Cars

And so the drama with the (locally assembled) Mercedes Benz and the local Proton Perdana cars goes on. Many things has been said about it. It raises many questions, tho.

Like why does it cost so much to maintain the locally made cars? Especially since the car manufacturer alleges that it costs only a fraction of what is claimed to maintain them.

So either the locally made cars are really poor in quality or that someone has made a lot of money servicing these cars. Or both.

But what really irked me was when our wonderful PM allowed them to get away with it. Not even a slap on the wrist. In fact, he stopped short of praising them. He approved of their actions - he was quoted saying “I told them that the state government has not spent extravagantly and the decision to procure the Mercedes cars was done after two years of evaluation”.

However, he tells them to use the cars for foreign dignitaries only.

Yes, RM3.43 million was used to buy these cars which will only be used for foreign dignitaries - and even then, only for official functions (see here).

So 14 Mercs are to be used for that. My question - how often do foreign dignitaries visit the state of Terengganu and how many foreign dignitaries are there at any one point of time? Do we need 14 Mercs for them? Wouldn't this money be better used for other things?

Malaysia boleh!

Everyone is a liar?

SHAH ALAM: A defence counsel contended that several police witnesses in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial appeared to be telling lies because of the contradictions in their testimonies.

But this contention did not go down well with the prosecution.

Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, counsel for accused Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, was continuing his submissions on the admissibility of Asst Supt Zulkarnain Samsudin’s testimony that alleged his client had led police to recover the jewellery from his Kota Damansara flat.

The lawyer pointed out that each version of the events at the flat on Nov 7, 2006, as given by ASP Zulkarnain, C/Insp Koh Fei Cheow, L/Kpl Kamarolzaman Mat Nor and Kpl Chiam Swee Guan had differences.

With all the contradictions, Kamarul Hisham argued that there was no way of knowing who was telling the truth.

“Everyone seems to be telling lies,” he said.

Read the entire report here.

Every law student (including mine) will know what the prosecution has to do - he has to prove the case on the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. So the defence counsel is just doing his job i.e. to raise a reasonable doubt.

But what did the prosecution do? Like a small child in a playground who feels insulted, he jumps up and accused the accused person of being a liar also!!! You call my witnesses liars, well, so is your client! Here's wat was reported:-

A clearly unhappy lead prosecutor Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah stood up and retorted that all the accused – C/Insp Azilah Hadri, Kpl Sirul Azhar and Abdul Razak Baginda – were also telling lies if that was the case.

Tun, so what if all the accused are lying? In such a situation - where for example, the prosecution witnesses are lying AND the accused persons are lying, what would be the outcome of the case? An immediate acquittal! Tun, you would have failed to prove your case - and the accused persons do not even have to take the stand!

So, Tun, you should therefore focus on proving your case instead of having childish court-room outbursts and theatrics. The learned Judge allowed the defense counsel to proceed and had to remind Tun "...that he would get his turn to submit later".

And apparently, Tun is one of the top prosecutors in the land.

Malaysia boleh!

Bang bang!

I was across the main road when i heard the gunshots. I thought it was a car back-firing. Ironic cuz the last time in London, we thought it was gunshots when it was actually a car-backfiring.

Yes, our trigger happy plain clothes rude and overweight cops were engaging in a shoot-out on a busy road at lunch time in Subang Jaya!!!

Me student and i quickly went up the pedestrian bridge to get a better view - we could not have been better placed. As i took out me camera phone to snap a photo, one of them fat cop spotted me and started shouting rudely (are any of our local coppers able to talk without sounding rude???) at me, gesturing at me to get off the bridge. Stubborn old me refused to budge but just stared back at him. He raised his voice even louder. I gestured back, indicating that i had every right to be there - and he had no right in law to push me around. His fat face turned mad - and me student had to drag me away. As i moved a way, i gave him the typical "apa-la" hand gesture... Yeah, i hate local cops.

What was disturbing was actually wat took place before that rude encounter. Let me retrace me steps.

I was across the road, wanting to withdraw money from the ATM. I heard the shots - easily 5 or 6 shots. It's funny how it sounded nothing like the cool gun-shot sounds you hear in movies like Wanted. It was like some cheap fire cracker going off. I canceled the transaction and went to have a look. I then went back to the machine, withdrew me money and then went onto the pedestrian bridge. Ran up and looked down.

