Before putting the responsibility at the doorstep of the backwardness of mindsets, why does not the state at least look after its own institutions,

As for culture, it is much better to harness it rather than curse it. and that process would begin with humility and understanding. If people don’t want toilets that badly, there must be a good reason. And it certainly isn’t because of blind faith in temples.

The attitude of the Federal Territories minister to a sacred Hindu spot hit a raw nerve among other politicians and the head of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam, who responded strongly today.

They questioned if Tengku Adnan knew enough about Hinduism to make comments on what is a shrine or a temple and on the Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Temple, in particular.

As is his wont Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has sparked off a debate by saying something provocative. His statement about there being more temples than toilets in the country has sparked off a controversy, the best and perhaps only way to get conversation about any subject going in MalaysiaThe protests come from the ,The Malaysia Hindu Sangam, that sees in his statement, an attack on faith, and its more extreme and uninhibited partners the MIC youth chief, an Indian opposition politician and a lawyer took the minister to task. which rail against the marking out of temples as against mosques and churches, claiming religious discrimination.

“This is a ridiculous statement by the minister. We are the victims here. We are not the trouble-causers,” Mohan responded.

“I have written a letter to Tengku Adnan on this matter and I am hoping for a speedy response,”

So we do have some conversation around the important subject of sanitation and public hygiene, but not surprisingly, it is the wrong one. The issue is not one of respect for all religions as Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan ’s hurried statement indicates, but the need for setting priorities correctly in terms of progress. The use of temples specifically to make this point comes from a demographic rather than political perspective; it merely reflects the fact that there are many more temples because there are many more Hindus inMalaysia. if anything, it serves to conflate the majority community with the nation, something that happens quite routinely in the way we begin any public function with a Saraswati vandana or with the lighting of a puja lamp for instance. At that time, there are no complaints of discrimination, are there?

Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor stepped into a minefield when he “downgraded” a century-old Hindu temple into a shrine and then pointedly asked why the authorities “always had problems with temples and not churches, mosques or Chinese temples”

Tengku Adnan told reporters today that the Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle in Jalan P. Ramlee has always been a shrine and not a temple.

“I know what a temple and shrine is all about. I am also a pious man. I pray. I would not want to break something which people pray to,” he had said.

The temple sits on reserve land meant for roads or walkways and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had wanted to claim back some eight feet of land.

This was resisted by scores of worshippers who rushed to protect the temple, raising the temperature in Malaysia’s religious landscape and pitting the ruling Barisan Nasional government against politicians from its own coalition.

Tengku Adnan said the ministry will be upgrading the temple into a tourist attraction and look into gazetting the land where the “shrine” sits.

He had also said the temple, which he insisted be called a “shrine” from now on, will not be given the entire land on which it is currently situated.

“The allocation will be only for the size of a shrine as we would need the rest of the space… the whole land belongs to us and we need to build a drainage system and carry out other necessary construction work.”

Observing a recent religious ritual, one was struck by how much of the prayer had to do with individual desire. One didn’t know what exactly the shlokas being recited by the priest meant in Sanskrit, but going by the translation offered, it seemed as if the prayer was nothing but a laundry list of petulant and very specific demands. For health, wealth, success in business ventures, opportunities to travel abroad, the demand for male children and the fervent hope that one’s enemies and ill wishers meet with a variety of inauspicious and altogether unhappy accidents. In short, under the garb of holiness and piety, what was being transacted was a shoddy deal between man and God, with one’s belief in the divine being bartered for some material goodies.

This seems to tie in with the beatific halo of commercialism that seems to hang over the serene countenance of religion these days. Television channels are full of products claiming to be divine ‘yantras’ that offer a variety of precise interventions in our lives, and come with the hallowed testimony of several has-been film and television stars. And the commercial angle does not stop at hawking products that matter-of-factly drain out the milk of human blindness. Over the last couple of years, some Hindi news channel have brought to us several exposes involving many religious gurus, the latest one being the reports on Nirmal Baba. In most of these, the picture painted of the leaders in question is deeply unspiritual, with allegations ranging from fraudulently exploiting religious sentiment for personal material gain, enabling money laundering to sexual misconduct. The themes of material exploitation, sexually predatory behaviour and narrow minded chauvinism resulting in hate crimes of all hues, ranging from selective violence to acts of mass murder and terrorism recur across geography and different religions. Of course, this is hardly the whole picture when it comes to religion, but it is a sufficiently prominent aspect of it for us to take notice.

What has changed is the nature of religious practice rather than belief in religion for it continues to enjoy a pre-eminent position in the life of most people in the world. In India, the coming of economic reform and relative affluence has strengthened religion rather than weaken it, and the evidence is all around us. Television channels devoted to building the brands of individual gurus, religious festivals have become the site of legitimised consumption, and even the Janlok Pal movement needed their support to mobilise numbers. In a more everyday sense too, religious rituals continue to be an integral part of our lives, with temples being full, particularly at exam time.

It is not as if personal prayer that seeks divine blessings for one’s well being is a product of today alone, for have grown up on stories of various devotees who perform impossible feats of penance in order to win vardaans which they then use to wreak havoc on the humankind. In a more everyday sense, prayer has been an instrument of improbable hope, as human beings try to reverse the unequal relationship they have with arbitrary circumstance with a concentration of hope and a spectacle of surrender. Prayer is simultaneously a peremptory demand and a submissive entreaty, full of narcissistic magnification as well as servile diminution. Traditionally, the two parts of prayer were kept apart, at least on the surface. One was expected to surrender unquestioningly and become part of a larger collective before the right to ask for anything in return was granted. Increasingly, now the submission is put into the background by the demand; the prayer itself is contingent on results. Prayer is now a transcated vector, pointing unambiguously in the direction of desire, undeterred by its scale and improbability. One interesting site in which this shift can be seen is in the frequency and tenor of the Hindi film bhajan. The lyrics of the devotional songs have strikingly moved from being selfless paeans to a larger nameless God (Allah Tero Naam, Tu Pyaar Ka Saagar Hai, Ham ko man ki shakti dena, Tora Man Darpan kehlaye and many others) that had larger collective goals in to highly specific demands being made of individual deities in the later films. If in earlier times, the emphasis was on self-improvement and unconditional surrender, we see a more demanding relationship in evidence today. Of course, the larger reality is that the filmi bhajan is rarely seen on screens nowadays; it is not that easy to shoot it on a beach against the backdrop of slithering thighs. Even in everyday life, particularly in the north, the filmi bhajan one hears at the local jagran is likely to be set to the tune of Munni Badnaam Hui rather than a more traditional melody. The idea that the religious intent expressed loosely makes its content irrelevant seems to be the dominant one on display. The gap between professed religiosity and practised humanity seems to be growing wider.

As a result, the social utility of religion has diminished significantly. Religion is seen instead as a personal technology of progress that has all the trappings of a good deal, a remote control that can be pointed anywhere at any time. The power of religion to unite diverse groups under its umbrella and to make human beings rise above themselves has been an important aspect of religious practice. Today, we rarely see concerted efforts to mobilise groups around larger social causes without the effort descending into some sort of commercial enterprise. The business of religion is lucrative in part because what is being sought from religion is changing. We want our gods in our pocket, ready to be brandished whenever opportunity strikes.

The reason for what appear to be a warped set of priorities is easy to attribute to faith. According to this worldview, the backward are responsible for their own backwardness as they choose to enmesh themselves in superstition and faith. They refuse to uncoil themselves from their misery because of ignorance; only education, discipline and the robust application of technology can improve their lot. The temple becomes the implicit polar opposite of progress; the reason why the poor are not repelled by their own poverty. The ‘dirtiness’ of rural life causes offence at a visceral level; a primitive distaste that is presented as an objective prescription of the modern; a campaign that progressive forces carry out against the dark forces of irrationality and blind faith.

Looked at from the perspective of the village dweller, this very rationality might throw up a different outcome. If rationality were to translate into allocating incremental resources behind incremental utility, then it is clear that a mobile phone changes one’s life dramatically by offering utility of a transformative and unsubstitutable kind whereas a toilet merely upgrades an existing practice. The long-term benefits are neither visible nor immediately palpable. Given that the larger state of hygiene is no better, not only in their immediate surroundings, but even in the institutions of the state that they have access to, not even in government offices or clinics, the perceived cost of not building a toilet is not significant. From an urban perspective, utility is calculated by the loss of hygiene and convenience which is both tangible and significant, which is why it evokes a sense of horror.

Najib will not be able to run UMNO as Mahathir has done,

Can the Prime Minister be made to change? Some Umno dreamers and the pro-Umno Malay cendekiawan (intellectuals) think it is possible.

Hishammuddin  “tell me about your strengths and development needs” is the second most frequently asked question “Tell me about yourself” is easily the number one question when they have not read the candidate’s resume in advance.

“People use many ways when they want to contest but others can evaluate the things that we have promised, if we can actually deliver it realistically,” said Hishammuddin.

Nazri, meanwhile, pointed out that it was important for Umno to evaluate what the party’s focus should be.

But what if Mohd Najib the Prime Minister of all Malaysians does not want to change?

Or he does not see why he should change since he does not think he has done anything wrong?

I am provoked to pose these questions for two reasons. The most recent one first. This morning I received the following SMS:

“Jemputan khas dari JPM utk Majlis Pengumuman khas oleh PM berkenaan Pemerkasaan Ekonomi Bumiputera pd 14/9 (Sabtu) jam 8.00 di Dewan Agong Tuanku, UiTM, Shah Alam.”

(“Special invitation from the PMO to special announcement of the Strengthening of Bumiputera Economy by the PM on 14/9 (Saturday) at 8.00pm at Dewan Agong Tuanku, UiTM, Shah Alam.”)

Before that, several people… had told me that since it is difficult to change the Prime Minister, we would now endeavour to change the way he runs the country.

“Umno elections have been carried out a few times and we have to learn from our mistakes. What is important is that we are not greedy for posts,” he added.

He stressed that candidates should win the hearts of the grassroots as their popularity in Umno will not guarantee their win in the elections.

“As seen before, there are a few leaders in the Supreme Council like Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi and Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah who won in Umno by popularity but lost in the elections,” he said.

He concurred with Nur Jazlan that Umno had to make way for younger leaders.

“I agree 100% that we have to bring young leaders to regenerate the party. The older ones can also come but as observers,” he added

Noticed that people are usually a lot more articulate when they reel off a list of strengths. When they pause to catch their breath, I grab the opportunity to remind candidates that they also have to think of what they would consider That can really change the mood of the conversation. The candidate looks like the prodigy’s mother who is being asked during the school’s parent-teacher meeting what the genius could do better. Many job sites advise candidates to answer that question by saying, “I work too hard.” That brings the interview to a grand closure because it makes the employer whip out the offer letter, make a swift correction to double the salary they had originally put earmarked and coax the candidate to join

Two Cabinet ministers are at odds over the statement by Pulai Member of Parliament Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who said that the people were fed-up with Umno.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said Nur Jazlan had a point but Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (pic) said it was a “stunt to attract attention”.

Nazri noted that it was time that Umno made some changes if it wanted to continue staying relevant to the community.

“This country practises freedom of speech and what he (Nur Jazlan) said is right. It is not wrong at all.

“Every candidate should reject popularity votes if they have not done anything for their constituency and the people,” Nazri told reporters today in Kuala Lumpur.

Nur Jazlan, who is also the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chief, said earlier today that the party needed change as people were fed up with its broken promises and lack of reforms after the general election.

“Society is tired and fed up with what is happening in Umno. Before the general election, the party had promised changes but until now, nothing has changed,” he added.

He announced that he will run for an Umno supreme council seat in the party elections, pointing out his tilt was to enhance the party’s appeal to the younger generation.

“What they (the people) want is a change and new faces in the party leadership. My nomination is to surprise Umno members and new faces will help the party in making changes quickly,” the Pulai Umno division chief said.

However, Hishammuddin disputed Nur Jazlan’s statement, pointing out that the party’s “achievements” in the last general election was proof that it still had the support of the people.

“His comment does not tally with what the party has achieved in the general election. Umno won with additional seats. It shows that the party still has support.

“People use many ways when they want to contest but others can evaluate the things that we have promised, if we can actually deliver it realistically,” said Hishammuddin.

Nazri, meanwhile, pointed out that it was important for Umno to evaluate what the party’s focus should be.

“Umno elections have been carried out a few times and we have to learn from our mistakes. What is important is that we are not greedy for posts,” he added.

He stressed that candidates should win the hearts of the grassroots as their popularity in Umno will not guarantee their win in the elections.

“As seen before, there are a few leaders in the Supreme Council like Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi and Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah who won in Umno by popularity but lost in the elections,” he said.

He concurred with Nur Jazlan that Umno had to make way for younger leaders.

“I agree 100% that we have to bring young leaders to regenerate the party. The older ones can also come but as observers,” he added Both needs and wants change not just as per economic status, but also from individual to individual. It isn’t fair to say everyone has the same needs. In fact, ‘wants’ are possibly more homogenous across bandwidths, while ‘needs’ vary wildly. A ragpicker may ‘want’/ desire the same Lamborghini or Merc that you have set your eyes on Awareness and exposure have widened our horizons, which in turn have expanded our list of needs — and there is no going back.

I said to them that I have seen enough of the Mohd Najib Abdul Razak – starting 1977 when I interviewed him on the anniversary of his first year as an MP – to think that he could be changed.

So I told them, if the PM promises me a glass of water, I would not believe in his “janji ditepati” (promise fulfilled) until I drink the water and not be poisoned by it.

It sounds harsh. I am not accusing the PM of trying to poison me. I am not worth wasting the rat poison on. But what I am saying is, many things that he says, promises and implements are lost in translation.

This is not because Mohd Najib is a bad man with an evil heart. On the contrary, I am sure he wants to be a hero like the Batman saving Gotham, but the problem with the PM is he has too many Robins – males and females – who are competing with each other for his love and affection, money and power.

I am more than sure that Mohd Najib is capable of delivering a glass of well-treated water, free of diesel contamination, for me to quench my thirst.

But what worries me is, along the way, despite Idris Jala’s best efforts to transform the government delivery system, my glass of water gets contaminated, part of it is lost to evaporation and part of it is spilt by the many Robins and Catwomen in his office that when I drink it, I could not fully quench my thirst and instead suffer a bad case of stomach ache.

So to the Umno dreamers, the youthful Malay idealists, the aging Mubarak faithful and the hopeful pro-Umno bloggers, I implore them not to empty the tempayan upon hearing the distant thunder and not to “pipiskan lada” upon seeing a flock of birds in the sky (count your chickens before they hatch).

So I shall wait for Mohd Najib’s Sept 14 announcement on “Pemerkasaan Ekonomi Bumiputera” (Strengthening the Bumiputera Economy) and be on the lookout for my glass of water.

For now, I shall temper my scepticism and cynicism with “baik sangka” and pray that the Umno dreamers and hopeful Malay cendekiawan (intellectuals) are correct after all – that Mohd Najib can be changed without changing the PM.

JUDGES, LAWYERS AND ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MALAYSIA ARE ANSWERABLE TO PEOPLE,

The A-G’s overall powers, roles, and responsibilities are provided for in Article 145 of the Federal Constitution:

1. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint a person who is qualified to be a judge of the Federal Court to be the Attorney General for the Federation.
2. It shall be the duty of the Attorney General to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the cabinet or any minister upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legal character, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Cabinet, and to discharge the functions conferred on him by or under this Constitution or any other written law.
3. The Attorney General shall have power, exercisable at his discretion, to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence, other than proceedings before a Syariah court, a native court or a court-martial.
   1. Federal law may confer on the Attorney General power to determine the courts in which or the venue at which any proceedings which he has power under Clause (3) to institute shall be instituted or to which such proceedings shall be transferred.
4. In the performance of his duties the Attorney General shall have the right of audience in, and shall take precedence over any other person appearing before, any court or tribunal in the Federation.
5. Subject to Clause (6), the Attorney General shall hold office during the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and may at any time resign his office and, unless he is a member of the Cabinet, shall receive such remuneration as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may determine.
6. The person holding the office of Attorney General immediately prior to the coming into operation of this Article shall continue to hold the office on terms and conditions not less favourable than those applicable to him immediately before such coming into operation and shall not be removed from office except on the like grounds and in the like manner as a judge of the Federal Court.
7. Abdul Gani Patail graduated with a third class ^[2] Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from the University of Malaya in 1979. He began his legal career the following year as a Deputy Public Prosecutor (the title for a prosecuting officer in Malaysia) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. In 1985, he was promoted to Senior Federal Counsel for Sabah.^[3]In January 1994, Abdul Gani moved to the Attorney General’s Chambers in Kuala Lumpur. There he was appointed Head of the Prosecution Division (1994 and again in 2000), Head of the Advisory and International Division (1995) and Commissioner of Law Revision (1997).^[3]

   On January 1, 2002, he was appointed Attorney General of Malaysia.Najib You can run but you can’t hide.. Why Najib scared of strong Rosmah? this chief editor is asking the home minister to sue him to the facts that he had put here don’t go on cheating the Malaysians A new kind of freedom And so insecure people all pull down each other, but when … Read more

Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (pic) have moved to rebut Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s objections to the senior lawyer becoming the lead prosecutor in the Sodomy II appeal, saying he was never a material witness in the case.

