Crocodile Tears

Crocodile tears.

The latest:

[Source]

[Source]

Previously,










[Source]

Sob! Sob!

Trick Or Treat!

Dayum, annoying kids!

AP Alloween!

3 Years On: Still "Baru 10 Minit Main Bola Sudah Mau Hukum Saya"?

TODAY marks the end of the third year in office for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Read a commentary by The Star and decide if it's a spin or not.

Reflect and refresh your memory on this historical handing-over ceremony, 3 years ago. Pay special attention on the body language and facial expression between the predecessor and successor, and compare it with now. The background music is very corny and sarcastic; it goes something like 'Aku cari bukan wang berjuta-juta'...



If you would like to leave a message to congratulate him on this, you may do so in the comments section.

If you would like to share your fond memories that you had under his three glorious years of leadership, you may also leave a comment.

p.s. This blogger is sarcastic as always.

When The Mainstream Media (MSM) Contradicts With Each Other, Can We Still Trust Them?

theSun says 'Open!'

Satay outlet may stay open for a while
by Terence Fernandez and Llew-Ann Phang

KLANG: He is an assemblyman, an Umno leader and a public figure. This is why the illegal satay outlet operated by Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros may still do brisk business for a while.
Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Abd Bakir Zin said yesterday that although numerous notices have been issued to DZ Satay House to stop operations, the decision to seal, close or demolish the structure has not been exercised.

Although MPK has every power to do so, it is awaiting the green light from Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo before action is taken.

"He is an assemblyman, an Umno leader ... so he is answerable to the MB," Abd Bakir said at his office.

He said a detailed report on the stall containing documents and information gathered will be submitted over the next few days to Mohd Khir.

There will also be a report on other issues, including the failure to pay assessment by several councillors.

Abd Bakir reiterated that the council has left the decision on the next course of action on DZ Satay House to Khir because: « Zakaria is a state assemblyman and the council respects his position; « he is the Port Klang Umno division chief, and « he was appointed as a councillor by Mohd Khir.

"The decision will have to be taken by the MB and I will make sure he reads the report and makes a decision," Abd Bakir said, adding that he wanted to follow proper procedures as the matter had become a national issue.

On a newspaper report that DZ Satay House had been sealed, Abd Bakir said: "Not sealed. We have sent several notices to stop operations as it is being run without proper approval."

Asked why the outlet was not open, he said: "They might be on holiday (masih cuti raya)."

He said the council is also waiting for Zakaria to withdraw from the councillor's post but is abiding by the time-frame of up to Nov 8, as directed by the state government.

He explained the current status: Zakaria "accepted" the position which made him a councillor, thus he has to withdraw from the position.

"Failing this, the decision to dismiss him from the position will be implemented by the state government," Abd Bakir said.

He also said the council's operations had been affected because of the delay in appointing the 2006-2008 councillors.

He said committee meetings and full-board meetings could not take place, hence the delay in drawing up policies and implementing decisions.

[Source: pg4, theSun, 31st October, 2006).

The Star says 'Closed!'

Spin! Spin! Spin!

Temples and Churches Demolition, Mobs Disrupting Forum, Mat Skodeng, Are These The Malaysian Multi-Faith Ties You Want To Learn, John Prescott?

So this sleazy, adulterous, secretary-boinking John Prescott, wants to learn from Malaysia, eh? From Bernama:



To quote:

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who met his British counterpart John Prescott here Monday, said Britain, which also has a multi-religious population, is attracted to the concept of inter-faith dialogue practised by the Malaysian government.

Prescott, on a four-day visit to Malaysia, praised the Malaysian government-initiated inter-faith dialogue which he described as a "useful tool" in maintaining good relations among the multi-racial people.

'Interfaith dialogue'? What's that? I've never heard of it. Is your blood all concentrated in your dick that you can't think properly? There NEVER was and will be an interfaith dialogue in Malaysia. We're too sensitive and thin-skinned (as claimed by your BBC correspondent), you see? You discuss something 'sensitive', BAM! WHAM! 'Social contract', 'sensitive', 'princes-of-soil rights' and 'ISA' cards will be slammed directly to your face at instance!

Perhaps you have missed out reading your news agency's article before coming to your ex-colony, eh?



So, you want to learn the 'multi-faith ties' from us, eh? Hear, mate, I have some suggestions:

1. Demolish places of worship of the minorities. That will teach them a lesson and shut them up.

2. Impose strict dressing rules to all. And that includes your police force. For women, half a breast or at least the belly button must be bared and for men, crotch-grabbing jeans are a must.

ALL women should dress like your darling, Kiera Knightley.

3. Kissing, holding hands (and shagging) should be done openly, not under closed doors and especially not behind trees. Snoop squads are a must. Force 'em to kiss in public.

4. Put your geezers, hoodies and chavs into good use. Declare them as 'glory youths' and employ them as mobs to prevent those minorities from holding forums. It's 'too sensitive', you can claim.

5. THIS IS A MUST: Shout 'This is a secular country! You don't like it, you get the hell/f*ck out of the UK' in the House of Commons'.

There, don't say that I don't give you some fruitful suggestions. Try it at home today.

Oh, here's some information on this department-stripped-off DPM :

The latest:

[Source]

His sex-scandals (Oh, in Malaysia, if a politician is caught in night-club raids, we just gag our mainstream media not to report it and if sex-scandals are involved, we just marry them and divorce the latter, you know, like...) here.

His timeline of problems this year here.

His redundancy in the UK cabinet here.

Read also related post by Shagedelica: Dear John.

John Prescott Likens Hindu Groups Building Temples As Nomadic Gypsies

Look at what he said:

Prescott said he has spoken to Najib about Hindu groups' complaints that their temples were being closed down in Malaysia.

He said Najib indicated that some of the cases were due to building permit problems.

Prescott said Britain, too, had faced such issues with gypsy groups building without permission.

[Source]

According to the Wikipedia, this is the issue they are having:

Planning issues in the UK

Recent criticism against Travellers in the UK centers on Travellers who have bought land, built amenities without planning permission, then fought eviction attempts by claiming it would be an abuse of human rights to remove them from their homes. The families applied for retrospective planning permission whilst they were living on their land. This received much media attention during the British 2005 General Election, after it was brought up by former Conservative Party leader Michael Howard.

The use of retrospective planning permission arose after the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which Michael Howard brought through the Commons, started closing down many of the sites originally provided for the community. Howard advised that Travellers should buy their own land instead and assurances were made that they would be allowed to settle it.

