The line is drawn!

Thoughts from someone whom I have a high regard for and part of a new breed of young politicians which this country so badly needs.

I reproduce below what Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said on the untimely death of Teoh Beng Hock at the gathering and candlelight vigil in front of Penang MACC.

Like everyone else in the DAP family and the wider Malaysian society, I am still grieving over the killing of Teoh Beng Hock, aide to Selangor Exco Ean Yong Hian Wah.

What happened on 16th July 2009 at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Selangor State Headquarters in Shah Alam is the most tragic day in DAP’s forty-three years’ history. Indeed, one of the saddest days for Malaysia as a nation.

Most of us who participate actively in DAP, other opposition parties and NGOs do not expect personal gains and are often somewhat prepared to face some form of oppression by the UMNO/Barisan Nasional government.

Many of our leaders went through hell in the form of detention without trial. Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng spent a year in jail as a prisoner of conscience for helping a young Malay girl.

But this is the first time one of us has been killed. One of our young is fallen victim to the old, corrupt and rotten system, eaten away by it along with so much of our hopes and dreams.

Photographs of him taken at the time when MACC personnel took him away were published clearly in the papers. And, the next thing we knew he was dead.

At once, his death reveals the most sinister elements of the UMNO/Barisan Nasional apparatus. In its attempt to implicate elected members of Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor for corruption, which would later pave way for another staged coup d’état a la Perak, MACC has started killing our young.

The line is drawn. Whether it takes a year, two years, or a lifetime, it is now our obligation to free Malaysia from UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s misrule and to see to it that justice is restored in our beloved nation.

Beng Hock’s unfortunate demise reminds us that the UMNO/Barisan Nasional government has not changed at all since 8th March 2008. It is time for those who want a better Malaysia, especially those in Pakatan Rakyat, to reaffirm our faith in new politics, and to remind ourselves who we are up against.

May Beng Hock not die in vain.

He confided in me that when he wrote the above, tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He didn't tell me why he cried but I would like to offer this explanation. YB Liew Chin Tong cried because he is a true Malaysian, much more than can be said for those who rule over us with their apparatus of oppression!

As for me, I had shed tears too, not because of Teoh Beng Hock's untimely death, but for fellow Malaysians who said "enough is enough" but are unwilling to leave their comfort zone to help shape Malaysia's destiny!

Corruption will be the death of this country - MACC, you have a lot to account for!

High on the list of many ordinary Malaysians who voted against UMNO/BN and continue to be dissatisfied with UMNO/BN today is CORRUPTION! A decease which is the bane of many societies but somehow 'tolerated' by those from our ruling elites!

As an after reaction to the loss of votes during the 12th GE, our ruling elites are trying to make adjustments to cater to our demand and they created the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). A new name with some fanciful legislation to justify it's name change, hoping that Malaysians will welcome it with a breath of fresh air and better 'corrupt-free' times.

The reality is despite it's name change from ACA to MACC, it still comes under the jurisdiction of the Home Minister who reports to the cabinet led by the PM, all politicians from a group trying desperately hard to hang on to power. Which beggars the question, how independent is the MACC?

Middle ground Malaysians are against corruption and we would welcome any investigations against ANYONE suspected of corruption. But middle ground Malaysians also can see a distinct difference when the MACC moves (or does not move) into action, dependent on who the complainant is. Allegations against those from the side of the ruling elites are either explained away or feet dragged so slow that ordinary Malaysians (eager for more new trash) would just wane away and not pursue the matter further.

Middle ground Malaysians are sensible enough to know that there will be corrupt politicians from both sides of the divide, only the degree of severity separates them.

If a DAP or PKR or PAS man has to face the music, so be it but what about all those UMNO/BN crooks which made the ruling elites react in the first place? What happened to all those UMNO/BN fellows living above their stations when ordinary Malaysians suffer? Where is the MACC on such blatant corrupt practices?

Today, the situation took a turn for the worse when Teoh Beng Hock, 30, getting registered in a civil marriage tomorrow and picked-up by the MACC for questioning as a witness (and not a suspect) was found dead at 1.30pm sprawled fourteen floors below the MACC office where he was being 'interviewed'.

I do not wish to jump the gun here and speculate what happened but something is not right here!

Something is horribly wrong and we can all show that ordinary Malaysians of the middle ground cares and DEMANDS honest answers! We can lend our voices to make MACC accountable for what they do and those whom they are responsible for in the course of 'playing politics'!

