myAsylum

Exit the Rabbit, Enter the Dragon

2012-01-22T21:48:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Year Of The Water Dragon, Celebration

Today marks the last day of the celestial Rabbit… which means the time has come for the Dragon to once again make its once in twelve years appearance…

myAsylum would like to take this opportunity to wish one and all, wherever you may be

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Happy Chinese New Year! Selamat Tahun Baru Cina! 新年快乐!

According to the celestial cycle of the Chinese zodiac, this year is that of the Water Dragon, which the practitioners of Feng Shui say will be a year of great change and transformation.

Let us hope that whatever transformation and change in store, these bring us the happiness and prosperity we deserve…
(origins of the zodiac, a prediction for 2012, and more, in the full post)

For him, the year of the Dragon is always a special one, as this happens to be Walski’s Chinese Zodiac sign. He was born in the year of the Wood Dragon, many many moons ago, and since water helps wood flourish, this is supposed to be a good year for him.

Let’s hope so.

Walski doesn’t put too much stock in astrology and similar “sciences” of prediction, but he’ll take the positive whenever he can. Always look at the positive, the Mrs says, and he cannot but agree. It’s always better to look at the positive side of things, even when on the surface things don’t appear all that rosy.

But enough about Walski… he’s sure some of you wonder how this twelve-year animal cycle thingy came about. And here’s a video to help explain the origins of the Chinese Zodiac.

It’s very much paraphrased, but you get the idea…

Earlier today, Walski came across a posting by Hawkeye about what this coming year of the Dragon has in store for Malaysia. Apparently apart from being the Water Dragon, this year is also the year of the Black Dragon. Which is not a bad thing, because black happens to be Walski’s favorite color.

In a nutshell, Hawkeye predicts that there will be political turmoil and possible change (of some sort), but at the end of the day, the fate of the nation rests with its people.

It is, nevertheless, an interesting read, as Hawkeye has gone to much lengths to use the Chinese Zodiac (the 12 years and the 4 elements) to attempt a possible prediction. Beyond Walski’s immediate comprehension, truth be told.

Anyways, the Chinese New Year usually brings with it fireworks. Increasingly louder over the last few years, it would seem. For Walski, Chinese New Year isn’t Chinese New Year without a fair share of whizz-bang ka-boom going off near and far… but that’s probably just Walski.

So enjoy the celebrations, and let’s hope the year ahead is a good one!

Post-901 A.B.U. teeter-totter blues…

2012-01-22T11:22:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Malaysia, Politics, ABU, Anything But UMNO

Anyone expecting a lull in the hyperactive Malaysian political scene once 901 was out of the way must be disappointed. In fact, knowing the nature of the beast, the word ‘lull’ doesn’t exist in the Malaysian political vocabulary.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately – but not the fake type the MI-6 planted in Russia – you’d probably have come across the acronym A.B.U. at some point.

It stands for Asal Bukan UMNO or Anything But UMNO, an initiative trying to ensure that come the next General Elections (GE13), the Malaysian people revoke the card blanche given to the party for the last half a century.

Granted, the argument against such kinds of initiatives is usually that UMNO’s rule is by virtue of its cooperation with other component parties within Barisan Nasional (BN), everyone knows who really calls the shots.

As with any initiative that’s political in nature, ABU has its supporters and detractors. It wouldn’t be Malaysia if that weren’t the case.

But before he states his stand on A.B.U., Walski would like to share a back-and-forth exchange between two prominent personalities, both of whom he knows personally…
(ABU this, ABU that, and what Walski’s own stand is, in the full post)

The two personalities Walski refers to are Anas Zubedy and Haris Ibrahim. This past week, there was an exchange between the two gentlemen about A.B.U., with Anas stating why he did not agree with it, and Haris explaining why the initiative was important.

You can find the exchange in the following (in chronological order):

Why I disagree with ABU (via Free Malaysia Today)
Why I disagree with Anas Zubedy (via The People's Parliament)
A note to Haris Ibrahim (via Free Malaysia Today)
Dear Anas (via The People's Parliament)

First off, allow Walski to express his opinion that the above is the way to have a disagreement on something. Articulately, without going into ad hominem rhetoric, something that's unfortunately all too typical of a lot of 'Net discourse these days.

In summary, Anas’ initial points were that he disagreed with the assumption that everyone in UMNO is bad, and the notion of the need to get rid of UMNO wholesale.

Anas’ standpoint is that a representative should be voted based on the individual’s merit and not based on his or her party affiliation.

Much has been commented about why Anas is taking this stand, including insinuations that his main reason is to protect his rice bowl.

Walski won’t comment on what these commenters think, as the criticism seems to be based more on their suspicion about Anas’ motives. The Anas Walski knows is a centrist, who always prefers the middle ground, a stand he tries to articulate with his opposition to A.B.U..

On the other hand, Haris Ibrahim is of the opinion that UMNO has been given too much leeway, and in the process has used their position in power to their own benefit. More specifically, to the benefit of the elite within the party, not necessarily the general membership Melayu types.

And while Haris doesn’t exactly say outright that all and sundry within UMNO are bad people, he does make a valid point in stating that the inaction and silence of the “good people” against the actions of their party that can and have been construed as being less than savory puts them in a position of collusion. A case in point, the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

Haris has been consistent in his stand on numerous issues over the years that Walski’s known him, and his stand on why ABU is an important initiative doesn’t surprise Walski one iota.

So, you’re probably wondering right about now where Walski stands in all this. Before he clears that question up, allow him to share something that writer (and Walski’s Facebook friend) Kee Thuan Chye wrote, which was subsequently published by Free Malaysia Today.

Umno is beyond redemption. At its general assembly in December, the message it sent out was suspicion of others and hatred for them, and a desperate desire to win the next general election.

Its president, Najib Tun Razak, once again proved what many of us have long suspected – that he is a dissembler. He exposed the ultimate lie behind his 1Malaysia slogan by saying things that would divide the races rather than bring them together. He set the trend for delegates at the assembly to harp on the threats to Umno from other races. It was disgraceful coming from the prime minister of the country. It was supremely irresponsible.

Worse, two days after the assembly ended, he appealed to the right-wing NGO Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) for support. This has to be the final nail in the 1Malaysia coffin.

To cap it all, Umno showed its partiality to cronyism by defending Wanita leader Shahrizat Abdul Jalil over the scandal surrounding her family’s business, the National Feedlot Corporation. One or two colleagues called for her to step down, but the overwhelming majority stood by her and castigated the opposition for exposing the scandal.

This begs the question: Can Umno change? As the major party in the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, can it truly stand up for other races as well, and work for their well-being? Can it stay clear of corrupt practices? Can it stop dishing out favours and projects to party leaders and their cronies? Can it save Malaysia from financial meltdown or will it rather bleed our coffers dry?
(source: Free Malaysia Today)

Read the rest of the essay. It articulates quite closely why Walski supports ABU.

Can UMNO change? And if it can, what will it transform into?

Thus far, the transformation that Najib has touted seems to be more rhetoric than reality. In fact, it’s like a game of bait and switch – lure us into believing that his party can transform itself, and then find out UMNO has indeed transformed, but into something uglier and nastier instead. The Najib administration can best be described as one making few steps forward, but several more steps in retreat.

When the 901 verdict was announced, Najib was quick to proclaim that the verdict cleared BN (read: UMNO/BN) of any conspiracy claims.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak has called rival Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal over a sodomy charge today an exoneration for the political conspiracy claims hurled at the Barisan Nasional government.

“Today’s verdict shows once again that, despite what many have claimed, the Malaysian judiciary is an independent institution where neither politics nor politicians have any influence over the dispensation of justice,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by Bernama Online today.

The prime minister added the ruling in favour of the opposition leader was testimony of his administration’s adherence to the tenet of separation of powers.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

A wiser politician would have taken this small “victory” and move on to bigger and better reforms, as promised. Regardless of how his own party felt.

True, the prosecution has the right of appeal, a right which was exercised at literally the eleventh hour. It’s the timing that raises questions, as does the filing of another acquittal appeal (via The Malaysian Insider), involving another prominent opposition figure, Karpal Singh. Both appeals were filed on the same day.

Personally, Walski does think the speculation that Najib has relented to the wishes of UMNO (via The Malaysian Insider) has merit. He bases this on what’s been ‘said’ by UMNO’s voice on the Internet, the legion of Unit Media Baru (or UMB, UMNO’s ‘Net warrior division, so to speak). The tone exhibited since even before the trial began in February 2010 indicates that the UMB were promoting the idea that Anwar was guilty, regardless of what evidence would surface.

And since the UMB is a sanctioned organ of UMNO, it is therefore reasonable to surmise that UMB reflects the party as a whole, and the party wants Anwar Ibrahim out of the nation’s political picture. Similar case with Karpal Singh. The real reason may not be known, but Walski suspects that UMNO is indeed afraid of any strong opposition. And indications are that UMNO’s opposition is indeed gaining traction.

And then there’s the scandals.

The National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Cowgate saga is but the most recent of scandals related to those closely associated with BN. And Walski suspects that it won’t be the last.

Tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary will be allowed to take full control of Proton through a mandatory general offer after Khazanah Nasional Berhad announced today the sale of its 42.7 per cent stake in the national carmaker to DRB-Hicom for RM1.3 billion.

In a statement today, Khazanah said its stake would be sold to DRB-Hicom for RM5.50 per share or RM1.291 billion, subject to approval of the latter’s shareholders.

“Upon completion of the sale and purchase agreement, DRB-HICOM will be obliged to undertake a mandatory general offer on the remaining PROTON shares,” Khazanah said.

Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar called the sale a significant milestone in moves to place government-linked companies (GLCs) on a more competitive footing.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

Is this another scandal in the making? Khazanah (which for all practical purposes is taxpayer-funded) selling off Proton at an apparent loss to a GLC very closely linked to UMNO (via Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH). Nevermind the mumbo-jumbo crypto-math that Khazanah has used to justify that the divestment was actually profitable.

Scandal or not, it certainly is a favor-ridden business deal given to a party-linked crony. And if Proton still cannot hold its own after this, then what? Another bailout?

UMNO has pretty much ruled Malaysia since day one of Malaya’s formation in 1957, through the Alliance initially, and today through Barisan Nasional (BN). That’s 54 years of rule.

Many within the party – as evidenced by the vibes Walski gets from the UMB fellers – feel that UMNO ruling the country is the only acceptable scenario. It has pretty much become a given. Worse, it has become, to many in the party, almost a God-given right.

In imposing that right, religion is naturally brought into the picture. From what Walski reads from the UMB, the real religionists we need to be afraid of are those from UMNO. In their rhetoric, the UMB belittles PAS for not implementing hudud. And since the UMB speaks on behalf of UMNO, don’t be surprised if UMNO seem to be the ones really championing hudud and an Islamic state, something PAS has all but officially abandoned.

And will we really see the repeal of draconian laws, such as the ISA, as promised by Najib last year? Walski would really have liked to give the man the benefit of the doubt. Until he read this (emphasis by myAsylum):

Laws should not be amended if they are seen to be in the interest of the people, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

The prime minister said laws should be retained if society says they should be maintained.

He was responding to a statement by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in an interview with a foreign television station recently on the need to amend laws which he perceived as archaic.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

Indications are that the promise of repeal may remain just that – a promise. One that is not kept, since “public interest” in this country is generally not determined by the people per se, but by some people with vested interests.

And more often than not, these some people are UMNO-affiliated, in one shape or form.

Granted Malaysia is finally no longer in a state of emergency, something we’ve apparently been in for a long period of time, much longer than the actual emergencies decades ago. And for that, Walski will give Najib credit.

Well, Walski is a "part of society", too, and he thinks that these draconian laws should be done away with. And he is certain that a significant portion of society feels the same way. UMNO does not the entire society make, and he knows very well the opposition those within the party have against repeal.

But you know, give any political party or coalition 54 years, and in all likelihood you’ll get what Malaysia has today with the UMNO-led BN. Should there come a day when BN no longer rules, Walski does hope the coalition becomes an effective opposition, just so that the required checks and balances in a democracy are kept in place.

So, why does Walski support ABU? It is for the aforementioned reasons, and one other very crucial one – as long as UMNO/BN rules, there will always be a Malay agenda, a Chinese agenda, Islamic agendas, Indian agendas, allegations of Christian agendas, and what not.

But there will never be a sincerely championed Malaysian agenda. And that is the real-political implication of UMNO continuing to be in power, as far as Walski is concerned.

The 1Malaysia initiative is wonderful rhetoric, but the reality is that it is more rhetoric than a sincere Malaysian agenda. Perkasa, and an “I am Malay first” future PM waiting in the wings are some proofs Walski has to offer.

And that is why he supports the Anything But UMNO initiative.

Anas Zubedy may have made a valid point in saying that we should always vote a suitable candidate and not vote based on the party a candidate is affiliated with. In a more perfect democracy, that may be true. Malaysia’s democracy is far from perfect, and at times, appears to not even look like a democracy.

Once elected, that candidate, no matter how credible or otherwise, becomes a spokesperson for his or her party. That’s the reality of Malaysian politics as it stands today.

Until that changes, and an MP can truly represent his or her constituents without having to kow-tow to party wishes, the only way to ensure UMNO is no longer given a blank check to govern is to vote them out of government.

Hence A.B.U., and why Walski’s stand pertaining to it.

Finally, here’s a response to A.B.U. – an ugly incident that happened last night in Klang. Oddly enough, Selangor police claim that this did NOT happen (via Free Malaysia Today).

YouTube sure has an uncanny way of capturing and displaying things that never happened. It must have technology to tap moving images from our deepest, darkest, and most mischievous sub-conscious.

Need Walski say anymore?

SOPA, PIPA and the Internet Blackout Day

2012-01-19T16:04:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Humor, Technology, Internet, SOPA, PIPA, Piracy, Censorship

All of yesterday, you’d probably have seen the image below when trying to bring up the English Wikipedia page.

Wikipedia joins the SOPA protest

Yesterday, Wednesday January 18, 2012 was the Internet Blackout Day, a day when many sites stopped publishing their usual content, and instead posted messaging reflecting their respective stands against the two pieces of legislation.

You may be wondering, why the outcry (via ComputerWorld) from these web-based service providers? To understand why, you’ll first need to understand what SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) are all about.

Normally, Walski would link you to Wikipedia to help explain the story behind these two problematic acronyms, but…

Simply put, both acts could potentially mean giving media corporations a card blanche type of tool to censor the Internet as we know it.
(SOPA, PIPA, and why the Net is up in arms, in the full post)

Now note the words Walski used carefully: media, corporations, and potentially.

The main drivers behind both the SOPA and PIPA legislations are not your ordinary Joe IP-owner, but the big media corporations, in particular the film studios and record labels (via Gizmodo).

An example of how the legislation works (taken from Gizmodo):

If Warner Bros., for example, says that a site in Italy is torrenting a copy of The Dark Knight, the studio could demand that Google remove that site from its search results, that PayPal no longer accept payments to or from that site, that ad services pull all ads and finances from it, and—most dangerously—that the site's ISP prevent people from even going there.
(source: Gizmodo)

Wikipedia is not the only party up in arms. The following was published on popular cartoon-satire site, The Oatmeal.

Yes, Walski agrees – kitten BBQ is Bad.

Someone even wrote a song about how SOPA/PIPA would kill sites like icanhascheezburger.com, home of the LOLCats.

ROTFLMAO… but in all seriousness, SOPA/PIPA is no laughing matter, out loud or otherwise.

So what is SOPA/PIPA and why aren’t tech professionals the least bit thrilled about it? This TED video explains it all.

Will the effects of SOPA and PIPA be limited to the US Internet alone? The answer, if you believe the numerous industry professional who have articulated their fears, is a resounding NO. It will effect the Internet as we know it.

In particular, it will have a big time effect on the real internet content producers – you.

As of the time this posting goes up, Wikipedia has restored its normal services, and has updated its SOPA blackout page, which now contains this message:

The Wikipedia blackout is over – and you have spoken.

More than 162 million people saw our message asking if you could imagine a world without free knowledge. You said no. You shut down Congress’s switchboards. You melted their servers. From all around the world your messages dominated social media and the news. Millions of people have spoken in defense of a free and open Internet.

For us, this is not about money. It’s about knowledge. As a community of authors, editors, photographers, and programmers, we invite everyone to share and build upon our work.

Our mission is to empower and engage people to document the sum of all human knowledge, and to make it available to all humanity, in perpetuity. We care passionately about the rights of authors, because we are authors.

SOPA and PIPA are not dead: they are waiting in the shadows. What’s happened in the last 24 hours, though, is extraordinary. The internet has enabled creativity, knowledge, and innovation to shine, and as Wikipedia went dark, you've directed your energy to protecting it.

We’re turning the lights back on. Help us keep them shining brightly.
(source: Wikipedia)

What can you do? Exactly what Clay Shirky suggested in the TED video - call your representative or senator, if you're a US Citizen, and if you're not, tell your US Citizen friends to call their representative or senator.

From what he’s gathered by reading up on SOPA/PIPA, Walski is quite convinced that these two pieces of legislation will effect E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E. Combined, both pieces of legislation have the potential to signal the beginning of the end for the Internet as we know it.

Michael Stipe may have sang, once upon a time, that even though it’s the end of the world as we know it, he felt fine, Walski’s pretty sure the end of the Internet as we know it won’t sit well with most people.

And because the Internet has become a big part of our daily lives, it’s death may very well mean the end of the world as we know it. Not the Roland Emmerich-styled cataclysmic kind of end, per se, but the kind that would be equally catastrophic to you and Walski.

About that prospect, Walski doesn’t feel fine. Not one bit.

Poll Position: Defining 2012

2012-01-18T17:02:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Poll Position, 2012, Defining Moment, Anwar 901

A couple of weeks ago, Walski posted a poll asking you folks what event you thought would define 2012. Well, the results are in.

Frankly, at first the poll results surprised Walski a tad. Not a lot, just a little bit. He’d have thought that the 901 verdict would have been selected by more people.

After thinking about it some, he thinks there are a few reasons why most people didn’t select that event as potentially the most defining moment for 2012.
(poll analysis, and more, in the full post)

First off, the poll was released before the verdict announcement and stayed open until after. Walski reckons the results would have been different if the verdict had not been in Anwar’s favor.

But the fact that more people didn’t see 901 as being the most important defining moment for 2012 also indicates that not very many people buy into Najib and BN’s proclamation that 901 vindicates the Malaysian judiciary.

Based on what was presented during the trial, there were areas of doubt raised by the defense. And so the outcome would have been a no-brainer – the were reasonable doubts to the accusation of sodomy. Of course, this is Malaysia, where justice is in the eye of the beholder, and what would normally be a natural outcome may sometimes not be.

Still, it is good to know that our judicial system is still able to make difficult but credible decisions. A guilty verdict would have had all kinds of worm cans opening up.

