It's the festival of lights, rights and delights!

May you be blessed with the spirit of Joy, Freedom and Love this Diwali!

BEHOLD... MACC's NEXT INCARNATION!

The worst decision the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) ever made was to haul up Teoh Beng Hock for overnight interrogation. It has become patently clear that the MACC was being used as a weapon of mass destruction against the Pakatan Rakyat state government in Selangor - just as it was used to gain political leverage in Perak by setting up, arresting and charging two PKR state assemblymen with corruption.

The PKR duo were threatened with imprisonment, cajoled, and bought over as part of Najib Razak's devious coup against the elected Perak state assembly.

I seriously doubt MACC deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim's plan was to kill Teoh Beng Hock. He only wanted Teoh to sign a false confession that would incriminate his boss, DAP assemblyman for Seri Kembangan, Ean Yong Hian Wah.

Indeed, ever since the ACA was given extra powers and renamed the MACC in January 2009, it appears to have been assigned a new mission: to target and destroy Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

But, alas, the unforeseen does happen. Teoh may have proven to be a tougher nut to crack than anticipated. His interrogators could have pushed him past breaking point and this usually gentle young man might have turned aggressive on them. In the ensuing scuffle, frayed nerves and pent-up rage could have erupted out of control.


Rumors were rife in July that ousted mentri besar and Umno warlord Khir Toyo (right) had set his sights on 16 September 2009 as the target date for a vicious and violent Selangor power grab - a tit-for-tat response to Anwar Ibrahim's 916 attempt to wrest control of the federal government through defections last year).

Selangor is, after all, the richest and most developed state in Malaysia. Umno couldn't just watch idly while billions of ringgit fell under "enemy" control. Decisive, audacious action was called for. And that's what led to the untimely death - on the eve of his wedding - of an innocent 30-year-old political secretary named Teoh Beng Hock.

As to be expected, Hishamuddin Hashim and his henchmen at the MACC have been trying every trick in the book to wriggle out of the cold glare of negative publicity. Maggots are notoriously afraid of sunlight and feed only in the dark.

With the only-too-obvious collusion of the PDRM and almost every government agency involved, the MACC is likely to get off scot-free. Few of us have any faith left in the present Umno/BN regime. From the highest to the lowest ranks, they have shown themselves to be congenital deniers, liars and utter hypocrites - and arrogantly defiant ones at that!


But where innocent blood has been shed, there is always a heavy karmic price to pay. Even if the perverts and sadists at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission manage to escape Malaysian justice (which is as rarely sighted and whose existence is as widely disputed as Bigfoot), they certainly will not escape the consequences of their evil actions.

The poster below (which I found on Patrick Teoh's Niamah blog) is perhaps a sober intimation of the hideous punishment that awaits Hishamuddin Hashim and his MACC henchmen when they get transferred to their next assignment...

CLICK TO ENLARGE!

That's right, folks... MACC will henceforth be known as the Malaysian Association of Chinese Comedians. Since nobody takes MACC seriously anyhow, they probably won't notice the difference.

RPK: TOO HOT TO HANDLE!

In case you haven't viewed the latest instalment of RPK SPEAKS HIS MIND...



RPK talks about last year's detention under the ISA and the charges of sedition made against him for various articles that appeared in his Malaysia Today website. It's obvious that the former homo minister, Syed Hamid Albar, decided to sign a two-year detention order under Section 8 of the Internal Security Act to keep RPK locked away indefinitely in Kamunting because he was deemed a grave threat to Najib Razak's chances of becoming PM.

The Nut Graph cured my political hangover

I'm recovering from a political hangover. The Bagan Pinang by-election was indeed a crucial watershed. The outcome would be a fair indication of how soon Raja Petra Kamarudin would be able to return to his beloved homeland as a free man.

Not so soon, I'm afraid, if Isa Abdul Samad's impressive win is anything to go by.

In the past couple of days I've been reading almost every analysis of Pakatan Rakyat's abysmal defeat at Bagan Pinang in an attempt to understand what's really going on at this juncture.

As usual, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah makes all the right noises. But why does he continue to sit on his lonely rock spouting Yoda-like aphorisms and hoping to see Umno redeem itself? And why should Umno even bother, so long as the Indian vote can be bought with just a packet of muruku flour, one kilo of Milo, and a glittering saree?

And what about the Chinese vote? Whip out the carrot of more ugly concrete structures, more contracts for contractors and developers; for good measure show them the stick of Islamic fanaticism à la Hasan Ali and PAS Youth, and they'll be weighing their fortunes on the dacing as they have done so for decades. At least with Barisan Najis you know you can buy your way out of anything, including murder.

