Malaysia Bolasepak Wins

Even if it's a losing score in Jakarta, it's still a loser's win for BolehLand

BolehLand won an a 4-2 aggregate as the new champion of SEA soccer even losing 1-2 to Indonesia in the second leg of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. The first leg in Kuala Lumpur saw our BolehLand team registered a 3-0 win.

Congratulations to Malaysia Boleh Bolasepak Team for returning some glory to football that we were once feared and for the past 14 years had been in the doldrum akin to jaguh kampung status only.

And thanks too to 1Malaysia for declaring new year's eve a national holiday to commemorate the win!

 

Congratulations to our national footballers!

You done us proud!

So what is the moral of the win and the holiday?

You lose badly for a decade and then win, you earn your holiday, no?

"I will vote for 1Malaysia if election is held tomorrow!," exclaimed an elated pro Pakatan colleague of mine!

Hmm perhaps if election was really held tomorrow, BN will have also scored their two-thirds win over the Pakatan fellos, right?

"Surely they would win even if they didn't hold it tomorrow right?", I quipped.

Kuala Lumpur yesterday evening was reduced to a crawl that took about one half to two hours for those returning to PJ from downtown KL. The culprit probably Dataran Merdeka which was closed for the live telecast and saw thousands of motorcycles and fans packing the field to watch the historic win. The normal 20 mins ride back on the bike took an unusual 30 mins back to PJ and poor colleagues of mine on their cars! And they say the motorcylists are the ones causing the gridlock!

And it's odd that a SEA tournament is called 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, a japanese brand name? Does it mean our nihoen-jin see the brand value and ROI in sponsoring huge millions than the other home grown brand? Should not home grown brand own the Cup's name, perhaps call it the Garuda Cup or Petronas Cup or San Miguel Cup (this may be a wee too alcoholic to some religious nation, huh?).

Maybe the sports body wanted a neutral name so the SEA nations won't quarrel about it. But what about Axiata Cup?

Wearing An Attitude

It’s really not rocket science to tell you that what you wear does advertise your taste and style for the duration of the attire on you. See story below.

Hmm, though it’s a western survey, it may not hold true in BolehLand. But then, aren’t we told that women everywhere behave unpredictably when it comes to fashion and taste, no? Wonder if it holds true, the undies affecting one’s attitude that is, for a certain first lady, huh?

Though there is no correlation that donning an expensive couture piece whether a dress, shirt, bag, watch, jewelry, shades, rings or shoes by guys or gurl, also reflects one’s attitudinal behaviour.

We know the BolehLand dude may look cool with his blink blink outfit and accessories or the gurl with Cheryl Cole look alike style or Lady Gaga make over may think she has elevated herself with stardom – but chat long enough with him or her or wait when the free food is served, you’d wonder if he or she may be afflicted by a mental retardation deformation disease in their depth of conversation. And you’d confirm the person’s pretentiousness when you witness his or her philistine mannerism at the buffet!!!

But these days in BolehLand, it’s very easy to spot the wannabe. Just try and count the number of times they wish to be called some Datuk or Datin or they know this Datuk or Datin or their forefathers 10 generations ago was a Tun or Datuk hence they qualify to also be accorded some nobility respect!

But you'll need rocket science expertise and also a PhD in psychology and behavioral science to understand the gurl’s desire to have that many undies or shoes or clothes, or scarfs, or hats or accessories. And even being equipped with such scientific knowledge, they are insufficient, and at best, only serve to second guess the predictive behaviour of a gurl’s attitude whether she is wearing her favourite pinky undies or a La Senza or La Peria or Victoria Secret or even a Pagoda one or Jimmy Choo!

When it comes to understanding a gurl’s needs and wants, the guys should go as far as just understanding their choice of this designer name than over another, or this colour over another, or this texture, or this season’s style over the other, right?  To many, even these are already difficult enough to comprehend. If the guy even wants to brooch the subject of why do they need 21 pairs of undies as opposed to their five or seven depending on the time duration the guy washes his undie, don’t expect any rationale explanation even if your gurl has a PhD in statistics or psychology or behavioural science!

If the study is true, gosh that would only serve to add another fetish thought into the DOMs and uncles and perverts ogling at women and trying to second guess why they don’t seem to behave normally like them, not the fetish kinky tastes of the guys that is! Hah!

But whatever frills women wear beneath, a majority of gurls may just confess it's just a 'shiok sendiri' thrill they like to experience and supposed so they are entitled to their own private pleasure and enjoyment right? And if a gurl needs a fancy inner wear to steer her to a behave in a civil and politically correct manner in public why not yah?

But is there truth that attitudes are being determined beneath such wear? After all, when it comes down to knowing the real you, we know that it’s the other person who often times knows you better than you do, whatever you are wearing or not, whether it's clothing or any of the 'six thinking hats' that is supposed to also determine your attitude, viz behaviour, yes?

So if inner wear is very much for a personal delight, the outer wear is more a display for others. No, the exhibitionist tendency is not for the guys but more a kind of competition with other gurls, right? When the gurls take hours on end to dress up and look pretty, the guys will lament that their gurls are actually preparing for a catwalk to compete in a fashion catfight with other gurls!

There is a tinge or is it loads of truth that gurls need these put ons, the undies, make up, accessories and clothing that is, to exude confidence, attitude and what not? But we hope that it stays on, the confident attitude that is, when they take off their ‘protective’ covering and see how they have taken care of what mother nature or their parents have endowed them with, the ‘streamline’ physique that is staring at them in front of the mirror.

But not to sound being a sexist contemptible turd on the gurls, the guys are equally as VP, vain pot that is, and similarly mirrors the eccentricity of their better half. Just follow them when they select their toys, no not the tarts they choose when they are their slut self – but when they shop for their sports shoes, or watches, or mobile phone or ogle over a ‘fruit brand’ creation that has a audible sound similar to a gurl’s pleasure dome – you would think mother nature was wise not to let men think themselves higher than the gurls by putting an X chromosome in the 23rd chromosome that homo sapien possess while the gurl has two Xs.

So as much hard as the macho dude seems to want to show they are very much different with their gurl counterpart at least on wants and desires while on retail therapy, they can’t avoid the X in them exhibiting itself, exposing the supposedly non-shopaholic nature they so defensively deny.

Anyways, the next time your lady boss or gurl seems a bit under the cloud, it may be more about the wrong choice of inner wear than sans one or has to do with any red letter issue, no?

One wonders if the survey is just another marketing ploy to get the gurls to own beyond their present 35 or 21 more pairs, not necessarily undies though, right?

And the 10% than goes out without any knickers? Hmmm that's left to be seen in relation to BolehLand's gurls! That's another observation for another boring day perhaps, huh?

-----------------
Check the Sun, Dec 29, 2010 pg 20 for similar story.

ShopSmart Magazine
Women’s undies affect their attitude, poll finds

The average woman owns 21 Pairs of underwear (panties or knickers). Ten percent of women own 35 pairs of panties or more, and ten percent of women admit to have actually gone out in public without wearing any knickers at all — a somewhat risky adventure commonly referred to as “going Commando”.

That’s the finding of a new national poll in the United States published by ShopSmart magazine, who say that underwear isn’t just the foundation of a woman’s outfit but of her whole attitude. One-in-four women told the magazine that they had their mood affected by wearing an ill fitting or unattractive pair of underwear.

The poll, which is featured in the January 2011 issue of ShopSmart from the publisher of Consumer Reports.

While nearly half of women (47 percent) feel sexier or more confident wearing a nice or special pair of undies, the poll also found that one-in-ten women admit they will venture out of the house without underwear on at all. In some cases, this might be a better option for the one-quarter of women who have a pair of underwear they would be too embarrassed for someone else to see.

“What you wear under your clothes is just as important — maybe even more — as what you wear on the outside,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. “So for our ‘Look Better Dressed’ feature we recruited real women for underwear makeovers. Readers will also find the results of our first-ever body shapewear test, best lingerie websites, great fit tips and more.”

How much does underwear matter?

Nearly one-quarter of women (21 percent) vary their underwear selection depending on their mood and 12 percent feel it is an important part of their outfit.

Topping the list of worst undergarment offenses is underwear or thong that sticks out of clothing, especially among those age 18-34 (49 percent) and age 35-54 (55 percent).

Half of women have complaints about the way their underwear fit, with wedgies topping the list at 30 percent, followed by doesn’t lay flat under clothes (19 percent) and not enough coverage in the rear (14 percent).

In our drawers:

Almost two-thirds (65 percent) of women stick to neutral colors, with white (29 percent) most popular followed by black (21 percent) and beige (15 percent). No one is envious of green as it came in dead last (1 percent) behind red (2 percent), purple (4 percent), blue (5 percent), a print (6 percent) and pink (9 percent).

Women in the 18-34 age group seem more adventurous with their color choices with over one-third (35 percent) indicating a color, not a neutral, as their favorite pair and 12 percent who chose a print.
Nearly half of women (46 percent) cite the brief as the underwear style they wear most often, though women ages 18-34 skew towards the bikini style.

More than half of women (56 percent) overall fold their underwear; twenty-seven percent just toss it in the drawer.

For more information, visit www.ShopSmartmag.org

Planting a Trojan Horse

The responsibilities of the state secretary include to plan, formulate, coordinate and regulate policies, as well as implement state administrative and development machinery in accordance to state and federal government policies.