Slightly more than a third of the poll respondents (36%) felt that General Elections 13 (GE13) will be something that would define the year. Without a doubt, regardless of the result, it would be important. But will GE13 happen this year?

Earlier, the speculation was that GE13 could happen as early as March this year. However, last week, PM Najib indicated that the time is not right for calling the next polls.

And that comes as no surprise, since what most of the poll respondents thought would define 2012 was that more BN-related scandals would be uncovered.

We are, of course, in the thick of the NFC scandal, involving the family of Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development. First it was condos for cows, and now allegations of funds being used to pay off the minister’s family credit card debts.

In other scandalous news, there have also been allegations that zakat (tithe) money has been misused by the religious authorities under BN control.

So, are there more scandals to come undone and uncovered? We’ll just have to wait it out, and see. No one – except those involved – knows what skeletons lurk in the closets of power, nor do we know when these skeletons will feel like coming out for a whiff of fresh air.

But it’s only January, and it’s early days yet for 2012. Whatever event, or series of events, that define the year, Walski sincerely hopes that it will be something positive, taking us closer to a better Malaysia…

Opinion Poll: What will define 2012?

2012-01-01T23:42:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Opinion Poll, 2012, Defining Event

As promised in the posting from earlier today, it’s poll time once again at myAsylum. And long overdue it is (the last poll was posted in July 2011).

Being that we’re just into 2012, Walski wants to get a feel for what y’all think will define the year.

He’s provided a few suggestions, but you’re free to add your own.

If you look through the list that Walski’s included in the poll, you’ll notice that he’s omitted the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Not that he doesn’t think it’s important, but based on the precedent set in 2011 with the (Prevention of) Peaceful Assembly Bill, what replaces the ISA may not be something to particularly look forward to.

But like he mentioned earlier, feel free to add it if you think that the repeal of the ISA will be something that defines 2012. After all, that’s what the ‘Other’ option is for.
(poll details, and more, in the full post)

The choices that Walski’s actually put up are those he thinks may be some of the defining moments that 2012 will have in store. Like the Anwar Ibrahim verdict announcement expected on January 9.

Many are of the opinion that the verdict is a foregone conclusion, that the former Deputy PM will be found guilty. Again. On similar charges as he was found guilty of many years ago.

UMNO will undoubtedly be banking on a guilty verdict, as Anwar Ibrahim is one figure they’d rather have out of the way when it comes time for the next General Elections.

Which brings us to the other choice Walski’s put up – the next GE, which many expect will be called sometime this year. But a report by The Malaysian Insider indicates that GE13 will be called later, as opposed to sooner, in the year. With the recent revelations of the Cowgate and Zakatgate (possible) scandals, this doesn’t come as a very big surprise.

Will there be more BN-related scandals revealed this year? That’s another possibility that Walski’s put up as a poll choice.

And finally, Perkasa’s continued race-baiting – will we see more and more of this, and will it make an impact on defining 2012? Frankly, the less of them we hear the better, but like dandruff, they never fail to make their presence felt – like an itchy scalp – when the opportunity presents itself.

Granted they’re thoroughly tiresome, Walski’s pretty sure that there’s more vitriol in Perkasa left, and we haven’t heard the last of them.

So, which of these do you think will define 2012? Or do you think that it will be something else? Do tell.

As with previous polls, Walski’s made sure that the poll is shareable, either via Blogger or Wordpress blogs, quite easily. Let him know if you need the codes if your website is based on something other than these two platforms.

The poll will be open until midnight, January 15, so do let Walski know what your thoughts are on this. Granted it’s really early in the year, but sometimes what defines the year is discernible very early on…

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T15:36:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Blogging, New Year, 2012, Looking Ahead

It’s been said that if you want to get things off to a good start, you first gotta start.

Original background image from The Malaysian Insider

And so Walski made the decision to start the new year with a blog post. Because this year, he intends to keep this blog more active. Unlike in 2011.

To one and all, myAsylum fans and haters alike, Happy New Year 2012… may this year bring our nation much needed success, less politica-wrangling (from all sides), and for once, realize that dwelling on where we individually came from is less important than determining where we’re headed.

Together, as one nation.
(Walski’s hopes for the year, and more, in the full post)

To that end, myAsylum will help in whatever little way it can. Be it by posting Walski’s own opinionating, or reposting pertinent news clips and articles from other sources. 2011 was kind of a bleh year for him, but he thinks that it’s high time to put all that behind him.

These days, Walski uses Twitter a lot as a barometer for cyberspace’s opinion climate. The climate in 2011 was gloomy to a great extent, causing him to simply be fed up. Compounding this was probably the fact that he follows individuals from the UMBecile Empire. And inadvertently, Walski’s been affected by their gloom.

But he knows better than to succumb to a bunch of nitwits, and so it probably is a good idea to ignore much of what these folks have to opine, and to fight their rhetoric when it makes sense to do so.

Just so you know, the channels of myAsylum’s engagement are threefold: this blog, Twitter, and via our page on Facebook. While some crossposting will undoubtedly happen in the process, all three channels are designed to be unique.

That’s one of the things you can look forward to in terms of myAsylum’s activities for 2012.

Something else that Walski hasn’t been doing nearly enough of lately: myAsylum Polls. There will definitely be more polls this year, starting with one that will be posted later today.

But will 2012 be a better year for the nation? That’s a tough question to answer, as it really depends on whom you ask.

And it doesn’t help one bit that the same hostile attitudes remain towards freedom of expression. The following happened in the we hours of 2012:

Police beat up, arrest undergrads in UPSI over academic freedom demo

Several student activists at the Sultan Idris University of Education (UPSI) who held a peaceful demonstration demanding academic freedom were allegedly beaten up and arrested early this morning after refusing a police order to disperse.

Up to 17 were arrested by the police at about 2am, said lawyer Fadiah Najwa Fikri. They were still being detained, she added.

The Lawyers for Liberty coordinator said the police had acted in a heavy-handed manner against the students, which resulted in one, Muhammad Safwan Anang, the president of undergraduate movement Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademic (Bebas), being sent to a hospital in Slim River after he lost consciousness.

“They were beaten up, kicked and punched. According to an eyewitness, Safwan lost some teeth,” Fadiah Najwa told The Malaysian Insider over the phone.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

You can read the rest of the news article at The Malaysian Insider, but this doesn’t bode well for a more democratic Malaysia. On that front, we have a long, long way to go.

Despite what happened this morning, Walski is still hopeful that 2012 will be a good year.

Another area how we can all help make 2012 be a great year for Malaysia - stop associating race & religion with everything. Not only is it tiresome, it’s totally non-productive. A problem is a problem, and problems need solutions, not blame.

In that respect, myAsylum will definitely offer its two bits when things racial and religious seem to get out of hand.

So there, a sampling of what Walski has in mind, and in store for myAsylum in 2012. In short, more activity here, and on the other myAsylum channels.

In the meantime, enjoy your Sunday. Walski definitely intends to enjoy his. More stuff to come this year around, for sure.

Happy New Year 2012… peace, love and rock-n-roll from Walski and the crew invisibule here at myAsylum…

It's been a while...

2011-12-25T08:48:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Humor, Miscellaneous, Harmony, Christmas

It’s true what they say about how time flies. Little did he realize it but it’s been over a month since Walski’s posted anything on this blog. Not even the cut/paste semi-automated Amplify posts.

Not good. By any measure.

He has his reasons why this has happened, of course, and in due time, Walski will explain why. Many things in Walski’s life have changed and it is due to these changes that myAsylum (and Twitter, for that matter) has had to take a back seat.

But the absence will be temporary, while Walski gets back into the groove of things. In the meantime…

Video courtesy of Anura Wombat Bird

And no, Walski hasn’t lost his sense of humor just yet…

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a joyous year end for all of you folks out there who still bother to come by…
(when the going gets tough, the blogposts go missing, and more, in the full post)

First big change in Walski’s life: he no longer has to work 9-to-6 anymore. This, thanks to a major restructuring in the organization that he used to work for (no names please if you have to comment, okay?). He won’t go into the gory details of why the restructuring and all. Walski doesn’t kiss and tell.

Suffice it to say that they offered a separation scheme, and Walski decided to take the money and run. Or something to that effect.

Which brings us to the second big change: he is now co-owner of an art gallery. Those who know him may find this to be surprising, but hey – whoever said that Walski always threads the beaten path? So, a lot of time has been devoted of late to getting the gallery up and running.

That’s the main reason why Walski hasn’t been doing much with this blog, because quite simply, there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and prioritization has to kick in.

That said, he’s been watching, reading and listening to much that has transpired in our beloved nation over the past few weeks, and to put it simply, Walski is not at all pleased.

We’re literally digging a hole that Malaysia may not be able to crawl out of – ever – if we don’t get our act together. But more about what he thinks about it all later.

For now, Walski thought that he should get his fingers back to the keyboard, before all skills related to writing leave him for good. Now that would be a tragedy. Of massive proportions. More massive than the mess that our nation has seemingly gotten herself into.

So, rather than Walski making you feel more depressed, he’ll end this short post by wishing everyone (again) Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and convey a personal hope that the coming year won’t be as fucked up as 2011 was overall…

Livid la media loca

2011-11-09T00:02:00.001+08:00

For far too long now, the mainstream media, particularly those closely associated with UMNO, particularly Utusan and TV3, have been getting away with making baseless insinuations. Calling the Seksualiti Merdeka event a "free sex festival" is par for the course of these idiotic media organizations.

And yes, Marina has every right to be livid.

