Merdeka 曖昧

Muktamar Tahunan Parti Islam SeMalaysia, satu-satunya parti yang memperjuangkan “Hadhariah Islamiah” di negara ini akan dilangsungkan di Pusat Tarbiyah Islamiah Kelantan yang dibina dengan kos RM 12 juta, di Pengkalan Chepa, Jajahan Kota Bharu, Negeri Kelate.

Ramai warga Malaysia telah mengharapkan supaya Pas meninggalkan zaman berfikiran jumud, ortodoks dan konservatif. Ramai yang telah berasa lali dengan Pas yang asyik membincangkan kod pakaian dan moral yang menitik beratkan nilai nilai yang kolot.

Saya tidak salahkan Pas yang kebuntuan selepas segala-gala yang dilihat Islamik dikaitkan dengan pengganas dan ekstrimis terutamanya selepas peristiwa 9/11. Mereka ingin menumpukan kepada golongan penyokong asas, seperti juga DAP yang melupakan politik baru bercorak “multicultural” dan balik ke pangkuan “Chinatown politics” zaman purbakala.

Akan tetapi, zaman terus berubah. Wadah yang dinamik dan progresif, dan yang paling penting, relevan kepada politik semasa diperlukan. Satu fenomena yang membimbangkan ialah parti-parti alternatif dilihat tidak gemar membicarakan isu ekonomi, sedangkan soal poket dan “roti dan seri kaya”lah yang mempengaruhi trend mengundi kebanyakan rakyat.

Adakah Skim Insurans Kesihatan Kebangsaan (SIKK) yang bertujuan meringankan beban kerajaan untuk mensubsidi perkhidmatan perubatan dan Goods and Service Tax (GST) yang bertujuan meringankan beban cukai pendapatan rakyat memang begitu berniat jahat ? Apakah jika Barisan Alternatif memerintah, mereka mampu teruskan subsidi perubatan yang berat dan tidak minat menarik pelaburan asing dengan merendahkan kadar cukai pendapatan ? Sayangnya segala-gala soal ini diabaikan, dan diganti dengan usul supaya semua menteri wanita wajib bertudung dan sebagainya.

Politik negara dipenuhi rasuah dan penyelewengan. Akan tetapi adakah ia kelemahan sistem perundangan sekular, sehingga ia tidak boleh diperbaiki dan jika digantikan dengan sistem syariah, maka semua gejala buruk ini akan hilang ? Saya rasa tidak juga. Tengoklah sahaja surat layang dan sms yang memfitnah tokoh-tokoh tertentu dalam Pas di sana sini yang dulunya dimonopoli parti Umno, apakah ia strategi terbaik pendokong gerakan Islam ?

Buktikanlah perjuangan Pas bukan untuk bermusuhan dengan para pendokong hak asasi manusia. Hentikanlah politik bersifat kekauman dan keagamaan agar martabat politik baru sanjungan kita diangkat. Sediakanlah kita sebagai pilihan rakyat kepada Barisan Nasional. Kalau tidak, sampai bila kita hendak terus menafikan demokrasi yang sejati kepada rakyat Malaysia ?

Terdapat dua tulisan yang menarik perhatian saya akhir-akhir ini, Muktamar PAS: Perubahan dari “garis keras” kepada progresif dan Bersediakah ahli PAS menganjak paradigma?. Fikirkanlah dan fahamilah hasrat rakyat sebelum bermuktamar

Kita ingin mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih kepada saudara Murni Jarkoni serta pihak pengendali laman Jiwa Merdeka kerana sudi menyeranaikan blog ini, Ado apo dengan ShinShin?, sebagai salah satu blog penyokong reform di dalam laman Jiwa Merdeka. Laman ini merupakan laman pertama bukan blog linkkan blog kita.

Kita sebenarnya bukan komentar politik sepenuh masa seperti Zukri, Faisal, Budu atau Alfian Saat. Bukan juga blogger makan minum seperti yang kita nampak di sana sini, yang mana Xiaxue merupakan contoh terulungnya. Tentulah kita bukan juga ekstrimis bertopengkan agama seperti Rajan Elfiefuddin dan yang sewaktu dengan beliau. Mungkin kita adunan daripada dua genre pertama tadi, seperti Bob dan Habri. Jadi, kita berasa amat bangga sebab dapat diiktiraf oleh laman pro-reform itu sebagai blogger reform.

