KEYNOTE ADDRESS TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

By Howl Pillai

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, my fellow academicians. Good Morning !

It is indeed an honour to address this august gathering of the most learned minds of the land. On first being informed of this singular honour of delivering the keynote address, “Unity Among Great Apes”, I was overwhelmed by the temptation to whoop with joy and  dance on my knuckles. But I resisted this natural inclination with all the will I could muster. That temptation is but a mere fragment now but a fragment nevertheless - for I cannot entirely set aside the DNA of my forefathers. I am, in case you have not noticed, an ‘orang utan’ . The more observant of you will  have noticed the disproportionate length of my arms though I am wearing a full formal suit. You may have also been struck by my deeply  resonating  voice. And of course, the shave I had this morning took care of my facial hair. On this matter of facial hair, I note in passing that many of you here today have returned to the fashion of our common ancestor by retaining full length beards. My father was found of grunting, “different folks, different strokes” and I admit on this point that on account of my opposing big toe,  I find wearing shoes painful  but I will not make a fuss over that. All said, we  have to learn to live together, whatever our genetic differences. Now I must  return to the story of my incredible journey.........

About a hundred years ago a great ape and a gorilla called Red Peter was shot and captured alive in Africa. Red Peter is held in honour among us for being a true revolutionary. No, not for him the idea of merely being a rebel espousing many causes. He was single minded following his capture, of liberating himself from the bondage of ignorance. Imprisoned in a research station on an island off the coast this captive great ape studied the dominant and domineering ways of a fellow  great ape, Man. By degrees and in turn  these other great apes, all learned like yourselves, were captivated by Red Peter’s  grace, intelligence, humanitarian spirit and studious attitude. Franz Kafka, in a short account of these events, paints a delightful picture of the learning abilities and perseverance displayed by my relative. It took awhile for news of these epochal events to reach Red Peter’s relatives out here in the East. But when it did, it had a terrific impact on all of us. In our folklore he is referred to as “Peter Merah”. Well, he showed us the way and today I stand before you as a proud fellow great ape. So let me briefly speak of our similarities.....

We orang utans are the only exclusively Asian genus of the great apes. So we are more ‘truly Asian’ than you! Like you, we too have an opposing thumb. Uniquely, and only with you humans and not the other great apes, we orang utans  share similar dental structures, thick enamel, a thick posterior palate, a single incisive foramen, high estriol production, a beard and a moustache! For purposes of assimilation and integration,  what more can you ask of us! But wait, there is more...... on the social side, your love of hand phones is matched by our penchant for making long distance calls over vast jungle distances. We too like to wander and enjoy our solitary moments by traveling and ‘being one with nature’. Like you, we like the high lifestyle but of course our tree nests are no match for your condos in creature comforts.  We are susceptible like you to ‘you scratch my back and I scratch yours’, sexual favours and calculated reciprocity involving exchange of gifts and favours but not amounting to graft and outright commissions that you humans are so found of. We remain incorruptible! Notice that these days we are never caught by humans using the old ‘hand in the coconut’ trick.  On the other hand it must be said that we orang utans have noticed an  increasing numbers of our fellow truly Asians  being caught with their hands in the till! Like you we too groom ourselves and on the right social occasions  get all puffed up but I have digressed. One last comment on the sexes: like you humans, female orang utans are the sex that leaves the group at maturity. Many of you mistake that for promiscuity. Anyways all this shows that learning to be a human great ape  is not really that  difficult. And it all began with the fall......

At age two, the tree I was happily perched on was felled by a chainsaw of an illegal logger . As in your nursery rhyme, “down came baby, cradle and all”.  Mum fled in abject fear. This was the second time her cradle was chainsawed. Was taken 40 miles downriver to a village, treated for a fractured right arm and adopted by a childless old couple who had never given up longing for a great ape baby on account of which they named me Providence!  Primary school followed. Utter confusion reigned here ! First one great ape language and before I could master that a second was introduced. And then one subject was taught in one language and another subject in another. My adoptive parents were in despair. They even considered releasing me back to the jungle. But Mum was kindness personified and all perseverance. She tutored me at home. I complained of school and my fellow little apes. I am not a racist now nor then, but these other kids were monkeys ! And the teaching staff never gave up asking me what type of great ape I was and where I came from.  Soon the kids picked up from where the teachers left of. In defence I said that like Peter Merah, we were all Africans ! Years later I found out that I was indeed right in saying that .There was never enough play time and all of us were ‘fatties’ if not obese. None of us were good at climbing trees. Secondary school was little different but I found it surprisingly easy  to pass the school exams. Dad said I was getting cleverer. And I found a new method of learning and keeping up with the rest. I just aped the cleverer ones! Strangely, my teachers called it ‘copying and plagiarism’.  But I noticed and am honest enough to say it now, no one was failing any exam any more. We had all gotten cleverer together.