Only those without the capacity to think - and sadly there are way too many imbecile Malaysians who fall into this category - would believe lock, stock and barrel, what scumbag media organizations like TV3 and Utusan report.

And guess what? The police are now "investigating" those associated with Seksualti Merdeka. Walski really wants to know WHAT THE FUCK FOR? Who runs this damned country anyway - the morons whom we (unfortunately) elected into office, or the un-elected moist robots whose mental capacity is not much more than that of granite?

Amplify’d from www.themalaysianinsider.com

Marina Mahathir livid over ‘free sex’ slur on Seksualiti Merdeka

An emotional Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir lashed out today at media reports describing “Seksualiti Merdeka” as a “free sex festival”, and threatened to sue if the matter was not clarified.

She told a media conference that “no words could describe” her anger at hearing the event being described as such on television station TV3 last night, and warned a reporter from the station of consequences if her statement today is misreported.

“I have been looking at your face and we know who you are,” the eldest daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said during the press conference on the front porch of Tenaganita’s headquarters here, visibly shaking with anger.

Marina had turned up at the NGO’s single-storey office on Jalan Gasing this evening to lend support to four fellow human rights activists who were being questioned by police over their involvement in the recently-banned sexuality rights festival.

The four are Seksualiti Merdeka founder Pang Khee Teik, Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan, Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez, and Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah.

“I am here only as a supporter because two years ago, I officiated Seksualiti Merdeka without any incident,” she said.

Marina explained the event was not to promote free sex, but to help the marginalised lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community understand their legal rights.

“It is an event to explain and educate them of their rights within the laws, and not outside.

“So I am very angry, very angry, there are no words to describe, at certain parties calling this a free sex festival. You have nothing better to do? Nowhere here is free sex allowed... are you crazy to imagine this?” she charged.

Marina reacted with irritation when a reporter later asked Ambiga if she would continue to her struggle in support of events like Seksualiti Merdeka, and pointed out that the former Bar Council president’s involvement in the event was merely to officiate its opening.

“For the struggle, ask me. I have been defending their (the LGBT community’s) rights for over 20 years now. In fact, I defend the rights of all who have been discriminated [against] — the poor, and everyone else.

“So if there is any discrimination or violence against anyone, I will continue to defend their rights. That’s it. Do you understand?” she said.

Marina then threatened legal action against any media organisation that misreports her statement today.
Read more at www.themalaysianinsider.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1h7uh

Fascism, by any other name, still smells as foul

2011-10-31T07:06:00.001+08:00

Technorati tags: Fascism, Islam, NGO, Force, MAPIM

Lately, more and more religious NGOs seem to be getting more vocal and coming to the fore to prevent others from airing views that are contrary to these organizations' point of view. It's not that Walski is against them airing their dissatisfaction, as that is well within their rights to do so in a civil society.

The problem Walski has with these NGOs is the assertion that only their view is valid, only their viewpoint must be accepted, and that they have the right to prevent others from speaking out. And on the basis of perceived political risk, the powers that be let them have their way.

It's part of a rising trend - we're seeing in it in Perkasa, and we're seeing it more and more in these religious NGOs. Call it Islamic resurgence if you want, but Walski calls it by its real name - fascism.

MAPIM could very easily have gone the more intelligent route and insist on dialog. Instead, they choose the fascist route - repress any discussion. Quo vadis, Malaysia?

Amplify’d from www.malaysiakini.com

Muslim NGO bares fangs over gender rights forum

A Muslim NGO is taking issue with a roundtable discussion on gender rights and women’s issues on the basis that it allegedly promotes “Western” ideas that it claims are a threat to Islamic values.

The group, Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Mapim), in a statement today objected to the event ‘Gender Equality: Unaddressed Women's Rights Issues’ organised by Empower on Oct 31 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Mapim general-secretary Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid singled out two sessions at the roundtable in particular, ‘UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Defending the Human Rights of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgenders in Malaysia’ by Angela Kuga Thas and ‘A CEDAW Approach to Family Law in Advancing Equality and Non Discrimination’ by Lalitha Menon.

“Mapim rejects attempts by a group of secularists and liberals who are keen to be slaves of the Western agenda,” said Mohd Azmi.

“Discussions such as this is secretly aimed at fuelling campaigns and advocacy to change the values and moral foundations of Islam that are central to Malay-Muslims and Malaysians in general,” he charged.
Read more at www.malaysiakini.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1g2jr

Of Scarlett Johansson & Nation-building...

2011-10-27T12:44:00.001+08:00

Technorati tags: Nationbuilding, Ideas, Scarlett Johansson, Unconventional Wisdom

At a glance, the headline of the article clipped below would probably lead the reader to think the article is about being sexy, like Scarlett Johansson. Or at least that's what Walski thought until he took the time to actually read the article.

In all honesty, it's this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that gives Walski hope that this nation does have some hope left, amidst the doom and gloom that occupies the news sphere of our every day existence.

That said, it's sometimes difficult to take such fresh thinking to the next level when everything about how we operate says "in the box, and don't you dare even look beyond the four corners". This happens to be true not only in the government sector, but across the Malaysian homegrown private sector as well.

A great article and a good way to look at solving problems from a different perspective, nevertheless.

Amplify’d from www.themalaysianinsider.com

Sexy like Scarlett Johansson

I was having severe writer’s block — eight hours in front of the computer with no words written. So I decided to watch one of my all-time favourite movies, “The Prestige”.

I had watched it many times before but in the state where my mind was not at its freshest, it was not Hugh Jackman or Christian Bale who grabbed my attention. It was Scarlett Johansson.

You can bet your money that the reason is because of her sheer beauty and unique sexiness, on top of her acting skills, of course.

Then weirdly my mind wandered off a little, to a more serious question. A question I have always pondered about, but could never quite get a truly accurate answer.

The question is, dear all, how do we make the nation-building agenda sexy? Scarlett Johansson-like sexy.

Read more at www.themalaysianinsider.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1fs7n

Proselytizing the Halloween way...

2011-10-21T10:58:00.001+08:00

Technorati tags: Zan Azlee, Religion, Scare Tactics, Psychology

Let's face it, there are people who go around scaring people into submission. It's a subtler form of coercion, if you think about it. But is this practice based on scriptural recommendations, or the vivid imagination of those who practice it?

In this article, Zan Azlee offers his opinion...

Amplify’d from www.themalaysianinsider.com

Scaring people into submission

Another popular story is of an old woman (or man, as the stories do vary) who is at her deathbed surrounded by friends and family.

She is about to die but seems to be struggling and in tremendous discomfort. The story continues to explain that this goes on for weeks.

Then it is discovered that she had led a sinful life and used to (insert dreaded sin of your choice) and she is now being punished for it.

They had to do special prayers to ask for forgiveness and only then did the old woman die, and into the next life where she will presumably be punished again.

Recently, stories like these have been making its rounds on FaceBook and as spam emails and the senders always make comments like “repent now!” or “fear Allah!”.

After reading one too many of these stories whenever I log on to FaceBook, it’s actually making me want to repent of all my sins… NOT!

I wonder if it’s desperation that Muslims are trying to preach to other fellow Muslims to repent and return to the right path.

How low do you have to be when you feel the only way to pull somebody back to Islam is by scaring them witless?

Read more at www.themalaysianinsider.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1f6xr

Lies the UMB-eciles tell...

2011-10-19T13:25:00.001+08:00

Technorati tags: UMB, UMBeciles, Fascism, Decepticons

UMNO's New Media Unit - or Unit Media Baru (UMB) - is a cyber unit set up by the party to counter what they consider "opposition propaganda". And as it turns out, they do this - quite consistently - by twisting facts, spreading half-truths, and in this case making up stories.

UMB, or UMBeciles as Walski calls them, is essentially a network of pro-UMNO blogs that use cross-posting to spread their poison across cyberspace, with many of these bloggers also having a presence on Twitter, using the service to promote their posts.

And why do they resort to such underhanded tactics? Well, Walski doesn't call them UMBeciles for nothing. They are mindless cyber-guns (or goons) for hire, and essentially do what they're told to do - discredit the opposition. And they do it with impunity.

Ironically, the guy who heads the UMBeciles, an exco member in UMNO's Youth Wing, portrays himself as holier-than-holy, proving once again these scum are nothing but a bunch of worthless hypocrites...

Amplify’d from www.themalaysianinsider.com

Umno blogs used chess champion’s picture to attack Guan Eng’s son, says DAP

A girl whose photograph was used by Umno bloggers to level accusations of sexual harassment against Lim Guan Eng’s son has been identified as 21-year-old chess Grandmaster Anya Sun Corke.

Corke, who represents England in chess, has no ties with Penang and has never been a classmate of Lim’s son as alleged by Umno blogs, the DAP said in a press conference in Parliament today.

The girl is understood to be currently an undergraduate of Wellesley College in the United States.

Pro-Umno bloggers including Bukit Gelugor Umno division chief Dr Novandri Hasan Basri had claimed that the Penang chief minister’s son had assaulted a 16-year-old schoolmate and tried to escape punishment by using his father’s name.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua (picture) showed a press conference today screenshots from Dr Novandri’s and Papagomo’s blog and pictures from www.chessbase.com said to be of a 21-year-old Anya Corke.

“The chess board has been edited from the picture. This proves beyond doubt that the accusations by these Umno cybertroopers are nothing but barbaric lies.

“They have attempted to defame the 16-year-old son of Lim Guan Eng and humiliate his family with a completely fictitious sexual harassment story,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said.

