Thank You,Please Come Again?

“People always complain how misleading signboards in Malaysia can be. Looks like it’s still leading nowhere…”

Somehow have to come again in the end....sigh.

Racist remarks!!! Chinese and Indians are "kaum pendatang"??

I stumbled upon this forum and the discussion topic will get on your nerves. Now what do PDRM gotta say about this discussion? Not seditious? Go through each of the reply and you will understand the discussion is more then seditious!!! F**ked up assholes!!!

Each replies for the topic is seditious and it is provoking other races in Malaysia and to be specific,INDIAN AND CHINESE which they address Indians as Keling, while Indians and Chinese are "Kaum Pendatang"

Now I wonder what are they...Forgot their history how they too ended up in Malaysia? Read Ketuanan Melayu to get a clear picture of your origin!!

The topic "Kempen boikot semua calon-calon India" was started by kakikuda(Panelis Eksekutif)last year.Too late I came across it.This is what KakiKuda said :

Semua calon calon india sama ada dari parti bn atau pembangkang mestilah ditolak pada pilihanraya umum yang akan datang

orang melayu mesti bersatu dan jangan mengundi calon calon india sama ada dari mic gerakan dap pkr atau pas

calon india dari mic jugak harus ditolak kerana kaum india tak tau berterima kasih UMNO memberi peluang mereka bertanding walaupun dia org takder satu kawasan majoriti pun ka dun atau parlimen

jangan memberi undi kepada orang yang memberontak terhadap kita
biar dia orang takder rep kat parlimen dun jadi dia orang tak diwakili oleh sesiapa pun biarkan dia orang bertempik tempik kat luar

kaum india tidak setia pada negara ni jadi mereka harus diboikot dari semua aspek politik ekonomi dsbnya

ayuh bangun org melayu gunakan kuasa undi kita untuk membuang bangsa ke ling ni dari parlimen

NYAHKAH KE LING DARI POLITIK MALAYSIA

ke ling tak penting dalam politik malaysia tak perlu ada ke ling dalam politik malaysia

jgn ckp ke ling jer ... cina pon tak guna .... semua gunting dlm lipatan !

wakil rakyat parti Gerakan drpd Pulau Pinang turut sama menyokong tun- tutan HINDRAF ....

Cina dgn ke ling 2 x 5 .... back stabbing bitches !

*The above quote from Haidi ( Junior Forum Moderator)

And to be not left out,Kakikuda suggested this too :

spr mesti pandai memainkan peranan supaya kurangkan kwsn kwsn parlimen india n cina ni

pastikan tujuh puluh persen dari kwn praya bermajoriti pengundi melayu dgn cara marginalisekan kwsn bukan melayu

dengan itu satu hari nanti tiada la wakil cina n india dalam parlimen

Already not giving any basic rights,now suggesting this..Damn you people!!!

While all this kind of discussion went on,I wonder what the site admin was doing and there I came across the admin's reply as below:

Boikot semua K E L I N G tak sedar diri. Hantar je semua berambus balik ke India... Biar merempat kat sana....

Well,there is a lot more replies over there which will get on your nerves and mainly it is pointed to Indians. It seems like Kakikuda can't just wait to see Indians to not have representative in Parliament and as DUN too.What a sick minded fella he is.

BUANG SEMUA HINDU HINDU PARIAH NI BIAR DIA ORANG TAKDER WAKIL DALAM PARLIMEN/DUN

Kakikuda just can't stop from suggestion to get rid of Indians..

minta kerjasama dgn kjaan indonesia bagi kerakyatan pada 1 juta org melayu dari sumatera:: melayu riau minang acheh deli langkat serdang mendailing dan juga melayu banjar dari kalimantan bugis dari sulawesi untuk meramaikan pengundi melayu di malaysia (tolak @#$%&$ @#$%&$ madura jawa sunda boyan sebab bukan etnik melayu). tempat kan di lokasi lokasi byk bukan melayu spt penang perak melaka nsembilan johor dan bagi hak mengundi. dgn itu kerusi kerusi melayu akan bertambah sehingga 80% drpd jumlah kerusi parlimen selamat orang melayu sampai bila bila. tahun 70an kjaan ada bagi penduduk tetap pada melayu sumatera skrg kita tambah lagi byk byk. kalau spork boleh bawak masuk cina hong kong apa pulak kita tak boleh. bagi PR secara senyap senyap lepas sepuluh tahun bagi ic biru pulak nanti dia org boleh mengundi. melayu kena cerdik kita tak boleh tunggu lagi.

It's just too sickening to read the replies,so here you go to read the others craps by racist. Read here.

Since government said they are watching the bloggers,do they watch this website too?

Will this matter just be let off like the racist teacher's racist remark?? Not again!!!!!

Will this people will be investigate under the Sedition Act for labelling Chinese and Indians as “immigrants” who do not deserve equal rights in the country and addressed Indian with racist remarks!!!!!

Ahmad Shabery once said that " "Laws must be used" against those who break the law". Will this be implemented to those took part in that seditious and provoking discussion?

What PDRM , Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar gonna come up with this forum?Oooh,not to miss MIC too,will they defend or just come to a settlement?

We are not idiots!

