Teoh Beng Hock's Funeral, Vigil and Public Concerns

On 21st July 2009, Teoh Beng Hock , the political secretary who went into MACC building alive and came out as a corpse has laid to rest in Semenyih.

His funeral is attended by many Pakatan Rakyat politicians as can be seen here in justiceforbenghock.blogspot.com . Certainly, it is not strange, considering that Teoh Beng Hock is a political secretary to an Exco of Selangor government Ean Yong Hian Wah of Democratic Action Party (DAP). One can't help but wonder if there were any Barisan Nasional politicians present to pay respects.

Sivin Kit posted pictures in his blog : Justice for Beng Hock . Generally, Teoh's mother, in-laws and would-be-wife cried over Teoh's departure. Who wouldn't? The death is so sudden and too mysterious and justice has yet to be seen.

Firstly, it was said that there are several media somewhere pointing out that Pakatan Rakyat is making this a racial issue. This is somehow surprising because I was there at the Kelana Jaya Stadium on 20th of July, listening to speeches from MPs such as Husam Musa (PAS), Xavier Jayakumar (PKR), Lim Kit Siang (DAP), so on and so forth telling the attendees of the Memorial Vigil that Teoh's demise should not be placed in the racial perspective.

I can remember clearly that it was mentioned that regardless if Teoh is a Malay, Chinese or Indian, Malaysians should stand together as one to ensure there is justice served to another Malaysian, Teoh Beng Hock himself. That includes Kugan too. In my honest opinion, perfectly sensible. Shall we say that is what 1Malaysia should be all about?

Secondly, I find it strange that somehow somewhere Somebody described the speculations surrounding Teoh's untimely demise to be motivated by politics. We must be clear about a few things.

Why are people speculating? Probably, there is disbelief among the masses that Teoh had committed suicide. It is hard for the public to stomach the reason that a man with a promising career in politics, a father and husband-to-be (Teoh was supposed to get married soon with his pregnant would be-wife) would be suicidal (bear in mind, that this blog is stating the nature of his death is inconclusive. Hopefully, a Royal Commission of Inquiry would be formed to investigate the nature of his death).

The information given to the public is just too little. Take for example, the public does not even know who were the interviewing officers etc. etc. When there is too little information, people tend to guess using their own version of logic and perspective. I am not in a position to say it is right nor wrong.

Teoh himself was in the political circle, it is not surprising that his colleagues, particularly the Pakatan MPs would speak about him in public. Even blogs write about Teoh, Malaysians talk about Teoh in coffee shops. Therefore, this issue is no longer simply motivated by politics.

It is a serious issue with social concerns. What else is going through the minds of the public concerning MACC and this incident? MACC is a powerful and important commission. Its positive image and public confidence are important. Malaysians are also concerned with bigger alleged corruption scandals. Are Malaysians concerned about their own security as well? What are the SOPs of MACC? In my opinion, it will be terribly unbelievable if SOPs are not clearly in black-and-white, authorised.

Federal and Selangor State MPs, NGOs irregardless of political affiliation (BN or non-BN) should address and discuss these issues in Parliament.

I Must Speak Out for Teoh Beng Hock !!!!

The Nut Graph : What happened to Teoh Beng Hock?

I have not been blogging for a while, due to tough working conditions. Much has transpired since October 2008.

However, none of it is as shocking as what I have just recently read. The DEATH OF TEOH BENG HOCK !!!!!

The poor 30-year old man , who is a political secretary to one of the n0n-BN parties, getting registered for marriage with his pregnant soon-to-be-wife the next day if he was still alive was found dead near MACC building.

It was reported , Mr. Teoh was being interrogated past one day at the building !

His death is mysterious ... As can be read here :

Jelas.info : Comparing Tan & Teo’s interrogations: Rampant abuse & intimidation; Was Teo really released at 4am? Or actually held overnight like Tan?

