A TRULY MALAYSIAN CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

GONG XI FA CAI TO ALL OUR READERS


"YEE SANG"


Yee Sang is basically a Chinese raw fish salad.

It is served during the Chinese New Year and raw fish is sliced very thinly and lime/lemon juice is added to the fish before serving. The fish served in this case has to be very fresh.

Eating Yee Sang in Malaysia and Singapore is a tradition every Chinese New Year. Yee sang is NOT part of New Year cuisine among the Chinese of Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong etc.

Unlike Japanese, Chinese do not eat raw fish, preferring it cooked. However, this is the only Chinese dish known to contain raw fish.

This is a dish invented in Singapore and is popular only in Malaysia and Singapore. Chinese outside of Malaysia and Singapore will very likely not know what Yee Sang is. The eating of yee sang during Chinese New Year is a good example of the “invention of tradition” in Chinese culture in Malaysia and Singapore.

Prior to eating, there is the communal tossing of the Yee Sang salad with chopsticks. This is the attraction or fun of eating yee sang; audience participation or participant observation, i.e., all those present at the dinner table, whether young or old or men or women, are supplied with chopsticks and are actively encouraged to indulge in boisterous mixing of the ingredients simultaneously.

The action of tossing is known as Lo Hei which symbolizes increasing prosperity, abundance and vigor. That is why this dish is very popular among businessmen.

Yee Sang dishes at Chinese restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore are grossly overpriced during the New Year season (traditionally the period of celebration for the New Year is 15 days). Nevertheless, diners are willing to pay for it because of its association with good luck, prosperity and business success.

Read here on how to make Yee Sang

2009 - YEAR OF THE OX


Prediction by Master Andy Goh

(Note: In December 2007, Master Andy Goh correctly predicted the outcome of the US Presidential Election -read here or below)

Prediction date: Dec 14, 2008 for the Year of the Ox-2009

Read here

The year of Ox, the heavenly stem and earthly branch are both earth. The earthly branch consists of hidden elements water and gold. The global economy will begin to recover from the financial meltdown.

2009 is a year of opportunities with the emergence of many new global empires following the collapse of big names like Lehman Brothers. Under the new administration of Barack Obama (self element earth person), the Wall Street stock market will recover faster than expected as Barack Obama enters his peak luck cycle.

We will see world major economies put aside their differences to overcome the financial crisis. The full impact of the unison can be seen in the second half of 2009.

The property market of United States will continue to recover as 2009 is the year of earth. Employment statistics will improve as United States’ job market bounce back from the financial meltdown. This will in turn lead to an improvement of the world’s stock market.

However, many major corporations will also undergo restructuring or even a change in leadership. For further predictions on the luck cycle of key CEOs of key Wall Street corporations, please subscribe to our website updates.

Despite the recovery of stock market, some Asian economies will persist to slowdown. A major event will strike in a key Asia region in 2010.

RELATED ARTICLE

Master Andy Goh's Prediction of the 2008 US Presidential Election

December 2007: Read here for more

(First published in December 2007, see press releases from March 2008 on PRWeb and Free Press Releases )

Summary of the Predictions

The early Christians have the seven deadly sins.

We will also have our seven major predictions as follows:

1. Barack Obama will win the Democrat Primary ahead of Hillary Clinton.
   
2. John McCain will win the Republican Primary.
   
3. John Edward will be the Presidential running mate for Barack Obama.
   
4. Barack Obama will win the American election and become the new American President in 2009.
   
5. John Edward will be the Vice President.
   
6. Barack Obama will be a two terms President from 2009 – 2017.
   
7. Major problem and even death will become of the Clinton family within five years (including year 2008).

Introduction

In 2008, Americans all over the world will be electing a new President in November 2008 after current President George Bush completes his term and is stepping down in January 2009. Since American politics has always had a profound impact on the rest of the world in terms of business impact, stock market, and the security of the world, are all influenced by American policies at large.

The American electoral system is such that the two major parties, Democrat and Republican, will elect their party Presidential candidate starting late 2007 followed by nationwide election in November 2008. The process of electing the party representative is called the Primary, stands for primary party election. The Primary is conducted state by state with each state nominating their party Presidential representative. This process takes months to complete. A person can also run for President as independent candidate not associated with any party.

We will not touch on potential independent Presidential candidate here as none has clearly stated their intent to run as independent as at the time of this article.

Application of BaZi Analysis

BaZi or “eight characters 八字” is an ancient Chinese art based on a person’s birth year, birth month, birth day, and birth time, to derive a person’s destiny and Luck.

Unfortunately there are a lot of incompetent BaZi masters out there that have contributed to the perception that BaZi is not accurate and is religion related.

The reality is that BaZi has nothing to do with religion! It is purely a science based on the influence of certain earthly elements such as season of birth and astronomical influence that the stars exert on us.

There are not many good qualified BaZi masters, a good BaZi master can easily “read” a person’s BaZi and derive a person’s destiny and “Luck”.

The so call “twelve animals 十二生肖” has nothing to do with BaZi and is added on by some BaZi Masters to complement the explanation of the “twelve Earth Branches 十二地支” in BaZi to the general population who are not familiar with BaZi elements.

By using the BaZi analysis on the main Presidential candidates, we can EASILY predict the winners of the two parties Primary and the November 2008 Presidential election.

To some extent, we can even predict the Vice President candidates and the eventual winner.

In the sections below, we tried to explain how the BaZi analysis is used to derive the party Primary and ultimate Presidential race winner.

The analysis was done using only six characters since only the birth date but NOT the birth time of the Presidential candidates are known. However, we are still 85% confident of the analysis because the six characters chart of the American Presidential candidates is obvious enough to predict the outcome.

BaZi, Feng Shui and Application

On the other hand, we would like to draw your attention to a recent prediction made by a famous Feng Shui Master in her magazine. This Feng Shui master predicted Hillary Clinton to be the next American President. Her explanation was that Hillary is currently in the Dragon Luck cycle and in 2008, the Dragon (H5 戊土) ascends to the heaven and thus is a sign that the Dragon, or son of god, will ascend to the throne.

This famous Feng Shui master’s prediction is not entirely baseless but highly INCORRECT because the impact of the Dragon or “E5 辰土” Luck cycle on Hillary Clinton’s chart was not considered. Do not be fooled by her reputation as famous Feng Shui master.

Most Feng Shui masters are good at Feng Shui but not necessary good at BaZi life analysis.

BaZi is a much more difficult art to master than Feng Shui.

Feng Shui has limited impact to influence a person’s destiny or “Luck”. Feng Shui can influence up to 20% of a person’s Luck if used correctly but it cannot alter a person’s destiny or “Luck” in any profound manner. It certainly cannot be used to predict a person’s “Luck”. Remember the old Chinese saying 一命二运三風水; first there is the influence of “Life 命” determined at the time of birth, and then comes “Luck 运”, then “Feng Shui 風水”.

Feng Shui comes third in terms of influence to a person’s destiny and “Luck”. The most profound determination of a person’s destiny is their “Life 命” which is basically their BaZi created out of a person’s birth date and time.

A person’s BaZi determines his or her destiny and is more or less pre-destined as it controls 40% of a person’s potential and what a person can achieve in his/her life time. A person’s destiny activation is determined by the person’s “Luck 运”cycle and the “Ruling Year 流 年”".
The Luck cycle and the Ruling Year together determine when a person’s destiny will take place or be activated in a person’s Life. If a person is very “lucky”, then all the good destinies are activated and the not so good ones are not activated. This is quite rare since Luck cycle changes every five to ten years and no good or bad luck lasts forever.

One of the most basic aGlobal BaZi teaching is the ability to derive a person’s character from his/her BaZi chart.

OBAMA'S BaZi Chart




Obama is an easy going person and is easy to get along with. He has good social skills and can mix easily with people of various backgrounds. He is very intelligent and has good sense of humour. He is righteous and uncorrupt. At 47 years old in 2008, he will use his intellect.

(H8 Metal 辛金 from Luck period Heaven Stem) and wisdom (E1 Water 子水 from Ruling Year Earth Branch element) to obtain power and authority (E4 Wood 卯木, H2 Wood 乙木).

Power and Luck Cycle

His power and authority elements are located at the Month Pillar which can only mean the highest authority a.k.a. the power and authority of a nation or the world.

Since he is able to completely control and conquer his two power and authority elements (one is Month Pillar Heaven Stem and one in Month Pillar Earth Stem), he is destined to be the leader of a nation in 2008.

Another important consideration is that he is in the beginning of his 25 years of good Luck cycle.

As such, he will be a good President for American and a rare leader for the world.

Disadvantage

His one major disadvantage is that he is relatively young for a future President and relatively in-experience.