So the Selangor people are told. Given that Selangor is Pakatan and the Federal Government ruled by a party that lost it's prize state, does the appointment of the new State Secretary or SS WITHOUT even a phone call or sms to the Chief Minister of Selangor done in a professional and gentlemanly manner?

Even those cowards who want to divorce their better half resort to an sms. Similarly too bosses too frightened to face the fellos they want to sack can do so via and sms. And here we are talking about the Chief Minister of the State who has to work with the SS, he is being rudely ignored.

The tricky role of the SS is to balance between two very different approaches to government. So how will he be able to "implement state administrative and development machinery in accordance to state and federal government policies", then? Of course we should not complain if the person is suitable. But if the appointed SS is suitable, there wouldn't be such a fuss right?

If the appointment is done irrespective of the government of the day, it would mean that the civil service is independent and really don't give a hoot who the government of the day is, as long as they fulfill their civil servant duties of giving full support to the government of the day, yes?

Is this appointment without consultation with the State government a precedent that also occurred in the previous administration? If it is, then CM Khalid really should praise the Civil Service for acting autonomously? But have our civil servants really acted fairly in Pakatan controlled states, especially in Perak and Penang too? Is the appointment a subtle form of a wider sabotage strategy being used by the BN fellos to undermine Pakatan's credibility to prepare for GE13?

For a simpler insight into the legal provisions and what the Chief Secretary's decision entails check our here

The Chief Secretary can cite all the laws to argue he has done nothing wrong by not consulting the CM and a federal decision suffice, it doesn't make sense to ordinary folks why the consent of the Ruler is needed. Selangor folks do wonder who is running the state, the sultan, Pakatan or the Civil Servants which everyone knows is aligned to the federal government.

We are reminded we hold Asian values and that protocol is important in affairs of the state especially. But in this case, protocol has taken a back door, in fact the door seemed to be slammed shut at the Pakatan's fellos state in many matters concerning administration of the state and if federal, i.e. taxpayer's money is involved?

Is it not better to appoint someone who can work with the State government than to have one that may well turn out to be a marionette where the strings lead all the way to Putrajaya or a HQ in Putra World Trade Centre building?

The way the appointment is being done clearly points to the lack of professionalism and maturity of the Civil Service who may try and show that it is an independent body but fail rather miserably simply because a moron can see through all the 'legal' justification and sense that an unseen hand clearly seen as a BN ploy, is really behind such indignation that they have shown towards a government selected by the people of Selangor. Indirectly the civil servant are making themselves the ketuanan over the people's choice, no?


Of course, the civil service and Chief Secretary can argue that they transfer and change civil servants, teachers, heads and even attendants all the time and does it mean they should consult the Chief Minister? Of course not, but we are talking about a State Secretary, not any ordinary civil servant. 

Rather than converge on programmes that will benefit the people, the way the SS is appointed is like driving more wedges in state and federal goverment relationship. It makes the SS seema to wield tremendous power and set up his own rule and empire in the confines of his state secretariat administrative structure. It's like BN successfully putting a Trojan horse literally in Pakatan's castle!!! And if we know our mythology and history, we know who the eventual victors are, right?

Perhaps it may be a blessing in disguise that because the Federal Civil Service don't think it important to connect with the State Government, dear Khalid can ask the SS to go stuff himself if he doesn't like the SS's advice. Similarly the SS can tell the CM 'too bad and stuff him too', right?

One wonders if this ''people first and performance now really applies to Pakatan controlled states. Perhaps we should not make a fuss at the advertisement ban on the 1Malaysia symbol if it only a very visible sign of apple polishing or bodeking than really living up to it's intended purpose, no?

Let's see if the Chief Secretary will also do the same to BN held states in changing high state posts at their whims and fancy without consulting the duly elected State government. Of course BN state government will not make any issue out of it as the PSC being a federal government will put a 'yes' man to work with the State Government, right?

Whoever is behind such strategy or ploy to create problems in Pakatan controlled state may think themselves clever and that the public are ignorant fools to smell the foxy manner and sense the snake-ish way such actions are being taken for an ulterior motive, i.e. GE13.

Hiding behind legal provisions do not necessarily make one's action ethically and morally correct. If we are reminded that we hold dear to Asian values, the appointment process is in conflict with what we have been asked to hold dear to. But then, in BolehLand's politics, our truly Asian values have long disappeared and have been replaced by a value that is associated with Lord Acton's dictum that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". The end once again justifies the means with respect of the SS appointment process, huh.

Don't Become Wolves Because of A Few Black Sheep.

When an ordinary citizen files a police report or wish to seek justice against the very institution that is supposed to safeguard and protect the public because he or she was mistreated, either that fello was truly mistreated or insane!

The latest allegation and version of what happened when one is stopped by the cops and are held under police ‘custody’ for whatever reasons is not unique to BolehLand. It happens in banana republic as well as even so called civilised society where reports of police brutality is captured these days on cell phones and posted on You Tube.

That fello must be such a brave guy to make allegations against the police if he had illegal substance in him! He must be a desperate crook who is willing to make such accusations in the hope his lie will turn out to be ‘truth’ and he escapes the law. Each side has filed police reports to support their version of things. So the issue is, who is lying or the bigger liar in this case then?

While we should let the authorities investigate the allegations, the public’s concern is who watch over the conduct of those who are supposed to be the protector? We remember during the previous Prime Minister a Royal Commission was commission to improve among others the image of the police force and proposed an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, the people who opposed the IPCMC were surprisingly the police and the BN fellos. Such reaction can mean the police believe it is above scrutiny and is all clean and proper in which case it should welcome the IPCMC to prove to the public that they are without faults and the most trustworthy public institution in BolehLand, no?

When a member of the public files a report of mistreatment or brutality, he is hardly given protection or assistance from the government or public prosecutors. He is literally on his own and sometimes given assistance by brave legal counsellors and opportunist politicians. The businessman won’t be able to count on the phalanx of public prosecutors compared to the kopi boi who filed an allegation against his former boss. Each police report filed is an allegation since it has not been proven in the court of law yet the kopi boi has some of the best lawyers to defend his dignity, while this businessman can only depend on politicians and some brace legal counsels to take up his case.

Such disparity and double standard in assisting those who seek justice in BolehLand is all too obvious to the public. But there seem to be a lack of political will to give protection to both sides which the IPCMC would be seen at least an attempt to protect both sides and clear allegations made against either side.

Perhaps the public are unaware of their rights and don’t know that certain offences do not warrant the kind of treatment they receive from the cops. The saying ‘it’s your word against the cop and the cop will ultimately win’ is all too familiar of how the public sees the outcome of allegations against the police.

Having experience enforcement officers raids at dance clubs with the assistance of the cops, party goers will tell you the kind of shouting, verbal abuse at times and even sarcastic remarks made by such officers – like as if they disagree to you having fun and since they can’t have the fun we have, they have the right to deprive others too, no?

Maybe we are too paranoid that our cops behave like the dirty cops and brutality we are used to seeing in Hollywood movies. But generally there is no doubt when we see a cop, our palpitation is more a misplaced perception the cop will find fault at you and do you in. You can’t call it misguided even. Think of the situation you feel when stopped by a cop while driving or at roadblocks. How many of us feel at ease and at peace when we see a cop in our midst especially when stopped at roadblocks. Motorcyclists and motorists will have their stories to tell of what happen at roadblocks!

Though we should have nothing to fear the cops if we have not done wrong, we cannot help but feel apprehensive when approached by cops. Perhaps it’s own personal experience or those related by those who have had bad experience with cops or there haven’t been positive news about the kind helpful and gentle cops we have. The main reason is we don’t know our rights and even if we did, we don’t feel confident the government or public prosecutor will protect us at all! That’s how screwed we all are when it comes to seeking justice in the face of mistreatment and unreasonable kind of interrogation, no?

But many cops are good cops, like those who do community policing in my neighbourhood. So too are those who go about their beat and even those manning roadblocks. There are black sheep in any organisation and it would be unfair to paint a black picture of the cops in general because of a few who abuse their authority. But we hope that acknowledging there are black and bad sheep in the police force, the rest won’t turn into wolves and vent their frustrations at other innocent public.

There are presently many perceived ills that ordinary folks have to face and cope with getting through in life in Bolehland. Do we need to add fear of our law enforcers in our lists of major stresses each time we step out of our home? It’s everybody’s business if there is a perversion of justice, abuse and mistreatment of those who are defenseless especially by institutions that are supposed to serve and protect. If we keep silent than seek the truth, we make ourselves innocent sheep to be slaughtered by black sheep turned wolves, right?

Going Loco Over 1 Logo

The Pakatan government's decision to ban the 1Malaysia logo in business related billboard seems to have backfired. And they are trying to fend off the brickbats and rage that the BN government and other apolitical fellos think a rather childish move on their part.

This is the first time that a federal or rather a BN campaign symbol is being frowned upon by supposedly leaders who also advocate for unity, acknowledging diversity, people first and performance important and all that - at least that is the theme of what 1Malaysia logo is all about!

We know that every government or rather leader's sloganeering is an UMNO, alo, BN creation. We have seen many, in fact too many a slogan being created by successive Prime Ministers.

Whatever the reason to come up with nice sounding logos and tagline whether APCO created or ingeniously thought up the Prime Minister of the day is accepted by all or workable is secondary. The important point is to think up of a canggih one that will be remembered and leave one's legacy on the nation.

