Merdeka Golden Jubilee

Technorati tags: Merdeka, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Golden Jubilee, Malaysia

What does today mean to you?

For one person, now no longer with us, it was a day, 50 years ago, which was the crowning apex of many years of struggle, bringing together peoples of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, towards one goal. That of independence.

His effort was not achieved alone, however. It was thru the aspiration of his colleagues, but more importantly of the people of then Malaya, and the mandate given by the people to him, that helped him in his efforts.

Our independence is unique. For one thing, it was achieved without bloodshed, without violent revolution. It was a different kind of revolution, though. It was a revolution of mind, rather than body. It was the belief that having a single aim would be enough to overcome the numerous hurdles and differences in ideology. It was the belief that achieving independence was an ideal so important, that it transcended all other concerns of race and religion.

Yes, along the way towards that historic stroke of midnight 50 years ago, there were compromises made on all sides. It is the spirit of compromise that some would have us believe is still with us. Not the "this is what we want, and you're gonna give it" kind of compromise that seems to be the norm of today's Malaysian political landscape. But it was a compromise of all sides giving a little bit up in view, with full sincerity, of the ultimate goal - one of utmost importance.

In many ways, 50 years later, we have lost the essence of that spirit.
(more Merdeka thoughts, in the full post)

Today, it's no longer about Malaysia first, and me second. In fact, the opposite seems to be becoming the norm. The collective me, defined around religio-racial lines, takes precedence over national interests. The collective me that ignores the most important criteria of equal citizenship. The collective me that has become the root of the "us against them" mindset that has festered in our society today.

50 years of Independence... are we really, yet?

Ask most Malaysians today what they identify with, and most likely the answer you'll get is race and/or religion, first and foremost. Identifying with Malaysia comes a distant third. If at all.

Yes, we have come a long way materially. The physical landscape of Malaysia - it's infrastructure - has come a long way from 50 years ago. But at what state is its mental landscape? Has it grown in tandem? In this global world that continues to flatten at a frightening rate, are we grappling with the more pertinent issue of how to build a better mousetrap, or are we still mired in the rhetorical arguments of why mousetraps are bad?

What would the late Tunku think of the state of Malaysia today? Would he feel his vision for Malaya, and later Malaysia, had been achieved? Or would he have bittersweet feelings - while we have progressed materially, the soul of Malaysia, as he had envisioned, is somehow slowly dying.

M. Bakri Musa wrote a poetic piece to express his feelings regarding our Golden Jubilee of Independence (used here by permission, the original Bahasa Malaysia version can be read on Bakri's blog).

Meaning of Merdeka (Independence) 50

Merdeka to the nation! Merdeka for my ambition!
Freedom of speech! Freedom of thought!
The benevolence of colonials, merdeka is not
Free! Unshackled! That’s the command of the Lord.

My universe is broad, the blessing of God.
I strive, but only He knows my fate and lot.
Oceans, mountains, and boundaries faze me not
The global waves a match for my surfing board.

My village abode is not my tether
The yonder wide world beckons me thither.
Firm on ground, the heavens above I praise
And pray my dream will find its rightful place.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
That is Allah’s command; His measured kindness.
It is not for kings and rulers to alter
Nor put boundaries to God’s desire.

Blessed with freedom and reason are God’s children
To lords and kings we are never beholden.
The feudal order had long been toppled
Let’s be clear, the sovereign is the people.

Ponder the fate of one Idi Amin
That of Shah Pahlavi was equally grim!
These realities our leaders must heed
“Power to the People!” is the new creed.
Praise the wandering son, our true hero

Heeding the call when the distant wind blows.
This “us” versus “them” makes little sense
True to yourself, that is the essence.
Blessed our forefathers for that lesson.

My roots have deepened in this foreign soil
Affected or not, so too my Western drawl.
The spicy taste of yore has lost its punch
Still, the old Malay can, … lah! In a crunch!

Far across the ocean the old abode beckons
My kith and kind, Oh! They readily come to mind!
As I ponder, the heart grows fonder
Reliving stories of days yonder.

The young has flown, the empty nest silent
Sadness yes, but memories remain vibrant.
Freedom! Merdeka! Such intoxicating beauty!
With fondness and passion, I readily embrace thee.

M. Bakri Musa
Morgan Hill, California
August 2007

All in all, however, Walski is hopeful. For in the end, change has to come from us, the people. And if there is a will, there is still a way to realize the vision of our Father of Independence. In the end, it is we, the people, who shall dictate how we want to be governed.

In your memory, kind sir, Walski dedicates this post. On today, the 50th anniversary of our independence that you fought so hard for.

Merdeka!
Merdeka!
Merdeka!

Click here for the full post......

Malaysian Taliban-wannabe retards

Technorati tags: Religion, Islam, Politics, Idiocy

Retards. Armed with what looks like a black coat-hanger (second retard from the left). And a video camera, to record their retardness for posterity (hat-tip: 4896 and Screenshots).

You know something has terribly gone wrong when every little thing becomes an insult, leading to this kind of thuggish display of sheer idiocy. Worse, done purportedly in the name of God.
(sensitivity overload, and more, in the full post)

What's interesting is that "Tanah Melayu" and not Malaysia is mentioned. Farish Noor recently wrote a two-part essay entitled Malaysia and the Myth of ‘Tanah Melayu’ (Part 1 and Part 2). The opening paragraph perhaps succintly describes the mindset/environment, when taken to an extreme, results in the idiocy exhibited in the video.

We are sustained by myths only as long as they are empowering, inspiring, instrumental and serve our interests; yet when those very same myths provide us with little else than the false comfort of an unreconstructed nostalgia for a past that never existed, then they turn into cages that imprison us for life.
(Source: Malaysia and the Myth of ‘Tanah Melayu’ - Part 1)

But then again, assuming that these are but misguided youth, who's responsible for misguiding them in the first place, if not for a very large segment of our own Malaysian politicians, whose mantra is race, religion, race? All the kids are doing is emulating what they see exhibited by authority figures. Granted, they've taken it to a new low.

But really, what you see in the YouTube video is an example of how things have gone terribly wrong in our country, fueled by the politics of race and religion.

Not exactly heart-warming to see on the eve of the Golden Jubilee of Merdeka, is it?

Click here for the full post......

A ray of Hope, and a Rainbow

Technorati tags: Picture Post, Hope, Bangsa Malaysia, Clouds, Silver Lining, Rainbow

Walski just got back from the Peninsular East Coast, after attending a day and a half seminar organized by Petronas for some of their vendors. Needless to say, after the drive there, some cerebral moments during the seminar, and the drive back... Walski's kinda like a walking zombie at the moment. So this post is not going to be very wordy. Except for this paragraph, maybe.

Anyways, Walski left last Saturday's Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Get-Together feeling hopeful. So when he saw this thru the windscreen on the drive back earlier this evening, he had to take a snapshot.

Silver linings... and blistering sunlight breaking thru.

For some reason, his thoughts went back to Saturday, and the hope he felt.
(Walski's rainbow moment, in the full post)

Then, some 20 minutes later after going thru the Karak toll booth, Walski decided to take a short stretch break. Mother Nature then decided to give Walski another nice photo op.