Read more at www.themalaysianinsider.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1f3o7

In Memoriam: Steven Paul Jobs (1955 - 2011)

2011-10-09T09:19:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Obituary, Steve Jobs, Apple

There’s probably not a lot that Walski can add to what’s already been said today about Steve Jobs, across just about all mediums of communication.

What greets visitors to www.apple.com...

Where others chose the path of evolution, Steve Jobs revolutionized. The iPod, iPhone and the iPad will remain the man’s most lasting legacies for that very reason – these three devices not only revolutionized three different industries, but together, revolutionized how we interact with one another.

A quote by Jobs, part of his keynote speech at Macworld 2007, perhaps explains this to some degree:

There's an old Wayne Gretsky quote I love: "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it's been." That's what we try to do at Apple.
(source: Engadget.com)

And let’s not forget Pixar, the company Jobs acquired in the mid-80s (and later sold to Disney), which now sets the benchmark for excellence in animation.

It’s one thing to be visionary. But being visionary, and having the ability to take your vision through to fruition is another thing altogether. And it is that very ability that Walski will remember and admire Steve Jobs for.

Indeed, the world has just lost someone truly great...
(the man, the vision, and more, in the full post)

As Walski said at the onset, there’s not much that he can possibly add that hasn’t already been said about the man.

By now, we all know of Steve Jobs’ humble beginnings, his career, his successes, and even his failures. He built Apple, was ousted from the company, and later returned to take the company to the pinnacle it’s at today. We also know that along the way, Jobs was at one time dubbed one Silicon Valley’s leading egomaniacs (source: CNN Money). The man was many things, good and bad, but it is probably the good and the visionary that he’ll best be remembered for.

Yesterday, Walski came across this YouTube video, the audio of which was played on the BFM 89.9’s Breakfast Grill morning segment. It gives us a little insight into the man that Steve Jobs was, and Walski thought it apt that he share it with you here.

Whether you’re a Windows die-hard who loathes everything Apple, or someone who swears by their BlackBerry, or even someone who thinks that only vinyl makes your musical day, you’d have to admit that the last 5 years or so have been a half-decade of Apple innovation excitement.

Walski happens to be one of those who’s transcended the strict dichotomy of device preference (he uses Windows, BB and iPad every day), and therefore sees the passing of Steve Jobs as a big loss. He’s not quite iSad (as his friend @blurdevil put it), and Walski’s certain that Apple will continue to trailblaze the world of tech as best as they can under new leadership.

Meanwhile, Walski extends the family of Steve Jobs his personal condolences at this time of grief... we share your loss, and hope that you stay strong. Rest assured that Steve will always be remembered fondly.

Finally, a fitting cartoon tribute to the man (from Pailheads, on Facebook):

R.I.P. Steve... and thanks for everything that you’ve given us.

QE2: We Are Not At All Amused...

2011-10-06T00:13:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Humor, USA Reclaimed, Queen Elizabeth II, Email

Walski got the following (spoof) e-mail earlier in the day, and he thought it imperative that it be shared with all of you, post haste.

Why?

Simply because Malaysia, too, is a former colony (according to popular belief), and going by the e-mail, plus the way things are going in our nation today, Walski would not be at all surprised if we got the same kind of message from Her Royal Highness one day...

Email from the Queen - an important announcement regarding the USA:

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your immediate failure to financially manage yourselves and also in recent years your tendency to elect incompetent Presidents of the USA and therefore not able to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated sometime next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
(The Queen’s 15-point plan to re-take the USA, in the full post)

The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'

July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.

Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. New Zealand beer is also acceptable, as New Zealand is pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

You will cease playing American football. There are only two kinds of proper football; one you call soccer, and rugby (dominated by the New Zealanders). Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).

Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the Australians (World dominators) first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream)when in season.

God Save The Queen!

Painting the man-made as Divine... Who, dude?

2011-10-04T10:23:00.001+08:00

The biggest misconception that is today being propagated: the "hudud" that the Islamists in Malaysia are so keen on unleashing are divine laws verbatim. Well, they're not.

They may have their basis in revelation, but what we have today are human interpretations, containing human alterations, and therefore are as man-made as the civil laws that these Islamists are so gung-ho to replace.

Many cite "hudud" and then point to Saudi as a prime example where there are very few rapes. But does this reflect the truth? Could it be that the stringent conditions for reporting such cases, potentially put the victim at risk of herself being prosecuted for adultery, makes it less than ideal to report the crime in the first place?

The article from The Nut Graph below delves into "hudud" and raises some very pertinent questions. What's clipped below is just a portion of it, and do click on the links provided below to read the article in full.

Amplify’d from www.thenutgraph.com

Whose hudud?

IF we were to believe everything the politicians are saying about hudud, we would come to three conclusions. One, that implementing the punishments prescribed under hudud is divine law that no Muslim can question, and hence is inevitable. Two, that hudud cannot be implemented in Malaysia because of the Federal Constitution and our multi-cultural composition. And three, non-Muslims have no business worrying about this Islamic penal code.

Are any of these assumptions about hudud accurate? Beyond that, what are the proclamations by PAS, Umno and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) politicians regarding hudud really all about?

Hudud: Divine or man-made?

When a Muslim says he or she has to uphold hudud, one needs to ask which hudud do they mean? The truth is, hudud as we know it today is human-made and therefore changeable and contestable.

For example, how many of us know that the Quran prescribes punishment for only four types of crimes — theft, robbery, adultery and slanderous accusation of adultery? And that classical jurists, i.e. men, expanded it to six, and in the 2002 Terengganu hudud and qisas legislation, it was expanded, again by men, to seven.

Three crimes that are today punishable under hudud — apostasy, consumption of alcohol and treason/armed rebellion — are not provided for under hudud in the Quran. Neither is the punishment of stoning for adulterers prescribed in the Quran. And neither, by the way, is death for apostasy.

What else about hudud as we know it today is based on human understanding and interpretation, and not divine authority?
Read more at www.thenutgraph.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1e2k8

Saying No to 1Apartheid

2011-10-02T16:39:00.001+08:00

It's about damned time a Muslim spoke up against the latest hudud hubbub that seems to have taken grip. And this piece by Zainah Anwar does just that. In fact, you could say that Zainah dishes it out good, in spades.

There's a big misconception that this hudud thing (to Walski a pre-cursor to turning this nation into an Islamic state) is accepted by all Muslims. The truth is that many who disagree to not dare speak out, in fear of being labeled this, that and the other.

To begin with, Walski thinks that this latest spate of hudud-talk is really a non-issue, being played up primarily for political reasons - just follow the stale cookie trail, and you'll probably draw the same conclusion.

Meanwhile, enjoy Zainah's tirade... it's about damned time, too.

Amplify’d from www.thestar.com.my

No hudud please, we’re Malaysians

ARE our politicians plain bad, crazy or stupid? In this divisive, corrosive, cynical political climate of ours, if I were the Opposition, I would jump and present my party as the party of first and obvious choice for the electorate.

I would have not only welcomed the Prime Minister’s bold announcements in repealing those repressive laws and states of emergency, I would also up the ante and begin a public debate on how we as citizens should exercise and enjoy our Constitutional guarantees of fundamental liberties.

I would be planning over the next few months on how to build public opinion to hold the Government accountable and ensure that whatever alternative national security or public order laws that might emerge will uphold my fundamental freedoms.

I would want to make it politically very costly for the Government if it falls short or back-pedal on the promises of democratic reform it has made.

Instead, what do we get? An offer of the hudud law and its grim serving of chopped-off Muslim hands and feet, and stoning to death! What kind of future is that?

And we have politicians, who supposedly hold the mantle of leadership, who simply and continually miss the point.

“It’s okay to implement the hudud law because it doesn’t affect non-Muslims.” So it’s okay for Muslims to be brutalised?
Read more at www.thestar.com.my

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1e044

May the Farce be with you...

2011-09-27T10:01:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Humor, Star Wars, Jabba The Controversial Hutt, Undilah

The road to stupid controversies is paved with noble intentions, it would seem. What Walski is referring to here is the latest “controversy” surrounding the Undilah video. No, not the fact that the MCMC instructed the TV stations to cease airing it (purportedly due to the clip not having gotten the Censorship Board’s blessings).

No, this is something else.

On Sunday, The Malaysian Insider reported that BN MP for Kota Belud, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, felt that the video was anti-establishment, in a "subliminal" way. You can read the full report here.

But here’s the bit that really caught Walski’s eye. Okay, both eyes (emphasis by myAsylum):

He said that at one point in the clip, a man dressed as Star Wars’ character “Jabba the Hutt” is seen standing next to a poster of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, a scene that appeared to mock the prime minister.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

All together now... HUH?!?.

In case you missed the part where Jabba the Hutt makes an appearance – frankly, Walski had to go back to the video and look C-L-O-S-E-L-Y – the guy in the large slug suit appears around about time-counter 3:35, for about 3 seconds or so.

Now, unless those in BN call our PM Jibby the Hun secretly behind his back, Walski has no clue whatsoever why, or how, the appearance of Jabba the Hutt could be considered mocking the PM. Or maybe, Jibby owes Jabba a bunch of space credits – again, it’s knowledge only those in the BN inner circle would be privy to.

But seriously, it got Walski to wondering: would MP for Kota Belud have thought it were just as mocking if ANY other Star Wars character were in Jabba’s place?
(the Farce is strong with this one, and more, in the full post)

It actually took a while for Walski to even recognize the Undilah blob as Jabba the Hutt. Looked more like a strange looking Barney to him, disfigured after a hudud punishment exercise gone terribly wrong. Or Barney at the larvae stage of development perhaps.

