GST, what?

Woken up, and remembered that I need to work today despite it being a public holiday.

May 1 is Labour Day.

Exactly 11 years ago today, I had a very great Labour Day holiday with someone I love.

Well, never mind, that's in the past.

Today I have to work and as for that beloved someone, I am not sure where she is today. I just miss her a lot.

The supposedly big thing happening in town today is the Pakatan's GST protest.

I am not sure how big it's going to be, but I don't think it would be bigger than all those Bersih protests.

After all, these sorts of things have become a bit tiresome for most people.

I wonder if most of those who will turn up even know exactly what is the GST thing was all about.

Some, I suspect probably would not even know what GST stands for.

I wish they can go somewhere like a stadium. instead of doing it on the streets.

Lots of nuisance la.

Never mind, hopefully no one will get hurt and they don't cause too much disruptions or damages to public property.

Actually I sympathize them. Following around the likes of Mat Sabu and the other nut cases on a protest of which the issue that they don't even really understand.
That is really stupid.

Well, I better get up and go to work.

I leave you all with a bit of nice old music and hope you have a restful day,

A novel

I was trying to sleep early just now but have not been able to do so.

Decided to do this posting instead.

Okay, the country's political scene at the moment is rather dull.

It's dominated by the hudud issue, which is not exactly a new thing.

It's a subject which I actually rather not discuss.

It's because if I write what I truly feel about the whole thing, the comments section will probably be inundated with calls for my head to be chopped off for being a heretic.

Normally, I wouldn't care less about such things written by the commenters but of late I feel that I need some peace of mind.

After all, as far as I am concerned, the whole thing was just a Pas' attempt at winning back the Malay support which it lost due to the party's bending backward to win the approval of DAP and its solid Chinese support.

It's actually just a gimmick. Pas was hoping for Umno to reject the private bills for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan so that they can point at the rival Malay Muslims party and as usual accused it as being the one standing in the way of Islamic law being enforced in this country.

Of course Umno has its obligations to its non-Muslim friends in BN and will not support the bill....that is, unless Umno feels that it's better to join up with Pas rather than sticking around with parties such as MCA whose over a million members refused to vote its own candidate and Gerakan, whose leaders openly spat on Umno and calling it a racist party.

But seriously, would you stand the thought of supporting something like this being sanctioned by our country's laws :

Is that really Islamic laws?

Guan Eng, your friends want to have such things in this country. So, you still want to be together gather with them?

Anyway, those were not what I really intended to write tonight. They were just a reminder of the hypocritical nature of our political establishment.

Grim, isn't it?

Well, never mind, I rather forget about it.

What I really wanted to tell in this posting is that I am starting to write a novel.

I had planned it for quite awhile and finally had completed its draft.

It's going to be based on the real life story of my father.

It's about a struggle for life, the most strange love story, deceit and betrayal as well as repentance.

Nope, it's not going to be one of those Malay romance novels made for drama to be shown on TV3.

I believe its going to be quite complicated and lengthy. There will be quite a bit of politics too, particularly Malay-Chinese relations.

I am also going to write it in English.

I will try to find a publisher, once I had done with the transcript.

If I can't find any, I will probably publish it in cyberspace for free.

As it is with this blog, money is not my motivation for writing the novel.

I am doing it just for my own personal satisfaction.

The makings of a fair and just ruler

There is this very good article written by Tunku Abdul Aziz which was published by NST on Saturday.

You can read the full article here,

The makings of a fair and just ruler

For those who are a bit too lazy to click on the link, I put here part of the article,

Closer to home, Raja Nazrin Shah, the Regent of Perak, was reported as saying, according to the New Sunday Times (April 20), that "The institution of Malay rulers must be dynamic in facing challenges and fulfilling demands".

He went on to state that the throne must be non-partisan and stand above political polemics at all times.

His reminder about the duties and obligations of the Malay rulers could not have come at a better time, reflecting as it does the sometimes unflattering sentiments on the ground towards some of our rulers and their families.

