Right-side Up

Technorati tags: Flag, Jalur Gemilang, Barisan Nasional, Upside Down

After serious consultation with the myAsylum marketing supreme council (pictured below), whom have pondered the issue long, hard and unlubricated, it has been decided that the time has come to return the Jalur Gemilang to its rightful orientation.

myAsylum's marketing supreme council

The events unfolding on August 26th 2008 have prompted the council to review the earlier decision to fly the national flag in distress mode. Apparently, Hope seems to have decided to loom over the horizon once more, visible even through the smog that envelopes the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

The council, however, made another decision in parallel - that another flag should be hoisted in distress instead...
(denial leads to distress, and more, in the full post)

In the aftermath of Permatang Pauh, it's now becoming clear that it's BN that should be feeling a little distressed. No, make that crapping in their pants, with distress.

Those who came to bury the political career of Anwar Ibrahim, got themselves buried, knickers in a dreadful twist, instead.

Distressed they may be, but unfortunately for them, no amount of distress seems to be able to shake them out of their deep seated denial. At least going by what the minister with two Mohamad's in his name, and the cheeky Information Minister, have quipped.

Already, calls for the PM to step down have been heard from within his own party, UMNO. Granted it's from someone who wants to lead the party in Abdullah Badawi's stead... so there is some self-interest, no doubt.

And yet, the crystal clear message that Permatang Pauh repeated - the same one as March 8th this year - remains the ignored big fat hippo in the ballroom (thanks Brighteyes for reminding Walski). The people are sick of race-communitarian politics. And if that message still hasn't sunk in, then some people are in serious need of hearing aids.

"We still love UMNO," they say... Well, going by the fact that less people voted for the UMNO/BN candidate than there actually are UMNO members in the Permatang Pauh area (according to a certain Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, via Malaysiakini), that love seems to be exclusive to those who have special interest in the party.

And everyone and their pet politician is starting to talk about organizational reform. But reformation of a race-based political party, and coalition, into... what? And that, sports fans, is the million ringgit question.

Maybe upside down should be the right-side up way to fly that other flag...

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

One Small Step...

Technorati tags: Politics, Permatang Pauh, Anwar Ibrahim, Hope

Flashback, July 21st, 1969. On that day, history was made. Man, for the very first time, set foot on the surface of an extra-terrestial body - the Moon.

It was also on that day, a cliché was born:

"That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind"
Neil Armstrong (via Quotations Book)

Flash-forward 39 years later, give or take.

You could also say that August 26th, 2008 was "one small step"... Maybe not for mankind, per se. But definitely for this nation we love called Malaysia.

(courtesy of Mob1900)

Congratulations, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
(baby steps towards a better Malaysia, and more, in the full post)

And what's significant about the one small step on August 26th?

Well, for one thing, it reinforces Walski's belief that communitarian politics is a dying paradigm. At least, race-communitarian politics. As for the demise of religious-communitarian politics, we still got some baby steps to overcome yet. But Walski's confident we'll get there at some point.

Another thing is the credibility of Barisan Nasional that's eroding faster than what global warming is doing to Antartica. Even the appearance of The Father, Son-in-Law, and possibly whole-y busloads of ghostly voters, couldn't save the day for BN. Okay, perhaps that was pretty bad, cliché-wise. For which, however, Walski offers no apologies.

And finally, no amount of swearing, underhanded dirty election tricks, or subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) monetary enducements could deter the voice of the people.

On a slightly lighter note, the Mrs forwarded this humorous SMS to Walski earlier in the day:

The future of Japan is in its technology

The future of China is in its economy

The future of Malaysia is in Saiful's ass...

Well, Walski would beg to differ. The future is in our own asses hands. And what the pivotal hands of Permatang Pauh collectively did on August 26th, may just have tilted our nation towards a better future. Saiful's ass notwithstanding.

But the journey is far from over. We now wait to see where that one small step leads us to...

Ah well... for all it's worth, at least there's something positive for Walski to feel about come August 31st... them flags may yet find the inspiration to right-side-up themselves...

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

The Mother of all Statutory Declarations

Technorati tags: Humor, Politics, Statutory Declarations, Malaysia

No, it's not the latest Statutory Declaration about the ritualistic side of Najib.

Nope... this one's bigger.

Much, much bigger...
(the Mother of 'em all, and more, in the full post)

He did say it was big, didn't he?

Now, here's the thing: there have been so damn many Statutory Declarations flying hither and yon, Walski's amazed he hasn't been hit in the face by one already. Same goes with the Scripture-tory Declarations, too.

Frankly, Walski doesn't give a rat's ass what kind of rituals Najib (or anyone else for that matter) has been indulging themselves in. Heck, Najib could be the reincarnation of Vishnu the Destroyer, and Walski couldn't care less.

Why?

A leader is chosen based on his or her ability to lead. Plain and simple. Personal beliefs and whether or not he/she chooses to swear on anything shouldn't really come into the picture. If someone shows the ability to lead, has the sincerity to serve - not self-serve - and has the spirit of NATION building imbued (as opposed to communitarianistic ideals), that's good enough for Walski to give that person a chance.

Zulkifli Noordin, Salahuddin Ayub and the rest of the so-called elected leaders involved with Pembelot Pembela on August 9th, had their chance to prove they serve all. Yes, they physically belong in Pakatan/Barisan Rakyat, but not in spirit. Events on that day have shown us where their priorities really lie. And it's not with nation-building.

At least, not the nation that Walski would like Malaysia to be.

You know, though, if Walski were a statue, and he had something to declare, it would probably be this:

And that's the Malaysia we should all strive towards - one that's less about communitarian self-interests, more about shared dreams and goals of a better nation. Let's make history and be the generation that put a Government in that's not communitarian politics driven, but one driven for the betterment of all who take pride in calling themselves Anak Bangsa Malaysia.

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

Fire Stones and Mothers-in-Law

Technorati tags: Humor, Politics, Permatang Pauh, PKR, BN

Marlboro Kretek & its accompanying FireStone

A couple of interesting things that Walski picked up during his recent trip to Jakarta - a pack of Marlboro Kretek (clove cigarettes) and a lighter, aptly band-named Fire Stone.

You can't find Marlboro Kretek in Malaysia, or at least, Walski's never seen it on sale. Not even in the duty free shops. But he's not really into clove cigarettes, although Walski will endulge in one every so often. He is, however, a Marlboro smoker, so the novelty of seeing this unique variant made Walski try a pack.

But it's the brand of disposable lighter that really caught his attention - Fire Stone. Transliterated into Bahasa Malaysia, you'd get "Batu Api", which has a totally different connotative meaning. And that's what this post is really about - the various real-life Fire Stones we're seeing surrounding the Permatang Pauh by-election, and the campaign that comes with it.

