Hishamuddin disagree with submarine purchase

That title should come with a question mark but it seems that putting a title with a question mark is not good journalism. Ah well ... we are not journalist and for once, let's try put this poser without a question mark.

Defense Minister, Dato Hishamuddin Hussein Onn was in Kota Kinabalu yesterday to complete his 3 day tour. He visited the Royal Malaysian Navy base in Telok Sepanggar and was given coverage by  NST today in page 10.  

The top page news would only attract the attention of those avid followers of the military but the one below is a puller.

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Was the attack on Tun Daim for real?

A viral meme of the quarrel

The big political story this week must be TV3 giving repeated coverage to PKR leaders' comments on past investigations of corruption on Tun Daim. These were cases, which the predecessor organisation to MACC, Anti Corruption  Agency (ACA or or the Malay acronym, BPR), had announced as no case in 1998.

That is more than 15 years ago.

It was puzzling why TV3 had to give them the mileage. That set-up a major buzz in the social media and raised quite an uproar among UMNO grassroots. Ever since, there have been a ceasefire as claimed by the blog Life of Annie here. TV3 has stopped the attack.

Social media believed the instruction to attack may have come from one Dato Habibur Rahman. However, many questions remain unanswered. Why and what the attack is all about?

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China 1 + 1 + 1 equals?

Whenever something is so simple to deduce and easy to be agreeable to, they would say 1 plus 1 equals 2. In the world of M&A, they are always looking for that strategic fit that will see a 1 plus 1 equals 3 performance benefit.

A better one, the binary numerical system which is the basic algorithm in electronics and information technology, 1 plus 1 equals 10. Only thing is a binary 10 is only 2.

On our way on Putra commuter train to an evening appointment, we were reading today's The Star. Something interesting observed with respect to various matters related to China. So what will 1 plus 1 plus 1 equal to?

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3 ways to help country facing market downturn from AWO

Hold out on politics and the internal squabbles first. Maybe later late afternoon, if we are in the mood..More important, the economy first.

And it is about the revised budget to meet the lower oil and ringgit senario. Just proves critics that PM and government do monitor the situation.

This is a government that has attained some level of maturity after coming to 60 years of independence. How could anyone even think the government is not aware of happening in market and preparing a plan?

"Accused conspirator" Hardev Kaur monitors market and economic indicators around the clock and around the world. How she could be a political conspirator is puzzling?

Received message from Senator Dato Abdil Wahid Omar via our Alumni Whats App. He assured it is not as bad as many thinks and gave tips on how to help our beloved country

Lets not worsen things with politics and inner squables.

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Feint left, but move right

It may not be about Tun Daim or Tun Dr Mahathir. May not be them versus Dato Najib.

Neither is it about some "Hantu Raya" or TV3. Nor about the grab for contracts.

So who is it? What is it about?

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The passing of an old friend

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. 

No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. 

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: 

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Military man do not disobey order

There is a quote from the great WWII General George Patton Sr. It says:

"Follow me, lead me, or get the hell out of way."

In the military, one take order or give order and there is no other way. Every order or procedure should be adhered to. No question ask.

Military expect discipline on all under command. There is no room to loosen on discipline. Discipline is everything and the chain of command have no leeway for dissent. Not even saying what is right. That is democrasy in public life.

The military is to defend and preserve our democrasy, but it does not operate on democratic principle. Or, it will put the military organisation in disarray.

PAS supporting former Major Zaidi Ahmad was dismissed by the millitary court. Although what he said maybe politically relevant in civilian life, he had breached military order.

Thus, attempt by Bersih 2.0 to politicise his dismissal by the military court is irresponsible.

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In the midst of crisis, there's always instigators

One reason there is no sense of honour and gentlemenly conduct in Malaysian politics is that political competitors, be they inside or outside a political party, could seized on opportunity from a troubled situation. That happened during the flood disaster and it happened to Dato Dr Zahid Hamidi.

Instead of getting team support from his fellow cabinet member and/or UMNO party leaders, a reliable source claimed a group of instigators approach those close to Dato Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn to launch an attack on Zahid. The instigators gathered up MPs and Division leaders from a certain state to meet Hishamuddin and a suggestion to hit out at Zahid cropped up.

Unfortunately, several attendees claimed the same set of instigators organised a similar gathering with Zahid to start a retaliation. Sounds like Lord Rothchild funding and selling arms to both sides in the Battle of Waterloo while also making money in the London stock market.

In case anyone not know, it was similar type of instigators that caused the rift between Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, which resulted in a long drawn leadership crisis in Selangor.

Wonder who?

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Je ne suis pas Charlie

Received the above image in our Whats App this morning.