In a stark reminder to his elders, Raja Nazrin made it clear that the institution was not merely decorative, as the role and responsibility of the ruling monarch had been spelt out.

Raja Nazrin restated an immutable universal principle of kingship that embodies service and public duty in the public interest above all other considerations. Are our rulers up to the challenge that the wise young Raja has thrown into the ring?

His father, Sultan Azlan Shah, a constitutional authority in his own right, once said that: "The role of the constitutional monarchy goes beyond what is stipulated in the constitution.

"The rulers have a far wider responsibility in ensuring that the spirit of the constitution, the philosophy behind the written law, and the interest of the country and the people are safeguarded at all times."

Sultan Azlan Shah was clearly making a distinction between the formal functions of a Malay ruler as set out in the constitution of his state and his traditional duties as a hereditary ruler.

A ruler of a Malay state is, therefore, more than a constitutional creation. He is the embodiment of all that is noble, virtuous, fair and just. Many rulers, past and present, have not lived up to these ideals, but, on balance, it can be fairly argued that they are conscious of their duty to the people. They have a duty that goes beyond the constitutional framework, which has neither spirit nor soul and which only a wise and caring ruler can give.

I now turn to a consideration of what rulers have to do in order to earn the love and respect of their people.

First, they must uphold the dignity of their exalted position by behaving in ways that will set them apart from the rest of us, mere mortals, as models of honour, decency and rectitude. What this means in effect is that they must set high moral and ethical standards of behaviour for themselves and their families in keeping with their anointed roles in life. A ruler must steer clear of involvement in partisan politics.

Equally unacceptable in the eyes of their people is for our rulers and their children to reduce themselves to being supplicants, petitioning politicians for land for speculative purposes and government projects.

There is, in my considered view, no quicker way for royalty to lose their self-worth and respect than to be seen to be behaving in this way.

Obama? Johoreans? Heck, I rather watch a movie.

Well, Obama is coming here today.

He is only the second US president ever to visit Malaysia while in office.

The first one was Lyndon B Johnson in 1966, which is almost half a century ago.

Everyone seems to be so gaga over Obama's visit....almost.

I'm one of those who are not that very excited.

For me, Obama, as it was with LBJ, is just one of those minor presidents of the US.

The guy's presidency has so far been mundane.

Honestly, I am not really sure what is his most significant achievement as a president.

Even that moronic Bush junior was a more significant president. He went to war and give new meaning to state terrorism.

Obama on the other hand is just plain mundane. That's about it.

The only significant thing about him I could think of is that he is the first US president who is black....or supposedly black.

The guy is half white actually.

Okay, he seems to be a nice guy...despite his American soldiers still going around killing people in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan etc.

Well, never mind, the guy is a guest, so I better not run him down too much....that is despite him being the leader of a country which is the biggest supporter and supplier of deadly weapons of that Muslim-killing machine Zionist state, which goes by the name of Israel.

I have to admit that I wish we do not need the Americans. I wish we are still the best friend of China.

But, what to do....China also like to bully us lately. They even want our territorial water off Sarawak and Sabah.

So now, Malaysia, which has all these while been the best friend of China in this region now forced to flirt with the GI Joes.

Too bad that China really doesn't know how to appreciate its friend.

If only they know how to be a really good friend instead of being a neighborhood bully....

Really, being a bully will not get you what you want.

People will just be turned off by your bad behavior and switch to the opposite side despite them not wanting to do that.

It's a lesson which should be learnt by those in power in my home state of Johor.

They should realize that people will revolt when they can't take it being conned and robbed anymore.

They may even switch support to Kit Siang and his gang when they could not stand being bullied anymore....

....okay, I know they would not do that, especially the Johorean Malays....

....they will be loyal to Umno and BN no matter how much or how blatantly they were being robbed and conned....

....well, what the heck, as if the Johoreans care.

LUASKAN KUASA MU!!! LUASKAN KUASA MU!!! LUASKAN KUASA MU!!!

....so they cheered at the football stadium.

Ah, really, why bother, isn't it?