Blogger-blogger lain yang turut didapati dalam links Jiwa Merdeka termasuk Cucu Mat Kilau dan Roslan Sms. Sungguhpun kadang-kala pandangan mereka agak berbeza daripada yours truly, kita yakin mereka juga dapat mewakili suara sesuatu segmen masyarakat kita dan mempunyai golongan peminat tertentu.

Untuk makluman umum, blog Ado apo dengan ShinShin? ini akan lebih menumpukan perhatian ke atas isu-isu semasa, manakala kebanyakan entry-entry yang tidak berkaitan dengan isu semasa dijangka muncul dalam suatu blog baru, Ekspres Timuran, blog lifestyle baru kita. Kalian dialu-alukan untuk link mana sahaja blog yang saudari saudara suka, kalau bukan kedua-duanya :-p Happy surfing !

Hari Isnin 25 April 2005, Shin pi lepak ngan cik mek molek bernama Nore. Bukan first time ajak, tapi for the first time, last minute Nore tak leh kuar, sebab stuck kat umah saudara. Dah banyak kali Shin tanya Nore nak pi maner. Nore pun blur. Actually maner2 pun samer kan. So Shin bilang minumlah dulu dekat mamak kat Telawi then pi tengok (sekadar tengok, bukan baca) buku kat Silverfishbooks.

Shin mintak Nore tunggu kat platform dalam stesen LRT KL Sentral. Nak beli tiket KTM Intercity ke Temasek dulu. Bila Shin approaching sana, Shin sms kat Nore… Bila sampai kat platform, sorang je awek yang duk kat saner. Tudung hijau, kurung hijau, senyum ceria, potongan langsing dan wajah lawa. Itulah dia Nore, poster girl Taman Melewar.

Dalam perjalanan dari Bangsar LRT ke Telawi, kitorang hinggap kat Dataran Maybank. Ade orang nak beli Cosmopolitan bulan April eventhough yang March pun belom abis, hehe. Normally I pangkah salah satu daripada 3 mamak yang ade. Dave’s Corner, Al-Syed atau Lotus. Tanya Nore nak pi yang maner, blur lagi. Tapi keputusan kali ini penting. Apa pasal penting nanti korang kan tau.

Al-Syed tak terpilih sebab ia jauh sket dari Silverfish. Dave’s Corner pulak penuh sesak orang. So Lotuslah yang jadi pilihan. Di sinilah pertemuan blogger-blogger telah diadakan pada 11 Julai tahun lepas, di mana Budu, Menj, Suresh, Habri, Noor Amin dan yours truly telah hadir…

Nore memang seorang yang bestari serta sporting. Sebagai pelajar English Literature, Nore sentiasa membaca pelbagai jenis buku dan website. Oleh itu apa saja topik yang cungkilkan, banyaklah citer yang buleh sasterawan agung masa depan nie bagitau.

Tambahan pulak Nore baru hadiri sebuah seminar kat UIA di mana Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Executive Director Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Negara, Mustapa Mohamed telah berucap. So Nore pun berkongsi dengan aku pelbagai jenis maklumat terkini tentang ekonomi negara seperti sektor manakah yang akan menjadi pendorong ekonomi dalam masa akan datang dan apakah perancangan yang akan dilaksanakan dalam Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan (RMK-9).

Nore jugak tidak kurang fasih dalam politik sejagat, daripada Tengku Azlan (MP Jerantut), Chia Kwang Chye, Taib Mahmud, Endon Mahmud sehingga Paul Wolfowitz. Merunut Nore, Tengku Azlan nie… , hehe, sehingga semua kontraktor kelas F di Jerantut pun berpaling tadah. Taib Mahmud yang banyak memiliki hartanah di Amerika Utara pernah jemput Endon tinggal di bunglownya di California apabila Endon yang berbarah payudara pi berubat. Chia Kwang Chye pulak merupakan pemidato yang paling teruk kat dunia sampai kesemua peserta seminar beliau akan tertidur…

Dah tiga jam duk kat Lotus. Nasi goreng yang Nore ordered tu tak kuasa nak abiskan. Air ais pulak tiga gelas dah bedal. Kononnya kedai tu kedai ك ل ي غ oleh itu makanannya susah nak telan. Hmm… I wonder.

Lepastu Nore pi semayang. Around 4. Agaknya agar Zohor dan Asar buleh skali, haha. Tapi ade orang malas nak pi masjid walaupun tepi Bangsar Village shopping center je. So Nore cuba nasibnya kat Bangsar Village. Tak nampak sign surau. Jadi pi tanya jiejie kat information counter…

Nore : Excuse me, may I know where is the surau ?

