No other Chinese New Year with such a blizzard of conversational topics and talking points


Probably in no other Chinese New Year since Merdeka has there been such a blizzard of conversational topics and talking points, from hot-oven scandals like:

  • the two missing jet engines disappearing all the way to Uruguay;

  • a multi-billion ringgit submarine that cannot dive;

  • Robin-Hood blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s son’s trial and tribulations in Sungei Buloh prison;

to perennial subjects like

  • the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal still awaiting the prosecution of “big fishes”;

  • who killed DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock who went willingly to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters on July 15, 2009 and came out as a corpse the next day;

  • when MACC will break its apron-strings to its political masters making it the catspaw of Umno/BN political agenda to declare war on Pakatan Rakyat instead of declaring war on corruption;

  • Malaysia’s unchecked plunge down the slope of decreasing international competitiveness accompanied by avoidance of FDI and flight of domestic capital;

  • approaching anniversary of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia slogan and concept dogged by the worst politicking of race and religion in recent years, spearheaded by none other than the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno media Utusan Malaysia;

  • the difficult birth of Najib’s Malaysia.2 new economic model with the continuing and even worsening crisis of brain drain, demonstrating that Najib’s administration lacks the political will for the government transformation to win the international competition for talents needed to successful free Malaysia from the middle-income trap and catapult to a high-income country.

And on the political front, the perennial political persecution and trials of Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; the false light at the end of the tunnel for restoration of national and international confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary highlighted by the 5-0 Federal Court decision on the two Perak Mentri Besar case and the escalation of Umno/Barisan Nasional conspiracy to cause the disintegration of Pakatan Rakyat.

More problems have been created than resolved even before the end of first year in office of Najib as Prime Minister.

This is not good sign either for Najib as Prime Minister or the country.

  1. #1 by k1980 on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 11:14 am

    Reagen— “Trust, but Verify”

    In Altan’s case, “C4, but Deny”.

    In TBH’s case, “Chuck out the window, but Deny”.

    In Kugan’s case, “Wallop, but Deny”.

  2. #2 by negarawan on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 11:19 am

    Let the whole world realize that the UMNO’s 1Malaysia is purely a political gimmick to whitewash the eyes of Malaysians and other countries of all UMNO’s past and current racist and instigations of racial and religious tensions. Right minded Malaysians and foreign leaders are not easily duped by the lies and denial of UMNO leaders. Let right minded Malaysians unite and vote for the demise of UMNO for the sake of the future of our country and next generations!

  3. #3 by Dipoh Bous on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 11:21 am

    Let’s just hope that the year of the golden tiger will see some real positive changes to our beloved country.

    Selamat bercuti every one.

  4. #4 by Bigjoe on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 11:26 am

    Najib’s plan, based on seemingly tackling corruption and improving economics while pandering the ultra of his party, on the surface seem logical to Badawi’s own failure to paint a glorious brush of liberty and then failing to deliver none.

    But its not turning out well. He has made marginal improvement economics and corruption measures has been unconvincing in the face of big scandals. Despite pandering to the ultras, they are still threatening to split off and buidling opposition to him.

    In other words, Najib which made a career of avoiding disaster and squeezing through opportunities, find that every turn he takes he faces headwinds.

    Despite the strings of hot topics this CNY, the truth is Najib is not really much worst than when he started. If he does not change anything substantially which is his entire career, will he be in trouble? There is no obvious reason to believe that.

    In other words, PR still need another trigger, for things to go very wrong for UMNO/BN if its to win Putrajaya. The likes of Perkasa won’t do it, at least I don’t think they are foolish enough.

    There still need another major trigger for PR to take Putrajaya. Anwar jailing OR release is not going to do it. The ultras have to do the dumb thing again, get caught with their pants down..

  5. #5 by dawsheng on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 11:34 am

    Well, all is not well in the year of Tiger for Malaysia.

  6. #6 by k1980 on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 12:14 pm

  7. #7 by Bigjoe on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 12:37 pm

    One hot topic. Nor Mohammad political secretary held by MACC. Nor Mohammad says he is disappointed.

    Looks like they want to make example of the guy. Poor sod. If they let him hang out to dry, PR better mine him for information about his bosses. Nor Mohammad is just as dirty as best.

  8. #8 by Godfather on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 1:08 pm

    Submarine cannot dive – no big deal.
    F5E engines stolen and sold in international market – no big deal.
    TBH death – no big deal.
    PKFZ – no big deal.
    Al lah controversy – no big deal.
    Perak power grab – no big deal.
    Anwar injustice – no big deal.

