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with PERKASA wither UMNO !

So the irrelevance of the Queens English acronymed UMNO breathes resurrection to PERKASA, yes ? But little is spoken of the hundreds if not thousands of rural Malays who have been left out of this "elitist" or to put it bluntly "racist" group of select individuals close to the upper echelon of power then and now and who also think they are of the Malay race ( if there is indeed such a race !) when in reality are far from it. Led by an ever grovelling and complaining defector (twice if you care !) and the "father" of all racist and the so-called "statesman" former premier, Mahathir.

Well claiming to be other then a Malay would automatically disqualify one from getting their grubby hands on all those BN loot and "freebies" to enrich themselves and their kinfolk, right ?

So now we have the 3 parties in the BN coalition is deemed "dead". And with the super charged coaxing by bitter and frustrated individuals within PERKASA, who needs the failed UMNO or MIC or the MCA to stop them ? What becomes of the average Malay who does not see PERKASA as a champion crusading for the "mythical" eroding rights of the Malay ? Will it mean they will be left-out of the economic "crony" pie ? It seems it is the Malays ( well at least by these few attention seeking belligerents who claim that UMNO has failed to unite and prosper the Malays ) themselves who are marginalising their own kind and spoiling all the fun for Najib's UMNO and his "dog and pony show" aka 1Malaysia,yes ??

What have they achieved from this rekindling of "lost rights" and spewing hate against the Chinese now, when it was the great Tun himself who for 22 long years, enriched all ( including his kids) and those who now belong to the many "billionaire" clubs today, irrespective of race, was the first to ridicule in his book the simple kampung folk as being lazy and not competitive enough. Just look at the make-up of individuals in the Tun's circle and you'd know where your money went. No need to get personal now but just also look at the composition of government loan defaulters and you'll get the picture. Because some rich kid with "tight" connections get the scholarship and then defaults, some really deserving poor rural kid is deprived of a chance to further his studies and become another so-called "glocal" player, no ?

And this Ibrahim Ali fellow is such a fake when he himself lives off and sits on the board of a Chinese gambling ( this is Islamic ?) outfit whilst complaining of everything Chinese and non-Malay ! What a mutt ?

There is no short-cut to success without hard work and living off hand-outs and "privileged" discounts don't help either ! Can somebody convey that simple statement to the these morons in PERKASA or is that too deep to comprehend ?

Sheeesh PERKASA !

Don't worry..."semuanya OK" in BN !

Flip flop....flop flip ! Yes that's Yip Sun Onn for you, the N1, Titi Tinggi, Perlis state assemblyman from the flip-flop BN....!( here)

Wonder what the counter pay-out was to retract (note: quashed by a single "sms" from a hand-phone !) the "quit" letter ! Now why must he come out to say he was not enticed by BN to stay put with monetary rewards IF it was not brought up at all ? Why should BN worry if he resigned anyways? Afterall N1 Titi Tinggi has always enjoyed and supported a Chinese representative from BN even with a 83.5 % Malay voter population. So why waste time with him ? Does BN know of the Malays in Titi Tinggi are wising-up to their old and dirty tricks and have instead placed their trust in PR ? Can the voters (read tax-paying rakyat ) trust this flip-flop BN goon anymore ?

While just about everyone else knows of this moron's resignation, surprisingly our EC seems to be in the dark about the whole affair !

These days if you're an elected representative voted-in and depended upon by the rakyat, and is faced with a flagging life-style and when personal funds are low....just come out with a resignation letter and all will be taken care off....even if it is by way of an sms ! Remember the leaping "Camry to Merc" froggie episodes of Perak ?

Wish I could say the same for the PR because naturally they don't have any control or excess to the "special draws" every Tuesdays, do they ?.....damn !

What a good life these "people/rakyat elected" state representatives seem to command ........double sigh !!

oh Socrates....how right thou art !