The one Fire Stone that just had to appear in Permatang Pauh, campaigning for BN, is of course Khairy Jamaluddin, or KJ as he's (not always) fondly known. He thinks that not only will BN win the by-elections, but that it would pave the end of the PKR political leader's career.

"We are here to bury Anwar’s political career. We are here to make history to ensure our nation’s future is free and safe from him!" he thundered to loud cheers from those present.
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

As typical of political campaigning here in Malaysia, some below-the-belt speech was to be expected.

"I don’t understand why he would take a coffee boy, a volunteer without a fixed salary, overseas. I never take my coffee boy abroad.

"However, my friend told me that if Anwar took him overseas then the coffee made by Saiful must be kaw-kaw (strong)," he added to laughter from his audience.
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

Political pundits have called this by-election the Mother of all By-Elections. Walski, however, begs to differ.
(but Permatang Pauh is still pivotal, and more, in the full post)

To Walski, although it definitely is pivotal, the Permatang Pauh by-election is more like the Mother-In-Law of all By-Elections. You know, with the magnitude of nasty rhetoric and all.

Of course, Walski's moniker is purely based on the stereotypical evil she-bitch image of mothers-in-law that's rather popular. For the record, Walski has a wonderful one, and nothing like the nasty stereotype. In fact, Walski's own mother-in-law is probably the anti-stereotype. But, he digresses...

Remember the "warning" from our somewhat imbecilic Minister of Internal Securities about inciteful race-based or religion-based campaigning? Well apparently that warning doesn't apply when his own BN does it, going by the kind of bannerism found in Permatang Pauh.

Seditious speech is OK if from BN?

The Malaysiakini article from which the image above came from stated that the banner coincided with what KJ had to say in his own Fire Stone-ish campaign speech. Ahh... what joy to be BN, eh? Ministers make rules and give warnings, but you're not the slightest bit obligated to take heed... After all, being BN means never having to say you're sorry. No matter how insensitive and hypocritical your actions may be.

And then you have the supposed threatening text messages that have been flying around the area, "urging" people to not vote. Hmm... wonder who could be behind that stunt?

But the Permatang Pauh campaign ground-zero isn't the only place where the Fire Stones are peddling their rhetoric of fear-mongering. A couple of days ago blogger Aisehman highlighted an article in the Bahasa Malaysia BN mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia, which labelled Anwar and PKR as "anarchists of the New Left Wing". Aisehman, not to be undone, reasons that if the article (which is rife with semi-intellectual bullshit) labels PKR as such, then UMNO should likewise be labelled "Purveyors of Malay Neo-Nazism". Bravo, dude!

Not to be outdone, Berita Harian (the other BN BM mouthpiece), via its weekend edition, Berita Minggu, printed this story. Note that today is Sunday.

clipping courtesy of Perisik Rakyat

Okay... so the other papers also has reported this... but wait... the report says TODAY (hari ini)! In the past tense, too boot. Already happened. On a Sunday? Gee... it's like... Berita Harian/Minggu's got news so fresh, it hasn't even happened yet. The other papers reported that there is enough evidence against the five involved, and that they would be charged on Monday (tomorrow).

Well, now you know where to go if you wanna know about stuff that hasn't happened yet, eh? Sloppy/idiotic journalism? BN spin-doctoring spun into orbit? Or just plain, vanilla-flavored desperation? Enquiring minds surely wanna know...

By the way, if you've been watching any of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, you would probably have been hearing the Chinese cheer their athletes on with "Chia Yu! Chia Yu!" - which litereally means "add oil", or "add fuel", figuratively meaning advance or accelerate... something along those lines.

And what better combination when you have fuel and Fire Stones?

Thus, the surprise announcement of a reduction in fuel prices by the BN-led government, would of course be met with mix response. Sure, it's something welcome. But the timing - 10 days earlier than expected? (via The Star) Tsk, tsk... And that, sports fans, is probably the ultimate Fire Stone hurled by a rather desperate BN, who really cannot afford to see the Permatang Pauh seat won by Anwar and PKR, as it would "chia yu" to the fiery momentum of PKR.

Pak Lah would have us believe that the announcement of the reduction had nothing to do with Permatang Pauh. Maybe he's telling the truth, and maybe he's not. We really don't know for sure, and only have his word to go by. But with his living legacy of flip-flopping, it's really no surprise that many of us (Walski included) takes his denial with a big clutch of table salt.

That's how bad his ratings have become. Fire Stone, or no Fire Stone.

And so we wait another couple of days for the by-elections to see the results of this pivotal poll. And there really is no excuse for registered voters to cast their ballot on Tuesday, August 26, since the Penang state government has declared the day a special public holiday.

Just so that you folks can participate in the Mother-in-Law of all By-Elections...

Walski's Fire Stone transliteration footnote: Incidentally, the Bahasa Malaysia translieration of "Fire Stone", batu api, means instigator (it can also mean "flint", which is what gives lighters that spark). Also, Walski's apologies to the mothers-in-law of the world, the vast majority of whom, he's sure, are wonderful people. It's just that stereotypes are such fun material to work with...

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

RWP 1500 23082008

Technorati tags: RWP, Read while Waiting Project, Reading, Literature, Knowledge

No, no, it's not a serial number, or the secret combination to Barisan Nasional's vault of dirty deeds.. nor is it a coded message. If you don't already know what it is, allow Walski to give you a clue.

It's about reading. Something Walski thinks Malaysians simply do not do enough of. Of course, it doesn't help that we live with a government that is so fond of banning books, particularly those that touch on the subject of Islam. And why do they do this? Walski has his theory, but more on that later.

RWP is short for Reading while Waiting Project, a great and timely initiative by Random Alphabets, whom in their own words, are a bunch of writers who prefer keyboards. The project is aimed at getting people to read any form of literature while they wait - for anything. It's one way to start people to have the habit of reading.

In Kuala Lumpur, the event is scheduled for 3pm (hence the 1500 in the title), on Saturday August 23rd 2008, at the KL Sentral Station, in the area in front of KFC, Dunkin Donuts and KTM Komuter. But it's not just being done in KL. RWP has taken momentum and will be happening in 8 other cities around the world!
(reading is important, and more, in the full post)

Personally, Walski thinks that the habit of reading is a great one to have. It helps develop the intellect, and opens us up to an infinitely interesting world outside our own. Reading also stimulates your curiosity, that in-built mechanism in humans to constantly ask "why". With reading, the information you get, coupled with a healthy curiosity, will make you want to find out more. And to find out more, one has to read more.