A black car with the driver's seat door was opened and someone lay down flat just outside it. One stood over the body with a shotgun pointing at it while the other cops were redirecting traffic - and being rude. Then suddenly, i jumped cuz another cop who was standing near the body discharged another shot!!!!!

Let me say this was a good 3 to 5 minutes since the first volley of those 5 (or 6) shots were heard. The man was down on the ground. Another cop had a shotgun pointed at him. And this guy was over the body and just fired another shot!!!!

I must say that at that point of time, we did not see where his gun was aiming when the shot was fired. I started asking out loud, "Did he just shot the guy again???" Another Indian man nearby commented in BM something to the effect like how can the cops do such a thing?

My only guess is that the body must have stirred a bit and the rude copper just emptied another shell into him to make sure he was dead. Or was he just negligent and accidentally fired his gun?

It was no surprise that he was pretty mad at us standing on the bridge looking down at him.

Malaysian cops.

Malaysia boleh!

Disrespectful liar

Viewers shocked by MP Bung Mokhtar's lewd gesture in Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR, (July 8, 2008) : Those who caught RTM1's live telecast of the Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session this morning were shocked over a lewd gesture made by Kinabatangan MP and Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) deputy chairman Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin during a shouting match.

MP of Kinabatangan Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin said that "It was not a bad sign- i was just showing like this only" during Dewan Rakyat sitting at Parliament House.

The RTM1 camera was trained on Bung Mokhtar who was standing up to engage in a verbal tirade with the opposition camp, with each calling the other bodoh! (stupid).

As he was sitting down, the camera caught the MP, who is no stranger to controversy, making the lewd gesture of slapping one hand over a clenched fist.

(Read the entire report here)

Now, Bung insisted initially that he did not show any "bad sign". When asked by reporters, he showed what he allegedly did in the Dewan:-

What the heck is that???? Hitting the back of one hand with the palm of the other??? Well, since the liar Member of Parliament refused to admit to wat many viewers saw, let me show you what took place and what he actually did:-



Saw that? Well, in case you didn't, here is a still taken from the clip:-

Quite obvious what he did, isn't it?

So what can we conclude?

1. The MP of Kinabatangan, Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, is a LIAR!!!!!
2. The MP of Kinabatangan, Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, is disrespectful to the august parliament house;
3. The MP of Kinabatangan, Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, does not know how to behave himself in a manner expected of an MP - or for that matter, in a manner expected of any civilised respected adult.

So what should be done to someone like that? When the matter was raised on Thursday, guess what happened? Read it for yourself:-

KUALA LUMPUR (July 10, 2008): Attempts by DAP parliamentarians to raise the issue of BN-Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin making a lewd gesture in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, failed today.

This was because Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee did not allow the matter to be raised under the Standing Orders of the House, saying the incident took place "two days ago".

"It was witnessed by thousands of viewers. Does this mean any MP can get away with making lewd gestures?" DAP-Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng who had raised the issue under Standing Order 26(1)(p), challenged Kiandee.

(Read the entire report here)

So what should be done? Absolutely NOTHING!!!!!

And what about the lying uncouth MP had to say now that video clips and pictures have shown him to be blatantly telling lies to the public?

Asked how he felt about television viewers complaining on the issue, Bung Mokhtar said: "Ah, they only watched it on the TV, not in the Dewan."

What the...?????? You mean the TV stations carry different scenes from what actually takes place in the Dewan???? I've heard of things which get lost in translation but this is more than ridiculous - IMHO, it's downright stupidity and an insult to our intelligence!

What do you think will be done to him?

Yes, absolutely nothing!

Malaysia boleh!

I want more!!!!

GEMAS: A policeman has lodged a report against all his colleagues including his superiors allegedly over dissatisfaction on how the monthly bribes from those operating illegal activities was being distributed.

In retaliation, one of his superiors, a sergeant, lodged another police report against the policeman, a lance corporal, for allegedly selling station property to scrap dealers.

Read the entire report here.

OK - those of us are not surprised to hear about this, put your hands up! I guess not many hands would remain down. Almost all of us know the corrupt state of the policemen in this country. Almost everyone if not all have heard stories of policemen asking for bribes. A lot of us have encountered such "men of law" who had asked us for some "coffee money" - some blatantly too!!!

Yet, we are not allowed to talk about it openly (i may get into trouble but the readership of this blog is kinda small - like nil?? - so no worries there) and i read once in the past that local movies are not allowed to depict policemen asking/taking bribes!!!