My unfounded optimism about a PAS win at Bagan Pinang proves I'm not exactly savvy about the nitty-gritty of post-GE12 Malaysian politics. Admittedly, I've been buoyed up by a nostalgic yearning for the euphoria of 9 March 2008 when the sky seemed so much bluer and the sun shone upon the first green shoots of a bona fide Bangsa Malaysia - living in a genuine democracy, free from institutionalized prejudice and moral rot.

The Nut Graph is rarely my first option when browsing for local news. I know this alternative online journal run by former Star journo Jacqueline Ann Surin has worked hard over the past year or so to carve its own niche in the burgeoning online media scene. Just as it was reaching its goal, it ran out of funding and is now surviving on donations. I suppose I was initially put off by its highfalutin name and self-conscious political correctness. But over time I have found myself thoroughly impressed by The Nut Graph's accomplishments in terms of the generally high quality of writing and visual presentation.


This impression has been further reinforced by Shanon Shah's excellent coverage of the Bagan Pinang by-election which I had missed earlier, in the heat of the excitement. Here's an excerpt from an insightful story he filed on 7 October:

Zulkefly Omar’s dilemma
7 Oct 09 : 8.00AM

By Shanon Shah

The Nut Graph asks Zulkefly what his stand is on concert banning, as called for by central PAS Youth against both Danish soft-rock band Michael Learns to Rock and US R&B diva Beyonce Knowles. He declines comment. What is his stand on the open sale of alcohol? No comment. What is his position on the whipping sentence dropped on Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor? No comment. He says, "Ask me questions about the campaign, please."

But these are not curly questions. These are questions on issues of public policy. Yet, Zulkefly declines, albeit politely and sweetly. And when he addresses the multiracial crowd at the DAP operations centre in Batu 9 on 5 Oct, it is clear to see why Zulkefly is so cautious. "A vote for PAS is a vote for the PR and its vision," he says in earnest.

And so this must be Zulkefly's dilemma in Bagan Pinang. How will he sell himself to multiracial and multireligious voters while making sure PAS's Islamist skeletons do not come jumping out of his campaign closet?

And here's another superb piece by Shanon Shah filed on 11 October:

A bizarre week in Bagan Pinang (no excerpt - just click on the link and read it at source!)

I'm sure you'll agree that the sort of quality journalism The Nut Graph has achieved is worthy of our encouragement and support. When I feel a little more flush I'm going to send them some cash so they can keep going. I hope those of you in a better financial position will ensure that The Nut Graph survives. It gives us a glimpse of what the future promises.

All images courtesy of The Nut Graph

Mas Y Mas have a new album out...

THIS IS MAS Y MAS... TWO YEARS AGO...

Dynamite trio from Nottingham give a unique twist to Latin Fiesta dance music. Captured live in concert on 13 July 2007 @ the Rainforest World Music Festival by Antares. Featuring Rikki Thomas-Martinez on guitar & vocals; Wayne D. Evans on doublebass; Richard Kensington on percussion. Visit them @ www.masymas.co.uk

THREE YEARS AGO...

Recorded at the Frog and Onion

JUST HEARD THEIR LATEST ALBUM - LA BALA - RECORDED IN CUBA - AND IT'S SIMPLY AMAZING!

Will blog about it soon...

Can Anwar turn the tide at Bagan Pinang?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

If only Jibby would attend one of Anwar's ceramahs. Bet he'd be yelling "Reformasi!" too... before turning himself in and confessing his crimes :-)

A MESSAGE TO BAGAN PINANG VOTERS:

THREE GOOD REASONS TO VOTE PAS TOMORROW...

1. Kugan’s mother frustrated by stalled investigation

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — Eight months after the death of A. Kugan, his mother N. Indra and two lawyers today tried to send a memorandum to Istana Negara to seek the intervention of the palace.

Indra who was accompanied by about 20 supporters gathered in front of Istana Negara at 11am. The group spent about 30 minutes before they were dispersed by police. They failed to send the memorandum to Istana Negara.

Later, Indra told reporters that the memorandum was to seek justice for the death of Kugan as there were no developments on the case.

She urged the government to give Kugan’s case the same treatment as that accorded to the case of Teoh Beng Hock, what with the coming Deepavali.

Meanwhile, Brickfields police chief ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid said police managed to disperse the gathering without any untoward incidents.

“No arrests were made. Police were on duty in front of Istana Negara to prevent incidents as the group comprised Hindraf members and politicians.