Someone made an image of the quote from our architect friend in yesterday's posting.

The French translation for "I am not Charlie" came from our French educated youngest brother, which became this posting title.

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Condemn, YES but NOT Charlie!

In his Twitter, UMNO Youth Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin commented: “I condemn again the Charlie Hebdo murders but the unity march was nauseating.“

It would have been the most politically incorrect word to say in response to the bloody incident. Knowing the tendency of Khairy's position on many issues, it came as a surprise. [One can read on in The Malay Mail Online here.]

The reported 200,000 rally may had an emotional impact on the French. They strongly uphold to such rights and freedom of speech, expression and thoughts even how improper and vulgar the message be [read here in MI].

Away from the emotional out pour in France, common sense still prevail. MCA and Dato Ti Lian Ker must have gone bonkers for trying to nitpick issue out of Ibrahim's statement to call for his arrest.

Generally most people, even Dato Ibrahim Ali, do not condone such violence, but one can hear the idiom "You reap what you sow" widely quoted.

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Can Halim Shafie tighten MCMC's enforcement role?

For quite sometime MCMC Chairman, Dato Sharil Tarmizi had been receiving the brunt of the blame for the slow action on rouge social media users.

The complain then was that he was slow in taking action or did not take any action. It had come to a point where it was perceived that the authoritiees was quick to take action with pro-UMNO bloggers but slow when it comes to pro-opposition bloggers.

Communication and Multimedia Minister has just announced the outgoing Telekom Malaysia Berhad Chairman and former MCMC Chairman, Dato Halim Shafiee to replace Sharil.

At 65 years old and after retiring from several positions after retiring from Government, can Halim meet the expectation on the authorities? Perhaps, it is better that the enforcement role of the MCMC be assigned to the Police.

There are several reasons.

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Unethical Malaysian businessmen

Recently, there was a brief skirmish in our Whats App group on the Malay agenda.

A dear log time friend, whose likely is fed-up with too much NATO on the subject of the Malay agenda, summarised his disgust by saying if Malays are still reliant on Chinese for goods and services, talk of Malay agenda to "perkasakan bangsa" is futile.

There is truth to what he said but one cannot just sit back and let it come. Something must be done. Effort must be made within the community. Enough of government must do this and that. The activist must not hope on others or bureaucrasy to do it for them.

As someone trained in Engineering and is in an operational corporate position, doers are naturally disgusted with polemics and rhetorics. But, the big picture macro discussion is necessary.

The Malays' problems are so deeply imbedded in their psyche as a result of their socio-political history that looking at it strictly from a retail economic delivery system suffers from myopia. To expect the creation of Malay businessmen as the yardstick of community development, it is a delusion.

Malaysian businessman generally do not abide to any form of rules and ethics. They are self serving and that attitude is translated in their open confession of being bottom line driven, penny pinching obsession, and end justify the means moral platform. 

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Mee goreng mamak for late lunch

Our late lunch ... the ubiquitous mee goreng mamak and topped with a little bit of kuah rojak mamak.

These are Indian Muslim dishes that one will not find in India. These mamak are so agile and adaptable that they adopt the local food as their own.

To attract Malay and Chinese customers to their shop, they serve their version of the popular Malay and Chinese food and at the same time their Indian food. The same reason one see Tom Yam, simple Malaysian steak and chicken shop, etc served at mamak shop today.

The Jawa in Malaysia have dishes like Mee Bandung, and Mee Jawa but such dishes cannot be found in Bandung or the whole Java island too.

But, does that make them more agile and adaptable? Notice how a Jawa totok (these days only fund in Selangor or among the migrant workers) read the fatihah. Sirotol laji na ngam ngam tak alaihim.....

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It's a start for 1MDB's new "Mamak" CEO

If Deputy Finance Minister, Dato Ahmad Maslan not say that the new CEO for 1MDB, Arul Kanda s/o Kandasamy converted to Islam, no one would have known.

Not that it matters, but such a name would not have hinted that he is an Indian Muslim. Does he fulfill the definition of a Mamak?

Anyway, his religion is hardly the issue. Despite Malaysiakini criticism of Ahmad [read here], give him a break. Arul's impressive resume in Islamic banking would have attracted such enquiry [see here in The Star].

On his second day in office, Arul had given The Star an interview. Considering how secretive 1MDB  management had been and their reluctance to engage media, alternative and mainstream, that is a start.

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Main redah saja Mamak ni ...

Roketkini reported Dato Abdul Malik Kassim, the Penang exco member in-charge of Islamic matters for the state saying the state government plan to audit the Zakat Pulau Pinang, the body for adminstering zakat for the state.

