Archive for February, 2013

47-Day Countdown to 13GE – Royal Commission of Inquiry into the RM100 billion losses from financial scandals in the 22-year Mahathir premiership

Yesterday, the three-day-old business news portal KiniBiz carried the report “Syed Mokhtar eyes Malaysia Airlines” by Jose Barrock, reporting that Syed Mokhtar Albukhary is proposing to the federal government to take over national investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s 69.3 per cent equity interest in Malaysia Airlines which includes as part of the deal a long-term fuel subsidy by the government for as many as 60 years.

Malaysians await the full disclosure of this latest development in the byzantine government-corporate nexus, with a “source close to Syed Mokhtar” denying that there is such a proposal to take over MAS with “two separate sources” confirming that such a deal is being contemplated.

This report has, however, brought to the fore as priority issues in the impending 13th General Elections public concerns about good governance in Malaysia whether about past financial scandals arising from privatisation as a whole and specifically about the ailing national airline; Syed Mokhtar’s far-flung business empire and his mega-debts creating genuine fears whether they will require a massive bailout using taxpayers’ money and the history of corruption, cronyism and abuses of power in the long list of bailouts of Umnoputras at the public expense in the past few decades.

The 13th General Elections is the most appropriate time to revisit these issues of public concern about accountability, transparency and good governance.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Investigate Malaysia’s debts now

By Pak Sako | Thursday, 21 February 2013 11:34
CPIASIA

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad claimed last week that Malaysia’s current debt level is “healthy” compared with Greece’s.

But the debt-to-GDP percentage Mahathir relied on tells next to nothing about the full extent of Malaysia’s debts; the nature of these debts; or what can happen next.

The real devil lies in the details, namely:

(i) the trend in the debt level.

How has it changed in the recent past? Is there momentum in a certain direction? The federal government’s debt had doubled in just four years from 2007 and 2012. Will it stop growing, or will the trend and absolute totals continue their upward rise?

In the last decade, our finance ministers have repeatedly pledged to reduce the budget deficits. This has not happened. Instead, deficits have ballooned and the federal government’s debt has mounted.

(ii) the causes of debt.

For what are the borrowings and for whom? Are these borrowings for worthwhile investments that benefit the public? Are these liabilities being used to cover government operating costs or to prop up failing crony companies or the stock market? Is the use of costly loans for projects with low or no rates of return justified?

Almost a trillion ringgit was recently whisked out of the country in the form of illegal outflows. This is capital flight. It is conclusive evidence that our economy is ‘leaking out’ wealth.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Has the Defence Minister Gone AWOL?

By Martin Jalleh

Lahad Datu Standoff 2013

15 Comments

When is Najib going to put aside his daily campaigning for 13GE and pay regular visits to meet with people in Lahad Datu to ensure quick resolution of the stand-off with Sulu intruders entering its third week

I welcome the visit of the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and his Cabinet entourage to Felda Sahabat 16 in Lahad Datu yesterday to get first-hand view of the stand-off between the Malaysian security forces and the self-proclaimed Royal Army of Sulu.

This is one of the objectives of my visit to Felda Sahabat 16 in Lahat Datuk two days ago, together with the Sabah DAP elected representatives, including DAP Sabah State Chairman and Sabah State Assemblyman for Sri Tanjong, Jimmy Wong Sze Phing, State Vice Chairman Frederick Fung, State Secretary Dr. Edwin Bosi, State Publicity Secretary Chan Foong Hin, MP for Kota Kinabalu Hiew King Cheu, DAP National Assistant Organising Secretary, Vincent Wu.

Our visit to Lahad Datu on Feb. 20 has the following objectives:

  • fact-finding mission to ascertain the actual situation on the ground with regard to the standoff;
  • to understand the concerns and anxieties of the local population;
  • show solidarity with the people in Lahad Datuk affected by the stand-off; and
  • send clear and categorical message to the Federal and Sabah state governments, in particular the Prime Minister and the Sabah Chief Minister, to give priority to the stand-off to ensure a speedy resolution because of the manifold problems it has created for the Sabah people.

I am glad that we have achieved this objective as far as the Sabah state government is concerned, for immediately on the following day of our visit, the Sabah Chief Minister and his Cabinet entourage had visited Felda Sahabat 16 to get a briefing at the General Operations Force (GOF) security post there. Read the rest of this entry »

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48-Day Countdown to 13GE: Najib is heading towards setting a third record as Malaysian Prime Minister in order to avoid a fourth record as the last UMNO/BN Prime Minister fulfilling the “RAHMAN” prophecy

The 12th Parliament is supposed to be dissolved today for the 13th General Elections to be held, with nomination on March 16 and Polling on March 30.