Anyways, when i skimmed thru the first few lines of the aforementioned report, i was thinking to meself - ah... finally, a good cop who can't stand the corruption that is going on around him. A hero?

Then i read it properly and the real picture came out:-

A source said the lance corporal, in his 40s, was dissatisfied with his superiors for allegedly taking the lion’s share of the bribes while the rank and file received very little.

“In fact, the complainant claimed that he did not get a sen,” the source said.

So he lodged the report cuz HE WAS NOT GETTING A SHARE OF THE BRIBES!!!!!!

So what does this tell us?

1. Accepting bribery is happening among the policemen in our country;

2. In some places (at least in this particular one in Gemas), it is so rampant and common that they have a system of how it is "distributed"!!!! It's like the tips waiters receive - it is shared at the end of the day among all waiters.

3. There are policemen who are so thick that they have a gall to lodge a report because they are not getting a share of the illegal bribes!!!!!

Malaysia boleh!

Ragging

OK - i'm sure we're all sick of the political scene. Let's talk about something else. Ragging!

"Ragging means the doing of any act which causes, or is likely to cause any physical, psychological or physiological harm or apprehension or shame or embarrassment to a student, and includes:

(a) teasing or abusing of playing practical joke on, or causing hurt to any student. or Any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student, Indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities which causes or Is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not do in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student; or

(b) asking any student to do any act, or perform any thing, which he/she would not, in the ordinary course, be willing to do or perform."

February 2008 Newsletter of the Society Against Violence in Education

A fren was telling me how she had to stay up chatting with her cousin who was crying on campus during orientation week. I wasn't surprised. I've heard countless of stories of how freshies - esp girls - end up crying themselves to sleep every night during orientation week - that is if they get any sleep at all.

The horror stories i hear are aplenty. Of course, things are not so bad as they were 2 decades ago - when the infamous "Serdang Hele" was reported to the authorities. This was where the seniors would tie one end of a string to a junior's penis and the other end to a ceiling fan blade. The fan would be turned on - low speed first and then higher. the poor guy would have to run around the room to keep up with it!

It's not so bad now - unlike how it is in some other countries where death results from over-zealous ragging. Still, the freshies are treated badly. They are humiliated, scolded, deprived of sleep (which is considered a cruel and inhuman and degrading treatment under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights) and are subjected to great physical exertions. Most of the freshies come from close knit families from outstation. They are probably away from home and loved ones for the first time in their lives - and this is what they face in their first week of Uni life.

Why???????????

Is it a Malaysian thing? Or a third world country mentality? Funny how in Wikipedia, countries like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are specifically mentioned to practice ragging (see here).

I did both my under-graduate and post-graduate studies in a UK institution. Let me tell you that things are so different there!!! During the orientation week, we have the Freshers Fair! It is so fun! Societies set up stalls to publicise their activities. It's almost like a carnival atmosphere. There'll be activities all over campus. Tours will be organised. At UoE, we conducted tours to town - and i was a tour guide! :-) It was fun! And i got paid too!

Proud member of the Freshers Squad!

At the end of the week, there'll be a big party.

Shouldn't that be how an orientation programme is organised? Make the new students feel at home, welcome them, be of assistance to them. To most of the freshies, it is a scary experience. Some are from far away - perhaps from a different country. It is a totally new experience for all. They need all the help and support they can get during the initial stage.

Unfortunately, here in Bolehland, the orientation week is prolly the worst time in their entire Uni life. So much so that when it comes to their turn to organise the next orientation week, they will do the same thing which they suffered in the past. A vicious cycle.

Malaysia boleh!

Overnight celebrity?

I first saw this photo in the Sun papers. Unfortunately, i couldn't find it online. Until just now. I got it from this blog - Omong. Check it out!

This is an interesting photo - you have just told the entire world that you have been a victim of sodomy. You go to the police station to do the unpleasant task of reliving every single detail of the alleged sodomy.

Then you leave the station and are greeted by a barrage of reporters - you put on a wide smile and raise a clenched fist - like yes, i did it!

Strange, don't you think?

Malaysia boleh!

Less equal than others

KUALA LUMPUR: A recent statement by Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajudin Abdul Rahman in Dewan Rakyat has sparked the ire of some and the MCA will be sending a complaint letter to the Deputy Prime Minister seeking disciplinary action.