Anwar’s objection rests on Shafee being present when Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan accused the opposition leader of sodomy in then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house.

But affidavits filed by Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin and Shafee and sighted by The Malaysian Insider say the lawyer was never called as a witness despite giving a statement to police on what transpired in Najib’s house.

“I was not a material witness. Therefore I could not have been in the chain to unfold the prosecution’s story.

“It is for this reason that neither the prosecution, nor the defence, called me to testify in the sodomy trial,” Shafee said in the affidavit.

Shafee, 61, said he was offered as a defence witness but that was on the basis that police had recorded a statement from him.

Noorin, in support of Shafee’s sworn statement, said that the lawyer was not a key witness.

“The allegation that he was a material witness was a figment of Anwar’s imagination,” she said in her affidavit.

Noorin said police had recorded a statement from Shafee as he was at Najib’s residence when Saiful went to meet the then deputy prime minister.

She said a statement was taken from Shafee to conclude that he did not see or hear the conversation between Najib and Saiful.

Najib, in a 2008 interview, admitted having met Saiful who told him that he was allegedly sodomised by Anwar. This meeting took place several days before Saiful lodged a police report on the sodomy allegation.

Shafee in his affidavit said his appointment as a DPP to lead the prosecution team in the Court of Appeal was in strict compliance with the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

As a precedent, he said Harry Elias, a famous lawyer from Singapore (when the island republic was part of Malaysia), was appointed to prosecute those who violated copyright laws.

Shafee added that another lawyer, Datuk V.L. Kandan, was also appointed to handle copyright and trademark violation cases.

He said recently, Datuk Tan Hock Chuan was appointed conducting officer in the inquest to determine the cause of death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Shafee said lawyers Karpal Singh and Gobind Singh Deo, who held a watching brief for the family of Teoh, did not object to Tan’s role on behalf of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

He said Karpal, as a member of parliament, had also advocated in the Dewan Rakyat in the past that lawyers should be given the role and responsibility to handle serious cases for the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Anwar last month filed an affidavit to prevent Shafee from leading the prosecution team on grounds the lawyer was a potential prosecution witness.

Anwar said Shafee need not be employed as DPP because the Attorney-General’s Chambers has enough competent legal officers to conduct the appeal.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the expenses incurred to hire Shafee will be borne by taxpayers.

Anwar’s application will be heard at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.

The opposition leader was freed in January last year of sodomising Saiful, his former political aide, at Desa Damansara condominium on June 26, 2008. – September 14, 2013.

Abu Talib if A.G Gani incompetent.why Muhammad Shafee with prejudice ‘rarest of rare case’,

An outgoing Chief Justice often reserves certain judgments, if they be so timed and be of such value, till his last day in office. It is an occasion more sublime than the one when he took oath. While taking oath, he only goes on record for having occupied the highest constitutional chair. By making a landmark judgment, with the last strokes of his mighty pen

Our entire judicial system borders on one big farce is strange that our judicial system sees no irony in Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail considered unfit for carrying out his functions

Abu Talib questioned whether Shafee’s appointment is an admission that  A.G Gani  incompetent”This is what the public will perceive,” said Abu Talib who was AG from 1980 to 1993 This raises disturbing questions, like: Can we depend upon  Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail. to always interpret the “rarest of rare case” or the “collective conscience of the country” correctly We are all aware of the sieve that our judiciary is.  It is so easy for our judiciary to trip over the course of law, given the pathetic condition of our thin, overworked, often corrupt and inefficient police force in whose hands much of the investigation of crimes is vested. It is amazing to see the amount of reaction generated by the appointment of Umno lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah as ad-hoc deputy public prosecutor in the Sodomy II appeal said there was also  conflict of interest in appearing for the public prosecutor.

Sometimes a change is the only dignified option, even if the change does not promise anything better, if the alternative has been entirely hopeless.
Having said that,  Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patailone is tempted to remind , that when you enter appeal  riding on the platform of high moral ground, it is important to remember the three principles of ethics, namely:

•        Not doing what you may have the power to do
•        Not doing what you may have the right to do
•        Not doing what you may want to do

Remembering this definition is the only way, going forward, IAC will ever be able to avoid having to defend as legal, the conduct of some of the members which may be questionable on the strictest standards of probity. Most political parties have violated these simple principles going by the recent exposes.  The truth is, given a moribund legal system which almost never declares the high and mighty guilty no matter how serious their crimes, most political bigwigs in our country routinely try to use the fragile legal fiction that ‘one is innocent until proven guilty’ as the only fig leaf to hide their modesties behind, even if that leaf is all frayed.  Let the IAC never don the same fig leaf.  There are no standards other than the above stated three principles to define ethical conduct.  Whether or not IAC will ever be our political redemption, they may be the only one who could help prevent our morality depreciating the way of the rupee.

Shafee, a leading criminal lawyer, said he would finish arguing the appeal within two to three hours.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: When the trial first started, I think at least for the first two months or three, there were often times, I thought, where the judge was giving a lot of leeway to the defence.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: When the trial first started, I think at least for the first two months or three, there were often times, I thought, where the judge was giving a lot of leeway to the defence.

TIM LESTER: Former prosecutor Shafee Abdullah praises Judge Paul for refusing to hear Anwar’s conspiracy argument in relation to the four corruption charges.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: Whether or not he committed those sexual offences have got nothing to do with the present charges.

TIM LESTER: So was Anwar’s trial fair?

Yes, says Shafee Abdullah. But even he admits Malaysians don’t see it that way.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: There are a lot of individuals out there who feel that the whole trial has gone completely bonkers. Many individuals think that Anwar did not receive a fair trial.

TIM LESTER: The damage from the trial goes beyond perceptions about Government influence over the judiciary to the police force.

The trial judge had acquitted Anwar  with the tinge of the “collective conscience of the society””The trial judge had acquitted Anwar after calling for his defence because Anwar’s expert witnesses had created a doubt in the prosecution’s case.

Case dismissed.

It does not matter whether Rakhi Sawant knows 2G from `haanji’. People outside the telecom industry are equally clueless, including the experts battling it out on national television, night after agonizing night. All we know is that there has been a major gadbad ghotala involving some really zabardast corporate guys and that the country has been looted of lakhs of crores. Naughty, really naughty. These sort of `rascalas’ need superstar Rajni, not Kapil Sibal to rescue them. There are so many versions floating around about these bad guys that even Brahmadev’s personal intervention won’t help us to get our heads around this mega scandal. If Brahmadev is sensible, he’ll stay out of the mess and watch the drama unfold from his lofty perch in swarg. But this indifference from heavenly bodies should not deter the bloodhounds of the legal system from going in for the kill. So far, their efforts have been clumsy, comical and amateurish. It’s like being forced to sit through a black-and-white Bud Abbott and Lou Castello film, with bumbling cops tripping over their own toes as they chase nimble robbers. Look at the modus operandi employed so far — those meaningless `raids’ on Raja’s properties, months and weeks after the guy has cleaned out and cleaned up (someone obviously forgot to tell the sleuths the horse had bolted weeks ago). The craftily timed leaks (what fun — we are in sync with Julian Assange finally). The charges and counter-charges flying around in this absurd `whodunit’ that boasts of a stellar star cast. And grabbing all the headlines (but staying out of serious trouble) is India’s own Mata Hari or Hunterwali – Fearless Radia.

We are told by those-who-know, `You ain’t seen nuthin yet.’ Miles and miles of tapes still remain in those cans, with more names, more revelations coming up. The idea is to release key leaks when attention levels in the scandal start to flag. Sitting on stuff that can potentially destroy careers and reputations in one swift stroke, is a priceless khazana for government agencies to hang on to. Confuse the enemy, advised Confucius, centuries earlier. Let the scamsters sweat, say our babus! Those shivering in their pants, saris and salwar kameezes, waiting for the next bombshell to drop, can make life slightly easier for themselves by hiring interlocutors (love the word!). Any Bollywood style `setting’ needs swift and efficient damage control. This is the time when powerful touts make the real bucks. As we have seen in the Adarsh case, key files can and do disappear (a large window to facilitate easy disappearance is always factored into the deal, even as noises are made about taking action against culprits). Once evidence is destroyed, what remains? Aha! This is where Rakhi Sawant comes in. Anybody who has watched this unstoppable force of nature in action on a show that sees her meting out instant justice to cowering participants, will tell you she is the most admired `judge’ in India. Forget `law-shaw’ and other such formalities, Rakhi single-handedly skewers, grills and punishes those she thinks deserve no mercy. A suicide here and there, doesn’t bother her. The sentence is passed remorselessly. And God help you if you think there has been a total miscarriage of justice – there is no higher court than Rakhi’s in the land. Wonder of wonders, Rakhi has more credibility than some of our real-life judges. People who watch her show, believe in her and agree with most of her `verdicts’.

Which is more than can be said about the way the 2G exposé is being handled. All of India is stupefied and laughing out loud at the absurdity of the ongoing battle royale between mighty industrialists and powerful politicians. Kapil Sibal has the worst job in the cabinet. He has announced a one-man `committee’ (surely more than one person makes up a committee?), to “examine appropriateness of procedures adopted by DoT in the issuance of licenses and allocation of spectrum during the period 2001-2009″. Yada yada yada. We pretty much know the outcome. How different can it possibly be to all the collective outcomes of similar, well -intentioned enquiries of the past? Nobody believes in those pointless show-cause notices. Nobody believes that any of the high-profile rogues floating around will ever see the inside of a jail. And nobody believes the truth (such as it is) will ever come out. So why not spare us the time and expense involved in this mockery of an investigation? Whether it was the BJP or the NDA, whether Rajeev Chandrashekhar is wrong and Ratan Tata, right — as of now, everybody is in the same overstuffed basket filled with ignominious charges. What if Rakhi Sawant were to summon the main players into her `court’ and invite the people of India to judge for themselves, there and then? On the spot verdict! That would be the ultimate reality show with ratings going through the roof. Imagine the visual – Rakhi as judge, clad in her trademark cleavage-revealing outfits, spouting priceless lines as she cross-examines Raja and Co. Her over glossed pout puckering up as she creases that tightly stretched brow, leans forward, tossing masses of hair extensions, and asks provocatively, “Ab tera kya hoga, Raja?” Raja may chortle and say, “Mere paas bungalow hai, gaadi hai, daulat hai.”

That will be Rakhi’s cue to summon her ace witness who will then demolish Raja by thundering, “Mere paas Amma hai.”

Case dismissed.

Move over Amar, Akbar, Anthony. Make way forShafibo, Dumno and Scambo. A new zamana needs a new cult film with a fresh cast of characters. And here they are! Hollywood’s ‘Nightmare Works’ headed by Mr Spillburger is collaborating with Bollywood’s biggest producer, Mr. Blockbusterwalla, to make a mega movie in time for an auspicious release in 2014 (exact date, still to be fixed… could be brought forward to 2013 at short notice, too). Auditions for minor roles are happening in studios across Gujarat, New Delhi and Mumbai. The heroes have been all but finalized. The search is on for three fetching heroines to star opposite these men. As of now, prominent female faces from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are vying to co-star in what promises to be the most awaited film of next year.

However, there is a small hitch in the proceedings. Sylvester Stallone, the original Rambo, is not entirely happy with the casting director’s decision to go with a rather corpulent man from Gujarat for the macho role. Stallone’s spokesperson has voiced his reservations, particularly after a highly publicized but ‘mythical’ rescue operation undertaken by the local Rambo. “Sly prefers to do his own stunts,” said his manager frostily, adding, “Sly’s idea of musclepower is also different.” Ditto for Dumbo, the adorable Flying Elephant, who has expressed disappointment at the choice of the dimpled actor picked to play him. “I use my own flappy ears to fly,” insists Dumbo, who is in semi-retirement these days. Despite Mr Spillburger’s assurances that the desi Dumbo is a darling of the masses, (children and simple folks, particularly) Dumbo the Elephant remains unconvinced, trumpeting his protests thus: “I hear that guy walks when he should fly, flies when he should walk…. that isn’t good Dumbo behavior .” Which leaves the trickiest casting still open — Scambo. Mr Spillburger has issued a press release declaring all auditions closed for now. According to his press secretary, potential Scambos from across India stormed into their offices demanding the role — or else! Apparently, there were so many takers, it was impossible to identify just one who’d fit the part. One of them quoted a current movie dialogue, “Tere pass paisa hai…powerhai…lekin mere pass public hai,” but still didn’t get the coveted role.

That leaves the ladies. Well, since this is a male oriented, action film, the women have little to do apart from three item songs. Mr. Spillburger is looking for heroines who can gyrate effortlessly, swing from one hero to the other, change sides, and switch partners at short notice. Those who have applied include leading ladies from regional cinema. Mr. Blockbusterwaala has issues. Said he in a terse press release, “Our heroines are crucial to the success of the film. Audience appeal is key. They must suit the heroes. We don’t want a size zero heroine. But we can’t have local heavyweights either. They upset the balance in a scene.” A little birdie let on that Rekha is being considered for one of the roles. Not the Rekha audiences know and love, but a brand new firebrand with her own fan following on Twitter.

Trade pundits are predicting a great showing at the box-office, stating,Rambo,Dumbo and Scambo will be the biggest hit of the decade. “Forget breaking into the 100 Crore Club. Our target is a few lakh crores. This film will define the mood of the nation…it will be historic and iconic. It is bound to break all previous records. Never before in the history of India have so many ‘Looteras’ come together for one project…with one objective…to make tons of serious money in the shortest possible time. There is more at stake than just fame.” Naturally, with as powerful a buzz doing the rounds, overseas territories sold out well in advance. All subsidiary rights have been locked in, as well.

Mr Spillburger is not worried about the rivalry between his heroes. “In a market as big as this one there is room for everyone ,” he assured distributors, adding, “Our target is one billion plus people.” The ambitious movie comes at a time when India is tottering, and the rupee is dangerously weak. Mr. Blockbusterwalla remains unfazed — “Initial reports say the opening weekend will be super fantastic! People are looking for change. Those sticking to the purana formula will lose out to the new lot. Our movie will appeal across class and caste barriers. It’s time for fresh thinking.”

Meanwhile, a talent hunt has been launched for an actor to play the role of the chief villain. Mr Spillburger is keen to cast a foreign player. The big question is: should he be in talks with an actor from Pakistan? Or should he be looking at an American? As of now, all nationalities are welcome! Errr…except the Chines

When we deny ourselves the right to offend, we deny ourselves the possibility of change. That’s how societies become brutal, moribund, disgustingly boring. Is this what you want? If the answer is No and you want to stay a free citizen, insist on your right to offend. If enough people do that, change is not just inevitable. It’s assured. And change is what defines a living culture.

But then there are people who think different,  the former prime minister challenged his detractors to question his former deputy and now Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to find out the truth.  gives us lessons in catching elephant not just being rabbit hunters. The Elephant Catcherss all about scaling –scaling your business, intellect, reputation and people. argues brilliantly. To begin with he says great strategy is not the child of reason, it is an act of emotion. He adds that execution of a great strategy is successful only when the people executing it connect to it and understand it

Equally no-nonsensical is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,  approach to the unpleasant task of lopping off deadwood from a mindtree.  counsels: ”Fire with reason, fire as the thought-through last resort, fire if you must, fire with fairness, take expert help, be reasonable, keep in mind the indignity the person being fired may suffer in such a situation and be cognizant of the material difficulty the person may have to face. And, most importantly, fire without trembling.”

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,is right to say that in  politics it is not a good idea to be afraid. It holds true for life as well.

A day after appearing before the Royal Commission of Inquiry in Sabah, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad continued to deny that he had any role in the controversial Project IC, under which identity cards were issued to foreigners allegedly in exchange for votes.

Implicit in the freedoms we cherish in our democracy is our right to offend. That is the cornerstone of all free thought and its expression. In a country as beautiful and complex as ours, it is our inalienable right to offend that makes us the nation we are. Ofcourse I also recognise the fact that this right attaches to itself many risks, including the risk of being targeted. But as long as these risks are within reasonable, well defined limits, most people will take them in their stride. I am ready to defend my right to offend in any debate or a court of law. But it’s not fine when mobs come to lynch you. It’s not right, when they vandalise your home or burn your books or art or stop you from showing your film or, what’s becoming more frequent, hire thugs to kill you. Authors, journalists, painters, and now even activists and rationalists are being openly attacked and murdered.

It’s a constant challenge to walk the tightrope; to know exactly where to draw the line when you write, paint, speak. The funny thing is truth has no limits, no frontiers. When you want to say something you strongly believe in, there is no point where you can stop. The truth is always whole. When you draw a line, as discretion suggests, you encourage half truths and falsehoods being foisted on others, you subvert your conscience. In some cases it’s not even possible to draw a line. A campaigner against corruption can never stop midway through his campaign even though he knows exactly at which point the truth invites danger, extreme danger. Yet India is a brave nation and there are many common people, ordinary citizens with hardly any resources and no one to protect them who are ready to go out on a limb and say it as it is. They are the ones who keep our democracy burning bright.