But February 22 has come and will go without any dissolution of Parliament, with the speculation on the critical dates of dissolution shifted to between March 15 – 21 with polling in the first or second week of April (with the bets on the second week so that many out-of-state Chinese voters would not cast their votes as they are not expected to return to their hometowns after returning in the first week for the annual Qing Ming festival or All Souls’ Day which falls on April 5).

I was first informed of the February 22 dissolution of Parliament on January 9 after a high-level meeting of the Prime Minister’s political strategists in Putrajaya on the same day, and in the ensuing five weeks, it became an increasingly speculated date to become the “hottest” date for dissolution for the 13GE.
But clearly with one blunder after another, Datuk Seri Najib Razak just lack the confidence to be ready for the 13th General Elections and to be able to pass the Mahathir test formulatedf by the former Prime Minister on January 31 this year.

It was at the 15th Malaysia Strategic Outlook Conference that the former and longest-serving Prime Minister who has emerged to be the real power behind the UMNO throne publicly formulated the “Mahathir test” for Najib in the 13GE – that it is not good enough for Najib just to win and that he should step down and give way to Deputy UMNO President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Prime Minister if UMNO/Barisan Nasional only scores a slim majority in the 13th GE, without regaining a comfortable two-thirds parliamentary majority for Barisan Nasional.

But until the Chinese New Year on February 10, with the multi-million ringgit Psy and Gangnam Style coup for Penang BN CNY on February 11, Najib was still supremely confident that he was ready for February 22 dissolution of Parliament.

This Psy and Gangnam coup however proved to be a dud and counter-productive, as the Psy Appearance in Penang was not only a failure, its adverse repercussions were nation-wide as illustrated by the lukewarm response Najib received when he tried to make history as the first Prime Minister to attend the Dong Zong Chinese New Year Open House six days after the Psy Effect. Read the rest of this entry »

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Come Election Day

By Allan CF Goh

Come Election Day

If this election
Sees the racists’ foul return,
Blame ourselves for that,
For the nation’s tragic turn.
Let’s walk with heads high,
Clean up the nation’s fester;
Show the whole wide world,
Malaysians can do better!
Malaysia is us: Read the rest of this entry »

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Tanda Putera a double-edged sword

By Carrie Rina | 12:13PM Feb 21, 2013
Malaysiakini

FILM REVIEW Despite the cabinet deciding against airing the controversial Tanda Putera film until after the next general election, the leader of the same cabinet, Najib Abdul Razak, appears keen on showing it to selected segments of the Malaysian populace.

The reason is likely that the film is a double-edged sword, serving as an effective propaganda tool for one community – but which may well offend the other communities.

While both the Malays and Chinese are depicted in the film as turning on each other during the May 13 riots, the Chinese were often characterised as the aggressors.

The film opens with a group of Chinese, who appear to be Communist sympathisers, attacking a party worker, abd calling for the 1969 general election to be boycotted.

The victim was later revealed to be an Umno member, for news flash with the headline: ‘Umno party worker killed’ is shown.
Read the rest of this entry »

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After the gamble with the Chinese, Najib deals the racial card!

By Martin Jalleh

After the gamble with the Chinese, Najib deals the racial card!

7 Comments

Stand Up, Be Counted

By Allan CF Goh

Stand Up, Be Counted

When those good men fail
to stand up against foulness,
they reduce themselves,
surrender their true greatness.

Let’s stand up against
the politics of evil,
that spawn policies,
in league with the foul devil.

Make Malaysia fair!
Free it from all corruptions;
let’s have a nation,
freed from racist erruptions.
Read the rest of this entry »

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49-Day Countdown to 13GE: Najib has presented me with a dilemma – is the Election Integrity Pledge worth signing when the Prime Minister can sign it with such aplomb, contempt and cynicism?

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has presented me with a dilemma – is the Election Integrity Pledge proposed by Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) worth signing when Najib could sign it with such aplomb, contempt and cynicism after his four-year premiership witnessed corruption in Malaysia plunging to its worst depths in the nation’s 56-year history.

In Najib’s four years as Prime Minister, Malaysia’s Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) plunged to its lowest rankings in the past 18 years, i.e. No. 56 in 2009 and 2010, No. 60 in 2011 and No. 54 in 2012, as compared to Malaysia’s No. 23rd ranking in the first TI CPI in 1995, No. 37th placing in 2003 when Tun Dr. Mahathir stepped down as Prime Minister after 22 years of authoritarian and corrupt rule and No. 47 ranking in 2008 after five years of Tun Abdullah’s “Mr. Clean” premiership.