Tomorrow, at 11.00am, there will be a gathering of concerned Malaysians at the MACC office to "register" our concerns that something is not right with Teoh's death. At 9.00pm on the same day and at the same venue, there will be a candlelight vigil for Teoh Beng Hock's demise under unexplained circumstances in the hands of the MACC who had responsibility over him.

MACC's office in Penang is between 'Mayfair condos and Citibank (next door to Penang Club)' on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (the old Northam Road).

Correction and Update : The MACC does not come under the Home Ministry but is under the PM's Department.

Below are photos from the gathering in front of Penang MACC building this morning.


2nd Update : A much larger crowd than the morning's gathering came for the candlelight vigil. I estimate the crowd to be more than 100 strong. Judging from the sentiments, I think Teoh Beng Hock's funeral next week in Melaka is going to be massive!

Below are pictures from the candlelight vigil.

A blog called "Justice for Beng Hock" has been set-up and it can be reached HERE.

Humor: A conversation between a Malaysian father and son on careers.

Father: Son, I went to your school this afternoon and met your teacher. He showed me your report card.

Son: What! How did you know that today is Hari Waris?

Father: That's what I want to talk to you about. How come, you did not give me the letter from your school?

Son: Er, er, I forgot la dad, anyway who told you about today?

Father: Majid's father, but that is not important, how come you failed your science subjects. I asked you to take science subjects because I have high hopes that you would do well but you flopped all the science subjects and your maths and also add maths. Why?

Son: Alamak dad, the subjects susah la. I cannot understand la. Anyway I don't want to take science, you forced me.

Father: I did it for your future.

Son: But I don't like science, I like Sastera.

Father: Sastera? What can Sastera do for you? Why, do you want to grow up and be a writer? You want to be a nuisance like all those bloggers? You want to be like that katataknak felow who don't have a single nice word to say about the government? No, I won't allow it. From next week, you go for tuition classes.

Son: But dad, I don't like science. I want to change to Sastera la. Please la dad. Anyway, if I did well in science what can I be? I don't like engineering, I don't want to be a doctor, I don't want to be a scientist.

(Might as well be up the ass, no difference as a certain YB Botox would have us believe! Image from Bruce Fong's blog)

Father: Son, I don't want you to be an engineer or a medical doctor or a scientist, I want you be a dentist and buy me a 24 million ringgit house for 3.5 million ringgit only. Dentist are clever people, they can make expensive things cheap. They also know how to make their skin tight and fair with natural resources and they know how to shred documents, and travel first class using other people's money. Please la son I also want to have an all expenses paid, first class, trip to Disneyland!

(Joke credit to Kata Tak Nak. Thank you for allowing me to reproduce it.)

Civil activism needed - but of the right kind please!

Somebody in Haris Ibrahim's "SayaAnakBangsaMalaysia" forum had said this (paraphrased);

"Time for Malaysian civil society to move again like the last GE because it looks like political parties and political groups have forgotten the plot for good governance."

Add to that my good friend Lumine Lucem's comment about activism to check political "drunkenness", I would like to touch on a related subject but before I get to that, I would like to state here that I agree fully with both statements.

Civil society needs activists to champion it's cause and given the current political "drunkenness", civil activism is needed now more than ever.

Where I have a problem with activists are those from pressure groups with narrow interests (claiming to act for civil society), but acting only in their own interest without looking at the bigger picture of a politically, culturally and economically viable Malaysia.

I'm referring to the "heritage at all cost" buffs and the example I'm going to use here is the Yin Oi Tong Medical Hall in Penang.

(Image from The StarOnline)

On 8 July 2009, I received an email from PenangMedia.com inviting me to sign a petition to save the Yin Oi Tong Medical Hall. I went to the URL provided to see what it is all about and all I saw was a petition addressed to no one in particular, without any content of reasons except "Save Our Living Cultural Heritage; Save Yin Oi Tong --- Our Cultural Living Heritage".

The StarOnline reported about this issue HERE on 3 July 2009.

I wonder if any of these activists and pressure groups considered the following?

1. Traditional medicine is losing appeal to younger Malaysians who are exposed to modern medicines. Malaysia's average population is getting younger by the day and projected to get younger in the foreseeable future.

2. Societies evolve and are never stagnant (a stagnant society is a declining society). Why else the relentless quest to improve the human race by human beings? Why do the proponents of the "Save Yin Oi Tong Campaign" educate their children so that they can make a better living through modern means to uplift themselves?