To keep myself updates,I'm a regular reader of Malaysiakini and Malaysia Today. This two websites no longer new for Malaysians. As usual,I will open few tabs in my browsers which includes M'kini and M'sia Today. Before this Malaysia Today used to be hacked and now it is blocked. Not a surprise issue though as "some" trying to cover their ass from being publicized to Malaysians.

We the people of Malaysia are not idiots. We know that not everything you read on the internet is true. For that matter not everything we read in the newspapers are true either.

So,as a way to cover up the drama,Malaysia Today has been blocked by MCMC -

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

All 21 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country have been ordered by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block the controversial Malaysia Today website, an industry source revealed.

The notices were sent out on Tuesday in accordance with Section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

This action only makes Malaysia Today more famous.People who haven't heard of Malaysia-Today will hear of it now and boost the readership. Fortunately, MT is still accessible using alternate web addresses.

So, what is this thing about blocking Malaysia Today? Isn't there anymore law & order in Malaysia? If they have done something wrong, charge them properly in a court of law. We the people don't need to be told what we can read or what we cannot read, especially by someone whose creditability is very much in doubt.

We are intelligent enough to know what is black or white.

For those who still don't get the alternative web addresses,here it is :

http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com/2008/content/view/11883/84/

or

http://72.47.236.85/2008/

Malaysia: 51st Merdeka Day

Our country will be celebrating its 51st Merdeka Day in few days time. But it seems something is missing for this year. It is not as grand as it was previous years. The spirit is not there.It's lacking. Maybe not for you,but thats what I feel it.

What has happened to this year's Merdeka Day? Frankly, does anyone of you Malaysian know what is this year's Merdeka Day slogan? Even I didn't realize of it till I saw the slogan in picture below. I felt the difference from what I experienced last year. The spirit is missing. It's not that I dun love my country anymore but the things that happening around seems overcome the joy of Merdeka.
The spirit of Merdeka is just not by displaying the flag but to know the slogan of the year too. Well,by observing the things that happening in our country now,you might say we still never obtained Independence Day. But still we have obtained right from British? Well,the situation now is like "Keluar kandang singa,masuk kandang harimau". Yes,it is,we are freed from British but we ended up with BN. But eventhough,we have been marginalised by BN for past this years,it is still our duty to celebrate and have the spirit of Merdeka. All for the sake of our beloved country. Leave politic aside. WE,as MALAYSIANS,should have the spirit.

But the problem now is the theme " Malaysians".The concept "Bangsa Malaysia".

Look at the picture above.Just explain how racist are some people in this country and ironically,this year slogan is "Unity Is the Pillar of Success" (Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan). But looking at the events that happened past few weeks,Malaysia has been witnessing some kind of disunity among the races. The Bar Council Religious Conversion Forum ruckus and the Malay-Muslim UiTM student protests.

Not only that,this year I don't see lots of vehicles zipping around with fluttering Jalur Gemilang like the last few years. What about the call for raising the flag?I never heard any campaign of raising the flag from PakLah.Busy zzz perhaps? Instead I hear about the call for flying the national flag upside-down as a sign of protest. The word "patriotism" is hardly mentioned these days. This year no minister is blaming no one for "not being patriotic enough". Instead,they are busy blaming the oppositions and busy getting their ass sticked in current seat.

What will we witness for this year Merdeka? Will there be loud joyous cries in unison of "Merdeka ! Merdeka! Merdeka!" among Malaysians of all races? Or shouts of anger blaming each other: "Mereka! Mereka! Mereka!"

Malaysians were more interested about the Olympic games in Beijing and Permatang Pauh by-election. And next they will be interested with what Anwar going to do in parliament. And most awaited Sept 16.

Malaysian Political Struggle

It has been quite a long time since I blogged about politics.. It's not that I had lost the passion but I just got fed up with the politic drama which seems more worse then Tamil drama.. Politic drama haven't even reach the climax..And it just don't have one climax..Of course it don't have one climax because aint politic is a drama..The first climax was during the GE...The next climax will be for this by-election. And then the date set by DSAI-Sept 16. And more to come perhaps..

Malaysia politic seems very unstable with uncountable plots going on.It's like a big stirs going on..For what are politicians for? To serve the Rakyats right or to serve them self?? But is that the one happening in Malaysia?? Can we trust politicians? I will never trust politicians. Each politicians have their own agenda..M I right? Correct me if I'm wrong...But thats what I think....You think DSAI don't have his own agenda?Well,we know PM and others for surely/certainly/obviously/absolutely have their agenda.We all know why this this and this peoples using "people power" to gain politic power. Mind you,"this" in my previous sentence refers to politicians in general. I'm not a pro-BN neither pro-PR.Most of them for sure have own things to get done by the help of the politic power.

Alright,back to the topic before I stray out of the topic more further.As I said earlier,I will never trust politicians...Why?Well, it might be their duty to steer their messages to the best of their abilities but in the end there would be flip n flops to argue on their rights. Well, that's politics.And it doesn't mean I have to trust them just because they are politicians in the name of serving for people? Since they are politicians,IT IS their duty to serve the people. So.it doesn't mean we have or I have to trust this people especially those who try gaining the trust by empty promises and demands,demands and only demands!! Not implemented demands.