    2010 is the year of no big deals. No wonder the thieves are running scared.

  9. #9 by negarawan on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 1:16 pm

    On Yakcop’s political secretary, wherever there is UMNO, there is corruption! Many UMNO MPs who converted “last minute” to PKR or DAP in the last GE because they realize the political wave against UMNO was too great. However, their corrupt and racist UMNO traits remained with them, and their agenda remains to enrich themselves first. Such examples as Zahrain who form RM2 company to milk multimillion value contracts are typical of UMNO corrupt mindset. Over time, these UMNO-striped politicians must be weeded out and never give them a chance to win again. LGE did the right thing and people like Zahrain must be pressurized by their right-minded constituents to resign as MP and not play the katak-UMNO MP game to the loss of voters!

  10. #10 by a-malaysian on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 1:20 pm

    Racist umno najib is very desperate to salvage whatever little respect he has now. He will be using the old man, TM, hint that the American staged the 911 attack. The macc latest arrest of a senior minister political secretary may be one that is staged.

    Is MACC Staging Arrests To Boast Najib’s Corruption Key Target In Its National Key Results Areas (NKRAs)??

    GE 13 – Change The Federal Government No matter what, we must ensure that racist umno bn do not regain the power like they had for over the past fifty two years.

  11. #11 by sheriff singh on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 2:35 pm

    “…a multi-billion ringgit submarine that cannot dive…”.

    Here’s what I heard over the past few days.

    1. The RM 4 billion submarines come without door-hatches. These comes separately for another RM 2 billion. RB, here’s another opportunity for you!!

    2. The sub’s Chinese diving coach has gone for his CNY holidays. In the meantime, he asks the sub’s crew to practice “the float” for the next three months.

    3. The sub’s squatting toilets broke down. Like Saiful, the crew developed acute constipation and some have “let go” indiscriminately. They are now floating, waiting for Ah Long, the plumber.

    4. They cannot get Aastro once they dive. They want to watch AF7 and AI.

    5. Hey, that’s not a sub. That’s a Malaysian floating scorpion lameduck.

    6. The “down” gear not working.

  12. #12 by Comrade on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 3:29 pm

    The said problems are all BN in the making outright
    Let all be informed of the nation’s plight
    May PR gets stronger and continue the fight
    Forms the next gov’t & defends the people’s right

  13. #13 by Bigjoe on Monday, 15 February 2010 - 6:51 pm

    Laughable that Nor Mohammed do a press conference to announce the man resign. He should be fired and pension taken away…

  14. #14 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 12:57 am

    D sub cannot dive bcos d big fat commission paid 2 ARB was meant 2 pay 4 d diving device
    But d hottest scandal is d no-penetration-yet-sperm-in-rectum miracle man
    Mind boggling but could only happen in 1M’sia, world famous miraculous act

  15. #15 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 2:15 am

    ///approaching anniversary of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia slogan and concept dogged by the worst politicking of race and religion in recent years, spearheaded by none other than the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno media Utusan Malaysia;/// – Kit.

    These are signs that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wanted to force Najib out of office as what he did with Tun Abdullah previously. This is not only my personal view but also the recent comments of several political observers.

  16. #16 by Comrade on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 7:27 am

    “no-penetration-yet-sperm-in-rectum miracle man” #14 by boh-liao
    Well, well-this is no miracle man, this is the greatest magic show on earth so far. Even David Copperfield is clueless. But every magic has its secret. We have to break the magical code of this greatest magic show of Bolehland. When will this magic biggest secret be finally revealed? Definitely on GE 13 if PR is the winner.

  17. #17 by Black Arrow on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 8:40 am

    This Chinese New Year all my relatives were saying that 1Malaysia and BN are not credible. PR should capitalise on this by harping on the fact that BN has failed to combat corruption.

  18. #18 by negarawan on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 9:02 am

    “The Malaysian Government, through Wisma Putra, will explain the “real situation” to the Australian MPs who had called for the sodomy case against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be dropped, said the Prime Minister.”

    There is no need to “explain” anything as worldwide right-minded and civil society are intelligent enough and understand well that the Malaysian judiciary is controlled by corrupt UMNO. We hope and pray that UMNO and the Malaysian judiciary will come under intense international pressure and some kind or embargo for unjustly protecting UMNO criminals and for prosecuting innocent people and failing to uphold justice. May UMNO fall flat on its face in the next GE! The reason we see many desperate measures taken by UMNO politicians to discredit DAP and PKR is mainly because of their fear that they will be prosecuted Nurenberg style for their massive crimes and corruption should they lose the next GE. Right minded Malaysians will continue to support PR!