MCA Youth secretary-general Dr Wee Ka Siong said the movement, together with Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth and the Federation of Malaysian Clans and Guilds Youth Associations, condemned the statement by Datuk Tajudin that all non-Malays were descendants of immigrants to Malaysia.

Read the report here.

Tajudin*

People like Six-Million-Dollar-Man Tajudin and Hamidah Osman must be glad that the news these days have been distracted with allegations against Anwar and Najib - and their racist statements have taken a back seat.

Tajudin was quoted saying that not long after it was reported that he is not agreeable "...to increase the ratio of scholarships to non-bumiputra students" (see here).

So do "descendants of immigrants" have lessor rights? Aren't all Malaysians equal? Or are some are just more equal than the rest? After 50 years of independence, the racial divide is still pronounced. We are still Malays, Chinese, Indians etc., not Malaysians.

Here's something said by a BN MP (of which i am in full agreement with):-

Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn (BN - Alor Gajah) said the initiatives outlined in the Ninth Malaysia Plan to counter socio-economic imbalances among the people should not be ethnic-based.

He added that the Government should instead tackle the problem of socio-economic inequalities in areas where the problem persisted.

“The Government should do away with ethnic-based poverty eradication programmes and focus directly on the target groups such as the poor in the rural and urban areas, where the majority comprised the Malays and bumiputras in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Dr. Fong*

That makes so much sense - help those who are really in need!!!

Oh, by the way, the Malays were not the original inhabitants of this land. They too were descendants of "immigrants", aren't they?

Malaysia boleh!

*Pics taken from Wikipedia

Anytime you need a friend

Well, well, well - we've got a really nice and caring DPM!!!

KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan met with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the latter’s home to seek his view a few days before he lodged a police report against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In disclosing this yesterday, Najib who described Saiful as traumatised, said he listened and was sceptical about the accusation at first.

...

“There’s no conspiracy. Actually, this boy came to me to complain that he was sodomised by Anwar.

“I saw him as genuine because he looked so frightened. His hands were cold.

“I advised him to make his own decision, and he decided to tell me everything on what had happened.

...

Asked what Saiful had told him, Najib said: “A lot. The stories are many."

Read the report here.

Wow!!! So if you are having any problems, or are traumatised, and have no one to talk to, just call on our DPM. Don't worry if you think you are a nobody and that he doesn't know you personally. He'll make time for you! After all, as was stated in the above report, our DPM said “He [Saiful] just came for help and he never met me when he came to the office...”.

He'll take time off his busy schedule and listen to all your sad stories. And he'll even hold your hand (i guess so since he could say that Saiful's hands were cold)!

Of course there'll be some who pour scorn over this and doubt the genuineness of our DPM. They'd ask why would Saiful want to talk to him over this matter? Perhaps the DPM had a part to play in the allegations? Well, which is more believable?

No matter how busy he is, he'll take time to listen to a stranger's problems - and hold his hand! (Pic taken from the Star)

Malaysia boleh!

Drama Minggu Ini*

If someone were to try to submit a screenplay based on the events in the past week or two, they would be thrown out. Too unbelievable.

But then again, life can be stranger than fiction. If only we knew what is going on in the background, i'm sure it would make an even much more interesting story. As it is, conspiracy theories abound.

In case you have been living under a shell in M'sia for the past couple of weeks - or you are not in Bolehland - and have no idea what i am talking about, i'm referring to the events that have rocked our nation in recent times. Allegations against 2 men who are in the running for the position of Prime Minister are coming fast and furious. They are implicated for crimes - and of course, sex is involved. Every day, new matter surfaces - i was almost disappointed this morning to wake up and find that nothing new or juicy made the headlines.

The latest however is that Bala has disappeared!!!! Yes, the very PI who dropped a bombshell by implicating the DPM in a statutory declaration which basically says that the DPM is a blatant and outright liar and suggest bigger involvement in an on-going murder case. Less than 24 hours later, he appeared in the news again, this time retracting his earlier SD, alleging it was made under duress.

So the conspiracy theorists are at it again - yes, the first SD was just a pack of lies and made under duress. No, the second SD was made under duress. Well, the nature of the SD are such that one is clearly a full of bullsh*t. Which one? Anybody's guess.

Take a look at these 2 photos (taken from the Star).

The first was taken when the 1st SD was made public. The 2nd was taken after the 2nd SD was announced to the press. From these 2 pics, which SD do you think was made under duress? I have my own private views, which shall remain just that - private!