Instead, the former prime minister challenged his detractors to question his former deputy and now Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to find out the truth.

“If that is government policy, why didn’t he stop it? Is he going to lie to the commission and claim that I ask him to do all these? He should know, he was my deputy,” he said after attending the Japanese Chamber of Trade and Industry Malaysia’s 30th anniversary celebrations today.

Anwar, who was sacked by Dr Mahathir in September 1998 following allegations of abuse of power and sexual misconduct, is scheduled to appear before the RCI on September 19.

The RCI, which began in January, is investigating claims that citizenship was given to illegal immigrants in Sabah during Dr Mahathir’s administration.

Dr Mahathir told the RCI yesterday that he was not aware of “Project  IC” and blamed overzealous civil servants for what happened.

He also agreed that the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah was a very serious problem.

“Yes, it’s true. It is a serious problem, which has existed for decades. But resolving the issue does depend on who is the person-in-charge at that moment,” said Dr Mahathir.

He told RCI chairman Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong that during his tenure as prime minister between 1981 and 2003, he had instructed his officers to consider identity card applications and to act according to the law.

Dr Mahathir’s testimony was flayed by Sabah opposition leaders who accused him of lying.

They said it was inconceivable that Dr Mahathir as the country’s fourth prime minister had no knowledge of the matter, especially when individuals close to him were also implicated.

Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan described the mass distribution of identity cards to immigrants in the state as “reverse ethnic cleansing”, adding that natives had been displaced by foreigners so that Umno remained in power.

“He didn’t deny the existence of ICs being given indiscriminately to foreigners. He just denied knowledge of Project IC, which is just a label or name given by people,” Kitingan told The Malaysian Insider.

Sabah PKR chief Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin said that before the 13th General Election, Dr Mahathir admitted that some 200,000 Indonesian and Filipino immigrants were given Malaysian citizenship.

“At a function before the general election, he also explained to Pakatan Rakyat MPs and NGOs there is a mastermind behind Project IC,” said Lajim, urging Putrajaya to hunt down the culprit behind Project IC.

An incensed Sabah DAP chairman Jimmy Wong meanwhile said Dr Mahathir did not have a conscience.

Wong recalled earlier testimonies to the RCI by former Sabah National Registration Department director Abdul Rauf Sani and former Tamparuli NRD chief Yakup Damsa. They claimed that Dr Mahathir’s former political secretary Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin had allowed his house to be used by them to sign blue identity cards for illegal immigrants under Project IC.

Abdul Aziz had since denied the claim and said he had no knowledge of Project IC.

 Is ours a quasi police state? This question has returned to trouble us after the events of the past two weeks.

The deaths of five criminals suspects, two of them unarmed, in a shootout with Police in Penang a fortnight ago; the questioning of schoolchildren by Police without the kids being chaperoned by their parents; and the midnight detention and questioning of an octogenarian literary laureate, Dato’ Samad Said (right), have all combined to suggest that the civil authority oversight of the Police Force, the norm in constitutional government, can be slack in Malaysia.

Cops who are trigger-cavalier, who are unabashed about questioning adolescents lacking a guardian’s watching brief, and who can corral an elderly luminary in the dead of night to ask after a matter which by no stretch of the imagination can be construed as unpatriotic – are questions of distressing import to rights-conscious citizens.

A couple of years back, Malaysians had an intimation that ours may be a quasi police state when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad revealed that the infamous ISA arrests of 1987 were carried out by the Police despite his reservations about it.

Mahathir (right) was reminiscing about the arrests in which more than 100 politicians, mainly from the Opposition, academics, and social activists were detained in October of that year amid rising tensions over racial and mother-tongue education issues.

It was a grim period of our country’s history and it marked an authoritarian turn in the premiership of Mahathir, then in the sixth year of a 22-year tenure, a span that in its later stages was characterised by the increasing centralisation of power in the office of the Prime Minister of the country.

Expatiating on the arrests to an American author of a compilation on Asian leaders who had made a big impact on their countries, Mahathir tried to distance himself from it, revealing that as the home minister in 1987, he was not in favour of the arrests but that the Inspector-General of Police, on the advice of the Special Branch Director, had maintained that the detentions were imperative to defuse sectarian tensions.

Nowhere in the wording of the Internal Security Act, a draconian holdover from the British colonial era (repealed last year), did it allow for the Police to override the elected civil authority on the question of political detentions.

The decision to detain under the ISA was solely the discretion of the Home Minister, on the advice, no doubt, of the Police. But in Mahathir’s extenuations to the American author, the former PM said he had opposed the arrests but he had to defer to the Plice advice on the matter.

In other words, the country in October 1987 was very nearly a police state because the police view on the internal security situation overrode the elected authority’s perception.

Muddled conception

Nuances are important in matters of democratic governance as muddled conceptions often lead to sorry realities.

Tragically, it was former Lord President Suffian Hashim (left) who gave voice to a muddled conception of where the balancing authority was when the executive authority overreached in a democratic polity.

The former Chief Judge was asked in an interview in December 1981 with Fajar, a newsletter for Malaysian students reading law in Britain, where the remedy lay when the executive arrogated to itself overweening powers.

Suffian said the remedy lay in electing more Karpal Singhs and Lim Kit Siangs to Parliament. The interviewer must have been expecting that Suffian would have argued for judicial review of transgressive actions of the executive as the remedy.

Cognizant as he must have been of our gerrymandered parliamentary constituencies in which one vote in Gua Musang can be worth three in Puchong, Suffian could not realistically have expected that the nostrum for executive transgression was in electing more opposition parliamentarians who would be for more checks on executive power.

Today, because of gerrymandered constituency delineations, not even a 51 percent take of the popular vote at Election 2013 has enabled the opposition to come within hailing distance of the winners who were almost four percentage points adrift in the popular stakes.

Years after he gave vent to his astonishing view of where the relief lay in the face of an imperial executive, Suffian would publicly wring his hands in frustration at the – in his own words – “shameful” spectacle of the judicial impeachment in 1988 of Salleh Abas (right), his successor by two removes as the country’s chief judge.

By that time, however, his laments were cries over split milk, but there was no revisionism about his opinion of where the remedy lay.

Today, of course, an imperial executive does not just encompass the actions stemming from the office of the prime minister, but also from the IGP and his force, not to mention the Registrar of Societies such that it may be idle to talk of the country being a quasi police state.

It more nearly is a coercive apparatus in the deceptive garb of a democracy.

Najib is that the President and UMNO  Secretary-General Tengku Adnan  are right in what they said. The chief culprit is  Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah,   to learn how to behave in UMNO. Tengku Adnan needs to demonstrate its respect for democracy. shouldn’t forget that when its time comes to run the country, it wouldn’t want UMNO to pay them back in the same coin

Umno vice-presidency aspirants should consult the party president before making a decision, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is Umno vice-president, said he believed Datuk Seri Najib Razak would have his own views on the candidates for the posts as it affected cooperation among them in determining the party direction.

“My opinion, for those wanting to contest the vice-presidency posts, to discuss the matter with the party president first. Get his views, advice.

“Certainly, the party president has his own opinion on the persons to be at the party’s number three post,” he told reporters after a briefing on border patrol at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters in Kota Baru.

Ahmad Zahid said this in response to rumours that Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir would contest the vice-presidency post at the Umno election, scheduled for next month.

“He (Mukhriz) is young and among the best candidates for the party leadership in future,” he added.

Describing Mukhriz as a capable leader, Ahmad Zahid said he should think of the best way to work with the incumbents, comprising senior members, if elected.

Besides the rumours on Mukhriz, two people have confirmed their intention to contest the Umno vice-presidency, namely Felda chairman Tan Sri Isa Samad and former Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.

The incumbent Umno vice-presidents, besides Ahmad Zahid, who is Home Minister, are Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

In a related development, Ahmad Zahid advised members to “measure their shirts based on their own body size” before making their decision to contest for party posts.

The registration forms for candidates to fill their nomination will be distributed today and the candidates are required to submit the forms, the latest by 5pm on Sept 21

.This flush-out tactic will not work with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, whose intention to contest the UMNO presidency will not be made known until September 28, when such an announcement needs be made before the 191 UMNO divisions meet to nominate candidates for the top posts in the party elections later in the year.UMNO  Secretary-General Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor tried the classic flushing-out tactic, which is to announce that his target is not going to do the very thing he does not want him to do – and then qualify things by saying he is not sure if his target is only joking.

Blind faith or loyalty in a dog is a laudable virtue, but when it comes to human beings, it becomes a questionable one. Very often, we are expected to display loyalty to our in-groups — friends, the family unit, workplace colleagues, religion, politics or sports clubs — without using our own judgment, just because we ‘belong’. Hence you will often notice that many amongst an agitating group do not even understand the basic principle they are fighting for; they are just in it together. Use of intellect and adherence to truth are expected to take a backseat when it comes to standing up for, or with those we owe our allegiance to.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s visit to the quiet spot over the weekend along with Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib, ministry secretary-general Datuk Adnan Md Ikhsan and Titiwangsa MP Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani.

The first MUTC was a redevelopment of the Bandar Baru Sentul Commercial and Community complex that was launched early last year and brings in governmental agencies such as the National Registration Department and Road Transport Department.

So, if your mom has had an argument with the neighbours, woe betide you if you were to point out that the next-door aunty had a valid point. It may be clear to everyone that the boss’ viewpoint is baseless, but very few will raise an objection and risk being considered disloyal. On the other hand, indulging his every whim and assisting him in every desire, no matter how harmful to him, becomes recognised as an act of loyalty.

When the emperor stepped out naked in the fairytale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, who was more loyal? The entire kingdom that pretended to admire his non-existent clothes, or the child who cried out, ‘Look mom, the emperor is naked’? Birbal is a good example of an adviser who tempered his loyalty with sense and intelligence, using wit as a tool to convey his honest opinions to Emperor Akbar in a court full of yeasayers. Nobody can question his loyalty to the emperor and yet he often disagreed with Akbar. But then you need a generous and confident Akbar to admire the Birbal in you.

When truth and loyalty are in conflict, we should have the wisdom and courage to decide what to do. Unconditional loyalty is outmoded; loyalty should be conditional, based on our own set of values. A consciousness of this would give one the courage to take unpopular stances that go against the prevailing misguided opinions in groups. Silence can also be looked upon as complicity if we quietly go along with something we do not believe in.

How can the consequence of loyalty to another be self-betrayal? Being loyal to someone does not mean closing your eyes to their faults; it means keeping their well-being and best interest close to your heart. Loyalty should not mean blind faith; it should mean an on-going reality check not just for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of those we profess loyalty towards.

In fact, our loyalty as self-respecting human beings should be with our own selves. If you are a good human being, you are bound to do good not only for yourself, but also for the benefit of those you are loyal to; if not, you are not good to those who possess your loyalty anyway.

Loyalty to ideas, religion and politics is good only so long as it helps us relate with like-minded people and protects us, giving us a sense of belonging. It is good so long as it does not encourage narrow-minded bigotry. One needs to keep re-examining ideas in different contexts and bring a new light and fresh air to old, antiquated beliefs.

Most of us hold beliefs that have been passed down to us through generations without pausing to re-examine them in the light of fresh evidence or the changed reality. What good are ideas you adhered to at the age of 13 by the time you reach 50? Bring new light to well-entrenched beliefs, analyse and rethink them. Else you are deceiving your own self and being self-righteous.

Loyalty must be tempered with truth and intelligence and must adhere to the values one holds dear. It should not be confused with obedience or adherence, but should be looked upon more as a feeling, an emotion, a bonding with someone for whose benefit you are prepared to go to great lengths.

Without knowing, so many wants have merged into needs over the years that it is difficult to distinguish between the two. And yet one has to make an effort if one is to live life on real terms.

It is simplistic to say that food, shelter, clothes and sex take care of our bare needs, and dismiss the rest as wants and desires. Maybe so, if you wish to just exist. But life is to be lived, not suffered! And once the basic necessities are met, there is happiness in defining new needs and seeking to fulfill those.

Both needs and wants change not just as per economic status, but also from individual to individual. It isn’t fair to say everyone has the same needs. In fact, ‘wants’ are possibly more homogenous across bandwidths, while ‘needs’ vary wildly. A ragpicker may ‘want’/ desire the same Lamborghini or Merc that you have set your eyes on, but he may not define a latte at Café Coffee Day or a beer at TGI Friday’s as a ‘need’ to unwind before he heads home! He may physically desire the same female star as you, but he doesn’t define space and happiness as a ‘need’ in his marriage.

Awareness and exposure have widened our horizons, which in turn have expanded our list of needs — and there is no going back. Living the life I do, I do not define my cellphone, laptop, a decent wardrobe, books and car as ‘wants’; they are very much needs as I cannot function without them. And an indulgence gives me the high that makes me feel better about life, so why not? Having established that, it is up to each individual to decide towards which end of the stick he likes to lean — between asceticism and overindulgence. I need a phone, sure, but do I really need a top-end contraption? The same goes for the car, the house and the wardrobe. Each of us needs to set our limitations at both ends as per our comfort and proceed within these set parameters, without guilt.

Today’s self-assertive culture is all about stating clearly your desires and wants, and expecting to fulfill them. We have allowed ourselves to imagine we have a right to get whatever we want; this creates a sense of entitlement that makes us selfish and self-centred, blurring needs from wants. It is important to define the tipping point at which a want becomes a need and to understand well the reasons for allowing this walkover. We all wish to cater to our needs, but it is essential that we understand what they are and how important these are to us. Sadly, most of our needs are dictated by someone else. We wish to acquire that bigger mansion, that fancy car or those expensive trinkets all in an attempt to outdo others and prove we are no less than anybody else. What a waste! These are precisely the ‘wants’ that masquerade as ‘needs’.

For a need to be genuine, it has to rise from within, be a growl within the system, something that is a must for inner happiness, our very growth, or maybe a one-off that fuels the rest of life! Need is not about others, it is about one’s own self. So whereas it is acceptable that many of yesterday’s ‘wants’ are today’s ‘needs’, one has to be cautious and alert enough to recognise the difference. What are the requirements to satisfy, to complete one’s own self? These are the additional needs of each individual over and above food, shelter, clothes and sex.

We need to keep redefining and adding new ‘needs’ because life demands that we pull ourselves up from the level of bare essentials to a level where we can start thinking of individual development and progress — physical, mental and spiritual. True, no hungry, unsheltered, unclothed man has the bandwidth to think of these realms, but once basic needs are met, we owe it to ourselves and to life to acquire and use the tools that make life and the world a better place for us to live in.

But beware of convincing yourself that every selfish want is a need you have to cater to! Do not fight the wants, just filter them before you let them enter the exclusive “Needs Club”!

that exists between a man and woman; one where each ‘finally recognises the other’. His romantic style eschewed grand gestures relying instead on thoughtful attention communicated through gaze rather than touch. In his pivotal the freshness of youth masked a deeper maturity that combined attractiveness with a promise of deeper understanding. In some ways,  embodied the best that could be imagined  particularly from the viewpoint of a woman.

Merely being “intimate” with another woman is not sufficient ground for a man to be held guilty of inflicting cruelty on his wife on the charge of failing to discharge his marital obligations, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

Only if treatment meted out to the wife is of a nature as is likely to drive her to commit suicide will it fall within the ambit of Section 498A of IPC, a provision of the penal code providing up to three years in jail, said the bench.

“We are of the view that the mere fact that the husband has developed some intimacy with another, during the subsistence of marriage, and failed to discharge his marital obligations, as such would not amount to cruelty,” said a bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and P C Ghose.

The SC reading of what constitutes cruelty brought relief to a man who had been convicted by both the trial court and the high court for behaviour that resulted in the suicide of his wife due to an alleged extra-marital affair at his place of work.

The ruling came in a case where the wife committed suicide suspecting the husband of intimacy with a woman colleague in office. The trial court and the Gujarat high court held him guilty under Section 498A for causing cruelty to his wife and under Section 306 of IPC for abetting suicide.

“Harassment, of course, need not be in the form of physical assault and even mental harassment also would come within the purview of Section 498A IPC. Mental cruelty, of course, varies from person to person, depending upon the intensity and the degree of endurance, some may meet with courage and some others suffer in silence, to some it may be unbearable and a weak person may think of ending one’s life,” the bench said.

But keeping in view the case before it, the apex court set aside the concurrent judgments to exonerate the man of any wrongdoing and said, “We, on facts, found that the alleged extra-marital relationship was not of such a nature as to drive the wife to commit suicide or that A-1 (husband) had ever intended or acted in such a manner which under normal circumstances, would drive the wife to commit suicide.”

Writing the judgment for the bench, Justice Radhakrishnan said to charge a husband for abetment of suicide, the prosecution must establish that the wife’s suicide was a direct result of the extra-marital affair.

“Prosecution has to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the deceased committed suicide and the accused abetted the commission of suicide. But for the alleged extra-marital relationship, which if proved, could be illegal and immoral, nothing has been brought out by the prosecution to show that the accused had provoked, incited or induced the wife to commit suicide,” the court said.