It is incontrovertible and undeniable that corruption under Najib’s four-year premiership is the worst under any Prime Minister in the nation’s 56-year history, as apart from being worse than the Mahathir and Abdullah eras, no one has ever suggested that corruption under the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein were ever more serious than under their successors.

What makes a meaningful signing of the TI-M’s Election Integrity Pledge even more questionable is the presence of the Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who had put Malaysia on the international radar of anti-corruption campaigns after the allegations in the ground-breaking and explosive report by the Swiss-based NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) last September which estimated the assets of Taib Mahmud’s family at US$21 billion (RM64 billion), with the wealth of Taib himself put at a whopping US$15 billion (RM46 billion) making him Malaysia’s richest man outstripping tycoon Robert Kuok who has US$12.5 billion. Read the rest of this entry »

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Where’s the logic, Hisham?

Calvin Kabaron | February 21, 2013

Free Malaysia Today

If the current soft ‘handling’ of the incursions by armed Filipinos into Lahad Datu is any measure, then it is clear that Sabahans’ safety is inconsequential to the federal government.

COMMENT

It’s ironical how promptly Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein ordered the arrest and deportation of Australian Senator Nick Xenophon while 100 armed Filipinos in military fatigue were being handled with kid gloves by the police and Special Branch officers because they had “links” in Sabah.

Xenophon arrived solo and unarmed but was considered a security threat. But in Lahad Datu, some 100 “soldiers” from the alleged Royal Sultanate of Sulu Army who were armed with “M-14, M-16, M203 and Armalite assault rifles” were considered friendly, “not militants” and “not a threat”.

These armed Filipino bandits landed in Sabah claiming ownership of the land on behalf of their Sulu Sultan.

In any other country, the Home or Internal Security Minister would have been at the site of the incursion the moment it was known. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Chinese Owe BN Nothing

By Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysiakini

Najib the vendor of half-baked spin was at it again a few days ago when he said the Chinese owed their success to Barisan Nasional (BN).

At a 1Malaysia open house, he said BN formulated good policies and ensured there was harmony in the country and an environment that “allowed the Chinese to make a good living”.

Najib had the cheek to say this.

He of course wants the Chinese to be thankful to BN and therefore vote for the coalition at the upcoming general election. But his half-baked spin completely ignores the other side of the story.

For instance, the Chinese also owe it to BN that they became second-class citizens in their own country because of BN’s discriminatory policies – and, let’s not forget, practices.

As a result, the Chinese have to work harder to succeed. To get places in Malaysian public universities. To have their children score the highest number of As and still not get accepted to do, say, Medicine in these institutions. And therefore be forced to send them overseas, at much higher cost.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Tweets from the government’s standoff with 150 Sulu intruders in Lahad Datu

Tweets from @limkitsiang

On fact-finding mission on 12day standoff w some 100 intruders claiming 2b Royal Sulu Army w JimmyWong Edwin HiewKC FredFung ChanHK Wu etc
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 12:43

Not only Sabahans Msians v concerned abt standoff in Kg Tanduo (13km away but sealed off by police) LahatDatu n Bandar Cenderawasih ppl too
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 12:57

This is bcos nation’s sovereignty n security undermined by intrusion/standoff – not what Hishammuddin said yesterday, yet 2b threatened!
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 13:16

Y has Najib not visited LahadDatu 2highlight Fed govt’s seriousness 2resolve issue speedily? Shd even convene emergency Parliament on issue!
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 13:20

Also convene urgent Sabah State Assembly. Najib shd direct Home/Defence Ministers 2give regular briefings 2update MPs/Sabah SAs on updates
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 14:25

Intrusion/standoff poor reflection on security capabilities when every year MPs approved tens of billions of RM 4 Home/Defence ministries
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 14:32

How did the ragtag Suluk militants get past Msian marines, Navy Army n Police? What for 2 multi billion-RM Scorpene Submarines in Sepanggar?
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 14:38

Back 2Lahat Datu – 6hrs on road 2day n another 2hrs back 2Tawau. Then flight 2KL. LahadDatu/Sabah right 2demand Najib give top attn 2them
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:01

Bcos of info blackout on standoff, all sorts of rumours in Sabah incl baseless 1am riot 2day in KK LahadD n Keningau reported by BorneoPost
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:21