Although DAP's SEACAT program in Selangor and Penang suffered the perception of being used to justify Pakatan Rakyat's state leaders wrongdoings and to ban BN state assemblymen, for the sake of CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency), why not?

Zakat is administered by government servants, thus open to buruecratic inefficieny and abuse.

However, Malik Kassim, whose nicname as told by a former PKR MP from Penang is Malek Itek, maybe stepping on some explosive mine with the statement. In his first term as exco member, he had been quacking strange statements.

That time it was excusable, he was new.

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Lack of protocol or no manners?

Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh's long standing fiance, Dato Jean Todt rehearsing a royal ceremony with Dato Patrick Lim

If yesterday's posting was about the alleged questionable integrity of a senior government official, tonight's posting is about the most senior government official, i.e. Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, the Chief Secretary to the Government (or the Malay acronym KSN).

Just received the story this evening.

It is with regard to the swearing in of a Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) as the head of a state. No details on the state, the name of the head of state and when it happened will be mentioned. Too embarassing to know the KSN has no common sense of protocol.

Protocol is both "the forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state" and "a code of correct conduct." It is also the way a certain tradition translate the proper manner to carry oneself for certain occasion.

After being in the civil service for so long and having moved high up in the ladder, does the KSN still not understand protocol or just do not have manners?

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Shabery's new MCMC appointee under investigation by MACC

In the thick of the flood tragedy in the east coat, Member of Parliament for Kemaman and Minister of Communication and Multimedia (KKMM), Dato Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek stands out in the forefront to visit and help the flood victims. It was not merely for photo-op but a honest display of sincerity.

Shabery made his political debut through opposition politics via Parti Melayu Semangat 46. Since joining UMNO and Barisan Nasional, his political career had never been tarnished by any controversies or rumours of corruption. He leads a modest life without any luxury trappings.

It would be a pity to see his good name smeared by his latest appointee for Commissioner of MCMC.

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Men and Women of the Year 2014

It should include those involved in other disasters of 2014 like MH370, MH17, etc.

Let's get over 2014 and pray for a better 2015.

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#prayforQZ8501

RM0 NST 30/12: QZ8501: Debris spotted during aerial search confirmed from the missing plane: Indonesia's DG of Civil Aviation

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MUSICAL INTERLUDE: All I want for Christmas is you

Merry Christmas to all Christian readers. Happy New Year to all.

Enough with Lim Guan Eng and his annual kalimah Allah provocation yet there are those still falling to his political provocation. Hope no more for the rest of the holiday.

Lets just celebrate with peace and joy. Enjoy this Christmas movie, Love Actually ...

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Hillary admited American conspiracy against Islam

As bombs start dropping in Syria and Iraq, the world is once again being asked to cower in fear of a shadowy terror group that most people hadn't heard of just a few months ago.

But even the most cursory examination of ISIS's past, its connections, and the actors populating it reveal a very different story than the one we are being asked to believe in.

Fake terrorists. Foreign backers. False flags. Meet the new boogeyman, same as the old boogeyman.

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A mysterious elephant and the blind men

Overnight, an elephant mysteriously appeared in a small village populated by blind men. The villager could only hear the sound of the elephant trumpeting.

The village head call the animal as One Mysterious Darwin in memory of the scientist Darwin. That is more polite and respectable than calling the poor creature one miserable dumbo.

After placing out a bunch of banana and water, the animal became approachable. The blind villagers hurdled around to touch and figure out what is the animal.

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Divorce case to answer decades old rumour

The divorce case between the MUI and Laura Ashley's tycoon, Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng and wife of more than 30 years and former Miss Malaysia, Puan Sri Pauline Chai is on-going in court.

Initialy, Pauline filed for the divorce trial to be held in the UK but the Malaysian court decided it be held in Malaysia. If it had been in the UK, she felt her chance is better and the settlement could be divided 50:50.

Prior to the case, sordid family story had been spilled out in public. Contrary to Khoo's image as a born again Christian, it was revealed he was cruel and practically abandoned his children [read in MMO here].

There are people who accused the children to side with mother for a cut of her eventual settlement. It has the trimming of a typical scene in LA Law TV drama but that is their family business.

Our interest is only on how the wealth of Khoo would eventually be divided up. In particular, how will the one block of 20% shares in MUI be sorted out. Will it get mentioned in court?

Holy than thou, huh ...

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MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Comes A Time

Comes a time
when you're driftin'
Comes a time
when you settle down
Comes a light
feelin's liftin'
Lift that baby
right up off the ground.

Oh, this old world
keeps spinning round
It's a wonder tall trees
ain't layin' down
There comes a time.

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Eminent concern or Eminent deception?