  19. #19 by ChinNA on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 9:06 am

    Granted that things are not good. But is PR a ready alternative to BN?

    I have yet to see a shadow cabinet in place.

    Apart from Kelantan and Penang, is PR winning the people in Selangor? Perak is lost for now.

    What is happening in Kedah?

  20. #20 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 9:10 am

    YES, this Lunar NY period is the right time 2 remind all relatives n friends 2 register as VOTERS n 2 prepare 4 d next GE
    Discuss how Umno B/BN hv ruined d nation n brought shame n hardship to nonBN ppl
    Talk abt corruption – a political sec can amass so so much $$$, properties, cars, etc
    While most Malaysians of all races n origins r struggling 2 lead decent lives
    Talk abt ALL recent bad, bad happenings in 1M’sia n d judiciary system
    God, Allah, violent attacks on places of worship, deaths of innocent ppl in custody
    WHAT has happened 2 TBH’s 2nd autopsy report?
    His baby almost comes, report no come, how come?

  21. #21 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 9:35 am

    Tong, tong, tong, chian! Wisma Putra will ask Sh!tful 2 stage a tiger show 4 Australian MPs 2 convince n educate them dat mee sodo II is real n sedap, not a US-made avatar
    He will demonstrate how, without any visible sign of penetration, a needle-like phallus enters his arshole n injects cute little warm spermi in his rectum
    He will also demonstrate d art of no pan sai 4 2 days n keeping d little spermi happy mixing with his sai 4 a couple of days in his rectum, waiting 2 b swabbed n discovered
    This is d greatest show on Earth – how a reluctant resent-2-b-poked young man got skrewed by a weak-back old man WITHOUT any physical evidence of penetration of d hole
    Old man got scud missile ah? Or young man’s arshole can open wide like Mulu Caves, scud missile in n out so fast left no sign of penetration? – Karpal, b warned

  22. #22 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 10:20 am

    Nor Mohamed Yakcop’s political secretary, Hasbie Satar, in his late 30s, resigns
    No reason was given for his resignation.
    Ha, ha, ha – love it, NO REASON given! Dat’s a bloody good reason lah
    Last Thursday, a political secretary was encountered counting his bundles of joy, cash in bundles of RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100 notes totalling about RM2mil
    Maybe he was abt 2 transform into Cai Sheng Yeh 2 shower political toads with $$$$$

    Meanwhile, fellow citizens of 1M’sia, THINK n ASSESS d situation
    NM Yakcop is in charge of d Economic Planning Unit n was Second Finance Minis­ter
    Is it reasonable his pol sec is ULTRA MEGA RICH
    while nonUmno B Malays remain POOR
    N nonMalays kena BLAMED 4 nonUmno B Malays remaining poor

  23. #23 by sotong on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 11:05 am

    Decades of distorted sense of entitlements.

  24. #24 by lopez on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 12:22 pm

    you people are not honest, there are more than that…as if those are taboooooo like must we continue to pay to create our daily traffic jams in the city.

    what ! ..you disagree…just because it is not align to the idea on FAIR distribution of country wealth.

  25. #25 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 1:51 pm

    ///But d hottest scandal is d no-penetration-yet-sperm-in-rectum miracle man/// – #14 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 – 12:57 am.

    Just to explain a little on this “miracle” bit.

    By 377B of Penal Code (for which Anwar was charged), “carnal knowledge” (a euphemism for the sex act) against “the order of nature” with any man, woman or animal is criminal.

    Against “the order of nature” means a sex act like anal/oral sex in which there is no possibility of conception of human beings. This is because the whole idea of sex is to conceive (not just to enjoy) (We are reminded here of the Injunction in Genesis 9:1 “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth; and Genesis 9:7 “As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”)

    Naturally “penetration” is deemed key ingredient to prove “carnal knowledge” having taken place!

    For all the talk of gender equality and equality before the law supposedly enshrined in our Federal Constitution, this insistence to prove “penetration” imposes compulsory heterosexuality in strange selective way: it penalises “unnatural” sex act between homosexual males only but leave out/exempt entirely the sex act between lesbian females and maybe even transgender/travestites (pondan) between whom natural penetration is not deemed possible.

    Having regard to the fact that benefit of doubt is always given (as a standard in criminal cases) to the person accused, and penetration is such an important decisive element to prove “carnal knowledge”, it does seem strange that prosecution of Anwar still proceeds in the face of the two medical reports from Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Hospital Pusrawi suggesting that there was no anal penetration of his accuser, Saiful.