Malaysiakini : Last man to see Teoh: MACC

KTemoc : Mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock - Lil' Napoleons factor

Although the above cannot totally be held as truth, but indeed, Teoh's death is indeed puzzling. And as a Malaysian citizen, I find myself very dissatisfied with the authorities explanation on this issue ...

Haris Ibrahim : Death of Teo Beng Hock : MACC must be held to account

How should anyone know that Teoh jumped out of the building? A marrying man, an expecting father would do that? If Teoh had really jumped, why? How can a man full of hope for a future with a family would want to do that?

On Haris Ibrahim's question "Will you continue to stand on the sidelines and just watch?" .. My answer is a definite NO !

A man had died near MACC building with such a big looming mystery. Reading the blogs and online vox populi at http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/108762 which somehow mirrors a part of the public view and news, such an incident could seriously affect the image of MACC.

I am terribly unhappy, displeased and angry. I feel for Teoh and his family ....

It seems that there is a Justice for Beng Hock Memorial Vigil at Stadium Kelana Jaya, 19 July 2009, Sunday 4.30pm. I would probably be attired in Black.

Condolences, it is 1 black day for Malaysia. We need a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate this issue.

Citizens, we must all be concerned with this Terrible Incident !

Malaysia Day September 16 : Of ISA and Anticipation

Sin Chew reporter released by Malaysiakini Team on Sep 13, 08 4:19pm
Sin Chew Daily senior reporter Tan Hoon Cheng was released this afternoon and she is now back at home in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
- Held from 8.30pm to 2.30pm
- 'Detained for her own safety'

I was shocked when I read the news above. I did not know that people could be detained for their own safety. It seems the Detained is the one whose safety is compromised and not the person who caused it. Silly me, this is Malaysia. I should not be too surprised with such a thing. After all, our theme is "Malaysia Boleh". Blogger What A Lulu provides a better opinion on this matter.

There are many candlelight vigils which had been held these past few days, by National Union of Journalists, Pakatan Rakyat, bloggers and Seputeh area residents.

jelas.info : The Blog House Vigil
anilnetto.com : Activists hold candle-light vigil in Penang on a dark day for democracy
Malaysiakini : Short vigil in Bukit Aman

etc. etc.

It seems many are not very pleased with the usage of Internal Security Act. That includes me. According to Malaysiakini Law Minister Zaid 'tenders resignation'. If there is anyone from Barisan Nasional that gets my respect now, that person would be Zaid Ibrahim.

Malaysia Day (Hari Malaysia) is today. It differs from the August 31st Independence Day annual celebration in the sense that Hari Malaysia commemorates the official entry of Eastern Malaysian states, Sabah and Sarawak into the nation.

In short, Sabah and Sarawak became independent on 16th September.

Will Malaysia get a new government for the very first time after more than half-a-century of having the same party (Barisan Nasional) helming the governance?

My friends, family, colleagues are waiting with bated breath. Some of my chinese friends say this is more anticipatory and intersting than the Mooncake festival they were celebrating on Sunday. Whatever the outcome may be, it has been a long wait.

Will we get it? Read Tian Chua's E Contrario : We Are Ready & On Track and judge for yourself.

Note : Visit http://freeteresa.dapmalaysia.org/ for more information on Teresa's current status. Visit http://mt.m2day.org/2008 for more information on Raja Petra Kamarudin, who is one of the ISA detainees.

ISA should be abolished.

Is Malaysia Totally Screwed Up? BN or PR?

Blogger Che Det had just posted an entry titled WHY DON'T I DO SOMETHING . I can't help it but notice point number 15 to 18.

It would be something like, if we have Barisan Nasional at the helm of the governance, we are in a bad shape. On the other hand, if we have the current opposition form a new government, the country will also suffer.

Perhaps, we are screwed either way? The particular personal opinion describes the future as all dark and gloomy.

Like it or not, we have to choose.

The citizens can easily identify the methods of the current leadership of BN and predict where it will lead the nation. Malaysians have seen much these few years and I would say many are not pleased.