Then came  the time of learning about national slogans. Every few years the slogans changed. We wrote essays on the meaning of these slogans. Then came the shock. Soon I figured out that these slogans meant different things to the different human great ape races. Once I asked  mum what “1 Malaysia” was all about. She said I must learn to read the small print attached to the slogan.  It read :”Terms and Conditions Apply to Others. Discussions  Not Included”.  She said I will understand these things when I become an adult and can fend for myself. Then came the next shock. Some of us were abruptly told to fend for ourselves with immediate effect. We had to work or continue our education  using our own resources. I was one of them. My human great ape parents were heart broken. They were also faulted  for not giving me a religious upbringing and I was penalised for being born an orang utan.  I then  realised that religion answered  the million dollar question about who made apes and how we were to thank the maker for making us great apes great. The different great ape races have always quarreled over the name of this maker and often killed each other by the millions over this. My parents kept the simple faith that all apes great and small are brothers and sisters  but that was not good enough. Anyways all that is a long time ago.  We have made much progress in our understanding  of the great apes since then.

Today’s keynote address, “ Unity Among Great Apes” is therefore very relevant especially to our youth but I must end on a note of caution. There is a 99% or more match between our genomes. But the seemingly minor 1% difference at the gene level gives rise to all the difference so evident in our Parliament. This 1% difference accounts for all the racial and religious hatred and bloodletting through the centuries. Witness this very day the level of anger over the matter of whether male great apes should give flowers to the opposite sex at a certain time of the year. As a great ape I find this belittling for we seemingly  remain trapped in the harmful delusion that great apes are special instruments of the Divine Will. God In Heaven ! We must move on and stop aping our past !

Thank You.

Tee Keat come down from the fence at once!!!!

Image via Wikipedia

Ong Tee Keat can't expect to sit on the fence and expect too much respect for that, his popularity will wane and he will be the cause of his own downfall.

When his good friend Dr. Chua Jui Meng left the MCA for PKR he had nothing but good words, in fact he did say he understood why Chua had to leave.

Ong Tee Keat  has branded himself as a man with integrity, he took on the Port Klang Free Trade Zone scandal  by the horns much to the annoyance of Najib and other MCA top brass both present and past, and with his departure from the MCA presidency the issue has cooled down, in fact it is in deep freeze.

It is said that the "third force" that worked against him during the last MCA elections  were  people who had an interest in one way or another with the PKFZ scandal.

I have met MCA members who attend General Assemblies, they were annoyed with Ong Tee Keat for exposing the scandal, one of them told me he can't do this, if he want's to he should do it behind closed doors. Transparency I guess is a bard word and practice in the MCA.

The majority of the Chinese do not belong to the MCA, only some opportunistic people do and they'll do anything to wrest power. Previous MCA elections for presidents have stood testimony to this, and almost all MCA Presidents as do the other BN heads inevitably become big millionaires if not billionaires, there certainly must be lot to fight for.

As a strategist, I take off my hat to Dr. Chua Soi Lek, he managed to be caught on video committing a sexual act which is deemed a crime in accordance with our laws, admitted that it was indeed him in that video and  resigned from his position as MCA president and managed to avoid  avoided prosecution, the law went blind.

An UMNO Deputy President was sacked from his position as Deputy Prime Minister and charged in court and jailed without sufficient evidence and is again being hounded by this government on similar charges, and yet although he vehemently denies all the charges, has been dragged to court and his case has drawn the interest of the international community.

What an UMNO Deputy president, a former Deputy Prime Minster and the heir apparent, could not do, an MCA President could, no charges were made against those who filmed him in action either, he was the Minsiter of health,  that was a huge national security risk as he was a senior member of the cabinet. One can imagine what would have happened if the maker of the film belonged to a terrorist organisation, or even a huge Pharmaceutical giant, or was interested in the goings of the cabinet, or even if the film fell on their hands first.

(That could be the reason why Mahathir is telling us he tried to abolish the ISA, people who did nothing were caught and locked up as National Security risks under the ISA, some were even locked up under the ISA for what one stupid fellow told us was for their own safety.)

He, Chua Soi Lek,  is back today as President of the MCA, yes the MCA please take note, my hats off to this chap, not only is he president, his son is now an Member of Parliament how do you like that?

He has been rewarded, that is BN justice. A strange case of, "loser take it all, " probably the first in the world.

Back to Ong Tee Keat, he has to take a stand, the people still respect him but he can't expect to stand on the and MCA ticket now that we all know what it is worth.

History has taught us that the predicament of the non Malays in this country is mainly because of the MCA, we can't equate the MIC with it although they are just as guilty, the MCA has so many seats in Parliament when compared to the MIC and their jobhas been to sit in Government and rubber stamp UMNO policies. When they don't they'll get wiped out, erased, like taking the pencileraser and erasing out what you have written on paper.

Tee Keat is one such case, there were many more before him, so now one wonders if he is actually waiting for a big BN golden handshake to go out gleefully and leave the rakyat sucking thumb.

Tee Keat you have to show your intentions, don't play this cat and mouse game, you can't sit on the fence and expect us to say you are a good guy, stop playing games come down from that fence at once and tell us where you belong, it does not really matter.

Being a Chinese I'll take your word for it,  although I am not a Chinese, but it is the Chinese who have a saying, "A gentleman's promise is stronger then ten wild horses." How strong is yours?

As the rakyat we need to know, since it is us who we  may vote for,  are you a gentleman? I really think you are, but you have to take that stand for us to be sure,since right now you are in MCA, and as a result in the BN.

So Ong Tee Keat get down from that fence at once, no more fooling around.

