Delta's Dark Den of Destruction

Fate is irrelevant when it comes to politics, Rosmah

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:23:00 +0000

The last time someone said it was his fate to lead a country, Adolf Hitler’s vision of a 1,000-year reich only lasted 6 years. Similarly in WW2 Japan, hardcore nationalists proclaimed that it was Japan’s fate to lead the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere by “liberating” countries under colonial rule. I’m sure everyone knows what happened in the end.

By saying that she is fated to become Malaysia’s first lady (quite an erroneous term, as pointed out in this article), she implies that Najib is equally fated to lead Malaysia. Now fate is something that lingers through each and every time you rise through the ranks or fall like a brick. It also follows you around from the moment you were born until you die. Even in the afterlife, fate might interfere with your burial plot! So if someone like Rosmah would make such a claim, I have to say that she is highly mistaken.

Instead of affixing leadership through an abstract concept such as fate, if we say that we practice leadership through example, most of our future leaders would be corrupted Machiavellians who are incapable and unwilling to listen to the views of the rakyat.

At least when Mahathir lied, he did it rather convincingly unlike our current crop of UMNO leaders. As far as I know, UMNO has been fumbling publically in everything from the setting of the 12th General Elections to the fuel price increase several months later right until the illegitimate takeover of the Perak state government. Simply put, the words “truth”, “transparency” and “honesty” are not in UMNO’s vocabulary. It’s no wonder that the perception that UMNO can do nothing right is starting to harden into concrete.

It is hard for me to gauge when was the last time BN was honest to the public, perhaps during the time when it was known as the Alliance Party? Anyways, it’s evident that Mahathir hates Abdullah and everything UMNO much more than the opposition, and I believe that his predictions of BN’s death kneel is starting to look like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Most likely UMNO delegates will be unable to wean themselves out of practicing “money politics” despite repeated warnings. Forget about the MACC, only the electorate has the power to make them kick the habit by voting corrupted politicians out of office. It’s a pity that we have to wait every four or five years in order to exercise our right.

Meanwhile, we have 3 by-elections to contend with. As usual, news reports from the mainstream media will shower love and affection for the BN candidates as election day approaches, since they’re mostly preoccupied with UMNO’s party elections at the moment. Pride and inflated egos get in the way of rational thinking, and they’ll usually end up saying something in the lines of “we are confident that the people will vote for us” despite facing an angry and disgruntled electorate. Illogical thinking at its finest moment, am I right?

So Rosmah, it’s best not to count the chickens before they hatch. Governments are given a mandate to lead the country by the electorate, and not fate or destiny as prescribed from your personal Feng Shui master or Guruji or whoever that analyses your daily horoscope. Sure your husband might end up being Malaysia’s next Prime Minister, but the question is how long can he remain as one? As long as Mahathir or Abdullah? Now that’s for fate to decide, not you.

1,500 hits from Malaysia Today for my previous blog post!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Take a look at my stats!

Like a sleepy hamlet that came alive, this blog received a massive influx of hits when this article was submitted to Malaysia Today a couple of days ago. While the article’s title was on the front page for roughly 24 hours, I got 1,500 hits and also several comments. :)

Anyways, if you think you’ve written a good article about politics in Malaysia, you can try submitting it to MT as well. I think for a relatively unestablished blogger like me, social blogging is starting to look like my niche. Now all I need is more readers…

Whatever's good for Malaysia is bad for UMNO, and vice-versa

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:14:00 +0000

A lot of people do not want Najib Razak to be our next Prime Minister.

Neither do the supporters of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Nor do Pakatan Rakyat and their own supporters.

Hence, rumours are flying around regarding AAB’s impending Prime Minister transitional plan. It may get tossed aside for an entirely unexpected one. Raja Petra Kamarudin speculates that in order for AAB to stay on as PM, he would need the support of at least 30 of his own Barisan Nasional parliamentarians, in addition of 81 Pakatan Rakyat MPs, 2 SAPP MPs and the lone independent MP from Pasir Mas. So far RPK says it is entirely plausible for AAB to gather at least 20 UMNO MPs, but in the event that such a controversial plan is pulled off, what happens to Najib and his gang?