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate...Socrates

That's what Perkasa stands for, a desire to stir up the emotions of the much politically divided Malays to unite as one and hate all others who are not like-minded ! An extended and cleverly disguised set-up within UMNO to counter Najib's failed 1Malaysia and to claim and return all Malays back to the UMNO fold. Like as if UMNO has the solution to all problems facing the Malays. I grew up with all, Malays, Chinese, Indians and others. Nobody in our neighbourhood ever directed our attention to the colour, race or religion of the other neighbourhood kids we played, ate and slept with !

Using the euphoric drama of malay "rights and privileges robbed" excuse( btw...does anybody give a flying fcuk to the rights of the original Orang Asli and all other indigenous natives plight in this here their own land ?), these bunch of self-serving politicians would stop at nothing to create a feeling of guilt and betrayal to their own kin if one fellow Malay criticised or spoke against another Malay. And a quick look at these ring-leaders' back-ground speaks volumes for itself !

Why is there so much hate and insecurity ? To quote a known moron..."maybe they were buggered by the village head-man when they were little or their parents must have dropped them head-down when they were babies "

the week that was...

Hmmm.....it's been a busy week that was, for some, that culminated with the NPC-Naza Media Awards Night last Friday at the JW Marriot, KL with Najib and Rosmah as guests of honour.

Yes, yours truly too was invited, but not as a blogger ( and most definitely not as a member or past club manager of the NPC and surely not as an UMNO or BN blogger !) but as a special guest of the event organisers. I guess I was a surprise invitee going by the surprised expression on some "guests" faces who , even though were non-members of the media nor members of the NPC ! I wonder why some top-notch bloggers who are also members of the NPC like RPK, Haris Ibrahim, Malik Imtiaz and Bernard Khoo were not extended the invite as I reckon it must be because of their personal opinions that were critical and opposing to the views of the ruling government of the day. Mind you there were some who are plain "excess bagage" and totally irrelevant to society but were spotted having a whale of a time ! That too is the prerogative of the exco, yes ? Otherwise it was one helluva black and white party, thanks to the sponsors and the event organisers !

As to the selection of the awards itself, me thinks Lat, Pak Samad and VK Chin's qualification were justified ! The others....hmmm....I'll give the selection committee the benefit.

Maybe next year, huh ?................errrhhh.....

don't mess with the voters, please !

If the BN government acted in fear of an intense backlash, say so lah....nothing to be shy what. After all it is good to know that the PM is indeed 1rakyat "friendly" and has the 1interest of the 1voters as... erhhh.... 1priority. (read here )

And you certainly cannot "laugh off" the claim of the victory of the simple tax-paying and voting rakyat ! This "putting-off" of the GST better be for good and is no laughing matter either my friend and this is, in every which way you look is a typical flip-flop by the BN government ! Guess after my posting below (here) to reward the rich with tax-exemption on golf buggies and to now so suddenly "suck off the blood" of the poor rakyat by tabling in Parliament the GST Bill wouldn't go down as a popular move on Najib's part, would it ? Did he feel the fear, somehow ?

I will surely claim this as a voter's victory whether the protest march was called off or not ! And the good PM knows when not to play play with the sentiments of the crucial and already frustrated voter's "rice-bowl" with a GE so close at hand, right ? Good move Mr. Prime Minister !

Long live the rakyat !

oh you poor things, you golf club owners !

Did you know we have the most wonderful and caring Prime Minister in the world ?

Yes....our PM Najib is so caring and I am so touched by his gesture in announcing the immediately abolishment of import duty on GOLF BUGGIES !!! (read here )

Can you beat that ?....you poor country bumpkins who have never had a chance to step onto a golf course much less play the game, should be thrilled by this announcement ? Why the generous offer to these 200 odd golf clubs in the country where membership is definitely an elite and affluent strata of our society where mostly cigar chomping and bubbly sipping freaking millionaires or even billionaires speak with a twang about having tea in London and dinner in Paris ! And these 200 exclusive golf courses need an exemption on excise duty for their buggies ?