However, a block to Travellers' attempts to follow this advice has emerged since, with a 2003 government survey finding that 96% of Travellers who applied for planning permission to settle on their land have had permission refused, compared to figures of less than 30% for the general population. Travellers have said that unless they use the retrospective technique, the closure of the caravan sites leaves them effectively homeless and unable to settle. Support networks have also pointed out that the number of retrospective planning applications brought by Travellers is dwarfed by both commercial and settled applications.

In a spate of 2004-5 evictions, concerns were raised internationally over the treatment of Travellers, and allegations have been made of violence used in eviction attempts by publicly contracted groups, such as assault, and destruction of traveller property (e.g., burning of caravans). Dale Farm, in Basildon, Essex has become the focus of a major legal case, as the council have refused to provide alternative sites for the travellers who currently occupy the ex-waste ground.

Mr. John Prescott, first of all, the Hindus in Malaysia are not nomads like gypsies. Secondly, they are rightful citizens of Malaysia by the law and Constitution, which promises the freedom of religion and worship. Third, don't tell me that your Gypsies had built those settlements a century ago?

Please brush up on your blatant ignorance on the background of your ex-colony before visiting us!

Since his Office of the DPM has closed down since the last cabinet reshuffle, his office now is the Department for Communities and Local Government. The contact details is here. Alternatively, you may want to write to Tony Blair to tell him how you feel about his statement.

Read the background on the temple cleansing in Malaysia here.

John Prescott Is Already Britain's PM, So Spins The Star

Need I say more?

[Source]

Spin, spin, spin!

Malaysian Education Reform Forums in the UK: Do Foreign Students’ Views Matter?

Yet another forum to come out with a resolution to reform the current education system, courtesy of an e-mail received from a Little Bird.

First, a preliminary warming-up session in Cardiff:

Cardiff Regional Open Forum

“Sesi Percambahan Minda Mengenai Dasar Pelajaran & Pengajian Tinggi”

Topics to be discussed & debated:

1) Pelan Induk Pembangunan Pendidikan Di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan : Ke arah Pendidikan Berkualiti

2) Sistem Persekolahan Menghadapi Cabaran Globalisasi

3) Hala Tuju Pengajian Tinggi Negara : Di antara Realiti dan Cabaran Masa Hadapan

4) Sistem Jaminan Kualiti Negara

5) Ke arah Kecemerlangan Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Negara: Satu Pandangan Kritis


A resolution needs to be achieved as the outcome of the forum, which is:

Merangka Resolusi Ke arah Penambahbaikan dasar Pendidikan Negara

Date : Tuesday, 31st October 2006

Venue : Refactory, Trevethick Building (Engineering Building)

Time : 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Chairperson : Rashdan Harith

Contact Person

- Rashdan - 07877185607

- Ayie
- 07890655353

- Eric - 07894229886

All Malaysian students & professionals are invited.


How to get there?

1) As you reach the end of Queen’s Street, walk down Newport Road & turn left to West Grove street. Trevethick Building is on your left.

2) If you’re from the Student Union, walk down the road, and go through Senghennydd Court (ask your friend for the gate code), go across the flyover and the Trevethick Building is literally 5 minutes from there.

3) Google Earth: 51º 29’
03.38” N, 3º 10’ 09.15” W.



Everyone is highly encourage to attend this forum to voice out your our concern & opinions towards the education system in Malaysia, and means of improving it.



The outcome of the discussions & resolutions from regions all over the UK & Ireland will be submitted to UKEC, and will then be passed on to the Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Mustapa Mohamed & the Minister of Education, Dato’ Hishamuddin Tun Hussein on Thursday, 2nd of November 2006 in Nottingham.

Then, more follow-up sessions in Nottingham, with more lawatan sambil belajars by ministers and IPTA VCs, under the expenses of taxpayers' money, of course:

ATUR CARA SESI PERCAMBAHAN MINDA
MENGENAI DASAR PELAJARAN DAN PENGAJIAN TINGGI
BERSAMA PELAJAR-PELAJAR PASCA-SISWAZAH DI UNITED
KINGDOM, PERASMIAN NOTTINGHAM GAMES 2006


2 November 2006 (Khamis)
Tempat :
C14 Lecture Theatre
Pope Building
University Park Campus
University Nottingham

Tajuk Sesi Percambahan Minda

1700 - Pelan Induk Pembangunan Pendidikan Di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan : Ke arah Pendidikan Berkualiti oleh Y. Bhg. Dato' Dr. Salleh bin Hassan, Pengarah Bahagian Perancangan dan Penyelidikan Dasar Pendidikan, Kementerian Pelajaran

- Sistem Persekolahan Menghadapi Cabaran Globalisasi oleh Puan Hajah Noor Rezan Bt. Bapoo Hashim, Pengarah Bahagian Sekolah, Kementerian Pelajaran

- Sesi Soal Jawab

1823 - Solat Isyak

1900 - Makan malam


2000 - Majlis Perasmian Sesi Percambahan Minda Mengenai
Dasar Pelajaran Dan Pengajian Tinggi Bersama
Pelajar-Pelajar Pasca-Siswazah Di United Kingdom

- Ketibaan tetamu kehormat
- Bacaan doa
- Ucapan TYT Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Malaysia ke United Kingdom
- Ucapan YB Menteri Pengajian Tinggi
- Ucapan YB Menteri Pelajaran
- Perasmian Bersama oleh YB Menteri Pelajaran & YB Menteri Pengajian tinggi
- Sesi Dialog
- 2200 - Tamat sesi hari pertama

3 November 2006 (Jumaat)
Tempat:

Great Hall
Trent Building
University Park Campus
University of Nottingham

Sesi Perbincangan Panel II:

0900 - Hala Tuju Pengajian Tinggi Negara : Di antara Realiti dan Cabaran Masa Hadapan Oleh Y. Brs. Dr. Mohd. Padhil bin Hashim, Setiausaha Bahagian Perancangan dan Penyelidikan, Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi

0930 - Sistem Jaminan Kualiti Negara Oleh Y. Bhg. Dato’ Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hassan Shahabudin, Naib Canselor, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

1000 - Ke arah Kecemerlangan Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Negara: Satu Pandangan Kritis Oleh Y. Bhg. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Dzulkifli Abdul Razak Naib Canselor, Universiti Sains Malaysia

1030 - Sesi Soal Jawab

- Solat Jumaat

- Jamuan

- Solat Asar

Pembentangan Kertas Maklum Balas oleh Pelajar Pasca Siswazah

1420 - Kertas 1

1440 - Kertas 2

1510 - Kertas 3

1530 - Sesi Penggulungan 1:
Merangka Resolusi Ke arah Penambahbaikan dasar Pendidikan Negara