We have heard of Muhibbah, Bersih, Cekap, Amanah to Gemilang, Cemerlang, Tembilang, Saya Anti Rasuah, the it seems only a day HadHari campaign come and go. Now it is the People First, Performance Now personified in the 1Malaysia logo and campaign's turn.

And the logo, symbolism, tagline or what not staying power as well as successes are dependent on millions of ringgit paid to consultants whether APCO or not doesn't matter. It's taxpayers money being used to satisfy, often times, the ego of the creator of the slogan, logo or symbol. Millions of ringgit tv ads, on billboard, special t-shirts, banners and almost everything imaginable you can put the logo on it, it will be there.

And rather than be enriched and united by all these sloganeering, the consultants and agencies seem the one who are united and enriched by being paid to dream, think and pull off grandiose campaigns to pull wool over the people's eye that they have created a magic formula to glue unity, peace and harmony among the different races - only to be undone and undermined by bigot politicians as we have seen the past two years!

Supposed there is really nothing wrong and noble deed not only on the part of the government to look at the most effective way to promote unity, harmony and all that considering the rather diverse composition of BolehLand’s society.

BolehLand fellos from birth to death are constantly reminded of our differences and its merits to enrich the nation. Equally stressed is that unity, peace and harmony is essential to prevent the nation from experiencing the chaos and destruction of rivalries in non-homogenous nations.  On the government’s part, it proclaims to the world its shiok sendiri boast that BolehLand is the envy of the world in managing to create a peace, united, harmonious and peaceful society.

Give credit if it’s due and yes indeed the government has played a large and important role in ensuring each group behaves civilly with each other, more so this present times via various means. Whether through a well thought civics syllabus in school or the school curricula itself, National Service, BTN and 1Malaysian initiatives to employing the MSMedia to showing the stick via the security apparatus, police, ISA and slew of legislations to nip and kick whosoever butt whom the government feel threaten ‘national security’.

So Pakatan’s fuss in banning it seems a loco reaction if the 1Malaysia logo is meant to be apolitical. But it’s odd when Pakatan wishes to enforce the bylaws which have been passed by the previous administration, they are being whacked. There is merit in their argument that the logo is the creation of the government of the day and if they allowed that to go by, they can similarly allow the Pakatan’s Middle Earth or Middle Malaysia logo if they have one to also be legally allowed in billboards, no?

When the nation today seems to be experiencing a rift in political ideologies that is also diminishing the efforts of nation building by the early founding fathers, we are quarrelling over whose path, or 1 icon or 1 symbol that is the valid one to promote harmony, unity and all that!

The politicians are the ones being juvenile about whose icon or whose programme IS THE POLITICALLY CORRECT and valid one to unite the people. Therein lies the problem, disease and obsession of BolehLand with this ‘one’ or ‘1’ status. One religion is the only valid and true one, similarly one government, one history syllabus, one party for one race. Is it any surprise only 1 symbol or icon is deemed the only one that will bind the different people, huh?

There seems to be no middle road, and this is not associated with DAP’s middle whatever which the one majority party has dismissed as a gimmick and does not reflect the realities of the nation and history. We have lost understanding the word compromise. When we want to coerce the people to submit to our ways we pull out the ‘1’ card, one true religion, one race party only, one coalition party, one ketuanan, one way, one law, and a whole lot of ‘one’s. While others want fair play, fair competition, there are those who are advocating for the worship of and submission to only ‘1’ or ‘one’?

If we recall what 1Malaysia is when it was launched, we were reminded that it is predicated on the Constitution which means simply, status quo right? You can shout about meritocracy, justice, fairness, equality but if one wishes to interpret the Constitution’s provision to be self serving, 1Malaysia really doesn’t change anything. Privileges and rights are still sanctimonious over all others. If they were not, why so much fear and opposition on 1Malaysia’s attempt to implement the NEM that depart radically from the NEP, no?

Pakatan should not waste time banning 1Malaysia logo. They should allow it so that the people can use that to remind whoever seems to deviate from it to live up to what it is supposed to stand for. We have our senior minister’s claim that 84% fully understand the 1Malaysia concept. So 1Malaysia logo must really be dear to these 84% and certainly they will feel offended with Pakatan’s childish tantrum to ban its visibility right? To the public they think those who really understand it must be the creator of the 1Malaysia concept, while the rest are merely parroting it. Because under previous prime ministers, the top brass were also parroting the sloganeering of the day, no?

85% may understand but not necessarily see that being practised in reality or even subscribe to it because the reality is half the majority group and a larger of the minorities don’t seem to feel they are a part of 1Malaysia! The majority, namely UMNO fellos and supporters are getting paranoid that their ketuanan is being trampled upon and ever ready to file police reports whenever they feel their ketuanan is being undermined. Which brings to the question, where does ‘ketuanan’ sits in this entire 1Malaysia concept? If 1Malaysia is predicated on the Constitution, ‘ketuanan’ sits on top of its implementation too, no?

Pakatan should stop being loco about the 1Malaysia logo. Don’t they know their psychology that you can use your opponent’s supposedly strength to your advantage in the game of turning your opponent’s asset to liability? All they need to do is to point out the contradiction(s). And there are no short examples of contradictions to this 1Malaysia concept in some recent actions of the BN government.

And while Pakatan try to swallow its pride in their recent reversal on the ban, can they also do something with the growing number of ahlong stickers being plastered all over town as well as prevent billboards from raping any available green earth left in Petaling Jaya, can, huh? Can Pakatan look into creating a one united alternative government that having so many individuals who want to be 'no1'? huh?

Pakatan should not be a sore loser and sour puss over the 1Malaysia logo. For once, prove you have a better platform or concept that either complement or show 1Malaysia's contradiction. Now that is one thing that we will be happy to see from Pakatan, yes, huh?

A Christmas 100 Dream On Tale

As snap election talk is in the air, the Pakatan coalition is trying to shore up its dream of capturing Putrajaya by promising the world to BolehLand people and coming up with a 100 day reforms.

Perhaps Pakatan is bitten by the Yuletide bug and celebrations and decided to play Santa Claus, even if it may upset the Johor Mufti, promising gifts that kids want for Christmas, 100 in fact to be given out not in a day but in 100 days.

Traditionally the belief is Santa will deliver your present if he is able to find your address, else your present will never arrive. Or if Santa finds your address and gets stuck in the chimney it's no good either, you won't get yours so will the rest of the undelivered presents.

But Pakatan's Santa got to find the correct address first to assemble their presents before they can deliver their promised 100.  And that address they have made known is located at Putrajaya. But getting there may be a lot difficult than they think because the present tenant have declared it their permanent BN fortress home and have vowed to defend it come what may, “Even if our bodies are crushed and our lives lost, brothers and sisters, whatever happens, we must defend Putrajaya.” With the Youth also declaring “before we die, before the last drop of blood), the warriors of the movement will never surrender,”

While BN troops are willing to shed blood and dismember limbs to safeguard fortress BN Putrajaya, the Pakatan fellos can’t even count on their own troops to back their leader. Instead, their ragtag team are infighting among themselves, armed with blackmail, demonstrations and twitter weapons!

Before Pakatan’s Santa and ragtag team can even pass the Sungei Besi toll or NKVE toll on the road to Putrajaya, they got to face so many roadblocks manned by the institutions of the state such as the police, judiciary, even MACC and Registrar of Association who in the public eye seem to be effectively use to thwart their Christmas present giving plans.

Given such opposition and seemingly gigantium obstacles that Pakatan fellos are facing, one wonders if they will ever stand a chance of even retain their own turf they have been given an a silver platter in March 2008!

As it is, the Pakatan defacto leader had played piped piper before promising an early road to Putrajaya on a Sept morning and failed. Some think that the tune he played was all wrong because it only attracted rats when he wanted frogs instead! Hence September 23 came and gone and our pipe piper decided that he got the tune wrong and probably won't ever get the music right to fulfill his piped dreams. So he changed profession to be Santa instead with the promise of 100 presents this Christmas though, right?

At least even if the piped piper's piped dream may not materialise, it certainly made the BN fellos dance to his tune as they scrambled to offer gifts of gold and frankincense to their king makers in the land called Sabah and Sarawak. And we saw Putrajaya leapfrogging to these two forgotten faraway land for having been neglected for 50 years and placing generous cache of fixed deposits there to prevent the pipe pier's music from transforming the rats there into becoming frogs!

Meanwhile the pipe pier has forgotten in his own den, the rats were getting more vicious with some demanding they get more cheese and made hissing sound threats to turn to frogs, which some did, and the house of Pakatan seemed to be so rat infested, it’s becoming quite unliveable really. The public think it’s better to abandon and exterminate the whole house than try and save it.

Many adults, including the Johor Mufti and even Christians don’t believe Santa represent Christmas nor related to any religious celebration or convinced at all that Santas’s wishing of Peace, Joy and Hope is his anyway. In fact, Santa or was it Coca Cola as some are being told has hijacked the real meaning of Christmas. Which in a way brings to question if Pakatan’s 100 day gift announced this Christmas season is anything believable too, no?

Even if Santa isn’t real and Christmas is haram to a certain mufti, we are somehow caught into the make believe snow or made in china xmas tree that have sprouted on retailer’s window display, including those Muslim outlets and are swept away by the magical good feeling of the Christmas season.

So, Pakatan’s 100 day reforms fit in nicely to the ‘good feeling’ mood of the season, no? And such promises are different from the ‘feel good’ scenario that APCO advised BN government these days are also churning out.