Do you have any idea how much these golf clubs charges it's members and collect on green fees monthly ? I don't expect you to know because most blog readers are decent, angry hard working, tax-paying citizens on a monthly shoe-string budget who cannot afford the luxury of such memberships, right ? No disrespect intended on the privileged few readers who can afford such golf club membership.

Sheeesh....so this is how our PM makes the rich get to be richer and the poor (read flustered and frustrated you and me) gets to pay the price higher on almost all basic essential goods you can think off !

And who gets to take back handsome prize monies ???.....it's almost always some foreigner or some rich 18 year old kid from a country SSE of Mongolia.

How absolutely charming, Mr. Prime Minister Sir ! Thank you for that piece of "good" news ! We poor sods ought to applaud in standing ovation for such a generous gift !

And while we're on the subject of the 200 golf courses and clubs, could you also subsidise the tax on the buggy batteries and electricity billing charges on all golf courses Mr. Najib, Sir ? And cheaper buggies means less use for a "caddy" and more nightly games, right ? Hmmm...there goes another job extinct !

Just yesterday morning I had to pay an extra 10 sens from my usual 70sens "satu teh tarik gelas kecik, mamak" just because I sat and drank in a road-side stall somewhere in Bangsar !

Perkasa reeks of racism !

Chinese will take over in the next election, warns Perkasa

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — Malay nationalist group Perkasa warns that the Chinese community will use the next general election to take over the country.

Now this group is echoing the age old fear of the "ketuanan" shit again and again ! New packaging....but same shit !

Perkasa feels that the last general election weakened the Malays and empowered the Chinese community.

Really Zubir ?...tell me, my dear racist doctor, is this your master-plan to sabotage Najib's 1Malaysia ? You got to admit, the Chinese had always been "cash-rich" and had a big part in the economics and in the building of this nation, so what's your beef ? You're not used to a level playing field ? Still need hand-outs after 53 years ?

Dr Zubir Harun, director of Perkasa’ economic bureau, who was at the Malay Consultative Council’s (MPM) round-table discussion, said during his presentation that a divided Malay community will empower the other races.

Hmmm....always trying to win back the Malays from PR especially PAS to join forces with UMNO. Dream on Zubir....the Malays in PR are wiser than you bargained for ! They know all of UMNO and the self-serving wannabees who till today, bankrupt of new ideas, play the race card to stay in power ! Sorry friend.....the Malays in PR are united with their Chinese and Indian brethren.....Oppps.....did I say Chinese and Indian ? Sorry....Malaysians of remote Chinese or Indian origins......now proudly calling themselves only as Anak Bangsa Malaysia ! That's how the PR has envisioned and has practised so far....as ONE !

According to delegates at the discussion and documents received by The Malaysian Insider, Perkasa wants the New Economic Policy (NEP) to be the “spirit” of the New Economic Model (NEM).

ahhh yes....and when pigs fly !

“Perkasa believes that disunity among the Malays has weakened Umno, causing the non-Malays to be more vocal in their demands. They say that the Chinese are also blackmailing the government to give in to their demands by threatening to vote for Pakatan Rakyat,” said one of the delegates.

when you say "they say"......surely you must be refering to all those frustrated goons within BN who have been left-out or side-lined in the economic pie for contract awards, yes ?

Zubir also said that Perkasa is worried that the New Economic Model will have a Chinese agenda.

“The Chinese people feel that the next general election is the best opportunity for them to gain power in this country.

what ??....feeling the heat, huh Zubir ? You have thus far screwed everything for yourself and Najib's 1Malaysia, and in the process planted the seed of discontentment among the very divided Malays ( UMNO Malays and the liberal "thinking" Malays !!).....something that is so 70's lah.....remember the grand old and now irrelevant premier's "delima" when dealing with the likes of you Zubir ? Yes he was refering to you then, and you are a shining reflection now as you were refered then !