“The public should respect the residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the laws of the country,” he said when contacted today.

Kugan, 22, who was detained in connection with the theft of luxury cars died in police custody on Jan 20. — Bernama

2. Last ‘housewarming’ for Teoh
By Debra Chong | The Malaysian Insider


SEMENYIH, Oct 10 – The Teoh family had spent all of yesterday cooking up a storm for their younger son and brother and the fruits of their labour were clearly seen this morning when they visited his newly completed “home” at the Nirvana Memorial Garden here, 100 days after his funeral.

The terraced lawns were trim and green. A wide pebbled path led the way to Teoh Beng Hock’s final address at Lot SB98 NVB, which would command a breathtaking view if not for the haze blurring the horizon.

A veritable feast was laid out before the young man, who would be forever 30. It would take him a while to go through the entire meal, as noted later when elder brother Meng Kee, 33, checked to see if Teoh had “eaten” his fill.

Using two coins, he threw them to the ground. According to Chinese custom, if both coins show the same face upon landing, the deceased is still indulging in the meal.

It took Meng Kee several tries before his baby brother appeared satisfied.

Among his favourite food: roast pork belly, Hainanese steamed chicken, thin-skinned mooncakes, green bean biscuits, balls of fried chicken, swiss rolls, mangoes, apples and oranges.

A cauldron of curry fought with a pot of fried beehoon for the place of honour in front of his polished marble tombstone bearing his smiling portrait and the sum of his history etched in gold.

Under the celebratory red ribbon tied to his gravestone, were words in Chinese calligraphy.

Teoh Beng Hock, born 1979, died 2009. His ancestry was traced to the Eng Choon clan in China’s Fujian province.

Unlike western tombstones with their flowery eulogies, the only hint of sentimentality set in stone mentioned the young political secretary’s “lovely wife” without spelling her name.

A Taoist priest dressed in a satiny black robe with a golden lotus flower perched on a black cap signalled for the family to step in front of the grave while he performed the ritual to “bless” Teoh’s last home.

{Read the rest here.]

3. From Paris to Bagan Pinang, Altantuya story retold... Najib's fleeting visit to France has quickly revived speculation on the Altantuya murder, again.

Batu MP Tian Chua and Selayang MP William Leong were in Paris to coincide with the premier's visit. Chua rushed to Bagan Pinang hours after arriving at KLIA yesterday evening. He told the crowd at a ceramah, "The French press didn't ask about our political system or opportunities for their investors. They only want to know about what has happened to the Altantuya case."

Let's not even mention this disgusting incident...

Voters of Bagan Pinang, don't be cowed by Umno's samseng tactics!

John Lee: "Until you walk the walk, you're just talking cock..."

Too much is enough
John Lee | The Malaysian Insider

OCT 9 — Today, Barisan Nasional promises us change and reform — a stark difference from its previous insinuations that Malaysians want and need more of the same. But Barisan has blatantly failed to deliver, even under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak. All we keep getting is the same old — pardon my French — crap.

Barisan says it will clean house, tossing out the corrupt and criminal. It’s said that before; Tun Dr. Mahathir entered office promising a slew of reforms, as did Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. We know what they gave us; their protégé, Najib, is giving us more of the same. I need not elaborate on Isa Samad’s rehabilitation; that speaks for itself.

Just permit me to add that we have known about the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone debacle for years now, and that to date, nobody has been collared and held in the MACC offices overnight for non-stop questioning. We can question a lowly state assemblyman’s aide about the petty sum of RM2,400, but we can’t even bring ourselves to hold ministers and tycoons accountable for wasting billions — this has been the case since the time of Mahathir, and it remains the case today.


Barisan promises to unite the country. Again, we have heard this before. Dr. Mahathir’s Bangsa Malaysia has gone down the drain, with nothing accomplished. Abdullah promised to work for all Malaysians, but try as he did, he delivered nothing except a handful of intensely racist Umno party conferences. Until you walk the walk, you’re just talking cock.

Perhaps the most telling incident under Najib’s regime so far has been that of the cow’s head protest. I dare not imagine what would happen if an Indian group had done the same to a Quran — if they had mutilated it, dragged it along a road and then trampled on it. This is exactly what laws like the Sedition Act are meant to prevent — and yet the incident met with terribly muted response from Umno leaders, who are content to pretend they speak for all Malaysians, while really only speaking for their own kind.