Pakatan’s promises have also set the juices of the BN fellos flowing as they poke fun at such grandiose plans, likening it to a 100 dream ONs (pun intended). And the one given the task to take pot shots at Pakatan is No1 No 2. See some remarks below.

Pakatan screams at BN for using the money carrot stick to gain popularity to be translated into vote for them. When Felda settlers got a raise, they brand it an expensive gimmick. Now they promised a raise for the teachers if they are voted to power. Is that not a billion ringgit gimmick too?

Seriously did they do their maths correctly when they try and pay Santa Claus. BN is right that other civil servants will also demand for salary increases. They would just increase our bankruptcy triple times over!

Is it not better to reform the civil service and then reward them based on performance than to just give them a raise and they remain the same. Mind you, the civil servants have been so brainwashed into thinking they only serve the BN government! And that they have a right to demand for this and that, a subtle form of threat and ransom like a kind of vote giving if BN meet their demands.

Pakatan seems to have caught on the BN disease by throwing around money to gain favours, no? Seriously if they are professional politicians at all, Pakatan could have taken a feather or two from the bald Eagle and look at how Uncle Sam’s most powerful President in the world is trying to make his ‘Yes We Can’ promises come true even way past beyond his 100 days in office. Right now, he’s having difficulty passing his next year’s budget!!!

Like Obama, our Pakatan fellos have forgotten the huge MINUS DEFICIT that the previous governments have amassed and is now faced with trying to undo the sins of the fathers! Talk about branding ahlongs as virus and cancer for bringing miseries to borrowers, the government putting the nation in billions of debt are even worst than ahlongs, right?

BN has already said we are going into debt, yet they have so deep pockets to also throw money around to give us the feel good factor. Pakatan seemed to have forgotten BolehLand is in debt with a BIG and certainly impossible IF they should sit in Putrajaya promise to even give out billions more for the good feel factor.

Maybe Pakatan should first try and exterminate its rat infested own home that is slowly eating at its foundation. Even in their own four space they occupy, they seemed to have mouse-trapped themselves in their own dirt and muck!!! Even in their own den they are not doing a good job and they want to spread the cheer on other areas? Hah that would be a tall order, no?

Anyway we have been sold by politicians from both sides of promises and most never deliver on them or will tell you they need an ad infinitum timeframe to fulfill it. Like the NEP and NEM that need a continuing staying in power to ensure its survivability. Still we voted for them thinking that they will listen to the cry of the people, particularly communities that are disadvantage and those who seek some equality in making a life for themselves in BolehLand.

With so much good feeling and feel good happy happy scenarios showering on BolehLand, it shouldn’t matter which government BolehLand folks should vote right?

Kids want to believe that Santa is real so that they will get their dream gift come true, courtesy of the adults. So come any snap election, will voters behave like kids to vote in Santa or will they remain the kids they have for the past 50 years not wanting to change and grow up because they have been brought up by an imposing, authoritative and most times dictatorial ole fello?

And who said that donning a Santa cap and costume is all a fantasy and make belief if one believe in the magic of Christmas. Even if March was not the Christmas season, there was still magic in BolehLand. And it would be interesting if that whiff of magic is still around or have all been lost?

Christmas is about Peace, Joy, Love and BIG Hope for mankind and it still holds true in BolehLand as the politicians on both side are being their own Santa Claus and promising us these, right, huh?
=====================

“Pakatan can promise the sun, moon, stars and mountains... But that is not the way of the BN government. We cannot squander our nation's wealth.

“For BN, the prime minister has already a long road map for a high-income nation. But Pakatan only has plans for their first 100 days. They have absolutely no plans to reform the economy or anything."

Muhyiddin said that lofty plans will not resonate with the public because many pledges made before the 2008 general election have yet to be kept.

“We want to see whatever they have promised and see what it really means... We know that in the last general election, they promised a lot of things for Selangor as well but these have not implemented. And then they come up with a grand story as an excuse."

Ho Ho Haram Santa

Each festive occasion that is not of the official religion of BolehLand, there will be some form of edict and decree that screams HARAM this HARAM that for faithfuls of the official religion like reminding them to stay away from celebrating other festivals that pay homage to 'false gods'. See the latest HARAM caution advice from the learned holy clerics below.

If one wants to be dogmatic about such 'advice' you can't call other religion celebrations as 'religious' anymore, simply because their gods are not the true god. So, if the other people are worshiping pagans and infidels , there is nothing 'religious' about their festivities, right?

Christmas as some will try and link it to pagan worship will tell you that it is actually a symbolic day chosen for the birth of the Christian God (note God is uppercase 'G', than normal 'g' ok) which is a   'celebration of the Italic god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god.' (this phrase plagarised from a web too lazy to rewrite it!)

Let's hope our unpredictable Nazri will care to enlighten us this latest ruling?

 

Sited Santas to Cap the Celebration

at The Curve 24 Dec 2010

History will tell us that many holy and commemorative days have their origin in earlier symbolic events too. So the birthday of Jesus on 25 December 2010 is as real and official as that of His Majesty on the first Saturday of every June, no?

So our holy cleric's advice makes what of 1Malaysia concept or symbolism? Given this advice, are not the BN fellos creating just as much fuss and big fight with the Pakatan government over the ban or use of the 1Malaysia symbol by Pakatan government! Though some may think it is being politicised, one can also asked if Pakatan came up with their Middle Malaysia symbol and icon, will it also be accepted as one that promote unity, harmony and what not.

Are we saying that only the official version of an icon or symbol or religious celebration is considered a halal unifying symbol or a celebration that others can join in and not feel their beliefs have been threatened or their soul descent into the burning fires of hell!

BolehLand must have the most archaic and over Taliban kind of religious fervor than those nations that declare themselves a religious nation or have a majority of their people belong to one faith five times more than the numbers in BolehLand!

 

 Adding Christmas Cheer

Strip off your haram santa cap & gown please

Already a supposed Tee convert is complaining that western type christmas celebrations are tainting the grounds of this holy Islamic nation! And with white bearded santas and sexy santarinas prancing in the malls and those behind fast food cafes donning the red cap, these holy clerics and religious few are screaming their heads off that this land is being invaded by infidels and will weaken the beliefs of their followers and cause them to convert their beliefs and lifestyle to that of ole Saint Nicholas and his coterie of sexy santarinas.

If it is considered 'haram' to be associated with Christmas and other non Islamic celebration, what do they do with so many gift companies managed by Muslims that are providing excellent service and good business too in sending hampers, gifts and what not to customers? Should they be asked to stop their business. After all, they can be accused of recognising those religions by taking on requests from their customers right? By serving their customers' needs are these business owner's faith being weakened?

And gosh, will those CEOs of GLCs and who are Muslims be flogged for spending thousands creating corporate e-Christmas or e-festive greetings, sending hampers and what not to their Christian clients, huh? What about the government supporting other religious celebrations and planning national open house on a large scale? Then, our so called defender of the faithful must really have committed the biggest heretical act by organising such open houses and worse for allowing public holidays to be allowed for 'pagan' celebrations.

Will they also direct 1Malaysia to stop all those Open Houses too next? And will all those Muslim Facebook fellos have their website shut down by MSC becoz they are sending thousands of Christmas greetings and putting mistletoe and xmas tree, snowman or santa in their web page or blog to wish their Christian frens?

What about Xmas trees and decos that adorn so many outlets owned by Muslims?

Why does a 2000 year old tradition with modern additions of Santas and Santarinas now be considered a threat and non kosher in BolehLand, why?

While some look forward to such festivities to rekindle and renew friendship, we are being cautioned!!! Gosh what kind of a nation are we turning into. Supposed we might as well have the kind of celebration that our frens in say US of A or ole Queen E II are used to - just among relatives, no?

Can we in the near future or even tomorrow boast to the world of our unique muhibbah and 1Malaysia open house celebration when we have a group of holy fellos fuming with suppressed anger seeing their faithful in merriment with their Christian friends.

It is not more appropriate to call for tolerance when there is even no attempt at it. What more of trying to inculcate understanding. Have this closet mentality got to do with the History syllabus that only glorifies and consider one religion to the the true one and the world pay homage to a 'green' God and the rest are like 'oh by the way, there are infidels out there who still worship false god and needs salvation and conversion', huh?

Wonder if our Mufti will send in their moral squads and demand all Muslim staff to take off their red caps or even wish 'Merry Christmas' as our holy fellos are implying they are indirectly acknowledging the truth of the existence of another true God, other than theirs no?

But some Christians will applaud the Mufti's mini-Taliban advice because they are equally abhorred that their beloved Child Jesus have been sidelined to the manger while ole Santa  is given so much spotlight, glitter and homage! But this is expected as Santa has the backing of powerful commercial interests than the poor family that Jesus was born into right? And over LV and being reminded of poverty during Christmas, guess who will become the winner, huh?

But then, the Christian God is also adaptive knowing that in some countries where there is an official non Christian religion, having his face with beard and all that might prove a wee bit overtly threating to some religious clerics. So being a the Supreme Marketing fello, the Christian God managed to camouflage His birthday and keep the day the most universally celebration event by dressing up as Santa,right? And who said that angels need to have wings to create magic? Being santarinas is just as effective if not more, right? Gosh is this making a mockery of Chrismas, no?

As one Christian friend's reaction on reading this is, 'They can stuff the santas cap or attire you know where as long as they don't disturb me enjoying my stuffed turkey and my champaign with a santarina by my side!