Granted, in certain seemingly growing circles, some would prefer to have you not ask "why", and accept whatever dogma du jour they have to sell you, and would prefer you to swallow it whole. It boils down to thought control, which will then facilitate absolute control, in the long run. Walski believes that this is where the happy-go-book banning crowd comes in - as a tool, ultimately towards social control.

And the only panacea is if you can think critically, and are not afraid to ask "why". Walski has no remedy to offer for the not being afraid part, but reading certainly helps towards being able to think critically.

Today, however, we have the Internet, in addition to books and periodicals. Reading stuff on the Internet's a great way to gain knowledge, too. But the discipline to read through an entire article is something Walski honed through reading books and magazines. It could very well be that that's just Walski... but hey, whatever you read, read well!

In any case, Walski hopes that you do support this effort. If you can't be there at KL Sentral tomorrow, 3pm, you and a few of your friends can do it on your own. Go someplace where there will be some form of waiting involved - bus stop, train station... wherever. The literature you read can be anything. Do, however, take pictures, then send them to Random Alphabets, telling them where it happened.

Reading enhances knowledge. Knowledge allows you to want to know more. Wanting to know more means that you won't be so easily hoodwinked. And not being so easily hoodwinked means that you'd be able to discriminate between right and wrong, between good and bad. Being able to discriminate between right/wrong and good/bad means that you're less likely to fall victim to propaganda and dogmatic lies. Which will then lead us all together towards realizing how silly our pettiness has been all this while.

And it all starts with reading...

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

HENN: Entertainment map anomaly makes country disappear

Technorati tags: Humor, Satire, HENN, PAS Youth, sPAStic Myopia

Country's disappearance from entertainment map baffles experts
myAsylum has uncovered a strange phenomenon where an entire country has disappeared - at least from the entertainment map - reporting straight from Hell, and soon-to-be Hell-on-Earth, Malaysia. Another episode in the continuing series from the Hell-on-Earth News Network (HENN)

Planning world tours is what entertainment logistics specialist Dee Nayall does for a living. But today proved to be like no other, as Mr. Layne discovered that Malaysia has mysteriously disappeared off the entertainment map.

"So, there I was, trying to plan out 2 Live Crew's Asian tour, when I noticed a big gaping void where this country used to be. You know... the one between Singapore and Thailand... oh yeah, Malaysia," Dee Nayall said, during HENN's cheap-rate phone interview with the logistics expert.

Asked whether it could have merely been an indellible ink defect in his own map book, Dee's repsonse was negatory.

"No freakin' way, dude! Same shit happened to a few other guys I know." HENN managed to obtain a sample image, as proof of the claim made by the music logistician.

Malaysia no longer on the Entertainment Map
(see here for original map)

Intrigued, HENN consulted NASA geo-information specialist, Major (Rtd) Tom Bowie, who just happened to be on a cross line with us while we were talking to Mr. Nayall. Cosmic, to say the least.

Major Tom agreed that such phenomenon was possible and has been observed before. "When we started mapping the surface of Mars a few years ago, certain sections of the red planet suddenly disappeared... Poof! Just like that."

Asked to explain it further, Major Tom disclosed that such a geo-mapping phenomenon usually occurs when mapping satellites cannot detect any signs of intelligent life.

The phenomenon, it seems, is commonly known to space-junkies (like Major Tom), as sPAStic Myopia.
(entertaining disappearing act, and more, in the full post)

HENN, upon learning about sPAStic Myopia, decided to despatch myAsylum's intrepid contingent of CRAP (Cybernetic Remote Autonomous Pararoaches) to investigate further. One suspicion is that the sudden occurrence of this phenomenon had to do with the general attitude shown to entertainment in Malaysia. Particularly musicians. HENN could not ascertain how the connection, exactly, but is suspicious that this may be the case.

Having compiled a less than comprehensive report - but crystal in its clarity - HENN's suspicions, it seems, may be spot on.

HENN contacted Dee Nayall once more, to help us find out from his peers if the phenomenon was gradual, or whether it manifested itself as suddenly as in Mr. Nayall's case.

Percy Kewshun, another music logistician from the US, reported that unlike Mr. Nayall's experience, Malaysia started fading from the entertainment map as early as last year, but only really became obvious around the middle of July this year.

"At first I thought it was my eyesight... I have this bad habit of not rinsing my contacts as often as I should...", said Percy Kewshun. "But then, as the days went by, it became clear that it wasn't my eyesight, but hot damn... the map itself was fading! Really freaky, man!" added Percy.

From a music perspective, middle of July also saw the banning of Indonesian dangdut artiste Inul Daratista. Coincidence, or lyrical foreboding?

And what are the chances of Malaysia reappearing on the international music map? NASA space junkie Major (Rtd) Tom Bowie postulatates that it would all depend on the severity of the sPAStic Myopia phenomenon, currently manifest over Malaysian atmosphere.

Major Tom, however, added another ominous revelation. "What we have observed is that the longer sPAStic Myopia lingers, Malaysia is at risk of disappearing from more types of maps. It may just be the Entertainment Map, for now, but the longer it persists, it could be the Film Distributorship, or even the Direct Foreign Investment map next. There's just no telling with this dreaded cosmic phenomenon."

Reportedly, the latest artiste to give Malaysia a miss is Avril Lavigne, the skate-punk pop star, scheduled to kick off her Asia tour on August 29 in Kuala Lumpur. Industry sources have indicated that since Malaysia is off the Entertainment Map, Ms Lavigne's agent just couldn't be bothered to look the country up in other maps. The Young Turks, a commentary site, has more on this, via YouTube.

Local artistes, too, have not escaped the dreaded phenomenon of sPAStic Myopia, as evidenced by the harrasment experienced by local group NRG in Shah Alam recently.

"sPAStic Myopia can also manifest itself with greater localized intensity, which explains what happened to NRG," Major Tom quipped.

While some may rejoice that sPAStic Myopia currently enveloping Malaysia is a God-send, many are wondering what kind of God would actually send such a blessing. They're also wondering how long Malaysia will remain off the Entertainment Map. Major Tom could not provide a definite answer.

"It depends," he said. "It could be weeks, months, even generations. You can never tell with these types of unpredictable phenomena."

HENN has been informed, however, that Malaysia disappearing from the Entertainment Map is not entirely a bad thing - at least, not for her less anal neighbors - which can expect an exodus of Malaysians in the near future, in search of gigs by artistes they actually like, and not by those they feel they're forced to listen to.
(© 2008 - Hell-on-Earth News Network)

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

Poll Position: Where's YB? Irrelevant!

