touch on Sufism, politics, Islam and the love and intrigues of a Muslim woman, is amazing.
It is quite rare indeed.
But after listening to her I am not surprised that she managed to"pull" off such a delicate stunt.
She is honest and sensitive. And she wrote from her heart.
She did not set out trying to change the world's misperception or misconception of Islam. But if along the way she did, she is thankful and happy.
Does she hope that more people will see the messages in the book.
"Insyallah," she said, without an awkward intonation.
And the richness in the vivid images she conjures of Ethiopia.
Her narrations are powerful, yet gentle.
And the fact that a non-Muslim dared touch on Sufism, politics, Islam and the love and intrigues of a Muslim woman, is amazing.
It is quite rare indeed.
But after listening to her I am not surprised that she managed to"pull" off such a delicate stunt.
She is honest and sensitive. And she wrote from her heart.
She did not set out trying to change the world's misperception or misconception of Islam. But if along the way she did, she is thankful and happy.
Does she hope that more people will see the messages in the book.
"Insyallah," she said, without an awkward intonation.
Camilla never had any misgivings about writing fiction on a complex subject a great many non-Muslim westerners would stay clear of.
But she was not sure of how it would be received.
"I wonder if my audience ever care. As a writer you don't make any assumption of anyone caring or not."
Camilla said she was surprised by the reception the book received.
"Maybe I had underestimated...but it shows that there is huge hunger and appetite for the subject I had written on.
"And it shows that we've got a lot of caring people who knew they were manipulated by the media and who want a more accurate portrayal of truth."
Camilla said the book was written before 9/11. It was based on her experience while she was in
Ethiopia doing her PhD research in anthropology.
After writing her academic piece, she felt empty as though there was something she had not completed. She was compelled to write.
"I saw many things. I met many people during my stay in Ethiopia. There were stories to tell. And I needed to tell them," she said.
More compelling was an experience she had earlier in her life when she met a woman from Palestine.
She had asked the stranger "where do you come from?" which is really the usual greeting in Canada which is so multi-cultural. A country of immigrants.
That experience of getting to know the stranger so different from her showed how shallow was her "sense of place".
Ethiopia doing her PhD research in anthropology.
After writing her academic piece, she felt empty as though there was something she had not completed. She was compelled to write.
"I saw many things. I met many people during my stay in Ethiopia. There were stories to tell. And I needed to tell them," she said.
More compelling was an experience she had earlier in her life when she met a woman from Palestine.
She had asked the stranger "where do you come from?" which is really the usual greeting in Canada which is so multi-cultural. A country of immigrants.
That experience of getting to know the stranger so different from her showed how shallow was her "sense of place".
Camilla developed an interest in Islam. In fact the book was inspired by her Ethiopian experience and the Quran.
She recalled how her friends were shocked when she wanted to write the book.
They had asked her how she could dare represent a Muslim experience when she was not a Muslim.
"Can anyone represent someone different from them?" Camilla asked.
But why shouldn't she try?
Well-meaning friends asked her: "Aren't you afraid of being fatwa-ed?"
In a way, she said, writing the book was the risk she took.
I find it fascinating that she included a "sufi" as one of her characters, and a sufi shrine.
I am familiar with sufi shrines because when I was a little girl in Singapore (where I was born), there was one to which Muslims would go to fulfil vows or to pray for miracles.
It was called "Keramat Habib Noh".
Camilla has enough intimate knowledge about Islam, including sufism, to confidently write about it.
Besides, the lady reads the poems and writings of A-Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet and mystic.
I don't know how many authors like Camilla read Rumi whose works I love.
Didn't I say I like Camilla?
Here's a bit on Camilla's background:
Born in England, she moved to Canada at a young age. She decided to study anthropology and became interested in the Middle East.
She then spent time in Cairo, and furthered her education (a PhD from Oxford) by living in Ethiopia for a few years, studying Muslim practices in Africa.