3. The owner of the building, the Cheah Kongsi, is not a charity but an association founded to promote the interests of Cheah clansmen. Amongst which is to get a profitable return on investments to benefit members of the Cheah Kongsi.

4. It is all about economics and nothing to do with politics so why involve the state government? What can they do? Even assuming that Penang state is wealthy enough to buy the property, should it? Yin Oi Tong Medical Hall may be worthy of saving but is it practical? The reality is it's clientele is evolving away from it's products, simple as that.

5. Living heritage involves lives, real human lives striving to improve their lot for themselves and their families. These lives are real and their dreams are real and who are we to treat them as objects of exhibition so as to satisfy our wish for "preserving heritage"?

I am sure the Cheah Kongsi couldn't care less who their tenant is so long as the tenant can pay what they deem is fair return on their property. Likewise, I'm sure Yin Oi Tong Medical Hall wouldn't be forced to move out if it's business is good enough to sustain the rental asked.

So from what angle are these activists coming from apart from yelling "preserve heritage" and pushing the burden to the state government? May I remind them that it is not nor can it be the responsibility of the state government to save Yin Oi Tong only without consideration for the Cheah Kongsi rights to enjoy their property. The Penang state government is a government to all Penangites, not just the heritage buffs!

Let me take it one step further. How many of those who are making this "Save Yin Oi Tong" cry are still making a living from these heritage businesses and living within the heritage zone? Let me be more precise. How many of these activists actually take traditional medicines to cure illnesses and how many (if any) buy their traditional medicines from Yin Oi Tong?

It is always easy to shout from their high temples but they forget that without society's natural evolution, they would not be where they are today with the luxury to further their narrow interests. Imagine if activists had in 1957 said; "We must preserve our cultural heritage of colonial Penang", wouldn't we have to import the Brits to run our state government and civil service? Where would we all be today?

To me, living heritage is not sustainable not because we don't want to but because the living part of the heritage also aspires to a greater life from that which they were born into. These heritage buffs should understand this and divert their energies to more pressing problems on the home front, like poverty, equality and justice.

I did not sign the petition and I would like those thinking of signing the petition to really study and understand the issues at work here and not simply fall for the propaganda of the heritage buffs without looking at the bigger picture of a sustainable Penang and the evolution of time!

Do unto others as you would them have do unto you! So simple a motto but so very lacking in practice amongst our human kind!

Threat, bribe or simply good political campaigning?

In a 'meet-the-people' session in Manek Urai yesterday, DPM Muhyiddin Yassin was reported by Malaysiakini to have said the following;

(Current existing 1 lane bridge, Image from Malaysiakini)

"We can build it (the bridge), Insya'allah, but there is a condition. It is easy - all you need to do is to 'pangkah' (vote), but you must vote for BN. If not, there would not be any new bridge. If you want the bridge, vote BN.”

Full report by Malaysiakini HERE.

I've read his statement a few times bearing in mind the context on which it was made and also read the Election Offences Act, 1954 (Act 5) a few times and I'm still undecided if an offence had been committed here.

Perhaps some of my learned readers can enlighten me here.

All I know is it sounds like a threat or bribe to me! Both of which to me is against the 'spirit' of a true democratic electoral process. Am I being too idealistic hoping for fair-play from our so called "democratic" contestants?

Or is it simply good political campaigning but done with a dose of arrogance?

I stand to be corrected but in my books, threats, bribes or simply arrogance are what 'Middle Ground' Malaysians no longer want to see in our political landscape!

One year old today!

Exactly a year ago, I started this blog. Since then it had been a roller-coaster ride of emotions with some very high points and some very low ones as well. Most times the low points were dealt to me by the very people I was championing to make a difference for a better Malaysia. That to me was even worse than the nonsense often dished out by the ruling elites!

In a fit of anger and despair last week, I had wanted to end the blog and return to my indifferent past, stay out of politics, and let things run it's natural course.

Words of encouragement from readers and friends made me rethink my earlier decision and after some soul-searching, decided that I can still play a role in nation-building without entering into the realm of politics.

It is with this in mind that I resumed the blog yesterday with the intention of returning to the 'Middle Ground' and getting others from the middle ground to lend their voices for a better Malaysia. And this is important because for too long, politicians from both sides of the divide think that just because most of middle ground Malaysians are silent, we do not know any better and they can continue to dish out to us meaningless rhetoric accompanied by the 'old' ways of doing things and playing politics.