In any event, we can't be 100% sure for now, can we? What we are sure of is that Bala is screwed. It is no wonder he has 'disappeared'.

If only we could have witnessed what took place in that short span of time between the first and second SD - now that would make an interesting movie. Was he so racked with guilt that he decided to come clean? The thought of destroying an innocent man's life, reputation and career really ate him up? Or was he pressured and finally gave in to threats and acted out of duress? Perhaps the 'dossier' on him which was kept under lock and key (and retina eye-scan) was summoned immediately after the first SD and used?

In some ways, i pity him - he is just another victim in this whole drama. Or is he?

Malaysia boleh!

*Literally translated as "This week's drama", this used to be the title of a local TV drama.

How rude!

LAST week, a burglar broke into my home. Fortunately, my scream sent him fleeing. I called the police station to report what had happened.

Two policemen arrived about 15 minutes later. I informed them that the burglar had taken my bunch of keys. They looked around and then asked me to go to the police station to file a report.

Since I live alone, I reminded them that the burglar stole my bunch of keys and that he could return at any time.

The policeman called his superior and, after a short conversation, handed me the phone and asked me to talk to his superior.

His superior rudely informed me that the policemen couldn’t wait at my house till daybreak and told me to get a new padlock, and then go to the police station. Where on earth could I find a new padlock at 3am?

I’ve heard tales of unhelpful, rude and inefficient policemen. What happened that morning proved that there is truth in all those tales.

It’s little wonder that the PDRM has such a bad reputation. They’re insensitive and unhelpful. Aren’t they trained to handle such situations?

MAZLIZA OTHMAN,

Seri Kembangan.

Letter sent to the Star and published here.

Well, this is only one side to the story and the cops involved should be given an opportunity to giuve theirs. However, i believe that many reading this letter would not be surprised. I for one have encountered many a rude cop. When they see me in simple clothes, they will not show any respect at all. It doesn't help that people say that i look like a student. When i was a practising lawyer, they would be all polite and friendly when they see me dressed up in court - but i see the very same fellas being rude to the poor and uneducated who had the misfortune of having to appear in court.

I could go on and on with stories of rude cops. I know a lot of people who have encountered rude cops. So much so that when one actually meets a polite cop, it is such a huge and pleasant surprise and it really makes one's day! But that's quite sad isn't it?

Malaysia boleh!

Do not interfere!!!

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will issue a note to the United States embassy to protest the country's statement warning against any "politically-motivated" investigation into PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said this was because the statement was tantamount to an attempt by the United States to meddle in the country's domestic affairs.

"This is a statement which I perceive as an attempt to meddle in our administration. We have our own government, our own laws and our own enforcement.

"We know what we will have to do to ensure all due process in the law is implemented fairly and nobody is ill-treated or threatened. This is our objective and our practice.

(Emphasis added)

Read the entire report here.

Nobody is ill-treated or threatened? As i remember, the last time Anwar was accused of a similar crime, he ended up being beaten while under custody!!! By none other than the highest ranking police officer of the land at that time!!!

All due process of law is implemented fairly? In a country where judges can be brokered and arranged???

Anyway, here is what was reportedly said by the US State Department:-

Tom Casey, spokesman for the US State Department, is quoted as saying:

"The main point for us is that the rule of law needs to stand above politics. And we would certainly oppose any use of law enforcement or judicial procedures for anything other than legitimate purposes of the law."

Adding that Anwar had faced similar charges in the past and his conviction was overturned, Casey added, "So, we would hope that there's not a pattern here.

"But, certainly, we would be concerned that anything that is done be done in a way that is appropriate, that is a legitimate investigation of charges that might exist under Malaysian law, and would not be anything that was a politically motivated investigation or prosecution."

Taken from here.

You judge for yourself - are these statements tantamount to an attempt to meddle in the our country's administration ?

Not to be outdone, the Deputy PM also had to comment about it - and not any better either. Here's what he said (source: the first article above):-

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the police probe into the newest police case against Anwar "was never politically motivated".

"It has never been politically motivated at all. Washington had better get their facts right," he said.

Well, if i read it correctly, Tom Casey used these words:- "...would not be anything that was a politically motivated investigation or prosecution". No, my learned DPM, he did not say it was politically motivated. Who is it that must get their facts right?

Malaysia boleh!