She then spent time in Cairo, and furthered her education (a PhD from Oxford) by living in Ethiopia for a few years, studying Muslim practices in Africa.
To date, Camilla's novels have been published in 19 countries and translated into 15 languages. She has also written a number of short stories, articles and reviews. She was the 1999 winner of the Hart House Literary Contest and the 2001 winner of the CBC Literary Award for short story. She has been Writer-in-Residence at the University of Toronto and the University of Alberta and is the Vice President of PEN Canada.
About "Sweetness in the Belly" :
Lily, daughter of a British "hippie"couple in Ethiopia was raised at a Sufi shrine under mystical Islam, after the death of her parents. She takes us to many places where we get glimpses of her childhood, her adulthood, her love and her life as a Muslim in the wake of the Ethiopian revolution and as a Muslim in non-Muslim surrounding when she moves to England. Her voice is gentle but powerful.
"Sweetness in the Belly" was shortlisted for the Giller Prize, won Ontario's Trillium Book Award, was chosen as a Best Book of the Year by the Globe and Mail and is on the longlist for the 2007 IMPAC Award.
" The Petty Details of So-and-So's Life" was a national bestseller in Canada, and was chosen by the Globe and Mail as one of the "Best Books of the Year".
(Photo above, courtesy Ahirudin Attan of Camilla with NST journalist Koh Lay Chin (left) and this blogger.)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesdays With Bapak (7)
When Majid and Other Things Had To Go - Tuesday, March 27, 2007
We called him Encik Majid. He appeared one morning at the door.
The year was 1972 -- the year Kak Olin was sitting for her HSC and Kak Eda and I, our MCE.
I was getting ready to go to school. Kak Olin was waiting in the living room, reading a book. She was always with a book.
Kak Eda was looking for a clean pair of socks in the back room.
Bapak had just asked Kak Eda what that thin brown "tali" was doing around her neck.
"Macam hippie," Bapak remarked.
Kak Eda laughed it off and made a quick exit, saying, "nak cari stokin..."
Every school day, Bapak would drop Kak Olin off at Bukit Bintang Boys School where she was doing her sixth form, and then drive across the highway to Assunta Secondary School to send Kak Eda and me.
Mak would send Kamal to Sri Petaling in Section 11 and Lalin to Assunta kindergarten.
It was our morning routine.
But this morning was going to be a little diferent.
"Masuk, masuk," Bapak hollered from the dining room.
The young man, wearing a pair of groovy tinted glasses, walked in.
He seemed rather nervous, unsure where he should be standing.
The sofa looked friendly enough, he must have thought as he stopped and stood beside it.
He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, tucked in a pair of dark-coloured trousers.
He looked around, nervous but trying to look really cool.
The presence of two young ladies -- Kak Olin and I -- must have made him more nervous.
Bapak asked for his name.
"Majid, Encik," he said.
"Macam nama pak cik saya," I chipped in, as I remembered Cik Jid (Majid Ismail), Bapak's youngest brother who was a journalist with Berita Harian in Singapore.
Majid didn't quite smile.
Perhaps, he was unsure whether he should smile in response to my cheeky intrusion.That explained the nervous twitch of his mouth.
Majid was to be Bapak's driver. Bapak had been made the New Straits Times managing editor/deputy group editor.
The Malaysian operations of the Singapore-based Straits Times had been Malaysianized.
Some people had described it as a "coup".
It seemed it was Bapak who masterminded the move in which the late Tun Abdul Razak (then the Prime Minister) and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (the then Finance Minister) directed the company to transfer the ownership of its entire Malaysian operation into Malaysian hands.
Thus, the birth of the New Straits Times.
How did Bapak do all that?
Well, the story was that there was a "go-slow" industrial action by the editorial staff of the Straits Times in Kuala Lumpur.
As Malaysia was still under the emergency laws enforced following the May 13, 1969 riots, the European-dominated management in Singapore thought that the go-slow would definitely end without much ado.