A MALAYSIAN CHRISTMAS STORY

 I tried keeping this for Christmas, but every-time I read it I felt the urge to publish it, my friend Howl thought it was good but not all that good, I feel it is a classic only we will understand it and see it as an equal to  Ebenezer Scrooge, not Wolfgang but..........................read on

by Howl Pillay

Christmas eve, 2010 . Birds  sang lustily in the breaking dawn as I showered.  Each male gave its all taking turns at mellifluous composition to ward off any would-be rival. Through the open bathroom window the sun was a shiny gigantic orange button amidst clouds streaked a majestic purple. The  air felt unusually crisp. Due no doubt to an early overnight downpour. Christmas jingles rang in my ears as I drove towards my distribution center. Business too was good. Orders had picked up markedly. Specially put together gift packages and hampers of all shapes and scents had been delivered steadily to shopping complexes all across the country the past  days and weeks. And today was a crucial day for  dealing with last minute rush orders. All of us at the workplace were busy but happy ! We had been working around the clock the past weeks. We were stressed out, stretched and squeezed. Yet we had kept our shape as a  team. Our well-oiled service machinery hummed along without a discordant squeak.  Everyone of us in this 10 year old “1Malaysia” team of 2 Chinese, 3 Indians and 15 Malays had over the years always given our very best . The kind of best that will surely  warm the cockles of any ‘laupan’s heart. But in truth, this year more than any other we were pushed to the very limits of our endurance. Especially old man me !

Now pushing 60 I was still at it. Working with the ‘boys and gals’! Making special deliveries is my forte. Load up  the booth and the back seat of my car and I will drive through the fast thickening traffic soup of the morning,find parking in jam packed basements, negotiate my way around silly traffic snarls for which there seemed no justifiable reason other than kay-poh-chi-ing, skipping lunch and dashing up two flights of steps with outstretched arms hugging a large carton or two with folded invoices and delivery notes gripped between my lips. “All hands to the pump”, I had always urged my team since the time  we were a start-up.  And it still feels good! Christmas and end of year season was the best time to share and show ‘feel good’. But age was catching up with me. The 12 kilo carton seemed unusually heavy this year. Perhaps I wasn’t eating well enough. Yet I was determined to give my best. So here I was at the shop floor  on Christmas eve taking stock of the situation. Running through checklists, verifying reports, following up on special  requests and supervising the last deliveries. And when all this was well in hand I could shop for a  gift for my nephew’s  Christmas eve dinner  bash. Or so I thought. And then as if on cue, my hand phone rings.  Is it the dreaded ‘one more special request call......’?

No ! It is Wolfgang. My  old German friend.  A neighbour 4km removed. Met him at a pet shop some 15 years ago. A musician by profession. A  drummer actually. Believe  me, he has a very  comprehensive jazz music collection. And all properly categorised and catalogued. A true German in this regard.  “My friend. How are you ? And the kids ? And your business ?”  He had a certain old world charm in his approach leading up to a favour but he needed an opening. I provided him one.  “And how about you “, I asked. And that was all he needed. Poor man ! Since we last met he had lost the sight of an eye, he explained. His diabetes had turned dreadful. “ And my biggest problem now is that I have overstayed my  visa by three weeks. Can you please drive me to Putrajaya and sort this mess out ? I will be ever so grateful. I don’t want to go through Christmas without having this sorted out “. I think it is my karma. I attract people in trouble like a magnet attracts iron filings.Oh what the heck ! A seventy year old man in a foreign land and tomorrow,  Christmas! I just had to help. I felt an overwhelming sense of empathy.....what if it was me in Germany without a German in sight to help me....?

“Be ready in 30 minutes. I’ll pick you up from your house. If we rush it we may just make it “, I said. And then the adrenaline kicks in. The alternative arrangements. The ‘cut to the bone’ quick fire instructions. A coffee to perk up and I was on the road  with Wolfgang. Then the superficial grandeur of Putrajaya. All thoroughfares and avenues and not a road in sight ! A city all made up to show off. Pyongyangist grandeur in a tropical setting minus the goose steps. Not a single underground car park ( why spend money on something you can’t show off ? ). And nothing resembling public transportation. Cars parked and double parked along curbs. Open spaces  and parking lots had become Friday bazaars. Everything on the surface and out in the open to presumably make a statement but what is it ? Even the man hole covers looked like they were expensively engraved if not embossed with markings meant to last a thousand years. It gave me the distinct impression that things can be above ground and yet not be above board. Pyongyang jaya- an administrative capital to feed the ego and excesses of one man. Then the long wait at the immigration office topped off by the long Friday prayer break. The very helpful official because Wolfgang was an honoured guest of the Malaysian Government ! His visa was issued to him under a special program called ‘Malaysia My Second Home’. “MM2H  for short la “, said the lady officer ever so sweetly. “Previously it was called ‘The Silver Hair Program’ “, she said still smiling sweetly. Yet more forms to be filled to explain the overstay and we were told to come back in an hour. And then it was all over ! Wolfgang could treat my country as his second home until 2018. His relief was palpable and he hugged me saying, “ My friend, you have given me the best Christmas present !”

