It's a Cucu Merdeka!

While the nation celebrates it's 55th independence day today, our family just had a Cucu Merdeka at about 8:00 pm today.

We've got many nephew and nieces. And, it's not actually our first such "cucu." But to have a "cucu" born on an auspices day for the nation like today, this is especially a special "cucu."

Alhamdulillah, both mother and baby are fine. They went into the hospital's labor room since aftermoon. Its been one long wait for the parents, especially the mother and the grandparents. 

No chili sauce please, we are Malaysians

That was breakfast this morning.

McDonald's sausage and egg sandwich with tomato ketchup as sauce.

Unlike other Malaysians, we can't stand chili sauce especially Maggi chili sauce. It really drives us nut to find chili sauce in our McDonald takeaway instead of the original American takeway that come with only ketchup (without having to mention tomato).

Just because Malaysian take everything with chili sauce, they presume every Malaysian only take chili sauce with their McDonald's burgers. .

Our more internationally exposed tastebud is more choosy. Different food goes with different sauces. There is no one sauce to go with all dishes the way Malaysian do with their ubiquitous chili sauce.

Perhaps it does not apply to all Malaysian. To the Chinese, they have many type of sauces. Light soy sauce is great with steam fish. Using many basic sauces like dark soy sauce, black bean sauce, plum sauces, hoi sin sauce, etc. they develop a variety of unique sauces for different dishes.  

Japanese have their own version of soy sauces. One popular industrial brand is Kikkoman that goes into their cooking. For sushi and sashimi, it has it's own soy sauces. There is also specially concocted soy sauce for yakitori.
 
Maybe this fascination with chili sauce is only a Malay habit.
 

It ain't you, Kit

Since we last wrote of Kit Siang's glaring insecurity on the release of Tanda Putera on August 17th,  Lim Kit Siang has gone from delivering an UMNO-like cliche preaching unity to threatening boycott like the goon that urinated at the flagpole in front of the Menteri Besar's house.

He must be deluded and full of himself to actually think the film is about him, specifically attacking him and his political party, DAP. No Kit, Tanda Putera is a moviemaker interpretation of history based on the sacrifice and exemplary leadership of two great men that gave their all for the country.

Definitely can't be you, unker.

Inspiring moment for young Sufiya

"Alamak ...panjangnya queue untuk salam Dr Mahathir," complained young Sufiya Khairudddin.

Anwar and Nik Aziz defensive on hudud

... and Mahathir got them where he wants them to be.

Utusan Malaysia's frontpage today reported Anwar giving an outright NO to hudud and citing hudud is not part of the Pakatan consensus and the Buku Jingga manifesto.

Sounding like UMNO of the past, He said Pakatan will need to reach a consensual agreement between the three parties of DAP, PKR and PAS before hudud can be accepted as part of the manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat.

Despite Utusan Malaysia's affirmative sounding NO in their frontpage, Anwar was actually non-committal by wearing his hat as the spokesman for Pakatan Rakyat and treading the potentially explosive political issue carefully.

He also said hudud could not be implemented yet. [Read Utusan here]

It is still not the strong answer the Muslim public wants to hear given Tun Dr Mahathir's masterly accomodative stance. Neither is Dato Nik Aziz's politically diplomatic answer acceptable.

Mahathir's buzz on Islamic state

Since PAS President. Dato Haji Hadi Awang announced PAS is ditching the Islamic state and championing the new cause of welfare state for political expediency at their 2011 Annual Muktamar, they have been in a constant state of flux from within and without.

In the light of growing pressure from the grassroot and conservatives in and outside (specifically refering to Dato Dr Hasan Ali) PAS, there is a new twist to the polemics of Islamic state and hudud.

Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad offered PAS to join UMNO in order to implement hudud. That is the old master in his elements springing a surprise with his great sense of timing and reading of the ground.

Damn if I do and damn if I don't. How will PAS response?

Selamat hari raya

from  A Voice 

of Another Brick in the Wall

Kit Siang's glaring insecurity

An 'insecure' museum piece

Praise to Allah that in this holy and blessed month of Ramadan, this issue of higher hands, intervening in the public screening of Tanda Putera because of the paranoia of two museum pieces, seemed over.

