Too Many Malaysians Missing The Point... Problem Or Norm?

The chat on priorities I had with my daughter recently has brought certain behaviours of the press, public and indeed the Malaysian on-line community into sharp focus. I had shared my teaching of the importance of prioritising matters to my daughter and then rambled on a bit about this in my last posting, primarily as a whinge against our politicians and leaders in government. However, eventually, one cannot avoid wondering whether the problem is with Malaysians as a whole!

For instance, my learned friend 'Jebat Must Die' (JMD) recently posted a series rebutting the contents of the book by a Dr Kua Kia Soong that claims to 'reveal the truth' of the 13 May riots using 'recently declassified sources'. JMD's postings are refreshing as whilst it successfully demolishes Dr Kua's primary contention, he has done so with great impartiality and has used information so easily verifiable that it nicely unmasks Dr Kua's 'revelations' for the bunk that it is.

JMD's series on the 13 May riots are currently delayed from completion due to a technical problem with his PC. However, I do look forward to a version to be published in book version, with the hope that it would also reveal Malaysians to be the root cause of many of our nations problems! On hopes JMD's writings to be welcomed and more greatly celebrated by all as a genuine attempt at bringing the riots into context... significant seeing as JMD is from the post riot generation!

You see, there is a stark difference between Dr Kua's book and JMD's writting. When one goes back to the Dr Kua's references when reading, you will discern the learned Dr's actively CHOOSING material that supports his main contention, that the riots were due to a Machiavellian plot to seize power among the Malay leaders; LOL... but seriously, it's a claim that is just plain rude! It hence galls me when the Star at the time also chose to publicise the book. WHY?

I am willing to excuse the Star's irresponsible and ignorant act here perhaps... OK Pak Lah's regime was game for a lot of 'openness' then, at least at face value, and certainly was clueless of priorities, but does the Star not see themselves as at risk of being complicit in the spread of Dr Kua's libel? Then again, judging from the rabid racially charged comments to JMD's writing, you can see how the Star can be confused... the Malaysian public or at least many on-line are to!

Today I glanced at Joceline Tan's analysis of BN's decision not to contest at Penanti. Again I found the Star disappointing! OK, I don't really blame Joceline and have found her to be personally very correct in her analysis and postulations. However, in essentially analysing that BN wouldn't contest because it was going to lose and just wanted to take wind out of PR's sails, she missed the bigger message; that DS Najib wishes to focus on its responsibility running the country!

I have to admit to not entirely agreeing to BN's complete withdrawal from Penanti. I had expressed before my own views and was heartened that this view was shared by the majority who bothered to participate on my blog poll on this matter. However, DS Najib seems to have led BN into taking this decision in line with Ghandi's contention that,"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."

So, what an ideal opportunity to showcase to Malaysians how the new BN leadership is so focused on delivery of its pledge to govern that they're giving politics a miss! Unfortunately, even the Star has different priorities. As far as the Star is concerned, its main customer base in Penang and Klang Valley are still leaning towards PR, so they also have to pander to their customer's biases (by saying BN would lose anyway), even if it means priorities are lost to sales...

So our problem is essentially a Malaysian problem... most of us don't appreciate what's important! If that's the case...

Finally, I found this blog some time ago. Thought the guy was a one-offer, but he deserves some pluggin here I think... the stupidity of Hindraf's Uthayakumar and how he needed ISA is showcased with some brilliance here... Relevance to this posting? Well, I think reading the postings in this blog is a higher priority that reading Dr Kua's drivel, but reading JMD's write-up is of the highest priority!

New Supression Of The Cyber-Rakyat... As I Recover From My Fed Up State...

Apologies to the regulars of this site for yet another absence, but this time it wasn't due to work or life, but I sort of got a little fed up with the silliness of it all when the first Bala SD came out, much as many of my fellow bloggers.

Ironically, my recovery from being fed up is being assisted by some on-going silliness by the government, i.e. Pak Lah and the 4th Floor, which is now clearly much assisted by their new puppet Anwar Ibrahim, who is being controlled by the threat of his sodomy case being taken to court! (Of course, this is not up to the 4th Floor, but I suppose Anwar started believing his own propaganda about how the PM controlled everything in Malaysia a long time ago!)

Finding the time to write quality postings is tough for a mid-level exec. in an Oil & Gas multinational with 5 kids and rising political activity outside of cyberspace, but how can you stand aside when you see this sort of excessive supression of our freedoms in the guise of 'protecting our children'? Be honest la Mr. Gomen, are you protecting kids from cyber-naughtiness or Pak Lah with his phobia of the rakyat's political activism in cyberspace when you impose restrictions like this!

Can Pak Lah Afford To Be Partisan Against Us Wee Bloggers?

I'm taking a Tangent here of course on the matter of the bloggers (Jeff and Rocky) vs NSTP case which is running rabid on the Malaysian blogosphere and apparently infecting much of the world's on-line and traditional media.

The Tangent I'm taking is actually on this:

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/1/24/nation/16663444&sec=nation

Am I reading this right? Is Pak Lah really taking sides here, against Jeff and Rocky, in what is really a civil suit? I mean I know-lah that NST is an UMNO paper and that Kalimullah is Pak Lah's chum (due to Pak Lah mistakenly thinking that Kalimullah helped him secure the DPM-ship - uncle Kali you sly old manipulator you...) as well as his son-in-law Khairy's boss and once(?) business partner, but isn't this going a little too far?

It would be far fairer of Pak Lah if he also added a comment in the lines of,"Traditional media also should take responsibility of their reporting, and responsible blogs then do have a role to play to check the excesses of such media, especially those with links to the establishment like the NST. Indeed traditional media like NSTP's publications that are linked to the ruling party must set the standard in responsible reporting ahead of blogs as any poor reporting risks embarassing the government."

The above line is not just more creditable for a leader gagging for world recognition (since local recognition is tough in the days of floods, boats, inflation and toll hikes), it is also good politics as:

1. Bloggers are voters too


2. Uncle Kali and gang are not really the most popular people in Malaysia at the moment


3. In Acheh recently, the winner of the race for Govenor was a surprise dark-horse ex-rebel/freedom fighter ex-con. The reason he and his block of the Acheh Liberation Movement (GAM) won? They printed out and distrubuted the 'best off' news about their block that was published in the net and blogs!

By the way, there may also be legal reasons why Pak Lah should refrain from commenting on this matter as the recent thorn in Dato' Rafidah's side, Michael Backman (http://www.michaelbackman.com/) once commented in his book...

...that (in his view) Malaysian courts are actually quite independent (contrary to popular opinion), but have this annoying habit of typically passing judgement in favour of or in line with what they percieve are the government's desires; the flip-flop on Anwar Ibrahim's conviction and subsequent release on appeal being the case in point.

Could Pak Lah be setting up grounds for an appeal for this case should the NST-fellows win? Pak Lah... I thought uncle Kali was your friend?