On the drive back, in typically German fashion and ever a credit to his nation, Wolfgang slowly filled me in on the details of MM2H. It was an international residency scheme. Long stay visa for 10 years with further renewals under certain ‘not so strict’ conditions. He could enter and leave the country on a largely unrestricted basis. The program is open to all citizens recognised by Malaysia irregardless of race, religion,gender and age. You could bring along your spouse and unmarried children below 21 years of age. All you need is place a fixed deposit of RM100,000 in a local bank or show proof of an off-shore government pension or equivalent of RM 10,000 per month. He could purchase a home worth RM250,000 anywhere in the country. He is eligible to bring in a personal car or purchase a locally assembled one without the need to pay import duty, excise duty  and sales tax. He can apply for the services of a maid. He can apply for an ID card to allow him to pass through immigration checkpoints into Malaysia as residents rather than as foreign nationals. His pension fund remitted into our country is tax exempt. He can own and actively run a business. As he is above 50 he can work part time. He can import personal and household items tax exempt. He has and is allowed to invest in local companies, the share market and unit trusts. Even his FD is tax exempt. And all his initial application documents can be submitted in English. The only restrictions are that he not participate in sensitive activities that can offend the locals. Of course he is not allowed the vote. “ My friend, your country has been very ,very kind to me. I have forgotten all about my first home “.

Later that night I shared  this  story at  my nephew’s bash. His mother is an Iban Christian out of Kuching and his father, my widely read eldest brother. I paused when the clock struck the mid-night hour and completed telling it all into the first few minutes of Christmas. A hushed silence fell upon our table. And then my eldest brother, going on 70, a retired major in the Armed Forces, more than tipsy now, stood up, hard pressed to maintain a ramrod posture, raised his glass and said defiantly : “Merry Christmas everyone ! I fought the commies in the jungles. I can still stand tall if not straight anymore. Over my dead body if anyone thinks I will accept Malaysia as my second home. That is for your German and other pendatangs. And I must quote a poet I don’t remember :” And how can man die better / Than facing fearful odds / For the ashes of his father / And the temple of his gods ?”

This Christmas, the gift I will treasure most is the defiant realisation that as a citizen I belong to the program called “ Malaysia My Only Home “. Nothing less and nothing more. Like everyone else.

Mahathir set to move his son on the fast lane

After  having successfully sidelined the UMNO youth president Khairy Jamaluddin for his son who lost the battle for the UMNO youth position Mahathir Mohammed is now setting up the stage  to get his son Mukhriz bin Mahathir  to post via the fast lane.

His call for an eight year term  for Najib is clearly the biggest indication of his intentions, and Mahathir is set on this plan. History is about to repeat itself and unless checked Mukhriz will become PM at the end of that term, with Hishamuddin serving a short term in the interim and that too, maybe.

He now gives excuses about the happenings during his tenure, he has said he spoke to opposition leaders when in fact he spoke to only one, and that too an agent of UMNO who was a DAP leader. 

He now says he wanted to scrap the ISA, but the police refused to allow him to do so, what crap. Is he telling us that during his tenure the police were the law makers? If that was the case then they were law breakers and he is one too. he is trying his best to look good, he  wants people to think he is a saint.

Mahathir is the man who removed Hishamuddin's father out of office with the greatest of  ease, he just cleaned up his office when the man had gone to England for medical treatment after a heart attack, and as a doctor deprived Hussein Onn the privilege of  the advanced medical treatment, the type  he received after his major attack. Hussein Onn died so soon after his first attack, Mahathir continues to live and plague our society by availing himself to the best medical care available, we do not need this pest.

He will now formulate his strategy to remove Muhyuddin as soon as possible and set his son up for a higher position.

I can see him make the first move at the next UMNO General Assembly, he has removed both Toyo, and Khairy and feels it will be smooth sail for his son, Mukhriz bin Mahathir.

Mukhriz bin Mahathir  will turn into a firebrand the type required to stir UMNO sentiment, he will bring in his own brand of Ketuanan Melayu, perkasa will be the tool to assist him in that direction, Mahathir will ensure that Najib removes Muhyuddin before then and Mukhriz will then go for the Deputy Presidency with his new found fame amongst the UMNOPUTERAS.

Money will be no problem in the campaigns, UMNO elections has always been about money,  he has the cronies to support his cause and Mukhriz has nothing to worry about that,  moreover his other brothers  have their fair share of wealth which they earned through the benevolence of their father when was in office.

Winning UMNO elections by hook or by crook, more by crook will be no problem for Mukhriz, he  has only to ask his father who is master at that game, we all know, they may even resort to a "Baru UMNO Baru" in the process.

If things get too bad then those who oppose Mukhriz bin Mahathir's father's plans, will be charged with Sodomy, to effectively carry it out Police personnel will be given promotions, and will be retained even after retirement, and after the whole episode he'll blame the Police.

I shall not talk about the Judiciary,I shall allow you to draw your conclusions of what might or might not happen.

He should be the last person to talk about the term of the PM, if he had done what he preaches now, Musa would have been PM followed Anwar  and Malaysia be a better  better country.

Interlok - A lesson for the Malaysian Indians

Image via Wikipedia

The Malaysian Indians think they have found a new way getting what they want from the government, but alas UMNO seems to know how to trick this bunch like they have been doing since the British Raj left us in 1957.

Its just a matter of getting another Indian to do the job for them, it has paid dividends  handsomely to UMNO  in the past and it will continue to do so in the future if they continue to dance according to the BN music., orchestrated by BN's running dog the  MIC, and now probably the HRP as well.

Nothing, yes nothing worth getting will come easy, and the Indians have to realise this, they  will have to struggle and only after a good struggle will they get it.