    It is assumed here that prosecutors however take the position that semen samples can still prove unnatural carnal activity.

    But how do semen samples prove penetration? At best DNA evidence from semen samples help to establish who has done the penetration after the fact of penetration has first been proven! This does not mean that they (semen samples) can by themselves prove the prerequisite element of penetration having taken place. This is because semen can be procured or transported in more ways other than by the result of penetration including in sodomy. Just like if there are no semen, does it mean there’s no penetration when such penetration was perpetrated via condom (disposed safely without trace)?

    By way of analogy, is not a man’s claim that he has been sodomised [where there is no evidence of penetration but evidence of semen] something akin to that of a man claiming that he has been inflicted grievous wounds without offering evidence of wounds on his body, but just having blood stains on his body???

    This is one of the interesting conversational talking point this New Year .

  26. #26 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 2:29 pm

    The Bill Clinton-Paula Jones/Monica Lewinsky case has reference. Monica kept as treasure her famous – or rather infamous – semen-stained blue dress that she subsequently handed over to Ken Starr’s investigation into her relationship with Bill Clinton…There was semen but Bill Clinton gave his deposition (sworn statement) in the Paula Jones case in which he said he had never had “sexual relations” with Monica Lewinsky. When the House of Representatives moved to impeach Clinton for perjury (ie making false statements on oath that he had no sexual relations with Paula Jones/Monica, Bill Clinton said he did not lie because of his definition of “sexual relations” of being that which involved vaginal penetration leading to the possibility of human conception (in sense as stated in , in the absence of which all other intimate physical expressions not amounting to this “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” principle were not considered “sexual relations” as he understood the definition/meaning of the word! When asked about what Lewinsky testified that she performed fellatio on him, Bill’s lawyers said that Lewinsky being the actor could have been having sex with him while at the same moment, he being passive recipient, was not having sex with her. Does not this show that the law is such a wonderfully intricate device beyond the rest of us not so initiated in its various interpretations??

    Which underscores the importance of the judge’s discretion to decide whichever way he
    he so inclines – because whichever way for or against any party that the judge inclines, he can find a reason to support that particular position!

  27. #27 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 2:33 pm

    ooops (in sense as stated in Genesis…)

  28. #28 by k1980 on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 2:40 pm

    Had a political secretary of any PR politician been caught with RM 2 million in a room, the macc would had arrested him TOGETHER with that politician!

  29. #29 by ekans on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 5:04 pm

    There’s also that KPDNHEP proposed plan by May 1st this year to have petrol sold at subsidized prices for the people who are supposedly eligible for it, and at non-subsidized prices for people who are supposedly not eligible for it. How the govt is going to come up with a really workable system to identify those who are eligible and those who are not eligible for petrol subsidies, remains unconfirmed. My concern is that there could be people, who are not eligible to buy petrol at subsidized prices, will come up and start arguing with petrol station personnel to let them buy petrol at subsidized prices, which may start tempers to flare up, resulting in fights and possible unrest.

  30. #30 by Loh on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 9:55 pm

    ///Against “the order of nature” means a sex act like anal/oral sex in which there is no possibility of conception of human beings///

    According to the above definition, using condom in sex is also against the order of nature. If that is not so, there cannot be any order of nature as far as sex is concerned. What is done between two consenting adults has no business for the government to be concerned of.

  31. #31 by TheWrathOfGrapes on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 10:17 pm

    /// #26 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 – 2:29 pm

    The Bill Clinton-Paula Jones/Monica Lewinsky case has reference. Monica kept as treasure her famous – or rather infamous – semen-stained blue dress that she subsequently handed over to Ken Starr’s investigation into her relationship with Bill Clinton…There was semen but Bill Clinton gave his deposition (sworn statement) in the Paula Jones case in which he said he had never had “sexual relations” with Monica Lewinsky. ///

    Yeah right. Bill Clinton gave his deposition – and they were deposited all over Lewinsky’s blue dress.

    Bill’s excuses for pleading “no sex act” is stretching things a bit. Like his earlier defence of his pot smoking days when he was a student at Oxford – “I did smoke pot, but I did not inhale.”

    So, with Monica, his excuse was “I did have sex-which-is-not-quite-sex, but I did not impale.”

    Teflon Bill indeed.

  32. #32 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - 11:44 pm

    ///What is done between two consenting adults has no business for the government to be concerned of./// – Loh per posting #30.

    Thats the position – and ought to be the position – of a modern secular government!