On Monday, The Star published an open letter from 25 Malays - former senior government servants, ambassadors, professionals and activists - expressing their concern on unresolved disputes on Islamic law and called on the leadership to initiate a consultation process.

The pro-opposition alternative media dubbed them as the 25 Eminent Malays.

These Eminent Malays felt there is an unclear division on federal-state power on Islamic matter and Islamic authorities acted.beyond their jurisdiction, thus the need for a consultation to resolve.

The idea of a consultation is fine and had been advocated by this blog before. [Read our 2013 Christmas wish here and 2007 lecture review here].

Problem with past initiatives for consultative process is that it could not get off the ground due to the adversarial nature of legal issues.

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SUARAM's HR report resembled their Scorpene submarine allegations

Human rights is the raison d'etre of contemporary liberals.

The liberals placed so much importance on human right-ism that the individual human's right to practically do anything they wish have superceded the need for national security, community peace and harmony, economic prosperity, religious value and belief, public morality, and so on.

One such liberal group is SUARAM and in their quest for human's right, they are willing to lie, compromise national interest and destroy nation building.

SUARAM released it's 2014 Human Rights Overview of Malaysia three days ago on Tuesday. It can only be expected that there will be no glowing praises for Malaysia. And, it could make sense to say that Malaysia had not met their's or some International body's standard of human rights.

However, to say it is a new low for Malaysia is utterly ridiculous.

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Illegal immigrant not only Sabah problem, so stop politicising

DAP Sabah organised a forum last night entitled "Hopes for Sabah OR Cries of Sabah". The "Cries of Sabah" came from the title of Lim Kit Siang's book.

The usual vocal personalites on the Sabah RCI issues were invited, including Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Dato Wilfred Bumburiang. Priot to the event, DAP Sabah invited BN's PBS President, Datuk Pairin Kitingan and UMNO's Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan. [Read Daily Express here].

The intention to politicise the recently released RCI report is clear. DAP Sabah invited Pairin as the "victim" to the claimed Projek IC that saw him lost power and appointed as Chairman-designate of the Management Committee on the RCI matter. While, Rahman Dahlan was invitited to be vilified as 'noted apologist for Putrajaya" [read FMT here].

The politicising was only expected when Jeffrey called on the UMNO-led BN government at state and federal level as illegal government [read MI here]. 

However, there was an interesting twist last night when one of the speakers questioned the politicising of the RCI issue by both party; government and opposition and ask that it be looked as a national problem.

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Know-nuts Khazanah gave know-nuts "con-sultans" to stir more shit in MAS

When the 12 point recovery plan was announced in September, this blog's response was "Frankly, it's the same 'ol shit from Amokh". Not only that, it could be the same bunch of shit stirrer. 

Having read back this blog's old posting of December 2011 [read here], Tan Sri Tony Fernandez's Air Asia could return to take up stake in MAS when Khazanah exit on their investment? If not, another merger is possible should the Air Asia-X disease spread to other parts of Air Asia [read here and here].

In the meanwhile, Bigdog made another interesting revelation yesterday. Not only the same bunch of shit stirrers but more of them. The Khazanah know-nuts left it to know-nuts "con-sultans" to do day to day hand-on business and operational turnaroound.

It just shows something we've been telling for many years.

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"Orang Putih" in Tony looking up to Mueller

That was NST Business Times cover page for yesterday.

With a German airline turnaround specialist coming into MAS, Tan Sri Tony Fernandez's comment as reported by NST was complimentary of MAS and Malaysia Airport. Is Tony F changing his psywar strategy against MAS? Maybe not.

It could be just typical Indian-complexioned, Portugese-named Tony F looking up to an "orang putih" as he idolised the adventurous and weird Virgin Airline's Sir Richard Branson.

Those in Air Asia knows to never insult the boss by wishing him Happy Deepavali.

Oh pleaz... he only celebrate Christmas.

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Bina Fikir-conceived PMB lost money too?

Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli left MAS more than 13 years ago in February 2001 but still gets blamed whenever any negative development on MAS surface. Many forgot that Khazanah had managed MAS for almost a decade and half.

Also forgotten, Tajuddin bought MAS to rescue Bank Negara for Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop's RM16 billion forex trading losses.

Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar handled MAS as con-sultan for Bina Fikir and proposed the Wide Unbundling Asset (WAU) scheme.

It provided temporary relief but Khazanah poor management under his leadership made losses bigger and bigger. Tajuddin's accumulated losses from forex devaluation pales in comparison.

Over the weekend, business weekly Focus Malaysia unraveled another side of the WAU scheme that was hidden from the public eye.

Bina Fikir-conceived leasing company, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad (PMB) lost money also.

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