The general population will have the opinion that he is inexperience and relatively young for a President however, Obama is a very capable person and will certainly learn fast, and pick up the necessary skills to do a good job as the next American President.

Please refer to the comparison table in the section below for comparison of his strength and weaknesses in BaZi terms vis-à-vis John McCain.

JOHN McCAIN's BaZi Chart





John is a frank and direct person. He is very transparent, has high integrity, and is above board in his dealings. He has good support from the general American public with his war heroic background. He is destined a busy young life moving around the world to serve his country.

Based on his BaZi chart, he has a power/authority combination in his BaZi Pillar and is destined to be in position of great power and authority his entire adult life.

John is a cautious person and likes to lead others and is a true genuine leader, honest, righteous and un-corrupt. He would make a good President of America and benefits the general American population and the world.

Power and Luck Cycle

However he LACKS the power element in his Month Pillar Heaven Stem, which Barack Obama has, and thus will NOT command the top position in the country unless his luck cycle destined so, there is NO indication in his Luck cycle for such.

2008 is an auspicious year for John because his power element “H5 戊土” appears in Heaven Stem and complements his power element in “E9 申金” and because of this he will lead his Republican party in the 2008 US Presidential race. 2008 is the peak of his career.

Disadvantage

One major thing going against him is his age. John is already 72 and lacks the physical ability to do what he wants for the country. He is also at the end of his good Luck cycle and close to end of his life.

Americans, being well educated, will vote for Barack Obama knowing that John McCain is probably too old to be their President.



From the comparison table, it was obvious that Barack Obama is in a more favourable situation.

Final Note: Hillary Clinton

Since Hillary is also considered by many as potential Presidential candidate, we would like to mention a few words about her here.

Based on her BaZi chart, Hillary is a power craving person, likes to have control over others at her will. Her destiny is tightly linked to her husband and her good Luck is also highly dependent on her husband.

She uses her intellect and wisdom to obtain power and authority. She does not have a big heart, is not forgiving and has hot tempers.

She likes to show off and always like to be in a position high above everyone else.

If she is elected President, it would be very unfortunate for the people of America and the world.
© 2007 Master Andy Goh
Master Andy Goh
Vinay Agarwal
408-480-9688
vinaykagarwal@hotmail.com
www.masterandygoh.com

Wan Farid, Here is the REAL Reason Why You Lost the K.Trengganu By-Election

Read here and here in "Just Read" Blog

THEY wanted YOU to Lose, Farid!

by

Jailani Harun
(Ex-senior journalist who used to cover the Iran-Iraq war during the early 1980s, Lebanon and Afghanistan. The only Malaysian journalist who managed to interview leaders like Saddam Hussein, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Muammar Gaddafi, Kim Dae-jung, Lech Walesa and Mikhail Gorbachev, Harchand Singh Longowal of Khalistan and Ibrahim Babangida. )

EXCERPTS:

I am an UMNO member. I was trying my best to support Wan Farid.

However, he lost, BN lost, Pak Lah lost, Najib lost, Ahmad Said too...

A simple conclusion - THEY wanted YOU to lose!

As the PAS supporters took to the streets of Kuala Terengganu with their victory parade, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was making preparation for his trip to Qatar.

I have to congratulate PAS for their victory. They did one hell of a good job. The party workers were all over the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency.

What differed them (Pakatan Rakyat) from BN (especially Umno party workers) was that, they manned their posts round the clock.As for the BN, their booths were left unattended after 10 or 11pm.

On the eve of polling, some BN leaders and party workers were flocked together at the State Stadium over a 'Pentarama' program, which was closed to the Press. We could hear singings and 'dancing-like things' from outside the stadium when the opposition workers were still busy wooing supporters. What were they doing inside the stadium that it had to shoo away journalists?

Karaoke? Or 'Joget Lambak'?

I went to Kuala Terengganu on January 5th at the invitation to help manage the State Govt's election bulletin, GANUkita. My partner was Razali Yahaya, former editor of Harian Metro/Ahad, a polific political writer and analyst.

Our duty was to write some good and positive things about the state's economic development. One of my articles was about the unity among the Malays of Kuala Terengganu, whom irrespective of their political ideology, remain very cooperative in many aspects of life.

1. On the eve of polling, the Terengganu State Stadium were closed to members of the media. Why? Najib, Hishamuddin, KJ and a handul of Umno senior leaders were enjoying their Pentarama concert.
   
   Among the artistes were Saleem, Amir Spring and Anis Suraya. The pre-defeat celebration also saw hundreds of Puteri and Putera Umno members enjoying a fiesta of songs and dance with about 3,000 others. The organiser was the Information Dept.
   
   What a gala! No wonder the Press were denied entry because they were treated of 'NO CLASS'. Even the Press Centre situated at Jalan Pejabat (facing Wisma Darul Aman) didnt get much visit from BN leaders. Farid came once, and so did Ahmad Said.
   
   Outside the stadium, PAS party workers were still roaming the city with their flags and banners, wooing supporters. Not many BN workers were on sight as most of them were at the stadium or hotel lobbies with their clingy attitude.
   
   
2. Jan 6 was nomination day. About 10,000 BN members from all over the country were in the city. Putera, Puteri, Wanita and Youth. The very next day, half of them were gone. On the 3rd day of campaign, another half of the remaining half, left too.
   
   Putera and Puteri members clad themselves at separate camps. They didnt move much, except on certain days when Najib and Paklah were here. They followed wherever Najib and Paklah went.
   
   The lobbies of leading hotels where senior leaders put up, were flocked with Wanita, Pemuda, Puteri and Putera personnels. They came with big envelopes containing letters of application for certain jobs. As the ministers were there, they found it timely to get signatures for contracts on the pretext of 'ini untuk Wanita', 'ini untuk Puteri' and 'ini untuk Putera'.
   
   
3. At State Umno level, there was NO sight of Datuk Rosol Wahid and the rest of his gang who teamed up to defend Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh as the Mentri Besar after the 12th general elections last year.
   
   
4. Around town, they (UMNO/BN) jamned up the streets and parking lots with their Mercedez Benz, BMWs, Jaguars, Alphards and other luxury cars. A clear signal that party officials are made of well-off and rich members.
   
   You don't find these people carrying under their armpits posters or flyers to distribute. Neither can you find them at warungs or gerai to have tea with the grassroots.
   
   
5. On the Opposition camp, university professors, doctors, lawyers and other professionals joined forces with party workers to walk some kilometers to hang up posters and distribute election pamphlets. They didnt mind the sweat.
   
   Will any BN or Umno lawyer work in similar condition?
   
   
6. Most of the (Opposition) party workers were youth aged between 16 and 25 who carried out their duties without proper logistic and facilities. However, they were happy managing their operation centres round the clock.
   
   On BN side, you couldnt see them after 11pm or after midnight.Some BN workers were complaining about not being paid as promised. I heard the State Umno allocated about RM5 million for the by-election. Central BN and Umno headquarters must have allocated some too.
   
   
7. PAS strategy served them well. Their ceramah started immediately after Subuh prayer while Umno chose after Maghrib when it was cooler. Still, PAS ceramahs won the hearts of many.
   
   
8. As for BN, the attendance of sourgrapes like Ezam Mohd Nor and Roslan Kasim was seen as spoilts. Their disparaging and harsh statements about the opposition were backfired. Character assassination didnt impress the Malays of Kuala Terengganu, including some Umno members.
   
   
9. KJ did a good job as he spent plenty of time on his house-to-house visit with his team. However, too many Youth members and 'ball-carriers' accompanied him for their own motives and hidden personal agendas.
   
   
10. Wan Farid himself talked too much when he was already given a pre-empt advise not to take part in so many ceramah. He should leave it to others.
    
    However, he was also too busy tailing Paklah, Najib, Hisham and other BN leaders. When almost everybody in BN and Umno camps were at the butts of their leaders, the battle field were left open to the onslaught of the opposition propaganda machinery.

In the end, the result was damaging, not only to Wan Farid who 'lost everything' but mostly to Umno president-elect Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. As for Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said, it was 1-down for him.

That's what I meant. Dont you believe me? I wish to write some more but I am worn out!

However, let's have another Pentarama...

Kuala Trengganu By-Election: PAS wins

Read here for more

PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut has been declared the WINNER of the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat by-election by the Election Commission.

Wahid polled 32,883 votes to Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh who garnered 30,252 votes for a majority 2,631 win

Independent candidate Azharuddin Mamat received 193 votes.

With the victory, the Opposition now has 82 seats in Parliament. Barisan has 137 seats and the remaining three seats are held by independents


COMMENTARY

An awful day for Najib and BN

by Wan Hamidi Hamid

Read here in Malaysian Insider

It was a horrible blow for Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The prime minister-in-waiting has now lost two by-elections in less than five months.