Jiejie : I’m sorry,we dont have surau here…

Kan lah I dah kate, kat sini Bangsar, Bangsar people don’t pray. Hehehe. Kenalah pi masjid. Sampai kat masjid pun banyak perkara lucu yang berlaku. Since Nore dah pun rakam kat blog beliau, baiklah korang baca kat entry tu je… Nore yang pity Shin kena tunggu tu pula berbaik hati sangat dan pinjamkan Shin baca Cosmopolitan yang baru beli tadi tu.

Abis semayang kitorang pun muncul kat Silverfishbooks. Sini memang tempat yang paling Shin minati. Banyaknyer buku yang jarang dapat kat luar. Saleh ben Joned ade, Catherine Lim ade, Pramodya Ananta Toer ade, Noam Chomsky ade, Farish Noor yang Taman Melewar ingat menghina Islam pon ade. In short, macam-macam ade. Bagi Shin, memanglah sini lepak, enjoy air-con, tengok buku, tapi kalau nak beli memang tak pernah. Yang pernah beli pun vcd 6horts yang merangkumi 6 short video Amir Muhamad je. Tapi Nore tak sama. Sasterawan masa depan ini membeli nineteen, iaitu a collection of stories by women from Malaysia, Singapore and beyond. Hmm… Sebenarnya Shin pun minat baca, cuma tak cekal, slalu baca sampai halfway je.

Dinner was Burger King. Nampaknya Nore cukup gembira dapat beli buku citer baru. Shin pulak yang rasanya sedih sket sebab entahlah bila lagi buleh lepak ngan Nore skali lagi. Hopefully janganlah biarkan Shin tunggu lama sangat. Thanks Nore, feel so happy dapat lepak ngan kau

I have received 3 great comments for my last entry, On DAP, Pas and Keadilan, which was meant for explaining why Keadilan is our primier choice, eventhough DAP shares the same visions too, to a DAP supporter, in a DAP “hater” ’s blog.

The first, penned by Bob Jots, our Ketua Biro IT and Exco Lantikan, Angkatan Muda, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, telling us what’s really happening inside DAP, it is so good that I have decided to publish it in its entirety.

Dude,

I beg to differ a bit. I don’t think it is a deliberate attempt on the part of DAP’s leadership to be “pro-Chinese”. I have spent some time in DAP and I do know that there is a genuine attempt to engage the nation as a whole without the colour coding.

Unfortunately, that’s where realpolitik rears it’s ugly head. The fact is that the large majority of DAP’s grassroot support comes from the ethnic minorities. It is therefore inevitable that the overall flavour of the party’s activities and campaigns reflect this reality. It is also a fact that certain communities fear DAP like the plague. You and I both know that a political party isn’t much use unless it wins a couple of seats in the legislature. Is it any wonder that DAP would target seats where they have the highest chances of winning?

Don’t get me wrong. I do have some issues with the party. Otherwise I would not have left it. I didn’t and still don’t like the way they bulldozed their way into certain seats in the last elections.

Unfortunately, if we are not careful, PKR will end up being the same way as we are faced with similiar realities.

The second and third came from Loc Kee and Pak Kadok respectively. Among others, Loc questioned what’s the rationale for them not to engage with other communities eagerly, especially when the percentage of Chinese in the country is dwindling fast, and even among them perhaps only half will vote for DAP.

On the other hand, Pak Kadok reminded us that Keadilan can only survive as long as Nurul Izzah’s dad is with us. If he returns to Umno one day, that will be the end for Keadilan. There’s some truth in it. Thank you for your valuable inputs. I would also like to know, what do you think about the possibility of Anwar following Tengku Razaleigh’s footprints and re-joining Umno ?

Hmm… Akan Datang : I still owe Pakdi, Anak Dagang and Alvin a reply on Jawi terrorists. The same has been asked by Perswis. I have found another blogger who are with us the civilized, Charlotte, apart from our rakyat biasa, Habri.

The following is my reply to a lunatic calling himself Gary W Bush, when he questioned why Keadilan, instead of DAP, is my choice, in Rajan Elfie’s blog entry, “Birthday”, Zionist?…

Dear Gary bin Bush,

This is just blogging, so why debate so fiercely when the right place should be RTM 1’s Debat Perdana or Astro News’s Agenda. We should enjoy poking fun especially in a lunatic’s blog that appriciates humours very much.