It was illegal, for heaven's sake. So the management thought that they could hold out by asking for arbitration in the Labour Department.
Basically, they were unyielding. They wanted to tire out the journalists, thinking and perhaps, also hoping, that the journalists would eventually give up. Their spirit broken, and their struggle along with it.
They didn't realise that the journalists had Bapak on their side. His sympathies were with them.
Bapak was acting editor-in-chief, as Lee Siew Yee was in London, on leave.
The Singapore management, of course, assumed that since Bapak represented management, he was surely on their side.
Perhaps he should have been. But he was a journalist first.
Moreover, there was a bigger struggle. The pursuit of nationalism.
It was time for the umbilical cord of Straits Times' parent company in Singapore to be severed.
It was time for many great things.
Bapak and the journalists had also finally got the support of the printers' union. That was it. It was the ripe time for action.
Perhaps, the Mat Sallehs in Singapore had forgotten Bapak's past in which he had had dealings with some of the toughest and most notorious trade unions.
This was up Bapak's alley -- his proverbial cup of tea.
"He thrives in that," someone once said.
I remember those days. Bapak either did not come home, or he came home very very late.
Mak would tell us that there was "some problem at the office".
Bapak had, it seemed, seized the opportunity the "go-slow" had offered.
With one bold stroke, he made his move. And before the Orang Putih in Singapore knew what hit them, the New Straits Times was born.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
So, now Encik Majid would be driving the navy blue Holden Kingswood which Bapak had got a little earlier.
Encik Majid remained Bapak's driver until 1976, the year he was detained under the ISA.
Over the four years he was with Bapak, we all grew to be fond of him.
Especially Lalin and Nina, despite him being such a stickler about the do's and don'ts in the car.
"No ice-cream" was top of the don'ts list.
As for the do's -- I remember he never minded them making a din in the car. So, in my book, he was an okay guy.
He liked my little sisters and my little brother, he treated them well. So, that made him okay to me.
Besides, he was respectful of Mak.
Encik Majid must have got on well with Bapak.
We treated him as part of the family.
If Bapak had his meals at home, then, it was understood that Encik Majid would have his with Bapak. Mak would, of course, be with them.
Encik Majid knew all our relatives in Singapore, and called them by their family names.
They treated him with respect. So did we.
As far as we were concerned, he was an employee of the NST.
He was not our driver.
We got to know his wife well too. His family was like family to us.
Frankly, we were quite amazed that he was able to work with Bapak who kept long irregular working hours.
Encik Majid even worked weekends.
"Does he have a life?" we wondered.
More importantly, Bapak had quite a reputation.
Yes, we heard some of the horror stories.
Mrs Koay told us about a new overzealous and over-efficient secretary for Bapak.
Mrs Koay, essentially was Uncle Siew's (Lee Siew Yee) secretary and Bapak was to have his own secretary.
So, Miss overzealous decided to be super efficient and cleared Bapak's desk of "mess".
It seemed when Bapak came into his room and found his desk to be so tidy, he was not amused. And that is putting it mildly.
We heard that some not so nice four-letter words spewed from his mouth.
And Miss overzealous was history. And so were many others. They worked a day, and called it quits the next.
That was Bapak. His bark was far worse than his bite.
He got on well with Mrs Koay, though.
She must have known Bapak well enough not to disturb his things.
So, Mrs Koay was secretary to both Uncle Siew and Bapak.
For, Bapak, she basically worked on his schedule and appointments.
"Easy-lah to work with your dad. He types his own letters, articles and documents. No need to kacau his desk or his room. Easy boss," she would say to us later.
She continued to keep in touch with us post-1976. Lovely lady.
Indeed, a person made of far less stern stuff would have not lasted as long as Encik Majid did.
One day, Encik Majid came to the house driving a gleaming Mercedes 200 with the registered number, BAK 40.
He was grinning so widely as though he had just won a ... Mercedes.