... And extremists (of any kind) need not enter...

It's almost like somebody up there is trying to tell Walski... "Chin up, dude!"

And that, boys and girls, is about all the blogging that Walski can muster for this calendar day. The brain cells are complaining of over-exertion... and... must... shut.... down.

Hasta mañana...

Click here for the full post......

In thru the back door...

Technorati tags: Common Law, Islamic Law, Islam, Islam-as-I-say-tion

Related posts:
► Something's been brewing while we were asleep...
► Super Caliphate-a-listic Expialidocious

Last Thursday, Walski hinted at certain quarters wanting to dismantle the way civil laws are administered, moving away from Common Law methodology, towards Shariah techniques. Without saying it in so many words. Well, guess what appeared in The Star last Friday?

Islamization thru the back door... (via The Star)

In through the back door, boys and girls. Without referendum, without debate, whether we like it or not. So does the statement made by the Minister in the PM's Department (highlighted above) imply that the Civil Laws we have does not give importance to justice?

And going by that, it must also mean that incarceration of people simply because they no longer believe in a particular faith is also justice. On which planet is another question, of course.

Or is this simply another smokescreen to divert attention from the real problems within the judiciary? Also last week, Rocky introduced to us a blog that has taken pains to document the actual rot that is festering in the Judiciary - it's called Malaysia's Judiciary, created by Ganesh Sahathevan, formerly a journalist with The Sun.

But what if it is not a smokescreen? What if it is indeed pushing Islamization of our Civil Laws in thru the back door?
(more backdoor analysis, in the full post)

So what if the Common Law system was inherited from our colonial masters? Take a gander down south, to Singapore. They practice pretty much the same system as we do. Are they so uppity about getting rid of systems that work like we are, simply because these systems were put in place by the British? Are we actually aspiring to be Pakistan?

And the last time Walski checked, our Singaporean friends are doing pretty okay, as far as the rule of law goes. Okay, they do get over-the-top when it comes to supressing the opposition, but other than that...

This is the exact epitome of what Syed Akbar Ali asked in his book, "Malaysia and the Club of Doom" - why the fuck do we need to reinvent the wheel? Is an Islamic wheel any more round than a normal wheel? Or is there another more Islamic-friendly wheel shape Walski doesn't know about?

Walski has the feeling somebody is going to go ballistic over this latest encroachment... that's what that somebody told Walski over the weekend. Won't say who for now... but you'll find out when it happens. And Walski will let you know then.

Meanwhile, that back door gets busier and busier by the day... entry point of more and more encroachment, that will ulitmately fuck this nation up to a point beyond redemption.

Click here for the full post......

One Voice, One Malaysia

Technorati tags: Bangsa Malaysia, Malaysia, Merdeka

Updated @ 1318hrs: More blogs that have reported on the event (at the end of the post)

There's a feeling that Walski felt Saturday night that he had not felt in a very long time. It was a feeling of belonging... to feel that he's a part of something important. And on the past Saturday night, for the first time in a very long while, Walski felt it.

And it felt good.

Pledging ourselves as one people, one Malaysia

Mere words can hardly describe the feeling Walski had at the moment the picture above was taken, which was towards the tail end of the Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Get-together last night. You had to be there... re-affirming our pledge of allegience, the Rukunegara, and singing the national anthem, in the glow of candles held by a group of very varied people with one thing in common - that we're all Malaysians - is something that has been missing in Walski's life for a very long time. And based on what Malik Imtiaz confessed - that this was the first national day event he had attended - Walski suspects that this feeling of belonging has been missing from the lives of many of us as well.

Walski didn't attend the forum held earlier in the day, and only got there much later. At the end of this post, Walski has posted links to others blogs that have reported on the event more comprehensively.

Rocky got up to talk about a brief history of how All Blogs came about - oh, Walski neglected to mention that the event was held at the Blog House, the new home of the National Association of Bloggers, or All-Blogs.

The picture may have come out underexposed, but definitely not so with All Blogs...

Jeff Ooi, whom from now on shall have the prefix of Y.B. (which at this stage in his political career, stands for Yang Ber-blog), also got up and gave us a pantun (traditional Malay verse).

Yang Ber-blog (YB) Jeff Ooi...

Walski's personal highlight of the evening was finally, after all this time, meeting buddy blogger Howsy face-to-face for the first time. This is one fair-skinned, handsome specimen of manhood, whom Mrs. Walski said later, even puts her to shame (and yes, the Mrs is pretty fair herself)!
(Walski & Howsy, and more, in the full post)

Somehow, this is the way the picture came out...

Yeah, it's definitely one for Walski's treasured picture scrapbook... Walski also met face-to-face, for the first time, folks like SK Thew, the legendary TV Smith, Hafiz (aka the __earthinc), Lulu and the bubbly Cheryl, among others. And also the chance to catch up with old friends and acquaintences, and of course, make new ones.

WE WERE HERE!
(courtesy of TV Smith)

More importantly, we came to the crux of why we were all there - the unveiling of an initiative to reclaim our place in history - Pelitar, which stands for Penyanyang Legasi dan Inspirasi Tunku Abdul Rahman, which will carry the aspirational torch of Bangsa Malaysia to other parts of the nation, beginning with Penang, tentatively on September 16 (which incidentally is Hari Malaysia - the actual day Sabah and Sarawak joined the federation to form the geographical Malaysia we know today).

Unveiling Pelitar...

In unveiling this initiative, Haris Ibrahim, the man behind The People's Parliament, and one of the key driving forces behind Pelitar, gave us a reminder of what our Father of Independence, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman aspired for us, and in Tunku's own words, what he also feared. It is a reminder, a painful one at that, of how far we have actually deviated from what our Bapa Kemerdekaan had aspired for us. Today we stand as a nation divided along racial, religious and ideological lines... which is something the Pelitar initiative hopes to reverse.

Walski ends this post with another look at the Rukunegara and Negaraku rendition by candlelight...

Somehow, this is the way the picture came out...

And in the glow of about 50-some candles, we came together as one people, celebrating half a century of nationhood, during a night where race, sex and political affiliation became irrelevant. We were there for one and only one reason - to celebrate our nation, Malaysia, as one people - Bangsa Malaysia.

Other blogs reporting on the Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Get-together (UPDATED):
► 3540 Jalan Sudin
► A Little Taffer's Room
► Big Dog
► Euphoria in Misery
► June x 2
► MageP's Lab
► My Journal
► Rocky's Bru
► Screenshots
► SOB Nation
► The Nocturnal Mind
► The People's Parliament
► The Sensintrovert
► Yeah, sure, whatever

Click here for the full post......

Late nite factory blaze...

Technorati tags: Fire, Factory Fire, Sungai Buloh

Late yesterday evening, Walski had just returned from the Bangsa Malaysia get-together (more on that later in a separate post, but check out MageP's Lab for a taste), when 3 explosions could be heard. By the sound of it, the explosions would have come from within somewhere in the immediate 2-kilometer radius. The Mrs & Walski initially thought it was fireworks, but going to the window, we quickly decided it was otherwise.