Both the by-election results saw higher majority votes for the federal opposition.

Najib did his best for his beloved Barisan Nasional in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election. Yet the voters in the BN stronghold decided to vote for Umno's arch enemy Pas.

He made many promises, granted many projects and offered a lot of goodies, and yet the voters rejected BN.

Is this a bad omen or merely another "minor" setback for the deputy prime minister who has a tough task ahead of him to take over from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi this March?

Throughout the 11-day campaign period, Najib had worked diligently to ensure victory for BN candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh. According to journalists covering the by-election, he was one of the hardest working campaigners for the federal ruling coalition.

If it was not his fault, would BN leaders blame the voters? It may not be a smart idea to do so. After all, Terengganu voters were among those who helped BN increased its votes in the state when the political tsunami hit the country on March 8 last year.

What does the result mean for Umno and BN?

Besides the expected morose look on the faces of BN leaders tomorrow, the coalition's backbone Umno will also face yet another question on its actual strength to bring the Malays back to its fold.

This dreaded question — is Umno still relevant — will continue to haunt its leaders. Since Abdullah is set to leave the political arena, Najib has to inherit all the misgivings and wrong perception brought about by his soon-to-be predecessor.

If Umno persists in blaming others in its post-mortem of the by-election, it would simply mean it does not want to address the root cause of the problem; and would further damage the image of the party.

Worse still, Umno will continue to lose its battle against perception of elitism, ignoring the people and too concerned with its own personal interests.

Yet in a more negative way, it can also push certain party leaders — particularly those entering the race for party posts in March — to be more insular and parochial in their racial approach to win the hearts and minds of their own supporters.

This could mean a more divided Malaysia. Unless the Pakatan Rakyat is willing to step in to provide a real alternative.

Pas candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut's victory was a second coming for Pakatan; the much-need shot in the arm for the loose coalition, after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official political comeback five months ago when he regained his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

Pas's victory will also wipe away any possibility of the party trying to be friendly with Umno, despite the efforts by some of its top leaders almost a year ago.

This will bring the party a new sense of confidence.

Other Pakatan partners — Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP — are already jumping for joy. Not only they are celebrating their partner's victory, this is also the time for them to regroup for the next general election.

While the post-mortem on both sides will reveal actual turn of events and provide more details, it can be safely deduced that most Chinese voters opted for Pas while there was a swing among Malay voters for Pas.

It was the Malay votes that had got Umno so worried and the damage had been done in Kuala Terengganu. Just like a football game, losing on your home turf will certainly have a deep psychological impact.

UMNO Bukan Pejuang atau Parti Memerdekaan Sebenar

Read here article on "BERUBAH UNTUK MALAYSIA" Blog

Quote:

"... Apa yang didakwa oleh UMNO sebagai pemilik usaha kemerdekaan adalah TIDAK benar sama sekali.

Sebelum kewujudan Umno, terdapat dua parti nasionalis Melayu yang telahpun bergiat aktif di dalam memperjuangkan kemerdekaan negara kita....(iatu) Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) yang dipimpin oleh Ibrahim Yaakob dan Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM).

Adalah usaha oleh segelintir pemimpin UMNO yang cuba untuk memutarbelitkan fakta tersebut yang menyatakan KMM dan PKMM adalah parti-parti pro-British.

Hakikatnya adalah UMNO hanya bertindak sebagai PENERIMA kemerdekaan pada tahun 1957.

Umno pada hari ini juga TIDAK berhak untuk memiliki apa yang dikatakan “ketuanan Melayu” dan perjuangan Islam.

KMM dan PKMM adalah pejuang bangsa Melayu dan agama Islam yang asal dan yang sebenarnya, di mana ianya cuba dinafikan oleh beberapa pemimpin Umno pada hari ini."

Daripada fakta-fakta yang telah kita kaji dengan mendalam, tambah dengan perakuan beberapa pengkaji sejarah jelas telah menunjukkan bahawa Umno bukanlah parti politik yang sebenarnya memperjuangkan kemerdekaan negara kita sebelum ini.

Fakta-fakta yang dikaji beserta dengan perakuan tersebut juga telah dengan sendirinya telah terbukti berikutan kejayaan penerbitan beberapa buku yang berkisahkan beberapa pemimpin Melayu dari Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) seperti Rashid Maidin, Abdullah C.D., Samsiah Fakeh, Abu Samah dan Kamarulzaman Teh serta kegiatan-kegiatan awal perjuangan mereka.

Malah beberapa dekad sebelum kewujudan Umno, telah terdapat dua parti nasionalis Melayu yang telahpun bergiat aktif di dalam memperjuangkan kemerdekaan negara kita. Mereka adalah Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) yang dipimpin oleh Ibrahim Yaakob dan Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM).

Kedua-dua parti politik Melayu ini telah jelas membuktikan perjuangan mereka pada masa itu yang menentang penjajah British dengan tuntutan kemerdekaan mereka yang secara terbuka.

(Note: PKMM diasaskan oleh Mokhtaruddin Lasso dan Ahmad Boestamam.

Kedua-duanya memainkan perana dalam pucuk pimpinan awal parti itu:

Yang Dipertua: Mokhtaruddin Lasso
Naib Yang Dipertua : Dr. Burhanuddin Helmi
Setiausaha: Dahari Ali
Bendahari :Arshad Ashaari
Ahli Jawatankuasa :Ahmad Boestamam)

Sejarah awal mengenai kegiatan-kegiatan pro-kemerdekaan yang digerakan oleh KMM, PKMM dan kemudiannya PKM adalah tidak dapat dinafikan kerana ianya telah dicatat dan diiktiraf, walaupun adalah usaha oleh segelintir pemimpin Umno yang cuba untuk memutarbelitkan fakta tersebut yang menyatakan KMM dan PKMM adalah parti-parti pro-British.

Fakta mengenai kegiatan-kegiatan pro-kemerdekaan yang diusahakan oleh para pemimpin Melayu di dalam PKM adalah juga tidak dapat dinafikan dengan sepenuhnya. Para pemimpin Melayu PKM ini telah meneruskan usaha-usaha perjuangan kemerdekaan yang dipelopori oleh KMM dan PKMM sebelum ini dengan perjuangan bersenjata menentang penjajahan British dan seterusnya pendudukan Jepun dan kemudiannya pendudukan semula British.

Malah perjuangan bersenjata PKM yang berterusan pada zaman pra-kemerdekaan telah menyebabkan pihak British terpaksa menaja penubuhan Umno demi mengusahakan kemerdekaan di pihak mereka secara aman.

Dengan terbongkarnya beberapa fakta sejarah ini, ia telah membuktikan bahawa apa yang didakwa oleh Umno sebagai pemilik usaha kemerdekaan adalah tidak benar sama sekali. Umno yang ada pada hari ini bukanlah pejuang kemerdekaan yang asal dalam erti kata yang sebenarnya.

Hakikatnya adalah Umno hanya bertindak sebagai penerima kemerdekaan pada tahun 1957. Apa yang telah diusahakan oleh KMM, PKMM dan PKM sebelum ini telah dinikmati sepenuhnya oleh Umno yang kemudiannya telah memperoleh hak kemerdekaan tersebut sebagai milik tunggalnya.

Oleh yang demikian, Umno pada hari ini juga tidak berhak untuk memiliki apa yang dikatakan “ketuanan Melayu” dan perjuangan Islam. KMM dan PKMM adalah pejuang bangsa Melayu dan agama Islam yang asal dan yang sebenarnya, di mana ianya cuba dinafikan oleh beberapa pemimpin Umno pada hari ini.

Umno yang ada pada hari ini hanyalah sebuah parti politik biasa yang diperkumpulkan oleh beberapa pemimpin yang berkepentingan tertentu di dalam memastikan kekayaan mereka yang di bawah naungan “perjuangan bangsa dan agama” akan senantiasa dikecapi secara berterusan, dengan kuasa dimonopoli oleh kegiatan politik wang mereka, ditambah pula dengan beberapa skandal-skandal seks serta jenayah yang berkemungkinan besar akan terbongkar di masa yang akan datang.

Translation

UMNO not an originator of the Malaysian independence

Translated by: Viktor Wong: Read here

We are very sure that most of us especially non-Malays were unnoticed by the ideological claim of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) being the only political party who fought for the independence.

Wel, we would want to say that UMNO’s claim of being the originator of the Malaysian independence had since eroded following the publications of many memoirs and biographies of Malay political veterans of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) like Rashid Maidin, Abdullah C.D., Abu Samah, Samsiah Fakeh and Kamarulzaman Teh who all fought for the independence as members of the MCP, a party which was founded decades before UMNO really came into existence.