So should I remind the sweet Suzana at parfum counter to ehem, 'remove her top red hat and santa gown' for a more brighter and open Christmas, courtesy of our holy clerics, eh? So there is still peace and hope and merriment still this Christmas even if we were to follow our dear mufti's edict no?

Welcome to BolehLand
Truly a Ho Ho Ho Haram Santa only in BolehLand!

--------------------


Berita Harian -Mufti Johor, Datuk Tahrir Shamsuddin menasihatkan umat Islam supaya tidak memakai pakaian atau perhiasan yang menyamai 'Santa Claus' kerana ia bercanggah dengan seruan Nabi Muhammad.
Katanya, kebanyakan umat Islam di negara ini tidak sedar dan kurang pengetahuan mengenai ilmu agama hingga menyebabkan mereka turut serta meraikan perayaan Krismas yang disambut penganut Kristian.
Setiap kali menjelang 25 Disember, ada antara orang Islam memakai pakaian itu. Bagi saya, hukumnya haram kerana ia boleh mempengaruhi dan memesongkan akidah seseorang Islam itu.
"Baru-baru ini, saya ada menerima aduan daripada orang ramai yang prihatin mengenai perkara ini malah ada yang meluahkan perasaan sedih kerana ada segelintir masyarakat Islam sanggup berpakaian seperti Santa Claus," katanya kepada Berita Harian di sini, semalam.
Tahrir berkata, ada sesetengah masyarakat Islam yang bekerja di pusat beli - belah terpaksa memakai pakaian atau perhiasan berkenaan atas kehendak tugas.
"Pihak atasan organisasi berkenaan seharusnya sedar dan sedia maklum mengenai sensitiviti masyarakat Islam. Mereka sebenarnya boleh mengarahkan pekerja lain dan sebagai contoh pekerja yang beragama Kristian untuk memakai pakaian terbabit," katanya...24 December 2010

Mutiple Crimes and length of incarceration.

Bolehland have some outrageous quarkish happenings that baffle ordinary folks. Some suspect such absurd and at times bizarre kind of quarkish phenomena is to get one into the local Guinness Book of Records of sorts.

Even if the original name for extraordinary feats for seemingly mundane stuff has nothing to do with the black gold alcoholic beverage, the fellos competing to have their fame immortalised as one of a kind must really be so drank to not feel anything when act out their stunts to get their name into the local edition book of records.

But achieving fame or notoriety may not necessary be a result of a deliberate participation to earn that fame. Even in the course of ordinary duties, some acts can be considered befitting an entry into the BORE, Book of Records Extraordinaire!

Take for example, the case of the Former Immigration Department deputy director-general was sentenced to a total of 56 years in jail for 14 counts of corruption but will only served six years. The reason, the sentences run concurrently. Which means each corruption got an average of four years with one being two and the other six right?

Does the guilty fello or the one sentencing deserve an entry in the BORE for so many counts of corruption and even that many total years in jail?

We hear of sentences that run into such a long period, if the guilty fello believed in incarnation, even if he achieved nivarna, he wouldn't have even completed his total sentence.

Given that each sentence is rather small, does it mean that the type of 'corruption' the fello is found guilty of committing is not that a serious form of corruption over say something that involved many more millions of ringgit?

If an incorrigible petty thief who steals a five ringgit pair of slippers or food to feed his hungry stomach gets 10 years, would not a more 'sinful' act such as corruption done over 14 times deserve a similar period of sentence?

What is the message being sent out to those who remained free and committing an equally 14 types of corruptable act? They can enrich themselves and wait their four years to get to spend their ill gotten wealth? And those who have foreign workers or maids before, or presently, including those newbie will tell you the amount of 'extra' money needed to expedite the application. Such 'grease money' may even get them another one to work the same duration of the tenure of the single maid or worker!

While there is promise to be harsh on those involved in corruption, the above case doesn't seem to provide enough punitive punishment to deter existing not caught or potential corruption fellos from stopping such action.

So if a fello who committed 14 actions being seen as 'corruption' gets a light sentence, is the fault with the learned judge or the law itself? The finger points to the law because judgement can only be imposed based on the provision of the law, no?

Ordinary citizens need to ask if the lawmakers, i.e. the politicians, are deliberately putting a low maximum sentence to corruption practices, to corruptly protect their own 'corrupt actions', huh? Odd, there is no hue and cry from the UMNO and Perkasa, including Pakatan fellos decrying the ridiculous jail term being served. Though we were told by these leaders that corruption is their enemy and they promised they will weed out corruption!

Since everyone should be protected under the law and given justice, the case is still not final yet. Whether he gets acquitted may depend on the appeal process as well as the competency of the prosecutors including MACC, eh?

Meanwhile, the 14 counts of actions receiving minor sentence will remain unchanged and the case will earn its place in the BORE, so will the level and type of corruption remain unchanged. Even if tomorrow the total number of years may be 10 times for than this present case, it does not compute that the fight against corruption have decreased by 10%. QED then, huh?

A Taste of Suspension

There has never been moments of boredom in the august house since 2008. Being used to listening to boring yes men rubber stamping bills due to their two thirds majority, our elected reps now are having to literally shout themselves to be heard!

Last week ruckus isn't something new. It just got bolder, louder and most times rowdy because there is more opposition voices. Which means, every sentence of any bill, government remarks or policies are being scrutinised and argued than being debated upon.

The Perak Assembly fiasco was pale compared to what happens in other assemblies, the most striking example is Taiwan and at times in S.Korea. Last week's suspension in Parliament was the climax of the suspension dramas against UMNO politicians in Pakatan controlled State Assemblies. This time Pakatan getting a taste of suspension!

Nazri showed himself the smarter and shrewd politician by proposing a ban on some of the big Pakatan guns and successfully getting a six months suspension for them. It's what we all call a hands down win becoz they voted without the opposition in the hall. But even if  Pakatan were in, BN would still win as proven in all voting held after March 2008 and 52 years before.

But the worrying issue is if the public think that in the highest house, fair play is not even given or seen to be practised, what can the public hope for outside the House? If it's true that a committee can make a decision based on a letter and not allow the one being investigated to defend himself in the committee which is the proper venue, how much confidence can the public expect of other institutions or inquests to also follow the rules of natural justice or fair play? And we have our share of the kind of justice being practiced in institutions such as the police, judiciary and even those moral vigilante groups!

There might be reasons only known to the committee members why they need to bring to the House for the accused to defend himself? Was it to embarrass him and future humiliating him for making a 'false accusation'? Isn't the committee supposed to present their findings to the house than for the house to be roped in as members of the committee?

The Pakatan fellos have broken House rules by bringing in their banners and what not. But then are such technicalities as horrifying and abusive as some of the laws being passed by our politicians in the house?

Pakatan will now surely use the suspension as good ammo to gain back losing public confidence in them and their own shortcomings and problems in the House of Pakatan. They will see themselves victims of 'tyranny of the majority', forgetting they also did their own 'mini tyranny of the majority' in Penang and Selangor.

One can argue these two incidences are different. But as the Ministers have said, 'too bad we are the majority' and you have to live with the decision of the majority!'

But looking at the behaviour on both sides, we voters are really stupid fools because we place our trust and hope in them that they are rational, intelligent and smart fellos to decide the destiny of our nation.

Selecting between real hopeless idiots in government and equally real hopeless idiots potential government fellos is a losing game for voters.

The fight was actually why the need to employ and pay millions of taxpayer's money to a foreign PR company, APCO. Irrespective the composition of this foreign PR agency, we local fellos must question why the need for a foreign agency to sell our government to us? If the government is one that has shown itself fair, honest, clean and just, a local PR agency will do?

The appointment of APCO is a disease that BolehLand organisations are inflicted with - employing foreign consultants to look at just about anything and everything in BolehLand. We complain of foreign interference, of safeguarding our local values, tradition and the way we do business. But we hire foreign fellos with their foreign ideas that conflict with our local interests!

But then there is also a real good side to why we need foreign fellos. It's to point out most times the real inferiority complex and kampung or village mentality we have in getting things done. It's also benchmarking us against outside standards. The plus side is to prevent us from using our 'local ways' of getting things done, like patronage, corruption, favourtism and abuse of social engineering formulas.

It's rather comical that Pakatan was done away with by a foreign PR agency! Ha ha, what a laugh for the BN fellos and they must really feel that they paid good millions of taxpayer's money to employ them!

However, whatever legal, constitutional or proceedings house rules are used to justify the suspension, at the back of the ordinary people, it's a sign the battle lines for the coming election is already in place.

By removing the big guns, a powerful voice is removed. The people will be told how their leaders have let them down by their disgusting behaviour which do not make them fit to be leaders.

The so called 'victims' will twist and turn the incident to their advantage and use it as an example of the arrogance and abuse of power of the ruling party.

But BN and Pakatan should not think that voters are as emotional as them and behave how they did in the august house. Suspensions are not uncommon. The issue is who has the more powerful vote, the fellos in Parliament or those in the voting booth?

APCO must now really feel they have brought more value to BN not by their own doing. But courtesy of the very people who sought to humiliate them.

There must be some truth in what ole Tun always gripe about organisations that have a tinge of Jew or Jewish connection, whether real, perceived or imaginary. 'You don't mess with them as they are very powerful fellos!, huh?

Ketuanan Agama?