Looking out, from a location West-Northwest from where Walski lives, a huge plume of flamy black smoke could be seen emanating from just beyond the tree line. And so, with the Mrs tagging along, Walski went to investigate. Does sound a little kay-poh (busy-body) of us, huh? But it did look like the fire was pretty close by - close enough to be concerned.

What we found out was that one of the factories in the nearby industrial estate (Subang Jaya Industrial Area in Sungai Buloh) had indeed caught fire. It was the factory and warehouse buildings, adjacent to the corporate office, of a prominent water filter company (Walski will withhold the indentity of the company for now).

Factory ablaze... just next to the corporate office

Fortunately, there were no casualties in this blaze. Bystanders whom Walski asked had said the factory was closed at the time, and there were no personnel in the factory at the time the fire started. Going by when the explosions were heard, Walski puts the fire starting at around 2330 - 2345 hrs last night.
(more pictures and some observations, in the full post)

The Fire and Rescue units were already there by the time Walski arrived at the site, which was around 0015 hrs. One fire truck had already been there (don't know at what time), and another arrived around the same time Walski did.

Bomba guys dousing the exterior to prevent structural collapse

One obersvation that Walski needs to point out - if you ever do want to go watch a fire like this, make sure that your vehicle, and self, do not get in the way of the fire & rescue vehicles. Particularly if there are casualties, when the ambulance needs immediate access. Malaysians being Malaysians, many parked their cars right in front of, or adjacent to, the factory on fire. This can be pretty risky, as you never know how the fire might spread. The last thing you'd want is for your vehicle to be part of the fire, right?

The Fire Department personnel did their best to ensure that the structure didn't collapse, by dousing the exterior with as much water as possible. Walski doesn't know what it was that exploded, nor does he know the cause of the fire. In all probability, it probably was some compressed (but non-flammable) gas, which most factories have. The fire & rescue personnel were busy enough trying to fight the fire for Walski to ask them what was going on. The dark plume of smoke - usually indicating hydrocarbons of some variety - would probably have come from the good deal of plastic materials you'd expect to find in a water filter manufacturing and warehousing facility.

View from the side

Just keep an eye out in the news on this - should be in the papers by tomorrow.

By the time Walski left the scene at around 0125 hrs this morning, the fire was still being contained within the factory and warehouse area, with the Fire & Rescue unit trying their best to prevent the office block from being engulfed in flames as well. Walski could see the Bomba folks in the office section (from their torchlight beams), making sure that the fire had indeed been contained.

As of 1100 hrs this morning, there was no more smoke from the location where the factory is. However, Walski has no further details on the extent of the damage, or if the office section survived the blaze. As mentioned above, stay tuned to the news...

One final observation - it's extremely difficult to take photos at night without a tripod, or some other support device. Walski had taken a number of shots, but unfortunately most of them came out pretty blurry. Either that, or Walski needs one of those cams that TV Smith has... and steadier hands!

Click here for the full post......

Super Caliphate-a-listic Expialidocious

Technorati tags: Islam, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hizbut Tahrir, Law, Common Law, Islam-as-I-say-tion

In case the title wasn't a dead giveaway, this has something to do with myAsylum's recent post about Hizb ut Tahrir and their grand ambitions of Islamic empire. In a kind of obtuse way, but Walski seems to see some parallels. Some might even call it being paranoid... but bear with Walski. And tell him (via the comments) if the points made here are valid or not.

First of, Walski would like to bring your attention to an article written by Farish Noor, which appeared recently on The Other Malaysia. In it, Farish briefly outlines the origins of Hizb ut-Tahrir, and briefly touches on the recent Hizb ut-Tahrir conference in Jakarta. But the gist of the article, in Walski's view, are contained within the last two paragraphs (emphasis by myAsylum).

What is more worrisome however is the trite and shallow logic at work among groups like the HT who simplistically think that the nation-state can simply be overturned and superceded by any means necessary, while failing to note that in the current age of globalisation this flawed and faulty apparatus may, ironically, be the only defensive tool we have left against the predatory moves of global capital. It is fine to talk about global solidarity between Muslims, a shared Muslim identity and common sets of values etc, as long as we also recognise that this grand Muslim history was not without its own share of problems and contradictions. For a start, HT’s love of the Caliphate ignores the fact that the Caliphs and great Sultans and Emperors of Islam in the past were not all just men (though they were all invariably men, and not women) and that the great Caliphates were also home for double-standards, exploitation, class and racial segregation and violent hierarchies as well.

Why do Muslims still entertain such nostalgic longings for an unreconstructed past that is, at best, two-dimensional and caricatural? Have we not evolved a political vocabulary that exceeds the narrow confines of the mythical universe of the Arabian Nights and Aladdin? Or has the Muslim world grown so jaded, so bereft of ideas and focus in direction that myths and fantasies will do in the absence of rational, workable solutions?
(source: The Other Malaysia)

As Walski had pointed out in the earlier post on Hizb ut-Tahir, their aim of a Super Caliphate is only a means for their real goal - the implementation of the Shariah on planet Earth. Which version of the Shariah is not clear (there is no "standard" application globally), but that is their ultimate aim.

Which translates to, in the context of Malaysia, replacing what civil laws we have with those that are Shariah-compliant. And this brings us to the other more pertinent issue at hand - back-door Islam-as-I-say-tion, without the benefit of referendum and debate.
(Howsy's CJ expose, what the connection is, in the full post)

Buddy blogger Howsy today posted on the Chief Justice's suggestion that Malaysia does away with the use of British Common Law methodology, as a means to "escape the clutches of the colonialism". Go read the article compilation that Howsy has put together, if you have the time.

But it's the last bit of what the Chief Justice was reported to have said that Walski thought was interesting. The statement was made to reporters after he had officiated the “Ahmad Ibrahim: Thoughts and Knowledge Contribution” seminar on Tuesday (emphasis by myAsylum).

He said he strongly supported the late Prof Ahmad Mohamad Ibrahim’s views to abolish the use of English common law and instead refer to the decisions of Malaysian courts, giving priority to local circumstances.

“In my opinion, his direction should be persevered, regardless of how it is modified. What is certain is that Professor Ahmad’s efforts were a clear objective that has placed Islamic law at its most qualified position,” he said.
(source: The Star)

Now, Walski doesn't claim to be a law expert, but as a layperson, this sounds like the CJ supporting Shariah law to supercede civil law in the long run. Through the back door, quietly, without referendum, debate or due process...

The Malaysian Bar Council, in The Star today rebutted the call by the CJ.

Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim’s call for the common law system to be replaced is without basis, the Bar Council said.

When Malaysian judges accept any English common law principle, they become part of Malaysian common law and Malaysian law is developed that way, said the Bar Council chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan.

Although nearly every British colony had adopted the English common law system, she said each country had developed its own common law.