“This is why Chinese NGOs, such as Ziong Dong and Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce, are using this chance to make demands of the government. If their demands are not met, then they will vote Pakatan Rakyat who are willing to give everything to the Chinese,” he elaborated in his presentation.

baaaah....more insecured talk ! Your own BN fractions are holding the BN leadership at ransom ?

Zubir added that the Malays have “sacrificed” for the country by allowing “the immigrants” to live in Malaysia.

There you go again ! How many times have I said this before and once again I say to you......WE....that is all of us Indians, Chinese and Malays are yes, immigrants, moron....we all came from India, China and Indonesia respectivily ! You are a pendatang just like me too. So stop calling ourselves that as we have all sacrificed for this country, not just you or only the Malays ! so lets just move on ! Sheeesh Zubir.....the indigenious peoples of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak are the only ones who can call you and I as "pendatangs", but they are too polite, accomodating and generous by nature to refer you as such ! So stop saying that... and go get a life idiot !

“It must be reminded that the Malay people have sacrificed tremendously since independence with a quid pro quo policy... the Malay race have compromised by allowing foreigners into the country. The Malays endured hundreds of years of colonization and the result is the migration of foreigners into the country. We were forced to accept this policy,” he said.

Zubir also slammed non-Malays and liberal Malays for wanting to rewrite the country’s Constitution and social contract.

A vote against BN makes us liberals a threat to you, huh ? Why do you always have to call us Malays and non-Malays ah....can't you just say "some Malaysians" ?

Perkasa believes that the NEP is still relevant because it will help the Malay community to counter a market which is dominated by the Chinese.

Perkasa belongs to Hang Tuah's era lah ! Errrh......that also cannot, that Hang fellows also were Chinese right ?

Malaysian Insider reported today that the government has decided to incorporate the proposed New Economic Model (NEM) into the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) in June, as fine-tuning and tweaks will go beyond its initial end-March launch.

It was learnt the delay came after feedback from various quarters prompted the government to rework its ideas and proposals that will turn Malaysia into a high-income nation based on innovation and creativity.

Isn't that what that dictator of old had said for the past 50 over years ? And I actually thought we were a high-income nation ! Damn ! where did all that money go to ? In some private bank accounts in some faraway country ?

Among those with reservations about the NEM are the MPM which yesterday demanded it be based on the 1970s-era New Economic Policy (NEP) and should comply with Article 153 of the Federal Constitution that protect Malay and Bumiputera’s special position.

Lets move forward as Malaysians la, Zubir . This race and racial talk only works for the those still trapped in a time wrap, like you and your Perkasa. The rest of us have matured and grown-up and readily accept this country as ours and big enough for all of us to share and prosper together !

MPs' for Sale, Lease or Rent !

It is with utter disgust that I write today....( here ) of yet another defector quiting the PKR to become an "independent"! But am at the same time relieved that these "disillusioned" MP's have shown their true colours so soon before more damage could have been done from within. Just take a look at all the continuous "special 4D" draws every Tuesday on all 3 counters and you'd get the picture, right ?.....and it sure looks like it is "payday" for some of these weak and disgrunted MPs'.

These "frogs" forgot their responsibility to the rakyat that voted them in......No way could they have been voted-in, in the first place had they gone to the polls as "independents" before March 8, 2008 had it not been for the joint campaigning of DAP,PKR and PAS on behalf of these "pricks" against the then almighty BN machinery, yes? How soon have they forgotten that it was the sway of the intelligent masses' votes that brought about the much needed change in 5 states...and yet these fools swam in glory to the shallow end of the political pool ! Their presence today in politics is by the goodwill of the rakyat towards a change in the corrupt 51 year old BN government then and mind you, the rakyat would even have voted for any monkey had it been pitted against any BN candidate in that year !( incidentally this pathetic looking Bagan Serai MP Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri guy (above) does come close in resemblance to one primate that comes to mind....hehehe !)

The same can be said of all the other "rent-seekers" who rode on the PR ticket and today suddenly feel they have "lost" faith in the leadership ! My arse ! What hypocrites these morons are ? They think we, the "thinking" tax-paying rakyat actually buy their lame and cheap exodus/migratory stories...... I don't, do you ?