I think you are a bit idealistic. DAP is good. Their argument always consistent and rational. Perhaps you didn’t realise, I support both Keadilan and DAP.

However, politics is politics. While DAP’s proposals are sound, their membership isn’t. Don’t just look at propaganda. If you go to their local ceramahs, it’s all about Chinese vs Malay. Probably just a Chinese version of Umno. Perhaps this Islamist’s anti-Israel blog is not the best place to tell you why, so I just give some simple examples.

What’s the use of the slogan Malaysian Malaysia, when Teresa Kok’s assistant once told me, the single most important criterion in choosing which constituency to contest is the percentage of Chinese voters ?

DAP didn’t practise what they claim. There’s no aggressive membership drive to attract more non-Chinese. Without this prerequisite, are they really aspiring to be in power one day ? So, DAP will always be opposition while Keadilan is one of the alternatives in a two-party system.

DAP do not build up grassroot. But they are clinging onto “traditional constituencies” even when they have no grassroot there. A case of point is Lunas, until they warned all members not to help in campaining. However, during Ketari by-election, they asked Keadilan and PAS to help campaigning pulak. What logic is this, I don’t know.

In 2004, our opposition leader suddenly chose to contest in Keadilan’s model constituency, Ipoh East, where Dr. Lee has been working the ground, holding seminars, demonstrations, meeting the people for years. Keadilan gave way, but in return, DAP fielded many candidates in where Keadilan candidates were standing, creating 3-cornered fights. I wonder why.

I support multicultural. Keadilan and DAP one is multicultural while another is multicultural di bibir saja. So the choice is obvious. Keadilan is also democratic. Members can have different views. Try that in DAP and you will be like Teng Chang Khim. There’s no way to oppose to moral policing in Pas, but you can in Keadilan. In fact, quite a number of NGO leaders among the 50 NGOs are Keadilan members.

Pas is not going to implement hudud. That’s just their way to differentiate from Umno. So as Pak Lah’s Islam Hadhari. They dare to support hudud when they know they wouldn’t win, so there’s no responsibility. They can always claim Federal Constitution barricades it. But if Hudud is really God’s word, why would they have to be afraid of constitution ?

A DAP supporter friend of mine, after reading your extreme comments, don’t think you could suit into their rank and file either. So think twice before trying to make DAP yours.

As Anwar has reiterated for a number of times, Keadilan is not fighting for an Islamic state. Azizah has also said that forming alliance with a party doesn’t mean we have to support their own aims fully. There are scopes where there could be cooperation. Read Azizah’s Semangat Setiakawan, Menentang Kezaliman, Menegak Keadilan please.

There are right wing nationalists, racist, centrists, regionalists and even facists in BN, or even within Umno itself. But that’s not a reason for Malaysians not to support it.

Perhaps you can read James Wong Wing On, Malaysiakini’s Chief Analyst and former MP (DAP- Kampar)’s interview - PKR is the Natural Party for All Malaysians.

Best regards.

Shin

There’s some update about Yasmin’s upcoming film, Gubra, courtesy of Yasmin’s blog…

The cast will include Sharifah Amani, Choo Seong, Ida and Harith, with new addition the Sultan Mahmud, our rude Malay guy, Adlin Ramli. I really think he’s cool when he played Sultan Mahmud, and Amani will be his Tun Teja this time, after her study in UK which separated her from Jason.

The shooting will commence late August or early September, again in Ipoh. But this time, they will have better accomodation as Sultan Perak apparently likes Sepet very much.

Probably they can also shoot in the premise of Chicken King, Ipoh’s local version of KFC, for free. This is due to the fact that the reputation as well as revenue has shot up sharply. According to a report in NST, Chicken King’s revenue has gone up as much as 30%, thanks to Sepet.

Wardrobe will also be sponsored by British India and Wh, because its boss, Pat Liew, loves Sepet too.

Gubra had been featured in The Star yesterday, take a look…

Bugis is one of the many Indonesian tribes that make up the Malay stock we have today, thanks to British and Barisan government’s categorisation of them as Melayu. Bugis are originated from Makasar (Ujung Pandang) in South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan).

Bugis have their own language, Bahasa Bugis, or Basa Ugi, as well as their own writing system, the Askara Bugis. There are two variations in Askara Bugis, Lontara and Maskara, which I lack the necessary knowledge in telling the difference. However, I have sent an email to a cousin of Sultan Selangor to get this clarified.