1640 - Solat Magrib

Minum petang


Pembentangan Kertas Maklum oleh Pelajar Pasca Siswazah

1720 - Kertas 4 :

1740 - Kertas 5:

1810 - Kertas 6:

- Solat Isyak


Sesi Penggulungan 11:
Merangka Resolusi Ke arah Penambahbaikan
Dasar Pengajian Tinggi Negara


1900 - Sesi Penggulungan II : Merangkan Resolusi ke arah Penambahbaikan Dasar Pengajian Tinggi Negara

1930 - Makan malam

2000 - Resolusi Bersama Sesi Percambahan Minda:
Dipengerusikan Bersama oleh Y.B. Menteri Pelajaran
dan Y.B. Menteri Pengajian Tinggi

2100 - Majlis Penutupan Sesi dan Penyampaian Sijil

4 November 2006 (Sabtu)
Tempat:
Sport Centre
University Park
Campus
University of Nottingham


0900 - Majlis Perasmian Nottingham Games oleh Y.B. Menteri Pelajaran

1149 - Solat Zuhur

1230 - Makan tengah hari

1401 - Solat Asar

1400 - Perjumpaan dengan pemimpin pelajar

1629 - Solat Maghrib

1830 - Penutup Nottingham Games oleh Y.B. Menteri Pengajian Tinggi

1930 - Majlis Sambutan Hari Raya

With the current climate of 'ASLI=Rubbish study', 'Kami sokong' and 'Don't question by noble intentions', do you think any opposition or radical views will be taken into account?

You want foreign views, ministers and VCs? Why not try looking at papers by your beloved PM's SIL's alma mater first, for example like this:

Lying alongside this relatively positive agenda of cultural and religious tolerance in the Moral Education curricula, however, is a rather more insidious agenda of, for want of a better term, political indoctrination. From the first year of primary school, pupils are taught that they have a moral obligation of ‘respect and loyalty (setia) for leaders, king and country’ (Ministry of Education 2000b, Tahun 1: 26). In year six, the field of ‘self-development’ contains a element dedicated to ‘gratitude’ (berterima kasih), in which pupils are taught that ‘national leaders are the pride of the people’; prescribed activities include writing ‘thank you letters’ to national leaders and writing poems on the theme of ‘the people’s support for their leaders’ (Ministry of Education 2000b, Tahun 6: 12 & 15). In form four of secondary school, under the section on ‘trustworthiness’ (amanah), pupils undertake activities themed on the slogan ‘clean, efficient and trustworthy’ (bersih, cekap dan amanah) – one of the BN regime’s main campaign slogans of the past two decades (Ministry of Education 2000a, Tingakatan 4: 10).

By secondary school, the Moral Education curriculum contains an entire field of study devoted to ‘patriotism’. Activities undertaken here include ‘discussing ways of showing gratitude to the government for its efforts to develop the nation and the people’ (Ministry of Education 2000a, Tingkatan 4: 23). In examining ‘freedom of speech’, pupils are encouraged to discuss the ‘bad effects’ (kesan buruk) of political demonstrations, clearly aimed at the massive reformist demonstrations of 1998, which were universally criticised by the compliant and fettered newspaper industry (Ministry of Education 2000a, Tingkatan 4: 30). Indeed, it is noteworthy that in a curriculum much of which is devoted to promoting the use of information technology as a learning aid, pupils are here specifically instructed to use the (government-dominated) newspaper industry as a source for their discussions, rather than the Internet, which proved to be one of the main vehicles for the dissemination of the reformist agenda (Abbott 2001; Brown 2004).

The whole education system in Malaysia was and is designed to make the students to be compliant (a very familiar word now) to the ruling government. You talk until the cows come home (for example like the Zahid Report vanishing in thin air now), it still will not change. Period.

Ammended: Try 'lihat kuman-kuman gajah-gajah (like Kit and Tony&Kian Ming) di kelopak mata sebelum lihat gajah kuman di seberang laut' first (from the Malay proverb: "Gajah di kelopak mata tak nampak, kuman di seberang laut nampak" meaning "Sweep you own backyard first").

What say you, back home there?

Come, Come, Foreign Consultancy Firms! Make Big Bucks in Inefficient Bolehland! (The Sequel)

The prequel post here.

Experiencing sloth-like service and bureaucratic red tape in gomen? Nevermind, consult Harvard.

Crackin' bridges? Nevermind, consult Halcrow.

LRT overshooting? Nevermind, consult foreign consultancy firms again.



Want to attract foreign consultancy firms? Here, I've already helped design a promotional poster.

CLP: The World's Best Kept Secret and Toughest Exam?

Apparently, there were many letters published in the MSM and the alternative media on this CLP controversy recently. Take this letter by Julian Puvenaswaran to MKini, for example:



And the latest letter, from theSun, today:

Elusive pass mark for law exam

IT was once thought that the process of appointing the leader of the Roman Catholic Church was one of the best kept secrets in the world. However, through time and people's pressing curiosity, the Church had slowly painted us a picture as to what goes on behind closed doors upon the demise of a Pope.

In Malaysia, one need not travel far to discover another best kept secret, that is, the mystery surrounding the Legal Qualifying Board Examination, more popularly referred to as the Certificate in Legal Practice or the CLP Examination.

To the uninitiated, upon a foreign law graduate passing this examination, he/she is able to practise in Malaysia as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.

I am a foreign law graduate who will be sitting for the CLP Examination for the third time next year. For the last two sittings, I consistently failed the same paper(s). Now that I am about to embark on this whole daunting and depressing process for the third time, I am still unaware as to what led me to fail the same paper twice.

My question to the Director of the Legal Qualifying Board is simple: Why the secrecy?

Why does the CLP Board find it unfathomable or difficult to do what is obvious and logically right? Don't they realise that by attaching the examiner's report to our result transcript, we are able to see where we went wrong in our answering methodology?

Probably we are not addressing the rel evant issue or that we lack the necessary skills in properly gauging the questions in the paper. But we will never know unless we can see the examiner's report, and we will foolishly keep making the same mistakes over and over again.

A lot of my peers are sitting for the exams for the third, fourth, fifth and even the sixth time. Why? Because of the passion in them in wanting to practise as a lawyer. I share a similar passion and having to face this absurd exam after completing my law degree is extremely frustrating.

How is it even remotely possible for as many as 90% of the CLP students to fail the examination this year? From such a startling statistic, are we to deduce that we aren't as smart or as intelligent as our peers in the government universities, who seem to be exiting the local universities as lawyers in such large numbers? One can't help but wonder what is truly going on.