"Ni kereta baru. Kingswood dah tak pakai lagi," he told Mak.
"Aah... cantik," she said.
When Kak Eda and I came home for the weekend, we saw the Mercedes in the garage.
Encik Majid proudly introduced the gleaming, spanking new Merc to us.
He must have been convinced that we were hopeless, for we were not impressed. The young anti-establishment, anti-anything that smacked of capitalism, non-conformist teenaged rebels that we were.
What a pity, we thought. We had liked the Kingswood. We even liked the registered number - BY 1918.
One thing we always remembered -- just like the Kingswood, the Mercedes was not ours.
"Tak ada character-lah," Kak Eda said, of this new car.
I nodded in agreement.
"Tapi ada air-cond," I whispered.
"So what," she retorted, making me feel as though I was so corruptible. So easily seduced.
The morning after Bapak was taken away, Encik Majid came to our house to report for work.
He had not been informed of Bapak's arrest so he was shocked and was almost in tears.
But we got the feeling that he was not entirely surprised and had somewhat expected Bapak's arrest to happen.
For the rest of the day after that fateful morning in June 1976, Encik Majid looked so forlorn. A little lost.
Encik Majid's routine was a little out of whack as Azah, Kamal, Lalin and Nina had all skipped school that day.
So we told him that perhaps he should go to the office as he could find out more about Bapak's arrest there.
He came back about lunchtime and joined us all for lunch, and lunchtime talk.
When talk was rife that Bapak was detained for communist activities, Encik Majid was emotional.
Dear, faithful Encik Majid declared that if they wanted to know where Bapak went, what time and with whom, he should be the one the Special Branch should question.
"I can account for his every movement outside his home," he said.
Dear, faithful Encik Majid.
There was also a time when he came over to the house with some books and documents.
"Ini boss punya. They all kemas bilik Bapak," he said, rather sadly.
One morning, about two months after Bapak's arrest and subsequent detention, Encik Majid came to our house, looking a little despondent.
He asked for Mak who was busy in the kitchen.
"Saya dah di suruh tidak kerja untuk Mak Cik Midah lagi," he said, trying to break the news as gently as he could.
"Kereta dah nak di ambil balik..."
Encik Majid, of course knew this was coming but I had the feeling that he was just hoping that the company would actually forget about him, in a way that allowed him to work with us.
But, how would we pay for his services, I had wondered.
Mak knew too that this day would come, that Encik Majid would have to go. And of course, the Mercedes too.
In fact, she had already received a letter from the company stating Encik Majid's termination of services and the withdrawal of the company car.
She only informed Kak Piah, Kak Ton and Abang Med about it.
The rest of us had no inkling but, we had expected this inevitable development.
"Saya tahu. Saya dah dapat surat," Mak told Encik Majid.
She told him not to worry.This was expected, she said, because Bapak was no longer with the NST.
But, she told him that he was always welcomed at our home, anytime.
"Jangan lupa Hari Raya," she said.
That weekend, Mak told Kak Eda and I that Encik Majid would no longer be with us. And neither would the car.
We were sad about Encik Majid because he had been like family to us. Besides he had served Bapak well, shown the greatest respect for him and for Mak.
He had also been very good to Lalin and Nina.
The Mercedes was not a big deal although it was only natural that we had grown to like it. But it was not ours.
And we had, after all, the small little red Mazda 1000 which Mak had been using.
But what would have been a big deal was something she had chosen not to tell us.
With Bapak incarcerated, she had now to find a source of income to support her school and college-going children.
She was reminded of Bapak's EPF money. But, that would be to repay Bapak's debts on whatever loans he had taken.
Bapak's poor financial management was legendary, we were soon to find out.
Mak was to be bread winner, driver and everything else. And in her head was whether we all could remain in college and whether we would be forced to move out of our home.
And where would we go?
She told us much later that at one point of desperation and despair, she was thinking of Medan where her ancestral home was.