Not that the Malaysian Indian has not struggled but that he has been deprived and robbed of the fruits of his struggles, robbed by his own kind under the direction of UMNO.

The BN has made them believe all this time that they care for the Indians, and the Indians believed them because there was the MIC telling them that story, and they bought it, and  today they have realised that all these assurances  were nothing but empty promises, this cumulative loss of   54 years cannot be gained back in a single electoral term, it takes time, "Rome was not built in a day" it took a little longer. The Indians must know this, this is a message that must reach every Indian.

The NLFCS, MAICA, Telecom shares and  a lot more will testify to this, other then a monumental building in the heart of the City which an Indian plantation worker can only  point to if he has the means to get there, one wonders what more  he as achieved for all the money he has placed in that cooperative, after all those long years what were the returns the Indian investors got  for their  investments  in all these organisations, and what happened to the Telecom Shares and the  Metrod shares, all these have been conveniently swept under the carpet.

There is so much that the Indian workers are deprived of they were once rightfully referred to as." the Orphan Children of Asia," specifically the Indians of Malaysia. They are literally dumped in a scrap heap, when it comes to allocations and privileges, but Indians are great survivors and they will battle on but must be given the right guidance, and I hope history has taught them that this cannot come from narrow minded people who try and steer them down the racial path, that is one street they will never gain anything from.

Each time  the Indians get out of this scrap heap it is easy to get them back into it, all the BN does  is to  use the scrap heap dog in the BN and believe me the dogs are very efficient in doing so, they have been doing it all these years.

At the last elections the Indians led by HINDRAF voted against the government, they were abused, kicked, had chemically laced water sprayed on them, beaten with batons, charged with murder, and even jailed under the ISA, for attempting a peaceful march to the British High Commission to hand over a petition, the police took offense or rather UMNO took offense, its quite difficult to say who because they'll blame each other.

This outrages and barbaric treatment of the Indians so close to the General Elections, saw the Indians vote against the government, the BN lost its famous two thirds majority and  for the first time since independence  the Indians played a massive part in that campaign, whilst the BN chief at that time Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was asleep.

Then came came Badawi's ouster and Najib became top dog ,  he devised new plans, he got the scrap yard dog to send his pups to the Indians, knowing only too well that the Indians would throw stones on the scrap yard dog, they had identified him, and thye knew he was useless to their cause he was a menace, so he was constantly driven out. 

The strategy was not to do anything for the Indians, but to identify and appoint new scrapyard dogs from the Indians, those who wield considerable influence in  the new groups,   these new scrap yard dogs,  were assigned  find fault with the opposition, demand the impossible from them, and when they could  not meet those demands, discredit them within the community,  then they began blackmailing them, with threats to stop voting for them, demanding  seat allocations for themselves, just to disrupt this unity that had taken place amongst peoples in Malaysia, and Najib did do a good job of it, he seems to be succeeding.

With all this happening the Indians are left rudderless again, and that is because they choose like Muhyuddin the DPM to be Indian first and Malaysian last.

The  Hindu Rights Party was formed with the tacit support of Najib, and they claim it is multiracial, that is the wonder of Najib - a party made up of a 100 percent Indians is now a multiracial party, he managed that, they supported him in Kerling,and defeated the opposition.

The HRP was founded by the leadership of the HINDRAF, a clear indication that this group's actions in mustering Indian support was to find a way to oust Samy Veloo and replace the MIC with HRP.  Samy Veloo's term was coming to an end there was no way anyone but his own anointed successor would take over from him, that was Samy's control of the party, he had absolute control as MIC President and throughout his tenure as president he brooked no opposition, any attempt from anybody outside his circle had to be be done from the outside and HINDRAF was the answer to fill in the vacuum that would be left by Samy, they almost suceeded but alas there is a MIC president now.

HINDRAF first approached Badawi, but he turned a blind eye, he refused to listen to them, he ignored them, they went to him with the problems of the community, and in typical Badawi fashion he just let them go on and say what they wanted, then they came out with this plan of asking the British to compensate every Indian in the country, they decided to March to the British High Commission and present the petition, and Badawi decided to show his muscle, the reuslt is well documented.

Today as a result HINDRAF has Indian supporters, but do not blame them, the ignorance of the Indian voter is something the Barisan thrives on, it stems from the Tamil schools that were set up by the British to propagate Indian  Estate labour , so the standards were made hopelessly low, the classrooms terribly ill equipped and children were placed in environments where it  was almost impossible  to learn.

It suited UMNO's purpose no need for a big allocation of University places for the Indians,  those not successful will go to India, if they are girls they'll get married there and probably not come back it was a well hatched plan.

In the early seventies when I worked a for a short while in Bukit Cheraka Estate in Jeram Selangor, the school was just beside our office and there were only two classrooms to cater for the entire school in that division called Bukit Janda and the estate workers Letchumy Thotam, so you'd get children from all different classes in one classroom with one teacher in each class, those children will be anywhere between 46 and 51 years old today, and I can imagine the mindset, so how can you blame them.

These people are easily maneuverable, and you have to be able to play on their emotions to win them over, to do that you must know the language and how to speak it, so they understand you and buy what you have to say, and that will explain why so many opportunists in that community jump the bandwagon to fleece and live on the misery of their own kind.