“We have on facts found that, at best, the relationship of A-1 (the husband) and A-2 (the other woman) was a one-sided love affair. The accused might have developed some liking towards A-2, his colleague, (but) all the same, the facts disclose that A-1 had discharged his marital obligations towards the deceased. There is no evidence of physical or mental torture demanding dowry,” the court said.

Referring to the wife’s suicide note, the bench said, “On reading the suicide note, one can infer that the deceased was so possessive of her husband, and was always under emotional stress that she might lose her husband. Too much of possessiveness could also lead to serious emotional stress, over and above the fact that she had one abortion and her daughter died after few days of birth.”

The ostrich is a very peculiar creature. When faced with danger, it buries its head in the ground. The reasoning is that if the ostrich can no longer see the source of danger then the source of danger can no longer see the ostrich
Sex may end between the sheets, but that’s certainly not where it begins. Experts tell you what to do for a spunkier sex life

Khairy Jamaluddin, who looks set to be returned unopposed as Umno Youth chief, will use his second term to cultivate a more centrist approach for the wing that has traditionally been a pressure group.

He said that being vocal in expressing right-wing sentiment in defending the interests of the party was no longer appropriate.

“I am trying to change the DNA of Umno Youth from being mostly right-wing and Malay-centric to a more centrist wing that focuses on issues and their solutions,” Khairy said in an interview.

Khairy stressed that he would not compromise on the party’s core struggle to uphold the interests of Islam, the Malays and the country.

”We will still fight to empower the Malay community, protect the sanctity of Islam and defend this country, but the way we do this must be different,” he said.

One plan he has to re-orientate the wing is to set up a “finishing school” to groom potential young leaders who will be identified from the ranks of Umno Youth and Puteri Umno and from among new members still studying in universities.

The finishing school will expose the members to what Khairy calls “the new politics” and will train them on topics such as human rights, media relations and the social media.

“Whatever I can do to change the DNA of Umno Youth I will do in this last term and one way I want to do it is by rewriting our political education training module for use in the finishing school,” he said.

He added that both the Umno president and deputy president had agreed to the proposal to set up the finishing school which will be headed by supreme council member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

The 37-year-old Khairy admitted that his approach to politics has not gone down well with conservatives in the party who accuse him of being too liberal in his outlook.

“I get called all sorts of names, but I think this is the way forward. If I get a second term I will be 41 years old at the end of it, which is just the right age for me to leave Umno Youth.”

“What I want to do is make sure the changes I am making remain in place after I am gone.”

On the contest for the Umno Youth deputy chief post, Khairy said he supported all four candidates and would accept anyone whom the delegates chose to be his right hand man.

I carry this almost saintly belief that journalists are like teachers, informing us about developments, helping us understand them, and showing us the truth. They are people with strong ethics and high standards. Wikipedia talks of “truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and public accountability” in the context of journalism. A political journalist must be fair and unbiased, applauding the good, and criticizing the bad work of a politician or a party. But in India today, some of our most reputed journalists are shattering this basic tenet of journalistic ethics. They are politically aligned and biased in reporting.

What divides our political class grabs the attention of the media more than what unites it. That is the nature of the beast. It feasts on high drama. Conflict, confrontation, antagonism, crisis: these alone whet its appetite. Consensus, on the other hand, is insipid fare that turns off readers and viewers. Or so the media reckon.

However, if the media cared to subject the consensus reached by political parties on any issue to careful scrutiny, they might discover high drama of another, more sinister sort.

If these seasoned journalists have political biases, that’s perfectly fine. Like I said earlier, its their right. But then, they should become bloggers. By definition, bloggers express their personal – even biased –  views, and seek out followers who agree with them. But when journos appear on mass media, they are duty bound to be unbiased and apolitical.

The real truth is that some of our seniormost, most respected journalists are making a mockery of their trade, harming our democracy even more than some of our politicians do. Such biased, colored balderdash has to stop…

A son of former Umno secretary-general and former agriculture minister Sanusi Junid has announced his interest to challenge Khairy Jamaluddin for the Umno Youth chief post in party polls in October.Mahathirism…, this old man is still greedy and think he can rule the Malay world. Glory of UMNO Youth??? meaning the days when corruption flourished, money politics and open racism? Err… What’s the difference between then and now?This move is Mahathirian, Badawi and the rest of the UMNO old boys should know this. If you know who Sanusi is, his very close relationship with Mahathir then you’ll know this move. Mahathir is paving the way for Mukhriz, he is going for Khairy to get at his father in law, Abdullah did not share the loot with him in office, plus Dollah took out the crooked bridge and Mahathir is stll mad,it’s a personal vendetta, thereof even a beer story here, San Miguel lost it’s chance to brew here after Badawi granted the lisence to Jazz beer, it short circuited a Mahathir clan move. Then there is a story about our biggest oil find that suddenly floated to a neighboring country and Mahathir I guss did not see anything of that too, heis pretty mad. Anything that bears any resemblance to Badawi must go, must be erased from history, just like he has done Hang Tuah, just as he ha done the Heritage oh the Malaysian Melayu, and the way he is trying to make himself the father of Malaysia It is ‘consensus’ of this nature that exposes the disconnect between the collective interest of the political class and the public it claims to serve. To jettison every move that would lead to more transparency and accountability of governance is what such a ‘consensus’ amounts to. It overrides, in many respects, all other issues that attract media attention. This is a grave pity for, at stake, is the very health of our democracy.

This unknown guy and never heard of is obviously using his daddy’s name to come to the fore to throw a challenge. Would an ordinary Akramsyah bin Mat dare to state his intention? Happen too many times siblings of some political ‘has-beens’ are trying to make it big and push themselves in the limelight.

This unknown guy and never heard of is obviously using his daddy’s name to come to the fore to throw a challenge. Would an ordinary Akramsyah bin Mat dare to state his intention? Happen too many times siblings of some political ‘has-beens’ are trying to make it big and push themselves in the limelight.

UMNO youth create more useless politicians! What glory is this idiot talking about? Can UMNO youth stop bribery, corruption, crime and raise the level of education in the country? UMNO youth is being watched over by you know who. So be careful!

This unknown guy and never heard of is obviously using his daddy’s name to come to the fore to throw a challenge. Would an ordinary Akramsyah bin Mat dare to state his intention? Happen too many times siblings of some political ‘has-beens’ are trying to make it big and push themselves in the limelight.

Akhramsyah, the son of former Kedah chief minister and Umno secretary-general Sanusi Junid, has confirmed his intention to challenge Khairy Jamaluddin for the Umno Youth chief post, the New Straits Times reported on Sunday evening.

Akhramsyah is seen as a proxy for Mukhriz Mahathir, the current Kedah chief minister and youngest son of former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Khairy, the son-in-law of another former premier Abdullah Badawi, has stated his intention to defend the post and has also openly declared support for Prime Minister Najib Razak, the current Umno president.

Line-up loyal to Mukhriz begins to show up

Mukhriz had lost to Khairy in the contest for the Umno Youth chief post in 2009.

However, Mukhriz has moved on to head the northern Malaysian state and is now eyeballing a Vice President’s post, which is higher than the Youth Chief’s.

It is telling that Akhramsyah’s confirmation comes a day after Najib unveiled a package of economic policies aimed specifically to benefit the Malays.

Despite being condemned for the racist overture, Najib is believed to have hammered through the plan so as to make himself hugely popular with the Umno grassroots.

Such a step would help Najib lift himself out of reach of his rivals such as Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, whom many suspect may challenge him for the presidency with the backing of the Mahathir faction.

Some Umno insiders believe it was also a signal from the Mahathir camp that they were ready for battle and Mukhriz would soon announce his decision to contest for a VP post.

A win at the VP level would pave the way for Mukhriz to become the Umno deputy president and later on the president. By convention, the Umno president and deputy president are also appointed Malaysia’s prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively.

Second-generation assumes battle stations

It is not clear yet if Mahathir will continue to back Muhyiddin to take on Najib.

There are signs that the veteran leader may reconcile with his old rival Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, and offer an alternative line-up in which Razaleigh would go for the No. 1 post, leaving Muhyiddin to be challenged by Home Minister Zahid Hamidi.

Akhramsyah would help fill the vanguard leading the charge for Mukhriz. More candidates aligned to Mahathir are expected to emerge in the days ahead.

“Sanusi Junid had always been a Mahathir die-hard loyalist. His son is following in his footsteps with Mukhriz. The second-generation Mahathir faction is starting to emerge and they want control of Umno. It looks like we have a battle royale on our hands,” an Umno watcher told

Dr. M has already planned this very carefully. He already says too many UM NO old timers are still hanging around, that is bad for UMNO (and his son). So if Mukhriz becomes VP in 2013, he will challenge the Deputy in 2016. You never know, he may become UMNO president in 2019 when Najib’s time is up.  instead of upsetting warlord from Sabah, easiest path is to dislodge Zahid Hamidi from on the the VP. say hello to continuation of Mahatir’s dynasty succession plan with jr.If Mukhriz ever do get elected (which he will), most likely he will do what his daddy says. So Mahathrism era will be back.The party belong to two families only, outsider please stay away or go for the other smaller / powerless position. Baton with be passed from one side to another to keep the highest position stay within the two families.

This is how Dr. M plan his Mahathir empire.

Beyond the rule of law Protecting the undeserving

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has made an effort to rebut the thick speculation about himself, damage-controlstrying to defend the indefensible to draw away some of the terribly negative attention from himself

 MAHATHIR MOHAMAD TO ESCAPE SCAM.CREATE another scam evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail if there is a question mark over the ability of the AG, the PM can ask him to resign and “if there is any wrong doing by Gani, the PM can advice the King to set up a tribunal to try the AG”.Scam as theatre slaying of Tan Sri Abdul Gani PatailMat Zain has been “consistent” with his allegations.

PAS Youth’s Ahmad Zamri Asa’ad Khuzaimi, said considering the people who attended the meeting with Mahathir “it appears that the revelation to the media is to put pressure on Gani and his boss Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak”.why is Mahathir involved? Is he “going after Gani”?  former PM and the AG enjoy good relations. but now”out to get” the AG someone stepping on someone’s toes.So A-G Gani Patail  stepping on Mahathir toes.There’s also this talk of the AG becoming too powerful for the powerful – thus this “attempt to get rid of him”. Again, nothing to back it up as to who ‘the powerful’ are and what big cases are being pursued. with evidence of criminal wrong doing by the AG Mahathir  must be responsible enough to lodge police reports and stand by the allegations, said Abu Talib

Lawyers for Liberty co-founder Eric Paulsen, state institutions like the police, the AG’s Chambers and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are not free from political interference and as such, police reports if any, made against Gani “will come to nothing”.

Different scams, different times and different key dramatis persona

So the next big question – why? As to why all these “things” are hurled at Gani. With all the central figures” keeping mum, theories a-plenty, as said earlier. One such theory”  suggests a move against Mahathir.Sometimes, the formidable morphs into the pathetic. For a long time,  A-G Gani Patail with its potent combination Mahathir with its potent combination of powerful interests seemed to carry such sweeping and overwhelming force that it looked to be above any challenge, criticism or scandal.

Sen. Arlen Specter, the late Senator from Pennsylvania, wrote in his book ‘Life Among the Cannibals’ that his son Shanin had “an absolute standard – do what you think is right- and (he) never deviated from it. Not ever.”

Part-time professor and full-time trial attorney, Professor Shanin Specter attempts to pass on that ‘gold-standard’ of principled advocacy to his students at Penn Law. Every Wednesday evening, Specter lays threadbare the secrets that have led him to become one of America’s finest lawyers; and perhaps the most respected as well.

As a student of his class and an attorney originally qualified from India, I’ve come away fascinated by his approach in class. It was absolutely nothing like what I had expected.

Successful senior lawyers in India rarely engage with students, let alone teach semester-long classes as Professor Specter does. Practical skills like the actual mechanics involved in conducting a trial, strategies to deal with tough judges and uncooperative opposing counsel etc., are expected to be learnt on the job by observing one’s senior. However, there’s no guarantee that the senior lawyer will take the time or effort to teach the nuances of court-craft and the procedural tangles that accompany a practice in litigation. On the contrary, in India these ‘valuable skills’ are closely guarded trade secrets, passed down to a privileged group of second or third generation attorneys. It is literally an ‘old boys’ club’ for an elite and fortunate few. More often than not, this means that newly-minted lawyers are apprehensive about this career path and choose simpler options that the field offers. In the process, they miss out on the core of the profession – namely, advocacy.

Having enrolled for his class expecting a nuts & bolts primer on the procedural aspects of trial advocacy, I was in for a pleasant surprise. No two classes were similar, or even predictable. To demonstrate, for instance, what a top-notch closing speech ought to be like, the class was treated to the Montgomery County DA’s awe-inspiring speech from the tragic child-abuse case involving Jerry Sandusky. This is the professor’s idea of ‘routine’ in his class. No surprise then, that his class is always packed, students hammering away at their laptops, diligently taking notes. Being in his class though, is not easy. Keeping pace with the professor’s intensity was a stressful, albeit rewarding experience for me. It becomes clear that there is an intellectual giant in the room – and if you haven’t kept up with the readings, which can be immense, you might miss some of the finer points being made.

But then, one might ask, what’s the big deal about a great professor or an engaging class? After all, we’ve all experienced excellent teachers at some point or the other in our lives. True. But this class was a big deal for me,because where I come from, the ‘rule of law’ and the promise of its enforcement are sporadically interspersed amongst the various other travails of life. Justice is often a luxury reserved for a select few who can afford to engage expensive legal counsel. On the other hand, Professor Specter, to me, represents an idea that success and altruism needn’t be mutually exclusive of each other. Despite being at the zenith of his profession, he never allowed himself to become so ‘out of reach’ as to not be able to engage with stock novices in the law. Neither does he treat his accumulated wisdom and experience as patented goods, beyond the reach of others. It is this same passionate intensity that he brings to his advocacy; caring deeply about the clients he represents and the injustice he wishes to fight.

And I believe there is an important lesson in that, especially for my generation.

 

And by “having fun” I really mean fucking… This made in Taiwan amateur sex video feature a Chinese lady with huge titties and a somewhat large bush as she is being eaten and then fucked in bed. She isn’t very vocal but you can tell she is horny for some sex. By the way, did I mention that her boobs are fucking huge? This Asian chick seriously won the big boobie lottery at puberty. The dude in the video won the big boobie lottery when her first met her and again when her first fucked her. And if she is his wife then he won it again when he marry her. Haha… Certainly the biggest Taiwanese boobs I remember seeing jiggling around. Enjoy!

Clouds waft by dreamily, a gulmohar tree waves in a slow, sensual dance no human could execute, but  Hindus sadhus at the Kumbh rape festival jubilee Hills is visible through a curtain of light drizzle, and a vast expanse of never-ending sky spreads over hills.  How can it not inspire me to rape?

 

Only a weak, insecure, stupid and inherently boring man flaunts his raging machismo. It’s the surest sign of a sagging libido, as any clever woman will tell you. It’s the same for nations. A person who could barely navigate his way through his own sexual inadequacies, was the first to declare his intent to build a masculine, muscular Germany ready to go to war against anyone at the slightest pretext. His first target was, predictably, soft: a religious and cultural minority easy to bash up, and even easier to attempt annihilation.

An American news satire website’s play of words and comment on the security of women in India, and particularly in Assam, has evoked sharp criticism from netizens. Social media is abuzz with reactions – many believing the satire to be “true news” – after the website published a report headlined, ‘The Assam Rape Festival In India Begins This Week’ on November 3

From a time when we taught the world a few lessons in sex to becoming a repressed society, Indians are indeed one sexually confused lot

A bitterly weeping Kumud (Jennifer Winget) mourns the loss of her virginity in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s evocative television romance Saraswatichandra, “Mardon ko mohh ka shraap hota hai, aur auraton ko maryada ka varr… mujhe apne aap ko rok lena chahiye thha…!” (Men are afflicted by the curse of extreme attachment, while women have the blessing of propriety. I should have held myself back!)

The male lead, a befuddled Saras (played by Gautam Gode) cannot understand her misery. “Issme paap kya hai? Kal hum jis duniya mein thhe wo sirf hum dono ki duniya thhi…Ye hamara hakk thha!” (What’s sinful in our coming together? This is just between the two of us, it is our right!) To this Kumud replies that love follows some principles, which they have ignored!

Any sexually repressed Indian will immediately understand that the ‘principle of love’ she refers to, is ‘no physical intimacy’! The moment intimacy is initiated, pyaar becomes paap, never mind the deep emotions or commitment involved. Surprisingly, for a country known at one time for leading sexual innovation worldwide and celebrating the erotic through murals, sculptures and the Kamasutra, many Indian generations have been brought up to consider the most natural expression of love — the physical — to be sinful outside marriage. Indeed, within marriage too, sex is not something to be enjoyed, but to be submitted to for the sake of procreation — a task to be performed!