Would AAB’s cooperation with Anwar Ibrahim only be a one-time move, or will it strengthen into something further? Coming round a full circle, we might actually end up with a unity government at the federal level! We have to take note that the rakyat placed their hearts and trust in the opposition so that their voices may be heard. They voted them in so that these politicians can make a positive, realistic and lasting change for Malaysia. In the event that Pakatan Rakyat participates in such a unity government, it would truly herald a new dawn in Malaysia’s democracy. Hush the nay-sayers who think that PR should helm the government on its own through either defections or by holding our breaths until our faces turn blue when the 13th General Elections come around. The fact is for every single cabinet seat that UMNO is denied, it would cut off its flow of cronies, corruption and so called “money politics”. PR might actually be able to “rehabilitate” BN by working alongside them!

But then back to the topic, should it become a reality then this would mean that UMNO will be left with a massive split in the middle. Like the multiverse (multiple universe) theory frequently used in sci-fi, once a decision is made, each corresponding universe will “sprout” out as a result of actions or inactions from each key players in the political scene. That’s how political analysts (both professionals and those armchair ones like me) are able to somehow “predict” scenarios in the future. The only reason why I’ve not be able to comment on the happenings in Perak is because of its lightning-fast maneuvers from both BN and PR. Speaking of Perak, I’m going to assume that PR might offer long-lasting support for AAB until he finishes his second term in exchange for statewide elections in Perak.

So these deals would leave Najib out in the cold. Should Najib resist, AAB might be forced to bring him down as hard as a redwood tree hitting the ground. AAB would then rally to close party ranks and possibly end the unity government once the economy picks up again. It would be a coup of sorts. At this stage, as far as PR is concerned its survival depends on how it can navigate through the power struggle between these two. If it stands on the wrong side, and Najib wins, I think we can concede that not only Pakatan Rakyat, but Malaysia and its citizens will be at the losing end.

Ifs, ifs, ifs, there are many possibilities to this outcome. The transitional plan might still go on with small hiccups and AAB would be retiring with his iPhone, so says RPK. But by giving a conservative and realistic estimate of the situation in contrast to the sensational possibility mentioned above, it’s up to the reader to decide which scenario might end up true, and which one might end up as pure speculation that remains only in our mind.

I still remain optimistic, I’m ready for either one.

Come on Pak Lah, if flip-flops are your trademark, then make this one count the most.

Won a T-shirt from GSC!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Kinda surprised to find out that I'm a winner in Golden Screen Cinema's Fun Tees Contest. Aside from the main top 2 prizes, 1,000 T-shirts as consolation prizes were given away.

I haven't been keeping exact tabs of my movie outings with friends, but I gotta estimate that I've been in and out of a theatre at least 60 times in the past 3 years. I guess it paid off after all, eh? Here's to hoping I'll get a Bolt or Madagascar T-shirt at the very least. :P

Pro-Mahasiswa Students Win 10 Seats in UTM Campus Elections

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:19:00 +0000

Not many people (Malaysiakini included) have seem to notice that Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is also holding its elections in the same week as other public universities in Malaysia.

Suffice to say, let me fill in the gap by reporting that 10 out of 45 Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar (Student Representative Committee) seats have been won by the opposition Pro-Mahasiswa group. Several independent candidates won as well but I'm not certain of the exact number.

If you're curious of how the election went over here, students were required to vote for 10 candidates running in the Umum (General) category and 3 candidates for the Fakulti category. Since there are 10 faculties in UTM, they are allocated 30 seats and an additional 5 seats are for UTM's KL campus. Nomination day was on January 8, voting day was on January 13. I was an election observer in one of the faculties. :)

Anyways, during campaigning there were a lot of restrictions made by the University and Colleges Act 1971. When it comes to labeling candidates as government (Pro-Aspirasi) or opposition (Pro-Mahasiswa) supporters, the lines get blurred quite easily. Students were forced to vote candidates based on their name and not party allegiance, hence making everyone look like a bloody independent in their campaign posters. Pro-Aspirasi students use "Evolusi Mahasiswa" as their tagline are typically clad in red shirts whereas the other side's warcry is "Student Power!" with their supporters dressed in bright orange. Curious to see how some candidates "decorate" the campus with their posters? Click here then.

My only gripe is that students weren't really aware of the candidates they had voted for, due to the short campaigning length. Many just simply voted because the candidate was a familiar or good-looking enough for their votes. Simply put, high public exposure and distributing candy on leaflets as a "bribe" should be enough to win an election. That may sound silly but that's the way things go over here in UTM.