The “real” Jabba (see left) looks a lot uglier, slimier, and probably more closely resembles a certain Malay language entertainment writer who used to be on Walski’s shit-list, than it would any other fictional semi-character.

But what if it had been Darth Vader that was featured instead? Perhaps a Sith Lord paying tribute to his master would have been less mocking? Or more so? Dunno. The Farce is strong with these MPs and so it’s difficult for a mere mortal like Walski to guess.

It’s amazing how we see something negative when it’s negativity we’re looking for. After all, human beings are pattern-seeking creatures. See an apple, you think Steve Jobs. See Darth Vader, you think paying tribute to an evil entity, in all likelihood. Not that Najib resembles Palpatine (aka the evil Emperor, aka Darth Sidious) or anything like that. But you never really know with these MPs.

Or would Yoda have been a better choice? Hmmm.... strong resemblance this old one has.... would probably have been the thought permeating through the minds of those wont to find something mocking. Okay, so Yoda’s better looking (a tad), has got bigger ears, and likely more adept at deflecting bullshit, what with having a light-saber and all.

But you don’t have to try very hard to find a resemblance, do you?

The point is, even if it were one of the Star Wars good guys, some idiot somewhere would probably find something offensive about it when put against the image of our esteemed Prime Minister. Not to imply that our MPs are idiots, of course (snicker). But some of ‘em have this uncanny skill of attracting ridicule without much effort... strong the Farce is in some elected ones...

In all likelihood, put any character from Star Wars in that bus shelter, and those intent on finding mockery will definitely find it. In spades.

Han Solo? Scoundrel.

Luke Skywalker? Bumbling wannabe trying hard to be like his father, but never quite succeeding. In the Star Wars universe, this turned out to not be such a bad thing. In our universe, a different connotative story altogether.

Princess Leia? Altantuya.

You simply cannot avoid potentially insulting those wired up to be insult magnets. It’s like discharging a shotgun into a horde of rampaging zombies and not hitting a single one. Possible, but highly unlikely.

Come to think of it, put ANY character in that bus shelter... it simply is a lose-lose proposition. Solution? Just do what you think is right, and not worry too much about what the fault-finders may think.

The producer of the Undilah music video has done just that – stuck to his guns, with a rebuttal (via The Malaysian Insider). And Pete Teo being Pete Teo, a head-butt of a rebuttal. Which, to Walski, is the right thing to do.

Naysayers will be naysayers, and it’s next to impossible to create something of value – exactly what Pete Teo has done with Undilah – without them conjuring up some sort of farce to fuss over.

In the words of that make believe diminutive mystic of the Star Wars universe, pondering over his new pair of shiny sports shoes, “Do it, just”.

Go Viral for make benefit glorious nation of Malaysiastan

2011-09-24T11:38:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: PSA, Undilah, MCMC, SKMM, Viral

You really got to wonder sometimes what the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was really set up for.

A video promoting the right to vote has been taken off the air by local broadcasters despite a push for greater democracy because it contains opposition figures and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s speech talking about Malaysia having problems.

The Malaysian Insider learnt that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) directed local broadcasters this week not to use the public service announcement (PSA) produced by musician Pete Teo just days after its launch on September 16.

“MCMC emailed both Astro and Media Prima Bhd about the issue, telling them the video clip should not be aired because Ku Li speaks about the country having problems and also because it features opposition leaders,” an industry source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to Tengku Razaleigh by his popular nickname.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

The problem the MCMC has, apparently, is the word “problem”, mentioned by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who’s featured in the video, in relation to ~~Malaysiastan~~ Malaysia. Oh, and the appearance of opposition personalities, too, it seems.

Is this what ‘more democracy’ means, Najib?

Walski is starting to wonder whether the media misunderstood our esteemed Prime Minister, who may have actually said ‘more demagoguecracy’ on the eve of Malaysia Day a week ago.

Well, whatever... in situations like this, when a simple Public Service Announcement urging folks to register to vote becomes something so scary that the MCMC has to stick their noses into and suppress, there’s only one recourse for netizens like Walski: make the video go viral.
(the video, how you can make it go viral, and more, in the full post)

So, here’s the video that the MCMC prefers you didn’t view. Or even know about.

All credit and kudos to Pete Teo, the creative mind behind this excellent public service effort.

Seriously, make it go viral. Post it on your Facebook page, or blog/website (if you have one), or download it. And if you’re on Twitter, twalk about it.

Walski’s quite sure it’s not the intention of the MCMC for folks to not register to vote. It’s just that they sure have some strange ideas about what we can, or shouldn’t, have access to. Everybody and their pet iguana knows Malaysia’s got problems. Heck, which country doesn’t?

Well, denial is NOT going to solve these problems, just as denial isn’t a river in Egypt. If the current government isn’t effective enough for your liking, change it – not through violent revolt or anything silly like that, but through your vote.

And to vote, you’ve got to be a registered voter. Which is what Undilah is all about. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

That’s the part the MCMC doesn’t seem to get. All it sees through their rose-tinted blinkers are the personalities featured, and what’s mentioned, without seeing the bigger picture.

As any optometrist will readily tell you, blinkers – rose tinted or otherwise – obstruct your peripheral vision, making it difficult to see the bigger picture of what’s around you. Or, in this case, in front of you.

Thus far, as of the time of posting, the video has gotten well over 334,000 views on YouTube (the sum of all 4 language versions: English, BM, Chinese & Tamil). That’s not counting direct downloads, which Walski doesn’t have the figures for. On Facebook, Undilah has gotten over 14,000 likes.

You can help keep the momentum going. For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Malaysia... stan.

Ten Years Later...

2011-09-11T20:46:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: September 11, 9/11, Hate, Tragedy, R.E.M.

Time flies, doesn’t it? It’s been ten years since September 11, 2001, better known as 9/11.

Walski wrote at length about his thoughts five years ago; thoughts that he has no intention of repeating five years later today. If you like, you can re-read them here, and those from one year ago here.

Instead, let us reflect on the world we live in, as a result of what happened that fateful day, and what has transpired since. There is one song that embodies some of the feelings Walski has relating to 9/11, which he’d like to share with you.

There are specific reasons why Walski chose this particular song. But none of them have to do with losing his creed, just like the song really has nothing to do with religion...
(9/11 thoughts a decade later, and more, in the full post)

As is typical when September 11 rolls along, you’ll hear all kinds of analyses, thoughts, rememberances, blame-storming, etc. Ad nauseum. And so Walski will refrain from doing that. Or, at the very least, try not to.

Fortunately, the events of that day hasn’t caused Walski to totally lose faith in mankind, nor has he lost the belief that people are basically good – regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality.

The epiphany that hit Walski that day, more than anything else, is the realization of how powerful an emotion hate can be. Because he believes that at the root of what happened that day is nothing other than hate.

Any faith is essentially good. But when hate manifests itself, no creed is spared from the potential of being distorted to do bad things. Evil things.

R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion is not about faith, but it is about something unrealized or unachieved. Specifically, the song is about unrequited love. It’s a pining and yearning for something that you know might not be within reach.

Walski has a similar pining and yearning. However, it’s not love that he yearns for, but the elimination of hate.

He senses that the atmosphere of hate is on the increase here in Malaysia. And it seems to stem partly from the helplessness of not being able to change things for the better. There’s hate in how we conduct our politics, from all sides of the political divide. Making it worse is the impression Walski gets that in order to be successful in politics, one must have the ability to instill hate in one’s supporters of the ubiquitous other, whatever that other might happen to be.

In some cases, that "other" is whoever is on the other side of the political divide, and in other cases, it’s those who profess a different faith.

The last thing Walski wants to see is all that hate, which in turn fuels more hate, come to an unstoppable pinnacle, causing the haters to go on an uncontrollable hate rampage. And that, in essence, is how Walski sees the events of 9/11, half the world away, a whole decade later – uncontrolled hate manifested.

If there's one single lesson we Malaysians can learn from 9/11, it is that hate, assisted by the incredible power of bad ideas, can manifest itself into something destructive.

The destructive forces unleashed one decade ago today not only changed the New York City skyline, it changed the way we view the world we live in. Hate triumphed on that day, in more ways than we can imagine.

It silently perpetuates itself to this day, cleverly disguised, rearing its ugly head ever so subtly in forms not easily distinguishable.

If we can successfully eliminate hate from our lives, the world once again will change. This time, though, it’ll be for the better. It will really be the end of the world as we know it...

But this time around, you’ll really feel fine...

A funny thing happened on the way to the present...

2011-09-03T18:26:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: History, Malaya, Historical Perspectives, Mat Sabu, UMNO, Butthurt

It is often said that history is written by the victors. To be precise, Winston Churchill said that, or so it is popularly believed – there seems to be some dispute over this, as Walski discovered.

But assuming Churchill was the one who said it, the world today remembers the man as a successful war-time Prime Minister of Great Britain. In fact, many consider Winston Churchill to be one of history’s most successful wartime leaders.

The question is, though, if the Allies had not won the war in Europe, and Hitler had triumphed instead, would Churchill be remembered the same way today?

The answer: most probably not. In all likelihood he might be known as The Butcher of Hamburg, or some other nasty epithet like that (over 40,000 civilian deaths were documented in that bombing, by the way).

Walski, while in school, was never too interested in history, because he felt that it was boring. His interest in history emerged many, many years later when he discovered that the subject of history is much more than just important dates, people and places. What makes history interesting is the why and how.

And the truth is that there are many versions of why and how.