Your day of reckoning will come you "frogs" when you face the Almighty !

In the meantime...... Piss be with you !

tit for tat AG ?

"An eye for an eye makes half the world blind" ....to simply quote the real Mahatma !

So says the champion of "mats" (rempit) Khairy in reference to the AG's "no further action" decision of the 2 journos from Al-Islam in the desecration and sacrilegious acts against the Catholic church. He reckons the decision is to "balance out" the racial and religious row caused by the "Allah" issues ! Yeah right KJ ! What an idiot ! What can you make of such debate ? One minute he condemns the 2 journos ( here) and the next he's cozying-up to the AG's decision( here and here)......maybe a word of caution came in the form of a "tweet" to the ox-fart, huh ? Must every action or reply, no matter how glaringly stupid, be countered along racial or religious lines by BN politicians ? Where is the common "sense" law of respect and decency enshrined in the Constitution every politician is screaming off.....errh ?

Next....a comentor, TZ asks, what the so-called "public outcry" our learned AG was referring to, as a reason to drop the charges against the 2 journos (and from that UMNO owned propaganda media tool) ? If the Allah issue was a court decision and as always preached by our PMs ( both past, present and irrelevants !) that we have an "independent" judiciary, why dispute the legality of such decision ? Political hands have always pulled the judiciary strings to a point of no return and put us in a "beyond redemption" position ! So much for Najib's 1Malaysia being undermined again by the very mouth that it feeds ! What a joke !

And as long as we have UMNO-paid puppets like this current AG, we.....or rather Malaysians will be the brunt of all "judiciary" jokes the world over !

Welcome to the circus !

Shame on you bad cops !

This clearly illustrates the intense bias and corruption of the Malaysian Police Force. ( read here ) and it has spoilt my day already !

Just how these idiots sleep every night baffles me ! Just six reports and already they are up on toes and in top-gear carrying out their duties "diligintly" whereas tens of hundreds of police reports have been equally lodged against so many BN ministers, MB's and all the other monkeys by us, tax-paying citizens and nothing....NOTHING constitutes an investigation or even a file opened from our boys-in-blue !! Semuanya okay ?? But when it comes to reports against the PR.....see the speed ! Damn you dirty coppers ! I am sure there are alot of decent cops out there too ! But the action of a few head-honchos only add more hatred and crap to the already low-life image of the entire force and surely no right thinking and decent rakyat would ever forgive you for what you are doing. Have you no shame ? We pay for you and your childred's well being. Do you work for US ? Surely corrupt cops will pay heavily in the after-life . What will you tell your children ? That you dutifully did you job without fear and favour ?

I am both disgusted and ashamed of this royal institution that carries a crown in it's insignia !

Mr.Prime Minister, Sir......how touching !

Seems the PM and everyone in BN are very "concerned" about the so-called " serious internal rifts" in the Opposition !!! Hahahaha ! What a joke !

But I guess playing the "devil's advocate" does make the man-in-the-street think there's really bigger "problems" in PR and thus cleverly diverting the more and major pressing issues that begs answers within BN circus ! Sir, have you solved and can you please come out clean to explain to the rakyat all those on-going and unresolved "crap" within BN ??? Put your house in order Mr. Prime Minister before trying to hypnotise the masses with your "deep concerned sympathy" for the Opposition, really ! ( here )

Care to explain the missing jet engines, unsinkable submarine, PKFZ, money politics, in-fighting and finger-pointing within the now irrelevant MCA, MIC, PPP, Gerakan and in UMNO too , puppet judiciary, kangaroo courts and corrupt and biased police force, mat-rempit related street crimes, politician controlled media, failed 1Malaysia, Teoh Beng Hock, Altantuya, Kugan, corrupt riddled former MB Toyo's "palace", unaccounted billions of ringgits squandering by the former premier claims and of course the "kaywhy" totting Saiful ?