Edit: Whoops, it seems that Malaysiakini has already reported that the Pro-Aspirasi side has won 35 seats in the MPP. My bad. Better luck next year, I hope.

Photos of DAP's Victory Dinner at Han Chiang High School

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:09:00 +0000

On November 28, 2008, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) held a victory dinner at Han Chiang High School to celebrate the party's launch to success in the March 8 general elections. The party swept a total of 7 Parliament seats and 19 State Assembly seats to form the state government of Penang. It's no mean feat to have a 100% success rate in elections.

Even several days before the event, DAP flags lined up the road adjacent to Han Chiang High School. Call it a bit of a reverse shock for someone like me who lived in a BN-stronghold state for several months before returning to Penang.

Anyways, the copyright of the photos belong to my photographer friend Evangel Lim who attended the dinner. :)

Tanjung MP Chow Kon Yeow in the middle and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang on the right. I'm not certain who's on the left, sorry. :S

Surprise attendee former law minister and former senator Zaid Ibrahim shows up at the event! A day later he was seen at Parti Keadilan Nasional's annual congress. He resigned from the cabinet several months ago due to the federal government's misuse of the Internal Security Act.

Famously known as the Tiger of Jelutong, Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh finds himself surrounded by supporters. For some strange reason, lately The Star keeps referring to him as the Jelutong MP. If that's so, then where the heck is Jeff Ooi's constituency?

Seputeh MP and former ISA-detainee Teresa Kok (centre) also attends the dinner...

DAP leaders and VIPs seated at this table for easy accessibility to the stage...

Chow Kon Yeow starts the ball rolling...

And Teresa Kok continues...

Zaid Ibrahim was a guest speaker as well, who would've thought of that?

Balloons and confetti galore as the DAP team celebrates.

Speech continues with Karpal Singh at the microphone.

Now it's Lim Kit Siang's turn. He's also known by his supporters as "Uncle Kit".

And lastly here comes Bagan MP, son of Uncle Kit as well as Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng!

We are the Project Trafford Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:19:00 +0000

A final bit of closure for everyone who participated (or followed) Project Trafford ever since it was announced in late May this year: Group C is the winner!

Initially, the cynic in me said it was almost impossible to beat the groups (led by Kennia Sia, ShaolinTiger and others), but head honcho Nicole provided the spark in Group C and led us to victory! And to teammates Chics, Aronil, Simon and Kif, if brainstorming was as cool that the one that we did, then we gotta try it again sometime. :P

And oh, one more thing...

Cheque's already in the mail, but we can't tell you how much it is! :)

2008 Penang Starwalk to be held on December 14

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:09:00 +0000

This year's Starwalk in Ipoh on June 15

Related news articles:
• The Star - Biggest turnout at Ipoh Starwalk since inaugural event in 2004
• The Star - Penang Starwalk back in December (signup details in that article)

There will be two major stretches in the 10 km walk. First you'll have to go along the highway, pass through a forest on an uphill climb and only then will you reach the finishing point outisde PISA.

Some pointers for folks who are planning to have their first run this year:

• Wear a cap or put on some sunscreen as the morning sun will be usually scorching (no thanks to the lack of trees alongside the highway).

• How you keep yourself hydrated is up to you but I recommend you bring along a small bottle (500 ml) of water at least. Big guzzlers need 1.5 litres but running and carrying that will be a bit troublesome.

• Signing up for the competitive category (RM12) is better than the non-competitive one (RM8). There's no difference in the route but at least you'll receive a nice certificate for your effort.

• Keep your registration receipt stub safe with you and make sure to stick around until the end of the lucky draw ceremony. Last year there were a lot of unclaimed prizes when the numbers were announced. You don't want to lose a chance to win a motorcycle or a flat-screen television, do you?

A Grand Coalition Government for Malaysia?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:05:00 +0000

Well, well... The options are now laid out on the table.

In an interview arranged by The Nut Graph, constitutional lawyer Tommy Thomas proposes this fourth option in charting Malaysia's political future:

The other thing I would like to suggest is, in times of crisis, [perhaps] it is a good time for the formation of a national government. A government of all parties — a grand coalition.

We have the example of the Barisan Nasional (BN). After the events of 13 May, Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak formed the BN in 1974 (by inviting opposition parties like Gerakan, the People's Progressive Party and PAS to join the Alliance; only DAP and Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia refused to join the coalition).