Since March 08,what have we Malaysians achieved? Well,you might list down things that have be done in PR states..But was that the only things that we wanted to achieve? Our Government can't perform and our Opposition can't counter thus leading us into total inconsistency in our own land.And our beloved PDRM , are you guys working for politicians or to be specific,for BN? Stop backing up them and get your jobs done...There are just too many cases in pending because you guys are too busy with this politic drama. Whats with Nurin and Sharlinie case?? Whats the progress on it? Or it's just another case for you folks? Or too busy covering up everyone's ass? Sigh...

I just wonder whats so hard on working hand in hand as Malaysians? Why the keturunan and ethnic problems still prevailing? Malaysia can't progress at all with a single keturunan as it was proved during the last 51 years!! Can't you open your ears, eyes and minds? Why are you people sooo with this special privileges when it is the basic things that every human in this country needs no matter of what races,religion or whatsoever. For example,the UiTM matter....Don't other races needs education or is just that others races are rich enough to afford their children to study in private University?Why are guys feel so affected with the 10% allocation? After all it is just a 10%. and it's just on education wise.Are going to be the same when working?Even some of the Malays agree with that...Read here . Leave this UiTM story aside as I feel I'm straying out of the topic.

Is it that hard for us all to work as Malaysians?? Why is so hard to implement Bangsa Malaysia? We are just implementing the so-called Bangsa Malaysia. The philosophy is that, let's take the mentality of what we think of how our friends treated us. The reverse is how we have treated our friends! That's the philosophy! Why making it complicated with this quota,buta craps all? And ya hell,I stumbled upon a blog,which is here ,and it sounds as below :

Would you like to go to a store that allows to you to destroy things to help you relieve stress and forget about your life dissatisfactions?

This new business concept is great for Malaysians especially for those who have big problems with Islam, Muslims and Malays in this Muslim-majority country. If you can’t break us Muslims, why don’t you folks go and break things?

Yes,I do understand that this refers to for those who........But why on the earth this certain people would break Muslims? What they gonna gain from that? Basic equalities? Or does that gonna make the politic drama in Malaysia stable? Or it gonna make the others united with especially some Malayalees having problem with Indians?? Gimme a break,as I know, Chinese and Indians and few Malays wants the Bangsa Malaysia concept.. But somehow there will be a black sheep be racist and further dividing us. In the end,we all gonna die as a human. Whats so big fuss who gonna break who? Geez!

Back to the politic drama,all are waiting anxiously for the up-coming climax that is Permatang Pauh by-election. The situation is just hot enough to make a twist.Anything might happen..BN and PR are trying their very best. Only one of this gonna happen...BN might spring a surprise with some cheap,dirty,idiotic tactics or DSAI would march into Parliament. Till then,kindly witness the plots going with both party finding fault on each other.

Remember,

We have to be gentlemen for the whole world in observance.

THE REST IS THAT WE MALAYSIANS MUST STAND UP AND BE COUNTED.

Chong Wei-Nearer to a gold?

Well,this was the first game I happened to watch live on tv since Beijing 2008 started.Eventhough,I never watched the previous games,I still keep myself update with Malaysia's scores...I was watching the game and was waiting anxiously for Lee to make it and yeah,he made it to final!!

Lee beats Lee Hyun-il of the Republic of Korea 21-13 in the semifinals of the Men's Singles competition on Friday, August 15...

Chong Wei stayed on track throughout his first game and won with 21-18. But for the second game, his winning streak was put to an abrupt end in the second game where he loss at 21-13..He didn't give up and recovered from his previous lost and made it with 21-13. Can't deny it was tension match as Hyun-il played equally well with Chong Wei..

Errr..and yeah,there was silly loss too where Chong Wei missed the shuttlecock and there was time where the shuttlecock hit the net and earned points for Hyun-il...Yet...Chong Wei made it with several unassailable net flies and razor-sharp smashes..Just love it when it was smash!!

Well, Lee Chong Wei will go to the final and meet the winner between World No. 1 Lin Dan and fourth seed Chen Jin, both of China. If he wins in the final, it would be the first ever Olympic gold for Malaysia.

Lee Chong Wei, get a gold medal and make Malaysia proud and not forgetting coach Misbun...

Good Luck Chong Wei!!



How was the game folks???

Conditon At Malaysia's Southern Gateway Can Spoil Country's Image

Foreign visitors' good impression of Malaysia may evaporate once they step into the country's southern gateway via the Johor Causeway. After passing through the Immigration checkpoint, those taking a walk to Johor Bahru city centre, a stone's throw away, will have to go through an underpass or tunnel that connects to Jalan Tun Razak.

This is where the visitors would be greeted by dimness and the litter and filth at the underpass, in stark contrast to the signboard in Bahasa Malaysia which if translated into English roughly means, "Welcome to Wonderful Johor Bahru City, the Southern Gateway to Malaysia",there is a Malay proverb that suits this, "Indah Khabar Daripada Rupa " means it's just wonderful fro the word. This eyesore had been raised with Tourism Malaysia in Singapore early this year because thousands crossed into Malaysia from the island republic daily, including those who use the underpass, while Malaysian tourists have also brought the matter up with the local authorities but to no avail.