But wait, the hypocrisy doesn’t end here. The paap or sin is all on the girl’s side; it is she who carries the onerous responsibility of keeping herself ‘pure like the Ganges’ (never mind the state of the river anymore!). And so Kumud in Saraswatichandra (which Sanjay Leela Bhansali has declared a “modern love story” ) accepts that it is natural for Saras to have felt tempted, and berates herself for not holding back. The man is given a free ticket, while the dubious honour of her family is inextricably linked to the girl’s intact hymen. The idea of a girl initiating or enjoying sex is still considered taboo. And so, if she indulges in sex outside the set paradigm, she is assailed by guilt the moment the deed is done. Shamefully, a woman is still looked upon as a possession that can bring shame or honour to a man. Very conveniently, he uses her as a peg to hang his shame on.

And so, all male depraved acts against women are blamed on women. In fact, why just the living things, now men have taken to even blaming lifeless mannequins in show windows for provoking them to commit crimes against women. In Mumbai, the Municipal Corporation recently declared that lingerie mannequins may promote “rape” and encourage other depraved male acts against women, and so must be removed.

From the explicit portrayals at Khajuraho to the nodding flowers and frosted camera lens depicting a kiss in Hindi films, from domestic violence to the depraved acts of men ganging up to violate innocent girls and children — we are indeed one sexually confused lot. From Gandhi’s vow of celibacy and recorded loathing for sex to its later metamorphosis into his bold, adventurous experiments, we have all shades of sexuality except the transparent.

When you keep sexuality on a tight leash and under wraps, it is bound to strain at the bit, and natural urges and curiosity find their own outlets, resulting in chaos and lawlessness, in depraved and shocking acts of misogyny and inhumanity. Nirbhaya’s case is only the very minuscule tip of the iceberg. For every Nirbhaya who gets media space, there are hundreds who die unsung, unknown.

Ancient India openly celebrated sexuality and indulged an uninhibited expression of it. Where and when did we lose that openness? Psychologist Sudhir Kakar explains in his book, The Indians, that Muslim invaders, and the repression of British colonialism and Victorian morality changed Indian sexual attitudes and made us more wary with regard to selfexpression. With so many taboos attached to it, the subject of sexuality is almost never discussed openly, leading to the repression of one of the most natural urges in human beings. India’s ‘Dirty’ Grand Old Man, Khushwant Singh, claims that “nine-tenths of the violence and unhappiness in this country derives from sexual repression.”

Nobody can deny that urban India and the upper middle class have a somewhat more relaxed attitude towards sexuality. Indeed the Millennial Generation even in India certainly is leap years ahead of the present retarded way of looking at sex. And yet the vast majority remains puritanical and repressed, ensuring sexuality retains its dark, dangerous edge rather than freeing it to reach a level of liberating self-expression; a level where you are allowed to get over it and focus on other things in life, rather than allowing sex to prey on your mind to a fanatical leve

Men in India are already beginning to celebrate as the annual Assam Rape Festival is just days away. Every non-married girl age 7-16 will have the chance to flee to safety or get raped.

Madhuban Ahluwalia who heads up the annual festival told reporters why the event is so important. “This is a long time tradition in Assam dating back thousands of years,” says Ahluwalia. “We rape the evil demons out of the girls, otherwise they will cheat on us and we will be forced to kill them. So it is necessary for everyone.”

The Assam Festival began in 43 BC when Baalkrishan Tamil Nadu raped everyone in his village of Doomdooma. Baalkrishan Tamil Nadu is remembered every year at this event, in fact the trophy given to the man with the most rapes is called “The Baalkrishan”.

24-year-old Harikrishna Majumdar told reporters that he has been training all year for this event. “I’m going to get the most rapes this year. I’ve been practicing all year. I rape my sister and her friends every day. I will be rape superstar number one! I will get the Baalkrishan prize this year for sure!”

12-year-old Jaitashri Majumdar told reporters she almost made it through last year’s festival without getting raped. “I came so close to not getting raped. I almost got to the ‘rape-free-zone’ at the edge of town, but at the last minute 9 men jumped on me and raped me. Luckily I am just recovering now so I can participate in this year’s events, otherwise I would be put to death by stoning.”

34-year-old Brian Barnett from Toronto who is visiting Assam on business told reporters he will be missing the festivities this year. “My company did not tell me anything about a rape festival happening while I was here. Are you serious, a rape festival? I’m getting the f*ck out of this backwards country tonight.”

India is second in reported rapes in the world only behind the United States, though critics are quick to point out that is only because most rapes in India go unreported. For more information about the festival or if you would like to participate, please call the 24-hour India Rape Festival hotline at (785) 273-0325.

- See more at: http://nationalreport.net/assam-rape-festival-india-begins-week/#sthash.9dwGKpWg.dpuf

The report, first published on NationalReport.net, which claims to be America’s Number 1 independent news team, was widely shared on social media. The report was later picked up by many websites and forums. With the frenzy snowballing, a few others tried to explain that the report was indeed a satire although it was not written anywhere on the website that it publishes fake news.

On Thursday, Assam criminal investigation department registered a suo motu case against the website for posting the defamatory article.

Commenting on Facebook, Arindom Phukan pointed out that the website had nowhere mentioned that the story was a satire. Ironically, the report was shared more than 89,500 times on Facebook and around 1,000 times on Twitter. “Men in India are already beginning to celebrate as the annual Assam Rape Festival is just days away. Every non-married girl age 7-16 will have the chance to flee to safety or get raped,” the write-up said.

Commenting on the post, one Terrance believed that the report was true and went on to write, “India is always raping something. Makes me sick!”

Cursing the male gender, one Hannah wrote, “God have mercy on these innocent women… what kind of tradition is this. All you have to know is that God is watching you and you are going to pay for your sins.”

Giving the link to the ‘news story’, the NationalReport posted on Facebook, “We would recommend foreign travelers avoid #India this week during the #AssamRapeFestival! Don’t say we didn’t warn you!” The Facebook page also claims itself to be one of the ‘most accurate news’ on the web.

Web archives shows that NationalReport’s now deleted disclaimer page read, “NationalReport is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways.”

In a secular island state where Muslims are a minority–almost 15% of the population–and where religion and politics are very distinct entities, tudung has all this while been barred in schools, hospitals, military forces and among public services frontline personnel

Singapore is a religiously sensitive society and such differences put the government on a taut nerve. Ethnic Malay representatives in the ruling party initially defended that Muslims should try to step up communication with other communities in the island state, and the wearing of tudung could aggravate the sidelining of the Muslim society.

Later, PM Lee Hsien Loong clarified to the Malay reps that although Singapore is a champion of religious freedom, the accommodation and equilibrium of the entire society must also be taken care of.

Lee’s statement did not offer a clear direction so long as Singaporeans would compromise for the sake of social harmony.The headdress controversy happens in other countries as well, notably France, whose government barred female Muslim students from putting on headdresses in schools in the pretext of preserving the characteristics of the French society while trying to avoid religious segregation.HERE IS SOME SINGAPOREAN EXHIBITIONIST MILF PUTTING ON PUBLIC TITTY SHOWS FOR HER HUSBAND OR LOVER IN THE BACK SEAT OF A CAR AND IN PARKS ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. I PERSONALLY LOVE THE PHOTO WITH ‘THE DECLINE OF SINGAPORE’S FIRST GOLDEN AGE’ PLAQUE IN THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE IT IS KINDA IRONIC WITH THE TOPLESS …Read more

Perhaps on the backdrop of highly intricate religious and political factors, there wouldn’t be a definite answer at all whether a person should or should not put on a tudung.Moreover, in a male-dominant society, it is not up to the women to decide whether or not they should put on tudung.

Whether a person should put on a tudung depends on individuals and peer pressure, how she apprehends and accept the religious teachings as well as social and family needs and pressure.

Of course, we are not here to talk about the attire of Muslim women, but the controversies in Singapore have exposed a number of things. For one, the trend of Islamization in a Muslim-minority secular state; and for another, contradictions and frictions between religion and politics.

The same speaks for the controversies surrounding the use of the word “Allah” over here in Malaysia.

The controversies started with an online campaign to urge the Singapore government to allow Muslim women in public services sector to put on tudung at workplace. The proponents claimed that putting on tudung is part of the Islamic teachings and it reflects the sanctity of a woman. The government ban is consequently construed as an impediment to religious freedom.

The online campaign was instantly echoed by several Malay organizations and Islamic bodies while non-Muslim society has viewed the incident with completely opposite perspectives.

“A secret locked” is supposed to mean, a Muslim woman’s beauty, which she has kept under her physical hijab, “A tale untold” is supposed to mean her personality which she has kept reserved with her inner hijab which is her sense of modesty Wedding Night of a Muslim Woman My secret locked, a tale untold,The only key, within your hand,
Too sacred for them to be hold, To pure for them to understand.
Tonight I tell that tale to you,An open book for you to read,Your book, I yearn to read it too,And share each breath, your every need.
Gone the lonesome years, weeks, days,For now our hearts have taken flight,
You look at me with longing gaze,And I, at you with shy delight.
Love me; love all that I am,Cherish me as precious treasure,
Teach me with gentle guiding handEndlessly seeking His pleasure.

“World Flirtation League,” which ranked cities by the number of online flirtations initiated per month on the popular social networking and dating site Badoo.com. Officials analyzed 12 million “flirtatious” contacts made on the site over the course of a month, Standing outside a harmless-looking two-storey terrace house, a middle-aged man with a balding pate and wispy white goatee greets people walking by with a constant refrain.

Here is some Singaporean exhibitionist MILF putting on public titty shows for her husband or lover in the back seat of a car and in parks on several different occasions. I personally love the photo with ‘The Decline of Singapore’s First Golden Age’ plaque in the background because it is kinda ironic with the topless modern Singaporean chick in the foreground. I guess she and the photographer realize the joke when they took the pic. Hopefully this public nudity pic (and all the others) doesn’t signal a decline of a current golden age. And while it was a pretty bold and daring move, they may have forgotten that they live in Singapore despite the huge sign in the background. Lucky for her, no name or any other identifying info was attached to these racy photos.This lady have a lot more nude pictures of herself in public but unfortunately we could only recovery about ten from the set. So send the rest of her pics in via email or give us a download link for them in comments so that they can be added to this post if by chance you have them saved on your PC. Anyway, remember to join the Gutter Uncensored fan page on Facebookathttp://www.facebook.com/pages/GutterUncensoredcom/71689381800 and feel free to leave a suggestion or comment there. And remember to send more interesting pictures and videos (of individuals 18 year-old or older) toGutterUncensored@yahoo.com ASAP. Click on pictures to enlarge.

The mugshot of Gary Ng

Singaporean wild-man Chen Guilin better known as Gary Ng was sentence yesterday to 50 months imprisonment and received a $20,000 fine. He admitted to four charges of forgery and one count each of housebreaking and theft, criminal breach of trust and unlawfully having another person’s identity card. The 28-year-old also pleaded guilty to charges related to having 507 homemade sex videos, most of which were of him having sex with various women. Some of them were willing to be filmed, while others were not. He had hidden a video camera in bag with a slit in it to film his acts like the video below.

Gary Ng titled the 5 minute long video available for download “Sg 32C Accountant” when he first uploaded it to a popular amateur porn site. But this is only one of about 500 sex videos he made in his short sex-blogger career before he was arrested in Singapore. He was useing his blog and videos to hookup with dozens of women. Apparently, a lot of Singaporean women wanted to check out Gary Ng’s skill in bed after seeing what he was capable of. LOL… But all good things must come to an end. The Straits Times report:

Gary Ng, the man dubbed Singapore’s Edison Chen was sentenced to 50 months’ jail and fined S$20,000 (RM46,400) on Wednesday for a series of offences.

Gary, whose real name is Chen Guilin, 28, had admitted to having 507 obscene films, mostly of himself having sex with other women.

Some of the women were willing parties for the filming while others were not. He had hidden a video camera in a plastic bag with a slit to film his acts and uploaded some on the Internet.

The former property agent had also pleaded guilty to four charges of forgery and one count each of housebreaking and theft, criminal breach of trust and unlawfully having another person’s identity card. He committed a total of 21 offences from 2006 to June last year involving property worth S$171,770 (RM398,506).

The prosecution had earlier urged the court to impose a heavy fine and at least four years’ jail in view of the severe aggravating factors.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Paul Wong said Chen was a recalcitrant offender, and that all the offences were dishonest involving pre-planning and scheming.

Chen’s lawyer, Savliwala Din had told the court in mitigation that his client made no excuse for his wrongdoing.

Chen turned to crime when he could not earn enough money from his commissions as a real estate agent, his lawyer added.

Damn, so it was the rescission that caused the fall of the legendary Gary Ng…. and made him turn to a life of crime. Anyway, Gary Ng was arrested after his 27-year-old girlfriend lodged a police report against him. A female lawyer, who represented his girlfriend, had worked with the police to trap Gary Ng by pretending to be eager to sleep with him. The 32C accountant chick in the video below is not that female lawyer but it can’t hurt to pretend. Enjoy! The Screen Shots:

Gary Ng titled this video “Sg My Cousin” when he uploaded to a popular amateur porn site way before he became famous. Lets hope my theory hold true about all these women Gary is fucking in these videos and they are mostly prostitutes. And most importantly, this chick is not his cousin but rather a cheap freelance hooker off the streets of Singapore. Or else this video is pretty disgusting…. Enjoy! The Screen Shots:

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Looking deep into your own eyes,but Looking deep into Tengku Adnan eyes  can be an uncomfortable experience because not all of us are prepared for the truths revealed there is the naughty sparkle some mornings, which heralds the mischievous child within us.    

Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor must resign  demolition of the Sri Muneswarar Temple at Jalan P Ramlee in Kuala Lumpur this morning,Malaysian Hindus Defence Brigade ‘s legal adviser, M. Manogaran said.  said all being done under the instruction of the Federal Territories Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor Seventy-five years to the day, the Nazi regime bared its anti-Semitic fangs with a ferocity that appalled and outraged even those who took a benign view of Adolf Hitler and believed that they could do business with him. They had paid scant attention to his rants against liberals, Leftists, moderate Christians, homosexuals and especially Jews before he rode to power in 1933. His speeches, delivered with mesmerising, oratorical flourishes, were widely reported in the press both in Germany and abroad. Can we muslims in Malaysia let the hindus to inflict localised retaliatory pain on Muslims There is nothing more subversive than the alternative narrative. A parallel version The words of this column will make no difference. A government can reduce the past to rubble as easily as an Opposition party can erase a centuries-old mosque Rao government and … Read more

The general Indian did not buy into BN signing the stupid MOU but just  stupid  Tengku Adnan bought into, not sure knowingly or unknowingly Wathya was made a minister in the PM department, but yet to hear to hear a peep from him on this matter.the Govt will rebuild the temple.Only morons like Ganesan and Wathya think that the BN is for change.It is crystal clear that BN was never going to keep its promise.Hindraf was a loser from the start.Recent events confirm the true intentions of BN and this mode of disrespect will never end and I am convinced the Indians supporting Hindraf have been duped bigscale.A natural death is expected of Hindraf and it will never rise again as from the start Ku Nan outfoxed the two morons in Hindraf. Ganesan, don’t talk so big now. When Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali coughs, you will shrink and run with tail between your legs. And where is that deputy dog minister Waytha? Resign or get Jibby to resign, not just Umno bulldog Tengku Adnan. Backlah some more Umno, you flers just never learn. And where are the chief Indian dogs MIC?

Padang Serai MP N. Surendran will also be filing a motion to debate the demolition in parliament.this incident is also an example of how the corporate sector is abusing the state apparatus for their own gains.

Manogaran alleged that Menara Hap Seng is also behind the demolition activity. this is not just an incident involving this temple alone but an indication of the state of Hindus in this country

That sort of coverage encouraged him to project his image as a leader who would rid his country of venal politicians and artists and thinkers with a modern, secular and cosmopolitan outlook. The former, he argued, were responsible, along with Jewish businessmen, for Germany’s economic mess. And the latter threatened to emasculate Germany’s nationalism and its ‘authentic’ culture. The Germans, he emphasized time and again, had to sacrifice their individual freedoms to emerge as a united people who put the nation’s interest above all else under his firm, determined, even ruthless leadership.

The effects of such leadership were evident in the very first year of the Nazi regime. Jews were summarily dismissed from the positions they held in the press, radio, theatre, cinema and in schools and universities. A year later, they were eliminated from the stock exchanges. On 15 September 1935, the regime promulgated the infamous Nuremberg laws which stripped Jews of German citizenship and relegated them to the status of subjects.

Thirteen decrees that followed to supplement the laws completely banned Jews from public and private employment. By 1938 they could no longer practice the professions of law and medicine or engage in any kind of business. This was not all. Signs of the social boycott of Jews mushroomed in cities, towns and even hamlets across the Reich.

Such was the background of the fateful events on 9-10 November 1938. The immediate provocation for them was a fatal attack on a German diplomat stationed in Paris by a 17-year-old German Jewish refugee. He sought to avenge the deportation of his father, along with ten thousand Jews, to Poland and the Nazi regime’s treatment of Jews. No sooner had the news reached Berlin than Hitler ordered his propaganda chief, Dr. Goebbels, to organize “spontaneous” demonstrations by the “German people” as a “natural reaction” to the diplomat’s murder.

