Bukit Merah Catastrophe Revisited (a pictorial essay)

Asian Rare Earth Sdn Bhd - a joint venture involving Mitsubishi Chemical Industries Ltd (35%), Beh Minerals (35%), Lembaga Urusan dan Tabung Haji or the state-owned Pilgrims' Management Fund Board (20%) and other bumiputra businessmen (10%) - began operations in 1982 soon after Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister. It took the residents of Bukit Merah more than 10 years of unrelenting struggle to get this lethally hazardous operation shut down. In the process, community leaders at the forefront of the protest against ARE were even arrested and detained under the obnoxious ISA by order of the vindictive home minister, Mahathir Mohamad...

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 

IN THE ASIAN RARE EARTH DEBACLE

And now, under the nefarious Najib Razak, history is about to repeat itself...

unless we topple this lethally hazardous, ecocidal and utterly corrupt BN regime!

[First posted 3 March 2012]

THE EVENT ~ by MC SuperKenn + 2013 A-Z with Marc the Arcturian!

Published 15 January 2014



Published on 28 November 2012

Heard of the Photon Belt? Pole Shift? Precession of Equinoxes?
Nibiru, Solar Storms, The Mayan Calendar or Biblical Prophecy?

With over 30 yrs in Radio & TV Broadcasting, Boulder Professor Marc "The Arcturian" takes you on this Galaxial Tour in: "The Most Comprehensive 60 Minutes On "2012" Ever Assembled."

Over 4G/1,200 Photos, Clips, Animations, Slides and SFX went into this video of Disneyesque Proportion even Bill didn't know you could make when you let a deranged professor play with his PowerPoint 2010 (60 Day Trial Version) for three months :)

May The Force Be With Us All!

After UMNO elections: What next for Mahathir? ~ by KP Chee

Mahathir is a quick thinking political animal who believes he has an answer to every question and a solution for every problem. His visions of development are on a pharaonic scale and he is a law unto himself.  He has never concealed his disdain for democratic ideals, lamenting that the Great Unwashed are not quite ready to think for themselves. 

Having ensured while he was education minister that students be vigorously discouraged, if not disallowed, from independent thought, he secretly feels that the ignorant and dull-witted masses should not be allowed to vote. Elections, therefore, are seen as a necessary evil but - with a little help from a compliant election commission and national registration department - they can be circumvented by systematic gerrymandering, postal and phantom votes, and a heavily rigged electoral roll. So long as the votes are in his favor, Mahathir will tolerate the concept of a guided democracy.

Pushed to step down when he became a grave liability

To ensure that he remained in power indefinitely, he made the post of Umno president virtually unchallengeable. He sacked every deputy who posed a serious threat to his dominance, and promoted self-serving spineless sycophants to ministerial positions. He castrated the monarchy in 1983, thus paving the way to ultimately appointing himself lifetime President of a gleaming new Malaysian republic – but he knew he had to bide his time with this grandiose ambition.

Anwar Ibrahim, antidote to Mahathirism

Alas, he had not reckoned with the tenacity of his erstwhile deputy Anwar Ibrahim - whom he sacked in September 1998 and then proceeded to crucify with an unimaginably malicious campaign to forever destroy his reputation and career. Anwar stood his ground and maintained his dignity, despite being imprisoned for 6 years on fabricated charges. Mahathir’s vindictiveness backfired and Anwar’s popularity began to escalate, splitting the Malays into opposing camps.

On 31 October 2003 Mahathir was forced to step down because he had become a grave liability to Umno – or, rather Umno Baru, the ersatz party Mahathir conjured into being in 1988 through sheer sleight of hand. But that didn’t stop Mahathir from daydreaming of a political dynasty. After all, his political enemies had established their own dynasties – why should he not aspire to the same?

Frankenstein's monster

Abdullah Badawi

Working indefatigably behind the scenes Mahathir used his vast resources and an influential cabal of loyalists to undermine his successors, Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak. Age was against Mahathir, so he would focus on ruling by proxy through his youngest son Mukhriz. Finally he managed to get Mukhriz, a political nonentity, appointed Mentri Besar of Kedah, Mahathir’s home state. The next step was to ensure Mukhriz a vice-presidency in Umno.