For those who have never seen it, let’s take a look at the image here…

Lontara Consonants

Makasar Consonants

Vowel Diacritics

Sample Text in Lontara Script

More…

The Sultan of Selangor and the Sultan from the Temenggung family which rules Johor now are Bugis. They were great pirates in this part of the world before being overtaken by Achehnese. Many of them are still sailors and shipbuilders.

I remember a few years back, there was a retired teacher in Pontian, Johor, who could read Askara Bugis, opened a Bugis language class. Not only that, he keeps a 600 year old ancient Bugis script in his home. But like some other ancient languages, ancient Bugis didnt use vowels. And with consonants, a lot of words cannot be deciphered by modern people.

When Jusuf Kalla, the ethnic Bugis vice president of Republik Indonesia visited Temasek and Johor recently, he visited a Bugis settlement in Pontian too, the Pekan Tampok, Benut, where 20,000 Bugis tribesmen live. He was here once 25 years ago too, following his mom to visit a relative, he told a gathering in Sekolah Agama Bugisiah in that settlement.

Interesting writing system of interesting people, isn’t it ? The images of the Askara Bugis was borrowed from Omniglot website, which I found through a Bugis lady Yaty’s blog.

I have heard of myspace, but I didn’t really know what was its concept. Is it a blog ? A network of friends like friendster ? Or an individual website ala-Geocities ?

I remember seeing Menj’s sister’s myspace. Seems like you can update your daily routine onto it, which makes it similar to a blog, while you still keep a network of friends. So I guess it is safe to assume that it is a combo of both.

The night before last night, I just got to know a 18 year-old girl from Bukit Baru, Malacca, Miss Shahirah, who is not to be mistaken with Miss Nur Syahirah. The former studies in Multimedia University, Bukit Beruang, while the latter majors English Literature in International Islamic University, Gombak. Both of them are sweet, sexy and brainy.

Shahirah is certainly one with a lot of scary encounter with spirits, as her house itself is haunted, until friends who bunked in in her home didn’t let her leave even a step. Hearing somebody talking without seeing the speakers are as commonplace as we see hear Siti Nurhaliza’s song on radio without seeing her shadow. She has also experienced the same in Portugese Square, St. Paul’s Hill and Ayer Keroh lake. You guys have any similar story to share ?

Shahirah maintains a nice myspace, as well as a blog. To own a blog is nothing new, but what’s new for me is, that her blog is provided by and hosted in the website of Xfresh fm, or some call Tak Fresh fm, Malaysia’s latest teen radio station. I didn’t know they have blogs until now. Go take a look… What’s more, Shahirah is currently being featured in X fresh fm’s site. Hmm… I wonder if they welcome a pro-maksiat opposition blog like mine.

Shahirah keeps her pictures in Tinypic.com. I received a notice yesterday from my photo host, Photobucket.com, that I am approaching my month bandwidth. Bob was the one who recommended Photobucket to me when Angelfire started to disallow hotlinking… To be exact, on the last day of the month, I have crossed the 1000 MB line. Anyway, it is not the limit yet as the limit is 1.5 GB. I don’t know why, as my site don’t have too many visitors except a few of you who are my loyal supporters If this month the I get close to Photobucket’s bandwidth limit again, I might consider host my pics in Tinypic too.

Haziq, my friend in ktmrailwayfan, has just concluded a trip to Endau Rompin park not long ago, with his buddies in Siling Secondary School (SLSS), Marsiling. You can take a look at the photo collection in the album.

Endau Rompin is one of the rare lowland rainforest in the world. It is close to the sea on the downstream of rivers. Heard that there are quite a number of crocodiles there in the park. I wish to be there one day. But obviously these kinda places you better go in a group. And you will need an Orang Asli guide too.

One photo that needs to be featured is this. According to Haziq, he kinda has a crush on the long-hair girl who is in black tee on the left. How do you find her ? She’s making Haziq getting very excited every night I suppose…

Hmm… Can you recognise which is Haziq ? You can find him in this picture. Hey, Haziq’s crush is featured prominently in this picture too !

All the best to your second relationship in a year, Haziq !