History, as it turns out, is very much a matter of perspective, apart from dates, people and places. And the popular perspective, as it turns out, really depends on who the victors are. When someone challenges the popular and official historical perspective of the victors, like what Mat Sabu did recently, feathers get ruffled, emotions stoked, and accusations of being a communist sympathizer emerge.
(inconvenient historical perspectives, and more, in the full post)

So, what was it that PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (more popularly known as Mat Sabu) said that ruffled UMNO feathers to the point of butt-hurt? Apparently, it is this:

For your information, Pisau.net is an unrepentantly pro-UMNO site (and part of the UMBecile network of sycophantic blogs), and so it’s no surprise that the communism context was added, despite the fact that communists or communism were never once mentioned. The key point Mat Sabu makes in the clip above – the history of our nation’s independence is seen very much from a British-friendly perspective, painting those who really fought against the British in bad light.

Today, the official view of this history is that UMNO and its Alliance partners were the sole champions of Malayan independence, with other contributors frequently left unmentioned, and quite often, even maligned.

In fact, just about everything Mat Sabu said in the video clip is factual:

the Bukit Kepong police station was a colonial British police station
the police officers were in the employ of the colonial British police force (this was in 1950)
Tok Janggut went against the British (over tax imposed, if not mistaken), and later declared a traitor by the then Kelantan Sultan, after British instigation
only those in the service of (or friendly to) the British colonial government were considered legitimate fighters for independence, while many others who were outright against the British colonialists and what the colonialists wanted, were labeled as terrorists and traitors

Walski wouldn’t go as far as to say, though, that the history of our independence is one big lie. He will agree that much of the popular history of that period is seen only from one perspective – that of UMNO’s, which in turn is a version of history that is very much British colonial-friendly.

Blogger Sakmongkol AK47 (himself an UMNO member and former Pahang state assemblyman) opines why the furor from all and sundry within UMNO over Mat Sabu’s remarks.

Why is UMNO concerned? I have touched on this slightly in my preceding article when I mentioned that PKMM was formed in 1945, one year earlier than UMNO. PKMM was the first Malay political party to clearly state Independence as its main vocation and raison d'être.

What is then alarming about Mat Sabu’s faux pas is the fear that it may lead to a widespread revision of history. If it snowballs into a widespread revision of history, then UMNO’s actual role MAY itself be diminished and it will no longer enjoy an unchallenged and monopolistic place in our nation’s history. Politically it will also mean that UMNO will find it increasingly difficult to claim absolute legitimacy as the nation’s only political force to have fought for MERDEKA. Its own heroes will be brought down to size.
(source: Sakmongkol AK47)

The story of Malaya's independence from the British is often times presented as a vanilla-flavored historical garden path. In truth, the whole story is a lot more colorful and closer resembles a garden maze, with numerous other players and factors involved, many of the paths leading to eventual dead ends. But these dead ends – primarily due to crackdowns by the British – are important, if we are to have a more holistic view of our nation’s history.

There is absolutely no dispute with the fact that UMNO and its Alliance partners played a role. The dispute is in the assertion that only they had a role to play. And why this assertion?

The answer, perhaps, lies in another quote, penned by a different man (emphasis by myAsylum):

'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'
(source: Wikiquote)

The man was none other than George Orwell, and the book he authored, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

So yeah, “official history” can not be challenged, because it challenges the very position of the status quo, and how it got there. That’s the narrow conservative view, at least. And if you were to ask Walski, the mainstream is slowly but surely becoming narrow conservative as the years flow by.

Funny thing history – you can’t change what happened, but it sure as heck makes a difference from whose perspective the story is told...

Blogging with Blogsy

2011-09-02T20:59:00.001+08:00

Technorati tags: Blogging, iPad, Blogsy

This post is a test of using a different blogging tool on the iPad, called Blogsy. Walski just installed it moments ago, and this is the first test post.

In a sense, it works somewhat like Blogger+, the other tool Walski has evaluated for the iPad. The biggest difference, so far, is that the user interface seems a bit easier to use.

One thing he has noticed, though, is that the paragraph handling is a little bit different.

Probably, what Walski will use this tool for is blogging on the go. Then, similar to how he's used Amplify, come back later to edit the post to its final look and feel.
(other initial thoughts, in the full post)

What would have made this e perfect tool would have been the ability to use the Rich (WYSIWYG) view to do text editing, instead of having to use the Write view, which is also where you'd do your HTML formatting. That said, there are more tools available to ease the usually tedious task of typing in HTML.

For example, the Format tool provides automatic placement of commonly used tags – in Walski's case the Paragraph tag, which he uses regularly.

Another example would have to do with blogging based on a template – so far, it’s kinda worked okay, but Walski has got to create a dummy post containing the HTML code that forms the template, then copy the code to a new post to use.

Still, it looks like uploading a post to the PC for updating and format-repair work is something Walski still can’t quite escape from – for example, the correct look for this post only appeared after editing it on the PC, including the addition of this and the preceding paragraph. Oh, and the next, too.

More posts on the Blogsy experience later...

By the way, if you'd like to know more about this tool, you can check out this review, published by The iPad Fan.

Merdeka, 54 years on...

2011-08-31T12:21:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Merdeka, August 31, Independence, Proclamation Of Independence, 1957

On this day, 54 years ago, an important proclamation was made, signifying the birth of a new nation, at the time called Malaya. The history and events preceding that historic event at Stadium Merdeka over half a century ago may be somewhat contentious, as the contributions of many remain unspoken, or even obscured from public mind-share.

But we’ll leave that aspect of Merdeka for another day.

What Walsksi wants to focus on instead is what was proclaimed on that day, in 1957. It may have been before Walski was born, what was uttered that day is something that all Malaysians should know.

For within the text of the declaration lies something which all Malaysians today should have, but has been made illusive along the historical garden path that we’ve traversed.

That something, in fact, are two important precepts upon which this nation was founded. It is the same two precepts that, as the days go by, seem to become more in theory than in practice.
(the Proclamation of Independence, and more in the full post)

Proclamation of Independence - 1957

The last paragraph of the proclamation contain these two precepts, principles upon which this nation was declared to be based on – liberty and justice.

Walski wonders, as we advance through the years, do these two precepts still hold true?

It’s something worth pondering upon as we celebrate our 54th year of independence. Personally, Walski thinks that while we still have some semblance of liberty and justice in practice, the true meaning of these two precepts have been forgotten.

Evident from the proclamation is that these two precepts were chosen over the multitude of principles that could have been mentioned. That the two precepts are mentioned as requisites to achieving happiness and welfare of the people is also something worth remembering.

As you ponder this, allow Walski to wish you Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan ke 54... may we one day achieve the goal of being one nation, with liberty and justice for ALL.

Selamat Merdeka Raya... Eid Mubarrak!

2011-08-30T00:54:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Eid, Selamat Hari Raya, Celebration, Merdeka

Anak bulan di langit senja,
Tanda akhirnya bulan Ramadhan,
Sebulan sudah kita berpuasa,
Kini masanya menyambut lebaran

Original image credits: Malaysian flag (from here) & Putrajaya Mosque (from here)

Pantun (or Malay verse) is not exactly Walski’s forte, but he tries. Most of all, he’d like to wish all Malaysians Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Eid Mubarrak to one and all...
(some thoughts on a special national day raya, and more, in the full post)

Because the Hijri calendar revolves around our everyday-use Gregorian calendar, lagging approximately 11 days every year, this time around Aidil Fitri falls one day before National Day. Which is nice, because it means that Walski can take the whole week off without any guilt. And boy, does he need a break.

Extra-long holidays aside, Walski is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Perhaps Raya falling in such close proximity to Hari Merdeka is meant to remind us of what it means to be Malaysian during festivities.

Be it Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali or Christmas, Malaysians have always celebrated together. That’s one of the things that makes our nation unique. Granted, many of our cultural celebrations have their roots in the various creeds held by the various cultures that make up our nation. But that has never stopped Malaysians from celebrating as one people. And so it should be.

As time progresses, however, Walski cannot help but notice that there was a lot less hesitation about joining each others’ celebrations in days past, compared to the present.

If you recall, back in 2006, there was this advisory e-mail that made its rounds, warning Muslims about the “dangers” wishing someone Happy Deepavali could pose to their faith. Since then there have been many other articles, sermons, and what not, constantly reminding Muslims that jeopardy to their faith lies in... well, just about anything not officially labeled “Islamic”.

Walski’s talked about before in the past, in more than one post, so he won’t repeat himself here.

We won’t delve into why this has progressively been happening over the past several decades, but for someone who follows these developments with a keen interest, Walski really wonders why we seem to be steadily retreating back into our own demographic comfort zones, rather than forging forward as one people.

Perhaps Hari Raya falling one day before Hari Merdeka is to remind us that we should embrace that uniquely Malaysian practice of sharing our festivities, not reject it. And in doing so, help forge us as one nation, of one people – one bangsa Malaysia.

And so, that said, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, to all Malaysians, wherever you might be...

The Stream, The Divide, and cutting through The Noise

2011-08-28T14:54:00.000+08:00

Technorati tags: Aljazeera, The Stream, Ethnic and Religious divide, Insights, Commentary

Aljazeera has this regular segment called The Stream. In essence, this program delves into more detail the less talked about stories they find in the social media circuit, looking beyond the popular hashtags, in the case of Twitter.

In their own words, “#8millionBeliebers and #TeamSheen will not figure on The Stream”.

One of those stories is the ethnic and religious divide in our country that is becoming, it seems, more and more apparent. It’s not something we here living in Malaysia are not already aware of, and in the case of Walski, it’s something he’s seen being talked about more and more in our own little corner of the social media world.