Despite all his efforts Mahathir has failed to get what he wants for his son Mukhriz. Like all megalomaniacs, Mahathir surrounded himself with devotees and worshipers, effectively insulating himself from the growing resentment and hostility of an increasingly well-informed electorate. His inflamed ego refused to accept the possibility that he was no longer relevant to the swiftly changing political landscape.

Umno Baru, the Frankenstein’s monster with a voracious appetite for instant riches that Dr Mahathir created, had acquired a will of its own and was no longer obedient to its creator.

Choosing between two evils - Hisham and Mukhriz

Now let us consider the winning candidates in Umno’s recent elections.

Zahid Hamidi

Zahid Hamidi had campaigned vigorously to win the elections. As newly appointed home minister, Zahid had the advantage of incumbency and he rode the wave of communal paranoia stirred up by Mahathir to keep the races divided and easily misruled.

Hishammuddin Hussein has a long and established family history in politics and government -plus he has Najib’s support and consent. The fact that he won by only a narrow margin indicates his failure to impress as a leader. Between Najib and Mahathir’s camps, the sentiment was less in Hishammuddin’s favor than it was against Mahathir getting his way – and the lion’s share of the goodies - once again.

Shafie Apdal is basically a lone ranger and a newbie in national politics but he has the advantage of being an important minister at the federal level and has been in that position for almost two terms. This is the main factor that enabled Shafie to build nationwide support among the grassroots.

Mukhriz Mahathir

Mukhriz Mahathir, on the other hand, was hesitant and only announced his candidacy at the last minute. He lacked self-confidence and could only resort to empty bluster. After entering the race he depended on his campaign manager, none other than his wily father, to promote him. As the youngest Mahathir scion, Mukhriz always had it easy. He made his fortune on business monopolies handed to him on a silver platter. So Mukhriz just sat back and hoped for the best.

Najib tricked Mahathir

Mahathir underestimated Najib, who cunningly appeased Mahathir by agreeing to Mukhriz’s appointment as Mentri Besar of Kedah, where he could play big fish in a small pond – but without national level support, Mukhriz was unlikely to make much of a splash in Umno Baru’s vice-presidential contest.

Mahathir has several strategies

Najib Razak

Until he achieves his objectives, Mahathir won’t leave well enough alone. That’s the nature of the vicious political beast in him - and he certainly won’t leave Najib Razak alone. Mahathir the Unstoppable may have officially relinquished the post of Umno Baru president and prime minister, but his unrelenting ego ensures that nothing short of death will bring his insatiable powerlust to an end. Even then, he will not quickly be forgotten, as the administrative mess he left behind will take at least another generation to sort out.

Those who thwart Mahathir’s will face the full force of his vengeance. The man who ruled with an iron hand for 22 years is now on a do-or-die mission to reinstate his political influence and protect his self-aggrandizing legacy.

Mahathir knows he cannot do it on his own

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah

Mahathir cannot defeat Najib on his own. He must have a team, the same scenario that Ku Li used when challenging Mahathir, with Team A pitted against Team B.

Mahathir realizes that his power is diminishing by the day, and the first thing he must do is to consolidate whatever resources he still controls.

Since many of the UMNO leaders are now bowing to Najib and kissing his hand, Mahathir has to get help from outside UMNO: independent players, ultra-Malay NGOs and mercenary bloggers. He will have to spend a lot of money, which he can, of course, afford.

He will have to win the hearts of Najib’s enemies within Umno Baru. Fallen leaders like former Melaka Mentri Besar Ali Rustam who yearns to be restored to power and glory; Idris Jusoh, who covets the post of the Menteri Besar of Terengganu; and a handful who were offered obscure posts but dream of greater things. These are the ones who can be persuaded to be on Mahathir’s side.

Drawing strength from other stakeholders

Ultra-rightwing Malay NGO president Zaik Abdul Rahman 

Mahathir will welcome those in the business community who have been left out by Najib - and there are quite a few of them now. They too are waiting for Mahathir to do something to make the situation right for them because Najib and Rosmah have closed the doors in their faces.