A grand BN-PR coalition government? Hmmm, now that's food for thought.

A By-Election in Singapore as Well?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:01:00 +0000

(Click here for larger pic)
Malaysiakini, Malaysia Today, and The Malaysian Insider tend to be the "trifecta" of recommended reading in order to get an understanding of Malaysia's politics. But when the dust settles, the hype dies down and you're a bit tired of reading about the same old issues again and again (like Anwar and his by-election), it's time to look elsewhere.

My focus then went southward towards Singapore (it's been damn long since I wrote a SG-related blog post) and I came across this news which went under my radar for a month or so:

From Littlespeck.com:

The unfortunate demise of Bukit Batok’s MP Dr. Ong Chit Chung has thrown up opportunities for both the PAP and the opposition parties in Singapore, especially for J.B. Jeyaretnam's newly formed Reform Party.

...

If a by-election is held and the PAP receives a strong majority of votes, it will be a strong testimonial of the party’s infallability even in times of economic uncertainty. This will certainly help boost the ruling party’s image as one that is strong regardless of economic conditions.

If a by-election is held, and in the unfortunate event that the seat is lost to an opposition candidate, there can be a silver lining in the cloud - the party will then understand that, perhaps, some of its policies in recent times have lost touch with the electorate.

Previous post: Singapore's J.B. Jeyaretnam To Register New Political Party On Friday

From 1988 to 2001, the late Dr. Ong served in the Bukit Batok constituency for two terms. From 2001 onwards, he was a part of the 5-member Jurong GRC (Group Representation Constituency).

In Singapore's law, there are no requirements that a by-election will be called in the event of the resignation/death of a GRC member, and past examples (like in 1999) indicate that the GRC team will take over his/her duties. So far the rather autocratic PAP government in Singapore has no plans for a by-election, but in case they change their mind, here are the stats of previous Jurong GRC elections:

2001:
Total voters - 115,113
Voter turnout - 109,198 (94.9%)
Spoilt votes - 2,945 (2.7%)
Winner's vote majority - 63,231 (59.6%)

PAP - 84,472 votes (79.75%)
• Halimah Bte Yacob
• Lim Boon Heng
• Ong Chit Chung
• Tharman Shanmugaatnam
• Yu-Foo Yee Shoon

SDP - 21,511 votes (20.25%)
• Chee Soon Juan
• Chee Siok Chin
• Ghandi s/o Karuppiah Ambalam
• Mohamed Isa Bin Abdul Aziz
• Yeo Boon Keng Vincent

2006:
Total voters - 116,573
Voter turnout - N/A
Spoilt votes - N/A
Winner's vote majority - N/A

PAP - Walkover
• Grace Fu Hai Yien
• Halimah Bte Yacob
• Lim Boon Heng
• Ong Chit Chung
• Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Opposition - No team fielded
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A

Sources:
• Jurong GRC election results (2001)
• Jurong GRC election results (2006)

Related articles:
• The Straits Times - Jurong GRC MP Ong Chit Chung dies
• The Straits Times - By-election: Pragmatism or Principle?

We're Still Proud of You, Lee Chong Wei

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:37:00 +0000

The Star: Chong Wei offers no excuse after tame loss to Lin Dan

That's the stigma of getting a silver in badminton. The backlash from the public wouldn't be that serious if Lee Chong Wei came back from Beijing with a lesser bronze medal. Why this mentality? Haven't 12 years of both success and failures proved to Malaysians that our sporting teams are an inconsistent lot?

I wrote this in a blog post dated April 14, 2008:

I'm quite hopeful that Malaysia will get at least a medal this time round, but this time not from badminton. Despite coach Rexy Mainaky's efforts, the pairing of Koo Kien Kiat and Tan Boon Heong had a glimmer of an Olympic gold at one point but inconsistency has cost them a lot. No matter how much money the government pumps into the Badminton Association of Malaysia, we are looking at nothing if there's no more fresh talent.

Keep an eye out on our underdogs in the Olympics, expect nothing from the expected, and we might end up with a modest sum of medals in Beijing.

I wrote off Malaysian's badminton chances 4 months ago and I can say I'm glad to be proven wrong.

In the short few days leading up till the final, Chong Wei's achievement gave Malaysians hope that he'll put and end to our Olympic gold medal drought. He fought tooth and nail against South Korea's Lee Hyun-Il in the semis. He was probably nervous, tired and up against a fitter, superior, well-rested and definitely more confident opponent.