“Thus, Malaysian common law differs in many respects from Indian or Australian common law,” said Ambiga in response to Ahmad Fairuz' call for its replacement on Tuesday.
(source, and full article: The Star)

And quite rightly so, Walski thinks - again, he's no lawyer, and this opinion is Walski's as a layperson. The article goes on to suggest that to discard the Common Law system would mean discarding the corpus of Malaysian case law built over the last 50 years.

What Walski wants to know is - to what end?

Walski knows for a fact that he's not the only one that sees the correlation between the encroachment of pro-Caliphate organizations (bearing in mind their ultimate, and not immediate aim) such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, and the CJ's statement, coupled with the current Chief Justice's recent decisions, particularly in the Lina Joy appeals case.

It's back-door Islam-as-I-say-tion, folks. Or attempts at it. That's how Walski sees it. Subtle, but clearly there in a rather obtuse way.

So, back to what Walski said in the first paragraph of this post - the correlation is rather fuzzy, but is Walski the only one that can relate the two? Or do you think Walski's being paranoid? Think about it, then tell him how you see it.

Walski's terminology credit note: The term Islam-as-I-say-tion was originally coined by lawyer and activist Haris Ibrahim, via The Truth of The Matter some months back. The post title is, of course, a play on the ever popular song from the Disney classic Mary Poppins.

Click here for the full post......

Poll Position: Merdeka Statement reactions

Technorati tags: Poll Results, The Merdeka Statement, Bangsa Malaysia, Commentary

Related post: Poll: Your thoughts on The Merdeka Statement

Apologies for getting this out later than intended. Usual excuse - work. In any case, a quick recap of what this is all about, then we'll jump right into the results, and some thoughts by Walski.

On August 2nd, 2007, the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) released The Merdeka Statement (link downloads a PDF copy, opens in a new window), a non-governmental initiative towards a better and stronger Malaysia.

Reactions to the document have been mixed, with opposition coming from, among others, Muslim NGOs, claiming that it is an attempt at "renegotiating the social contract and validating apostasy" (as reported by Malaysiakini). Opposition also cam from Lord ZAM (via The Malaysian), stating, among other things that the Merdeka Statement was "it is a clever attempt to disunite the people in the country" (go figure... but then again, this is ZAM we're talking about).

So, back to the results of the straw poll. The majority of the 66 persons who voted agree that The Merdeka Statement is the way forward.

An overwhelming majority say Yea

But rather than a structured program of actions, to Walski, The Merdeka Statement is merely a blue-print of how we should trudge forward. From the get-go, Walski's expectation was for there not to be detailed programs and specific actions. Rather, it would be an outline, written out as a wishlist.
(the way forward, or not, in the full post)

Walski was already half-expecting opposition from the Muslim NGO coalition on the document. Why? Because it's par for the course, whenever anything is mooted (by anyone) that promotes more civil liberties across the board.

But IF the poll results were to reflect the opinion of Malaysia as a whole, then it is only about 6% that feel there is a hidden anti-Islam agenda. Then again, the mind under seige will see threats in just about anything, so Walski's not at all surprised, particularly since 4.5% out of the 6% haven't even read what's contained in The Merdeka Statement. How they know there is an anti-Islam agenda, only they and God can answer.

The People's Parliament also criticized ACCIN's and Pembela's stand on The Merdeka Statement, stating that it is ACCIN/Pembela and their cohorts that are trying to "re-write the social contract". A challenge has also been posed to ACCIN and Pembela - which to date has not been answered (as far as Walski knows). If there is any hidden political agenda, Walski would probably be more prone to believe that ACCIN, Pembela and the like are the ones that have one.

A regular myAsylum commenter, Vedder, thought that the document was spot on in some instances, but didn't include enough, particularly pertaining to fighting corruption, the EC/SPR, IPCMC, and other pressing isues. Walski agrees - but then again, blueprint statement documents usually are vague in certain areas. More than anything else, though, it sets a direction.

It should be obvious where Walski stands - he thinks that The Merdeka Statement is a landmark attempt at steering back Malaysia to a course leading to better things. Yes, it is sketchy in parts, but most blueprint documents are. It does, however, lay the groundwork on which more definite and precise programs can be built.

But only if it is even accepted by the powers that be...

Click here for the full post......

How amoebas prioritize

Technorati tags: Humor, Politics, dUMNO, Namawee, Amoebas

Now consider this statement from de facto Law Minister without specific portfolio (via The Sun, from last week sometime).

Nazri also said action should be taken against YouTube and bloggers for posting images and contents that overstepped the boundaries on sensitive issues.

Asked how this was possible since YouTube and some blogs were based overseas, he said: “If YouTube is operating in this country, or if there are contents posted from this country, then we can do so through the means of government licensing. If they are operating from another country, then we have to find ways…”

He said the A-G and police should investigate these sites, and if there are no provisions in the current laws to take action against them, then new laws will be enacted. Nazri said bloggers should be responsible for the postings on their sites.
(source: The Sun)

Welcome, Nazri, to the flat and borderless world of cyberspace. So, what are we talking about here - filing suit against YouTube? Or Blogger? In other words, suing Google, which owns both entities. Anyone who understands how the Internet works - and Walski's not even talking about on a technical level - will understand why we're rolling on the floor laughing in his face.

Speaking of current laws, there really should be a minimum IQ and EQ requirement for those who want to enter politics. And in this day and age, understanding basic IT and how the Internet works (on a general level) is no longer a plus - it is a requirement.

Of course, the usual suspects, like the ex-Selangor MB with 2 Mohammads in his name, as have many others in dUMNO, continue to seek a pound of flesh from Namawee. Joining the fray a couple of days ago was Kerishamuddin:

“The issue is not the apology. We are all educated under the rule of law. What is an offence is still an offence,” he told reporters after opening a programme organised by the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) here today.
(source: NaSTy)

Of course, everyone has noticed that the Namawee video case has provided a convenient diversion from an even more pressing issue - the PKFZ fiasco. Perhaps it's got something to do with how amoebas prioritize...
(how amoebas prioritize, and more, in the full post)

Amoebas priorities are on the trivial and easy to target...

What weighs heavier on real public interest, and more importantly public money, of course gets as little attention as possible with these amoebas... Why? Because it reflects pretty badly on how the Government has been performing, particularly in the area of real public interest.

Not the made-up ones like the Namawee issue... which most people would rather want to put behind them... But Noooo... not amoebas... they'll keep it alive for as long as they can....

Just think of this post as Walski's little bit of effort for germ warfare where it counts...

Click here for the full post......

An Oxfordian tale of two classes...

Technorati tags: Article, M Bakri Musa, Din Merican, Politics, Class

Walski's cut-n-paste editorial note: The following article was co-written by Dr. M Bakri Musa and Din Merican, and is posted here with kind permission of the authors. Walski doesn't normally do cut and paste, but will make exceptions from time to time - and this is one of those times... Enjoy!

What Has Oxford Done?
by M. Bakri Musa & Din Merican

Both are graduates of Oxford, but what a difference between the two! What separates them is that elusive quality: class. One has it; the other does not. When you have class, Oxford will bring out the best in you. When you do not, not even esteemed Oxford can do much for you.