I rather go to the movies instead.

Here is a nice trailer of one of my favorite movies,

Okay, for the macho guys out there, I think they would prefer this one,

Urgh...discussing movies is definitely better than getting excited over that mundane US president or trying to save willingly bullied and conned Johoreans, no?

Star Wars lightened up my mood

I have actually been in serious mode ever since MH370 disappeared over a month ago.

I find it hard to get back on the light side of things after the tragedy.

However, when I woke up just now for a fresh new day, I told myself to cheer up and snap out of my sombre mood.

Then I saw this story as reported by the Mole

MAS employees held hostage in Beijing

I was like "What the....???"

I understand that the family members of the victims were upset and grieving but to go to such extreme was so unnecessary. The MAS employees were after all there for them.

Hopefully the MAS people are safe and the situation can be resolved when everyone calm down.

Back to my sombre mood, I still think I need to lighten up quite a bit more.

I need to stop thinking about negative thoughts and try to see the silver lining at the fringes of the dark cloud ahead of me.

Like that Johor thing, I don't think myself being concerned too much will make any difference.

The Johoreans themselves don't seem to be too concerned about being conned and robbed. They have been happily going about their usual business.

The Johorean Chinese were conned by Kit Siang and gang during the general election last year while the Johorean Malays were conned by the crooks from among themselves who took over power in the state after that.

Well, who cares, right?

Go ahead guys, rob and con the Johoreans all you want. Nobody care, you know.

LUASKAN KUASA MU!!! LUASKAN KUASA MU!!! LUASKAN KUASA MU!!!

I think I better watch my favorite Star Wars movie whenever I am in a foul mood

Hmmm...at least the son is a good guy, eh :-)

Okay, after that I would like to watch my second favorite Star Wars movie

Those lightened my mood a bit.

Time to get up for work.

Hmmmm... I wish I can wear this halmet in my office to creep out my bosses

You all have a good day, okay.

Expend your power in Johor

I've been on the road the past few days and had no time to write at all.

Attended to some private tragedies and other matters.

Anyway, there is nothing really new to update in this blog.

The Johor thing I tried to highlight is a dead end.

I am not going to get any help on it.

I was informed the other day by a friend who works for the mainstream media but close with the top pro-establishment bloggers that no one among them are going to touch on the "Johor thing".

They apparently have also given up on it.

It's too troublesome to handle.

Johor is a gone case, said my friend.

"You better close your eyes too. If the top bloggers, some of whom were more Johorean than you are walking away, then you better walk away too. There is nothing more you can do. If you continue, then you will be just a lonely dog barking at the hill," he added.

Another friend who was part of the team assisting former Johor MB Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman during the defense of Johor in last year's general election said Johor BN will still be in power for another term despite the excesses which are happening there at the moment.

"The overwhelming majority of Johorean Malays are still loyal to Umno. The crooks who are robbing the state know that and are exploiting that loyalty to the maximum. They feel that no matter what they do, the Malays there will still support the establishment in Johor which will enable them to stay in power," he said.

My friend added that the Johorean Malays will only "revolt" when those excesses have become so obvious and begin to directly affect their life.

"Once the people are fed-up and can't take it anymore, then Johor will be like Selangor," he said.

But I guess, those who are robbing Johor now can't be bothered with what will happened seven or eight years from now.

By that time, they will be rich enough to insulate themselves from the fallout of a BN's defeat in Johor.

They may even jump to the other side and get their sins absolved like this former Selangor MB,

No need to return the loot too. Best deal in the world.

As a Johor exco member was reportedly remarked,

"Ini masa buat duit."

So, be damned with the future of the State. I guessed.

Well, if other Johoreans were not bothered for now, why then should I be so upset about it.

As they keep chanting at the football field during JDT's violence-prone matches,

"LUASKAN KUASA MU!!! LUASKAN KUASA MU!!! LUASKAN KUASA MU!!!

Why should I care then..???

Okay, need to get up now and go to work.

Have a good day everyone.