Perhaps they are waiting for the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex to be ready, expected to be soon. In the meantime, the underpass still needs sprucing up as Malaysia targets to welcome 10.2 million tourists from the island republic this year, not including the day trippers. Malaysia expects to draw a total of 22 million tourists this year, hence the beauty and cleanliness of its tourist spots are vital to keep the tourists coming.

"TRULY JOHOR"

Hike hike hike!!

Our beloved PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced over d hike of petrol prices 40% overnight…

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s announcement on Wednesday evening triggered chaos across the country as motorists swamped fuel stations to fill up before the measure took effect at midnight.

Although the government has announced a number of rebates to car and motorbike owners but this is too small to help poor Malaysians cope up with the rise if
food and transport cost.

And not enough of fuel hike,the price of electricity is also shooting up by 20% from July 1 and that is going to push up the cost of daily living for most people.

Well,we shouldnt be blaming our beloved PM. Its our beloved rakyat who voted for BN. I’m taking this oppurtunity to thank u people because made our life misreable with all this hike up. And made those poor people’s life more disaster.

Wait for more price to hike up in future….soon it will happen.PM’s economic advisors are doing a great job too…Not to be left,thank them too..We will soon witness spiraling cost of food, a issue the government has failed to address adequately.

The increase is all the more biting because the standard of our public transport system can only be described as atrocious.In way to save money,we will be looking for public transport but please have a look at our public transport. I will be saying that I’m risking my life by using public transport.What we need is cheap, reliable and safe public transportation system for our country. But sorry,don’t expect that from our public transport. Hey,i missed clean transportation too.Some public transport looks so scary and freaking. Well,by looking al this,this show how negligent and irresponsible the authorities are forcing the public to drive to work in the absence of an efficient public transportation
system.

There is a real need to restudy the need for such a sudden and steep increase in fuel.

And not to be missed,what happened to BN’s manifesto during election eh?? Lets have a look at it.

No Fuel Price Hike, Says Najib

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Tun Razak today dismissed assumptions of a hike in fuel price after the March 8
general election.

“No, it doesn’t necessarily mean price hike,” he said
when asked if there would be a rise in fuel price after the polls following the
increase in fuel subsidies paid by the Government last year.

Najib was
speaking to reporters after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad launched
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) progress report and election manifesto, themed
“Security, Peace and Prosperity,” here.

In his speech at the launching,
Abdullah, who is also Finance Minister, said that last year, the government paid
RM43.4 billion for subsidies, of which RM35 billion was allocated for fuel.

Commenting on the BN’s manifesto, Najib said that it was the BN’s
government Key Performance Index (KPI) for the last four years and is assessed
by the rakyat.

“I believe this document is the basis and measurement of
our success as well as our future direction,” he said.

Najib said that
this was because the manifesto was not politically rhetoric but contained
substantive inputs.

He said that the specific contents in the manifesto
made it easier for the rakyat to see in detail all that had been done by the BN
government to develop the country.

“The rakyat can also know where the
BN government will lead them to,” he said.

The Manifesto themed
“Security, Peace and Prosperity,” outlined what the government had done in the
last four years after the huge mandate given by the rakyat in the 2004 general
election.

This is also the first time the government unfolds its
progress report before the rakyat.

Quoted From
BERNAMA

So,what happened to that manifesto?? Manifesto remains as a manifesto which will nvr been implemented but the thing opposite to the manifesto will be implemented!! This is what u have asked for BN voters. Mr.Najib,this is what you called prosperity in manifesto eh? By the hike,properity is gone…By the hike,peace is gone..why? Because public start to protest… security also gone,why..u protest,no permit,go under ISA…Full security there….cantik macam bunga punya manifesto…

This will be my future transport.... Orampo orampo,Rubenee vandhi varethe.


Public's responses over fuel hike.

Racial Harmony : A Myth?

It’s okay for a Chinese boy to take a stroll across the street to buy a thing or two from the friendly neighborhood Indian kedai runcit owner. It’s also okay if he wants to give the old lady at the counter a wide smile, say hello, and maybe even ask her how her day is. She’ll probably smile back, slip in a line or two about how tough life is, then maybe rounds up the bill to the lower Ringgit to make the kid’s day. That’s racial harmony.

It’s okay for all the different races to be represented in schools. There’s no real need to segregate the Malays, Chinese, Indian and others in the classroom. They’re all taught the same equations. It’s also perfectly okay to be in the same canteen during the break. Five hundred students of all races crowded into a cafeteria of long tables and benches trying to finish their food and have a good chat all in twenty minutes. One glance and it’s easy to say, ‘that’s racial harmony’.

Then it’s your turn. You’re a well groomed young Malay teenager filling in a scholarship application form. You write your name, birth date, address, phone numbers, email, religion, nationality, then your race. There are four boxes. You tick either ‘Malay’, ‘Chinese’, ‘Indian’, or ‘Others’. You tick Malay, because obviously, you’re Malay. You notice that Malaysia recognizes racial diversity, providing each of them with an equal opportunity to progress and move forward. That’s racial harmony.