Unless there is another bout of paranoia by the museum piece, which still has the power to do so, the film should find it's way to the cinemas on November 13. Not exactly September 15 but nevertheless an accepted and justifiable compromise.

Then there is the other museum piece to contend with. He is still barking and rampaging using his party's propoganda aparachik like dog and wild boar to stop the historical truth from being screened.

In the past, this latter museum piece used to be in the same political coalition with the previous museum piece against the current party the previous museum piece is with.

The basis of the latter museum piece's excuses is weak. And his scrambling search for excuses to criticise Tanda Putera, his glaring insecurity shows.

This discussed museum piece is Lim Kit Siang.

Suu Kyi's Song of Silence

People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence 

Songs of Silence, Simon and Garfunkel (1964)

It was only two months ago, on June 16 that Myanmar opposition leader and pro-democracy icon  Aung San Suu Kyi, received the Noble Prize she was awarded 21 years ago in 1991.

The 66 year old human rights campaigner and head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) received a standing ovation at the award ceremony in the packed city hall in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. 

In her award acceptance speech, she said that the award had focused global attention on the battle for human rights and democracy in Mynamar and ensured “we were not going to be forgotten.”

Why then is she silent and keeping quiet on the current genocide on the Rohingya by the junta in Myanmar? Why not a word from her on this massive scale atrocities committed against humanity on the Rohingyas?

You know how to whistle, don't you, Rafizi?

The scene from To Have and Have Not

... You just put your lips together and ... blow.

Ola la ... mon  cherie, that is one sexy quote from Lauren Bacall in this 1944 classic, To Have and Have Not. And she went blowing happily ever after with co-star, stud of the times and later husband, Humphrey Bogart.

Download the movie here on Stagevu if you've never seen it.

For Rafizi, Nurul Izzah, Tony Pua, other desperately seeking stardom or matyrdom, and the rest of the public trying hard to justify Rafizi's infringement of BAFIA, whistling is easy.

But whistleblowing is easier. You just close your lips together and ... only talk to the right people. The right authorities that is.

No need to call for press conference, no need to hype the public through mosquito political tabloids, online portals, blogs and social media, and no need be a hero.

SC should throw the book at TMI

If it had been the newspaper, the book would have been thrown at them. But will SC under the new Chairman, Datuk Ranjit Ajit Singh do it against The Malaysian Insiders (TMI)?

First, read about TMI's amateurish cheap trick in Big Cat here.

This blog have long held the view that Sime Darby and share vendors, which is the original major shareholders and current management of E&O, should be required to do a Mandatory General Offer (MGO).

GLC or no GLC, Sime Darby and the share vendors are both interested parties and working-in-concert (by virtue of vendor being the current management) and their combined shares are more than the trigger point of 33% plus one shares.

However, TMI should be taught a lesson as to not try a Rafizi crap. Their false reporting tantamount to market manipulation.

In everyone's life there is a summer of 42

Biar masyarakat menilai Tanda Putera – Dr. Sivamurugan

KUALA LUMPUR – Jangan ditunda sebaliknya biarkan sahaja penayangan filem Tanda Putera pada tarikh yang telah ditetapkan, tegas Timbalan Dekan, Pusat Pengajian Sains Kemasyarakatan, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Prof Madya Dr. Sivamurugan Pandian.

Katanya, sekiranya dalam masa tayangan itu, khalayak mempertikaikan adegan peristiwa 13 Mei yang acap kali diperkatakan sebagai tidak wajar diselitkan dalam filem itu, kemudiannya barulah filem itu sesuai ditarik tayangannya.

“Biar tayangannya diteruskan pada tarikh yang ditetapkan.Masyarakat akan menilai sendiri sama ada wajar atau tidak filem itu ditonton. Kalau dalam masa satu atau dua hari tayangan sudah dipertikaikan, jadi tarik terus tayangannya,” ujarnya ketika dihubungi oleh Mysuara.net bagi mengulas filem arahan Datuk Paduka Shuhaimi Baba itu.

Tambahnya, pelbagai persepsi yang timbul oleh masyarakat dilihatnya lebih menjurus kepada unsur politik.