    However our laws are based on English law which in turn is derived from ecclesiastical laws. The law against unnatural sex is not actively enforced precisely because it is archaic but the fact that it remains in the books means that it can be rer-activated selectively for cases where sodomy accompanies rape or other violent expressions/criminal acts or for political purposes.

    The prohibition of unnatural sex has theological roots especially from the Ahrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). (Genesis 9.1 and 9.7 have reference).

    That is why the Catholic Church has a dilemma: its against the use of condom. As far as I know the Vatican has not budged its opposition against use of condoms.

    However it is also against the spread of the deadly HIV/Aids. So it has difficulty to reconcile. The Catholic bishops of South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland categorically regard the widespread and indiscriminate promotion of condoms as an immoral and misguided weapon in our battle against HIV/AIDS for the following reasons. The use of condoms goes against human dignity. Condoms change the beautiful act of love into a selfish search for pleasure-while rejecting responsibility. Condoms do not guarantee protection against HIV/AIDS. Condoms may even be one of the main reasons for the spread of HIV/AIDS. This position is of course not agreed to by the medical or scientific community.

    Likewise religious authorities are also opposed to and have condemned masturbation or coitus interruptus (besides unnatural sex) for the same reason : neither facilitates conception and human reproduction!

    As a matter of interest the Biblical Book of Genesis speaks of Onan, the second son of Judah. This is from Wikipedia : “According to the text, after God (Yaweh) had killed Onan’s older brother Er, Judah (Onan’s father) asked Onan to have sexual intercourse with Er’s wife Tamar and impregnate her, the widow of Er, so that the child or children could be declared to be Er’s heir(s). Onan had sex with Tamar, but performed coitus interruptus each time, spilling his “seed” (semen) on the ground, so that there would not be any offspring which he could not claim as his own. The passage states that this displeased God, who killed Onan as his punishment.” Wasting the semen is (in theological terms) sin. It is noteworthy that the word onanism which is a synonymn to the word masturbation is etymologically derived from the name, Onan.

  33. #33 by lopez on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 - 9:53 am

    So predictable….if tomorrow’s headline …tells us that some big person’s bicycle has been stolen..i think most malaysians would be talking about it.

    read all about it ..

  34. #34 by dagen on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 - 11:04 am

    Why our sub is not diving? They forgot the secret code. Its an oral instruction. This is above top secret boys. Let me share it here with everyone. And the secret oral code that they forgot is:

    “down boy down” X 2.

    “the difficult birth of Najib’s Malaysia.2 new economic model …” LKS

    I like this expression by LKS. Difficult birth could led to brain damage. Now let us hope jib does not present us with a brain dead economic model version 2.0.

  35. #35 by DCLXVI on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 - 2:22 pm

    In their bid to tell off those Australian MPs who had protested against Anwar Ibrahim’s ‘Sodomy 2’ trial, Mustapa Mohamed & Mohd. Shafie Apdal have implied that while such a sexual act against the course of nature may not be illegal in certain Western countries, these foreign politicians should understand that this is illegal in Malaysia and therefore, Anwar should be prosecuted.
    However, it appears that to the understanding of Mustapa & Shafie, this trial should happen just because sodomy is against the law in Malaysia, and that Anwar, their political opponent, is the accused, without considering whether evidence gathered from the preliminary investigation is enough, beyond reasonable doubt, to convict Anwar.
    The alleged victim, Saiful, said that he only lodged a police report 2 days after the alleged act. So, how can any samples taken from his medical examination after that be admissible evidence beyond reasonable doubt?
    Then, there’s the medical report that no penetration had taken place, and therefore, no such act could have taken place, but why didn’t this finding cast any reasonable doubt over the victim’s allegations in the eyes of our legal system?
    Saiful was also reported to have met with Najib, Anwar’s political rival, before he lodged the police report. Shouldn’t that show it is beyond reasonable doubt that this trial is politically motivated against Anwar?

  36. #36 by aiD_kamikuP on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 - 10:30 pm

    ///What is done between two consenting adults has no business for the government to be concerned of./// – Loh posting #30.

    Yes it is a good point, perhaps very well illustrated by an old joke that used to be circulating decades ago.

    It told the story of a man who frequently had anal penetration on his wife was eventually brought to the local balai. There, upon being questioned and interrogated by the officers led the man to make the moot retort “Depan saya punya, belakang gomen punya ka??”

  37. #37 by ktteokt on Thursday, 18 February 2010 - 10:51 pm

    May the Metal Tiger of 2010 together with the White Tiger which is due to arrive on March 8 grab all wrongdoers in Malaysia to clear all “garbage” in its systems!

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