Back to the Chinese boy who just bought something from the kedai runcit, then. In the same evening he goes to the park, sits by the swing and shares and ice-cream with the daughter of the kedai runcit owner. The boy’s parents are happy that he’s making friends. Ten years later, the boy decides to marry the girl. Both families object to it because they cannot envision a Chinese family in union with an Indian family. The same individuals involved in the shop and the playground are now embroiled in a racial tug of war. Suddenly it’s less harmonious.

Then take a close look at our public school cafeterias. The only place where there’s a mixture of skin colors is at the food counters, where you can’t segregate the queues by race, and where impatient students don’t mind who they’re pressed against, as long as they get their food. But immediately after, they each automatically direct their bodies to certain tables according to their own race. No such rule is enforced, yet it is embedded within our students that they must return to ‘their own’. Not so harmonious after all.

Lastly, if you’re Eurasian, Semai, Malaysian-born Greek, Caucasian, so on and so forth, you’re really just ‘others’. No one’s interested in what you are. It is possible that categorizing the minority races would save page space. If that is so, why not have just two columns: If you are Malay/Chinese/Indian, tick here. If you are anything else, tick there. Take a good look at history. Obsessive race categorization can cause death tolls in the millions. It has happened all over the world, why aren’t we learning? Not so harmonious anymore, huh?

Certainly there are many Malaysians who transcend the above, but are there enough of them to warrant our pompous promotion of racial harmony to the rest of the world? Did we decide to accidentally leave out the fine prints of our race relations? Is racial harmony just a myth?
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Malaysia's holiday bonanza no fun for business

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - It's Chinese New Year and Malaysia's capital is deserted once again as citizens enjoy one of the many holidays observed by a nation with an array of races and religions.

But the nonstop stream of festivals, which began last October when Muslims celebrated the end of the fasting month, is being met with grumbles from business and industry who say the nation cannot afford all the merry-making.

After Malaysia's majority Malays celebrated Eid al-Fitr, it was the Hindus' turn with the Diwali festival of lights, then Christmas, followed by traditional New Year and now Lunar New Year.

"I can't get anything done!" laments lawyer Karen Lynn Johnson, who is frantically preparing for her upcoming nuptials. "Every supplier I call comes back to me with the same reply: wait until after Chinese New Year."

Malaysia's ethnic Chinese community dominates business and the long holiday weekend saw a lull at construction sites, shopping malls and restaurants as city-dwellers flooded the highways to return to their home villages.

"For business people it is never in their interests as it affects sales and trading," said M. Vivekananda from the Malaysian Employers' Federation.

"Our stand has always been that public holidays should not inhibit business activities. The markets should be kept open."

Business people complain that sales figures drop, trading on the bourse is halted and manufacturers who need to keep their factories open have to pay hefty overtime and triple holiday rates.

"Not only is it expensive, it disrupts the production of goods and sometimes deadlines cannot be met because there is not enough manpower," Vivekananda said.

Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, has 16 national holidays when the stock market, banks, schools and businesses are closed.

In addition, each state has its own set of holidays, so residents of central Selangor state which governs much of the capital Kuala Lumpur are generally entitled to four or five additional holidays.

As if that weren't enough, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last month declared the colourful Hindu festival of Thaipusam a public holiday just a few days beforehand, sending people scrambling to shift functions and events.

There are no figures on the costs involved, but in February last year exports shrank 14.41 percent to 41.1 billion ringgit (4.24 billion dollars) compared with the previous month due to "shorter working days and festivities", according to government data.

"On the stock market millions of ringgit in business transactions are lost and we miss the opportunity to make money. This could affect our market's performance," said businessman Michael Chiam.

"But this is how it is here, everyone gladly celebrates every festival together," said Chiam, a shipping merchant who chairs the Commercial Employers' Association of Peninsular Malaysia.

Singapore, the rich neighbouring city-state which has the same racial mix as Malaysia, has a modest 11 public holidays, in line with the norm in many developed nations like the United States and Britain which both have 10.

On the other end of the scale, impoverished Cambodia has the region's highest number of holidays at 26. Indonesia meanwhile cut three of its 23 holidays this year to boost the economy amid fears of a global slowdown.

However, Malaysian political economist Charles Santiago argues that holidays are an important stress buster for the overworked.

"Private businesses feel there are too many holidays and therefore not helpful but rested workers can also provide better productivity and benefit the economy in the long term," he said.

ivy/sls/tha

A list of regional nations' public holidays for 2008

Bangladesh: 18

Cambodia: 26

China: 11 public holidays and 16 bank holidays

India: 10

Indonesia: 20

Japan: 15

Malaysia: 17

Pakistan: 15

Philippines: 15

Singapore: 11

South Korea: 15

Taiwan: 9 public holidays and 11 bank holidays

Thailand: 16 public holidays and 15 bank holidays

CNY 2008: PM calls for racial unity

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today urged the country's multi-ethnic population to be united and tolerant, at a time of worsening racial discord.

"I urge all Malaysians to promote understanding, tolerance and unity because all these are the key to peace and prosperity," he said in a message to mark Chinese New Year.

"Malaysia does not belong to any one individual or race, but belongs to all Malaysians," he added.

Malaysia has in recent months been shaken by unprecedented protests alleging discrimination against minority ethnic Indians at the hands of the Muslim Malays who dominate the population.