Well with all these aboved-mentioned mysteries still unexplained and still nagging the minds of the rakyat, money-lured "frogs" and BN "plants" in the Opposition is like a "siblings" quarrel.

Take care and clean-up the BN house first , Sir ........the Opposition surely can sort out theirs with a "broom" ( read the "thinking" rakyat ) faster and surely cleaner. It's just a matter of weeding-out the "plants" and identifying the half-baked attention-seekers !!

Hehehe....good try Mr. PM...... honestly I'm very touched by your concern !

Dare to quit as MP Zahrain ?

Zahrain Mohd Hashim ...... you heard us ....... QUIT NOW ....as an MP, you shameless politician. And see if you can still be in the rakyat's favour in a by-election anywhere, anytime !

Wishing all........

Drive safe and if you're going out drinking .......call a "sober" relative to send you home !! Take care and ....Godbless !

go tell it to the Marines, Tan Sri !

Why did we acquire 2 submarines for, you might wanna ask, right ? I'll tell you why. To use as props in advertisements.....see here !

I cannot fathom why else we need these billions of "tax-payer ringgit" mega-purchases and instantly find out they are defective and not ready to see action !! And as the RMN chief says "teething" problems that are not common BUT not a major problem ! Hehehe, helloooo Popeye.....we're not buying this bull-shit you feed us lah ! Not when it involves RM270million of the rakyat's taxes for annual maintenance and service. And the further delay in the "battle" as to who gets what size of the cake in contracts is also public knowledge as to who would eventually get it and eat it too, lah ! Go tell it to the Marines, Tan Sri, not to us please ! (read the story here )

Would you be daft enough to buy a really expansive car and then go smash it just to see if the air-bags worked ? We are talking of billions here Tan Sri......there should be NO room for error ! No way ! Were the sub-builders credible in the first place or were they of sub-standard $2 "greasing" companies ? This is billions we are talking about......and they belong to the rakyat's blood and sweat ! Now if somebody stole the periscopes or even the, aaahem.... engines of these monstrous chunks of metal, you will surely get a thunderous standing ovation from the rakyat !

The last time the government went "shopping" for their procurement purchases, one "illegal" Mongolian lass (bless her soul !) was blown to "kingdom come" in the fringes of a secondary jungle by 2 "masked" men ! Now that would be a nice "touching" scene if they had included in that ad above.....yes ??

Sheeeesh !

Perak mourns !

Latest: Datuk Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir is the valid Perak Menteri Besar, the Federal Court rules....unanimous decision from a 5-men bench :-read the rest here )

I am not at all surprised with the decision......but what a shame.......the rakyat have once again been "shanghaied" by the Pangkor "thamby " ! If the BN state government is so confident that the rakyat "loves" them, why not let the rakyat or the peoples of Perak decide once and for all ? After all what would 5 men sitting on a bench know what's good for the people of Perak ? Dissolve the state government and call for a state-wide election ? That way we can put to rest who the people want to govern them !

It is indeed a day of mourning for all true-blue-blooded Perakians !! Sigh.....

Funeral rites for BN in Perak ?

I am anxiously awaiting for the Federal Court's decision this Tuesday, 9th February, on the illegal power- grab by that BN's "thamby" verses PR's "abang" in Perak about a year ago.....remember the "Democracy Tree" debacle? ( read here )

We also now know of the 3 PR's frogs that "brokered a-leaping" that lead to the humiliating and disgraceful "man-handling" fiasco displayed by BN's finest mongrels in the state assembly last year that the rest of the world too, witnessed, yes ?

Now comes the sticky part. What IF, (indeed I'm a sucker for "divine interventions" !) the Federal Court's ( read "wholly owned by UMNO Inc." ) jester....oppps sorry...judge, in a fit of insanity and anger against his/her paymasters gentle advice, decrees Nizar as the rightful MB ? Will the Pangkor thamby, now with a 3 "friendly frogs" but 2 majority party call for a vote of "no confidence " against Perak's favourite abang again and repeat that shameful power-grabbing fiasco.....in Round II ? Has the PR a plan B and to bury the Perak state BN once and for all ?