One is a crown prince, a sultan-to-be whose recent wedding warmed the hearts of Malaysians for its elegant simplicity and regal restraint. His eloquent speeches inspire the young and old alike; they enthusiastically embrace his enlightened vision of Malaysia. He appeals to their idealism and decency, and they in turn respond in kind. His understated passion and cool rationality resonate with the citizens. He elevates the tone of our civil discourse. In short, Raja Nazrin is “Yang Teramat Mulia” (“The Most Esteemed”) personified.

The other is a neophyte political operative, with grand pretensions of being the next Prime Minister. For now however, he is till struggling just to have the title (but not the qualities) of a “Yang Berhormat” (“The Honorable”) that goes with being a Member of Parliament. His obscenely ostentatious wedding a few years back dragged on for days, with multiple ceremonies. Its extravagance easily outmatched the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, minus of course the royal elegance. Today he is again indulging in excesses; this time hurling insults at Malaysians and assaulting their sense of decency.

In his speeches to his followers in UMNO Youth, he instigates and brings out their dark side. To him, the Mat Rempits, those midnight marauders of unemployable youths who terrorize our streets, represent the best of our community. He champions them. Like them, his trade in stock is taunting and provoking, with undisguised racist undertone. Lately he resorts to simian references; no surprise as he is surrounded daily by the opportunist monkeys in the jungle that is UMNO. This fraud of a leader coarsens our public debates, dragging them to his barnyard level.

We humbly apologize to Raja Nazrin for this jarring juxtaposition of images. We are comforted by the fact that a Prince Charming beside a toad will never lose his regal bearing. A toad beside a prince however, will make its warts all the more revolting to behold, and its croaking unbearably grating.

While the constant croaking of a toad may be harsh on the ears, the repeated racist rhetoric of a leader, genuine or fake, can have devastating consequences. We would have thought that this would be obvious; we need not remind ourselves of the ghastly tragedy of May 1969.

This wet-behind-the-ears pseudo-leader is oblivious of these dangers. Born years after those horrific days in 1969, he did not live through the calamity that nearly ripped our nation apart. It would be unlikely for him to have learned that part of our history at Oxford. It is also painfully obvious that no senior leaders in his party have taken him aside to apprise this uncouth young man of that blemish in our history. This glaring omission speaks volumes of the caliber of UMNO’s current leadership.

(article continues in the full post)

Elusive Quality of Class
While “class” is an elusive quality and thus difficult to define, nonetheless we know it when we see it, to borrow the phrase of an American jurist. We would definitely know it when it is not there, hence the dismissive, “No class!”

Equally revealing is what a particular culture considers to be a class act or whom that society views as “classy.” Rest assured that a “class act” by a mafia don is anything but in a civilized society.

Nelson Mandela has class; his nemesis the buffoon P. W. Botha did not. Many attribute “class” to breeding. If by that they mean genetic endowment, we demur, as that would imply that the attribute is not teachable. It also implies the acceptance of a certain degree of fatalism: either one is lucky to be born with the attribute, or one is not.

If the term “breeding” refers to upbringing, then we are in agreement. This does not mean that those in the upper crust of society would automatically have “class.” We have many uncouth presidents and leaders. Then there was the lowly born Mahatma Gandhi whose class act of non-violence shamed the crusty British establishment.

We would have thought that being the son of a career diplomat would ensure good upbringing. After all the profession of diplomacy itself is the epitome of class, as encapsulated in the expression, “being diplomatic.” We also would have expected some of the father’s classiness to rub off on the son. That it did not forces us to look for other explanations.

The Malay expression Kurang Ajar (or Kurang ‘Jar, K ‘J) is the idiomatic translation of the phrase “No class.” Literally it means, “Not adequately taught,” as by the parents and other elders in the village. Stated another way: uncouth.

In Malay culture however, that phrase means much more: it is the most damning insult. In the words of Usman Awang in his poem Kurang Ajar, it is sebuah perkataan yang paling ditakuti untok bangsa kita yang pemalu (the most feared phrase by our race).

That aside, the literal translation is quite meaningful as it points out possible ways of remedying the deficiency. Thus, “Teach your children well!” as the song advises, is one useful way. There is no advantage in being born to a diplomat’s family if your parents have not provided you the necessary tutelage. Or, as is increasingly becoming common among Malaysians, they delegate this important parental responsibility to maids.

Malaysia imports thousands of these maids annually. As only the affluent could afford these “servants,” as they are referred to in Malaysian homes, we are now seeing a generation of the elite that has grown up kurang ajar. Many are jockeying for leadership of the nation. We shudder to think of the social and political implications.

Toxic Combination of Greed and Kurang Ajar
As obnoxious as this kurang ‘jar (K ‘J) young pseudo-leader is, the situation is worse. He is also aggressively ambitious, barely concealing his greed for money and lust for power. He fancies himself an “investment banker,” but his primary indulgence is stripping off valuable assets from government-linked companies. ECM Libra’s (the company he is associated with) well documented plundering of GLCs is a ready example. He also grandly aspires to be Prime Minister by age 40! It is this combination of greed and kurang ajar that is highly toxic.

This K ‘J pseudo-leader’s political career in UMNO is consumed with endless Machiavellian maneuverings in the blind pursuit of his ambition. None of his tricks are original of course; they are primarily the familiar “sucking up to your superiors,” or variations thereof, including the most extreme form: marrying the boss’s daughter.

If perchance the particular leader this K ‘J character is backing suddenly stumbles, he shrewdly shifts his target. His tactics and underlying strategies however, remain the same. After all, innovative imagination is not his forte!

Thus now that Anwar Ibrahim is out of power, this K ‘J character readily heaps scorn upon him. Earlier when he thought that Anwar might dramatically resurrect himself upon his release from prison, this K ‘J was the first to greet Anwar at his home on the pretext of expediting his passport application. Had Anwar remained the Deputy Prime Minister, this K ‘J would probably go after Anwar’s daughter instead!

Meanwhile supplicating supporters of this K ‘J are busy groveling to him; like leader, like followers. One particularly sycophantic subordinate went so far and without any trace of modesty referred to this K ‘J character as UMNO’s Beckham! This sycophant missed the salient fact that Beckham’s talent excites the crowd; K ‘J’s is to incite them.

Along the same vein, a tabloid columnist gushes in quoting an “anonymous” UMNO insider who likens this K ‘J to a young Mahathir. Laughable! Her groveling piece reveals more about herself than her subject: a drooling lapdog ready to lick her master at the snap of the finger.

We are heartened that some are beginning to see through the fraud of this K ’J. Zahar Hashim, head of Petaling Jaya Selatan UMNO, likened this K ‘J to the devil haunting UMNO Youth. Zahar is a retired army officer; meaning he has guts to go with his self-discipline. It would be tough to borak (hoodwink) your way through this former soldier.

The most effective way to teach these K ‘J types a lesson is to land them a tight slap on their face. Many we presume would like to do just that, especially Zahar. While we cannot do so literally, we are metaphorically slapping his face with our piece.

We have unequivocally declared here that Raja Nazrin is a class act, while this other K ‘J character is just that: kurang ‘jar. In so clearly drawing the line, we are also explicitly stating our values of what we consider worthy of praise and emulation versus what we should condemn and discourage.