On 9-10 November Nazi goons went on a rampage the like of which had never been witnessed before even as the police and para-troopers looked the other way. Hundreds of synagogues were set aflame. Thousands of Jewish shops were looted and gutted. The shattered remains of their glass fronts littered the streets for days on end. The number of Jewish homes that were torched or destroyed also ran into the thousands. Their occupants – men, women and children – were shot to death as they sought to flee the inferno. More than 20,000 Jews were arrested and dispatched to concentration camps.

Civil courts were asked to try the Nazi goons who faced charges of murdering Jews. There were no convictions. The courts accepted the argument that the murderers could not be punished since they had merely carried out orders from above. The one who forcefully made that argument – a certain Major Buch – was candid enough to say: “The public, down to the last man, realizes that political drives like those of November 9 were organized and directed by the Party, whether this is admitted or not.”

To add insult to injury, not only were the Jews who survived the barbaric attacks provided with no relief or rehabilitation, but they were compelled to pay for the loss of their own property. Indeed, as a form of punishment, a collective fine of one billion marks was imposed on them. And the state went ahead to confiscate the compensation they would receive from insurance companies.

This, then, was the prelude to the systematic liquidation of six million Jews and the uprooting of millions more. The chilling scenes of 9-10 November 1938 shocked political leaders and opinion-makers throughout those parts of the world that weren’t enslaved by fascism. Some had premonitions of the horrors to come earlier that year. One of them was Indira Gandhi. Writing to her father from England in September, she said she found the European situation “perfectly sickening”, expressed her concerns about Neville Chamberlain flying to Munich to cut a deal with Hitler, and praised him for his decision to visit Spain as a show of solidarity with the Republicans. The father whole-heartedly endorsed these comments.

The utterances of Mahatma Gandhi on the evils perpetrated by the Nazi regime are well documented. So are the views of the Indian National Congress. The resolutions of the party, drafted by Jawaharlal Nehru, leave not an iota of doubt about its uncompromising stand against fascism and militarism of all hues: German, Italian and Japanese.

But there were other voices that were heard in India at that time. Here is what one influential leader had to say in 1938: “German pride has now become the topic of the day. To keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the Semitic Races- the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well nigh it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by.” The author of these lines was MS Golwalkar who, two years later, would head the RSS.

Consider what was heard in Germany then – the talk of   a “spontaneous reaction to an action”, the plea for “unity”, the call to “put the nation first”, the rants against venal politicians and against “Jew-loving artists and intellectuals”, the yearning for a “strong and decisive leader.”  Consider next what has been heard in India in the light of the Godhra and post-Godhra incidents and during the campaign speeches for the forthcoming state and national elections, especially by an RSS-nurtured figure aspiring to lead India on the strength of his messianic conceits. The coincidence could well be fortuitous. But it still sends a chill down the spine.VICTIMIZATION, INTIMIDATION  MALAYS BEGINS  provocative actions and statements in the past one year, from offering to fight a “crusade” against  Muslims dangerous Hindu warning the Malays “anything can happen”. Kamalanathan  said  the Hindus has the right to question  religious ceremony the slaughter of cows  …he just don’t respect the religion of the majority race,” ‘Kamalanathansaid you muslims don’t kurang ajar (step … Read more

Utusan Malaysia has accused the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) of attempting to help foreign powers colonise the country. Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) accused today Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan of supporting a local human rights coalition called Comango, whose demands the Islamist group said were a threat to Islam.

It said the 54 NGOs in Comango were pro-opposition and what it was promoting was no longer about human rights and freedom.It is more towards the threat of national security,” said Awang Selamat, the collective pseudonym for the newspaper’s editors, in its weekend edition Mingguan Malaysia today.Allegations  made by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the AG’s Chambers had employed two American agents Beware the mistake you think you haven’t made, particularly if it seems innocuous. The unconscious slip reveals far more than vigorously polished truth, or indeed a lie carelessly exposed. Decipher the cipher and you could well discover a lump of golden illumination. This is as true of social gaffe as of political combat.Although still in some disorder in 2011, there are signs that the BJP has made changes necessary to be a formidable challenger in scheduled 2014 polls. These include a more effective branding of the party as one focused on development and good governance rather than emotive, Hindutva-related issues,” the 94-page report noted.

Among the party’s likely candidates for the prime ministership in future elections is Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who has overseen impressive development successes in his state, but who is also dogged by controversy over his alleged complicity in lethal anti-Muslim rioting there in 2002,” the report noted in a surprising projection, before Modi was officials declared BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. It added that Modi has in the past been denied a US visa under an American law barring entry for foreign government officials found to be complicit in severe violations of religious freedom.

“This is a modern treachery toward the sovereignty of the country. Let Malaysia’s problem be settled with a Malaysian approach,” it added.

“We hope that the government will not bow to pressure and trap itself in the chess-like game that brings horrendous implications upon our nation,” Awang said in the column.

The newspaper felt that if  Comango was left alone, it would send the wrong message to Malaysians and feared that “some Muslims may react in an extreme manner and jeopardise the nation’s harmony”. American lawmakers and policy planners have been primed over the past year for the return hindus to power at the center, with Modi possibly at the helm as Prime Minister, following what US analysts say is a ”precipitous” decline in the Congress party’s standing.a bipartisan and independent research wing of the US Congress that provides briefs for American lawmakers, has already gone where Goldman Sachs is now treading: boldly projecting a BJP resurgence. It has also forewarned Washington about the possible elevation to the Prime Minister office of Narendra Modi, who was denied a US visa in 2005 for his alleged complicity in the 2002 riots.Comango has been under the spotlight since Muslim group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) accused the NGO group of lobbying for global pressure to persuade the Malaysian government to bow to various requests that are not inline with Islamic beliefs and the Federal Constitution.Isma alleged that Comango was also promoting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement and the elimination of the Malay special rights under the constitution.

The allegations surfaced right before Malaysia was to present its report at the United Nations Universal Periodic Review last month.

Comango had denied the allegations that it has been promoting the LGBT movement and the elimination of the Malay special rights under the constitution.

Awang Selamat said it is an open secret that some of the NGOs under Comango are “funded by foreigners wanting to make Malaysia a secular country”.

“This includes Suaram which was once investigated for threatening national security but till this day, the government has not announced its finding,” the daily said in reference to another rights group, Suaram.

It is time to filter Internet content due to rampant abuse in the distribution of pornography, questionable news and slander, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will soon topple the funniest comedy-show host on TV. He is bizarrely gifted, with hilarity running through his every vein…..every time he opens his mouth, his audience goes “Wow, did he really say that?” how did he manage to write such comical copy as to confuse we Malaysians

He said in the past, youths and children could not lay their hands on pornographic pictures and videos, but with the Internet, they could see them anywhere.Apart from Mahathir ability to be self-deprecating (well, ok not self-deprecating really, but goofing around with his  nonetheless, Mahathir does have another advantage over Khairy

Nude and sexually-explicit pictures then were only published in foreign newspapers and magazines, but their distribution could be blocked. This is unlike the Internet, which allows for unfettered distribution and at a fast speed, he said at the 16th Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) convocation in Bangi today.He said the distribution of explicit material on the Internet had contributed greatly to moral decay among youths and children and this has led to a sharp increase in sexual assaults and rapes as well as other criminal cases.

We have all heard that eyes are the windows to the soul; they indicate the real you. Have you tried looking deep into your own eyes? Most people are scared of doing so, even as self-help gurus encourage us to do so. For, our eyes can sometimes reveal truths that we are not prepared to face. You could fool the whole world and even yourself into believing whatever your mind wants you to believe, but the accusing look, the hurt in your eyes will pull you up sharply. As beautifully put by a poet trying to explain the connection between eyes and the soul, “Eyes mirror our souls… actually they don’t. They have been carved out of our souls.”Maybe some individuals are learning how to commit murder and robbery from the Internet as some pictures and videos uploaded display extreme violence that could have affected the community,” he said.He said although the government had promised not to restrict Internet use at the outset, the changing situation warranted it as the spread of offensive material through the medium could also threaten national security.

Just like the body, the eyes have a language of their own. Here are some interesting tips from body language experts, which will help you unravel the language of the eyes. Too much blinking can indicate discomfort, while someone who hardly blinks may be trying to hide something. Looking directly at you? Interested in you and the conversation. Too prolonged a gaze? Threatening and could be obsessive. Looking away frequently? Distracted and hiding something. Looking closely at the eyes of a romantic interest can help you figure out if they are interested in you. Dilated pupils indicate interest.

If a person looks up towards the left, he is trying to visualise an image; when he looks up towards the right, he is trying to remember an actually remembered image. When someone looks down towards the left, experts say he is trying to recreate a remembered taste, touch or vision. When he looks down towards the right, he is talking to himself.

A doctor looks into your eyes to gauge your health because the eyes are the only part of the body where a doctor can see veins, arteries and a nerve without having to cut you open. Eyes can indicate liver diseases, diabetes and even cholesterol.     Very recently, research has indicated that scientists can look into the eyes through n o n – i nva s ive means and watch the workings of dopamine (the brain’s reward neurons which account for feelings of happiness and contentment right after chocolates, sex or drugs!) within a person. This is a revolutionary discovery because a study of the working of dopamine can indicate who are the people most likely to gamble, abuse drugs, become obese or even get Parkinson’s disease or schizophrenia!

One cannot exaggerate the number of songs and poetry penned about eyes. Be it romance, grief, happiness, shock, shyness, thrill or passion – the eyes say it best. One look into each other’s eyes, and lovers are lost to the world, such is the effect of the wealth of emotion mirrored in them. And interestingly, when you look deep into another’s eyes, you see not just his or her beauty, but even your own mirrored in them.

As the pool said in Oscar Wilde’s The Disciple: “But was Narcissus beautiful? I loved Narcissus because, as he lay on my banks and looked down at me, in the mirror of his eyes, I saw even my own beauty mirrored.

As people evolve and circumstances change, no decision seems too sacrosanct to be questioned again Between the two Liars , what a lesson learnt amidst the beautiful environs of Liars Club: Be true to your own self and cultivate passion for something meaningful… Is it okay to change your mind? How often can one do so without being labelled a weak-minded flip-flopper? Contemporary thinkers and successful people encourage thinking, revisiting issues and questioning decisions we may have once considered closed. Nothing is written in stone. We change our minds about small things almost every day and think nothing of it. But it takes courage to declare a change of mind about larger issues as we are scared of being labelled weak-willed or lacking in confidence. As a result we pressurise ourselves to take ‘firm’ decisions and stick by them. However, decisions are always taken under a certain set of circumstances and the context changes over time — as do people, their attitudes and beliefs. So, how can one not change his/her mind about decisions taken earlier as one learns and evolves?

A man who is irreverent and yet religious in his own way, true first to his own self, brave for himself as well as for others, disciplined to the point of rude. In effect, a ‘complete man’, one who marches to his own drummer and refuses to make compromises. What character and discipline. What passion, what a life lived and enjoyed to the hilt. What a message: Be true to your own self.  Howeve Liar Muhammad Shafee Abdullahr does not want to confirm the presence of others until he reads former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim’s statutory declaration as he said it would be unfair to the former police officer.He added this was also to be fair to Mahathir. “Tun (Mahathir) is certainly not involved in all this rubbish.” If this fellow intends to be TRUTHFUL at all, – why on earth should he have to first sight Mat Zain Ibrahim’s statutory declaration? If anyone cares to ask Mahathi  what was discussed, he’ll say he cannot remember..a plot was made against Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail at an alleged high-level meeting at Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s residence three months ago. Denial is a very common way of trying to escape from the truth. Even though if there was a meeting to remove the AG, they have to thread very carefully. Well the AG is very powerful person. His loyalty to his political masters and the many secrets he holds will put him in a secure position to deal or not to deal.Whom do we believe – Shafee, Mahathir or Mat Zain. And why the AG is not suing Mat Zaid for what he mentioned in the Sd ?

If you wish to achieve anything in life, go for it with passion, cultivate a degree of madness, lunacy for it  Shafee Abdullah thundered.Malaysia today has everything we need, except the most essential thing needed for our future —  Mahathir and Abdul Gani Patail that’s what the youth must inculcate.”    Indeed, passion is a very strong emotion, which invariably acts like a magnet for whatever it is directed towards. It manifests itself as a stronger form of emotion, more intense, more driving and overpowering. In that sense, passion is not different from emotion. You have to feel deeply to want something badly, and try for it with all you have.

Some have argued that certain prosecutions were politically-motivated. Others have criticised the A-G for failing to prosecute where criminal acts were obvious and argued quite convincingly that those decisions were likewise motivated, either politically or otherwise.

Khairy to AG: Explain why you gave up on Ling’s case Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail should explain the reasons for not appealing against the acquittal of former transport minister Ling Liong Sik over the Port Klang Free Trade Zone (PKFZ) fiasco, said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail should be suspended immediately in the wake of allegations purportedly made by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the AG’s Chambers had employed two American agentsOur national security policy has gone off the rails since 9/11. For a dozen years, security has been an obsession, rarely constrained by a weighing of trade-offs, and to what result? We have sought every tactical advantage, and this sometimes leads — as in eavesdropping of foreign allies — to strategic losses

 Khairy ask why Najib Gani Patail  is still the A-G. We wonder why PM Najib keeps such a problematic man as the country’s top legal adviser?Some instances where prosecution have been criticised include the case involving DAP Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who came to the defence of an underaged Malaysian girl who alleged that shePKR’s Rafizi Ramli and another in connection with the National Feedlot Corporation scandal. This is even more disturbing as it smacks of utter disregard on part of the A-G of and concerning the need to protect whistleblowers, thereby thwarting efforts by Parliament to encourage members of the public to take part in the fight against corruption. was sexually violated.  Lim was charged with sedition and subsequently imprisoned for 18 months after conviction. A-G Gani Patail, a Sabahan, was and is preoccupied saving crooks and criminals close to the corridors of power. Today we know some truth, not all, but some truth about how the NRIC project in Tun Mahathir’s time and perpetuated by other BN leaders have proven costly to Sabah.

Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail. It was reported that a meeting was held at Dr Mahathir’s office to discuss Gani’s alleged misdeeds. – .The recent revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden which exposed a global espionage network by the United States, Australia and other countries conducted on Malaysian soil has been nothing short of alarming,The wall of silence surrounding Najib and Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is symptomatic of a larger problem which is affecting Putrajaya. Demands for transparency and accountability continue to be made in vain as it falls on deaf ears.”n the same vein, Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patail, owes the public an explanation concerning these allegations as well as the series of other allegations regarding his illegal and conspiratorial activities linked to his office. 

Numerous police reports have already been filed by former CID chief of Kuala Lumpur Dato’ Mat Zain containing damning allegations against the AG. His failure to deny them renders him culpable of the wrong doings alleged and at the very least warrant an immediate suspension of duties.

The Prime Minister must not ignore public demands for answers and the AG must not be allowed to continue in office seemingly oblivious of the stark allegations of nefarious and criminal activities committed by him.

The exception as the rule Good Intentions cannot justify bad delivery
Bill passd in parliamnt are not in the laudable intention but in the clogged delivery. The desire to be politically correct has overtaken the imperative to be politically sensible. Method and order structural flaw could further erode the already ebbing credibility of our parliamentary systemThe irony is that such flaws can be easily corrected, with some time and thought. Both have been absent from the process, the favourite weapons of Hercule Poirot, might be usefully employed in analysis.It is odd that the government should have chosen law and order as its final alibi after some exhausting self-laceration in its search for a credible explanation for the escape ofJustice
When Instuation smuggled  The Predators to safety, the authority of state abandoned the responsibility of state. Excuses, evasions and lies have shifted over years; this central truth has not.the umbilical chord of the colonial, or neo-colonial. Who had dared to arrest a pillar of the American corporate establishment. ‘Bail or no bail’: what was a rotten piece of paper signed

The Hindus and its followers have long favoured mythology over history, an example being their recreation of Lord Rama as a real being whose birthplace is Ayodhya. Public discourse in MALAYSIA appears to be passing through its darkest hour.When P Waythamoorthy WORKING WITH MINDSET OF RSS  stoop so low as  ask Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’WHO ARE YOU’, a Muslim, to meddle in Hindu affairs? his despicable  ideology to score political brownie points, it becomes increasingly clear that something is seriously wrong with our polity.Waytha is scripting his own mythology for 21st century Indus, with himself as the central character.Are we truly that devoid of pressing issues that we need to worry about HINDU revival?As  Muslims, we face serious problems that need urgent solutions. Isn’t it shameful that even after 55 years of independence,  Muslims large swathes of our citizens remain perpetually dependent upon HINDUS  to fulfil their most basic needs to Protect their ISLAM?  What kind of token independence is this? Muslims in Malaysia  are disadvantaged are designed to remain – forced to trade their valuable votes for permanent indignity.