Mahathir has to ensure that media like TV3 and Utusan will give him enough exposure to voice his thoughts, if not put him in the limelight so he can overshadow Najib. Mahathir still has his loyalists in these media - and he has to ‘persuade’ those who are pro-Najib to not totally ignore him.

Besides empowering himself, Mahathir has to weaken Najib by sabotaging his network and loosening his grip. Mahathir has no choice but to depend on previous scandals and any new ones that may crop up: revive the old ones and blow the new ones out of proportion.

Mahathir need not worry too much about getting external help to tarnish Najib’s image because numerous NGOs and the Opposition are already doing this.

Modus operandi - Attack, attack, attack

Mahathir now has to attack Najib by undermining Najib’s closest associates, his friends and family members. Mahathir will attempt to ridicule, if not disgrace, all of Najib’s appointees.

The dust hasn’t really settled on the recent Umno Baru elections. Not by a long shot.

[From Malaysia Chronicle, 27 October 2013]

AN OPEN LETTER TO MALAYSIANS FROM RAFIZI RAMLI (reprise)

My fellow Malaysians

I was born in a small wooden house surrounded by rubber trees about 36 years ago. My first recollection of life was that of a water well because my house did not have a running water supply until much later.

Like many kampung Malay kids, I grew up not having much of anything. My worldview was shaped by my surroundings. Since some of my elderly cousins became teachers, I wanted to go one step ahead of them – so I started my young life wanting to be a university lecturer (which was the coolest job I could think of when I was eight years old).

Although life was difficult and we were always conscious that we wouldn’t have enough to go around, I grew up full of pride. My parents raised us not to be apologetic about anything. From a very young age, I learnt that a man’s mortal enemy is his own self pity.

Thus, I grew up in a family environment that was full of energy and positivity. Living a dignified honest life on my own terms becomes an objective that I pursued doggedly from a young age.

We are, after all, the masters of our own fate and fortune.

It is this belief that forms the bedrock of my conviction that for Malaysia to progress, we must heal from the self-inflicted wound of mistrust, mediocrity and mismanagement.

After four decades of divisive policies that favour only the well connected elites of the society, the cancerous downside effects on the society’s morale and self-confidence are all too apparent. The very prerequisite that can make this country great again – pride in ourselves – diminishes by the day.

The Umno elites predictably resort to scaremongering and running down the very group they claim to protect i.e. the Malays.

Every day, the Malays are being fed with a concoction of lies that they cannot survive on their own without the government’s protection. The good Malays were systematically replaced by the mediocre Malays in every sphere when the Umno-led BN government ditched meritocracy in exchange for mediocracy – it was no longer skills, qualifications or business acumen that got you a big break, it was which Umno or BN ministers you know.

The unintended consequences of such selfishness and shortsightedness were devastating to nation-building efforts. A culture of mediocrity and mistrust perpetuated by the Umno-led BN government finally allowed for mismanagement of the nation’s wealth to go unchecked.

I have always advocated that a change to a needs-based policy (from race-based) is not only morally right to ensure fairness to all, more importantly it is a necessity to instill pride and goodwill in every single Malaysian so that we can move on confidently.

It is not fair to burden the young Malaysians with the baggage of the past.

They have every right to grow up believing that they can achieve their fullest potentials under the Malaysian sun if they are morally upright, honest, industrious and smart. They deserve a society that can feel good about itself, without the bitterness of mistrust and racial connotations. They need to have the confidence that the government will take care of the most vulnerable groups in the society regardless of background and affiliations.

Our young Malaysians deserve to grow up in a positive environment that thrives on the utmost confidence we have in ourselves and our capabilities, only then we can break free from the ghosts of the past which inhibited Malaysia’s potential all this while.

We have a lot of work to do if we hope to accomplish this. We need to fix the schools because fixing the schools means we fix the society. We have to ensure that the good ones in the society are given the best opportunity to soar to the sky while we build a net to catch those less fortunate so that no one is left behind.

Malaysians have to look at each other differently. Instead of looking at our differences, we are better off cherishing the common fondness that binds us together – our colourful food does more justice as a testimony to our ability to appreciate each other than we ever dare to give credit to ourselves.