Of course Nizar is the confident and rightful MB and still is most Perakians' champion but the legal process in the country is, as we know.... "suspect" and an unfavorable decision against the BN means BN will be ousted out of Perak, and so will be the presiding judge, right ? And the one thing this current and "illegal" Perak state government won't tolerate is a level playing field.....or with PR coming out victorious ! There's just too much at stake for BN and Najib's UMNO, right ?

Until this Tuesday 9th. Feburary's and the Federal Court's "shocking" decision....be on the look-out for frustrated and paid "shit-stirrers" and the lesser-paid trouble-making "rempits" !

Take heart all ye decent and fellow Perakians, okay ?

this article sums it up best !

Brand Malaysia reeling from a thousand cuts

DIPLOMATICALLY SPEAKING
By DENNIS IGNATIUS

Feb 4,Thursday 2010

duta.thestar@gmail.com

Over the years, scandal corruption and mismanagement, as well as misguided policies have tarnished our country's name.

LIKE it or not, every country has a brand name. When a country comes to mind, people often think of it in a certain way, much like Coca-Cola or Mercedes-Benz. A brand name is more than an image; it is the essence of what a brand represents.

Needless to say, a brand name is a valuable commodity and both countries and companies jealously protect their brand name. What takes years to build can be tarnished almost overnight.

Sometimes a single incident can set back a country’s image by many years. At other times, a country’s image can suffer death by a thousand cuts - a series of unfortunate events or incidents over a period of time that, taken together, paints an unhappy picture.

What of brand Malaysia? For years Malaysia promoted itself as a sensible and stable democracy characterised, above all else, by religious and racial tolerance.

Indeed, we often sold ourselves as a model of inter-faith and interracial harmony and went around inviting others to learn from us.

To many in the Third World, we were the template for successful economic development based on political stability, sound economic strategy and respect for the rule of law.

On the business side, we were considered a safe and exciting place to do business with and invest in.

Investors were assured of strong government support, an efficient bureaucracy and a business environment free of corruption, red tape and political interference. Our English-educated workforce was a decided advantage.

Regrettably, we have not been zealous in protecting our brand name.

Over the years, scandal, corruption and mismanagement, as well as misguided policies, have seriously left brand Malaysia reeling from a thousand cuts.

The Kugan case, the death in custody of Teoh Beng Hock and other high profile cases brought us a great deal of unsavoury international attention. This, together with equally sensational scandals involving our judiciary, seems to convey the view that our whole justice system is in crisis.

As well, the massive PKFZ fiasco, the brazen theft of RMAF jet engines and other outrageous public sector corruption scandals have convinced many foreign observers and businessmen that corruption is now out of hand in Malaysia.

It is not for no reason that Transparency International recently gave Malay­sia its worst corruption ranking ever.

Increasingly, visitors to Malaysia (as well as many Malaysians themselves) routinely complain of demands for bribes and kickbacks at many levels. Are we now destined to become a chronically corrupt state?

Though we tend to play down the extent of corruption in Malaysia, it is negatively impacting our image in more ways than one and may well be related to the declining levels of foreign direct investment.

On the political front, the continued use of detention without trial and limitations on fundamental freedoms have undoubtedly diminished our democratic credentials in the eyes of the world.

At the same time, the attentiongrabbing headlines concerning the caning sentence imposed on Kartika Dewi by the Syariah court, high profile Jakim raids on popular nightspots, the controversy over the use of the word “Allah,” the recent attacks on churches and the desecration of mosques have left many foreigners wondering whether we are heading down the slippery road towards intolerance and extremism.

Of course there are those who will argue that some of these actions are religious imperatives and must not be questioned. The point is we cannot have it both ways: we cannot act in this manner and still hope to cling to the “moderate” label we are so proud of.