1Q – Govt acted immediately 2deport Aussie senator Xenophon as enemy of state yet helpless w 150 Sulu intruders who r x friends of state. Y?
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:43

With intrusion/12day standoff another reason why Msia has become int laughing stock, can Hisham continue 2 claim Msia safest country in SEA?
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:59

6 Comments

What happens when you put yourself under BN’s roof

by Martin Jalleh

Terengganu Stadium Roof Collapses Again by Martin Jalleh

15 Comments

Pengiraan Detik 50 Hari ke PRU13 – Cabaran untuk Najib menunjukkan bukti sejarah khayalan yang menghasut dan mengapi-apikan dalam filem 13 Mei Tanda Putera berkenaan sekumpulan belia Cina kencing pada tiang benda yang mengibarkan bendera Selangor di rumah Menteri Besar Selangor ketika itu sehingga mencetuskan rusuhan 13 Mei 1969

Saya mencabar Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak menunjukkan bukti sejarah khayalan yang menghasut dan mengapi-apikan dalam filem 13 Mei Tanda Putera berkenaan sekumpulan belia Cina kencing pada tiang benda yang mengibarkan bendera Selangor di rumah Menteri Besar Selangor ketika itu sehingga mencetuskan rusuhan 13 Mei 1969.

Perdana Menteri perlu bertanggungjawab sepenuhnya terhadap penghinaan yang amat bersifat perkauman dan tidak mengikut sejarah di dalam filem 13 Mei kerana menurut Timbalan Menyeri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Ahmad Maslan, Najib yang mengarahkan filem itu ditayangkan secara eksklusif kepada 3,000 peneroka Felda yang bertemu di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra pada Isnin lalu.

Hanya peneroka Felda yang dibenarkan menonton filem itu, yang ditayangkan selepas wartawan yang hadir diminta meninggalkan dewan.

Jurucakap filem berkenaan mendakwa filem itu dibuat berdasarkan banyak kajian, seperti mengkaji bahan-bahan yang didokumenkan dan gambar-gambar, bagi memastikan adegan-adegannya disokong oleh fakta sejarah.

Di manakah bahan dokumen dan gambar kepada insiden kencing pada tiang bendera yang mengibarkan bendera Selangor di luar rumah Menteri Besar Selangor ketika itu yang mencetuskan rusuhan 13 Mei 1969? Read the rest of this entry »

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50-Day Countdown to 13GE – Challenge to Najib to produce the historical evidence of the incendiary and seditious figment of the imagination in the May 13 film about a group of Chinese youths urinating on the flagpole bearing the Selangor flag of the then Selangor Menteri Besar’s residence provoking the May 13 riots of 1969

I challenge the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to produce the historical evidence of the incendiary and seditious figment of the imagination in the May 13 film Tanda Putera about a group of Chinese youths urinating on the flagpole bearing the Selangor flag of the then Selangor Mentri Besar’s residence provoking the May 13 riots of 1969.

The Prime Minister must assume full responsibility for this most racist and unhistorical slur in the May 13 film, as it was Najib, according to the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Maslan, who instructed that the May 13 film be exclusively screened to some 3,000 Felda settlers meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre on Monday.

Only the Felda settlers were allowed to watch the film, which was screened after the journalists present in the hall were asked to leave.

The spokepersons of the movie had claimed that the film was based on a lot of research, such as studying documented materials and photographs, to make sure the scenes were backed by historical facts.

Where are the documented materials and photographs of such an urination incident on the flagpole bearing the Selangor flag outside the then Selangor Mentri Besar’s residence provoking the May 13 riots of 1969? Read the rest of this entry »

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BN terpaksa membuat ribuan pembohongan untuk menutup penipuan asal berkenaan kemelut “yee sang” Najib di Rumah Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina BN Pulau Pinang yang menampilkan Psy

Walaupun Ketua Polis Pulau Pinang, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi menunjukkan SMS daripada pengurus bintang K-Pop Korea Selatan Psy kepada pihak polis berkenaan ancaman bunuh terhadap bintang itu, beliau masih lagi tidak memperjelaskan kemelut “yee sang” Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib di Rumah Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina Barisan Nasional Pulau Pinang pada hari kedua Tahun Baru Cina lapan hari lalu.

Semalam, Rahim menunjukkan kepada wartawan SMS yang dihantar oleh pengurus Psy kepada polis pada Feb 10 pada 8.30PM yang menyebut: “Kami menerima ancaman bunuh yang serius yang mengatakan mereka akan menghentikan Psy apa cara sekalipun di lapangan terbang dan hotel di Pulau Pinang.”

