Isn't it a beautiful day?

Our friend G send us the above this morning. The day before was:

Usually, we would reply, Ameen. And one morning he send us, below:

Cuba hayati petikan ucapan Allahyarham Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Buat teman2 @ sahabat semua

Sedap kata-katanya :

"Apabila anda tua, rebut setiap peluang untuk bersama rakan-rakan lama, kawan sekolah dan rakan sekerja kerana peluang itu akan berkurangan dari semasa ke semasa. Air yang mengalir ke hilir tidak balik ke hulu. Begitulah dengan kehidupan. Sahabat adalah umpama bintang. Walau berjuta batu jauh dari bumi tetap bercahaya. Meskipun kadang-kadang menghilang, dia tetap ada. Dia tidak mungkin dimiliki, tapi tidak dapat dilupakan kerana sahabat yang baik sentiasa ada dalam hati dan dalam kenangan.”

Walaupun byk kali baca tapi kata2 ini amat memberi kesan... 😊😊

Our reply was: "Sahabat tak ada obligation macam family. Yet meaningful."

Because of many reasons, we replied today: "Isn't it a beautiful day?"

Why too long to charge this "orang UMNO"?

The previous posting is written out of a deep appreciation for what MACC is trying to do and doing it under the most difficult condition.

In the past and some will still insist the present, charging politicians can be tricky. They do not have the implementing power but merely policy maker and monitoring role.

It is made more difficult because politicians have supporters and they put unnecessary pressure on MACC.

When it is down to the crunch, public do not defend or support MACC. The case of Teoh Beng Hock and Lim Guan Eng comes to mind.

There are also cases involving UMNO leaders that made UMNO supporters behave like DAP supporterss.

Public could be easily duped into the emotional game and whack MACC without thinking of the greater good. To some extend, it made them cautious.

Since NST challenged MACC to be courageous against politicians, they are charging today the former CEO of TEKUN cum an "orang UMNO" today.

MACC: Prawn behind stone unturned?

NST's article on Friday is truly puzzling.

It is not Farrah Naz Karim's column expressing frustration to see organisations signing Integrity Pledge as initiated by Tan Sri Abu Kassim ended up embroiled in one corruption scandal after another. She suggested an annual asset profiling and polygraph test on those in critical position [read her here].

It is the editor's column entitled "MACC must leave no stone unturned" that is troubling. It's a common phrase and not the first time MACC is the subject. TI Malaysia used that phrase on the PKFZ scandal in 2009. Dato Dr Jeffrey Kitingan on fake native cert in Sabah happening since the 1980s.

That happened in a past administration but in 2012, The Star used the same phrase to refer to dishonest civil servants in government agencies behind the illegal forest clearing that resulted in a catastrophic landslide in Cameron Highland. It is such calls by the media that MACC is acting on.

NST cannot be naive enough to not understand that no politicians can commit corruption without colluding civil servants, particularly top men and women. Till there is fear in the heart of the civil servants, corruption by politicians and their cronies cannot be addressed.

To demand more aggressive action by MACC, surely NST is aware MACC's Director of Investigation, Dato Azam Baki said in the past that Dato Najib was questioned in the SRC investigation.

"Ananda" again? Market rigging this time?

By chance, this blog have been picking on Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan.

The earliest remembered must be a legitimate issue on Astro in early 2014 here. By February 2017, the exclusivity given to Mahathir's crony or sometimes believed to be proxy should end.

But it is 20 year too late. They are too entrenched and can afford to be arrogant.

By chance, this blogger stumbled on a LSS's FB posting on Usaha Tegas on a could be scam to develop the Turf Club along Jalan Ampang into KLCC.

It was reproduced in this August 2016 posting here to ponder on what motivated Mahathir's to attack on Dato Najib.

Felda: "Not again ... please"

Prior to the 13th General Election, Felda was a major political issue and the listing of FGV was negatively potrayed by opposition.

The 14th General Election is coming soon. Initially, it was predicted to be early 2017, then October 2017 and lately, there are some predicting it to be 2018.

Felda will always be a political issue because there are 57 Parliamentary seats with Felda "rancangan" in the constituencies. Plus state assembly seats, it could be as many as 100 seats.

The likely issue this time could be Felda's purchase of PT Eagle High Plantation Tbk (EHP) in Indonesia either via FGV or Felda Investment Company (FIC). 

Is a golf corruption investigation coming soon?

Have you ever heard a Malay cynical meaning for the acronym G.O.L.F.?

It means Golongan Orang Lemah Fikiran or group of people with weakness in thinking. It was making fun on the tendency of golfers to be lost in their conversation on golf with other golfers in the presence of the incomprehensible non-golfers.

However, this joke on the supposedly social elite is no more funny. The weakness being made fun off is no more of their social misfit but it has turned serious to become a moral weakness.    

The game of golf is a social sports. It is useful for widening social network or diplomacy as Dato Najib did in a round of golf with US President Obama over Christmas vacation couple of years ago.

Golf, especially those sponsored overseas golf trip, have become the avenue to lobby for contracts and conduit for corruption!

What moved the superpowers to vote against Israel? [Up-dated]

The United Nation Securities Council resolution on the settlement issue has implication on the two-state solution and ending the occupation which Israel had gave agreed but showed no commitment to follow.

In his official statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel resolution at the UN and will not abide by its terms.”

Though denied by Israeli Foreign Ministry officials, The Independent of UK reported [read here] Israel temporarily limit working ties with 12 of the 14 members UNSC. Ambassadors were summoned to the foreign Ministry in Jerusalem last Sunday.

Israel's reaction shows how significant the resolution is. They are willing to be isolated by the world.

Few are aware how Malaysia and other members that initiated this resolution effectively convince the pro-Israeli superpowers ad other members of the UNSC.