Historical facts also firmly established and confirmed that there are two other Malay based political parties that were anti-colonial which had existed long before UMNO was founded. The two political parties were the Young Malays Union (KMM) and the Malayan Malays National Party (PKMM).

The historical facts of the existence of these two Malay based political parties cannot be suppressed, even though there were efforts by some leaders of UMNO who wanted to erase the roles played by these two parties and label them as pro-colonials instead.

After being exposed to be not the only Malay political party who fought for Malaysia’s independence, UMNO is now trapped by the validity of its own ideology of Malay Supremacy and the claim of being the true champion of Islam. The fact that is our people had realized that UMNO is merely a group of people who are preoccupied with immense power struggle from within, rampant money politics which is to be spiced up frequently with allegations of power abuses and sex scandals.

Historical facts had indeed shown that KMM, PKMM and even the MCP had earlier initiated the struggle for our nation’s independence thus making UMNO’s later claims to be irrelevant and invalid. UMNO is just another ordinary political party that sprung up after the actual independence struggle gained its momentum in 1946.

RELATED ARTICLE

Kesatuan Melayu Muda -KMM (Young Malays Union)

Read here for more

KMM was the first national political establishment in British Malaya. Ibrahim Yaacob played a huge role in founding the union in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, then the capital of the Federated Malay States.

During the Battle of Malaya, KMM was one of many organizations that aided the Japanese. This pro-Japanese anti-British tendency made KMM very close to the Japanese force.

All of KMM members that were imprisoned by the British earlier were released by the Japanese during the occupation.

In January 1942, KMM requested the Japanese to grant Malaya the independence the Japanese had promised earlier.

This was the FIRST request for Malayan independence by a Malaya-wide political body. The request however was turned down.

Kuala Trengganu By-Election: The Ugly Face of UMNO That Will LOSE Chinese Voters

Read here article in Malaysian Insider,"Fiery words back to haunt Umno "

CHINESE VOTERS in KUALA TRENGGANU

Should Take Note of the Following

BEFORE VOTING

UMNO/BARISAN NASIONAL

Banner on Jalan Cerong Lanjut in Kampung Tiong in Kuala Trengganu( In Chinese,it says "Umno is becoming more extreme")

HERE IS WHY:


AHMAD ISMAIL,UMNO DIVISIONAL CHAIRMAN CALLED MALAYSIAN CHINESE, "SQUATTERS". He said in Aug 25,2008 "...as the Chinese were only immigrants it was IMPOSSIBLE to achieve EQUAL rights amongst races.”

And the UMNO-Led Government REFUSED to Arrest Him under ISA for his RACIST REMARKS against the CHINESE





Adding Insult to the Chinese, Kelantan UMNO Chairman, Tan Sri Annuar Musa asked Barisan Nasional (BN) component party GERAKAN to STOP DEMANDING that Umno and the BN penalise Ahmad Ismail over his racially sensitive remarks calling Malaysian Chinese as 'SQUATTERS'
READ HERE FOR MORE


READ HERE AND HERE AND HERE FOR MORE

THEN, UMNO SUPPORTERS INSULTED CHINESE GERAKAN LEADERSHIP (DR. KOH TSU KOON)
BY TEARING HIS PHOTOGRAPH IN PUBLIC.








RELATED ARTICLE

Cina dijangka memihak Pakatan Rakyat

Read here for more

Menjelang pengundian Sabtu ini, undian pemilih-pemilih Cina dijangka beralih kepada pembangkang.

Mengikut Pengarah Eksekutif Merdeka Center, Ibrahim Suffian, di kalangan pengundi Cina ISU PERINGKAT NASIONAL lebih mempengaruhi mereka berbanding isu peringkat negeri.

Kata beliau, kecenderungan di kalangan pengundi Cina pula sukar untuk diukur tetapi pemerhatian ke atas respons yang diberikan terhadap isu-isu dibangkitkan menunjukkan sokongan mereka akan sedikit memihak kepada pembangkang.

Berhubung kedudukan landasan negara, hanya 36 peratus responden Cina bersetuju bahawa ia berada dalam landasan yang betul dan berbelah bahagi apabila disoal mengenai arah aliran landasan di peringkat negeri, jelas beliau.

Di kalangan pengundi Cina, 53 peratus mahu kerajaan melayan BUKAN Melayu dengan lebih adil dan 18 peratus yang lain mahu rasuah dihapuskan.

Seramai 119 pengundi Cina ditemu bual dalam tinjauan ini.

Poll finds KT vote still too close to call

Read here for more and here in Malaysian Insider

The Kuala Terengganu by-election remains too close to call.

According to the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, the Malay vote was evenly split with about 8 per cent undecided, while the Chinese are leaning slightly towards Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

There were also marked differences in Malay and Chinese voters' sentiment.

The Chinese, considered an important swing vote, consider equality an important factor while the Malays, who make up a majority in the constituency, appeared to see Islam as a major issue.

The Malay voters appeared to be more concerned with the corruption of political leaders.

With respect to the direction of the country, only 36 per cent of Chinese respondents agreed that it was in "the right direction" and were split at 50 per cent with respect to the direction of the state of Terengganu.

At the same time, 70 per cent of Malay voters said that "things were in the right direction" for the state of Terengganu.

Among Chinese voters however, 51 per cent wanted the government "to treat non-Malay communities more fairly" and a further 11per cent cited "fighting corruption".

The survey was conducted by telephone with 527 registered voters. A total of 408 of the respondents were Malays while 119 were Chinese. The poll was conducted between January 7 and January 11.

Among the Chinese respondents however, the issue of fair treatment for non-Bumiputras appeared to have strong currency. About 75 per cent strongly or somewhat agreed that by electing a non-BN candidate, the community could send a strong signal to the BN ruling government.

To another question, 56 per cent of Chinese respondents and 46 per cent of Malay respondents agreed that voting for the Pakatan Rakyat could push the BN government to "correct itself".

The issue of Hudud captured the notice of only one-half of the Chinese voters in Kuala Terengganu. Only 18 per cent of the Chinese voters interviewed remarked that the issue plays a "very important", while a further 32per cent saying "somewhat important" role in the election.

About 74 per cent of Malays felt that "Malay political power was weakened by corrupt and self serving leaders".

The Merdeka Centre said it found it difficult to ascertain the voting intention of voters in the district at the time the poll was conducted. "Based on observations on the data collected, the survey believes that the Malay vote at the point in time the survey was conducted to be split with a small margin of voters, perhaps around 8per cent still remaining undecided. Tendencies among Chinese voters were also difficult to gauge but observations on responses towards issues indicate a slight leaning in favour of the opposition."

BN politicians privately concede that defeat in the Terengganu state capital could result in more electoral setbacks in the future, particularly in Sarawak which must hold its state legislative elections in the next 12 months.

Datuk Seri Najib admitted at a closed-door briefing with several editors from the country’s mainstream news organisations recently the by-election of the Kuala Terengganu constituency as a battleground to blunt the opposition’s momentum which has been on the uptrend since the national elections last March.

The Kuala Terengganu by-election will have a major impact on the political prestige of Najib and the top leaders of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which is still struggling to regain its footing after the March national election.

The Chinese, who make up roughly 11 per cent of the constituents in the parliamentary seat, appear to be in an anti-establishment mood.

Sentiment on the Malay ground, particularly among the civil servants and the younger voters, is also lukewarm, at best, towards the government candidate.

Many local politicians in Terengganu say that Umno’s troubles run deeper than the choice of a candidate. The party is wracked by infighting ahead of its own internal elections in March and many of the politicians campaigning in the Kuala Terengganu by-election are in the field to boost their own respective profiles, they say.

A slim victory for Umno, or worse yet a defeat, would only signal the party’s growing disconnect with the public and its failure to carry out internal reforms to renew its appeal among voters. Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah should not be used as a convenient excuse for defeat.

Kuala Trengganu By-Election War Plans: PAS's BLITZKRIEG versus UMNO's TRENCH WARFARE

Read here article in "Pade Doh" Blog

The PAS Blitzkrieg


(Image courtesy of "Pade Doh" Blog)
Excerpts: Read here for more

I am left with complete admiration as to Pakatan Rakyat’s strategy in prosecuting the Kuala Trengganu by-election.

Today’s post could serve as a tutorial 1.01 to the BN/Umno strategists.

I see a lot of similarities between PAS’ strategy and a well thought of military campaign.