Najib promised instant action on the cow’s head incident — and yet nobody has been jailed, no Umno member has been reprimanded. The standard refrain of “Let the courts and police do their job” rings hollow when it is used to cover a multitude of injustices and sins. Does anyone honestly doubt that if something similar had been done to the Quran, the men behind it would be languishing right now in Kamunting, or worse?

Barisan, you ask us for the benefit of the doubt, to give you another chance. How many more bloody chances do you need to prove that your party is just too stricken by arrogance and graft to govern? We have given you more than enough chances — we have returned you to power in every general election since Independence.

We need to stop pretending that Barisan is worthy of consideration because of all these nitpicks you can find with Pakatan Rakyat. Yes, Pakatan is not perfect. But I would much rather have an imperfect Pakatan government than vote for the perfectly consistent dishonesty of Barisan. The biggest corruption scandal in Pakatan to date involves a few cows and petty cash amounting to a few thousand ringgit here and there; the biggest scandal in Barisan involves a multi-billion ringgit white elephant. Let’s not even talk about racism — not when the ideology of Barisan’s largest component party is Ketuanan Melayu, and the ideology of Pakatan’s largest component party is ketuanan rakyat.


There is absolutely no reason to keep voting Barisan back into power. Barisan is as predictable as clockwork; each prime minister promises us the things we want, and each prime minister delivers the exact opposite of his promises. There is no dilemma here; we know exactly what a Barisan government will deliver. We have yet to learn what exactly Pakatan can accomplish. If you really are fed up with billions of your ringgit going down the drain, if you really are fed up with leaders more obsessed about the colour of your skin than the content of your character, you ought to vote for Pakatan.

John Lee is a third-year student of economics at Dartmouth College in the United States. He has been thinking aloud since 2005 at infernalramblings.com

Report from the battlefront ~ Bagan Pinang

With this by-election the war between Barisan Najis and Pakatan Rakyat has shifted from the political to the spiritual dimension. BN is out in full force with massive amounts of money and an overwhelming extravagance of banners, flags and buntings - while Pakatan Rakyat has to contend with mostly insular, agrarian voters with minimal access to digital information. Will the immorality of BN's arrogance, greed and violence swing the votes once again towards CHANGE... or will Bagan Pinang vote for the status quo and the devil they know?

I join the Barisan Rakyat Bloggers in Port Dickson, led by Bernard Khoo aka Zorro, to tap directly into the by-election fever. Claire and Fauzi can't resist snapping away at the sunset while Duke keeps a watchful eye for potential Rempit attacks. We manage to finish our sup tulang and keropok unmolested.

At a Pakatan Rakyat press conference a PAS volunteer masks himself against the deadly B1N1 virus.

BN has literally smothered Port Dickson in banners, buntings and flags. Obviously, Umno has spent at least four times more than PAS on the war of party insignia. Will voters recognize this as overkill... or will they be cowed, cajoled and bribed into voting once again for the morally bankrupt Barisan Najis?

At the PAS secretariat, a frenzy of constant activity as things start hotting up...

Salahuddin Ayob, PAS campaign director briefs the media on glaring discrepancies found in the electoral roll - particularly with the postal voters, hundreds of whom are also registered as "legitimate" civilian voters. With him are PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar and PAS spokesman Mahfuz Omar.

Salahuddin informs the media that nine PAS members were injured in a vicious attack launched against the PAS Youth information center around 3:30AM. One was badly slashed with a samurai sword just outside a police station (see photos here and here). There were also reports that a PAS member had been savagely beaten up yesterday afternoon by Umno supporters.

The press prick up their ears when informed about the nocturnal eruption of gratuitous violence. You can only attend so many ceramahs before you get tired of political speeches. But blood has been spilled and word will quickly spread in Bagan Pinang that Umno instinctively resorts to violence when thwarted. The severely injured PAS member has been warded in the Port Dickson hospital. We wish him a speedy recovery.

PAS security chief Maj. Abdul Rashid Hassan Basri (ret.) briefs reporters about the early morning Umno Rempit attack. According to him there were at least a hundred Rempits involved. The PAS Youth information center was manned at the time by 14 youngsters. They called the police and were informed that the cops were having their late-night supper and would investigate later...

Major Rashid was aghast at the hooliganistic tactics engaged in by Umno. A Pakatan Rakyat vehicle parked along the road had its driver's door kicked in by Rempits.

Is it any wonder why PAS needs its own dedicated and disciplined security unit?

I enjoyed a brief chat with PAS campaign volunteers Suriah Narayanan, who came all the way from Ipoh, and Razali Lamun. We came to a unanimous agreement that the political confrontation between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Najis had turned into a war between Human and Inhuman Values.