I had mentioned in an earlier posting, that never in the history of this country have  so many Malaysians of Indian origin been voted into Parliament and State Assemblies, they did not win these positions on racially based parties like the HRP or the MIC they won it on multiracial parties like the PKR and the DAP, and were given these seats on merit not because they are Indians,  and yet now they have formed the HRP with the blessing of the government of course, and why not, because that is what this UMNO led BN government wants, and there is no decent Indian to take this matter up with his own community, other then for his own personal benefit.

The latest person to come out with a emphatic plea on the Interlok case is Bishop Tan, he does not represent Indians, he is no Indian either, and the Malaysian Indians must realise that their  interest will  not be served by racially based parties, but they do not have the capacity to understand this, the only way is for the Indian elite, more so the Tamil elite to go out there and keep the  community informed and educated of the real issues that plague them..

The Interlok case is here, it hurts this society terribly, so it has been said, it will make a mockery of the Inidans in the country that is what we are led to believe, is it really the case or is it a political gimmick by some Inidan politicians, we really do not know, because the issues have not been really transparent and that is exactly how politics is played in this country.

Some quarters in the Indian community feel that it has been created so that the Indians can be ridiculed and looked down upon by the contents of this book, and the only way out of it maybe is for the Indian is  to become a Malay, that is what they call it, "masuk Melayu,"  is to become a Malay, like so many Indians have. To become a Malay you have to first become a Muslim, speak the Malay language and adopt Malay customs as easy as that then say, "saya melayu" or at least your children get classified as Malay, sounds really easy.

Is that  the real threat facing the Malaysian Indian today with Interlok?

Who is there to support them when all their leaders are worried about right now,  are seats and as history has shown us they'll sell all that for their own personal gains.

The PR has been asked to allocate 30 seats to HINDRAF for their support, probably the BN will enter a bargain with them for it and buy Indian rights in the process, or this demand could  have been mooted by the BN's agents within the HINDRAF they could be in league with the BN to drive a wedge between the Indian community and the opposition and from the looks of it the BN seems to be doing a good job of it.

The latest I have been told is there is a demand for  Professor Ramasamy to hand over Batu Kawan to HINDRAF.

Interlok's   introduction  into the form five literature syllabus, the demolition of temples prior to the last elections, the continued  deaths of Indian youth in Police custody, with all these  what has the Indian community achieved from the likes of the MIC, HINDRAF and HRP.

The hope of the Malaysian Indian community and for that all Malaysians lie in  Malaysian consciousness, to be Malaysian first and Indian, Chinese or Malay second.

The man behind the introduction of  this book into schools is the deputy PM of Malaysia, he has openly declared he is Malay first, so can he look at this issue objectively? I think not, his Malayness will cloud this issue, his priorities are different, the author is Malay too, it is not seen to be right.

Is this what the Indians or  rather the Tamils want?

The only answer to this is with   the Tamil elite and other Malaysians proficient in Tamil , there are many of them around good meaning professionals who should  get involved to educate the community. Join the ranks of the opposition, not for the sake of seats,  but to work with the parties to make Malaysia a better place for all of us and bring the realisation to the Indians that they  have  to dance to a different music, be more Malaysian and less Indian, so that we will be able to realise the dream of  Wan Azizah - the Ketuanan Rakyat.

Oh I See (OIC) it may not be confined to the Middle East alone

OIC map  via Wikipedia

The successful Tunisian Revolution has now been overshadowed by the Egyptian Revolution, and people tend to  have forgotten Tunisia.

Tunisia was the the ingredient Egypt required for it to revolt, and revolt it did to the delight of Iran, Syria, Libya and other hard line Arab states. The revolution took the world by storm and the people got exactly what they wanted Mubarak ousted.

The Tunisians did, it the Egyptians followed and they done it too, so now its an Oh I see issue, it seems to be the wake up call for almost all the OIC countries, not Oh I see but Organsiation of Islamic Conference . and we are one amongst them, not forgetting those who took delight in the Egyptian revolution, Iran, Syria, Algeria and Libya. Iran is learning that it was not such a delight after all.


Are there issues in Malaysia why we the rakyat should be sick and tired of this UMNO led BN regime?

Currently and running right now in front of our eyes is the Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy case, and how it takes a new turn almost everyday. How this became one of the first and probably the very first case where the defense was shut out of  the "facts" of the  of the case by prosecution and the judiciary.

There is the issue of Syabas the private water contractor for Selangor, and the Federal government's refusal to attend to the problem that is causing unnecessary hardship to the rakyat.

There is "Interlok", the book to be used as literature text for our form five children even though the Indian community has vehemently  objected to the referrals to Indians in the book. This issue is politics nothing but politics, it is a showcase for UMNO to demonstrate to its members that   the concept of  "ketuanan Melayu" lives on.

Corruption in government, where every child of a high ranking politician, and in other cases brothers, sisters, brother's in law etc. turn out to become millionaires,a s though these politicians have a magic wand once they assume office.

The propagation of dynastic rule in Malaysia, where Mukhriz and Hishamuddin are well placed to succeed later. We have all seen the blatant way in which Mahathir Mohammed managed to elevate his son even though he was discarded by the UMNO delegates who voted Khairy Jamluddin in as youth president

The  undermining of the ballot box as seen in  the Perak State Assembly.

The increase in prices of food and other essential items, including petrol, whilst the government proudly announces that Petronas has found huge reserves of oil off Sarawak, and even larger deposits of LPG.
" Petronas said on Monday it has discovered new oil and gas fields through the drilling of NC3 and Spaoh-1 wells..."