While the debate as well as academic discourse are being undertaken on the interpretation of what 'ketuanan' is especially when it is tagged with a race label, some fellos are taking it a bit too far and big headed ' in now advocating for a 'ketuanan' agama, religious supremacy' of one religion over another.

In a statement by the supposedly IKIM, the ketuanan agama, specifically ketuanan Islam was mentioned to put an end to the notion as proposed by who else by the opposition, the defacto leader who advocates for religious pluralism. Islam rejects the notion of religious pluralism which espouses that all religions are equally good and true, said Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) director-general Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan.

Is the statement that radical and inappropriate? Put it this way, there is truth in the claim because not all religion are equally good or true. What makes everyone having a legitimate claim that it is the best or rather the real one. So, who is supposed to be the real one and who are the false Gods if everyone has or rather make legitimate claim theirs is a true God?

Christian history is full of history, real history that is, of their believers and led by powerful fellos such as the Popes and Holy Emperors, who claim their religion is the true one and the rest are infidels!!!

To enforce the ketuanan ‘christian’, men tortured, killed, burned heretics to the stake and even created holy wars, simply becoz these Christians had a strong conviction that their God is the real one and the rest are pagans.

Even before the the Holy Roman Empire took it upon themselves to slaughter pagans, the Romans were persecuting and crucifying the early Christians believing their pagan Gods to the the true Gods!

Every race that thought themselves the chosen ones, Jews, Christians and Muslims went to wars, massacred and committed atrocities against those who  rest deserve to die or be burned alive if they labelled you a witch, heretic or even apostate!

This ketuanan agama has lead to some of the worst crimes against humanity, which the Bosnian conflict close to a decade ago is a continual of the age old animosity and conflict when men become Gods and wage wars against their 'traditional' pagans! And all these killings done supposedly in the name of God. Like as if God is so vain to come on top of the other Gods?

This tussle of who is the real or greater of Gods is like doing a Greek drama where there are many Gods and Zeus is the Father God. But then the IKIM statement is not anything about this circus of Greek Gods if we know Greek mythology, where each God is trying to upstage ole Zeus.

IKIM's statement is the issue is one big BIGOT that is also inflicted by the fourth BN disease called ARROGANCE that theirs is the real God and the others are supposedly pagans, no?

Are we any surprised that other religious celebrations are being frowned up by these believers of the true God!  Is religious pluralism therefor haram or sinful for any Muslim to even think of such notion? Is the statement directed at the PKR leader for promoting religious pluralism or is it at the 1Malaysia concept?

Isn't IKIM's statement considered an outright seditious one towards other religions. Or is it that becoz of politics that they can exhibit such superiority behaviour? After all, the government who has made itself the ketuanan of even the official religion has all the power to ban haram practices, if it chooses to and those in conflict with that faith. And we know government decisions will be in consultation with the religious bodies, which makes these religious bodies no?

While we are trying to implement this 1Malaysia concept whatever it is, we have such Taliban like reminders that derail any attempt to build a nation that supports and nurture diversity. If you say that diversity contributes to enriching the nation, then there isn't any place for such bigotry and superiority complex can we?

So what is next, ketuanan kebudayaan, supremacy of culture?

Wonder if such supremacy attitude has to do with the history being taught in school, no? After all the history syllabus seems to extol one religion's greatness over 10 chapters and resign others an A4 page space, huh?

Whither our History?

Is it anymore surprising to find out that there are attempts now to even teach bias history as reported in a local daily recently. See part story below.

It is no more disturbing too to be told that there is biasness in almost every aspect of life in BolehLand.

The attempt to manipulate history is not something new. Even the Roman emperors when they ascended on Caesar's throne also attempted to eradicate all signs of previous administration. Such evidence is still present in the ruins of Rome and even in Egypt. They literally etched away the name of the predecessor in the columns!

Today, BolehLand ketuanan fellos are doing just the same. The reason is clear to either extol one race as more superior and responsible for today's modern history. Little do they realise that by manipulating historical facts and interpretation, present day facts and realities do not support such manipulation.

The Chinese and Japanese are masters of changing history to suit their political agenda. Similar to what Bolehland government is trying to do. The government can't really say that they are not responsible and that the history syllabus have been decided by a panel of experts. And who might these experts be?

If the powers be think that by manipulating history they will earn the respect of the people, they are misplaced in their belief! If history has been manipulated to try and gain credit for present day BolehLand, one wonders if present day Bolehland has benefited from the supposedly glorious and heroic deeds that one race had done for the nation.

The present economic and socio development of one race is hardly a thing to be proud of the past right? If history has anything to tell us, even if it has been manipulated and presented in a bias manner, the modern generation can blame the failings of history for letting them be in the present state of affairs. In BolehLand's case, the seemingly insecurity of one race or religion, the envy, jealousy and negativity, are certainly their own doing, no? It clearly showed, these fellos made big time mistakes in the past. If they didn't the present state of affairs should not be happening, right?

If corruption, racism, insecurity, nepotism and unjust systems occur today, why is it that we are unable to traced them to our historical past? Or are these diseases a recent modern history occurrence? Who should we attribute today's woes to then? Migrants?

For this manipulation to creep in also reflects the professionalism of the history teachers themselves. Surely, the history they are teaching would greatly differ from what they read in university. Unless, the universities have burned or banned history books written by non locals and even by local historians or the history teachers are members of the ruling coalition, we can aspect such manipulation to happen. The ultimate loser is our Generation Y and the nation. Some thing being myopic is better as you are able to control and manipulate closed minds than have to deal with those who do not believe the truth machine of the government as being churned out by their channels such as the education system and syllabus like 'history!'

It would be good to know, why the history teachers themselves have not raised objections to teaching only one aspect of history and focusing even on only one religion! Where is the professionalism of history teachers, lecturers and those who research and write history to speak out of such manipulation? Is our high knowledge society we are striving to create one that will turn out zombies who will only do their master's bidding?

Have we sold our moral and ethical principles for a fistful of ringgit or an AP or some monetary gain? Are the historians also being apathetic and prefer the temptations of money over plain honesty and the 'truth'?

We think only commie North Korea and banana republics will go at lengths to brainwash and manipulate their masses so that their political survival is assured. We know you can cheat some people all the time and all the while. Even if you do it all the while, a person of sound mind will feel there must be life outside his make believe world.

Manipulating history is like mass brainwashing. It is sign of a proud race that has gone overboard and caught one of the four diseases - arrogance.

In the world of globalisation and cyberworld access in an instant, trying to manipulate history is only a temporary shiok sendiri tactic. Which is more damaging? Brainwashing our children or letting the children find out themselves the many other versions and plausible truth out there? When one is disillusioned because he realised he has been living a BIG lie for too long, the damage is humongous! Trust will be lost in an instant and possibly never re-gained. It only weakens one's credibility. They will also be a question markf behind any future claims the government omake!

Perhaps our Generation Y has become so gullible studying only one aspect of history that they become confused people and disillusion by what they see happening today. IF they read that this race was honest, hardworking and responsible for building a glorious powerful empire stretching across the seas, they will wonder why such qualities are absent in a present day generation who seem to die for their rights and privileges than in the olden days to die to protect the rakyat!

The government these days have been telling everyone they need to change and they are a changed government and they must listen to the voice of the people.

Instead of threatening the people to kow tow to their supremacy concept, they should be willing instead of trying to change history is to change their attitude and realise what they serve to the school children and public is not health food for thought! If they think that too good of a good history lesson is going to be good for them, they really are bad history students or at best, bad story manipulators of their own history?

Parents should also protest any biasness in the lessons that are taught in schools. So should teachers with a higher conscience to ensure a well balanced fair interpretation of history is being taught.

Let us not kid ourselves thinking we can kid our kids easily. If we do, then it shows we have not learned proper history but just a second edition of a cerita melayu or cina or india, depending how much we feel 'shiok sendiri' rewriting our own version of HISTORY!

---------------------
History textbooks are biased and littered with errors, claim two authors and academicians. Dr Ranjit Singh Malhi and Ng How Kuen, who writes history textbooks for Chinese schools, say their experience with officialdom does not augur well for the teaching of history in our classrooms.

Ranjit, author of secondary school history textbooks since 1990, and adviser to the Ministry of Education (MOE) on history textbooks, said such material were littered with factual errors and distortions. He said that when he pointed out the errors and distortions, a ministry official labelled him “anti-national”.

“Secondary school history textbooks have been used to promote political interests. It should be a scholarly pursuit and not politically-motivated,” said Ranjit who showed the Sun history textbooks with errors and exaggerated facts.

“Five out of 10 chapters of the Form Four history textbook deal with Islamic history as compared to only one chapter in the earlier textbook. The intention of the earlier syllabus was to expose our students to World History,” he said when commenting on the announcement that the history syllabus is being reviewed and that the subject will be made a compulsory pass in the Sijil
Pelajaran Malaysia from 2013.

“The coverage of important historical events such as Renaissance and Industrial Revolution has been reduced by more than half,” he said.

He also said certain historical personalities, such as Yap Ah Loy (the third Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur), were not given due recognition. Yap played a major role in the development of Kuala Lumpur as a commercial and tin-mining centre, particularly after the fire of 1881,” he said, adding that the Form Two history textbook had only one sentence on Yap as “one of the persons
responsible for developing Kuala Lumpur”...

Sorry Seems Hardly Meaningful

Tom Hanks has this to say about how you decide how people see you: " The only way you can truly control how you are seen is being honest all the time.”