Our indefatigable cybercommando Fauzi Azmi is an endless source of breaking news which he constantly gathers from an extensive network on the ground and puts up on his blog, Perisik Rakyat. Fauzi learnt that every member of the armed forces stationed in Port Dickson was handed RM300 in anticipation of the postal voting which began this morning. Ordinary voters only received RM100. Guess that's what the crime minister meant when he announced that Port Dickson will be designated "an army town." Fauzi emailed me the following pics from last night's media conference with Felda settlers who told a sad tale of having been cheated big-time by former mentri besar Isa Abdul Samad...

Victims of Umno robber baron Isa Abdul Samad hold a media conference at the Negri Sembilan PKR office.

PKR's Saifuddin Nasution holds up a dud contract signed in 1996 between the Felda settlers and a defunct company on behalf of the Negri Sembilan state government under former mentri besar Isa Abdul Samad. Just another sordid Umno warlord land grab scheme... do Malaysians in general and Bagan Pinang voters deserve more of the same? (Felda settlers' media conference pics by Fauzi Azmi)

PAS supporters come in all shapes, sizes, and temperaments - but, mostly, they come across as decent human beings with downhome human values and a slightly rebellious nature.

Local youth helps the PAS campaign by manning the information booth.

Encik Mohamed from Kuala Lumpur tells me in perfect English he was once an Umno Class A contractor. Then he got his fingers burnt and came to his senses...

One of the highlights of this morning's press conference was meeting the gutsy V. Sivakumar, the legitimate Speaker of the Perak state assembly. Yes, he's on my facebook friends list! :-)

Blogger Central for the Bagan Pinang by-election. Heartfelt thanks to Alan D'Cruz for hosting the Special Bunch and everybody else who contributed to the cause by making us coffee, buying us lunch, serving us pumpkin soup and yogurt vadai - and generally being the best company anybody could possibly hope for. The general feeling about Bagan Pinang is that the odds appear overwhelmingly stacked in favor of Barisan Najis - but miracles do happen and even a 10-vote win for PAS would ensure the rapid demise of an utterly corrupt, arrogant and irredeemable Umno/BN regime. Let's pray for a miracle, folks.

Images & captions by Antares

NEWSFLASH: Tomorrow, 9 October, Anwar Ibrahim will be making his rounds in Bagan Pinang. That should liven things up even more and perhaps turn the tide around. Who else but Anwar can get through to even those who are only beginning to wake up from 52 years of gross misgovernance?

Port Dickson municipal workers dismantle a billboard put up in the heart of town by Pakatan Rakyat while a police light strike force stands guard. Pic courtesy of The Malaysian Insider.

Thank You, Charlie Veitch & Danny Shine!

Fish Liberation (The Battle for Swear Words)

The Happy Carriage

The Peaceful Edition

I'd like to thank Jean Hudon of the Earth Rainbow Network for promoting Charlie Veitch and Danny Shine's work through his regular e-bulletin. It was how I discovered their YouTube videos.

Charlie says his greatest inspiration has been the late great stand-up comedian and philosopher Bill Hicks (right) who died of cancer in 1994 at age 32. Watch Hicks in action in 1993 at the Dominion Theatre in London.

Charlie & Danny at Buckingham Palace

Child Soldiers

The Royal Edition (1 of 2)

The Royal Edition (2 of 2)

CLICK HERE FOR THE FINAL PART OF THIS SERIES!

More Adventures with a Megaphone

Everything is OK ~ Camden Stories

Everything is OK ~ Corporate Requiem

Go, Charlie and Danny, go!!! View more videos here.

Shit-Stirring in The Matrix with Megaphones

Shopping for CCTV (1 of 2)

Shopping for CCTV (2 of 2)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE!

Man with Megaphone: EVERYTHING IS OK

Everything is OK Montage by BackBurnerNews

"Suppression of dissent is undesirable in society for a variety of fundamental reasons. Freedom of speech is a cardinal rule for a free society. Dissent is absolutely essential to allow all points of view to be given and considered. Censorship plays a central role in the control of speech and other forms of human expression, often by government intervention (through criminalization or other regulation). It is most commonly applied to acts which occur in public circumstances, and most formally involves suppression of ideas by criminalizing or regulating expression." - Charlie Veitch

If you enjoyed that, you may want to view all 12 videos in this brilliant series, beginning with these two...

(1) Corporate Property

(2) The Hunt for Terror

CLICK HERE FOR MORE! :-)