The Stream, on Friday, did a segment on this, featuring three well-known Malaysian personalities: Khairy Jamaluddin, Marina Mahathir, and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

In the age of instant gratification we live in today, 27 minutes may seem like a long time, but it’s 27 minutes worth watching. It’s only after watching the whole thing that he could provide his own opinions. And boy, does Walski have a lot to say...
(the state of our nation, and more, in the full post)

First off, if you bothered to watch the segment in its entirety, you’ll notice that the segment wasn’t very well moderated. In fact, in went off in several tangents, quite incongruous to the central topic (the foreign student and “refugee-swap” tangents specifically).

That said, the fact that The Stream featured this issue is an indication that the world is indeed starting to take notice. We have to come to terms with the reality that Malaysia can no longer prevent what happens within her borders from being seen outside, despite the sugary sweet delusion of Malaysia, Truly Asia that we aggressively promote outside.

Screenshot from The Stream

And despite the rather shoddy moderating, there were a few good points raised. First is the question of whether the heightened tension we’re seeing is something manufactured by interested parties in the run-up to an anticipated election around the corner. Nik Nazmi’s careful politician’s comment aside, Walski is of the opinion that the answer is a resounding YES. In fact, it started just after the last general election, with the formation of Perkasa (more on that later).

Between then and now, more religion-based elements have crept into Perkasa’s rhetoric and actions, to the extent that they’re trying to portray themselves as champions of race and religion. It should not be forgotten that what JAIS did (the “visit“ to the DUMC) was in response to a tip-off from an unnamed party. Who was responsible for the tip-off? And who is it that continues to harp ad nauseum about the attempt to convert Muslims, in relation to the multi-faith charity event at DUMC, despite there not being any clear evidence?

So yeah, it could very well be that what happened at DUMC was engineered to set a campaign platform that Islam is at risk, and that one and only party can protect Muslims from their faith being attacked. From there, garnering Malay support is almost a given.

Second point, raised by Khairy, is on Article 153 – there is no mention of special rights of Malays or anyone else in that article. What is there is mention of the special position of the Malays and indigenous peoples of the country, upon which policies can be formed to provide quotas in public service and education. In Walski’s opinion, there’s nothing wrong with Article 153 per se. What’s wrong is with the policies set, and more importantly, how they’ve been executed.

The NEP, looked at on a macro level, had noble intentions, to make economic function unrelated to ethnicity, and to eradicate poverty. But that’s where the NEP’s nobleness stops, because it’s execution over the last four decades has made it into something contemptuous for the most part.

One large elephant-in-the-room fact that the so-called protectors of race and religion refuse to see is that changing, or even eliminating, the NEP does not negate Article 153. In fact, the NEP has nothing directly to do with Article 153. Only someone terminally stupid would believe otherwise. And terminal stupidity a condition that seems to be exhibited by Perkasa, and those in the same mental time zone as that organization.

A policy set in a different era and circumstance cannot be perpetual (it was NEVER designed to be in the first place). Of course, the likes of Perkasa, and similar mental midgets, will want us to believe that the 2011 situation is identical to that of 1970. Walski honestly doesn’t know if they themselves believe this, but that’s the impression he gets – they’re trapped in time. That’s the only plausible explanation why Perkasa will warn and threaten others to not question their superiority, but in the same breath say they still need their crutches.

Third, what little Marina managed to get in – that Malaysian politicians themselves are talking about race and religion, as if nothing else were important. Just think about – when something untoward happens, who is it that turns the incident into something politically contentious? More often than not, it’s the politicians themselves, or members of bodies politic.

Any comments made, politicized. Any criticisms, politicized. Sneeze, and someone says “bless you”, it gets politicized from a religious angle about how the wrong thing is uttered and this is due to us being subtly proselytized by the Christians... every damned thing becomes either political, or religiously political.

Not a day goes by, it seems, without a politician, or politician-wannabe-in-NGOs-clothing (sometimes ulama-clothing), sounding the clarion call for either Malay unity, or Muslim unity, or both in the same breath.

Viewed from the outside, what an observer sees is that Muslims in Malaysia are really very fragile, and sees EVERYTHING as a threat to their religion.

The reality? From Walski’s perspective, it’s the inability of entrenched minds to accept the fact that Malays today are no longer a monolithic force, with an identical mindset, having a carbon-copy worldview that can easily be manipulated for the sake of political power-mongering.

This, by the way, was the observation made by Professor Clive Kessler in his Merdeka essay, published by the Malaysian Insider, earlier this week.

The historic reason for the present lack of Malay unity is clear. The Malays of Malaysia are now irreversibly divided, as they never were in the past, by the NEP.

Not by current debates about the NEP — whether it is good or bad, whether it should be extended or phased out, whether it should give way to reward on the basis of merit and proven achievement — but by the long accumulating effects of the NEP over the last 40 years.

What the NEP sought to do, and succeeded triumphantly in doing, was to promote a rapid and far-reaching diversification of the Malay people of Malaysia: economically, socially, culturally and intellectually, in their orienting everyday attitudes and personalities.

The reason why Malay unity has become so elusive, even impossible to achieve in these present times, is simply the NEP. And the NEP was the project, and what it accomplished has been the much-vaunted result, of nobody other than the Umno.

So it is strange indeed to hear the Umno, or those who profess themselves concerned for its future and fate, bemoaning and denouncing the contemporary lack of Malay unity.

Today’s irrepressible and advancing Malay diversity is nothing other than one of the finest achievements, in its best years, of one of Umno’s finest, most favoured policies.

It is a triumphantly accomplished fact.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

While the NEP may not have achieved its stated objectives, nor has it managed to conjure the mystical 30% that’s etched into Ibrahim Ali’s brain, it has produced some good along the way. What Professor Kessler’s pointed out is one of those positive side-effects.

Make no mistake, though – the apparent widening of the race and religious divide in Malaysia is very real. But hidden behind the rhetoric and scare-mongering, let’s not forget the root cause of what’s happening.

Just like a lot of other things in Malaysian public life, at the core of this divide is none other than politics. Cutting through the noise, that’s what it all boils down to.

You have a simple choice to make – either fuel the political fire these fossilized minds are trying to fan, or quite simply tell these politicians and politician-wannabes-in-NGO-and-sometimes-ulama-clothing to fuck off; get on with our lives towards a better Malaysia that every citizen can be proud of.

Walski’s already made his choice, and it’s time for you to make yours, as well...

Our forefathers, bless their souls, delivered this nation from the clutches of colonialism not so that we could one day be re-colonized from within, by those who view power as the only end their many means seek to achieve. It was so that we could stand tall as a sovereign nation all Malayans (and later Malaysians) can be proud of.

We have certainly come a long way from that point in history some 54 years ago when Tunku Abdul Rahman declared us an independent nation. It’s time we reclaimed the ideals and aspirations that our Bapa Malaysia, together with his contemporaries, strived to realize.

Not a nation divided along any lines, and not a nation where one demographic claims lordship over the rest, but as one Bangsa Malaysia forging our future together.

Malaysia, Human Rights, and the Zen of Idiocy

2011-08-27T13:25:00.001+08:00

Technorati tags: Human Rights, Imran Khan, Idiocy, Hypocrisy

This is the second high profile lawyer-non-grata case that Malaysia has gotten herself embroiled in recently, the first being the French human rights lawyer back in July .

It really boggles the mind to think that this nation has regressed to this extent. Worse than a communist despotic state, sometimes. And yet, Malaysia holds a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.

So, is Walski to understand that Malaysia promotes human rights outside its borders, but within it cares fuck all?

Read the rest of the opinion piece below, which is, quite frankly, an eye-opener about a country that bends over backwards to portray itself as something it's not...

Amplify’d from www.guardian.co.uk

On being detained at Kuala Lumpur airport

In the Hollywood film The Terminal Tom Hanks plays (with obligatory mangled foreign accent) a character who is trapped in New York's JFK airport. Last week, I had a similar experience at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. Whereas Tom Hanks's character spends years trapped, I was only there for a few hours. The episode was both humiliating and enlightening. I had been engaged by a Malaysian lawyer, Waytha Moorthy, to look into taking action against the British government for its role in the exploitation of Indian Hindus during Malaysia's period as a colony, and its failure to protect their rights when independence was declared in 1957.

Ethnic Indians make up just over 6% of Malaysia's 28.3 million people, while Muslim Malays account for just over 61% and ethnic Chinese some 25%. A coalition led by the United Malays National Organisation has ruled since independence, which, according to Moorthy, had led to widespread human rights violations and discrimination of the Indian Malaysian population. About 70% live in abject poverty and one in six are effectively stateless as they are denied a birth certificate. Moorthy originally lodged his action on the 31 August 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.

However, the claim stalled following the arrest of the lawyers involved under a draconian piece of legislation called the Internal Security Act. Moorthy had demanded compensation for Indian Malaysians whose ancestors were brought in by the British government as indentured labour. The claim was that, after granting independence, the British had left the Indians without representation and at the mercy of the Malays.

So, the plan was to visit Malaysia and gather evidence and claims that would form the foundation of the case. A recent case involving individuals tortured by British soldiers in colonial Kenya gave fresh impetus to the proceedings. My pending arrival in Malaysia had received advance publicity from local police who had sought to intimidate organisers of the venue where I was expected to meet potential claimants. There was, therefore, some trepidation when I presented myself to the immigration desk on arrival at KLIA.

Read more at www.guardian.co.uk

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1bxps