A lot of my friends said that I am a foolish dreamer. They taunt me that there is a fine line between idealism and foolishness. Yet each time detractors belittle my dream of a better Malaysia for all, I am constantly reminded of the beautiful words of a song from the past:

“You are still so young to travel so far, Old enough to know who you are, Wise enough to carry the scar, Without any blame..”

Malaysia is a young nation. It has gone through a lot and the experience accelerated its maturity. It may have erred in the past, but its future is the brightest on this side of the horizon. Let us look forward to that future and leave the past behind without any blame.

Looking back, I am ever grateful that I was able to cast off my inferiority earlier on in my life. I could because I had a good support system and a good education.

The future of our society lies in our classrooms and with our young people. I am glad that while I may have pursued a different professional career, the yearning for teaching and knowledge never dies. Deep inside I have always been a student and a teacher that allowed me to go through a journey of humility to see life from different perspectives.

We must ensure that education reforms become an obsession of our next government because every child deserves a chance to cast away his/her inferiority and inhibitions earlier on in life, so that they can do wonders later on.

As we go to the polling station this Sunday, I hope my fellow Malaysians hold our heads high and look to a brighter future. The days when we are put down by our own government shall be over. We shall be the masters of our nation’s destiny and fortune.

I may be relatively young, foolish and naïve to hope for better things for Malaysia. I don’t pretend to know what my fellow Malaysians want, but I offer my youth, energy and undying love to make it a better home for everyone.

Because we owe it to our young people and ourselves to put Malaysia where she deserves.

Rafizi Ramli
5th May 2013

[First posted just before 5 May 2013. Cartoons courtesy of Lat] 

David Icke & Jordan Maxwell in conversation: The Agenda to Control Planet Earth

David Icke and Jordan Maxwell in conversation about the agenda to control Planet Earth, meeting again for the first time in 15 years. Wonderful stuff.

http://projectavalon.net
http://davidicke.com
http://jordanmaxwell.com
bill@projectavalon.net

[Brought to my notice by Shalamee Campbell]

ANTOINE DUFOUR ~ A MAN AND HIS GUITAR (repost)

I stumbled on this consummate fingerstyle acoustic guitarist based in Canada in November 2009 during the hostage crisis in Mumbai. Found this man's focus and dedication to his craft entirely soothing and therapeutic. Check out his homepage!

[First posted 19 August 2011]

Yabbayabbadoo! This blog just turned 7!

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY,

MAGICK RIVER BLOG!

Spectacular version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" ~ well worth sharing!

David Gilmour joining Roger Waters on The Wall to perform 'Comfortably Numb' in London, 2 May 2011.

Jeff Liebermann on science & spirituality ~ a stimulating 14-minute lecture

Jeff Lieberman, an MIT-trained artist, scientist and engineer, makes a scientific argument for mystical experience. He asks us to challenge our perception of what we are, our relationship to the universe, and our relationship to one another. Our minds are "thought-generating machines." What we would happen if we could turn off the machine? If we could transcend our individual experience of the world?

[Thanks to Hock Soh for alerting me to this video]

UMNO'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (Part Three)

(Photo courtesy of Howsy)

NAJIB: UP TO MUSLIMS TO DECIDE ON SAIFUL'S ACTION

"According to our system, any individual accused of sodomy can clear his name the Islamic way or through the courts and Saiful has chosen the former. It is up to the people to make their own conclusions.

"I have said from the beginning that this issue is a personal matter between Saiful and Anwar and has nothing to do with the Barisan Nasional," Najib told reporters after meeting Umno's Permatang Pauh by-election machinery in Butterworth yesterday.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Come on, Najib, you gotta do better than that if you seriously intend to try your hand at stand-up comedy after your parole. So, the whole sleazy sodomy affair is, by your own admission, only a sandiwara (puppet show) to dissuade Malay voters from voting against Umno? In effect, it has EVERYTHING to do with Barisan Nasional's desperate fight for survival. The very fact that you were quoted right after you chaired an Umno meeting on the Permatang Pauh by-election makes your statement reek even stronger. If the entire matter were strictly "a personal matter" between Saiful and Anwar, why would every Umno big gun be making stupid, self-incriminating remarks about the ridiculous allegations? From the home minister to the deputy prime minister and even the prime minister himself - all of you have seen fit to stick your fat necks out "to ensure Saiful gets justice." How laudable... I mean, laughable!