Technorati tags: Humor, Poll Position, Religion, Pembela, Hypocrisy

Well, the missing YB Zulkifli Noordin has since resurfaced. And quite by coincidence, he emerged from God-knows-where on the very same day (give or take) myAsylum's last poll concluded.

To those who participated, thanks for playing along. And the results?

... although one does wish he were abducted by aliens...

Well, truth be told, it doesn't matter, 'cause YB refuses to tell us where he's been. Walski was hoping that he was abducted by aliens, though - but more on that later.

What does matter, however, are his thoughts on his participation in the protest against the Bar Council forum on Saturday, August 9, which resulted in the forum being called to a close prematurely.

And his stand? That he's a Muslim first, and anything else later (via Malaysiakini). Presumably, that includes being a rational, thinking individual.
(you WILL respect my authoritaah, and more, in the full post)

Ok, perhaps you think Walski is being a little harsh. So, let's analyze, from the Malaysiakini article, what YB Zulkifli has to say.

"I am a Muslim first, lawyer second; I am Muslim first, MP second" - and this appears to be his key argument. Ok, fair enough.

"It is not right... for me Islam comes first, a party member second. If you attack Islam I'll be there," he exerted.
(source: Malaysiakini)

And how exactly was Islam being attacked? With sticks? Stones? No, it was being attacked by a forum, which although had a potentially provocative title, was after all, a forum. And if anyone, the YB included, had bothered to scrutinize the agenda for the forum (rather than simply look at the title and go ballistic), and the participants, you'd have found that the forum was discussing the grey areas between two jurisdictions (Civil and Syariah), and real-world experiences of those caught in this grey area limbo.

The Bar Council, one day before the forum, had issued the following press statement (emphasis by myAsylum):

The Bar Council's forum scheduled for tomorrow will proceed. The concerns of some quarters including a number of cabinet ministers such as the DPM, Dato' Seri Najib Razak, Dato' Hamid Albar and Dato' Zahid Hamidi, various NGOs and Pas are noted.

We reiterate that our concern is to address the issues of conflicts of laws facing families caught between the separate jurisdictions of civil and Syariah laws.

The Bar Council is not questioning the provisions of Article 121 (1A), which confer Syariah jurisdiction over Muslims on the Syariah Courts.

The co-existence of two separate legal jurisdictions is not a new or uncommon phenomenon and there are naturally issues of conflicts of laws arising from the different jurisdictions.

We recognize and respect Article 121 (1A); however, there is a strong viewpoint that it is unjust to compel anyone to be subjected to laws and courts that are based on a religion that they do not profess, and this viewpoint must be addressed.

Our concern centres on the manner of dealing with the current conflicts. There must be a concerted effort by the Government to address these issues constructively and not pay mere lip service to the concerns of many.

Although the Bar Council is heartened by the PM's recently-reported statements calling for more interfaith dialogues to be held in order to promote and ensure religious harmony among Malaysians of diverse beliefs and we welcome his assurance that there is space for such dialogues, we urge that more be done by way of constructive dialogue and meaningful debates with all the relevant stakeholders to arrive at a just and amicable solution. However, the Bar Council is troubled by the continuing calls fromcertain quarters that its forum tomorrow be cancelled.

These statements that claim the forum will create misunderstanding, anger and tension, are in stark contrast with the PM's assurances.

The Bar Council reiterates that the forum will not dispute Article 121 (1A), nor question Islam or its status as enshrined in Article 3 of the Federal Constitution. The forum is not about conversion per se, as the Bar Council endorses the absolute right of individuals to embrace Islam. Instead, the forum will address the ancillary issues that arise from such situation and will emphasise the need for laws, and judicial system, that protects everyone equally.

The way forward to resolving any dispute or issue is to firstly promote greater understanding of the views of all parties involved.

We accept and understand that matters relating to faith and race are always sensitive and emotive.

However, regardless of the sensitivity, we must strive to move forward to achieve a just, fair and amicable solution to the problems faced by so many individuals.

The Bar Council agrees with the PM that there is a high degree of respect and tolerance in Malaysia, and Malaysians are able to "discuss various issues, especially on religion, without having fear of repercussions from any other party". Malaysian society is mature and responsible. It wants to, and is ready to, exchange views in public, even on difficult issues, in efforts to further strengthen national unity and foster interfaith harmony.

Discourse on issues confronting the nation cannot take place only at official levels, behind closed doors, but must be inclusive and involve the public and those whose lives are affected by them.

Calls to halt discussion on any issue imply that there are aspects to those issues that the public does not have right to know about, which is counter to the principles of the open, progressive and democratic society that we have evolved into.

We believe that it is the continued suppression of open and respectful discourse, not public forums, that will cause tension and jeopardize national unity.

The Bar Council advocates the democratic rights of all individuals and groups, and defends their freedom to assemble, to associate and to express their views. We are taking the necessary precautions to ensure that the dialogue takes place in a controlled and constructive manner, by holding the forum in a closed setting and by requiring participants to register for the event. The forum is open to everyone.

The Bar Council urges supporters and critics alike to attend the forum and to air their views so that together, we can strive to seek just solutions to the issues faced by our fellow citizens.

But the angry protest went on anyway. Why?

"I am a Muslim first, lawyer second; I am Muslim first, MP second" - almost like card blanche implying whatever the protesters believe to be the truth is the truth. No room for reason. Thinking not allowed, almost.

But here's the interesting part. From the same Malaysiakini article mentioned above:

"You have a misleading fact. There was no question of us stopping the forum. They have already discussed with the police to stop it... it's not because of us."

And that, folks, is a blatant lie. The protesters were there for one and one reason only - to stop the forum. The police, based on the volatile mob-like atmosphere, had no choice but to "advise" the organizers to cut the forum short. But don't take Walski's word for it (hat tip to The People's Parliament).

With veiled threats issued by Dr Badrul Amin Baharom (also of PKR), between time markers 1:16 and 3:26, of violence if the police didn't "cooperate" to stop the forum. And the fiery student leader, representing GPMS, hinting at bloodshed (between time markers 3:43 and 5:43). Or how about what the YB Zulkifli Noordin himself said (between time marker 7:36 to the end)?

"I am a Muslim first, lawyer second; I am Muslim first, MP second" - is that an excuse to lie?

And on what grounds did the people of Kulim Bandar Baru elect him on March 8th this year? On the grounds that he's a Muslim first, MP second? Guess again.

Some supporters of Pembela and their like have even gone as far to say that August 9th was a "victory for Islam". The only thing victorious about it is the clear proof that it's the self-proclaimed "protectors of Islam" that are successfully reinforcing the notion that Muslims are unreasonable, and do not respect the right of others, hence in one fell swoop further tarnishing the image of Islam. Yay! Victory!