Walski's post article author-cratic footnote: Din Merican is a senior research fellow with the Cambodian Institute of Cooperation and Peace, and was recently named an adjunct professor of global business strategy and a board member of the newly formed University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Din had previously worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bank Negara Malaysia and Sime Darby.

Dr. M. Bakri Musa is a name many occupants of the Malaysian corner of cyberspace would be familiar with. He is a Malaysian physician currently residing in California, and has authored several books, including "Towards a Competitive Malaysia: Development Challenges in the Twenty-First Century" and "An Education System Worthy of Malaysia". Doc, as Walski fondly refers him as, is also an active blogger, and is regularly featured in Malaysiakini.

Both gentlemen stand as Towering Malaysians, in Walski's book!

Click here for the full post......

Something's been brewing while we were asleep...

Technorati tags: Islam, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hizbut Tahrir, Islamization, Malaysia

Walski woke up around mid-morning on Sunday, and as usual, started to look at what had been brewing in the bloggerhood and cyberspace while he was asleep. The first thing to catch Walski's eye was Farish Noor's latest article in The Other Malaysia, entitled "They Have Taken Our Malaysia From Us". Do read it if you get the chance - Walski always catches Farish's thoughts whenever he puts anything up on the site.

Farish lays blame on the politicians and Islamists for successfully taking away, bit by bit, our Malaysia. And the scary part is that he couldn't be more spot on.

His article immediately reminded Walski of what The Malaysian had blogged about exactly one week ago - the Hizbut Tahrir conference in Jakarta on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - perhaps the largest gathering of its kind around the world, attracting some 90,000 participants, filling up the Bung Karno stadium to the brim.

So you're probably thinking - so what? What has that got to do with Malaysia?

Well, while some of the morons in Cabinet and dUMNO continue to harp on the Namawee Negarakuku issue, and continue to want to be vindictive sons of bitches, something else has been brewing in our nation that has pretty much gone unnoticed. In parallel, our own Hizbut Tahrir conference, albeit not on the same scale as the Jakarta one, had taken place on the very same day in Shah Alam.

Khilafah Conference in Shah Alam (last Sunday, August 12)

For a hint at why Walski is concerned, see this article by Anti Jihadist that was posted on Malaysia-Today earlier today. This is probably plays a part in the "backdoor Islamization" that many concerned Malaysians have voiced out about. But this is not something peculiar to Malaysia - Hizbut Tahrir is truly a global organization.

For the first time, however, they have boldly announced their presence on our shores.
(who Hizbut Tahrir are, and why the concern, in the full post)

So, who are Hizbut Tahrir? As usual, Walski uses Wikipedia as a resource (solely for the sake of convenience), but most of it tallies with what the organization's own website has to say.

Hizbut Tahrir, or perhaps more correctly, Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), was formed around 1953 in Palestine by a cleric named Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, and is now led by Ata Khalil Abu-Rashta, a Palestinian civil engineer. It has become, since then, a global organization with chapters in much of Europe and Asia, and also has its presence in Australia and the US. Several countries in the Middle East have banned the organization. Offhand, Walski is not certain whether or not they are an officially registered society in Malaysia, or of their status.

Hizb ut-Tahrir's aim is to create a Pan-Islamic government - to resurrect the Caliphate (or Khilafah) - a single global Islamic nation. Thus far, they have spread their message through non-violent means, and the organization itself speaks out against the use of violence. The groups that have been spawned out of Hizb ut-Tahrir, however, are another story.

And while ideologically they are a political party, they typically do not participate in local elections in the countries where they operate. Rather, their aim, at this stage, is to inculcate the ideology of Khilafah and why it is paramount in ensuring the survival of Muslims. Marketing the Caliphate, in other words.

They also have a Malaysian chapter, it appears, and their own website mykhilafah.com. Their activities (apart from organizing the conference) has been to publish and distribute a periodical called Sautun Nahdhah, which the organization probably distributes during Friday prayers.

And their role and aim in Malaysia?

Well, probably no different from Hizb ut-Tahrir in other parts of the world - to promote the resurrection of a single global Islamic Caliphate. But it's how they'll achieve this is what will be interesting to see. Already we are seeing signs that Islamization is happening without due process, where rules and regulations suddenly change without the need of public debate. A case in point - the regulations pertaining to Muslims and the identity card - these regulations were introduced outside of legislation.

The fact that currently corruption and crime seem to be rife in Malaysia plays nicely into Hizb ut-Tahrir's hands, lending some credibility to their assertion that in a Caliphate where the Shariah is the law of the land, none of this would exist.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is currently in the ideology-inculcation stage of their struggle - spreading the belief that a resurrected Caliphate is the only way forward for Muslims worldwide. But the Caliphate is not their end, ultimately - it is the global institution of the Shariah. The Caliphate is merely a means towards that ultimate end.

Walski thinks that we'll start seeing a lot more of pro-Caliphate rhetoric coming from the bloggerhood in the near future - more than we're already seeing presently.

The question Walski has is this: why is it that almost every Tom, Dickhead and hairy Dumbass within UMNO is so gung-ho up in arms against a creative 24-year old studying in Taiwan, and pretty much silent and/or ignorant about Hizb ut-Tahrir?

As it is, its existence and the recent conference held in Shah Alam has pretty much gone unnoticed by any media in the country, mainstream or otherwise.

Between the two, it's really a no-brainer as to which puts the soveriegnity of Malaysia more at risk. And if dUMNO don't realize this... we'll need a new word to describe the arrogant stupidity that they're exhibiting...

More worrying is this: that they know damn well about Hizb ut-Tahrir and what their ultimate goal is. As probably do their so-called nemesis, PAS. And that the tongue-lashing and politicking between the two is all another big political 3-ring circus show. Them, and the numerous agencies that form the Islamic bureaucracy in this country. They all know, and they are all in agreement. And that they're quietly paving the way...

Now, that Walski finds truly terrifying, if it were true.

Click here for the full post......

Visions of Gwen in a Burka

Technorati tags: Humor, Religion, Gwen Stefani, PAS, PAS Youth, Ban Everything

First it was NUMMSkulls, and now the patron saints of Ban Everything, have also joined in to the fray protesting Gwen Stefani's concert next Tuesday.

Ban everything...

Already, Gwen has conceded by agreeing to "abide by Malaysian authorities' guidelines" (as reported by the Star), but apparently this is still not good enough for PAS Youth. As everybody knows, women are the root of all evil. And someone as evil as Gwen Stefani will definitely lead folks towards moral decay... and you wonder why Muslims get such great press all the time, eh?

Okay, admittedly her music is pretty vile, but that's not grounds for disallowing her to perform. Any Tom, Dick and Stefani should be allowed to perform. At the end of the day, it's the consumer who should decide what's good and what's not for themselves - personally. Walski definitely won't be surrendering his intellect to PAS Youth any time soon, that's for sure.