An organization of excesses in Johor

A journalist friend who is a fellow Johorean called me after reading my plea,

Datuk Najib, please save Johor

He advised me not to get too involved with the "situation" in our home state..

"It's not worth it. You will just get yourself in trouble," he said.

"They would not give a damn anyway," he added.

Well, I have to do something.

That posting was the least that I can do.

I know it's not going to get the prime minister to hurriedly fix things in Johor. It's not in my wildest dream to think that Datuk Najib reads anything that I wrote in this blog.

My only hope was that one of his media handlers who monitor the blogs would conveyed to him my worries about my home state and my belief that he could do something to stop the rot.

Then maybe the prime minister will do something. Who knows...

At least at the end of the day, I can take comfort that I did try to do something to save my beloved home state.

For those who doubt the veracity of what I wrote about the scale of excesses which are happening in Johor right now, please ask those who are familiar with what are happening down in JB.

Also, check with them whether it's true that those excesses had even spread among people who have been entrusted with ensuring the welfare and development of the state at the lower levels.

For example, you may check whether there is an organization in Johor which exploits were such as I listed here:

1. An organization set up by the government to bypass the civil service with the objective of ensuring massive developments take place in an area in southern Johor. Those who work for this organization earn up to three times more than the civil servants who perform similar tasks as them.

2. It's not a very competent organization. For an example, one of the organisation's favorite project was to install multi-million ringgit security CCTV system all over JB but after years of talking about it, has failed to do so. It's latest attempt at doing so ended with it being conned by its own appointed contractors.

3. The top guns of the organization seem to like going on "familiarization trips" which involves stopovers at golf courses in Indonesia. Occasionally, they would go elsewhere such as the recent "learning and development trip" to UK and other European countries which costs millions of ringgit but didn't produce any tangible result or knowledge sharing.

4. From 2010 to 2014, the organization spends RM240 million on "operational expenses", which many believe were spend on petty projects given to a bunch of businessmen who once went to the same all-boys boarding school.

5. The organization was supposed to be the prime mover of the JB Transformation Project but has failed to move anything after a year from the given deadline. I doubt the project which was meant to turn JB into a beautiful garden city of sorts will ever be realized.

6. The organization was supposed to provide opportunities for the bumiputera community in southern Johor. It was to uplift their living standard in line with the rapid development there. It had however failed to do so with efforts made towards that objective being what the Malays would described as "melepaskan batuk ditangga". It will be interesting to see what actually happened to the allocations provided for the organization's bumiputera projects if the government is to send in an independent auditor.

7. This organization has become a nest where young politicians aligned with powerful people sought million ringgit projects through direct negotiation process.

8. Many high ranking staff of this organization are Pakatan supporters who despite justifying their political views on what they claimed as a corrupt BN government, practice corruption themselves.

9. The CEO of this organization has a Ferrari, two BMWs, a Mini Cooper, a Range Rover, a Hyundai Sonata and two Japanese-made luxury cars. He also has over 10 significant private properties worth millions of ringgit

10. The organization's CEO of three years is paid about RM50,000 per month.

Well, there are a lot more I can put in the list but I think 10 is enough for you all to use as leads. It's up for you all to do a bit of research and asking around to find out which organization it was that I'm writing about. That would be more fun then me spoon feeding you all everything.

Okay, I give you a bit more of a hint. Hang around this makan place in JB for breakfast and you will know what I am talking about.

As they always said, the rot starts  from the top.

Sadly, many people will do the wrong things because they saw their leaders did that and got away with it.

"Alah, boss boleh buat, tak kan kita nak buat sikit pun tak boleh," was the usual line used by those who commit corruption.

The thing is, IF YOUR BOSS EAT SHIT, DO YOU WANT TO EAT SHIT TOO?

The excesses at the top in Johor will have a chain reaction all the way to the bottom of society in that state.

It is already happening now.

If nothing is done to rectify the situation, then I think that's the end of Johor as we know it.

We can also later on at the next general election say goodbye to Johor as the "tiang seri Umno".

I am quite sure of this.