Perhaps this letter, published at Malaysiakini, from online friend Umran Kadir sums up the disappointment of Malaysians in the actions of Zulkifli Noordin and the other political leaders - the "I am a Muslim first, whatever else second" so-called leaders. The following is an excerpt from that letter.

Thank you for finally coming out of hiding and delivering a much needed press conference. During the press conference, you made the claim that one can ‘talk about Islam but you can't talk for Islam’.

In a similar vein I would like to make it clear that you and Pembela can talk about Muslims but you can't talk for Muslims. You certainly don't speak for this Muslim and I daresay there are many other Malaysian Muslims that you do not speak for.

You and the other leaders of that demonstration have only brought shame upon Muslims and moreover, brought Islam into disrepute because by your actions and words on the morning of Aug 9, you lend credence to the notion that Muslims are irrational liars who are prone to threats of violence and that our faith is too weak to be discussed in the open.
(source: Malaysiakini - letters are viewable by all)

"I am a Muslim first, lawyer second; I am Muslim first, MP second" - Umran, later in the same letter, points out to the conflict of interest that this stand has put YB Zulkifli Noordin in.

You are keen to emphasise that to you, Islam comes before PKR. However, the far more pertinent question for you to answer is whether Pembela or your collective constituents come first, and in my view by your actions you have placed Pembela above your constituents.

As an illustration, consider if you had another Shamala or Revathi as a constituent. Would you be sympathetic to the plight of such a person? Could such a person count on your support? Would such a person even be comfortable now to approach you?

Would you be willing to cross swords with Jais or other Islamic authorities to seek justice for a non-Muslim? I am guessing the answer to all these questions is a resounding 'no'.

You maintain that you attended the demonstration as a member of Pembela and not as an MP. Since you are still in a state of denial, I provided the above illustration to demonstrate how your actions as a member of Pembela have created a potentially calamitous conflict of interest with your responsibilities as an MP. Who would now believe that you can impartially serve the interests of all your constituents?

So, where was YB? Who the heck really cares... what's more important is that in the here and now, it's these less-than-sincere split-personality politicians that this nation doesn't need. Perhaps, August 9th was a blessing in disguise, after all.

Incidentally, Walski's own choice for the poll was that the YB was abducted by aliens.

They should've kept him, too.

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

Where's YB?

Technorati tags: Humor, Opinion Poll, Zukifli Noordin, Forum Protest

Walski is back in the bursting-at-the-seams metropolitan city of Jakarta this week. Fortunately, this time around the hotel he's staying at has in-room Internet access.

Well, that said, with the meeting schedule Walski has and all, there's not much time to really blog significant stuff, so for a change, let's do something a little bit more fun... an opinion poll of the wacky kind.

It's about the PKR MP for Kulim Bandar Baru, YB Zulkifli Noordin. The guy's been missing since his prominent role in Saturday's protest against the Bar Council forum, resulting in the forum being aborted, in fear of more nastiness than had already ensued.

We all have our opinions about the behavior exhibited by the coalition of NGOs who rowdily managed to cut short a forum they were against, purely on the grounds of assumption that the forum was anti-Islamic.

But for now, we're not talking about the forum, per se. This time, it's about YB Zul, and where he could possibly be.

The poll can be found in the sidebar, where the polls can usually be found, and will run for a week, until August 19th, around midnight.

On a slightly separate humanitarian note, as much as Walski loathes the behavior exhibited by the PKR Member of Parliament, Walski sincerely hopes that nothing bad happened to the guy.
(This is the full post - nothing more, nothing less)

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

Fascism is as Fascism does

Technorati tags: Islam, Fascism, Mob Action, Malaysian Bar Council

Let's call a spade a spade. Even if some decide that "shovel" is a more appropriate term for a spade, it's still a fucking spade.

And the name of the particular spade Walski's talking about is fascism. Doesn't matter what creed one holds - fascism is as fascism does.

From Malaysiakini (subscription required - emphasis by myAsylum):

One of the demonstrators (pic right), wearing a green and white Malay Student Front (GPMS) shirt, started the verbal melee when he grabbed hold of a microphone and lashed out at the crowd of about 100 participants.

“I represent Umno. Stop this forum” declared the unidentified individual who also uttered “Don’t insult Islam” and “You! Chinese, Indians, go to hell!”.
(text & picture source: Malaysiakini)

How the heck could anyone come to the conclusion that a closed door forum discussing "Conversion to Islam" be deemed as a threat to Islam and Muslims at large? Ok, well, technically, it is possible, provided the following conditions are met:

1. One has no ability to logically reason.
2. One has no clue whatsoever what the forum is all about, but decide to demand it's cancellation anyway because the rest of your mob want it so (even if they're equally clueless)
3. One believes that discussion equals threat
4. One believes that the status quo is ordained by God

Bonus condition: that one is an utter moron.

Walski has no clue what religion these belligerent antagonists (regardless of political ideology) believe in, but it certainly isn't the Islam that Walski knows. The Islam Walski knows promotes understanding through dialog (which this mob successfully aborted), and upholds justice. Not justice only for those who claim to be Muslims, but Justice for ALL.

Aren't forced conversion of minors, corpse-grabbing, and other grey areas that the courts cannot (or will not) address, pertinent issues that demand to be discussed? Oh, of course not... since it's you-know-who that's condoning the forced conversions and corpse-grabbing... all JUST acts since they're the ones doing it. Any attempt at dialog, and immediately Islam is under threat.

With that kind of mindset, is it any wonder that Muslims are in the state their in? And instead of being introspective, it's always the ubiquitous OTHER that's to blame.

Give them an inch... and they'll insist that the entire tape-measure is rightfully theirs, and will seize it from you, at whatever cost.
(selfishness the root of all evil, and more, in the full post)

On the one hand, these so-called "Defenders of Islam" lament that the media at large paint Islam in a negative light. Can anyone in their right mind tell Walski what positivity can be derived from what this mob did yesterday?

We're unstable and easily riled... don't mess with us!

CAUTION!! Bar Council, Don't Play With Fire... that's the English translation of the banner above (picture from Malaysiakini). Meaning what? That Muslims in this country are so damn insecure and emotionally unstable, and will go amok at the slightest perceived provocation? Nice positive way to paint yourselves, isn't it?

GPMS, certain members of PAS/PKR, UMNO, Perkida, PEMBELOT PEMELA... nothing but a bunch of mindless, fascist thugs. In the name of Islam. Well, no matter in whose name, fascism is as fascism does...