If in Permatang Pauh, Pakatan’s strategy was to use overwhelming force from day 1 to the election day, akin to Operation Overlord when the allies launched the largest amphibious assault in the history of the world to “retake” France, for the KT by election, Pakatan instead borrowed a stategy straight out of the Nazi playbook - i.e Blitzkrieg.

What is Blitzkrieg

Blitzkrieg which is German for ”lightning war” is “a headline word applied retrospectively to describe a military doctrine of an all-mechanized force concentrating its attack on a small section of the enemy front then, once the latter is pierced, proceeding without regard to its flank.

The term blitzkrieg being coined by journalists during the Invasion of Poland of 1939. Panzer forces were deployed among the three German concentrations without strong emphasis on independent use, being used to create or destroy close pockets of Polish forces and seize operational-depth terrain in support of the largely un-motorized infantry which followed.

Simultaneosly, the Luftwaffe deployed the Ju 87 Junker bombers to bombard the enemy position from the rear - effectively sealing their fate and making retreat impossible. One of the most striking images of World War II was to see the Ju 87 climb to high altitude and to a 180 nose dive approach prior to releasing their bombs. The results was stunning.

This tactic was so impressive that the Germans could defeat and occupy France in less than 6 months.

Till this day, that is a remarkable feat of military superiority.

The Pakatan Rakyat war planners by choice or luck, decided to go for a lightning strike.

BN/UMNO's War Strategy

1. BN opened the flank first by announcing Dato’ Wan Farid as the candidate.
   
   
2. YB Khairy for his part, saw an opportunity through the wacana held in Kota Bharu to make this election about hudud.
   
   
3. The Mainstream media fell in line, and even sworn anti-KJs have taken this as the key campaign issue.
   
   
4. To hudud or not to hudud. The BN/UMNO campaign is very much a classic TRENCH WARFARE strategy - wear down the population with the same message over and over and over again, and this time try to pit DAP against PAS.
   
   Previously in Permatang Pauh, they tried to pit Anwar against PAS, now it was DAP against PAS. This strategy had not changed from the strategy used in Permatang Pauh - the only difference was that instead of Sodomy it was hudud.

I knew for certain this would be disaster and had registered my views here, "WJK not impressed." Why? Its because BN is the Government of the day. But it is campaigning on issues that may it look like the opposition of yesteryears.

MCA was supposed to be the story teller that scares the Chinese with the hudud bogeyman. Thats why if you recall, MCA leaders were making so many statements about hudud. I never bothered to comment, except right now. Now back off a step - remember this is a LOCAL parliamentary election in KT.

The Chinese in KT have lived amongst Muslims for over 200 years. That MAY (a real stretch) work for a campaign in PJ, but NOT in a campaign in the heart of the East Coast. Enough for BN tactics, that will be a topic for another day.

The Pakatan Rakyat/PAS War Strategy

So BN was going to play offence, when it should be playing defence. And Pakatan saw an opportunity to profit.

1. They left the Chinese base in KT unguarded. This was going to be the ’soft underbelly’. Remember the Bandar seat went for MCA, and the Chinese in the last GE was the deciding factor that secured BN’s victory for KT parlimentary seat.
   
   
2. So the target was set - win the Chinese over and proceed without regard to its flank i.e. the villages.
   
   Blitz Day 1 and 2
   
3. On nomination day, Pakatan deployed their air force. The air force were the bloggers - RPK, Zorro, and the rest of the gang. In the bloggers front, Pakatan was unmatched.
   
   
4. Once again, the BN air force i.e the Mainstream Media was like the biplanes of World War I, up against the blogger bombers.
   
   
5. BN/UMNO has had ample warning that this is the 21st century, the Internet rules and nobody bothers to read the regulated,biased and ridicolously narrow narratives in the mainstream media.
   
   
6. And when RPK, Zorro and the gang descended on Kg. Cina, they were readily received, because there was nothing BN/UMNO could do to counter the e-media. You can read for yourself their accounts on the bloggers bombards.
   
   
7. I can’t say MCA was on the retreat, because they were never there in the first place. Prescene is not about a pondok, is where you sit with the electorate heart and mind on the issues that matter. No, they were busy trying to convince West Coast Chinese (WCC) about hudud.
   
   
8. The issue was not about hudud, the issue for Kg. Cina residents was about Temporary Occupation Licenses (TOL). Oh ya, it became an issue when YAB Dato’ Seri Najib decided to block Perak SG move to grant new villagers freehold titles to replace their TOLs. Or more accurately, the Federal Government’s move to block it.
   
   If he had waited for perhaps a couple of weeks…….jeng jeng jeng.
   
   
9. Enter the Panzer tank division. Soon afterwards, the heavy artillery in the form of DAP MPs came in. YB Ronnie, YB Theresa Kok, YB Liew.
   
   
10. They took over the ground, and most importantly set the stage for Abdul Wahid to make an appearance, take the plaudits, and leave with about 60% of the electorate in that constituency.
    
    Thats the essential power of the blitz - find a soft spot, pierce it and attack the enemy unguarded.
    
    Blitz Day 3 to Election Day
    
11. With this base now won, PAS can move its infantry to take over the RURAL base and hammer away on its brand of religious politics.
    
    
12. Soon you will see the pondoks spring up, and PAS traditional campaign slogans filling the air.

Pakatan Rakyat Told: Give Land to the Poorest Landless Malaysian-Indians

Read here article by Hishamuddin Rais in Malaysia-Today

Quote:

".. Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang berpaksikan Ketuanan Rakyat jika ingin dilihat adil dan melintasi politik perkauman wajib melakukan langkah-langkah yang bukan retorik tetapi dapat di pegang, di cium dan di makan.

Saya mencadangkan agar di wujudkan satu skim pemberian tanah berkelompok kepada bangsa India yang tidak memiliki tanah (dan) yang miskin tegar.

Mereka ini adalah buruh-buruh ladang getah yang telah di tinggalkan bagitu sahaja apabila ladang-ladang ini beralih tuan, dari getah menjadi ladang kelapa sawit atau ladang-landang ini bertukar status dari pertanian ke perumahan.

Generasi muda hari ini mungkin kurang sedar bahawa masyarakat India yang kelihatan terbiar hari ini telah memainkan peranan pembangunan ekonomi yang bagitu penting dalam negara ini.

Adalah adil untuk kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat melahirkan satu dasar skim tanah berkelompok sama seperti bangsa Melayu yang tidak bertanah yang telah mendapat skim tanah Felda.
-Hishamuddin Rais

SATU PANDANGAN DAN SATU CADANGAN

by

Hishamuddin Rais

(Read here profile)

Excerpts: Read here for more

Ketika Terengganu dan Kelatan di bawah kerajaan PAS , saya pernah bertanya kepada seorang kawan yang rapat dengan PAS tentang kemungkinan di wujudkan satu program pemberian tanah kepada orang-orang India yang tidak memiliki tanah. Pertanyaan ini muncul pada tahun 2000 yang lalu.

Kini, pada tahun 2009, 5 buah negeri telah di miliki oleh pentabiran kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat – sebuah pakatan yang menjanjikan kesejahteraan warga BUKAN mengikut bangsa atau agama tetapi berpandukan keperluan.

Saya mencadangkan agar di wujudkan satu skim pemberian tanah berkelompok kepada bangsa India yang tidak memiliki tanah.

Apa yang saya tulis (disini) adalah sebagai hujah untuk menyokong cadangan saya agar bangsa India yang menjadi penduduk miskin kota ini di sediakan satu skim pemberian tanah berkelompok. Cadangan saya ini adalah sebagai jawapan positif kepada tuntutan Hindraf.

Adalah adil untuk kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat melahirkan satu dasar skim tanah berkelompok sama seperti bangsa Melayu yang tidak bertanah yang telah mendapat skim tanah Felda.

Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang berpaksikan Ketuanan Rakyat jika ingin dilihat adil dan melintasi politik perkauman wajib melakukan langkah-langkah yang bukan retorik tetapi dapat di pegang, di cium dan di makan.

Kita seharusnya menghadapi masaalah penduduk India yang miskin tegar ini dengan fikrah terbuka. Kemiskanan membawa pelbagai bentuk permasalahan. Masalah mereka akan menjadi masaalah kita semua. Kesusahan mereka adalah kesusahan kita semua. Jika mereka senang kita juga akaan menikmati kesenangn itu.Jesturu satu skim tanah untuk bangsa India yang miskin tegar adalah satu cadangan dari saya.

Saya tidak tahu peratus dan jumlah keluarga India yang jatuh ke dalam status miskin tegar, daif dan hidup dalam kesesakan.Tetapi secara impirikal kita tidak dapat menafikan bahawa gulungan ini wujud.