Lee Chong Wei, we're proud of you for being Malaysia's first medalist in Beijing. :)

U.S. Warships Spotted off the Coast of Penang!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:42:00 +0000

While taking photos for a little thing called Project Trafford on June 4th, 2008, we saw 2 U.S. Navy warships and a cruise liner off the coast of Fort Cornwallis. It wasn't until a couple of days later till we found out their names and purpose in Penang.

Related articles:
• The Star - US navy ship visits
• The Star - Fruitful outing for 630 navy crew members
• The Star - Tourists soak up the charm of Penang

So ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the USS Cape St. George, a state-of-the-art Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser:

(Click here for larger photo)
This is its escort, the USS Halsey, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer:

(Click here for larger photo)

Now for something different, we spotted this ship right beside the navy vessels. This is the Sun Princess, an Australian luxury cruise liner carrying 2,600 passengers.

(Click here for larger photo)
Here we have the Sun Princess crossing the path of the USS Cape St. George.

(Click here for larger photo)
Pretty amazing vessels, aren't they? :)

Photo credits: Evangel Lim

Penang State Government Gives RM500 to University Students

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:14:00 +0000

From the New Straits Times:

GEORGE TOWN: The state government is offering a one-time financial aid of RM500 to needy students here to cope with the cost of entering a tertiary institution. Political secretary to the Chief Minister, Ng Wei Aik, said in a statement yesterday that students whose parents earn a basic salary of RM2,000 and below could apply for the aid.

"Parents can apply through the Land and District Offices in the Northeast, Southwest, Seberang Perai Utara, Seberang Perai Tengah or Seberang Perai Selatan districts," he said.

The form can also be downloaded from the state government's web portal at http://www.penang.gov.my/.

Ng said each application must be verified by the chairman of the Village and Security Development Committee or the village heads in the respective district offices.

Ng added that the aid was only considered for the current year or session and those who were undergoing pre-university or matriculation courses were not eligible for the aid.

Instead of wading through the website, here's the direct link to page in question. With less than 2 weeks remaining before the July 31st deadline, be quick if you're interested!

Besides the RM500 financial aid, students can also apply for a loan from the state government if they're unable to receive it from PTPTN. According to statistics provided by the site, only 220 applicants were given loans from the state last year, a far cry from the thousands that PTPTN has to deal with every year. Yes the amount is lower (RM4,000-5,000 compared to RM6,500-7,000), but there should be less hassle in the application. Deadline is also July 31st.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia Finally Gets Registration Approval

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:27:00 +0000

From The Malaysian Insider:

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid has approved in principle the registration of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) as a political party.

PSM has two elected lawmakers who won their seats on the Parti Keadilan Rakyat ticket in Election 2008. Dr M. Jayakumar Devaraj was the "giant killer" who ousted Datuk S. Samy Vellu from the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency and Dr Nasir Hashim is the Selangor assemblyman for Kota Damansara.

PSM has waged a 10-year battle to gain recognition as a political party including a law suit still in progress against the government.

The party will now request the Federal Court for an adjournment of the case. The Home Ministry's approval has made PSM's appeal against an earlier court decision to reject its application to be registered as a political party irrelevant. Syed Hamid's intervention in favour of PSM should make the party's new registration a sure thing.

PSM protem secretary-general S. Arutchelvan had on May 28 sought Syed Hamid's support for the party's request for registration.

Syed Hamid responded positively to Arutchlvan's email on June 4 when he said the ministry would allow PSM's registration to proceed.

Today the ministry followed up with a letter asking that PSM put in a new application for political party status.

Ten long years! Congratulations is all I can say to them.

What isn't mentioned in the article is that PSM originally descended from Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia, which then later dropped the word "Sosialis" from its name and later merged with Parti Keadilan Nasional to form Parti Keadilan Rakyat. A splinter group who objected to the merger still keeps the Parti Rakyat Malaysia name but they failed to win a single seat during the recent March 8 election.

Speaking of splinter groups, one of them is the Malaysian Democratic Party which branched off from the Democratic Action Party. MDP ran under the PKR banner and won a parliament seat. At the moment these small parties have a strong base in their own constituencies but as for outside unfortunately not much is known about them. It would be interesting to see how would they grow given the proper political environment.