What surprises me the most is the Bar Council's silence in all of this. As future lawyers, we hope that the Bar Council would not keep mute at a time when their voice could matter the most. I urge the practitioners and members of the council to step up and help us gain admittance into this prestigious field of study. We hope the President of the Bar Council will be our "Datuk Michael Chong" in our time of crisis.

Clearly our polluted air is not the only hazy problem that is plaguing our country.

Alex Kuala Lumpur

But spin-miester, The Star, would beg to differ. Look at what a former LLB lecturer, who co-incidentally (or pre-planned?) is the Negeri Sembilan MIC chief, had to say:

[Source]

To quote:

“There is no quota. None at all. There has been no need for that. The truth of the matter is, those who fail just do not deserve to pass. They (candidates) are just not good enough,” the sources said.

So, are you telling me that all the lawyers mainly graduated from foreign unis who sat for the test are lazy and stupid?

Malaysia, Truly Quota and Kulitfication?

Related post: World's toughest exam

Will UMNO Sack Mahathir?-The Sequel

UPDATED: It's official! They are now bringing it to the Supreme Council to plot against discuss about the sacking of Mahathir from his gomen posts.

[Source]

***

Earlier in June, Husam Musa via Malaysiakini said that UMNO will sack Mahathir to prevent him from openly critisizing Pak Lah's Family Values the government. The Taiko had also blogged about it here.

[Source]

Just look at the headlines in the Malay mainstream media today.



And most prominently, this:

[Source] or read its original English version here.

So, if I'm (or Uncle Desi) the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of a mainstream media, let's say, theSien, to carry my bosses' balls and to save my rice bowl, I would put a frontpage like this:

Uncanny resemblance to the New Straits Times and The Star is unintended.

Oh, here's Zakaria Mat Deros' contacts in case you want to ask him for tips on getting lands to build palaces and bungalows or simply if you want to add him to MySpace.

The Star Spins A Good Image For Khir Toyo. Literally.

In the midst of more revelations of CCN (corruption, cronyism and nepotism) under the BN administration and particularly in the Selangor state, it's the peak of the spinning season by the mainstream media; this time on your beloved 'Semuanya OK' leader.

[Source]

Glow on the face doesn't come cheap, dear!

Here's a quote:

“His face even glows now. When we praise him for looking good, he smiles shyly,” the staff added.

Met at a Deepavali open house last week, Dr Khir's wife Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik smiled when told how much her husband’s improved looks were drawing attention.

Asked about the secret, she merely said her husband's looks were a reflection of his “hati lapang” or happy heart.

'Hati lapang'?

or

'Tanah lapang'? (Empty land)

[Source]

Read Citizen Nades' open letter to him here.

Saw III: "You Wanna Play A Game, Jeff?"

UPDATED: OMFG! Can you believe this?

[Source]

Free publicity! The Saw makers would be extra laughing all the way to the bank, since its's already No.1 in the USA.

***

Well, this is the second time the character's name 'Jeff', appeared in a psychological thriller after Hard Candy. So in case you are looking for the other Jeff, sorry to disappoint you here.

Almost exactly one year after Saw II (reviewed here), Saw III premiered today in the UK and as always, managed to be among the first to catch this highly anticipated film yesterday.

Warning: Plot spoilers ahead.

To start things off first, as usual here's the movie poster:



The movie synopsis, from Wikipedia:

Jigsaw has vanished. Now aided by his new apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the puppet-master behind the cruel, intricate games that have terrified a community and baffled police has once again eluded capture and vanished. While city detectives scramble to locate him, Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) is unaware that she is about to become the latest pawn on his vicious chessboard. One night, after finishing a shift at her hospital, Lynn is kidnapped by the deranged Amanda and taken to an abandoned warehouse where she meets Jigsaw, a.k.a John Kramer (Tobin Bell), who's now bedridden and on the verge of death. Lynn is told that she must keep the madman alive for as long as it takes Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), another of his victims, to complete a game of his own.Racing against the ticking clock of Jigsaw's own heartbeat, Lynn and Jeff struggle to make it through each of their vicious tests, unaware that Jigsaw and Amanda have a much bigger plan for both of them.

And the movie trailer:



Written in just under a week by James Wan (Malaysian born-yeah, yet another brain drain again and you'll see The Star soon with all this 'Malaysian writes Saw III' headline) and Leigh Whannell, the sudden twist in the ending would make lame M Night Syamalan eat his humble pie. Overall the film was not too bad but not too good either, and although there is full frontal nudity, much of the audience would have been immuned with the blood and gore in the games set up big Jigsaw and oh, his apprentice, Amanda. It is definitely the better horror/thriller film this year (as Halloween approaches) as compared to the lame Grudge 2 and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. So in 4 words, I would describe the film as:

Predecessor. Successor. Revenge. Game.

Sounds familiar to you?

Filmed in a 'flashback' mode, the 'games' set up mostly by Amanda this time include Body Chains, The Ribcage Trap, Shotgun Collar, Ice Shower, Intestines Pool and The Rack (which you could read more of the details from Wikipedia). As I said earlier, these blood-guzzing, sadomasochistic 'games' are kinda pretty lame already. Basically the games are the same: You read the clues, listen to the tape recording, find a key and unlock the victim within a period before the head/leg/body blows up. You will pretty get immuned to the gory traps in Saw I and II that the movie went into a boredom phase towards the middle of it.

Not much of emphasis was put into the story of the victims and how they ended up in the 'games' to make them regret what they do, but instead the focus is on Amanda this time, which the unexpected ending involves her also. This film is not quite a sequel (continuing from the sudden twist in Saw II which Amanda is actually an apprentice of Jigsaw) and not quite a prequel (where the infamous toilet scene is shown again, in which the set was actually borrowed from Scary Movie 4, which spoofed this movie series); i.e. a bit of both. I won't give out too much details here, so you have to watch the movie yourself. Oh, and it seems there will be Saw 4.

Overall, I would rate the film as 6/10 as the blood and gore is kinda lame already but is fortunately saved by the sudden twist in the ending.

For the benefit of you in Malaysia (who will be unsure whether it will pass the censorship board), here are some scenes from the film, all from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB.

The 'Troy' scene.

Another 'Troy' scene.

You could watch a clip of the 'Troy' scene as follows:



Amanda, the apprentice with the head trap she designed.

The nekkid scene.

Yes, all full frontal glory nekkid.

The apprentice, Amanda, with her master, Jigsaw.

Revenge is a dish best served...?

Looking forward to Borat next week! Wohooo! Keep your fingers crossed for the review.