From another related Malaysiakini report (emphasis by myAsylum):

The protesters, many of whom are from Muslim welfare organsation Perkida and Islamic party PAS, shouted, “Hancur Bar Council” (Crush Bar Council), “Hidup Islam” (Long Live Islam) and “Batal forum” (Cancel the forum).

They are carrying placards saying “Jangan cabar Islam” (Don’t challenge Islam) and “Bar Council, Don’t play with fire”.

and later in the same report:

The demonstration was generally peaceful, but several forum participants were subjected to verbal abuse and profanities when they exited the Bar Council building.

Shouts of “babi”, “pengkhianat” and “balik China” were heard as forum participants trickled out of the venue.

Yes, very exemplary and Islamic... pig, traitor and go back to China. Not only fascist, but racist as well. And you want the media to picture you as how again?

In an environment where sensibility and rationality are assets the Islamist mob mindset is totally devoid of, perhaps the Bar Council should have made the forum invitation-only. Even then, though, come to think of it, the mob would probably have reared its ugly head nevertheless. With a mindset that dialog is "challenging Islam", and behaving like thugs is righteous, ANY discussion of any form in any setting would have resulted in the same kind of shameful action.

Even before the event, there were calls to cancel the forum, including from the BN-led Government, whose message implicitly encouraged the protest. Not to mention, calls for invoking the ISA on the Bar Council from everybody's favorite mufti, Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria.

Partial transcript (translated):

Timeline 0:19 - 0:27
Harussani: "... they even want to touch the Constitution, right? It's best that for people like these, we take action against. And the most appropriate action, I think, is the ISA... catch them."

To be fair, Harussani advised those who were to attend the protest not to use force, to act peacefully, and show that "we don't hold to principes of terror" (0:32 - 0:42). The YouTube interview video was made by Islamist blogger Mahaguru58, who also echoes the use of the ISA, later in the video.

How convenient... self-proclaimed protectors of Islam calling for the use of the most UN-Islamic of legislature. When it suits them, of course. There's one word that immediately comes to mind:

H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E.

Speaking of the dreaded ISA, an unconfirmed report (via Mahaguru58) states that PKR MP for Bandar Baru Kulim, Zulkifli Noordin, who was an active participant (by virtue of him being part of Pembela) in yesterday's mob action, has been arrested under the draconian act. This has also been reported by Rocky's Bru (although not specifically mentioning ISA).

In no way, shape, or form, does Walski condone the use of the ISA. Let's make that crystal-fucking-clear. But really... ask, and thou shall receive? In any case, the report remains unconfirmed as of the time of posting this.

Incidentally, Rocky, in his post commenting on the Bar Council forum bust-up, posed a rhetorical question: Would PR (Pakatan Rakyat) be more tolerant of such a discussion on Islam?

Walski thinks that the answer is NO. This endemic mindset transcends politics and who's in government. Walski bases his answer on the fact that members of both PAS and PKR (component parties of Pakatan Rakyat) featured prominently in yesterday's mob action.

In a somewhat related fascist development, as Walski had correctly predicted, KL PAS Youth, having successfully prevented Inul from performing, now wants the Avril Lavigne concert banned, on the grounds of - get this - being unpatriotic and blemishing the memory of those who fought for our independence (hat-tip to The Malaysian Insider). Instead, the government should "hold patriotic and civilised concerts as well as organise history-writing contests and historical exhibitions in conjunction with the 51st anniversary of the country's independence".

What the fuck is a civilized concert?

Fascist, and delusional to boot. Nice combination. And by history-writing contest, Walski presumes that KL PAS Youth means history re-writing contest, ensuring that only Islamic and/or Malay elements of history are promoted. These idiots severely need a dose of Farish Noor's "Di Balik Malaysia"... (more on this important book once Walski has had the chance to finish reading it).

Fascism is as fascism does... and it doesn't matter what faith a fascist professes - actions will always speak louder than piety...

The sale of handbaskets in Malaysia has never been more brisk...

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

08/08/08

Technorati tags: Humor, 080808, Beijing Olympics, Eight, 8, Sodomy

Updated: See full post (after the break) for the updated portion of this post (if you've read it before).

Unless you've been living under a rock, stashed in a sealed cave someplace (which would make Walski wonder how you're even reading this), you'd know that the number 8 is auspicious to the Chinese.

Which is why they picked today to kick off the 2008 Olympics. With the opening ceremony at 8:08pm, to boot.

Google pays tribute, in their own special way, to the significance of this day, if you've noticed (hat-tip to Howsy).

The Malaysian MSM, on the other hand, pays tribute to sodomy (that's MainStream Media, not Men having Sex with Men).

In Malaysia, August 8, 2008 is MSM Sodomy Day!

Which just goes to show how ass-backwards we can be sometimes...
(multiplicity of eight, and more, in the full post)

Updated portion (@ 9:09am August 9th):
The reason 8 is synonymous with prosperity to the Chinese (in Mandarin and just about any dialect Walski knows of) is phonetics - the pronunciation for 8 is similar to that for prosperity. The more 8's you have in a string of numbers the better.

Which is why the Chinese opted for August 8th 2008 for the beginning of the Beijing Olympic games, with the proceedings beginning at 8:08pm (more 8's). And for those of you who watched the opening (or the latter part of it, in Walski's case), wasn't that just something spectacular? Especially the lighting of the torch...

Another feather in the cap for the people of China. Okay, they have their fair share of faults, too, particularly in the area of human rights, but hey.. which country doesn't?

But back to the number 8...

August 8th 2008 is also the wedding day of choice for a lot of people - and not necesserily of the Chinese persuasion either. Walski's cousin got married yesterday, a union he had to miss because of the day trip thingy (see footnote). In Malaysia, at least, the prosperity associated with the number 8 is somewhat becoming universal.

In Indian numerology, however, the number 8 does have certain characteristics, but is not classified as a good or bad number, per se. More of what characteristics the number has, and what other numbers are friendly/unfriendly towards it.

Eight also looks like the symbol for infitinity (∞) turned 90 degrees on its side, perhaps a portend for the infinite possibilities of what one could write about the number.. or the infinite prosperity some folks believe the number represents. 9 tries to come close, but ends up looking like the trajectory of an object being slingshot around the orbit of a planet instead. Infinity gone tangential, so to speak...

But 8 is not the most feared digit, however. That honor, apparently, goes to the number 7. Why? Well, rumor has it that six fears seven, because seven ate (eight) nine...