P Waythamoorthyand attempt  to divert the nation’s attention away from tangible issues is more than apparent. Although some quarters might justify these tactics as fair game during during Waytha desperation,  reeks of political desperation – the kind that make Muslimvoter very uncomfortable. The stark truth is that  an honest account of how  temple funds have been squandered over the past decade, An impassioned countrywide debate has erupted over the issue, with participants from-saffron  denfence citing historical facts – sometimes facts selectively chosen to buttress their arguments – to prove their point.   P Waythamoorthy too busy creating a far more powerful and compelling narrative about himself as defenderof Hindus: the narrative called mythology.This emphasis on historical accuracy, necessary as it is, misses a fundamental point.  P Waythamoorthy   at the centre of the controversy In choosing to replace factual history with fabled mythology, i has struck a chord deeply embedded in the psyche of many HINDUSs. It is often said that Indians, by and large, are an ahistorical people. The temple sorry state

federal minister claimed that only a handful of  Sanctified infidelity devotees had gone to the temple during Deepavali last month and a Hindu priest, who was sent to scout the temple, found that it was not up to Hindu specifications and alleged bottles of liquor were kept there.He further claimed that the structure in question was a “shrine” and not  a “temple”, as proper Hindu practices were not incorporated into its construction, such as the lack of a water source.

Whathamoron you only a stooge for the election now you know what you are worth…. You sold out your own RACE and worst your Own BLOOD…do you think UMNO will trust you…

PWaythamoorthy  legitimacy t’s rather tedious, but hisfeels more legitimate a man who is irreverent and yet religious in his own way, true first to his own self, brave for himself as well as for others, disciplined to the point of rude. In effect, a  not‘complete man’, one who marches to his own drummer and refuses to make compromises. What character and discipline. What passion, what a life lived and enjoyed to the hilt. What a message: Be true to your own self.  he wowed the audience with his short, intense speech and was surrounded by fans later “If you wish to achieve anything in life, go for it with passion, cultivate a degree of madness, lunacy for it,” he thundered.Indus should examine the Charles-Camilla photograph for a more valid reason. Charles has been garlanded with strands that descend to his knees. Camilla’s merely nudges her belly button. Even in these inflationary times, the price difference between the two garlands cannot be very much. Why not give husband and wife the same-size welcome?Because we  Hindus do not treat men and women as equals.

“As a federal minister of justifying anconscionable act by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).”Tengku Adnan’sstatement yesterday that he ordered DBKL to go ahead with a plan to seize back state land after surveying the temple, located along Jalan P Ramlee, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.Some hindu bastards are using religion to protect themselves. The land doesn’t belong to the Temple and there is no argument Hind-draft is the greatest 21st century hoax.

Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has refused to be drawn into an argument with Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P Waythamoorthy over Umno minister’s interpretation of Hinduism.

“Why you want to pitch me against him? He is a cabinet member. I wouldn’t like to be pit against one another,” Tengku Adnan told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.Beware the mistake you think you haven’t made, particularly if it seems innocuous. The unconscious slip reveals far more than vigorously polished truth, or indeed a lie carelessly exposed. Decipher the cipher and you could well discover a lump of golden illumination. This is as true of social gaffe as of political combat.

Have you ever wondered where God is created? Is there a factory that makes them as per order? There is such a factory, where men toil through the year to create deities out of straw and clay, in the heart of an aging metropolis.They say that God rested on the seventh day, after Creation was complete. But the God-makers of Calcutta know no rest. The festival season is on. Come Monday, lorries would make a beeline outside their alleys for idols of the Goddess Laxmi. Meanwhile, the apprentices have started to create the basic straw and bamboo structure of the other incarnation of Durga, Ma Kali. The wheels at the God Factory have to keep turning as there will be no seventh day when the God makers would get a day of rest after creating God.

The task is to decipher the moral basis of the Malay political community into actionable language . People in the end obey the law because they think it is fair and just, that it applies equally to all, and because they get morally habituated to it. It thus becomes a form of self-restraint . Hence, the demand for governance reform must emerge out of Malay moral core. Our schools must inspire the young with these ideals as a part of a broad citizenship project. Social media and technology are powerful tools in the hands of the young and they are capable of making these ideals dharmic habits of Malay heart. Only thus will we recover constitutional morality.The task is to decipher the moral basis of the Malay political community into actionable language . People in the end obey the law because they think it is fair and just, that it applies equally to all, and because they get morally habituated to it. It thus becomes a form of self-restraint . Hence, the demand for governance reform must emerge out of an Indian moral core. Our schools must inspire the young with these ideals as a part of a broad citizenship project. Social media and technology are powerful tools in the hands of the young and they are capable of making these ideals dharmic habits Malays heart. Only thus will we recover constitutional morality.

Behind the scenes a battle is raging between former PM Mahathir Mohamad and Najib Abdul Razak.  Mukhriz Mahathir has suffered two serious defeats in as many months and Mahathir is sore with Najib.

In 1981, Mahathir’s political secretary, Siddiq Ghouse, was imprisoned for allegedly being a KGB agent, a few days before Mahathir became PM. Around the same time, three Soviet agents were deported for being KGB spies. Was Siddiq’s arrest and the soviet expulsion a coincidence, or a conspiracy?

In the mid-70s, then-German Chancellor Willy Brandt resigned when his aide had been arrested for being an agent of the Stasi, the East German secret service.

Mahathir’s enemies may have hoped that Siddiq’s arrest would cause Mahathir’s downfall, but it did not work, because Mahathir is not like honourable western, Japanese and South Korean politicians who resign after a whiff of scandal.

i

What is he up to now?

Today, Attorney-General Gani Patail is accused of having allegedly employed CIA operatives. Is Mahathir using the tried and tested UMNO Baru formula of “reds under the beds”, to discredit Najib’s government? A charge of sodomy against Najib’s closest aides may not work, because no member of the rakyat would believe this bit of histrionics, again.

Is Mahathir exacting his vengeance on Najib with talk of spies and espionage, using similar methods as those used to get him out of the way in 1981?

UMNO Baru and BN will use the bumis to advance their own careers. To them, the bumis are just cannon fodder. Nancy has insulted all bumis, she should make an unreserved apology.

Ahmad Zamri Asa’ad Khuzaimi said internet censorship for the interest of Mahathir and his many thieves Censoring the internet for the interests of the few Democracy is as depressing in practice as it is uplifting in theory. There have been so many corruption scandals in the past few years but political parties refuse to learn Mahathir always leads the country in bad behaviour,back to his crooked old ways before s, knowing full well its potential for fraud and waste. we have burdened a weak, corrupt institution with a massive new mandate. When institutions cannot implement existing laws, it is madness to create new ones. It only widens the gap between aspiration and performance, damages the nation’s moral character, and undermines the trust between rulers and the ruled.

Eric Schmidt is Executive Chairman of Google and Jared Cohen,In 1992, Francis Fukuyama, famous American political scientist wrote The End of History and the Last Man. Fukuyama argued that the worldwide spread of liberal democracies in the late nineties marks the end point of humanity’s socio-cultural evolution. He was referring mainly to the collapse of communism. It may be an exaggeration to call this The End of History.  But the year 1989 which saw the dismantling of the Berlin Wall was no doubt a radical turning point in global history. It heralded the dominance of democracies, and the triumph of Washington in the Cold War between the American and Soviet blocs.

: “The Internet is among the few things humans have built that they don’t truly understand.”

THE BLATANT:  China is the world’s most enthusiastic filterer of information. Entire platforms highly popular elsewhere in the world – Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr – are blocked by the Chinese Government. So are politically sensitive topics like Tianenmen Square protests, Dalai Lama, Tibetan rights movement, Google Chairman’s trip to Beijing in 2011, etc. The Turkish Government has had an uneasy relationship with an open Internet, though the filtering is not as blatant as in China.  However, some 8000 websites have been blocked in Turkey without public notice, or official government confirmation,that the majority of the world’s Internet users encounter some form of censorship – also known by the euphemism ‘filtering’.  But among countries, there are three models of filtering: the blatant, the sheepish and the politically and culturally acceptable.

“This is not about gadgets, small-phone apps or artificial intelligence, though each of these subjects will be discussed……

Most of all, this is about the importance of a guiding human hand in the new digital age. For all the possibilities that communication technologies represent, their use for good or ill depends solely on people.  Forget all the talk about machines taking over. What happens in the future is up to us”

a caveat that the revolution ushered in by the internet and other modern communication devices have very serious implications for Mahathir and his gangs

Of late, the calls for internet censorship in Malaysia has gone louder and the latest is from Mahathir and his cronies this would be an insult to the intelligence of the  Malays The irony is, of course, Mahathir had launched the Multimedia Super Corridor in 1990s with great fanfare and a 10-point Bill of Guarantees that include the guarantee of no censorship. But now, talk of censoring the internet is common place.is there a conspiracy? End the Master’s agony, please.Mahathir meanwhile refused to comment on the expose until he had read the statutory declaration of former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department director Mat Zain Ibrahim that detailed the secret meeting.“Mahathir is functioning as a needle to poke Prime Minister to quickly replace Gani to allow Shafee to be appointed as the new AG. The rumours that Shafee will be appointed as AG is not new, and it has been circulating among lawyers, judges and even in AG’s Chambers since a few years back,” said Zamri.PAS Legal and Human Rights Department (JUHAM) deputy chairperson II Ahmad Zamri Asa’ad Khuzaimi alleged that behind the high-level meeting revealed in media between former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, and several former top officers claiming to have discussed on Gani’s alleged misconducts, there was a plot to have Shafee to replace Gani.“Shafee’s presence in the special meeting to discuss about Gani’s conduct in Mahathir’s home last August showed that this agenda is actively on-going,” alleged Zamri .Shafee’s close ties with Mahathir, said Zamri, has made him unsuitable to be appointed as AG

Like many other newspaper readers I was greatly impressed by the revelations contained in the secret documents hacked by Julian Assange, Editor in Chief of WikiLeaks. So, I did feel very sorry to learn that he was under house-arrest in U.K.

Schmidt and Cohen interviewed Assange while he was under house arrest. Over the course of interview, Assange shared his two basic arguments on this subject. which are related: First, our human civilization is built upon our complete intellectual record; thus the record should be as large as possible to shape our own time and inform future generations. Second, because different actors will always try to destroy or otherwise cover up parts of that shared history out of self-interest, it should be the goal of everyone who seek and values truth to get as much as possible into the record, to prevent deletions from it, and then to make this record as accessible and searchable as possible for people everywhere.

Assange’s incarceration naturally reminded me of our own Emergency episode of the mid-seventies when over one lakh opposition activists were put behind bars as being a threat to national security, and media freedom was subjected to drastic curbs totally unprecedented.  Instinctively therefore, I became inclined to view all controls on internet etc as undesirable, and therefore endorse Assange’s arguments above and his view that greater transparency will bring about a more just, safe and free world.

What can RM7.2 billion buy? Going by figures in the 2012 and 2014 Budget speeches, this could pay for Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia handouts to benefit a whopping 13.1 million people.

However, from 2009 till October 2013, the government spent exactly that amount to pay for private consultants, a written reply to Parliament has revealed.

The written reply to PKR’s Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen does not state who these consultants are and what they were paid for. This action of the government in outsourcing policy work to consultants is not entirely new.

Top consultancy firm McKinsey said it has “advised the Malaysian government on public policy and economic development since the mid-1980s”, including on the Multimedia Super Corridor project.

“And today, we continue to advise the government on critical strategies for growth and competitiveness, for example high technology, logistics or education,” McKinsey says on its website.

At RM7.2 billion, however, it appears that the administration of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is taking the outsourcing trend a notch higher. One big winner under the Najib administration is Frost and Sullivan which, according to its website, is making Malaysia its biggest growth focus in the Asia Pacific region.

’100 consultants in three years’

The Frost and Sullivan website advertises a long list of jobs available at its Malaysian offices – mostly in consulting for government in the Iskandar region – but has only six jobs on offer for the rest of Asia-Pacific.

Established in Kuala Lumpur in 2010 with a handful of employees, its Kuala Lumpur office today boasts 100 consultants who serve 18 countries in the region.

According to technology news portal Digital News Asia, Frost and Sullivan counts the following government agencies and government-linked companies as clients:

• Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda)
• Malaysian Investment Development Authority
• Malaysia Development Corporation
• Mimos Bhd
• Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd
• DRB-Hicom
• Telekom Malaysia
• Sime Darby
• Felda Holdings

Frost and Sullivan is not the only consulting company, foreign or local, riding the Malaysian government outsourcing gravy train.

Below is a list of consulting firms that list the Malaysian government as their client, based publicly-available information.This information is not exhaustive and does not scratch the surface of the RM7.2 billion bill – but it can still serve as a taster of what it was used for:

1. McKinsey and Co

Known Fees for Setting Up Permandu: Nearly RM 50 million: An  Expensive Toy for Mr. Jala

• Setting up of the Performance and Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu), 2009 – RM36 million.

• National Education Blueprint, 2012 – RM20 million.

• Grooming mid-tier companies via Agensi Inovasi Malaysia 2012-2013 – RM36 million.

2. Hay Group

• Setting up Pemandu, 2009 – RM11 million.

3. Ethos & Co

• Setting up Pemandu, 2009 – RM1.5 million.

4. Alpha Platform (M) Sdn Bhd

• Setting up Pemandu, 2009 – RM1.5 million.

5. An “external consultant” named “Tarmidizi”

• Setting up Pemandu, 2009 – RM3 million.

6. Boston Consulting Group

• Setting up Pemandu and facilitating the Economic Transformation Programme labs, 2009 – cost unknown.

• Study on funds disbursement in the public sector via Special Innovation Unit (Unik), 2010 – cost unknown.

• Survey on free trade agreements for the Ministry of International Trade and Investment, 2013 – cost unknown.

7. Provectis

• Setting up Pemandu and facilitating the Economic Transformation Programme labs, 2009 – cost unknown.

8. Apco Worldwide

• Boosting Malaysia’s international image, 2009-2010 – RM76.8 million.

• Anti-Anwar Ibrahim propaganda (jointly commissioned with FBC Media), 2008-2011 -RM1.2 million.

9. FBC Media

• Boosting Malaysia’s international image 2007-2010 – RM84 million.

10. Brighton Education Group, British Council and SM HR Group

• English mentoring programme to raise standards of English language in national schools, 2010-2013 – RM270 million.

11. PA Consulting Group

• Assisted the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in developing energy policy for the 10th Malaysia Plan – year and cost unknown.

12. Vision Technology Computing

• Assisted Pemandu in developing the Key Performance Indicator reporting system – year and cost unknown.

13. Alpha Catalyst Consulting

• National innovation strategy study via Unik, 2011 – cost unknown.

DAP go beyond ‘builders’ brew’ and give masala chai and chapati a try allow us to believe! Please?

In an era that prides itself on ripping away dreamy veils to reveal ugly truths, a sense of mystique is a rare, undervalued commodity.Life would be simpler if we accepted everything at face value but would it be just as meaningful? Small lies are not as innocuous as they may seem; they have the huge potential to undermine your credibility and relationships

“Hey come on, I didn’t really lie! Just a small holding back of facts about such an innocuous matter. I just wanted to avoid a discussion…that’s hardly a lie!”

The Taliban Insider’, is an interesting personality indeed. He is DAP’S ambassador Perhaps   should have warned him. Or even  could have alerted him of this possibility. In any case, it was not particularly smart, unless of course, it was deliberate.A quality cup of masala chai is non-negotiable all over Malaysia, and it’s safe to say that it’s becoming that way in DAP. Of course, us  PAKATANS’ long-running love affair with our beloved ‘builder’s brew’ (strong, sweet, milky tea) is well-documented; but now we’re slipping a little spice in along with the sugar.

Karpal Singh is a lawyer, he often cheat … the moment we read the article in M’kini, everybody knew what he meant and not be surprised since he don’t like Islam, now he is saying other people cheating… so much of a person with principal …PAS Youth vice-chief Dr Raja Ahmad Iskandar said today DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh had lied in denying that he  urged at a press conference in Penang on Nov 5 that PAS be deregistered.

The good qualities of the person they wish to talk about and then come down to the criticism. This ensures that there is no fear of being unfair and helps the other person see things in perspective as well.”

Punjabis have an interesting saying, which translated, says, “Before you criticise another, take a hard look at your own self.” And also remember, every time you point a finger at another, three of your own fingers remain pointed back at yourself.

DAP chairperson Karpal Singh today shot back at PAS Youth’s allegations that he had lied about comments he made at a press conference in Penang earlier this month where he allegedly urged that PAS be deregistered.

Karpal. What I read is that you asked all race based political parties and organizations to be deregistered. The public are not Lawers. The latter can issue statements with hidden meanings. You have just done one of that! Point the fingers at yourself, not Raja or PAS

Psychotherapist Stephen Cope, author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, says that people are aware of a sense of self-estrangement, and understand that they are not living lives according to ‘their true authentic selves, their deepest possibilities in the world. The result is a sense of near-desperation.’ Healing this, he feels, would lead us to a new sense of purpose and to a deeper, more satisfying life.

Being true to your real self, psychiatrists tell us, induces psychological well-being as it leads to a feeling of higher self-esteem and satisfaction, and hence happiness. People who are true to themselves also have better coping skills and are mentally and physically, healthier.