Whereas, Malaysia has never experienced a change in government. Perhaps, a slightly different way of handling things would suffice. Would Pakatan Rakyat be enough?

I am still waiting for significant improvements on "governance" within Barisan Nasional, especially UMNO. A reform is certainly needed. I do not consider a party that retains a leader who describes non-Malay Malaysian citizens as immigrants and not apologetic for his statements, to be a positive reform plan. Almost all non-Malay Malaysians, especially Malaysian Chinese are born in Malaysia. Second-hand apology is 'unacceptable'.

Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat? My current choice would still be the latter.

Anwar : The New Opposition and Pakatan Rakyat Leader ?

This month has been a very busy month. Other than suffering from work fatigue, I am also suffering from political fatigue. Too much of drama and work. However, I feel that, as a SoPo blogger and commentator since 2004, I should say something about a positive news.

Malaysiakini reports Official: Anwar gets BIGGER majority.

Finally, Anwar Ibrahim can get back into Parliament after 10 years of waiting and working. Anwar won with a big majority of 15500++ votes in Permatang Pauh, a constituency previously held by his wife, Wan Azizah.

Will we see a New Dawn in Malaysia? It is hard to tell yet but expectations are abound, reading what was written in the free edition of reader commentaries in Malaysiakini title 'Khairy, look who got buried!' .

Summarily, the public expects him to be back in the parliament to do these few things :

1) End racial discriminatory policies that are not beneficial to the nation.

2) Combat corruption.

3) Establish better, more efficient systems and governance.

4) Better democracy for Malaysia.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? I do not think those are easy to be done.

I am a person who always reserve a benefit of doubt but his installation as an MP into the Federal Parliament would provide me as well as millions of Malaysians a chance for him to prove his integrity, sincerity and dedication to deliver the above.

Should Anwar be able to form a new government by September 16th, I would not mind that the above are not able to be completely achieved in one term. To rectify problems that lasted for 4 to 5 decades is not easy.

However, the most important thing is the sincerity and the progressive direction in achieving the above.

Anwar in Permatang Pauh, PAS Will Not Join BN, Ex-MCA People Leave BN

PAS and BN
Previously I had blogged with a question as the title : Will PAS Embrace Islam Hadhari or Join BN?

Thankfully, the answer from PAS is a "NO". It was said that PAS is greatful to both the Malay and non-Malay communities and if there is any future discussions, the party would try to include other components of Pakatan Rakyat. Maybe, common sense had finally caught on with the PAS faction that spoke with UMNO regarding the issue of "Malay Unity". PAS should realise that Malaysians voted for it to speak about "Malaysian Unity" which logically includes the interests of Malays under its theme.

I hope PAS will be cautious in making future decisions on discussions as such.

Ex-MCA People and BN
In the meantime, Malaysiakini had just posted a report titled Ex-MCA leader defects to PKR.

Accordingly ... (from Malaysiakini) ...

Former MCA Wanita deputy chief Dr Tan Yee Kew today crossed over with 1,700 others to PKR in Klang - the constituency which she once represented for 13 years. She was three-term Klang MP.

Now, this exodus should be a cause for concern within Barisan Nasional : A popular leader with a big crowd crossing over to Pakatan Rakyat.

Remember, remember, the "Crossover", 16th of September? Can anyone recall what Anwar Ibrahim had said about that date? It is only 6 weeks away. The clock is ticking.

Anwar and Permatang Pauh
Meanwhile, Wan Azizah had announced her resignation from the Permatang Pauh constituency to allow her husband Anwar Ibrahim to contest in a by-election.

Permatang Pauh is the stronghold for PKR and of course, Anwar, even he was in UMNO. The campaigning had started. YB Lim Kit Siang of DAP said, "Permatang Pauh by-election - turn it into a mini political tsunami".

Winning for Anwar should not be difficult under 'normal conditions' , looking at history. His party and himself is concerned that he would be arrested, and that could make things quite complex.