They are so very wrong on this! But unless we can get more and more middle ground Malaysians to voice out their aspirations, desires, dreams on the one breath, and impatience, intolerance, anger in the same breath, politicians will continue to use our beloved country as their 'own' battleground in their quest for power.

And the collateral damage is ordinary Malaysians of the 'Middle Ground'! It will be the honest, hard-working, law-abiding citizens who will have to 'foot the bill' for their skirmishes and battles!

So with this in mind, I will now try to use this blog to provoke critical thinking and where possible to encourage others of the middle ground to fight for and defend principles which are necessary for a strong civil society which can only be a good thing for the country.

Remember that politicians should only be given enough power to do the job! Anymore than that and chances are they will do a job on us as can be seen from history!

Also a very big thank you to all 31,693 visitors from across the world who have visited this blog this past one year. I'm truly grateful to all my readers as your participation had on many occasions given me the reason to carry on when all seems lost!

Ghana, Africa, Malaysia - democracy is about strong institutions and not strong men!

One day earlier than I intended to restart my blog, two things prompted me to 'jump the gun'. First was the phone call from my best friend and 'political mentor' from London this morning and the speech by President Barack Obama in Ghana.

Full text of Obama's speech HERE but what I discussed with my 'mentor' shall remain private but it is along the lines of kicking my sorry ass and doing my duty for country! (I shall leave that for another day)

Amongst the things Obama said to Ghanians is;

"First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments.

As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable and more successful than governments that do not.

(image from chinhuatw.wordpress.com)

This is about more than just holding elections. It's also about what happens between elections. Repression can take many forms, and too many nations, even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves ... or if police — if police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top ... or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end.

In the 21st century, capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the key to success — strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges ... an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people's everyday lives."

How true, how true! If only those who rule over us understands these basic principles of democracy, there would be no need for me to continue this blog then!

'The Middle Ground' is under reconstruction

This blog is under reconstruction and maintenence and should return to full operation on or around 13 July 2009.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding.

Seriously tired of blogging for a better Malaysia! Time to consider migration!

Yup, you read the title right. I've had enough!

Yesterday PM Najib announced some liberalization with regards Malaysian companies and the economy but before I can even digest what it all meant, PAS president Hadi came out with with a statement that he is against the removal of Bumi quotas!

A step in the right direction from the ruling government and he has to play stupid myopic racial politics! Does he not know that without expanding the economic pie so that ALL Malaysians can live easily, we would soon be at each others throats?

(Malaysiakini report HERE)

Add to that another report that Kedah DAP pulled out from the PR government in Kedah so where does that leave ordinary Malaysians who had overcomed their fears and rejected UMNO/BN?

I have said this before and I will say it again this last time. Malaysian politics is all about race. Malays vs non-Malays. For whatever reasons only known to themselves, they see non-Malay citizens of this country as their biggest threat without seeing the bigger picture.

Thank you to my faithful followers but I shall be shutting down my blog on 13 July 2009, exactly a year after I started this blog. This country of ours has NO hope! (Not in my lifetime anyway)

Without making too much of a generalization, I hope they ROT in HELL! (you know who I mean)

I am not racist by any means but idiots like these makes me want to be one!!!

WOU Learning Carnival 2009 - Revolution!

I'm keeping a promise to a good friend to help promote his university's education carnival and furthermore I believe in acquiring knowledge through education. (I am seriously considering it's Masters of Public Administration program if I can find the will-power to study again.)

Wawasan Open University is organising a learning carnival themed ‘Revolution! Your world. Your classroom.’ for people of all ages at the main campus on July 5th from 9am to 8pm. The theme envisions the walls of conventional education methods and traditional classrooms being torn down, creating an awareness that there is inspiration and always something more to learn from everything and everyone around you.

The climax of the evening will be the prize-giving ceremony for WOU's Post@Postcard Contest - feel free to browse through the selection of entries at the postcard gallery booth anytime. Prizes will also be handed out for the IQ and paintball challenge. Watch out for performances by various artistes.

Come and bring along your family and friends for an exciting and pleasurable outing; click to download the programme. Admission is FREE!

For inquiries/details, contact Corporate Communications at 04-228 9323 ext 230/ 233/ 235 or email: yhlim@wou.edu.my

Ps. I intend to be there for the IQ test to find out how close I am to being a potted plant (as my wife constantly reminds me when I forget her 'important' days!)