Petronas earning which are kept secret even from Parliament, and what has happened to the millions of Petronas, has it been used to enrich the Children of  ministers, and even bail them out after the 1997 crisis?
Our oil is not the oil used in our motor vehicles, we import that oil as the oil explored and obtained from our shores are of a higher quality and are sold at a premium price to other countries. There is a net gain in this dealings of buying and selling and Petronas is  entrusted to handle it, and the benefits are supposed to be shared with all Malaysians so what has happened to it?

And now to add insult to injury the subtle introduction of GST that is a burden to the rakyat that is already being squeezed by the rising prices of essential goods, are these reason enough to take to the streets?

Yes with these subtly planned arrogant moves that the BN uses to insult the people as in the Interlock case, and insult their intelligence by way of enriching themselves, the AP's that drive prices of our cars sky high, and where the benefits of the NEP were shared by only a few at the top, there seems to be enough to make the rakyat want to take affirmative action, and with the mood of the moment it may just happen,

Now you see whilst the middle east and North Africa erupts, those eruptions  may not be confined only to the Arab world or Africa , it could hit our shores where our students who return from these countries would have benefited from the  experience in Egypt and other Organisation of Islamic Conference countries.

Related articles

• Malaysia's Petronas finds new energy fields offshore Sarawak (reuters.com)

Ahmadinejad: "It is your right to be free. It is your right to exercise your will and sovereignty"

Karroubi via Wikipedia

Whilst the Tehran  Times carried an article by Chandra Muzaffar glorifying the Egyptian Revolution, titled The Egyptian revolution: The triumph of human dignity, and other news in relation to events in Egypt the paper remained silent about the protests taking place in Iran.

Addressing the Egyptian people, Iranian President  Mr. Ahmadinejad said: "It is your right to be free. It is your right to exercise your will and sovereignty."

After having said this to the Egyptians  who live in a totalitarian state, Iran with all its so called model government is brooking no freedoms, their Members of parliament are calling for the death sentence on two opposition leaders Mir Hossein and Mehdi Karroubi who they have already placed under house arrest.

On the one hand we have the Iranian leadership praising the Egyptians, for their triumphant success in overthrowing the regime of Hosni Mubarak and on the other they will have  none of it in Iran.

For that matter even Chandra Muzaffar of  "Just World," has elected to remain silent and turn a blind eye, he'd probably blame the west for this uprising in Iran.

In Egypt they called for the  sacking of Mubarak and in Iran they are now calling for the sacking of  "Sayyid Ali" a reference to the country's  Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Iranians are out in the tens of thousands, this could escalate, but in an Islamic republic like Iran, confrontation of these demonstrators with gun power is an option. The Iranians have come out in full realization of the risks involved and the official news agency has reported one death so far, although the unofficial count is said to number about nine people dead.

Internet services have been drastically slowed down and is expected to be shut down as more and more people are using the net to communicate timings and  modus operandi for protests.

These shock-waves have hit the current  Iranian regime, the Iranian people seem to be emboldened by the events in neighboring countries and seem to have taken a cue from their president, Ahmadinejad, "It is your right to be free. It is your right to exercise your will and sovereignty"

Related news: 

11.39 a.m. Malaysian Time 16/02/11

Second protester killed by Police in Bahrain's Pearl square as protests mounts

Iran in Revolt, Egyptian fever spreads

Image via Wikipedia

A revolt is reported to be taking place in Iran, the ex prime minister is said to be under arrest as thousands take to the streets, following the example of the latest Egyptian revolution.

Iran's Ahmadinejad has claimed the Egyptians who toppled President Hosni Mubarak took inspiration form the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran that  put Ayatollah Khomeni into power and the establishment of an Islamic republic with which Iranians today are growing increasingly fed up.

It looks like that inspiration has gone a full circle and has landed back in the shores of Iran, as latest reports indicate that one person has died from clashes taking place in Iran.

It looks like the Egyptian revolution is begining to get Iranians thinking agian about what they ahve achieved since the Islamic revolution of 1979.

A student movement leader who contacted this blog, has said that students are getting increasingly fed up with the regime, its wasteful spending on projects like Hammas, the nuclear Energy programme the objectives which have not been made clear to the Iranians, and the lack of funds for better education and wages for workers in the Islamic Republic.

"Iranian students are fed up with the involvement of the clergy in their daily lives. It has become unbearable, they way we dress,  the Company we keep, the books we read what should be said and what should not be said, the freedom of speech and almost all other basic freedoms are curtailed by this Mullah led regime and we are utterly fed up."

We need change we need to look after our affairs before looking after Arab affairs, then we will be better," said the source. "All University students are in league with the opposition with the exception of a handful and we know who they are."

Is Iran moving towards Egypt, the next few days will tell, but like I said in Iran the Mullahs will think nothing of machine gunning down protesters

Could Mahathir be in early stages of Alzheimer's?

Image via Wikipedia

According to a local paper, 'the Star, Mahathir is reported to have said, "Opposition leaders who met with me before they were arrested under Ops Lalang in 1987 should own up."

“It happened over 20 years ago. I met them but I cannot remember the faces of those people, I certainly remember that Karpal (Singh) was not one of them and I think (Lim) Kit Siang is one of them,"

I think I believe him, but I do not believe he does not know the "opposition leader" he spoke to, it was not opposition leaders but  a lone opposition figure from the DAP.