Mereka ini adalah buruh-buruh ladang getah yang telah di tinggalkan bagitu sahaja apabila ladang-ladang ini beralih tuan, dari getah menjadi ladang kelapa sawit atau ladang-landang ini bertukar status dari pertanian ke perumahan.

Rasa saya adalah tepat jika bangsa India yang memiliki pengalaman dalam hal perladangan getah ini di berikan tanah agar mereka dapat menggunakan pengalaman lama mereka untuk perladangan sawit.

Tanah untuk yang mereka yang memerlukan tanah wajib dijadi dasar Pakatan Rakyat. Tanah untuk penggarap adalah dasar pertanian yang tepat. Jika kita menolak Tuan Tanah British yang duduk di London maka kita juga wajib menolak Tuan Tanah yang duduk di Country Heights. Siapa menggarap maka dialah yang seharusnya menjadi pemilik tanah.

Generasi muda hari ini mungkin kurang sedar bahawa masyarakat India yang kelihatan terbiar hari ini telah memainkan peranan pembangunan ekonomi yang bagitu penting dalam negara ini.

• Laluilah jalan-jalan dari kota ke kampung-kampung pendalaman. Dari bandar ke pekan-pekan kecial. Semua jalan-jalan ini adalah hasil dari tenaga buruh bangsa India.
  
  
• Mereka juga bertanggung jawab membanting tulang untuk membariskan landasan keretapi dari Singapura hingga ke Padang Besar – dari Gemas hingga ke Wakaf Baru.
  
  
• Mereka juga memburuh membanting tulang penyumbang 60% untuk ekonomi British ketika kerajaan kolonial British menjajah Tanah Melayu.

Masyarakat imigran dari India yang di bawa oleh Britsh ke Tanah Melayu ini memiliki struktur sistem budaya berkasta-kasta. Justeru, secara licik dan sedar sistem kasta ini telah di ekploit ke maksima oleh penjajah British. Kasta yang paling terendah dijadikan kuli di ladang-ladang milik British. Kasta yang lebih tinggi dijadikan mandor atau pegawai rendah. Untuk melalai dan mententeramkan kehidupan kuli-kuli ini kedai-kedai todi telah disediakan oleh Tuan Ladang.

Seperti mana yang berlaku terhadap masyarakat Melayu, bangsa India juga telah di jual oleh para pemimpin mereka kepada kepetingan ekonomi British.

Kalau bangsa Melayu telah di jual kepada British oleh kelas feudal Melayu, buruh-buruh India pula telah dijual bulat-bulat oleh pemimpin-pemimpin kesatuan sekerja mereka.

Sejarah penjualan kuli dan buruh India di Tanah Melayu ini berterusan dari zaman British hingga ke hari ini. Pemimpin-pemimpin bangsa India yang kita kenali atau kita baca nama-nama mereka sama ada dalam parti Barisan Nasional atau Pakatan Rakyat kebanyakan adalah dari kasta yang lebih tinggi dari kasta yang menjadi kuli dan buruh. Atau pun mereka, walau pun Tamil, tetapi bukan datang dari tanah besar India tetapi dari pulau Ceylon.

Malah banyak diantara mereka ini bukan sahaja tidak tahu berbahasa Tamil malah dari segi budaya mereka ini adalah saki baki dari kumpulan Anglo-Indian – yang berbontot hitam tetapi pengampu Mat Saleh. Bila Mat Saleh balik kampong mereak menjadi pengambu gerombolan United Malays National Organisation.

Masyarakat Melayu hari ini wajib menyedari jika kita membuat perbandingan diantara Melayu/India dan Melayu/Cina – maka kita akan menemui hubungan yang amat intim dan rapat diantara budaya Melayu dengan budaya bangsa India.

Dalam sejarah pembudayaan negara bangsa, budaya Melayu di seluruh kepulauan Melayu ini amat rapat pertalian budayanya dengan budaya tanah besar India dari budaya tanah besar China.

Struktur feudal budaya Melayu yang kita gunapakai hari ini adalah serpihan dari budaya feudal India. Secara bijak pembentukan budaya feudal Melayu telah menapis keluar struktur kasta kolot dari tanah besar India.

Secara positif bangsa Melayu telah menerima bangsa India tanpa melihat kasta dan keturunan mereka. Bangsa Melayu tidak mengenali Brahmin, Chettiar, Pariah atau Mandor. Bangsa Melayu tidak memiliki nilai untuk memisah-memisahkan bangsa India mengikut kasta-kasta mereka. Dalam mata hati bangsa Melayu semua bangsa India itu sama. Ini amat positif.

Dari segi pembudayaan bahasa – Bahasa Melayu tanpa menapis telah menerima pakai bukan sahaja perkataan-perkataan dari Sanskrit tetapi menghayati konsep-kosep yang dibawa oleh perkataan-perkataan ini. Mungkin ramai yang kurang sedar bahawa konsep dosa dan pahala itu memiliki akar umbi dari bahasa India Sanskrit.

Masanya telah sampai untuk kita semua tidak lagi menyalahkan penjajah British. Itu adalah sejarah. Kita berkeupayaan untuk menyusun dan mendirikan sebuah masyarakat negara bangsa yang adil. Lesong di tangan dan lada dalam mangkuk maka kitalah yang wajib menumbuknya untuk menjadikan sambal. Menyalahkan British memang senang kerana mereka tidak wujud lagi dalam percaturan siasah harian kita.

ISRAEL BOMBED TWO UN SCHOOLS IN GAZA. The Israeli Massacre in Gaza Continues...

..... While MALAYSIANS Worry to Death about Who Wins Kuala Trengganu PAS vs UMNO By-election on 17 Jan 2009 .

Read here for more on The Guardian (UK) and here and here and here

ISRAEL'S COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT :
CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY
SUPPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES

(THE DEAFENING SILENCE OF PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA)

Did United States or the Western Countries Allow Palestinian people to have fighter-jets to DEFEND their lives against the Israel war-planes ?












While Palestinian Children are being Massacred by US taxpayer-funded Israeli war-planes, Obama is Enjoying Golf in Hawaii












Israel's assault on Gaza has exacted the bloodiest toll of civilian lives yet, when the bombing of UN schools being used as refugee centres and of housing killed more than 50 people, including an entire family of seven young children.

The United States late Saturday BLOCKED approval of a UN Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and expressing serious concern at the escalation of violence following Israel’s ground attack in Gaza, council diplomats said.

The UN protested at a "complete absence of accountability" for the escalating number of civilian deaths in Gaza, saying "the rule of the gun" had taken over.

The death toll resulted from Israel's attacks has reached 363, including at least 59 children and 18 women. This figure is expected to rise.

Obama Gagged by the Powerful Israeli-Jewish Lobby Groups and Staff Within his Transition Team

(Note: Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Israel Emanuel, is an Israeli and holds a dual citizenship) -read here and here for more

THE refusal of the US president-elect, Barack Obama, to comment on the Gaza conflict had disappointed Arab leaders, the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister, Riyad al-Maliki, said yesterday. Mr Maliki said that Mr Obama's silence on Gaza contrasted with his willingness to comment on the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last November.

Israel rejects stationing of international monitors at border crossing as also any international force in the area.

UN General Assembly chief Miguel d'Escoto has criticized the Security Council for its inability to curb Israel's "monstrosity" in Gaza. D'escoto criticized the UN Security Council for not showing enough tenacity in ending Gazans suffering in the wake of the weeklong Israeli offensive in the coastal strip.

Doctors in Gaza said more than 40 people died, including children, in what appears to be the biggest single loss of life of the campaign when Israeli bombs hit al-Fakhora school, in Jabaliya refugee camp, while it was packed with hundreds of people who had fled the fighting.

Most of those killed were in the school playground and in the street, and the dead and injured lay in pools of blood. Pictures on Palestinian TV showed walls heavily marked by shrapnel and bloodstains, and shoes and shredded clothes scattered on the ground. Windows were blown out.

Hours before, three young men who were cousins died when the Israelis bombed Asma elementary school in Gaza City. They were among 400 people who had sought shelter there after fleeing their homes in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza.

Abed Sultan, 20, a student, and his cousins, Rawhi and Hussein Sultan, labourers aged 22, died.

Abed Sultan's father, Samir, said the bodies were so mangled that he could not tell his son from the cousins. "We came to the school when the Israelis warned us to leave," he said. "We hoped it would be safe. We were 20 in one room. We had no electricity, no blankets, no food. Suddenly we heard a bomb that shook the school. Windows smashed. Children started to scream. A relative came and told me one of my sons was killed. I found my son's body with his two cousins. They were cut into pieces by the shell."

The UN was particularly incensed over targeting of the schools, because Israeli forces knew they were packed with families as they had ordered them to get out of their homes with leaflet drops and loudspeakers. It said it had identified the schools as refugee centres to the Israeli military and provided GPS coordinates.

