Hundreds Attend Global Warming Protest

(Image forwarded by Judy Mezen)

For the first time in five or six years, I've been thrown a bit off balance by catching a head cold - twice since January 10th! Not only has all the coughing and sneezing depleted my energy, it has also forced me to sleep more. I hear a lot of people in the city have been down with bronchial infections in recent weeks. Could it be the intense heat followed by sudden downpours? Or has all the rotten news we've been hearing since the start of 2009 weakened our collective immune system?

On the political front, it's been one ugly fiasco after another - all pointing to the absolute moral degradation of vengeful Umno warlords led by Najib Razak, the most desperate man on earth it would appear.

The public has long given up hope on the police, the anti-corruption agency, the election commission, and the judiciary. Abdullah Badawi has shown himself to be just a boring old career bureaucrat corrupted by the trappings of power and wealth. Nevertheless, a large majority of Malaysians would prefer to see Pak Blah carry on as PM - at least till Pakatan Rakyat is strong enough to take over - rather than to let his deputy Mr Pink Lips ascend to full power (as though he doesn't already appear to call the shots with the Attorney-General's Chambers, the Chief of Police, and the MACC).

With each passing day we see the pudgy hand of Najib Razak turning into a scaly reptilian claw clutching at straws - using his clout to push Anwar back into a defensive corner with the ludicrous sodomy trial (phase two) being forcibly transferred from sessions to high court (where Umno can presumably pick another willing Augustine Paul for the hatchet job of derailing justice and thwarting Anwar's ambition to become PM).

The sneaky manner in which both AG and IGP were absolved of all wrongdoing would be laughable if it weren't such a tragic commentary on the moribund state of democracy in Malaysia. And now the Umno goons are abusing the laws to scare bloggers from criticizing the Perak imbroglio by way of negative feedback on the Sultan's patently partisan decision.

It's enough to make anyone puke and reconsider migrating.

Perhaps if I were in my mid-twenties, I'd be tempted to mull over a few options. But my root has grown too deep here. I'm staying put no matter what. I vowed 10 years ago that I would live to celebrate the final inglorious end of Mahathirism. We may have rejoiced a little too soon last March. But I'm fairly convinced that if we can stick it out till next March, Malaysia may well be rid of the greatest pestilence we have had to endure - the evil mamak who ruined this country with his arrogance, cynicism, greed and megalomania.

This picture just about sums up the political tangle we're in. Problem is, even the professional help we're counting upon to serve us aren't doing their jobs.

Anyway, I've been feeling too congested to express my personal outrage over all the inane and obscene goings-on in the country. So I'll just dress up a few pertinent essays posted by other political commentators whose views I share and stick them in my blog. Stay tuned, folks.