Five ethnic Indian activists who organised a mass rally last November have been jailed under controversial internal security legislation that provides for detention without trial.

Religious and racial issues are extremely sensitive in multi-ethnic Malaysia, which experienced deadly race riots in 1969.

Growing Islamisation

Abdullah said Malaysians should be thankful that they could celebrate various festivals observed by different ethnic groups in a harmonious environment, and vowed to preserve these cultural traditions.

"As the prime minister, I am committed towards creating a Malaysian community that is dynamic, progressive and lives in peace and harmony," he said.

But commentators have sounded alarm over the growing "Islamisation" of the country and the increasing polarisation of the three main ethnic communities, which mix much less than in the past.

In recent months, there have been controversies over a ban on a Catholic newspaper using the word "Allah", the rights of non-Muslim spouses and the destruction of Hindu temples.

Malays make up 60 percent of the population, with ethnic Chinese at 26 percent and Indians at eight percent.

VIOLET says:If "Malaysia does not belong to any one individual or race, but belongs to all Malaysians,",why is Malaysia known as Islamic country?

Najib expresses loyalty to Pak Lah

Source:MalaysiaKini

Deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak today said that he was committed in his support to the prime minister and will remain loyal to him.He added that he was not aware of any "gentlemen's agreement" between Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Abdullah would serve as prime minister for only one term before passing the baton to Najib.

"I don't know about that (gentlemen's agreement),” said Najib today.

“I am committed to support the prime minister and be loyal to the prime minister," he added, as quoted by Bernama.The deputy premier also said that his main focus at the moment was to make sure everything was ready for the soon-to-be-held general election.

"I want to ensure the Barisan Nasional wins big," he said.Both Najib and Abdullah has been making nationwide tours since the beginning of the year in preparation for the general election.

It is widely believed that the national polls could be called by mid March.

Najib was commenting on the claims made by Mahathir that he had extracted a "gentlemen's agreement" from Abdullah to remain in power for only one-term.

Abdullah took over the government from Mahathir in October 2003. He won a landslide victory in the 2004 general election. The coming election would be his second as the prime minister and there are no signs that he will be giving up his political career any time soon.

Only recently the premier was quoted in the local media as saying that he was in total control of the government and was looking for a big victory in the general election.

Mahathir’s mistake
Yesterday, Mahathir said that he never intended his successor Abdullah to serve more than one term.

He suggested that Abdullah should stand down.Mahathir previously said he made a mistake in picking Abdullah, and should have opted for Najib.

"That was my thinking, si he began launching accusations of economic mismanagement, nepotism and corruption. nce (Abdullah) was older than Najib, he should be PM for one term and then Najib should be able to take over," said Mahathir.

Pressed further whether he knew about the gentlemen's agreement, Najib today said: "I don't know. You have to ask the parties concerned.

"Mahathir claimed the agreement was made in 2003 when he handed over the leadership to Abdullah, however, admitted that he had no way of proving it.

Abdullah was Mahathir's hand-picked successor when he stepped down, but after the new leader dumped several of his pet projects he began launching accusations of economic mismanagement, nepotism and corruption.

M'sia's Mahathir sees no easing of rift with PM

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - FORMER Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday he would remain a thorn in the side of his successor in the run-up to elections, and would continue to speak his mind.

Until subdued by heart problems last year, the outspoken Dr Mahathir was the most vocal critic of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, accusing his government of lacking 'guts' and selling out Malaysian sovereignty.

'I still disagree on several of his policies, mainly allowing Malaysians to be subject to Singapore's wishes,' the 82-year-old told select foreign media in an interview ahead of Wednesday's launch of his new book.

The book published for the first time his personal correspondence with world leaders including US President George W. Bush, on issues ranging from terrorism to Islam and Myanmar.

'We are not as independent as before in terms of our attitude towards international affairs,' said Dr Mahathir, who ruled the nation for 22 years with an iron grip. 'We tend to be very accommodative.'

Dead wood
In the interview, he took Mr Abdullah to task for 'wasting (public) money', dismissed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as a 'daydreamer' and asserted that the domestic economy was in 'bad shape' without a rally in commodity prices.

Dr Mahathir said Mr Abdullah's ruling front would be returned with a strong majority in the polls, widely expected by March, but said voters must get rid of dead wood in the coalition.

'But there are certain people whose contribution is negative. These people should not be chosen as candidates,' Dr Mahathir, wearing a collarless Nehru suit, said at his office in the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers.

'I still support the party and I still believe the party will win with a good majority but one must not confuse support for the party with support for the individual,' he said.

On Mr Anwar, Dr Mahathir said his political enemy would not be a major factor in the coming elections.

'He's not a real factor,' he said. 'There's no more political future for him. If he thinks he's going to be the prime minister, it's daydreaming of the worst kind.'

A charismatic speaker, Mr Anwar was sacked from government in 1998 after falling out with Dr Mahathir.

Mr Anwar then led street protests before he was arrested and later jailed on what he called trumped-up charges of graft and sodomy.

Released in 2004, his corruption conviction means he cannot stand for elected office or hold political office until April this year.

Dr Mahathir, who has a history of heart problem, underwent a heart bypass in September and doctors have advised him to cut down on travel and other activities, including horse-riding.