Perhaps Stefani should emulate this Kabul babe-rock outfit, and cover up - totally. At least, Walski thinks they're babes... it's kinda hard to tell with burkas. For all you know, it's actually Ben's Bitches in drag!
(the Blue Burka video, and more, in the full post)

Having Gwen cover up like this would probably be a wet-dream come true for some folks. And hey... it's also an opportunity for anyone wanting to take to the stage... anonymously. And if you have a burka made out of kevlar, they're great for bank heists, too...

Click here for the full post......

PRIMA Assembly: Address by Tun Dr. Mahathir

Technorati tags: Politics, State of the Nation, Malaysia, PRIMA, Tun Dr Mahathir, Corruption, Crime, YouTube, Malaysia Today

Yesterday, Malaysia Today posted six videos of the PRIMA organized meeting with former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. PRIMA, incidentally, is the acronym for Jawatankuasa Ad-Hoc Warga Prihatin Malaysia (Ad-Hoc Committee of Concerned Malaysians). The event was announced at, among other places, So-Po Sentral (hat-tip to A Voice).

Because of problems faced by MT readers in accessing the videos, Walski took the liberty of editing the six videos, and has posted them (in 11 parts) on YouTube, as a public service. You can access the videos via this link, or view all eleven parts below.

(address highlights, and more, in the full post)

Tun Mahathir begins by quoting a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet - "there is something rotten in the state of Denmark", leading into an analysis, from his viewpoint, of the rot that plagues our own nation, Malaysia.

Typical of Tun Mahathir, the address had its lighter moments - perhaps as a counter-balance to the dire seriousness of what he had to say. The gist of his address, really, is the perceived widespread corruption and increase in crime in Malaysia today, plus the inability of the Government to address these pressing issues.

In fact, Tun Mahathir also lays part of the blame on the Attorney General's Office for its inability to successfully prosecute criminals, and also the inability to convincingly put a case together. Walski doesn't call the AG Abdul Ghani "No Case" Patail for nothing.

The inability of the ACA (Anti Corruption Agency) is also touched upon, as is the way the economy is being handled.

All these, according to the Tun, exemplify the growing moral decay that truly worries him. And it's a moral decay in a larger sense, not the petty personal morality that some Islamists want policed. Rather, its the moral decay of a society that tolerates corruption and crime, treating it as if it were a necessary evil, for society and business to function.

Underlying all this is the feel-good way that the mainstream press and media reports on domestic affairs, which the Tun states does not paint an accurate picture of the state of the nation. Everything, it seems, is hunky-dory, while the real rot continues to fester and spread across the land. But constantly sweeping the truth under the carpet rarely solves anything. In time, the space under the carpet is gonna overflow... and that time is fast approaching, if not already here.

Walski urges everyone to take some time to watch, and more importantly, listen to what Tun Dr. Mahathir has to say. He may not have been everyone's favorite person while in office - certainly true as far as Walski is concerned. But in contrast, as Prime Minister, he had the vision and the tenacity to ensure things got done. Yes, the man had his faults too. But to Walski, the current Executive pales in comparison - in fact, it would be ludicrous to even compare the Tun with AAB.

Just as there was something rotten in Shakespeare's Denmark, there certainly is a distinct stench in our Malaysia of the now.

Click here for the full post......

dUMNOsaur Jr

Technorati tags: Humor, Politics, dUMNOsaur Jr, Dinosaur Jr, The Police

For the uninitiated, Dinosaur Jr is an alternative music band, hailing out of Amherst, Massachusetts. Very popular in the college music circuit in the mid-80's, their sound is characterized by being loud, guitar-driven with lots of feedback - and played an influential role in the early 90's grunge explosion, fueled by the success of contemporary band Nirvana, and to some degree, Soundgarden.

Their career has been turbulent, culminating with a break up in 1997. However, to celebrate the re-release of the band's first 3 albums. The band has since reunited in 2005, and continues to do gigs until the present. Tragedy, of sorts, struck - the band's equipment was stolen outside their hotel in New York on August 29, 2006. Legendary cult status doesn't exempt a band from such needless tragedies, it would seem.

Dinosaur Jr continues to play and tour in their original configuration, consisting of J Mascis (guitar & vocals), Lou Barlow (bass) and Emmet Patrick Murphy - or Murph (drums). Earlier this year, the band released their 8th studio album, Beyond, the first in almost a decade featuring the original (and still the most potent) line up. (Source: Wikipedia)

In contrast, dUMNOsaur Jr is simply loud and turbulent. Not necessarily internally, like their almost-namesake in the music world, but loud and turbulent in terms of making waves and headlines. dUMNOsaur Jr sometimes forgets, it seems, that party interests do not equate to national interests, and that criticisms against dUMNO do not count as being un-patriotic.

But lately, it must be pointed out that frontman Kerishamuddin has been kinda quiet, leaving his deputy, Monkey Boy, to do all the belligerent spewing... and boy, can that simian spew!

They're quite perplexing in other ways, too - like claiming dUMNO isn't racist. Well, isn't our entire political party system, in particular the ones that BN is comprised of, for the most part built along racial lines? While not necessarily having negative connotations, isn't that racist by definition?

In preparation for the upcoming, but yet to be announced, General Elections, dUMNO Jr have declared their aim for Zero Opposition (Pembangkang Sifar). Okay... wouldn't that take Malaysia one step closer to a constitutional parliamentary dictatorship? As it is, with the two-thirds majority, and BN's long-standing policy of voting along party lines (or else), things get bulldozed thru parliament.

Zero Opposition would mean a virtual cake walk - whatever dUMNO (Sr and Jr) wants, dUMNO gets. No debate.
(more dUMNOsaur Jr tales, in the full post)

With the rhetoric from dUMNOsaur Jr, of late, calling for control of opinions and viewpoints via blogs and other websites - to the extent of using the ISA - it's clear that in contrast to Dinosaur Jr, dUMNOsaur Jr doesn't appreciate feedback. Definitely not the non-feelgood kind, for sure.

It's okay for them to hurl all kinds of ephitets, and spreading their own propaganda and lies, for example via KPMU.net. Sure, they will perpetuate that myth that RPK was seditious and insulted Islam - you know what they say about myths... repeat it enough times and it becomes the "truth". And it's okay to be insulting to other religions... as long as its not Islam, right?

Oh, and their fondness of using warlike and violent metaphors - gerak gempur (assault), senjata berjuang (weapons for the struggle), peperangan di alam siber (war in the cyber world)... just check out this news release alone (in Bahasa Malaysia). As far as Walski is concerned, the fondness of using violent metaphors like these are a reflection of what lies beneath - a violent, albeit dormant, character.

But dUMNOsaur Jr (and Sr) should take heed of the recent very high level statements made by HRH Raja Nazrin, former IGP Tun Haniff Omar, and the latest from HRH the Sultan of Selangor. (Check out Marina M's take on this). To Walski, what they are saying, in not so many words, is that the rot that we bloggers have been talkiing about is indeed there. And the rot needs to be eradicated if Malaysia ever hopes to see another 50 years of growth, prosperity, or even nationhood.