Tanda Putera dan paranoia persepsi politik - Zaini Hassan

DEWASA ini timbul polemik berkenaan sebuah filem karya Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba oleh Pesona Pictures yang mengisahkan susur perjalanan dua orang negarawan terbilang, Tun Haji Abdul Razak Hussein dan Tun Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman antara Mei 1969 dan Januari 1976.

Polemik timbul apabila Finas sebagai rakan kongsi Pesona Pictures telah menarik diri daripada projek itu untuk tayangan umum di panggung wayang gambar (pawagam) sebagaimana yang dijadualkan bermula 13 September ini.

Sumber KPKK memberitahu Pengerusi FINAS, Dato Mohd Afendi Hamdan terlibat dengan Dato Rais Yatim dalam lagu Janji Ditepati 

Bawah skima ‘Wajib Tayang’, sebuah jawatankuasa yang terdiri daripada wakil-wakil Finas, Persatuan Penerbit Filem Malaysia (PFM) dan pengusaha pawagam menentukan susunan giliran untuk penayangan sekurang-kurangnya dua filem tempatan setiap minggu.

Apabila Finas sebagai rakan kongsi projek Tanda Putera menarik diri, maka giliran filem ini untuk slot tayangan 13 September diberikan kepada filem tempatan yang lain.

Hua Zong's 'Chinese First, Malaysia Later'

Pheng Yin Huah, President of Hua Zong Association recently commented with regard to the One School System. He said it is against the Federal Constitution and mocked Khairy Jamaluddin's statement which questions vernacular schools.

Yin Huah statement clearly shows that they want 'Chinese First, Malaysia Later'.

It seems that Hua Zong, just like Dong Zong, are racist extremists who hold on to their Chinese roots without even considering the reality and the effects towards the country.

When we talk about the education system, it is not only about education but also touch of racial unity. Only hypocrites would not accept the fact that segregated education system is one of the main reason for the racial tension nowadays.

Pheng Yin Huah's action in referring to the Constitution to justify his argument is just sad.

MUSICAL PRELUDE: It ain't me, babe - Bob Dylan

Conniving Rais disallows giving Najib or Rosmah a film preview

Rais instructed FINAS and Persona Pictures from giving Najib or Rosmah a private film preview

Bigdog hinted here yesterday that earliest date for Tanda Putera will be in November and the slot for September 13 release could have been taken up by other local film in the wajib tayang queue.

Strangely, today's NST put a report with heading "September release for Tanda Putera." On the contrary, the content mentioned the film director of Persona Pictures, Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba saying FINAS had hinted to her that the release would be in November.

If so, the conniving Minister for Information, Culture and Multimedia (MICM) finally got his way to delay the film's release and maybe meddle some more in the film editing.

The grapevine at FINAS were saying conniving Rais manouvred to sternly warn anyone whether at FINAS or Persona Pictures to not give Dato Najib of his wife, Datin Rosmah a copy for them to preview. That must be the only way left for anyone to make him change his decision.

If that is the case, he has taken his vindictive ways to delay the release of the film on the Prime Minister's father.  

But now, why did the NST reported in such a way?

Tanda Putera: Up to the Censorship Board?

With their PG13 secured on June 7th, will it be allowed release accordingly?

Sources within Ministry of Information, Culture and Multimedia (MICM) revealed that the Tanda Putera film issue was raised in cabinet meeting yesterday.

The decision was to leave it to established procedure and left to the Lembaga Penapisan Filem (LPF) or Film Censorship Board to decide. In other words, just like Namewee can get his film shown, the message was not to interfere

One source told this blogger that the Minister for MICM, Dato Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim had given his words that he will not invoke his power under various act to supercede the decision of cabinet and allow the independent decision of the Censorship Board to take effect.   

LPF is the Government agency empowered to implement the Film Cinematograph Act (1952) and Film Censorship Act 2002. The agency falls under the purview of Ministry of Home Affair. [Read LPF website here.]

For Tanda Putera to be allotted the September 13 showing date, it must have undergone due process and receive the LPF censorshop approval. True enough, they obtained their PG13 assignment on June 7th 2012.

Does this mean the film producer have to reapply to LPF again like some fruits and vegetables have expiry dates?