The operation was Dr Mahathir's second such surgery since 1989 and followed two heart attacks over the past 13 months.

His quarrel with Mr Abdullah came to the fore after the government scrapped Dr Mahathir's idea to replace a causeway linking Malaysia and Singapore with a bridge.

Asked if Mr Abdullah should quit, he replied: 'It is up to him to decide. It's also up to the people to decide. If the people want him to move on, if they think his administration is not benefiting them, they should make a decision.'

Don't compare Malaysia with S'pore, HK: Abdullah

PUTRAJAYA - SINGAPORE and Hong Kong are places with single-ethnic populations and their progress should not be compared directly with that of multiracial Malaysia, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said yesterday.

He told 8,000 top civil servants that the two cities are 'grapes' while Malaysia is an 'apple'.

His message was that Malaysians can do better and they should not despair by comparing Malaysia with Singapore and Hong Kong because a direct comparison was unfair.

'They are grapes...and we are apple. How can you compare grapes with an apple? We can't,' he told the annual gathering between the premier and top civil servants.

He also said Malaysia could not be compared with Taiwan because the population of the island was higher than Malaysia's.

Malaysia's 27 million population consists of 60 per cent Malays along with 25 per cent ethnic Chinese and 8 per cent Indians. The rest are from other minority races.

Datuk Seri Abdullah brought up the subject in his speech in which he said the government's efficiency was rated sixth best in the world last year, compared to its eighth placing in 2000.

Quoting the World Competitiveness Year Book released by the Swiss-based business school IMD, he said that Malaysia was ranked above the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and France in places with a population of over 20 million.

Only China, Canada, the United States, India and Taiwan were ranked better, he said.

He said there were differences between Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

The Republic and Hong Kong were single-race territories and therefore faced different challenges and drew up different human development projects. Their economies should also not be compared with Malaysia's, he added.

Datuk Seri Abdullah said that a better comparison with Singapore and Hong Kong is Malaysia's Klang Valley and not the whole country.

Take note Pak Lah, S'pore is multi-ethnic

‘Singapore and Hong Kong are places with single-ethnic populations and their progress should not be compared directly with that of multiracial Malaysia.’ - that's the latest directive to us from the prime minister.

Unfortunately, the rationale supporting his directive is flawed. While there may be doubts about Hong Kong's ethnic composition, Singapore's multi-ethnic population is well-known and celebrated.

Here are some examples of Singapore's multi-ethnicity:

Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English are used in all official communications, and all four languages can be found on their currency notes.


The president, SR Nathan, is Indian.


A number of prominent non-Chinese Singaporeans are members of the cabinet, including Prof Jeyakumar and Dr Yaakob Ibrahim.


The speaker of parliament, Abdullah Tarmugi, is Muslim.


Mandarin, Malay and Tamil are all included in the republic’s education curriculum.


Dedicated national TV channels and radio stations exist for Malays and Indians.


Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali are considered public holidays.
Perhaps the most important point to note is that not only are military orders for parades and functions issued in Malay, Singapore's national anthem is also sung in the Malay language. Such practices would be reflective of a Malay nation, but not a single-ethnic Chinese state.

Let us hope that Abdullah, as the leader of a nation with First World ambitions and world- renowned IT achievements such as the MSC, will not continue to make such blatant mistakes

Malaysian State Separates Shopping Sexes

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's only state run by the Islamic opposition party will get stricter about enforcing separate lines for men and women at supermarkets, an official said Tuesday.

Authorities in the northern state of Kelantan _ governed by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party _ will fine supermarkets and shops if they let men and women use the same lines at checkout counters, said party spokesman Anual Bakri Haron.

Chief Minister Nik Aziz Nik Mat has called for stricter enforcement "to safeguard the ladies" from being harassed and to avoid close proximity between opposite sexes while lining up to buy groceries, Anual said. "He wants the enforcement to be looked into thoroughly."

Kelantan is the only Malaysian state governed by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party. The rest are ruled by the National Front coalition, which is made up of various parties representing Malaysia's different ethnic groups.

The coalition is dominated by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's United Malays National Organization party, which draws its support from the ethnic Malay Muslims who account for 60 percent of the country's 27 million people.

The Islamic opposition party, which has ruled Kelantan for more than 17 years, imposed the separate lineup rule as part of its agenda to promote Islamic values. In recent years, however, people ignored the regulation, and there was little enforcement.

Buddhist family in Malaysia challenges Shariah court's Islamic conversion ruling

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - An ethnic Chinese Buddhist family was appealing to a Malaysian high court Tuesday, seeking to overturn an Islamic court ruling that found their late father had converted from Buddhism to Islam, prompting his burial as a Muslim.

The family of Gan Eng Gor said a Shariah court was wrong in ruling he had become a Muslim shortly before his death.

"We want a declaration that he is not a Muslim. Our main intention is to seek justice, not just for our family but for the rest of the non-Muslim community," son Gan Hock Ming told The Associated Press on Monday.

The case was expected to be heard Tuesday at the High Court in southern Seremban state, Hock Ming said.

It is the latest in an increasing number of interfaith conflicts that have raised tensions in multiracial Malaysia.

On Monday, opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang urged the government to end "body snatchings" by Islamic authorities, warning they were aggravating racial polarization and hurting Malaysia's multiracial harmony.