Cases of unfair treatment of migrants and foreign workers in Malaysia have not helped either. The United States Senate issued a damning report last year that even implicated some government officials in human trafficking!

This, together with the abuse of migrant workers by their Malaysian employers, has brought shame to our nation and invoked the ire of some of our neighbours.

And then there is the exodus of Malaysians, more than 300,000 in 2008/09, in search of a better life abroad. What does it say to the rest of the world about brand Malaysia when many, including some of our best and brightest, are leaving?

It is clear to those of us who closely monitor Malaysia’s image abroad that brand Malaysia is in trouble. One commentator even went so far as to call us a “failed rich state!” It is nonsense of course, but it is a sign of the shifting perception of Malaysia.

Unfortunately, there are no Band-Aid solutions. Mere slogans or clever publicity campaigns won’t cut it. The scandals, the worsening corruption, the political dysfunction, the decay of national institutions, etc., are symptomatic of a much deeper malaise affecting our nation.

At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves some hard questions about where we, as a nation, are headed. Foreign observers are certainly asking the question and reaching their own less than flattering conclusions about brand Malaysia.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak issued a clarion call last week for Malaysia to do “something extraordinary.” The most extraordinary thing we can do is to halt the sad decline of our nation and somehow find a way to spark a national renewal.

go get some "adjukayshen" here !

Calling all who are in Ipoh and especially in Taiping and heck....all you Perakians, have you registered for this totally educational, frank and earnest "Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia" effort ? MAKE A SMALL SACRIFICE tomorrow for the future of your kids, can meh ?

CALL now to register on the numbers listed or forever remain in denial ! (Click on visual above for larger view ) Long live Perakians !

p.s. and kudos to the "core team" ( you guys know who you are !) for making this road-show a reality ! Cheers !

of begging Indians and Chinese prostitutes....

Ohhhh.....the arrogance of the "ketuanan Melayu" is once again rearing it's ugly head straight out from the PM department. Take the case of this simpleton Nasir Safar ( surname sure sounds like an Indonesian immigrant's... ) at a Rapat 1Malaysia seminar in Malacca....where he was supposed to have uttered derogatory racist "pendatang" remarks ! Sheeeesh ! ( read here )

Where did this bigot crawl out from ?.....oppps , sorry, we know..... yes, he is the PM's special officer, so there, he's from Najib's office...another saboteur, perhaps ? (and here )

The sheer insolence of this idiot is perhaps shared but by a few, and the very foundations ( if there was any to start with ? ) of Najib's 1Malaysia is nothing more then "shiok-sendiri" lip-service ! It sounds so hypocritical when the very people within can go around accusing fellow Malaysians especially the Chinese women-folk as coming here to the shores of then Malaya, to prostitute themselves and the begging Indians.......errh...the Indians huhhh.....(just a quick flash of Samy Velu's image crossed my mind and distracted my train of thought and focus).

time-out:wakakakakakakakakakaka !

Yes, well, the Malaysians of remote Indian origins did not come here abegging either. They are even today (talk about the recent "acquisition/ recruitment" of 300 IT cyber-troopers when Najib was in India last week ) sought after for the many varied fields of expertise, by visionaries...as in the 1800's by the British to build roads and manage the colonial masters plantations when this entire uncharted country was nothing but the world's oldest rain-forest. And they were as important now as the man next to you in developing this country to what it is today ! So there !

Sacking this moron is not going to solve the situation....it has to come from within our hearts to treat and respect all regardless of race, religion or colour....as EQUALS....not uniquely labelling us as in bumi/non-bumi classification which then creates the likes of these arrogant fools, like Nasir, who think they can spit and spew on anyone they please ! Then again we also now have the unspoken UMNO bumi and Non-UMNO bumi to add to this stupid equation, yes ?

Just go and listen to the SABM road-shows that are currently making waves and changing attitudes of every section of society, and learn history as it should have been written, not distorted......then maybe we can be rid of such despicable retards !

Sheeeesh !