Related link: Parti Sosialis Malaysia website

I Was Standing Five Feet Away From Anwar Ibrahim!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:03:00 +0000

...until the crowd swarmed towards him and I had to squeeze myself out.

But of course this is nothing compared to this blogger who invited Anwar and Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim to his Dubai house.

Anyways, I'm too tired to blog at the moment. Just wanted to say that the recent Pakatan Rakyat ceramah at the Penang city stadium (beside Lorong Kulit market) was very successful (my estimation is 10,000 people), seeing how everyone turned out just to listen to Anwar Ibrahim speak. He doesn't need any prepared notes nor cues from DJs for the crowd to applause. One thing I feel that sets Pakatan Rakyat politcians from the Barisan Nasional ones is their speeches seem to be more sincere. Their words flow out from their hearts rather than their pockets and most importantly, what they say is relevant to the lives of the ordinary rakyat.

Lim Guan Eng delivered a good speech as well though, even though it was a bit obvious that the heavily accented Hokkien parts of his speech didn't go down well with the Malay-majority crowd. However he managed to turn on the crowd's response when he started speaking in Malay. As usual, Lim Guan Eng is the more down-to-earth guy and I believe his tenure as Penang Chief Minister will truly outlast Koh Tsu Koon. If Anwar manages to become Prime Minister, I say Lim Guan Eng might have a good chance to become his Deputy. :)

Rammstein and Kittens!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:14:00 +0000

What do you get when you cross Rammstein, a Neue Deutsche Harte (New German Hard) band, with some cute and fluffy kittens?

The result is this:

Giggled to death yet? :)

Moby - Dream About Me

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000

In memoriam.

14 June 2007 - 11 July 2007

Malaysiakini: 2,000 Play "Cat and Mouse" With Cops [Video Inside]

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:51:00 +0000

Previous post: And the Fuel Hike Protests Begins! [Updated With Photos]

Barely 3 hours after the protest had started, Malaysiakini has come up with a video report on the event:

Today's fuel hike protest could be a dry run of sorts. The 2,000 strong crowd was most likely testing the response of the police and FRU (as well as the politicians behind them), in anticipation of yet another protest at KLCC on July 12.

How many are they aiming for? One million participants! Next month's protest would rival the Bersih and Hindraf ones last year in size. With enough time and preparation (it's an added advantage that July 12 falls on a Saturday), it would be entirely possible to rally at least 100,000 people in a month's time. It would also be important to see how the federal government would react.

Btw, anyone noticed how the police, government and mass media would stress the "illegal" part of "illegal gathering" in the days before today's protests?

And the Fuel Hike Protests Begins! [Updated With Photos]

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:26:00 +0000

The Malaysian Insider says:

Latest: Protest march in KL
Thousands, their arms linked in a show of unity, are about to start marching from the Kampung Baru mosque towards the Petronas Twin Towers, shouting "Turun harga" (down with prices), "Turun minyak" (down with petrol), "Turun BN" (down with BN). The police have yet to make any move to break up the assembly. The security forces, with shields up, are keeping a close watch.

One agitated protestor was heard shouting for Pak Lah to step down, calling him a "paling penipu" (liar who lies the most).

Malaysiakini estimates the size of the protest crowd to be roughly 1,000. Started just half an hour ago, the protestors had to take a different route to KLCC because of the FRU's (Federal Reserve Unit) intereference.

Update #2 from The Malaysian Insider:

Thousands of protesters, six-car lanes wide and about 100 metres long, are now on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman heading towards the Petronas Twin Towers. The road has been closed to traffic. The police are keeping a close watch of the situation and have yet to make any move to break up the assembly. A police helicopter is also observing the proceedings from the sky.

Malaysiakini now reports that the opposition-led protestors are avoiding any confrontations with the police. Hundreds of people are staging a sit-down protest in front of Sogo departmental store. As usual, it's going to be a game of cat and mouse between the protestors and the police. Malaysiakini now revises the number to 2,000.

This is the original protest route planned:

Update #3 from Malaysiakini:
Police have indicated that no arrests will be made so far, since after marching to PAS' headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut it is believed that the protestors will disperse there.

(Photo above credit to Stanley88 from the Lowyat.net forums.)

(Photo above credit to JS from the Lowyat.net forums. Click here for the larger version.)