That, to us, was unimaginable. Unthinkable.
Thankfully, her faith brought her back to earth, to reality.
Her one consolation in all this was that Kak Ton and Abang Med were already working.
"But, would we be a burden to them?" she had wondered.
Monday, March 26, 2007
He's a Blogger
Shahrir's New Blog
MarinaM texted me and Syed Syahrul Zarizi alerted me, about Shahrir Samad's new blog, Shahrir Samad at www.shahrirsamad.blogspot.com.
This is a different one. The other is www.shahrir-umno.blogspot.com , which has been spammed like crazy.
Now this new one has got a Bloggers United logo.
His latest posting, dated today (Monday, March 26) is a reproduction of Jeff Ooi's piece, ("The Playful Politician"), on him at the launch.
His first was dated Friday, March 23, the day after he was at a lunch table where four bloggers, including Jeff, were seated. This was after the launching of the book, "The Reluctant Politician - Tun Dr Ismail and His Time" at Danga Bay, Johor Bahru.
He was certainly enjoying and amusing himself no end when he teased us about blogging and the uneasy state of blogosphere (in this country).
We, of course, reminded him that he was a blogger, to which he responded: "I am not a blogger, I am not a blogger". Playfully, I am inclined to believe.
Shahrir has a blog under blogspot, so that makes him very much a blogger, no matter how much he wants to deny it.
But, then, he could well be right. Shahrir-umno.blogspot is not your regular blog. You don't get to read what Shahrir thinks because, besides the incredible amount of spam, it contains a lot of news articles.
It does look like someone else is doing the "blogging" on his behalf.
And whoever it is, is doing such a poor job because shahrir-umno is grossly neglected.
If Shahrir insists that he is not a blogger, then he should shut down his blog that has got his name on it.
And, before you know it, along comes shahrirsamad.blogspot. How timely!
It's good to know that Shahrir has got a new blog.
But, I remain disappointed. It seems a mirror of the other one -- you still don't get to read what Shahrir thinks.
Let's hope we get to read Shahrir's views of issues. And that it does not go down the same road as shahrir-umno.blogspot.
MarinaM texted me and Syed Syahrul Zarizi alerted me, about Shahrir Samad's new blog, Shahrir Samad at www.shahrirsamad.blogspot.com.
This is a different one. The other is www.shahrir-umno.blogspot.com , which has been spammed like crazy.
Now this new one has got a Bloggers United logo.
His latest posting, dated today (Monday, March 26) is a reproduction of Jeff Ooi's piece, ("The Playful Politician"), on him at the launch.
His first was dated Friday, March 23, the day after he was at a lunch table where four bloggers, including Jeff, were seated. This was after the launching of the book, "The Reluctant Politician - Tun Dr Ismail and His Time" at Danga Bay, Johor Bahru.
He was certainly enjoying and amusing himself no end when he teased us about blogging and the uneasy state of blogosphere (in this country).
We, of course, reminded him that he was a blogger, to which he responded: "I am not a blogger, I am not a blogger". Playfully, I am inclined to believe.
Shahrir has a blog under blogspot, so that makes him very much a blogger, no matter how much he wants to deny it.
But, then, he could well be right. Shahrir-umno.blogspot is not your regular blog. You don't get to read what Shahrir thinks because, besides the incredible amount of spam, it contains a lot of news articles.
It does look like someone else is doing the "blogging" on his behalf.
And whoever it is, is doing such a poor job because shahrir-umno is grossly neglected.
If Shahrir insists that he is not a blogger, then he should shut down his blog that has got his name on it.
And, before you know it, along comes shahrirsamad.blogspot. How timely!
It's good to know that Shahrir has got a new blog.
But, I remain disappointed. It seems a mirror of the other one -- you still don't get to read what Shahrir thinks.
Let's hope we get to read Shahrir's views of issues. And that it does not go down the same road as shahrir-umno.blogspot.
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