Satisfied For Being Silent

Quote of the day:

"I was a bit dissatisfied but as for giving him the opportunity to speak, I'm satisfied"

[Source]

Who's the b*tch and who's the b*tch?

* the third and fifth vowel, respectively. ;)

Karma Irony?

Karma Irony?

Doses of Venom...

UPDATED:



Read the full transcript of PM's latest interview here.

***

SSSSSSSSSSsssssssssssssss......

[Source]

After venom, gobble up?

The Malaysian Blog War of the Year Has Officially Started?

The Malaysian Blog War of the Year has officially started?

All I know that it only takes a heavyweight to tick it off...

An Elegant Spin By The Star (Not Like It's The First and Last)...

The finest spin of the day so far, credits to Mr. Paul Choo!

[Source]

In case you can't see it, let me enlarge it for you:

“I decided that I would write a short poem on how Malaysia would develop under his leadership and give it to him. He is a very dedicated man and I’ve always wanted to meet him in person,”

Since it's the pantun craze now due to a particular influential blogger, let me look into my crystal ball and (poorly) attempt the poem written by her:

Laya datang lambuk bubur,
Buat aku senyum selalu,
Malam-malam I tak boleh tidur,
Pasai mau jumpa sama lu.

Laya datang maaf zahir batin,
Polis sibuk Ops Sikap,
Lu cakap mesti serupa bikin,
Atau bikin mesti tak serupa cakap?

Lao Ma cakap lu catit buku hitam,
Boleh kongsi kah, apa macam?
TV3 lu kata minyak naik cam-cam,
Sikalang minyak turun apa macam?

I suka makan Maggi Mee,
Solilah I teruk Bee Emm,
Anak lu kasi jaga Scormi,
Menantu lu kasi jaga EeSeeEmm.

I datang sini sama mami papi,
Sangat lapar, you see?
Itu pompuan ketuk ketampi,
Lu kata No Aye Pee See Emm See.

Lapan belas point sembilan,
Atau empat puluh lima?
Itu ASLI report lu kata matyehlan*,
Tapi transparen also po-po ma ma*.

Zakaria Mat Deros bina istana,
Bersantai di pantai Melaka,
Walhal rakyat masih papa kedana,
Semua marah nak jerit 'Celaka!'.

Lundun mau bina centre for sport,
Tak mau guna untuk subsidi petrol,
CNN lu kata 'I command support'
Kenapa masih manyak kali cakap 'I'm still in control'?

Dulu lain sekarang lain,
Semua olang sikalang bodek lu,
Oil-for-food lu kasi sain,
Olang kata lu tadak malu!

* Cantonese equivalent of 'WTF?'
po-po ma ma= dilly dally.

Care to attempt? I know I don't have Chocolates for you...

An Elegant Spin By theSun/Oriental Daily?

An Elegant Spin By theSun/Oriental Daily?

Source: thesSun's frontpage 26th October, 2006

In case you are amnesiac, this is what was said last Monday:

The economy is bad. I know because a lot of Chinese business people are very unhappy. I have told Pak Lah that some of them have said they will not vote for Barisan Nasional at the next election

And here's the Eunuch leader speaking:

Ong: Don't drag in Chinese traders
by Kong See Hoh

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting says Chinese businessmen should not be dragged into the spat between Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
It is unfair to the businessmen, he said.

"We are convinced that the Chinese businessmen in Malaysia will continue to seek investment opportunities within the country and play a positive role in its economic development as they are responsible. We hope they are not dragged into the endless bickering," Ong was quoted as saying in a report in Oriental Daily News yesterday.

"We do not want to see the Chinese businessmen being dragged into the row ... we want to be fair to them."

He said that with globalisation, it is normal for the Malaysian Chinese to seek business opportunities abroad and this should not be seen as a negative development.

Ong said whatever problems they face, they would always raise them with the government through the proper forums.

"In the past, MCA and Chinese groups have discussed a lot on problems related to the economy with the cabinet, the prime minister and the ministers concerned," he said with reference to Mahathir's remark that the Chinese businessmen are unhappy with the economy.

Ong spoke to reporters while attending a Hari Raya open house hosted by the prime minister and the Muslim cabinet ministers at Putra World Trade Centre on Tuesday.

Mahathir was reported to have told a press conference on Monday, a day after his meeting with Abdullah: "The economy is bad. I know because a lot of Chinese business people are very unhappy. I told Pak Lah some of them have said they will not vote for Barisan Nasional at the next elections.

"And some of them said today they prefer to go to China to do business because there are more opportunities in China than there are in Malaysia because they don't find it easy to do business in Malaysia."

Mahathir's remarks also drew flak from Chinese community leaders who said the Chinese businessmen who venture overseas do so purely out of commercial interest and it is not a recent phenomenon as the Mahathir administration back then had encouraged Malaysian businessmen to invest abroad.

Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese Associations in Malaysia) president Datuk Seri Lim Gait Tong said it is also good for the country that Malaysians are venturing overseas as "this will enlarge the economic pie".

As for Mahathir's remark that Chinese businessmen are unhappy with the economy and some of them would not vote for Barisan Nasional in the next general election, Lim said different people may hold different views but "this is not what the Chinese would think".

Seven Major Clans Association president Datuk Ng Teck Fong said there is a slack in the economy and all people, not only the Chinese businessmen, are affected.

He said there is nothing wrong with investing in China, or where the business is, and bringing back the money. "It is not fair to only say the Chinese businessmen are not happy with the economy," he said.

Now only he knew that the Chinese are bogeymen?

Zakaria Mat Deros-Sultan Selangor: Meet or No Meet?

theSun said that he can't escape the meet with the Sultan:

Zakaria can't escape date with sultan
by Terence Fernandez

PETALING JAYA: "I can wait. No matter how long it takes, he still has to show up!"
This is the Sultan of Selangor's sentiment following the snub by Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros.

Palace sources, quoting Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's stand, said as far as the ruler is concerned, Zakaria will not be able to escape a royal ticking-off.

"The summons still stands. The onus is now on Zakaria to show up and explain himself to His Highness," said one source yesterday.

Zakaria, who has been in the news for a litany of wrongdoing this past month, was summoned to Istana Mestika on Monday to explain the negative reports. The letter which was delivered by the Klang OCPD on Friday, stated that Zakaria must be present at the Istana at noon .

However, he did not show up, instead checking himself into hospital on Sunday and discharging himself the following afternoon.

The source added that at the end of the day, Zakaria is answerable to the rakyat and to the Sultan, as the guardian of the people.

"We will wait till after Hari Raya. Let him enjoy his raya and spend the festive season in Malacca where he is. After Hari Raya, he will have to show up," said the source, adding that Zakaria must get in touch with the palace to offer a new date and time which is agreeable to the Sultan.