(Photo above credit to JS from the Lowyat.net forums. Click here for the larger version.)

Update #4 from The Malaysian Insider:

"The leaders of BN are living off the backs of the rakyat," one protestor was heard shouting. Heavy police presence prevented protesters from proceeding to the KLCC as planned so the back-up end point is now Sogo in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. They are heading back to the PAS office in Jalan Raja Laut. PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar says they are hoping to collect 1 million signatures ahead of the July 5 protest which is to be the biggest in Malaysia. As of today, they have already collected 10,000 signatures. They want the fuel prices to go back to pre-hike level.

At a press conference after the protest march, it was announced that the Pakatan Rakyat roadshow to protest the fuel hike will kick off this Sunday in Penang at the Stadium Bandaraya. All the Pakatan leaders will be there including Anwar Ibrahim.

From The Star:

KUALA LUMPUR: A large group gathered in front of the Kampung Baru mosque after Friday prayers to protest the recent fuel price hike.

The group marched towards the junction of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Dang Wangi in front of the Sogo shopping complex.

They then sat on the road for a few minutes before moving on to the PAS headquarters on Jalan Raja Laut.

A total of 889 police personnel stood watch but did not confront the crowd for fear of provoking unruly behaviour among the demonstrators.

The crowd dispersed at about 3.15pm shortly after reaching the PAS headquarters.

Earlier it was reported that about 2,000 police officers and FRU personnel were deployed near Kampung Baru and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre ahead of the anticipated fuel price hike rally organised by PAS.

[Updates completed.]

Watch Project Trafford In Action In Fort Cornwallis, Penang!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:43:00 +0000

Previous post: Guess Who's In Nuffnang's Project Trafford?

On June 4th, 2008, this Project Trafford member who was in Penang, an outpost hundreds of kilometres away from the core group, executed his game plan on the unsuspecting public. How? By offering free hugs for chips! (We didn't settle for anything less than Mister Potato chips!)

Why free hugs?
A hug can be one of the most comforting things you can give to someone. It can be a sign of friendship or closeness and it just warms up the heart for both the giver and receiver.

Why Fort Cornwallis?
Two hundred years ago the fort was an important outpost for the British Empire. It was a symbol of the Empire’s military strength and it used to house the Royal Artillery troops and Sikh police. Now it's a very popular tourist attraction. If you compare it to modern day Old Trafford, I guess you can consider it to be Manchester United's very own fort!

On June 4th...
Andy the Project Trafford member and two of his accomplices set out to Fort Cornwallis with some colourful markers and some very large pieces of cardboard.

This is one of the more popular spots in Fort Cornwallis as the cannons all face the sea. He stands there, waiting, and sees someone approaching... Ready for a hug? Not yet it seems...

The group then moved onwards into the room where the gunpowder was kept. He stands in front of the antique displays, eagerly waving his cardboard and hoping to catch the attention of visitors.

What's this? Noooooooooo! Andy is now locked inside the cell where prisoners were once held. It’s most likely a sabotage by Mister Potato's rivals, but he doesn't give up!

Luckily a sympathiser to our cause has released us from the cell! Instead of offering free hugs for chips, we switched our tactics and offered free chips for hugs to lure visitors. See the flag of the United Kingdom? That’s home to Old Trafford as well!

Yes! A Mister Potato fan has taken up on our offer! After hugging, we gave him a bag of Mister Potato chips. He may have gotten the chips, but all that matters is we got the pouch!

Our analysis and predictions...
If we repeated this game plan over many days and in various places all over Malaysia, we would soon be able to collect thousands of Mister Potato pouches. What you’ve seen in this post is the effort of a single Nuffnanger only. Imagine Nuffnangers thronging KLCC, Dataran Merdeka and other famous landmarks in Malaysia! Our primary objective was to secure pouches and seals for our eventful journey to Old Trafford, and our secondary objective was to promote Mister Potato chips to the public. And so we consider this a successful mission. :)

Our teammates are Nicole (leader), Chics, Simon, Aronil and Kif. Together as a team, the six of us executed our game plan in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and even Australia! Split into four groups due to circumstance, we were able to pull off our plan in different and unique ways, and just check out our blog posts to see which method tickles your fancy.

Be ruthless in getting pouches and be warm in giving friendly hugs, that’s one way to get yourself to Old Trafford! :D

This Is How PPS Looked Like In 2005

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:34:00 +0000

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!