Fatigue eight Walski's creative juices apologetic footnote: Yes, it's true, Walski was on a day trip up to Lumut yesterday, starting his journey at 7am, did his meeting at 10am then eventually getting back to town around 6pm, then back to the office for a bit. Which is why he had to miss his cousin's wedding. And the first hour or so of the Beijing Olympics spectacular opening... Incidentally, the lame-ish joke about "seven ate nine" comes from a film, whose title escapes Walski for the moment.

Speaking of lame-ish, the trip also accounts for the fact that this post is a little on the lame side (or so Walski thinks). And for that, please accept his apologies, to the power of infinity turned 90 degrees on its side...

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

S.O.S.

Technorati tags: Distress, Malaysia, Save Malaysia

Update @ August 8 1:33pm: Walski, in respecting Mob1900's intellectual ownership of the poster (see comments), has updated said poster below to reflect right-side up amendments Mob had made. Apparently, many Malaysians feel that an upside down Jalur Gemilang is disrespectful, regardless of what an upside-down flag represents (see full post).

myAsylum, like a number of Malaysia-related blogs, would like to convey its feeling of distress. Until further notice, the banner pix you see at the top of the page remains. This initiative of visually displaying displeasure was initiated by Kickdefella, the original blog poster boy - and Walski is in full support.

Incidentally, a fellow blogger was arrested last night. On the grounds of sedition, it seems. He's the dude that broke the story on the secret talks between UMNO and PAS. Abdul Rashid Abdul Bakar, aka Bakaq aka Penarik Beca, last night was arrested from his home just outside Kuala Lumpur. His computer, it is believed, was siezed as well. Poster is courtesy of the current blog poster boy, Mob1900.

Add that to the many other things to feel distressed about.
(Walski is not being disrespectful, and more, in the full post)

Incidentally, flying a flag bottom side up is an internationally recognized symbol of distress - it is not meant to disrespect the Jalur Gemilang, in this case. The flag has done nothing wrong. The government, for which the flag purportedly represents, has. Big time.

The state of things in the nation are far from rosy...

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

Lockdown

Technorati tags: Politics, Police, Traffic Jams, Anwar Ibrahim

It escaped Walski's memory this morning, until one important worm signs was sighted, reminding him that Anwar was going to be charged in court this morning - police roadblocks at key entry points to Kuala Lumpur.

The police, it would seem have way too damn much time on their hands. The only thing the roadblocks have achieved is causing massive gridlocks in the capital city. It's not very clear what exactly these morons were on the lookout for, because all they did was stand by and admire the massive traffic jam they had created.

Oh, but one pick-up truck carrying a collapsable ladder was stopped at the Jalan Duta NKVE toll police funnel. Presumably on the grounds that it was not a very nice looking ladder, all rusted and shit. Or were the pigs thinking "Projectile Alert! Projectile Alert!"

Meanwhile, in the more important real world...

(courtesy of Aisheman)

Oh, what a wonderfully fucked up country we live in. And no, Walski will never forget, either.
(if only more effort were put on fighting real crime, and more, in the full post)

So here's the deal - one day before the world watches in awe the spectacular opening of the Beijing Olympics, the world gets awed by the sheer stupidity of the police, carrying out the orders of an embattled government desperate to regain support of the people...

... by ensuring that Kuala Lumpur gets locked down in traffic gridlock.

As of 10:14am today, it's been about a month short of a year since the body of Nurin was found. And the case remains unsolved. But not for lack of police resources, one would guess.

The prospect of flying the Malaysian flag in distress mode is getting more and more attractive...

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

Maze

Technorati tags: Humor, Politics, Permatang Pauh, By-elections, BN, PKR

Webster's Dictionary (the online version, at least), defines the word "Maze" as

1. Complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost.
2. Something jumbled or confused

Spell the word backwards, and you get Ezam. Both definitions still hold.

Would you trust someone like Ezam? To Walski, he's always been a race-first kinda guy. But don't just take Walski's word and viewpoint for it - from Tok Mummy (earlier this year, in May):

"I’m joining Umno now, not in the strongest position. My decision is based purely on my conviction that Umno now is capable of bringing about the necessary reforms."

Initially, he said, Keadilan was set up as a multiracial Malay-based party, but slowly, it dropped the "Malay-based" aspect and just became a multiracial party.

Ezam said that to lose that foundation is "a big sin." "It crossed the line," he said.
(source: Tok Mummy)

Clearly, kini, dulu and forever, for Ezam it's only race. His own, first and foremost.
(the dying paradigm of race-based politics, and more, in the full post)

But wasn't March 8th, among other things, about the rejection of race-based politics? Isn't race-based politics - or for that matter, race-in-religion-clothing based politics - a dying paradigm?

Okay, right about now some of you are probably thinking "Yeah, Walski - coming from a good for nothing God-damned liberal, your views are of the minority... hardly worth considering."

Oh, really?

Via The Malaysian Insider, from a couple of days ago (emphasis by myAsylum).

Amid the usually staid setting of a studio at Radio Television Malaysia, the country's state-owned organisation considered by critics for many years to be propaganda machinery for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, a lively discussion on politics took place live and uncensored yesterday evening.

On a news crawler at the bottom of the screen over RTM2, live and unedited text messages in English and Chinese were displayed.

In English, one viewer had written: "BN is a racist group. BN uses racism to cover corruption."

Most of the other messages also contained similar sentiments against the ruling coalition, and was telling about Chinese sentiment five months after the March general election.

A significant number of messages called for political parties to embrace multiracialism and discard the race-based system of the BN.

Based on the text messages alone, it could be surmised that animosity towards the BN, especially Umno, remains at an all-time high.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

For race-first stalwarts like Ezam, however, these things probably don't matter. UMNO is capable of bringing reforms, he says. Even Pak Lah doesn't give a shit that his popularity ratings are at an all time low. As reported by Aisehman, the ratings actually look pretty darn bad.

"Nevermind Lah", the guy's probably thinking, "I'm PM until 2010 - at least - so who the hell cares what the rakyat thinks."

And that examplifies the mindset of UMNO - denial is okay, as long as you're in power. And when push comes to shove, there's always emergency rule. Which technically, Malaysia is still under, since emergency rule, last invoked during the May 13 tragedy, was never actually revoked.

If you were to ask Walski, Mohamed Ezam Mohd Nor should be the one contesting against Anwar in Permatang Pauh. If he has the balls to do so. Which, going by a statement Maze-spelt-backwards had made - that he'd abide by whatever UMNO choses to do - indicates that the dude is more talk than anything else. Empty, past-its-useful-shelf-life talk, at that.

Someone wrote to Malaysiakini, suggesting that Saiful Bukhari Azlan be fielded as the opposing candidate. Supposedly for the sake of sympathy votes. Walski can almost imagine what his campaign poster would look like...