"Tuanku is very concerned about what's going on in Klang and His Highness wants an explanation," said the source, adding that Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo will also be questioned.

Zakaria has been in the news since theSun front-paged the illegal construction of his fourstorey mansion among low-cost homes in Kampung Idaman earlier this month.

Following this expose, it also came to light that Zakaria did not pay assessment for his present home for 12 years.

However, Utusan Malaysia reported that the Sultan was furious and will not meet him anymore:



So, which is which?

The only thing I know that in ancient times (and some modern countries), making a Sultan furious would result in one's head chopped off.

In case you are wondering how this 'sick Klang Sultan' (for having a palace) was celebrating his Raya, he was frolicking on a Malaccan beach.



To refresh your memory, here's the story on him so far:

Click on image for larger view.

Just imagine this- normal kecik mayung councillors could have 'palaces' and mountain heaps of money, what about ministers and of course, the Pee Emm?

God You, eligible voters, please save Malaysia.

Howsy Is A Surfer...

Howsy is a surfer...

[Source]

Text:

Jarrad Howse (Aus) / 28 years old / 2006 Foster’s Men’s World Tour Member.

“I’m really happy to be here and starting like that is the best way for me. It’s been a tough year so far, I smashed 8 boards during my heats this year in both WCT and WQS events and now I’ve got this good one. I’m still not out of the WCT requalifying race as Brazil and Pipe will be crucial soon but I this 4 Star events reminds me of my victory last year in Spain, the one that got me back on track and gave me the spot in the Top 45. I’ll just be thinking of this event and forget about the rest for the moment,” confessed Howsy.

Ahem, wished that I am that cool too. Nevertheless, the another 'Howsy' here is still a surfer, a web surfer. :P

Are Open Houses Superficial?

Discuss the following two quotes:

"The visitors included all races and this kind of open house shows that the various races in the country are united," he said in an interview with RTM.

He said such open house also helped foster closer relationship among the various races in the country and at the same time showed the world that Malaysia was a united nation despite the various races living here.

[Source]

"I believe those who came are happy. Some told me keep on going with the good job. We will support you (they said). There are some who are happy and some not. People give me confidence...I like to meet the people," Abdullah added.

[Source]

Here we come!!!

A hungry Malaysian is an ugly Malaysian?

As a bonus, here's a photo caption contest for you to try out. No, I don't have Chocolates to offer to you, but please attempt, will you?

Malaysia's `Riot' Bogey Quells Economic Debate

More C&P stuff for your holiday reading leisure. From Bloomberg:

Malaysia's `Riot' Bogey Quells Economic Debate: Andy Mukherjee

By Andy Mukherjee

Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- There is a touristy Malaysia, which beckons visitors to ``come experience the unique potpourri of Asia's great cultures -- Malay, Chinese, Indian and the many ethnic groups of Sabah and Sarawak.''

And then, there is the other Malaysia, the one that investors deal with, where cultural harmony is just a veneer; scratch it off and you are left with a tightly packed powder keg of racial politics and politicking.

In this Malaysia, it is somehow immoral to question a longstanding policy favoring the economic advancement of ``Bumiputeras,'' mostly Malays and some indigenous tribal peoples.

That's because politicians such as Musa Hitam, a former deputy prime minister, believe that debates, even academic ones, can turn emotional and degenerate into race riots, like the ones that took place between the Malays and the Chinese in 1969 and became the justification for subsequent affirmative action.

And that really was Malaysian economist Lim Teck Ghee's crime -- to dispute the government's claim that Bumiputeras, literally ``princes of the earth,'' own less than 19 percent of Malaysia's corporate equity, far short of the 30 percent target set for them by the New Economic Policy of 1970.

The rationale for the 30 percent target was to remove a root cause of social strife by ending the concentration of wealth in the hands of non-Malays -- especially, the ethnic Chinese -- who in 1970 owned 96 percent of the Southeast Asian nation's economy.

The Centre for Public Policy Studies, the Kuala Lumpur-based think tank that Lim headed before his resignation this month, argued in the study that corporate equity controlled by Malays may be as high as 45 percent.

Bouquets and Brickbats

The political significance of this finding is simple: If the policy for redistribution of wealth has more than met its target, raising Bumiputera economic ownership to 45 percent from a meager 2.4 percent in 1970, then let's discontinue it.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi denounced the study as ``irresponsible.'' Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister and Abdullah's most bitter critic, said a sudden end to affirmative action could cause political instability.

Mahathir's businessman son, Mirzan Mahathir, who indirectly controls the Centre for Public Policy Studies, apologized for the report and retracted it on Oct. 10.

Lim quit the next day, saying he stood by his study.

He now says he may not get another job in Malaysia, in which case, he will have no option except to leave the country.

And that would be a pity, not only because a good academic can't freely air views he believes to be true but also because the brouhaha about whether Bumiputera corporate equity is 19 percent or 45 percent -- or somewhere in between -- is irrelevant to the more pertinent issue raised by the study.

The Right Debate

``Economic policies based on race do not serve as an incentive to disadvantaged segments of society to participate in the economy,'' the study said. ``Equitable wealth distribution can only be achieved if the recipients are subjected to income and asset tests, regardless of race, a mechanism employed in countries that have adopted affirmative action.''

To me, this is really the crux of the report.

Publicly traded companies in Malaysia are required to have at least 30 percent Bumiputera holding.

Hypermarkets must allocate 30 percent of their shelf space to products made by Bumiputera companies.

Many government contracts require companies to have a Bumiputera partner owning at least 30 percent of the business.

Foreign-owned companies are nudged to hire more Bumiputera staff whether qualified candidates are available or not.

All of these are rather clumsy attempts at social justice. A dogmatic pursuit of the 30 percent rule creates entitlements for the rich and the middle classes, who then trade them away.

Government Wealth

If Malay investors use the equity acquired by them at initial share sales to buy real estate, does that mean there's no increase in Bumiputera wealth?

What mechanism is there to ensure that within the Bumiputera, the less privileged also benefit?

Lim's study also raises an important question about the government's wealth.

The four largest companies by market value in Malaysia are Malayan Banking Bhd., power producer Tenaga Nasional Bhd., ship owner MISC Bhd. and phone company Telekom Malaysia Bhd. In all four, the biggest shareholder is the Malaysian government, acting through investment holding companies and funds.

To which race should this wealth be attributable? Malays make up 60 percent of the country's population of 26 million; the Chinese account for a quarter.

Who's Right?