Way back on August 31, 2005, I just knew that taking a screenshot of Project Petaling Street's new website design might be useful in the future. From then until now, the design is still minimalistic but its purpose remains the same.

Looks like a photo from a school yearbook, correct? (Click on the pic to enlarge it.)

So, about thoughts to the future... Can anyone envision a PPS coded in a Web 2.0 style (like Penang Bloggers or ping.sg), or how about a Web 3.0 version in another five year's time?

Anyways...
Happy Birthday to Project Petaling Street!

The Star: Penang Government To Run Bridge Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:35:00 +0000

What a nice turnaround of events. The Pakatan Rakyat-led Penang state government is planning to take over the bridge marathon this year, thereby saving it from cancellation! You know what? If they can pull it off better than last year's event, this will be another feather in PR's cap. As for Azalina Othman, nobody will believe in her crocodile tears anymore.

From The Star:

GEORGE TOWN: The state government is planning to take over the organisation of the Penang Bridge Marathon this year after the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) cancelled it last month.

State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang said the state had sought permission from the LLM to do it.

"We have yet to fix the date though as we need to liaise with the International Marathon Council. We don't want the run to clash with other events."

LLM director-general Datuk Mohamad Razali Othman had, on May 11, announced that there would not be a run due to financial and manpower constraints.

A week later, Law told reporters yesterday that Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said was disappointed with the cancellation as the marathon had been successful in attracting local and foreign participants in past years.

Previous articles:
• May 12 - 2008 Penang Bridge Marathon Cancelled
• May 13 - Penang Bridge Marathon Cancellation - Satu Lagi Projek BN?

Increase Your Google Adsense CTR With Background Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:04:00 +0000

Dot Com Mogul has come up with a collection of over 300 background pics designed to be used with Google Adsense and also Adbrite ads. Don't worry as these Adsense backgrounds are certified safe to use by Google. These graphics stand out in your website and they're suitable for various popular ad sizes. For only US$5, it's quite a good buy if you want a higher CTR (click through rate) in Adsense. :)

Even I'm thinking of getting them. What do you think of these backgrounds? Interested?

Creation of New Anime Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:52:00 +0000

One's a serious as hell issue that affects the fate of both nation and people, and the other is just a form of (rather addicting) entertainment. There's no way I can continue blogging about both politics and anime in the same breath. I gotta separate both posts into different blogs, which is now I present to you:

Delta's Anime Corner

Please point your addresses to that blog for your future anime updates. :)

PAP's Lee Kuan Yew and SDP's Chee Soon Juan Face Off In Court

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:20:00 +0000

It looks like the unflattering side of Singaporean Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was revealed to the world in a transcript published on Singapore Democratic Party's website on Sunday. As we know, men are not infallible and neither should Lee Kuan Yew be casted into the limelight in the likes of Joseph Stalin and Kim Jong Il. But if the Minister Mentor (what a snazzy title, Mahathir should've gotten it!) wants to be associated with maniacs and dictators, that's his choice but why drag the rest of Singapore with you?

Click here to read a portion of the court transcript.

Unfortunately Chee's efforts in court came with a high price: 12 days in jail for Chee under the charge of "contempt of court" while his sister is sentenced to 10 days in jail. There's no need to "reward" him, Singapore's judicial system has the capacity to fully self-destruct.

The only person in Malaysia who can come close to what Chee Soon Juan has done is most likely Tian Chua. Both have shown themselves to be both vocal and physical activists against their respective goverments, and both have absorbed a great deal of punishments. While Tian Chua has the support of his fellow PKR and Pakatan Rakyat MPs and assemblymen, the political situation in Singapore is not favourable to Chee and his sister right now.

To the PAP, just keep on with your authoritarian style and get ready to receive a bloody nose from your electorates in 2011. PAP's share of the popular votes is on a downward trend from 75.3%* in 2001 to just 66.6%* in the latest general election in 2006. Based on my predictions (ceteris paribus and no walkovers) and realistically speaking, PAP's share in the next general election might drop until 54% and opposition lawmakers might take at least 1 Group Representation Constituency (probably Aljunied GRC) worth 5 parliamentary seats and 10 other Single Member Constituencies (SMC). Next time would be the time that the opposition gets it right, most people would feel that way.

* Data source: Singapore-Elections.com - 2001 and 2006