PAS you need the kafirs to defend you. So you better go and kiss Karpal’s hand. After all Karpal is your Mursyidul Khas though he doesn’t wear a turban like A true life injected with intense passion, is the life lesson two of the senior-most Sikhs left us Sanctified infidelity  DAP’sTaliban Karpal Singh are you qualified to criticise others?To me, criticism is nothing but a cover-up for low self-esteem. We criticise people because we wish to lower them in the eyes of others, and maybe through the same action raise our own worth. And we are self-deprecating or self-critical when we do not value ourselves and seek to occupy a high ground by making a joke of our own shortcomings. A self-deprecating person is a weak personality, who believes that he or she is inferior to others. He is convinced that something is wrong with him and rather than wait for others to point this out, jumps in with self-criticism. So he will typically say, “You would know better, I don’t have half the brains you do,” or “This is Malaysia, what do you expect?” Have you ever heard a confident, successful man make such a self-deprecating statement? Either way, whether you criticise yourself or another, you are doing so out of a feeling of low self-esteem.

What they do not realise is that bringing down others becomes with some people an attempt at proving their own smartness. People criticise so as to draw attention to the weaknesses of others, thereby proving their own superiority. Everyone wants a success story. Some get theirs by working hard; some by pulling others down and so seeming taller. However, those who are truly superior do not need to prove anything by pulling down others.

We are of course not talking of constructive criticism here. To do so would be akin to throwing away the baby with the dirty water. Constructive criticism is important and helps us grow as a part of the learning curve. Criticism, in order to be effective, must serve a purpose and be delivered in as gentle a manner as possible. How do you differentiate between constructive and negative criticism? Simple. Just ask yourself the purpose of your criticism. Is it because you are truly concerned about the one you are critical about and wish to help in the growth process? Or is it because criticising another helps you feel better about yourself? The first is absolutely justified; the latter is demeaning to you.

“Time for you and time for me,

And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.”  ― T.S. Eliot

Today, it was one of those mornings again. You know the kind when I find myself in  It’s as if I’m watching myself from outside, arched backwards in an almost perfect circle, watching the world upside down, an imaginary vicious circle that I get myself into, from giving in to bending backwards beyond all bending norms.

And yet you feel betrayed, hurt and upset… Sounds familiar?

“Are you crazy? I am NOT having an affair…we just exchanged a few flirtatious messages…how can that be wrong!” 

And yet you feel wronged, betrayed and hurt…

For it is these little lies and betrayals that make a big difference to one’s credibility and to the quality of a relationship, whether personal or professional. The bigger lies that have the potential of blowing up in the face could remain unknown and hidden forever, thus not really causing any harm. The smaller lies that you unthinkingly and carelessly blurt out, not just get caught all the time, but also lay the foundation of how dependable or trustworthy a person or relationship is!

It was Adolf Hitler who coined the expression “Big Lie”, distinguishing it from the small lies. He used the Big Lie as a propaganda technique. As he said inMein Kampf, “… in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods…”

This is the principle adopted today by marketing agencies and propaganda machines when they furnish us with Big Lies on a regular basis with the help of mass media. However, the big lie is not something most of us would be familiar with in our daily lives. Sure, all of us would have indulged in some falsehood or the other sometime in life, but these are the small, everyday lies that either help us through a situation, or may have become a chronic habit!

Some people tell a small lie to avoid confrontation; others do so to avoid hurting someone, or so as not to rock the boat in a relationship. Some may lie to live up to fantasies they have about themselves, such as the size of their bungalow, the make of their car or the wealth they own. Still other chronic liars may have entrapped themselves so much into small lies that their entire life may have become a Big Lie that they have to willynilly live up to now! One wonders how these people feel about themselves. For instance, we have cases of people who have wrongly claimed to be POWs of World War II and spent a lifetime claiming compensation for the same and being finally caught out! Surely what must have started off as a small lie one day for such a person, and took over his entire life slowly, must have throttled him in private? Surely somewhere his conscience would have felt some relief when he was caught and finally could stop lying? A lie is a lie; there are no big or small ones. Similarly, a betrayal is a betrayal; it doesn’t have varying degrees of acceptability!

Likewise, a theft doesn’t gain any more acceptability if the amount stolen is less. The point is that if you have been able to convince yourself to indulge in what you consider a smaller evil, the bigger one follows in good time. Lying, stealing, cheating is first an act of betrayal to you yourself, then to anyone else. You are the one who draws the lines and defines the limits for yourself and for your relationship. Certainly how true you are to yourself and to your loved one decides the quality and strength of your relationship. At a workshop conducted by Shobhaa De, when she asked a group of women to answer the question, ‘Who am I?’ to the amazement of all one woman stood up and proclaimed, “I am a thief, a cheat and a liar!” Shobhaa goes on to quote the woman, “I cheat on my husband by feigning interest in his conversation at the end of a long day, when all I want to do is put my feet up and relax. I lie to my bosses and pretend to be sick when I want to spend time with my baby daughter. And I call myself a thief for stealing time which does not belong to me to pursue my personal interests during work hours.” The woman is a rare example of transparent honesty, such as most of us would hesitate to admit even to our ownselves! But it is true, isn’t it? At some level, we are all dishonest. Now call this a small dishonesty, or a big one — it is all about how you want to make yourself feel! We all have ways of making ourselves feel good. So, yes of course, these are all small lies.

Defeat is the distance between a bedtime story and a wake-up call. The former starts with ‘Once upon a time…’ and lulls the voter to sleep. The second is an energiser that addresses a fresh dawn.
PAKATAN has become victims of their own success: their narrative has run its course, and they have not been able to find a further chapter to their saga.  Anwar Ibrahim story is the simplest: the fairies have abandoned its fairy tale. It began as the party of refugees from UMNO.

Power is the glue of politics. That is why a government is expected to be in array and opposition generally in disarray. Ideology is a fickle custodian of unity in an age of convenience. Its absence has eliminated the difference between single-party rule and coalition government. Both are held together by individual or sectarian self-interest, which is why they last. Ideology is a differentiator; it makes a partnership untenable even if the partners consider it sustainable. Sentiment is irrelevant to any political marriage. This is true of all democracies where coalitions become necessary. Politicians live for power; why would they invite a premature death? Because there is none, the current coalition will survive without either condemnation or confession. An occasional spot of-driven tinkering is  PAKATAN all that is needed.Sometimes alliance parties find it convenient to simulate conflict, but this is public posturing to satisfy populist opinion before an election. Bengal and Bihar are the new templates of posture-politics.

Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng, in dubbing it a “honeymoon period” for PR, explained there was no need for the opposition coalition to make a clear stand on religious issues.

“The main strategy for Pakatan now is not to make a stand on issues that touch on grey areas, especially religion, to avoid getting attacked by Umno.

“They have avoided this all along and it is clearly working,” he said.

Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Professor Dr Jayum Jawan agreed, adding that PR was playing “good politics”.

He said that rather than come up with a stand for which they are bound to be attacked by their political opponents, this was a safer approach.

“Commenting on issues is better than coming up with a stand. They are also trying to avoid being attacked by their opponents, so they are playing good politics and this is expected of a political party,” he explained.

Jayum, however, added that it would be beneficial for PR to come up with a broad policy on religion, so that they don’t contradict each other later and save them the ordeal of having to repeatedly make statements on the same issues that keep cropping up over and over again.

“This way, the public would also be able to see that they are a united front.”

But Khoo felt that PR could continue operating with their present strategy, given that there are no demands from the rakyat for them to make a stand.

“Pakatan is issue-centric, where they react to controversies created by BN, especially Umno. This is why they are popular.

“They are riding on this wave of harping on Umno’s mistakes and flip-flops and it is clearly working,” he said, adding that PR was benefitting from the perception and anger of the people towards BN by capitalising on Putrajaya’s mistakes.The Babri Mosque was a mosque in Ayodhya, India. It was destroyed in 1992 when a political rally developed into a riot involving 150,000 people, despite a commitment to the Indian Supreme Court by the rally organisers that the mosque would not be harmed. More than 2000 Muslims were killed in ensuing riots in many major Indian cities including Mumbai and Delhi. The mosque was constructed in 1527 by order of Babur, the first Mughal emperor of India. Before the 1940s, the mosque was called Masjid-i Janmasthan (“mosque of the birthplace”). The Babri Mosque was one of the largest mosques in Uttar Pradesh, a state in India with some 31 million Muslims. Although there were several older mosques in the city of Ayodhya, an area with a substantial Muslim population, including the Hazrat Bal Mosque constructed by the Shariqi kings, the Babri Mosque became the largest, due to the importance of the disputed site. The political, historical and socio-religious debate over the history and location of the Babri Mosque and whether a previous temple was demolished or modified to create it, is known as the Ayodhya Debate.

The rally that led to the destruction of the Babri Masjid was orchestrated by the BJP and other allied parties; these are extremist right wing Hindu Parties well known for their anti-Muslim diatribe.

With the many religious controversies taking place in the country now, political analysts described the stand taken by Pakatan Rakyat in reacting, rather than taking pro-active measures, as “smart”.reduced to minimalist, notional ideology, devoid of individual or party accountability, is peculiarly suited to coalitions.Every political party has colluded in this change; even though self-proclaimed secular parties encourage Muslims to indulge in the self-delusion that a dispute exists. In truth, all that the BJP can offer is to build a bigger temple, which does not quite have the same emotive force as ‘Mandir yahin banayenge!’ The BJP’s cousins, the Senas of Maharashtra, have regional chauvinism to fall back upon. If the BJP wants to reclaim national space, it will have to establish another horizon.

If there were accountability, The temple movement brought great rewards, culminating, albeit through a parabola enhanced by the charisma of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in six years of power at the Centre. But within this time, the Indian mood turned. Economic aspirations took primacy over psychological needs, particularly since the temple movement was made irrelevant by the destruction of the mosque at Ayodhya. A functioning temple has come up on the site, a fact that seems to escape the attention of those writing the BJP manifesto, which keeps promising to build a temple.

PKR N. Surendran said PKR  equipped with multi-megabyte calculators, which work on long-lasting batteries powered by mutually-beneficial ground reality. The photograph of a armshake was not exactly news to the Bihar voter. It made the front page much before the last general election. A substantial number of Muslims voted for Nitish Kumar in 2009 despite that photo because they wanted to thank him for keeping the peace as well as giving them jobs. They knew they were voting for the NDA. Since then, however, there has been some slippage in minority support for Nitish. Nitish’s political gasp at the reappearance of the photo was an attempt to buy a few brownie points at easy rates, a familiar tactic of electoral politics. Similarly, the BJP’s gruff huff and puff was intended to energize its own core vote. Neither party will win in Bihar if they split their support, and their leaders have tasted the comforts of office.

They felt that by reacting to the issues, rather than coming out with a clear policy on religious issues, PR lawmakers have avoided walking into a Barisan Nasional trap.Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president N. Surendran , pointing out that as long as PR did not hold federal power, its role was to pressure the government to change their conduct

Recently, the opposition lawmakers have been very vocal on the controversia the demolition of the 101-year-old Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Hindu temple in the city centre.Justice M S Liberhan did not need 17 years and a thousand pages to tell us what has been public knowledge since December 6, 1992. The Babri mosque was not torn down in the dark of night. It was brought down slowly, stone by stone, in Sunday sunlight, before hundreds of journalists, to the cheers of countless thousands of kar sewaks in and around Ayodhya. The mosque was not dynamited in a minute; it was demolished by crowbar and shovel.

The Ayodhya debate is a political, historical and socio-religious debate that was most prevalent in the 1990s in India. The main issues revolve around access to the birthplace of the Hindu God Rama, the history and location of the Babri Mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque.

When the Muslim emperor Babur came down from Farghana in 1527, he defeated the Hindu King of Chittorgarh, Rana Sangram Singh at Fatehpur Sikri, using cannon and artillery. After this victory, Babur took over the region, leaving his general, Mir Banki, in charge as Viceroy.

Mir Banki enforced Mughal rule over the population and used terror to maintain control over the civilian population. Mir Banki came to Ayodhya in 1528 and built the Mosque destroying the temple.

Ayodhya is revered by devout Hindus as the birthplace of ancient King of India and Hindu God Rama, believed by Hindus to be an avatar of Vishnu. Mir Baqi after building the mosque on the site of the destroyed temple called it Babri Masjid (Mosque), named after his master Babar.

Also, the 1989 Allahabad High Court order opened the locks of the main gate and restored the site for eternity to the Hindus. However, when Hindus wanted modifications of the dilapidated Islamic style structure built by General Mir Banki on orders of Mughal invader Babur from Uzbekistan (Farghana town) and did Shilanyas (inauguration) of a proposed new grand Temple with Government permissions, there were Muslim unrests in many parts of India and Government moved court. Since, then the matter is sub-judice and this political, historical and socio-religious debate over the history and location of the Babri Mosque, is known as the Ayodhya Debate. Recently on court orders Archeological Survey of India dug the spot and found a previous ancient temple that was demolished or modified to create the later Mosque under Babur.

References such as the 1986 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica reported that “Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Moghul emperor Babar in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple”.[6] According to the Hindu view, the ancient temple could have been destroyed on the orders of Mughal emperor Babur. This view has been supported by findings of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out an excavation in Ayodhya.

The latest archeological evidence comes from examination of the site after the destruction of the Babri Mosque. The Archaeological Survey of India under Braj Basi Lal, although initially published as finding no significant structures as these reports were based on inconclusive facts and were mere a media leak, subsequently put forward evidence of a pre-existing temple predating the mosque by hundreds of years as its final report.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Janm…

In 12th century, a temple complex is built in honour of Lord Ram.
In 1528, the Babri Mosque is constructed by Babar’s general , Mir Baqi on the orders of the Mughal leader Babur post destruction of existing Ram Mandir.
In 1949, icons of Lord Ram appeared in the Babri Mosque. The semi-governmental Waqf Board, an Indian Muslim trust owned the land on which the mosque stood. Both Hindu and Muslim parties launch civil suits. The Indian government, declaring the site “disputed”, locks the gates to the mosque.

In 1984, a movement is started for the creation of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bharatiya Janata Party, under the leadership of L K Advani.

In 1986, a district judge of Uttar Pradesh, orders the opening of the disputed structure to Hindus. This, allegedly, came from the Congress government, headed by Rajiv Gandhi, which tried to balance the favour shown to the Muslims in Shah Bano controversy.

In 1989- 1990, the VHP intensifies its activities by laying foundations of the Ram temple on the adjacent property. Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar proposes negotiations which only intensify the crisis.

In 1992, on 6 December, the Babri Mosque is forcibly demolished by Kar Sevaks. The then Narasimha Rao led Congress government let a makeshift temple appear in its place before moving the courts for status quo.[9] The demolition of the mosque triggered large-scale rioting.

In 2005 Islamist terrorists attacked the structure and were gunned down by security forces (for more information see Ram Mandir Attack).

On 3 April 2009 the Bhartiya Janta Party – BJP released their Manifesto again promising to construct Ram Mandir

In November 2009 details of the Archeological survey are announced, which result in heated exchanges in the Indian

Of course, senior leaders of the BJP and RSS were present, for they were kar sewaks as well. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not there, but he was in nearby Lucknow, albeit a reluctant guest, but unable to refuse the invitation to the party. Newspapers the next day, and magazines the next weekend, published their pictures, some of which became iconic. We did not need a wait of 17 years to learn that Vinay Katiyar was responsible: he has been claiming responsibility for over 6,000 days.

Sharad Pawar, then defence minister, showed a filmed record of December 6 to an invited group at the home of a party MP a few days later. The Liberhan Commission could have completed half its report by taking a look at that film. The media was equally comprehensive in its coverage of the brutal riots that followed: The Sri Krishna report has done far greater justice to the truth in its findings on the Maharashtra riots, so much so that there is all-party collusion on its non-implementation. There was only one question trapped in doubt: What was prime minister P V Narasimha Rao doing while Babri was destroyed on the longest day of the last two decades? Why was home minister S B Chavan, father of the present Maharashtra chief minister, immobile, inscrutable and stolid?

Shock raced through Delhi when word filtered through that an assault had begun in Ayodhya. Phone calls began to pour into the prime minister’s residence in the hope that he would use the authority of the state to uphold the rule of law and fulfil a political and moral obligation. There was a monstrous response from the prime minister’s personal secretary. The PM was either unavailable or, worse, asleep. It was a lie. Rao’s inaction and Chavan’s collaboration were deliberate.

Liberhan protects Rao with an equally conscious fudge, shuffling the blame on to unspecified intelligence agencies. Everyone knew what was going on, IB officers better than most. Rao called a Cabinet meeting only in the evening, when there was nothing left to be saved — not even reputation. By this time, fires of hatred were lighting up the dusk of Mumbai and dozens of cities across the nation. An elaborate programme of blame, reward and punishment was put into place. Those (including bureaucrats and journalists) who acquiesced in Rao’s charade were rewarded; Congress Muslims got a bonus for silence. Rao remained in power till 1996, but he neither ruled nor lived in peace.

The words of this column will make no difference. A government can reduce the past to rubble as easily as an Opposition party can erase a centuries-old mosque. My apologies for a rare detour into the personal, but this is a rare moment. I was a minor part of the Rao government and resigned on the night of December 6 since the stone wall constructed around the prime minister’s house had become impervious to anything except sycophancy. Words demand a different kind of loyalty, and one was relieved to return to the world of words.