But Noooo... as far as dUMNOsaur Jr is concerned, everything's hunky dory... even to the point of raising a known hoodlum of a politician onto a pedestal - despite what was said by Raja Nazrin that people with a dubious past should not hold positions of importance. Even if the said politician has made a total fool of himself (probably without even realizing it) by making a police report against prominent blogger RPK. And his defence? Oh.. those are old stories... But those old stories tell a thousand epics about your character, now doesn't it?

Well, all Walski can say is that dUMNOsaur Jr can continue with their delusions of grandeur... the more they balk and bark, the more they paint themselves as the silly carricatures they really are...

Three days ago, dUNNOsaur Jr issued a warning against bloggers, as reported in Malaysiakini - that they are watching us. Well, guess what? We're watching dUMNOsaur Jr, too. Every breath they take, every step they make...

It's kinda ironic that this song comes from The Police, come to think of it...

Click here for the full post......

In Memoriam: Tony Wilson (1950 - 2007)

Technorati tags: In Memoriam, Tony Wilson, Factory Records, Music, Indie Music, Manchester

"There would be no Joy Division or New Order without Tony - He really believed in us and he was smart enough to start a label and put our records out."
Stephen Morris - Joy Division/New Order (via NME.com)

Tony Wilson (born Anthony Howard Wilson, February 20, 1950), founder of Factory Records and owner of the famous The Hacienda club in Manchester, passed away last Friday, August 10, 2007, as a result of a heart attack. He was also suffering from kidney cancer, but his heart attack had nothing to do with his ongoing cancer (although the chemotherapy had weakened him).

Walski was alerted to his death over the weekend by Lord Panda, but couldn't get around to writing this obituary until now, due to tight time constraints. In any case, right now you are probably wondering "So What?" - why was Tony Wilson important enough for this obituary post.

Well, as Stephen Morris, drummer for New Order, and Joy Division previously, rightly pointed out, without Wilson, the world would probably not have ever known about both these bands. And being a fan of Liverpool FC, Tony Wilson and the entire sub-culture surrounding Factory Records are two reasons why Walski would actually love to visit Manchester some day.

Some of you may recall a film from 2002 called "24 Hour Party People", which was a semi-fictionalized account of Tony Wilson's heyday - okay, those of you who are patrons of the not-so-legal DVD market may recall this film since it was banned in Malaysia - Tony Wilson's devil-may-care attitude, his "we'll do it first, then figure out why later" modus operandi, is what allowed bands like Joy Division (and later New Order), Happy Mondays, A Certain Ratio, The Durrutti Column, and Section 25 (to name a few bands that laid the foundations to Walski's highly eclectic taste in music) to see the light of day. Each, in their own way, have shaped British popular music to some extent. And due to that, pop music in general, for sure.

Certainly, Walski will always hold a certain amount of gratitude for what Tony Wilson had done... thanks for the great music, Anthony.
(Factory Records, tributes and more, in the full post)

For those of you interested, you can find the full list of which bands had been signed to Factory Records on this Wikipedia entry. It is quite a long list...

The NME.com blog has put up a Tony Wilson obit page, where you can leave a note if you like. Also from NME is the news item about Tony's demise, plus their obituary for one of indie music's true heroes...

Walski is now determined to dig up that "24 Hour Party People" DVD, and offer a cold one... to toast the memory of this great music personality... RIP Anthony...

Click here for the full post......

Poll: Your thoughts on The Merdeka Statement

Technorati tags: The Merdeka Statement, Malaysia, Bangsa Malaysia, Opinion Poll

Walski's just started a new poll (see top of left sidebar), to gather your views on what you think of the recently released Merdeka Statement.

Unfortunately, time doesn't permit Walski to write a proper commentary on the statement - suffice it to say that he thinks it is both timely, and something worthy of adoption as the way forward for Malaysia. It almost makes Walski hopeful for the future.

But the statement is not without its critics, as we have seen recently. Again, more on this later, once Walski has a bit more time on his hands - he's in a bit of a rush.

So, here's what Walski would like you to do: read the statement - download it here, in PDF format - then take the poll. Or, don't read the statement and take the poll... your choice. Then, tell all your friends, family and pets to come by and take the poll, too.

Walski wants to get as many views on this statement as possible, and they don't necessarily have to be positive ones either. Just your raw and honest thoughts. And if you have something to add to your vote, you are more than welcome to leave a comment on this post.

Meanwhile, Walski's buddy Mob1900 has created a series of Merdeka Day graphics for your use, on your blogs or websites. They come in various sizes, so take your pick. These have been designed in conjuction with efforts being made by The People's Parliament. Walski won't elaborate now for lack of time.

One of them pix will be placed somewhere on this blog more permenantly later, once Walski has a bit more time - he's travelling again today (just a short trip), and time doesn't quite permit him to do much right this moment.

Maybe tonight... we'll see.

Click here for the full post......

Car Park Murder

Technorati tags: Dark City, Film, TV, Car Park Murder, Film Noir, Malaysia, Astro

Related posts:
► Strolling the Dark City
► Death Row

First of all, apologies to director Tony Pietra for not posting this sooner... but better late than never, eh Tony?

So okay, it's not something that really happened - you know, rising crime rates and all - but it's another Tony Pietra directed episode tonight in the Dark City series, 10:30pm Astro Ria (Channel 04).

But just in case you can't be in front of the boob-tube tonight, it'll be repeated a few times this week, at the following dates/times:
9-Aug-2007 @ 4:30:00 AM
9-Aug-2007 @ 5:30:00 PM
10-Aug-2007 @ 5:00:00 PM
11-Aug-2007 @ 10:00:00 AM
12-Aug-2007 @ 3:00:00 AM

Car Park Murders tells the story of a scam, concocted by a corrupt businessman (very Malaysian, this is) that goes not quite as planned, because the professional car thief hired to carry out the scam has other things on his mind. His employer's wife, mainly.
(stills from the episode, and more, in the full post)

Hopefully that doesn't give too much away... but then again, the synopsis came from Tony himself, so Walski reckons there's more surprises in store.

Tonight's episode was written by Khairil M. Bahar (of Ciplak fame), and stars Ben Tan, Yusmal Ghazali, and Nell Ng. Edited by Tony Pietra and James Gervais, Car Park Murder is a production of Niche Films.

Now, for the shocking revelation from Walski. Unintentionally, and because of various excuses circumstances, Walski has yet to watch a single episode in the Dark City series... yeah, yeah... tsk, tsk... bad Walski...

Tony Pietra pissed off at Walski for not watching any Dark City episodes to date...

Okay, Walski will make amends in two ways. One, he promises to watch tonight's episode, and Two, he'll write a review... For now, Walski's gotta go stroll thru the dark streets of KL, to his car, parked in a dark alley behind the office... all the time, looking over his shoulder.

Once again, alone in the Dark City...

Picture credits and some friendly advice: All pix used in this post courtesy of Tony Pietra, and are the copyright of Niche Films. Use them all you want to promo the episode (so Tony says)... As some common sense advice, always be a little careful when in a dark carpark, all by yourself... fiction it may be, but you don't wanna be tomorrow's headlines, now, do you?

Click here for the full post......