To be sure, the 45 percent figure arrived at by Lim's researchers can at best be called a guesstimate. It counts 70 percent of the market value of publicly traded government-owned companies as Malay corporate wealth and adds it to the official estimate of Bumiputera equity, valuing the latter as a fifth of the combined capitalization of all shares listed on Bursa Malaysia, the stock exchange.

Prime Minister Abdullah says he doesn't mind divulging how the 19 percent figure is calculated, but the opposition has to stop insinuating that the government's number is fudged.

Then again, it doesn't really matter whose estimate is right. The competitive landscape in Asia has changed a lot since 1970; Malaysia's appeal to investors has been dimmed by the emergence of China and India.

Malaysia must acknowledge the altered reality. Its focus on redistributing wealth may now be coming in the way of creating it. Taking on a Bumiputera partner or sub-contractor who brings nothing else to the table is a cost to a foreign investor.

Rather than shouting ``riot'' to quell discourse, politicians should encourage a debate.

(Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)

New Straits Times Is Officially Mahathir's Enemy

Some excerpts of the latest interview transcript, which probably you will never see in New Straits Times or their group-blog:

It is wrong what TV3 reported, saying that I agreed with him that what I had done made me and him unpopular and only Anwar Ibrahim and Nik Aziz benefited. This is what he said, not what I said.

Dr M: I have achieved the objective of telling him in quite substantial detail. I am quite sure that the reports that are in the controlled press, the spin from people like (News Straits Time group editor) Brendan Pereira and (NSTP deputy chairman Datuk) Kalimullah (Hassan) and all that would have given him a completely wrong impression of what I have done.

Now I have the opportunity to tell him as it is, no Brendan in between, no Kalimullah in between.

So to that extent I am satisfied, no “spinning” that things were not going like that. (Makes spinning motion with finger.)

Dr M: I didn’t know about it when I was PM (about the UN oil-for-food programme).

The first time I heard about it was when it was published by the (New) Straits Times that his name appeared there. Subsequently Najib said: “Don’t talk anymore about it.”

And of course there were no more reports about this affair in the Straits Times or any other newspaper.

Recently in the course of writing my memoir, I tried to get hold of the copy of the Straits Times which reported this thing but it seems to have disappeared.

The Berita Harian was there but the copy of the Straits Times has disappeared. Maybe somebody has a copy, can lend it to me.

I know the New Straits Times will have to make some kind of spin about this, TV3 too will have to spin somehow, but fortunately for us that in my time, we have the Internet, so I would advise people to read the Internet and not these newspapers because they are all getting phone calls.

Tomorrow the PM says we won’t build this bridge because Singapore might be upset, immediately the comments from people with pictures, their faces in the Straits Times with comments “We must not build this bridge, It is wrong.” You see the change is fantastic.

Meanwhile, Pak Catit-Buku-Hitam just scored a brownie point from MM Lee.

Oh, another thing which I have discovered. For the blog-group (and their bloggers) worshippers, it seems that you can now comment there.

Terms and conditions apply though, for example, they won't publish what they don't want to hear or want people to hear like this.

Now, what happened to the 'go beyond the traditional print edition and to provide a holistic package to readers' thingy? Seems more like a C&P job to me, which I think is a very taboo word to some of the bloggers there.

Still want to 'Join the fun!'?

Peace and Salam Aidilfitri.

Internet-savvy Russian Seeking Help

I'm not sure why I keep getting these e-mails. A price to pay for being so femes my blog being in the public domain? Read on to see if this can be trusted:

Dear Friend,

Please excuse me for any inconvience caused by this message.

My name is Valentin. I'm student and I live with my mother in city Kaluga,
Russia. My mother is invalid. She can not see and she receive very small pension
very rare which is not enough even for medications.

I work very hard every day to be able to buy the necessities for my mother, but
my salary is very small, because my studies still not finished.

Due to deep crisis authorities stoped gas in our district and we cannot heat our
home anymore. I don't know what to do, because the winter is coming and the
temperature outside will be lower than minus 30 degrees Celsius, as it was in
the last winter.

I am very afraid that the temperature inside our home will be very cold and we
will not be able to survive. Thanks to the free internet access in our local
library I found several e-mail addresses and I decided to write you with prayer
in my heart for small help.

If you have any old sleeping bag, warm blanket, portable stove, warm clothes,
electric water-boiler, canned and dried food, vitamins, medicines from cold, any
hygiene-products, I will be very grateful to you if you could send it to our
address which is:

Valentin Mikhailine,
Rileewa Uliza, 6-45.
Kaluga. 248030,
Russia.

If you think that it would be better or easier for you to help with some money,
please write me back and I will give you details for sending it safely if you
agree. This way to help is very good because in this case I will be able to buy
a portable stove and heat our home during the winter.

I hope to hear from you very soon and I pray that you can help us. I also hope
very much that this hard situation will get better very soon in our country.

I send you many thanks in advance for your kind understanding. Please excuse me,
once more, for inconvience caused by this message.

Valentin and my mother Elena.
Kaluga. Russia.

Mahathir Greets The Eid-ul-Fitr With 'Mercun Bambu' To Pak Lah

So, you think the meeting was a lovey-dovey affair and all well that ends well, eh? Look at these toadies, trying to fool themselves. Now, here's the Da M Code behind The Most Awaited Reality Event of the Year, from Bernama:

On why the meeting was initiated in the first place:

Speaking at a press conference at his house in Seri Kembangan, he said mubarak, the association of former elected representatives, approached his son to try to resolve his problems with the government following his spate of criticisms against Abdullah.

He said Mubarak initially came out with several suggestions to resolve his spat with Abdullah, including that he should meet with Umno supreme council and if that could not be done, he could instead meet with the Malay members of the cabinet.

"If that is not possible... then for me to see Pak Lah (the prime minister), I don't know but anyway, Pak Lah agreed to see me," he said, adding that since this was initiated by Mubarak, he would like to see Mubarak first to find out what was it that they were asking him to do.

He said he met five of Mubarak members who said they liked him to see the prime minister who had agreed to the meeting.

"I said if I want to see Pak Lah I want to tell him about what I have been criticising him about. So I told Mubarak how I felt about things. And after Mubarak members listened to me, they felt that I should tell these things directly to Pak Lah," he said.

On recording the dialogue (or did the successor had the meeting was bugged, with a earpiece feed from Level 4 to his ear, as speculated by Whatalulu?)

At yesterday's meeting with Abdullah at the prime minister's official residence Seri Perdana in Putrajaya which was held under a cloak of secrecy, Dr Mahathir said he told the prime minister that he would record their dialogue.