Just barely a week has passed when 1Malaysia expounded the four diseases that BN must avoid. Two of these are inertia, not being able to change and the other arrogance where we cannot accept what other’s comment on what you have said or done.

Our Zahid’s rather unpatriotic remarks that the lack of other races joining the armed forces can be attributed to possibly due to a "sense of patriotism that is not strong enough" the fear of the strict discipline in the Malaysian Armed Forces and less attractive pay compared to the offer from the private sector.

It seems these days, just about anything other races do or don’t do is being labelled as less patriotic, or evil or threatening the rights of some race and in turn, the security of the country.

The armed forces is not a career you think fits your patriotism is suspect.

You do not think the civil service suits you becoz of real or perceived discrimination of top positions, you are also blamed for being unpatriotic.

You bring home cooked meals, you are being insensitive and asked to return to your ancestral land. Same too if you are not conversant in Bahasa Melayu.

If other races think they are being whacked unjustly and get the worse of rebuke and criticism, think again. Those who belong to a same race and do not share the views of self appointed ‘ketuanan’ leaders or seek to remove themselves from the shackles of privileges, rights and exclusiveness, are branded as syaitan, evil, satan, traitors and even threaten with ISA and in some cases committing treason and even stripped of a citizen of the state or country.

You become successful taking risks, don’t get first priority for licences, business locations or didn’t allocate jobs or shares you are considered greedy and unpatriotic.

You decide to migrate because your talents are better appreciated overseas you are branded ungrateful.

You want to retain your vernacular schools becoz the Constitution allows that you are being accused of not being nationalistic.

You speak English you are asked to change mode and accused of belittling the national language.

So you see, if you don’t belong to the majority or the ‘ketuanan’ group, you can be accused of and branded with all kinds of disparaging labels. Of course, BolehLand is a democracy and you can huff and cry and opposed all you want.

But don’t expect a request for the ones being insensitive to say “sorry”. It’s the hardest word. Like those who discover they have some disease will deny they have it and blame everyone and cursing God too.

Perhaps, there is truth in the leader diagnosing the four diseases that BN needs to avoid. He may have found these diseases in abundance in his own party where even the Ministers are infected with the disease of inertia and arrogance.

"I feel it is unfortunate if my answer to the House in November had hurt the feelings of any race, I am sad if my answer to the Parliament on Nov 9 has upset others," was the supposedly remorseful reaction he could only muster when what everyone, even opponents would forgive him is he would ‘just say sorry, that is what you should say.’

So if our leaders see ‘sorry is the hardest word to say’ and think it an admission of guilt or fault, then they make themselves superior and faultless. Does it has to do with how they see their ‘ketuanan’ status as?

It is unbecoming of our leaders to shoot from their mouth some of the most blatant, insensitive remarks and later claim they have no intention to hurt anyone or they have been misquoted.

It‘s like a man infected with diseases and in his frustration, he will say anything without any cares and others will sympathise with him because he doesn’t have control of his mental faculties hence he can say what he likes and wants.

Is that what Zahid is making himself to be or is this disease shared by others in government and his party, no?

If leaders feel they can get away with such arrogant and irresponsible statements and behaviour, why should the others and public be singled out for punishment if they speak out against such leaders or act in a milder form of the behaviour of their leaders? Or, why does the minority just going about to eke out a living very much on their own, are made to be the bogey man for the ills of a race or nation, huh?

To some leaders, sorry seems hardly meaningful if they have every intention to hurt the feelings of others.

The Fear of the Middle Kingdom

The Nobel Peace Prize has often created controversies especially if it is awarded to persons who in their own homeland are branded as traitors, extremists, leftist and criminals.

The latest award to Chinese human rights activist is causing the Communist Red Dragon to flex its tonsils and ready to spew balls of anger and displeasure at any of their trading partners who attend the awards ceremony.

So the world's most sought after economy to make quick rich bucks with all their supposedly economic might and marvel that is the envy of even developed economists, is roused to fury and anger that one of its son has been given honours for daring to speak out to those who have been oppressed under the communist regime.

Their economic and political as well as military might may make them invincible and even influence independent nations to kow tow to their demand, like those countries including Philippines to give some lame excuse not to attend the awards ceremony. See Time International story below.

Some may argue that in the process of making money and developing the country and raise the material possession level of the Chinese people, there is really no need or place for people like Xiaobo to prick the conscience of the political bureau as well as those businessmen. After all who cares if a small percentage suffers trying to speak out for the majority in the rural areas when there is money to be made?

European companies that fled to China becoz of cost efficiency meaning menial salaries to the Chinese factory workers, are always pointing a finger at developing countries and their businesses trying to penetrate their economies. They will impose all kinds of requirements like accountability, transparency, governance and social responsibility, rule of law, ethics and lately human rights.

Why is it when they plonk their business there they are willing to compromise on all those requirements and themselves become the greatest hypocrites of their own moral and ethical code?

Noone dares to stand up to the Communists when they commit human rights abuse because of money? Does it not make those countries as corrupt as the Chinese government for turning a blind eye and kow towing to the red dragon?

Some may even argue that the activists has broken the law and have been justly sentenced. While they condemn similar actions taken by say Iran or even the Taliban who mete justice on those accused of breaking the nation's law?

When it matters to be on the side of supporting the ideals and principles that developed nations are willing to spend billions of dollars to carpet bomb other nations or think collateral damage is acceptable in the name of peace, justice and freedom, some behave like a political vassal to the middle red kingdom.

China with its grand delusion that it is the centre of the world and a Shangri-La to nations that want to make a quick buck thinks its economic might as well as holding Uncle Sam's jewel crown because it has huge wads of Treasury notes, is playing the mother of all 'I scratch your back, you better massage mine or else I'd even take the shirt away from your back'!

When justice needed man's on its side in moments like this, nations that preach it have lost their courage. At a time when the millions of rural Chinese and those exploited need a voice to give them dignity and justice, men of peace prefer to side with the mighty yuan. Shame on them.

If China feels that the Nobel Peace Prize is a worthless piece of award, they should not even vie for any of the other categories of the Nobel Prizes, particularly in science, mathematics or medicine, right?

Some may argue the Chinese people think silence and even belief that Xiabao is an enemy of the state is good enough to prove that the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has erred in their selection.

Even at the back of their conscience they know that any state propaganda machine can make you either a devil or a saint, they choose to chase the mighty yuan at the expense of giving dignity to their fellow men.

If the communist regime is right and the Nobel Peace Committee is wrong, why take so much great pains to arm twist other nations to boycott the awards ceremony are deny the public to see the other side of the coin?

China is using its economic might to its advantage just as what its dynasties of old did. Because they believe they have the mandate of heaven, not God to them but foreign companies rushing in to make their quick yuan, they think other nations 'fear' the Middle Kingdom and are afraid to rouse their displeasure or awaken an angry dragon because of their strangle hold on these foreing investors.

On the other hand, the mighty red communist dragon may think it is mighty and powerful, but an activist sitting in a jail and being conferred the Nobel Peace Prize has caused them to behave in such a way that it shows the 'fear of the middle kingdom' of itself and by themselves rather than the other way round, no?

How else would you explain the Chinese people are unaware of the award and seemingly apathy to one of their sons receiving an award that has a collegiate of true men of peace and courage?

--------------------

China's Nobel Winner: A No-Show That Speaks Volumes
By Austin Ramzy / Beijing Tuesday, Dec. 07, 2010, copyright Time International

As China's human-rights activists prepare for their moment on the world stage, they have gone noticeably silent at home. On Dec. 3, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will honor Liu Xiaobo, the winner of this year's Peace Prize, for his work promoting human rights in China. But Liu will almost certainly remain locked away in northeastern China. And his wife Liu Xia, who was his chief representative outside the prison's walls, is now under house arrest. After her husband's award was announced on Oct. 8, she was initially able to take a few phone calls and communicate via e-mail and Twitter. But those channels have now gone silent.

As none of Liu's family seems likely to make it to the ceremony in Oslo, the Nobel Committee has said it will not hand out his medal or diploma. Instead, Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann will read from some of Liu's writings. And the organizers are expected to include a symbolic representation of the laureate's ongoing detention. "It is up to the committee to decide, but I expect there might be an empty chair on the stage," says Yang Jianli, a Massachusetts-based Chinese activist. "That empty seat will speak loudly. It serves as a reminder to the world what the situation is in China, and also remind it once again how difficult it is for China's democracy movement and how much of a sacrifice we have made in past 30 years." (See the top 10 political prisoners.)

Chinese authorities reacted angrily to the Nobel Committee's awarding of the Peace Prize to Liu, a literary critic who became a leader of the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations that were crushed by the Chinese military, killing hundreds. He has spent much of the time since in prison or under surveillance, refusing any deals, including one reportedly offered since the Nobel was awarded, to accept exile.

By not allowing Liu or a direct family member to accept his award, the Chinese authorities hope to diminish the importance of the ceremony, but in so doing they create an unflattering parallel. The last time the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony did not have a representative of the laureate to accept the award was in 1936. That year the winner, German journalist and pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, was moved from a Nazi concentration camp to a hospital where, under police custody, he was treated for tuberculosis. While the German authorities said he was free to travel, according to his official Nobel biography, "secret police documents indicate that Ossietzky was refused a passport."