Israel accused Hamas of using civilians as cover, and said the Islamist group could stop the assault on Gaza by ending its rocket attacks on Israel.

The Palestinian authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, last night delivered an impassioned plea to the UN security council to act immediately to stop the Israeli operation, which he described as a "catastrophe" for his people. Israel has agreed a "humanitarian corridor" to allow Palestinians to get essential goods.

The rising casualty toll, more than 640 Palestinians killed since the assault began 12 days ago, gave fresh impetus to diplomatic efforts. The White House offered its first hint of concern at Israel's actions by calling on it to avoid civilian deaths. The president-elect, Barack Obama, broke his silence by saying he was "deeply concerned" about civilian casualties on both sides. He said he would have "plenty to say" about the crisis after his swearing in.

Gordon Brown said the Middle East was facing its "darkest moment yet" but hoped a ceasefire could be arranged soon.

The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, John Ging, said three shells landed at the perimeter of the school. "It was entirely inevitable if artillery shells landed in that area there would be a high number of casualties," he said.

He said UN staff vetted those Palestinians who sought shelter at the school. "So far we've NOT had violations by militants of our facilities," he said, though responding to questions he accepted there had been clashes between Hamas and the Israeli army in the area.

Earlier in the day, Ging visited Gaza's hospital and was shocked at the scale of civilian casualties. "What you have in this hospital is the consequences of political failure and the complete absence of any accountability for actions that are being taken. It's the rule of the gun now, and it has to stop," he said.

At least 12 of one family, seven children aged from one to 12, three women and two men, were killed in an air strike on their house in Gaza City. Nine others were believed trapped.

Rejecting Israeli claims there is no humanitarian crisis, Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), asserted, "The idea there is not a humanitarian crisis is absurd . . . it is appalling for anyone to say there is not."

UNRWA closed 20 health centres, although its staff are doing their best to aid the injured. UNRWA and the World Food Programme have suspended ration distribution, leaving 1.1 million people without basic foodstuffs. Mr Gunness criticised the Security Council for not adopting a ceasefire resolution. "Innocent people in Gaza have suffered enough."

Dr. Mahathir: The Culprit Who Made ARROGANCE an UMNO Hallmark and Destroyed Its Integrity and Respectability

MUST READ ARTICLE !!

Read here article by Art Haron on "Articulations" Blog for more

Quote:

"... The Mahathir era was replete with SELF-IMPORTANCE and ARROGANCE. Respect was demanded rather than earned.

That era also saw the emergence of money politics, which by now infested UMNO so badly that it has become endemic at all level of UMNO.

The UMNO leadership vacuum, as it exists today, is caused by none other than Mahathir. The current method promotes feudalism and nepotism. Men of suspicious character became leaders. Men of untested character became leaders in UMNO.

Mahathir's motto was Malaysia Boleh. UMNO can. In street lingo, "everything oso can."

Mahathirnomics was about "shortcutism" to "bankable-lyism". All you need is a hot shot contact. The rest is provided to you on a silver platter. You want to be a leader? Pay me and I will support you. That mantra goes to the root of UMNO. And now, it became endemic.

Mahathir himself is now regretting it. Of course he doesn't admit it. He is blaming the current leadership.

UMNO has to unshackle itself from that arrogant image. Ditch its out-dated keris and red logo for starters. Red and the keris are so fierce. So menacing. Change that for starters.

Have a softer image.

All these shit about "the Malay struggle" and "ketuanan Melayu" are now OLD songs.

The "struggle" now is the struggle of Malaysia and ALL Malaysians. It is about how to make all of us better. About education, health care, proper infrastructures (economics and physical development). About empowerment. About justice and fairness. About transparency and accountability.
-"Art Haron"

Quote: "The Mahathir Era was replete with SELF-IMPORTANCE and ARROGANCE"

UMNO Has To Change

by

Art Haron

Excerpts: Read here for more

About 3 weeks ago I had a drink with some (UMNO members).

And they asked me what UMNO could do to regain it's position as the premier Malay political party. And of course, to regain power.

UMNO was, until this year, almost synonymous with Malay and Malaysian politics. In my opinion, it was complacent and this complacency led to the March 8 debacle.

Drowned in its self proclaimed Malay supremacy, it became arrogant.

It forgets that its power is derived from the people. And its arrogance does not endear it to the people. And the people got tired of it.

And the rest is history.

The Mahathir era was replete with self importance and arrogance. That era catapulted UMNO warlords to the status of feudalistic leaders, which were worshipped, idolised and feared instead of being respected. Respect was demanded rather than earned.

That era also saw the emergence of money politics, which by now infested UMNO so badly that it has become endemic at all level of UMNO. It came as no surprise though. Mahathir's motto was Malaysia Boleh. We can. UMNO can. In street lingo, "everything oso can. "

• You have political contact? Here is a project. You go and do it.
  
  
• I would call up the bank and ask them to finance it. We all make profit. Can? Yes, we can.
  
  
• If you fail, well, don't worry. I would ask Petronas or EPF to bail you out.
  
  
• In the meantime, project costs were hiked up, for the benefit of all and sundry, except the nation and the people.
  
  
• You cannot make money? Well, here's a concession. A no-brainer concession. 30 years. And extendable indefinitely too.
  
  
• And it is reviewable too. Reviewable to your benefit, of course.

That was how it worked. And everybody, I mean every body in Malaysia got used to that system. The easy-peasy way of making money.

All you need is a hot shot contact. The rest is provided to you on a silver platter.

Mahathirnomics was about "shortcutism" to "bankable-lyism". Just imagine. A business which rakes in the millions, and even billions sometime, WITHOUT the risk and effort. Only in Malaysia.

That mantra goes to the root of UMNO.

You want to be a leader? Pay me and I will support you. Yes we can. And now, it became endemic.

Mahathir himself is now regretting it. Of course he doesn't admit it. He is blaming the current leadership. He is shouting and screaming away and even threatening to disclose the names of those whom he thinks had partaken in money politics. But even he himself admits that he has no proof. That is how insidious UMNO money politic is. Even Mahathir can't prove it!

In Mahathir's era, everything is short cut. If a business venture could be measured as a path from A to Z, Z would be achieved first. Than we would all work backward to A. Oh look, we have a problem at R and let's solve it. Oh, another problem at C. Let's solve it. That was how it was.

This methodology crept into UMNO. It had not only crept but had become the way of UMNO. Thus, men of suspicious character became leaders. Men of untested character became leaders in UMNO.

Meanwhile, men of character, of intellect, of reason, visions and plans, were side stepped. These men refused to play the game. They were steadfast in their resolution not to partake in corruption. They were men of principles. They would question. They would seek answers. They would support the righteous rather than blindly follow.

What did these men get? They got killed off. They got side stepped. They got sacked.

The UMNO leadership vacuum, as it exists today, is caused by non other than Mahathir. As such it is laughable that Mahathir himself is lamenting that fact nowadays.

The totally undemocratic methods of election in UMNO must change. The current method promotes feudalism and nepotism in a wider sense.

How can an incumbent have an advantage over a challenger, for instance? But in UMNO, this is considered acceptable and democratic. All in the name of unity. An undemocratic process will stay undemocratic even if it is premised on unity, tradition, consensus and what have you. Those are but false premises. But that is the system preferred by UMNO.

That has to change, if UMNO values true leadership and true democracy. Without true leadership, UMNO would have to swim in idol worshipping and unbridle powers where leaders are feared rather than respected. Just like in the feudal days. That, in the end, would bring the end for UMNO. Remember the Abassid caliphate? Why did it disappear?

How many time have we heard a deputy so and so in UMNO saying that he or she has been loyal to his or her chief?

I remember Najib Razak saying something to the effect that "I have never argued with Pak Lah. He is my leader. I have never been disrespectful to him".

Remember what Shahrizat said about Rafidah? The same thing too.

In UMNO, opposite opinions are not appreciated. They are not solicited nor are they welcome. Loyalty means you keep quiet and agree with me. You say what I say and do what I wish you to do. All the deputies would then sit quietly while waiting for the day the chief announces his retirement.

That is leadership UMNO style!

How is leadership going to be developed then? Is it any wonder why there is a dearth of true leaders in UMNO currently? Just look at the nominations for the top posts in UMNO. I get frighten just reading their names. This has to change.

In my opinion, UMNO has to unshackle itself from that arrogant image. It could start by re-branding itself and by re-imaging itself. The UK Labour and Conservatice parties came up with new logos in the wake of the new millennium. Perhaps UMNO should start by doing the same.