Many of us got suckered into believing at first that you, Najib Razak, were personally responsible for orchestrating this pigheaded plot to fix Anwar. After all, you publicly admitted to having given "counsel" to Saiful Bukhari in your own house just before he lodged that mischievous police report. However, our best source of political gossip, Raja Petra Kamarudin, gleefully informs us that the real mastermind behind Sodomy II is Umno legal adviser Shafee Abdullah (pictured left).

Now that Shafee has been fingered and exposed, the police black ops against Anwar will have been scuttled - hence the decision to appeal to Malay sentiments by getting Saiful to swear on the Qur'an that Anwar Ibrahim forcibly sodomized him. What exquisite timing - right on the eve of nomination day for the Permatang Pauh by-election! Oooh, I can just picture a motley bunch of besongkoked Umno conspirators huddled together in secret conference rooms, drinking kopi-O kau and plotting and scheming Anwar's downfall...

Another influential blogger who calls himself Tulang Besi (Iron Bones) pinpoints Abdullah Badawi's detestable son-in-law and his fatcat capitalist cronies in the media as the ones responsible for this ill-conceived attempt to smear and neutralize both Anwar and Najib with a single scandal. Stands to reason, no prizes for guessing which smirking, slimy jerk once boasted he intends to be PM by the age of 40...

Not a hope in hell, Khairy!

[First posted 16 August 2008]

UMNO'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (Part Two)

SHAHRIZAT LAUNCHES A MAMAK-STYLE JIHAD!

From Malaysiakini: "Wanita Umno has reportedly declared a "jihad" or holy war to prevent opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim returning to Parliament in a by-election this month.

"It is a jihad because this individual should not be given the chance to destroy the country's political stability and prosperity," women's wing deputy chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said, according to The Star newspaper.

Shahrizat, a former cabinet minister, lost her seat in Parliament to Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah in landmark March elections that handed the opposition unprecedented gains against the ruling coalition.

"If we allow him to lead the country, he would lead us to destruction," she said as she launched the women's wing campaign for the Aug 26 by-election in Anwar's home state of Penang.

Oh, Shahrizat, Shahrizat! It saddens me to hear you say such horrible, wicked things about my esteemed friend Anwar Ibrahim. The only time I recall meeting you was at the launch of the last KL International Litfest. Remember what I told you? "Shahrizat, you're the only BN minister I don't mind being photographed next to!" I thought you were intelligent and charming and your kids were beautiful and friendly. But how I can maintain those positive feelings towards you now that you've revealed your true colors? You're just another corrupt and misguided Umno hypocrite. If you had any foresight or wisdom you would have quietly hopped over by now, instead of going down with the KD Umnoputra. I know Abdullah Badawi was very nice to you after you lost your parliamentary seat to Anwar's astoundingly attractive daughter, Nurul Izzah - he kept you on the Umno payroll and made sure you still earned a big fat salary as Ng Yen Yen's stand-in.

It's quite clear now you're only in politics for the money and false glamor. If you were sincere about serving the rakyat you'd have considered joining DAP, PKR, or even PAS! Umno is the party that has very nearly destroyed Malaysia through systemic corruption, unmitigated greed and total abuse of power - and a large portion of the credit for that goes to your Supermamak former PM!

Those of us whose perceptions haven't been clouded by BN's sleazy largesse view Anwar Ibrahim as the nation's best hope at this juncture for genuine reform. There isn't a single Umno politician we can trust to do what's required. 

Zaid Ibrahim made a feeble attempt to overhaul the judiciary and was instantly shot down by his Umno colleagues. Shahrir Samad no longer inspires at all. Indeed, Shahrir is now the Umno ghost that talks utter cock which nobody even bothers to quote. You were perhaps the last hope for Umno - and now you've blown it with your despicable misuse of the word "jihad"! It reveals how shallow, self-serving and narrow-minded your understanding of Islam actually is.

Well, the upside of it all is that we can now torpedo the Umno flagship without having to worry about collateral damage - because the sinking vessel is transporting nothing but soiled goods anyhow.

Action stations! Fire one! Fire two! Fire three!

[First posted 16 August 2008]