I have found this mail in my inbox…

Sebagai mengingati Hari Kebebasan Akhbar Sedunia, harap semua sudi menandatangani petisyen untuk Akta Kebebasan Maklumat.
http://www.petitiononline.com/foiMsia/petition.html

Kenyataan prinsip yang tertera dalam petisyen tersebut ialah hasil sebuah seminar kebangsaan tahun lalu (berita Bernama dapat dibaca di sini:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/printable.php?id=95884).

Terima kasih.

Yang benar,
Chuah Siew Eng
Penyelaras ‘Outreach’
Pusat Kewartawanan Bebas
www.cijmalaysia.org

Among the aims of the enactment of Freedom of Information Act in Malaysia would be :

1. Principle of Maximum Disclosure

   The government should pass a comprehensive freedom of information law based on the right to information which establishes the principle of maximum disclosure.

   Access to information is a basic necessity and right, not a luxury, indispensable to the aim of Malaysia to become an information society. The right to information is relevant to all members of society and their concerns.

2. Promotion of Open Government

   Public bodies should be required to make adequate provision for training of their officials on the application of the freedom of information law. In addition, the administrative body with responsibility for oversight of the law should be given a mandate and adequate resources to provide central training resources and support.

   Public bodies should be required to adopt procedures to maintain records in an orderly fashion.

   The law should make it a criminal offence to obstruct access to information wilfully, including by destroying or altering documents, or by providing incomplete disclosure.

3. Secrecy Laws and Practices

   The freedom of information law should prevail in case of conflict between it and any secrecy law. All secrecy provisions in other laws and guidelines should be reviewed, amended and /or repealed within three years or they should lapse. In this regard, the Official Secrets Act, 1972 should be prioritised, as a matter of urgency.

Those who have signed included former Malaysiakini journalist who is currently a columnist Fathi Aris Omar, theSun political journalist Jacqueline Ann Surin, Kakiseni editor Phang Khee Teik, young commentators Chang Lih Kang and Yong Khai Ping, Orang Asli activist Colin Nicholas (some said is the live in partner of The Star’s Joceline Tan) as well as Ketua Biro IT Angkatan Muda, Bob Kee…

From Utusan Malaysia… during MM Lee’s trip to KL recently.

Edaran akhbar perlu dilonggar

SINGAPURA 29 April - Bekas PM Singapura, Lee Kuan Yew mencadangkan agar Malaysia dan Singapura melonggarkan sekatan terhadap edaran akhbar antara satu sama lain yang dikenakan sejak 30 tahun lalu.

“Kita membaca akhbar Indonesia. Kita sepatutnya dapat membaca akhbar Malaysia,” kata Kuan Yew.

Singapura dan Malaysia mengenakan sekatan ke atas pengedaran akhbar antara satu sama lain pada 1960-an berikutan tuduhan bahawa kedua-dua pihak cuba mempengaruhi urusan politik di negara jirannya.

I hope this MM Lee’s suggestion can be realised. I am eager to see if there will be a change in the way they manipulate the mass media, which I don’t expect anyway.

I always tend to think that there’s consensus between Umno and PAP. They allowed themselves to demonise each other in their own country, to stimulate nationalism in order to cling on to power forever.

A case of point was when PAP potrayed itself as the savior of Malay Singaporeans a few years back, by citing in their newspapers a comparison which showed that in Malaysia, only 40% of Malay youths complete secondary school (who would believe anyway), it created an uproar in Malaysia.

To pacify Umno, then Minister of Community Development and Sports, Mr. Abdullah Tarmugi (or was it a deputy minister, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim ?) was sent to KL to explain it, which was justified as merely PAP’s tactic to fish for support from within, and wasn’t meant to conteng KL’s face. Umno ministers accepted his explanation. “Domestic consumption”, they call it.

See ? Umno allows PAP to demonise them, because they too do it occassionally, the other way round. I told Malaysiakini’s James Wong and Hakam’s Elizabeth Wong my theory too.

Would the readers be confused ? Perhaps not. After all, people in Temasek and Johor Bahru are already swallowing propaganda from both sides everyday through TV. In Temasek, you get at least TV 1 and 2, which Singaporeans call RTM 3 and RTM 10. They are used to it and life goes on. There’s no war to be expected.

If the same happens to print media, I will at best just be amused by the jokes churning out by Umno and PAP everyday, trying to topple each other. If Rajan really dies because of this, al-fatihah

We may soon be able to see The Straits Times. But Pas and Malaysiakini are still waiting for their permits for Purnama and Malaysiakini print edition after 4 or 5 years, thanks to Pak Lah…