Yes,  from the DAP maybe, at that time he was a leader and a very middle of the road guy, who preferred to dwell on local issues of his constituents rather then the politics of the nation.

He was romoured to be a special branch agent within the DAP, but was so popular with his constituents that it would have been impossible for the DAP to have removed him.

Mahathir Mohammed met this man and if I am not mistaken it is on record, but the reports of that time indicated that the meeting was after the arrest.

Like all such people he left the DAP, has not uttered a bad word about the party since then and has not really dabbled with politics with the exception  of being a voice piece and  PR man for the BN in caring for problem people.   

How's this man doing today?

Well much better then his ex-DAP counterparts, he was well rewarded by Mahathir or shall we say the regime, and he is extremely comfortable in his present position, or positions if I am not wrong.

Mahathir Mohammed I have given you the clue do you now remember?

His constant forgetfulness seems to suggest early symptoms of  Alzheimers and if he still can't remember he's got to go for an urgent blood test.

Read the fine print below, the devil is in the details.

"the Malaysian Indians used to drink an illegal brew made by  local Chinese brewers, it was bootlegged   in the bushes and got its name they used to call it "Lallang Tani," meaning lallang water or "LLT"  in short. LLT  hmmm.....seems to be very familiar initials not confined only to  this brew.

THOU SHALL NOT LEAK IN VAIN

 Howl Pillai

All you guys out there, who have been castigated in the past by your wife, spouse,lover,boss or friend for indulging in ‘pointless beer talk’,’endless tepi jalan discussions’ or ‘baseless cakap kedai kopi sessions’ - TAKE HEART !

It appears that over the years and for a very long time now, you (yes, humble you and that includes me!) have actually been talking our heads off  like diplomats, politicians and world leaders while having our beers in various states of inebriation. Would you believe that ? We actually were ! Surely we must arrive at this conclusion on the basis of the recent release of secret diplomatic cables by the oddly appropriate and biblical sounding Revelations: Wikileaks. What is even more clear is that bow ties and pin stripped suites notwithstanding, diplomats, politicians, world leaders and even that odd category with a global membership of one, Minister Mentor express ill-informed, biased, nonsensical and self-serving opinions in a language that is patently mean, vicious, ungracious, uncouth and arrogant. It begs the question :If they cannot outdo us at the local long bar, can we entrust this crass lot with the task of making the world a better place ?

So we now walk with a jaunt, feeling both exonerated and exuberant.  Indeed we are a better lot   than this bunch of goons! They have exhibited neither fairness nor fairplay. Or shown wit and wisdom. On the other hand we vouch unabashedly that our beer talk has exceeded by far the quality and contents of the wikileaked diplomatic cables in relation to subject matter, topicality,analysis, arguments for and against, levelheadedness, overall quality of discussion  and for wit and wisdom as well ! We have not had the advantage of travel at the State’s expense. But we have every faith that our view of the world from the vantage point of the long bar is unsurpassed. Ask the barman, if you will !

And yet there is also disappointment. Sadness even. What we deride most as revealed in these leaks is the lack of goodwill, cheer and entertainment. A diplomat said this of President Theodor Roosevelt some one hundred years ago :”If he could, he would want to be the bridegroom at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral “. At least this is entertaining. Compare this with crap that “so and so is tubby tucker and he likes prancing around stadiums”  or words to this effect. This is not our idea of a leader who is composed or compos mentis. There are still many such clowns around seemingly leading the world to a better place. It therefore should not surprise anyone if the next release of wikileaks includes the following samplers:

“At least I am not simian looking “

(Kim Jong-Il on Lee kuan Yew)                                              

“Julia in profile looks like a stork ready to strike for fish in murky waters”

(Kevin Rudd on Julia Gillard)

“Bapa borek, anak rintek”

(Najib on Hsien Loong)

“The bigger the father the lesser the son. I know”

(Hsien Loong on Najib)

“I think he is a Chinaman in ill-fitting and tight Thai costume”

(Goh Chok Tong on Takshin Shinawatra)

“In his youth he was shown the back door in Singapore. He has spent a lifetime now showing others the front door”

(Lee Kuan Yew on Mahathir)

“Well, he had ambitions of being PM of Malaysia. He is still upset that he is only the Mayor of a city”

(Mahathir on Lee Kuan Yew )

“Why me ? I am only a small fish. What about the big sharks?”

(Toyo on being charged)

“This place ain’t big enough for two sharks”

(Najib on Toyo’s complaint)

“ Whatever happens don’t let the Chinese buy the Ascot. We don’t want them putting up signs that say ‘ Ings And Dogs Not Allowed’

(Cameron on China)

All said we will give away a million beers to know what else politicians say  privately and in good taste about their electorate and fellow citizens. What do they say about their political bedfellows? What does the current Prime Minister or President think of his predecessor ? Does Berlusconi brainstorm the state of the Italian economy in brothels? There are , you will easily notice a thousand reasons to drink beer with friends and indulge in diplomatic talk  and take leaks all night. The next time someone who has gone to high places makes a point in high falutin language, just tell them to cut out the crap and give it to you in straight forward diplomatic cables language ala wikileaks. As for me: “Barman, one more beer for me. I feel a great release “