A very unlikely campaign poster...

Ok, perhaps not a very likely thing to happen, but as of earlier this evening, BN has still not named a candidate. Perhaps, even as Walski writes this, they're still drawing straws as to who should be the sacrificial lamb...

Or maybe they're just confused. Like being blindfolded, spun around a couple dozen times, then having to find one's way out of a maze.

Which is Ezam spelled backwards. With both definitions holding firm.

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

The Miracle of Immaculate Sodomization

Technorati tags: Miracles, Immaculate Sodomization, Politics, Police

Do you believe in miracles? Miracles come in all shapes, forms and sizes. Some are obvious, while many are not. One miracle - or at least Walski considers it one - is the Miracle of Immaculate Sodomization.

Immaculate Sodomization - the act of buggering without actually making physical contact, or leaving worm-signs that such an act actually took place. The miracle part? That many believe it actually happened, despite signs indicating the contrary.

The police investigation, it seems, has been completed, and the decision of whether to formally press charges lies with the Attorney General's Chamber - without any involvement of the actual Attorney General. Or so says Syed Hamid. Only his chamber. And presumably his chamber maids.

Unless, of course, we're stuck in some Transformers-like alternate reality where buildings can actually do stuff.

It seems a lot of people do believe in this miracle - particularly those who are convinced Anwar Ibrahim is guilty of sodomizing his aide. No matter what.

Every micracle has its proponents - or apostles, as Walski prefers to call them. The miracle of Immaculate Sozomization is no different. One of the chief apostles is none other than Uncle Pet - the "uncle" of the alleged victim, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Not to be confused, of course, with Raja Pet, Malaysia's leading whistle-blower. But Raja Pet also has a role in this miracle. More on that later. For now, it's Uncle Pet we'll spotlight for a bit.

In a recent Malaysiakini news report, the apostle uncle who only wishes to be know as Uncle Pet rubbished the leaked medical report stating that his nephew showed no signs of sodomy.

"That is just bull****. They just want to exaggerate the story and divert attention. The important thing is Anwar (Ibrahim) is doing that thing and it's happened.
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required, quoting Uncle Pet)

Spoken like a true apostle... so sure is he that his "nephew" was sodomized. Regardless of what really happened, or who is really getting screwed in the process of the entire charade.

But at least Uncle Pet got one thing right - there certainly is a lot of bullshit projectiling around...
(uncles, uncle fuckers, and more, in the full post)

Uncle Pet, of course, has his own beef with Raja Pet. Earlier, the latter somewhat snidely suggested the possibility that it was the former's DNA that was found - instead of Uncle Anwar's - hence preventing charges to be immediately levelled against the embattled PKR supremo.

Incidentally, reading that Malaysia Today post immediately brought to mind this South Park classic...

Caution: Very Explicit Lyrics!

In truth, we don't know for sure who fucked whose butt, or if there was any uncle fucking going on to begin with. But miracles do happen. In particular, the miracle of Immaculate Sodomization. Because some people are firm believers that the act occurred. Not once, not thrice, but six times, apparently.

And as is standard operating procedure, whenever there's a case implicating an opposition politician, the police are quick to conduct an investigation. But do the Malaysian people even trust that the police can, and will, conduct a thorough, and unbiased investigation? Well, Walski will let the recently concluded poll speak for itself.

The "Nays" have it... by a huge margin

The answer, it seems, is a resounding No.

But still, it's best to leave due process to how due process processes itself, Walski reckons. But as Haris Ibrahim has correctly wondered, now that the investigation has been completed, is justice gonna be served, or is it simply going to be a case of No Further Action (NFA)? Logically, one of two things must happen - either Anwar gets charged unlawful, or Saiful gets charged for making a false report.

Whether charge or NFA, Walski thinks that this entire episode should be put to rest - pronto. Otherwise, the court of public opinion shall continue to remain in session, with all kinds of speculation and guesswork spewed out into cyberspace, after leaving the realm of coffeeshops. And Walski, too, promises to avoid dwelling on it as well after this post. Unless something related that's really, really worth dwelling upon surfaces.

Be that as it may, the nation now awaits the outcome of the recently completed investigation, and the decision of the AG's chamber on what to do with the case. Whatever that decision may be.

In the meantime, some of us (particularly those with political motives) will still insist that they believe in this miracle, that despite no clear evidence revealed, Anwar is guilty, as not-yet charged. Most, however, believe that he's not, and that this entire episode is a result of trying to prevent Anwar Ibrahim's political aspirations from gaining any more momentum than it already has.

Come to think of it, those who'd prefer that the PKR numero uno be guilty are probably of the UMNO/BN persuasion. They've got enough internal problems to worry about at this juncture, as it is, with the pleaded for power-transition not going down the acceptance gullet as smoothly as hoped.

Anwar, however, remains unperturbed, having announced his intention to contest for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, recently vacated by his wife. Resiliant ol' feller...

So, until and unless something happens to stop Anwar in his political tracks, all the UMNO/BN folk have is to believe in miracles... like the Miracle of Immaculate Sodomization.

Walski's disjointed apology footnote: If the post seems a little disjointed at parts, it's the result of it being written and edited over the span of a week. Not really a good thing because the train of thought gets derailed when you do that. Couldn't help it though... work, and all that un-fun stuff related to working life...

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

Decade-nce

Technorati tags: Anniversary, 10 Years, Marriage

Today, August 1st 2008 marks 10 years. A decade. Time does fly.

A Decade - of two being together as one unit.

A Decade - of having to put up with Walski, and his various ideosyncracies. Some, admittedly, annoying.

A Decade - 3,642.5 days (assuming you believe the Earth orbits around the Sun). Most of those have been awesomely great. Some, we'd rather forget. But what's the good, if not for the bad?

A Decade - 13,113,000 minutes in the never-ending quest to learn and know his better half. And Walski still gets it all wrong sometimes.

A Decade - way too many seconds to bother counting. But each one with her Walski still savors and always looks forward to.
(Decade-nce is a good thing, and more, in the full post)

A Decade - of remaining in love. The "falling in" part was probably the easiest - the rest a constant, but well-worth-it, effort.

A Decade - of ups and downs. Over time, though, the ups seem to get higher, and the downs not so low.

A Decade - hither and yon, but all the time connected, even when we're not actually, physically together.

A Decade - a long time for some, a destination for others, but for Walski and the Mrs, another beginning of a continuing journey. Together. Towards another 10 (minimum, God-willing).

Decade-nce. A good thing.

Some don't even make it that far. And for that we're very thankful.

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