About 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims. A quarter are ethnic Chinese, who are mostly Taoist, Buddhists and Christians, and 8 percent are ethnic Indians, many of whom are Hindus.

Last week, an Islamic Shariah court ruled that Eng Gor, 74, also identified as Amir Gan Abdullah, was a Muslim and should be buried under Islamic rites.

The man's body was seized by Islamic authorities shortly after his death on Jan. 20 after a complaint by his eldest son, Abdul Rahman Gan, a Muslim convert. He claimed his father had converted to Islam last July. Other relatives disputed this.

Hock Ming said Islamic authorities claimed his bedridden father made an oral declaration in Arabic to accept Islam, but the family has medical confirmation that his father was unable to speak after a stroke in 2006. He said the alleged conversion papers were also flawed because they weren't signed and certified.

"We hope the prime minister and the higher ups in the Islamic authorities review this case and ensure that the truth is unraveled," Hock Ming said, calling for all conversions to Islam to be "fair and transparent."

Authorities from the Islamic religious department in Seremban could not be reached for comment. No comment was available from the office of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Malaysia has a dual court system for civil matters with secular courts for non-Muslims and Shariah courts for Muslims. In interfaith disputes involving Muslims, the Shariah court usually gets the last word, making a favorable decision for non-Muslims less likely.

Penang Hindu Board not 'a BN political tool'

The Penang Hindu Endowments Board has defended itself against allegations that it has become a political tool of the MIC and Gerakan in Penang and that it is acting beyond its powers.


K Kumaraendran rebutted the claim that political considerations have been the yardstick for the appointment of commissioners and committee- members, who manage the five temples in the state.



A commissioner and lawyer, he was commenting on a Malaysiakini report last Friday, in which United Hindu Religious Council president G Mugunthan had alleged there is rampant political meddling in the annual appointments.



Said Kumaraendran: "The board has never been a political tool of the ruling coalition. (Its) commissioners and temple management committee-members have always been appointed based on merit and (their) credentials, (not) political affiliation as alleged.


"They are all appointed by the state governor on the advice of the state government based on their track-record as persons of high esteem in the society.”


Hindu endowments belonging to the hilltop Waterfall Temple - Sri Balathandayuthabani Kovil,Sri Ramar Kovil in Dhoby Ghaut, Sri Kunj Bihari Krishan Mandir, Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil in Lebuh Queen and Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil in Butterworth are administered by the board.

Under the Hindu Endowment Ordinance, the state governor on the advice of the state executive council appoints a board of commissioners, one of whom must be a government officer.



The board then sets up an endowment management committee consisting of members of public professing the religion applicable to the endowments - in this case, Hinduism.



'Orderly festivals'
According to Mugunthan, political-based appointments of commissioners have become a norm since the 1980s.

Even the board chairperson is a politician, he said, referring to former MIC state chairpersons T Suppiah and K Rajapathy, and current state deputy chairperson PK Subbaiyah.


Over the years many MIC division leaders and prominent Gerakan Indian leaders have been appointed as commissioners.


Reliable sources had claimed that Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon has insisted on "his men from Gerakan" being appointed.



Kumaraendran also refuted the allegation that the board had overstepped its jurisdiction. The board is entrusted with managing the temples and their endowments and to organise their religious festivals, he noted.

In this respect, it has a legal obligation to ensure that religious festivals are celebrated in correct and orderly manner.



This involves implementing measures to regulate tanneer panthal (refreshment booths) and installing a centralised system to control the type of music played during Thaipusam each year.


"Various quarters have commended the board for its actions to bring more order into Hindu religious festivals," he added.

Malaysia's king calls for national unity after minority group protests

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's king urged his people Thursday to avoid creating tensions in this multiracial country, which has seen a slew of protests in recent months by minority groups demanding equal rights and religious freedom.

King Mizan Zainal Abidin, in his annual speech marking the Awal Muharram holiday that starts the Islamic New Year, said Malaysians must value national unity and tolerance and act responsibly to maintain peace.

"They must steer clear of actions that will create tensions, being disrespectful to one another, refrain from harping on sensitive issues and defying the law," national news agency Bernama quoted Mizan as saying.

A palace official, who declined to be named citing protocol, confirmed the king's comments.

The constitutional monarch has no powers and rarely gets involved in politics but is highly revered by most Malaysians, especially Malay Muslims who make up 60 percent of the country's 27 million people.

Malaysia generally prides itself on the peaceful relations between Muslim Malays and the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. Chinese Malaysians, most of whom are Taoist, Buddhist and Christian, comprise a quarter of the population, and Indians, who are mainly Hindu and Christian, account for 8 percent.

But relations have recently seemed increasingly fragile, with minorities complaining of unfair government policies that they say discriminate against them in business, jobs and education and threaten their religious freedom.

National debates have erupted over religious disputes prompted by government actions, including a ban on conversions from Islam and the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

In November, about 20,000 Indians protested in Kuala Lumpur for equal rights. Police used tear gas and water cannons to end the rally, which authorities declared illegal. Five protest organizers were jailed under the Internal Security Act _ which allows indefinite detention without trial _ after accusing them of terrorist links.