The 1975 winner, Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, was not allowed to attend, but his wife Elena Bonner represented him at the ceremony. She noted that as she spoke, her husband was standing outside a courthouse in Vilnius, Lithuania, awaiting news of his friend Sergei Kovalev, a scientist who was on trial for "anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda." Burmese democracy advocate and political leader Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest when she was awarded the Peace Prize in 1991. Her sons accepted the prize for her. Since then, Suu Kyi has spent all but a year and a half in detention for her opposition to Burma's ruling junta. She was most recently released on Nov. 13, leaving Liu the only Peace Prize laureate in detention. (See "China's Eyes on the Prize.")

Beijing has pressured other governments to boycott the ceremony. So far, 19 countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Morocco, Iran, the Philippines, Ukraine and China, have said they will snub the event. Yang said he was angered by the decision of Navanethem Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, to not attend the ceremony, citing a previously scheduled engagement celebrating Human Rights Day. Previously, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was criticized for not pushing for Liu's release when he met with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Chinese authorities have also blocked several human-rights advocates from flying out of the country — including lawyer Mo Shaoping, law professor He Weifang, artist Ai Weiwei and economist Mao Yushi — presumably in fear that they would attempt to attend. Human-rights groups estimate that since the prize was awarded two months ago, at least three dozen activists have been put under house arrest. And like the case of Liu Xia, the restrictions seem to have heightened as the Nobel ceremony draws closer.

Zeng Jinyan, an activist and the wife of jailed dissident Hu Jia, wrote via Twitter on Monday that six or seven unidentified men visited Hu's parents' house. The men were assigned to watch over Hu's 73-year-old mother, who laughed and shook their hands, Zeng wrote. Chinese author and activist Yu Jie was put under house arrest on Oct. 18, followed by his wife a week later. Yu's latest book, China's Greatest Actor: Wen Jiabao, was a takedown of China's Premier, who is one of the country's more respected politicians and generally seen as a man of the people. But despite the criticism of such a high-ranking leader, Yu believes it wasn't the book, published in August, that got him into trouble; it was Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Prize. (See Liu Xiaobo and other candidates for TIME's 2010 Person of the Year.)

For a period while under house arrest, Yu was still able to make some phone calls and communicate via e-mail, instant message and Twitter. While he could order books online and call to have groceries delivered, Beijing police had set up a table outside his apartment in a suburb on the city's southeastern edge to ensure that neither he nor his wife could leave. "They won't let us take half a step outside," he told TIME last month. "Even prisoners have time to get fresh air." On Nov. 12, he told his 17,000 Twitter followers that he was reading Paul Johnson's A History of the American People. That was the last time Yu was heard from.

"This is really a case of a disappearance," says Bao Pu, Yu's Hong Kong–based editor. "One possibility is he is confined to his house with no phone, no Internet and therefore no contact with the outside world." When a TIME reporter visited Yu's apartment building this week at a housing complex called Spring's Vitality, three men were stationed behind the building's main door and at least three others patrolled outside. "You don't need to know who I am," said one of the men as he escorted the reporter out of the complex. (Comment on this story.)

Among the Chinese government's criticisms of the Nobel Peace Prize is that giving it to Liu Xiaobo, who was convicted by a Beijing court on Christmas Day 2009 of "inciting subversion of state power," is an affront to the country's legal system. But human-rights activists like the editor Bao Pu, the son of high-ranking former official Bao Tong, who now lives under house arrest in Beijing, point out that the detentions of Liu's wife and other supporters haven't been legally authorized. "What they are doing is highlighting exactly the problem," Bao Pu says. "The Chinese legal system is absurd."

Samy Has Very Well Finally Quit

The great MIC leader, and longest serving no1 of any party has finally quit, well or so he said.

31 years is certainly a long time as No1 and with such long rule surely there must be many legacies this great MIC leader must have left behind in his MIC and on the political landscape of BolehLand including the Indian community.

Though there will many who will ponder on the next course of MIC's history, there are yet others who see the passing on the baton as a long overdue marathon.

But being Samy as he is, and one never to have known to back down on a challenge or say what is on his mind, his presence will still be felt.

There have been rumours or rather certainty that some deal was struck with big brader UMNO to hasten his departure. Some posting with ministerial powers and influence and perhaps a 'Tun' ship too. After all the other MIC leaders were conferred a 'Tun'. It would be rather racist given the context of MIC being a race based party if their supremo leader doesn't get a 'Tun' ship, right?

Will his departure means a shift in leadership style as well as relevancy of the MIC? The Indians are now considered very important voters than VIPs as shown in the recent by elections.

A fren in the know mentioned that UMNO sees the Chinese voters as lost cause and are courting the Indian voters. If they want to keep Perak and for Penang to lose more seats, the Indian voters are king-makers.

Pakatan knows the Indian voters are important becoz they are already aware that the Malay voters are swinging back to BN since GE12, principally Pakatan's own weakness and 1Malaysia shifting its gear running down the Pakatan Malay leaders as betraying the 'ketuanan'.

Pakatan have themselves to blame becoz by trying to take a more open and inclusive stand, at least they seemed honest about it, they are focusing on the urban Malays who may be a little less traditionalists about undying loyalty to leaders of your own kind, simply because they are from the same kind.

They have not gotten to the rural Malays on how they are going to elevate their socio economic status if at all. On the other hand, as UMNO has told the rural fellos including their own party members and BN coaltion partners for the past 5 decades, that it is only UMNO who is their saviour and painting a victimised stance that other races are trying to take away their right, privileges and opportunities to uplift themselves economically.

Though the Indian votes are important, the swing back to BN is not because they see MIC has transformed and able to uplift their lot. It is because of UMNO who has really drawn up their own 'I scratch your back you scratch mine' strategy to entice the Indian votes to return. So the credit must be given to 1Malaysia than to Samy and his MIC. Mention MIC, and there are lots in the Indian community who believe even without MIC, they will be taken care of by UMNO and the other lesser Indian based party like the PPP and that M Sakti party.

Ask an MCA fello and in the quiet he or she will confess that the Indians will be given more attention and assistance than the 'untrustworthy' Chinese which MCA is supposed to be their leader.

Betting on the Indians than MCA is for political survival right? After all, if you want to win votes, you are likely to influence those who are less economically well off with money and promises of more than, say the Chinamen who often times stamped with the stereotype label, are likely to be sidelines as they are labelled rich and better off than the other two!

And who is interested in the Chinese community noble interests such as 'fight against corruption, meritocracy, justice or for the greater good' if you know you can't deliver on such demands. Better to throw money to win votes than promise to uphold higher noble values and uphold moral or ethical issues, to gain support, yes?

If we follow what the MCA No1 is saying and requesting in BN meetings or when issues that concern the Chinese arise, he is asking for 'moral, ethical, meritocracy' considerations to be given priority. Not about 'give the poor Chinese student scholarship even if he is not a A student'. But talk about meritocracy for equal scholarships to those who qualify based on meritocracy. But are there not many economically poor Chinese who can't afford to attend technical schools because they are the weaker ones academically, or get loans for those who wish to set up their own small businesses or even night market stalls or a lot in a new township to run their business? Moral, ethical and meritocracy do not factor in such cases.

But back to our supremo ex MIC President Samy. Let's hope his departure will mark a change in MIC to truly fight for the Indians who have been neglected for so long and now courted again. The new leadership should take advantage of UMNO's kindness to pay more attention to the Indian voters and ensure that the interest is genuine and sustainable when they win seats where Indian voters swing helped in the process.

We may think it is rather hypocritical to call yourself a champion of the Indian community just to win votes than a genuine concern to uplift them who have been given the whatever percentage is left. But that is how politics is sadly played out in Bolehalnd, more prominently among the Malay parties and votes.

'We are the forgotten race', an Indian fren once remarked. They keep us in the dark and only see the light in us when election comes. They will tell us the Indians have contributed a lot to the nation and we feel we have gotten noticed again. Never mind if we hear a similar recognition also said to the Chinese! If you are short or nil in getting complements when you hear one, even if it doesn't seem sincere, you'd tend to feel a tinge of pride right?

MIC should be taking advantage now to make themselves leader of the Indians, given that the Hindraf group is disillusioned with Pakatan and slowly drifting away. While the Indian fellos in Pakatan are fighting for power neglecting the Indians or if they do, seem to be more about wanting to be seen as an Indian leader than a leader for all.

Some may think that MIC should not be race-based and disbanded because the people today are seeking a multi racial single party system. But the reality is there isn't on both sides and noone is willing to merge to form one! If UMNO did that, they would face the same tragedy as its founder Dato' Onn!

Odd, Samy didn't grab this opportunity in the past months presented to him given the scenario that is giving them the advantage to exploit the split in the Indian groups that are aligned to Pakatan or have been. Was it because Samy was trying to get the best 'retirement' deal with UMNO?

So with Samy finally well out of the president's seat, will he do an ala Tun M on MIC when he gets his 'Tun' ship? And will MIC continue to be ruled and directed not by Samy's invisible hand but his signature audible rumblings? Or will Palanivel take a different course and will be just as vocal and daring when required as ole Samy so that the Indians will guarantee BN's two third majority in GE13?

Well the next year or so will be a test if Samy has created a solid MIC or he has wrecked it even if he is no more as No1 in MIC-kingdom.

Wonder with Samy's final departure, GAS will be a less pressure group and dissipate and start to leak back into MIC-kingdom, huh?

Even with Samy's departure in the yonder, there is one legacy he has left behind that present Ministers have inherited. "It's an Act of God" to refute any claim of responsibility or ownership if something happens under their watch, huh?