"So I set up the (tape) recorder...and I told him I was so critical about the government. Of course, there are so many things I have said but within one-and-a-half hours, I covered lots of things. After that he explained, of course he interrupted me several times," he said.

On generous amount of money to fling:

Dr Mahathir had told reporters after yesterday's meeting that it was a worthwhile meeting because he got to say things frankly to the prime minister, the way he had criticised him publicly.

The former prime minister's criticisms included charges of nepotism, incompetence and for axing some major projects conceived while he was in power. He said it was not true that the government did not have money to carry out projects, adding that when he decided to step down in 2003, he made sure that the country was stable, with the economy and government's finances in good shape.

"Only after that I decided I would step down. The government now has money, the government has more money that it has ever before," he said.

Dr Mahathir said during his time, the highest profit by Petronas, the national oil corporation, was RM56 billion but this had increased to RM86 billion in the last financial year, bigger than the total collection of corporate tax at around RM60 billion.

On benefiting the opposition:

At Sunday's meeting, he said Abdullah told him that they had done a survey that as a result of his criticisms, he (Dr Mahathir) had become very unpopular and their differences had only benefited opposition leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

"I told him that I don't care whether I'm popular or not, but if anybody does anything that is damaging to the country, and to the Malays in particular, I reserve the right to criticise".

On the verge of economic downturn under Pak Lah's administration:

He was asked if he was concerned that his legacy after 22 years as prime minister was being kept away.

"It's not being kept away. It is the action of the government for the past three years.. there has been no move. The economy is not doing well, the people are unable to get jobs, unemployment is still high. Nothing has been done to improve the economy although of course we read very good figures.

"But you see, retail business is not (good), contracts are not easy to come by and plus people have no jobs and a lot of small contractors have folded up. The economy is bad. I know because a lot of Chinese business people are very unhappy. I have told Pak Lah that some of them have said they will not vote for Barisan Nasional at the next election," he said.

Dr Mahathir said he was told that people today preferred to go to China to do business because there were more opportunities there than in Malaysia and that they did not find it easy to do business in Malaysia.

On the post-meeting (aftermath):

Asked if he felt he had achieved much in his meeting with the prime minister, he said: "I have achieve the objective of telling him in a quite substantial details. Now I have the opportunity to tell him. There is no spinning of what I said". Asked if he wished that he had not stepped down, Dr Mahathir said actually he wished that he had done so in 1998 if it had been possible and in 2002 (when he announced at the Umno General Assembly that he is resigning) but it was Abdullah who told him to stay on for another year.

To this he said today: "This is something I appreciate but this is not the question of what you do or character.. this is not about his character but this is about what is happening".

On his next move after Sunday's meeting with Abdullah, he said: "I've told you that I would continue to criticise and I will go on with my usual way".

Dr Mahathir also said despite his problems with the prime minister, he did not think that it was possible for the opposition to win the election.

"In my assessment, it is not possible for the opposition to win but they might reduce the majority of the government.

On the problems it might pose for Umno, he said: "It is not the internal problem of Umno or unity within Umno. Umno cannot win election without public support and today the public is very critical of the economy, system of administration, involvement of family members. These concern the public. If the public does not support, even if 100 per cent of Umno supports our candidates, they will kill you".

Summing up the meeting where he raised a host of other matters, he said: "There were a few other things he mentioned. I talk for two hours, I decided that the meeting was over. I got up, collected my recorder, said good-bye to him".

Oh, just to refresh your memory, this is what the Pak Catit-Buku-Hitam said last last Sunday:

"No, no, no, I don't think it's a political suicide. He has been saying a lot of things, I've decided to keep quiet and to go on doing what I want to do.

"And the people want me to do what I want to do. And I have and I still command majority support today," he said in an interview with Anjali Rao in the "Talk Asia" programme aired by Cable News Network (CNN) Saturday.

Now, who's delusional here?

Further reading:

Mahathir launch Hari Raya Ballistics from Doc Mave.

Dr Mahathir - far from 'satisfied' from KTemoc.

And other countries around the world headlined this meeting:

India: Badawi has turned Malaysia into police state: Ex-PM

France: Malaysia's Mahathir widens attack on successor, suggests he is personally corrupt

Taiwan: Former PM Mahathir claims successor has turned Malaysia into 'police state'

Sorry, spin-doctor of Malaysia. All the spin-doctors claiming 'I'm satisfied' and 'He states his stand' couldn't put Humpty-Dumpty Pak Catit-Buku-Hitam back together again.

Oh, salam Aidilfitri. Easy on those real 'Mercun Bambu', kids!

Eid-ul-Fitr Mubarak!

The Sensintrovert would like to take this opportunity to wish its readers a very blessed Eid-ul-Fitr (especially to blogger Walski-amacam, boleh DHL lemang, ketupat dan rendang ke?)







Some of the ads from Petronas again.

This year's



2005



And some other previous years





Check out the rest here.

Again, this blogger is neither affiliated with Petronas nor condone their lack of corporate transparency.

Mini Media Circus and Mini Paparazzis

The US of A has him:

[Source]

The UK (and the whole wide world) had her:

[Source]

Some say these are wayyyy past items already...

[Source]

Instead, this is the hottest pair in town lately...



From NST:

Reporters stake out Seri Perdana

KUALA LUMPUR: The whole nation appeared to be waiting with bated breath yesterday over news that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad were meeting.

By afternoon, phone calls, emails and text messages concerning the peace talks reached a frenzied pace as many Malaysians wanted to find out the latest.

An aide close to Dr Mahathir said he received more SMS asking about the meeting than those extending him festive greetings.

Over the past several days, rumours had been rife that the meeting would take place yesterday but as the time and place could not be confirmed, it kept journalists fully occupied in verifying tip-offs and checking facts.

The strongest rumour was that the two men would meet at Seri Perdana, the Prime Minister’s official residence. About 30 journalists, from both local and foreign agencies, stationed themselves in front of the building, some as early as 8am.

At 3.30pm, reporters spotted Abdullah’s official car entering the compound of the official residence and sprung to their feet but it proved to be a false alarm.

But there was still no sign of either Dr Mahathir or Abdullah.

Some journalists shuttled between Abdullah’s official and private residence located in Precinct 10, about a kilometre away.

Some were even seen walking to and from the lake behind the house in case Abdullah or Dr Mahathir decided to travel by boat.

At 4.45pm, reporters at Putrajaya and their counterparts standing by at the Putra World Trade Centre and Menara Dato’ Onn in Kuala Lumpur heard the latest — that the meeting was taking place at Seri Perdana.

What Third World? We are a First World country already, lar!