Ketua Polis Pulau Pinang berkata polis telah mengetatkan kawalan keselamatan dengan menghantar 11 orang pegawai untuk memastikan bintang Korea itu selamat sewaktu ketibaannya pada pagi 11 Febuari.

Bagaimanapun, mengapa Perdana Menteri, mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Abdullah dan Menteri Kabinet perlu melalui kejadian memalukan dan penghinaan kerana perlu menunggu di atas pentas selama lima minit untuk Psy menyertai mereka di dalam upcara “menggaul yee sang”, kemudiannya terpaksa malu-malu turun daripada pentas apabila upacara “menggaul yee sang” tidak disempurnakan – yang dianggap petanda buruk bagi ramai orang? Read the rest of this entry »

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BN will have to tell a thousand lies to cover up the one lie about Najib’s “yee san” fiasco at the Penang BN CNY Open House featuring Psy

Although the Penang police chief, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi produced the SMS to the police on the death threat to South Korean K-Pop superstar Psy by his manager, he really did not explain the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib’s “yee san” fiasco at the Penang Barisan Nasional Chinese New Year Open House on the second day of the CNY eight days ago.

Yesterday, Rahim showed reporters the SMS which Psy’s manager sent to the police on Feb 10 at 8.30 pm which said: “We have received some serious death threats that have said they will stop PSY at all costs in airport and hotel in Penang.”

The Penang police chief said the police tightened security by assigning 11 officers to ensure the Korean superstar’s safety on his arrival the next morning on Feb. 11.

However, why had the Prime Minister, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah and Cabinet Ministers have to undergo the public embarrassment and indignity of having to wait forlornly at the stage for over five minutes for Psy to join them in the “toss yee san” ceremony, only to sheepishly leave the stage when the “toss yee san” ceremony had not been completed – which is regarded as a bad omen by many? Read the rest of this entry »

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Full weight of law must fall on Lahad Datu intruders

by Mat Zain Ibrahim
Malaysiakini
Feb 18, 2013

COMMENT

‘The Sulu Sultanate invasion of Lahad Datu.’ This is the term I consider most appropriate to define the standoff between some 100 heavily armed intruders from the now defunct Sultanate of Sulu and the Malaysian security forces in Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu.

The intruders have made clear that they are there to stay for as long as necessary and more of their kind will be joining them to claim a piece of Sabah that they perceive to belong to their ancestors.

They have also made it clear they are not going to budge, even when threatened with deportation.

If the first batch of 100 or more can infiltrate into our territories without being detected by our security forces, then their back-up forces can row their boats across easily, without any resistance as well.

There was, without any doubt, a security lapse in Sabah waters.

There wouldn’t have been an intrusion of such magnitude otherwise. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pengiraan Detik 51 Hari ke PRU13: Pengakuan terdesak terakhir Najib dalam memainkan “kad 513” dengan menayangkan filem 13 Mei yang tidak jujur dan berat sebelah kepada peneroka Felda selepas meminta wartawan pergi

Tayangan eksklusif filem berat sebelah dan tidaj jujur berkenaan 13 Mei, Tanda Putra, kepada peneroka Felda di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra semalam selepas Najib meminta wartawan meninggalkan tempat itu merupakan pengakuan terakhir Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak bahawa beliau dalam keadaan terdesak berdepan dengan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 yang tidak dapat dielakkan lagi dan kegagalan semua usahanya setakat ini untuk memenangi semula sokongan pengundi Malaysia – termasuklah kemusnahan besar inisiatif membelanjakan RM3.5 juta untuk menjemput bintang K-Pop Korea Psy ke Rumah Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina Barisan Nasional Pulau Pinang yang meninggalkan kenangan peristiwa “3 Ya untuk Psy, 3 Tidak untik BN”.

Saya terkejut apabila seorang Perdana Menteri yang telah mewujudkan “1Malaysia” sebagai dasar pengenalannya kini mengingkari Program Transformasi Nasionalnya dan mencemarkan semua anjurannya terhadap kesederhanaan dan etika sewaktu forum dalam dan luar negara dengan merestui secara rasmi kepada sebuah filem yang berniat jahat memaparkan saya sebagai orang yang bertanggungjawab terhadap rusuhan 13 Mei 1969.

Saya tidak pernah diberi peluang menonton filem itu tetapi apa yang pernah dilakukan bagi publisiti filem itu sudah pun diketahui umum. Read the rest of this entry »

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