Ditch its out dated keris and red logo for starters. Turn it into some modern aged logo with blue as its main colour scheme. Have a softer image. And more pleasing. Red and the keris are so fierce. So menacing. Change that for starters.

UMNO also has to realise that the people are tired of all the lies the mainstream mass media, which it controls, are telling day in day out. It is not as if the people don't know the truth. Ages ago, of course, the people did not have the ability to know the truth and they took the various lies in the mainstream mass media as the absolute gospel truth. But that is not the case anymore nowadays.

Nowadays, the people, especially the young and the internet savvy, check out the net and compare the news and choose NOT to believe the mainstream media. Because they know how to differentiate facts from mere fictions, or lies. UMNO has to realise this. Propaganda is one thing. Lies are another thing altogether.

Lies don't work anymore. Lies don't work because the people are now educated and sophisticated. They have analytical minds. We are not living in the 50s and 60s anymore for heaven's sake. The people don't believe all the mainstream "news" hook line and sinker anymore. They read them. They analyse. And they form an opinion.

UMNO may not appreciate opinions, especially when the opinions differ from the leadership's opinions, but UMNO must accept the fact that the people are not followers anymore. They might be supporters, but definitely not followers.

There is a difference between supporters and followers. While the latter follow their leaders, the former choose to support and they would only support if they think the leaders are worth supporting. That is the situation now.

The people's perception about UMNO now is that its leaders are in it just because power could bring untold wealth. And the ability to control. That is the perception. They could drive nice luxury cars in nice single plate number. They could park anywhere they like. They could jump que.

Heck, they almost could do anything they like!

Before March 8 this year for instance, there was this black Perdana with an MP crest always double parking beside my car when I sent my daughter to school every morning. He wouldn't even apologise to me. I would have to wait for him to come before I could move my car. And he would give me a dirty look if I grumbled at his blatant rudeness and inconsiderate manner ( well, after March 8 2008, this guy, I am happy to report, does not go to that school in the black Perdana anymore. The MP crest is also gone! For obvious reason).

That just about encapsulates the arrogance of UMNO so called leaders. That has to change. The people are tired of it.

UMNO also has to have a NEW battle cry.

All these shit about "the Malay struggle" and "ketuanan Melayu" are now old songs. The "struggle" now is the struggle of Malaysia and ALL Malaysians. It is about globalisation. It is about neo-colonisation. It is about religious extremism which translates into terrorism. It is about how to make all of us better. About education, health care, proper infrastructures (economics and physical development). About empowerment. About justice and fairness. About transparency and accountability.

All these are lacking. And frighteningly, nobody is championing it.

You want example?

• Well, has anybody at all accepted the responsibility for the Bukit Antarabangsa landslides? None!
  
  
• How about forex losses? None.
  
  
• And how are moneys from our natural resources spent? Don't know.
  
  
• How are we going to live when crude touches 20 usd per barrel? Don't know. Nobody knows.

UMNO wants to be the people's champion? Well, all these things must be addressed.

Stripped of all intellectual considerations, the theories and philosophies, politics is just about the act of persuading people to agree with one's position. It is the art of persuasion. Of course, the end result is power. But political power is not the end. It is just a means to an end. UMNO has to realise this.

That was MY ANSWER to them. It took me 40 minutes to lecture them.

They nodded and paid for my coffee. Well, at least they were nice to me.

Happy new year everybody. May the new year bring us all everything that is good. May it also bring us enough so that we can give to those who are in need.
-Art Haron

RELATED ARTICLE

MALAYSIA'S FUNNIEST MAN 2008

by Art Haron

Read here for more

Malaysian Insider (read here) proclaims Mahathir Mohamad as Malaysian of the Year 2008.

"ARTiculations" (Blog) ... hereby proclaim Mahathir Mohamad as Malaysia’s Funniest Man 2008.

Mahathir should be awarded or crowned as Malaysia's Funniest Man of 2008.

1. He merajuk with Pak Lah and he left UMNO thinking there would be an exodus from UMNO. As it turned out, only Sanusi Junid, his wife and his son Jani followed suit. Even Mukhriz did not.
   
   
2. He then continued to critisise UMNO from outside UMNO. Had people done that during his reign as UMNO President, he would have said "it is none of your business!".
   
   
3. He then told UMNO supporters not to vote for UMNO just to show their unhappiness at UMNO leadership. But at the same time, he accused Zaid Ibrahim of sabotaging UMNO and supporting other parties.
   
   He is obviously one damn funny character.
   
   
4. Then he became obsessed with UMNO elections. He wanted those whom he think would follow his "outside orders" to win. He threw his obvious support for some candidates and poured scorn on others. He of course supports his son Mukhriz, his protege Najib and Muhiyuddin. Others he accused of money politics.
   
   
5. He even threatened UMNO's disciplinary board. He said if actions are not taken by the board against these evil money politicians, he would expose them one by one. He assumed the functions and cloak of a complainant, investigator, prosecutor and Judge. That is so Mahathir. Nothing new about that.
   
   
6. Then what happened? After making innuendos about the identities of those whom he thought had been involved in money politics and making a meal out of it, he said he has got no proof after all!
   
   Uahahahahahaha...he's such a funny man, this Mahathir.
   
   
7. He now laments the fact that UMNO is infested to the root with money politics. He says now that the leaders are not doing enough about it. Funny. Because he knew all the while that money politics thrived in UMNO during his 22 year reign as its President. He himself had cried about it once during UMNO General Assembly. What did he do to combat money politics other than crying? He did nuts! And now he laments, complains, whines, shouts and screams about it.
   
   He is one funny man.
   
   
8. He now blames Pak lah for all the bad things in UMNO and all the corruptions in Malaysia. He accused Pak Lah of cronysm and nepotism. How very funny that is. First of all, he was the one who chose Pak Lah as his successor in true UMNO tradition of power transmission (meaning the outgoing President has the right to choose his successor who would of course continue to protect the outgoing President's interests). Then when Pak Lah exhibited signs of being his own man and decided to scrap Mahathir's favourite crooked bridge project, he turned against Pak Lah.
   
   Isn't that a bit more than funny? I think it is. He is totally blameless for anything and everything. Other people are all wrong except for him.
   
   
9. Than he instigated UMNO members to challenge Pak Lah. However he realised that it is difficult to do so because of the provisions in the UMNO Constitutions or election regulations giving massive advantage to incumbent and imposing various difficulties on any challenger. Mahathir than shouted and screamed that those provisions are unfair and ought to be removed. Hahahaha...he forgets that he was the one who inserted those provisions in the first place. He did that to make it difficult for him to be challenged when he was the UMNO President. He wanted to cling to his position no matter what. So he ensured that he could not be challenged. Now when he wanted Pak Lah to be challenged, he suddenly found that those provisions are undemocratic and demanded that those provisions be removed.
   
   ROTFLMAO!!! Uahahahahaha... ur da funny man Mahathir.
   
   
10. He then went about saying Pak Lah destroyed UMNO. Of course he forgets that he was the one, through his Counsel in the UMNO 11 case, argued that the original UMNO was an illegal society and ought to be deregistered. When the Court did so, he said it wasn't him but the Court which declared UMNO illegal. >He then registered UMNO Baru, which is the current UMNO.
    
    How funny is that? Robim Williams does not even come close. Eddy Murphy pales in comparison to this man.
    
    
11. Then he said bloggers should be more responsible forgetting that he was more than irresponsible. Apart from making innuendos in respect of those whom he believed were involved in money politics, he also stoke up racial sentiments when it suits him. Then he tells Malaysians and politicians not to stoke up racial sentiments.
    
    Oh ur such a foony foony man Mahathir.
    
    
12. Before that, he was angry to the bone with the findings of the Royal Commission on the Linggam video tape. He said the Royal Commission was unfair on him and had made findings which are not supported by evidence. He accused the Royal Commission of making findings based on assumptions. But at the same time, he also assumed that Anwar Ibrahim was a sodomite. And he assumed Pak Lah and KJ and everybody else as corrupt. Whatever it was, this fighting old man never challenge the finding of the Royal Commission in Court. Perhaps he could not trust the Courts too. Why is it that he could not trust the Courts? Well, he should know the answer because he is the most knowing, the most clever and the most wise. He is the man.
    
    
13. He had 22 years at the top. He pioneered absolutism in Malaysia. He is the father of tolled highways; independent power producers; sodomy charges; Formula 1 racing; Le Tour de Langkawi (although he abhors the Monsoon Cup for one reason or another!); tallest twin building in the world, longest teh tarik in the world and everything which is the thickest, thinnest, biggest and everything else.
    
    Now, he is Malaysia’ Funniest Man 2008.
    
    Long live Mahathir.