Will PAS Embrace Islam Hadhari or Join BN?

July is indeed a busy week. Therefore, time to blog is extremely scarce, with exams and office projects progressing at the same fast pace.

However, politics in Malaysia is at all times boring, slow and at its utmost unpleasant.

Will PAS Embrace Islam Hadhari?
1) I have been reading many articles about PAS having dialogue with UMNO over something called "Malay Unity". Perhaps, PAS has forgotten a few things, particularly of the events that transpired before the 12th General Election of 8th March 2008.

2) PAS has forgotten that it gained its biggest win in the Malaysian history resulting from the support through votes of Malaysians disregarding race and religion although PAS is typically a party leaned towards Islam. The proposed Welfare State (Negara Berkebajikan) is indeed more welcome to all rather than the concept of a purely theological State based on supposed interpretation of Islam and Hudud laws.

3) Since Malaysians have placed away many of their suspicion on the party, PAS should have discussed "Malaysian Unity" which by its own virtue include Malaysian Malay unity instead of concentrating on the latter, alone.

4) Ironically, PAS, a Pakatan Rakyat component is in talks with UMNO, the chief of Barisan Nasional on such matters. Why can't PAS speak with PKR, PSM or DAP on this matter and formulate plans to strengthen the unity of all races?

5) Why should it be UMNO? It is hard for a Malaysian not to view this negatively. After all, such talks arouse much suspicion, which brings us to the question : Will PAS eventually switch over to BN?

6) Even Sheih Kickdefella, a PAS supporter does not sound too happy in his post Baling Batu Tangan Sembunyi Dekat Belakang. I echo his words :

"I run to PAS not to be with Abdullah, ......."

and on top of that, I shall add, in my own volition, "and definitely not for it to be with Barisan Nasional".

7) If PAS switches over to BN, I shall personally conclude that PAS is no different than the UMNO it criticised pre-12th General Election. Any PAS leader, member of supporter should take note of this.

Spinning Report on Fuel Price Hike Rally

Yesterday, 6th July 2008, PROTES organised a fuel price hike protest at Stadium MPPJ Kelana Jaya, attended by approximately 10,000 participants. The rally lasted the whole day. There is an overall feel of a carnival.

Bernama reported Thousands Attend Rally Protesting Fuel Price Hike
_____________________________________________

Excerpt:
Supporters of opposition parties and extremist organisations Sunday defied orders by the authorities and joined a rally organised by the Coalition Against the Fuel Price Hike (Protes) at the Kelana Jaya Stadium here.

Comment:
"Extremist organisations"? Yawn ..... By the way, Barisan Nasional, the opposition party in Selangor was not the organiser of the event in Stadium MPPJ (a Selangor area).

Excerpt:
The presence of the police and other authorities around the stadium helped to ensure that the rally participants, some of whom were seen to be aggressive, did not resort to any mischief.

Comment:
The funny thing about this Bernama report is the failure to mention this about Rockers rile crowd at rally (Malaysian Insider). From Malaysian Insider :"It was not immediately clear why the audience was unhappy with the band. However, the story emerged that the band had been performing a number titled "Liwat" which contained rather unsavoury lyrics. The last straw was when the lead singer, turned around and pulled down his pants to expose his underwear."

Is this the cause of aggressiveness? Shouldn't this be highlighted in the same report?

Excerpt:
However, the one-day gathering themed "Protest by A Million People", caused some problems to the neighbourhood residents who had to stay indoors for fear of their safety due to the sudden appearance of thousands of people in the area.

Comment:
This is actually funny. The neighbourhood residents stay near Stadium MPPJ. So, what is a Stadium for? For sporting events, maybe concerts other than this first-time protest. How many people can a Stadium house? Thousands.... So, everytime there is a sporting event or concert, potentially thousands would come. The residents would have get used to it already. These statements are really mind-boggling. Goodness gracious.

Excerpt:
He also said that the police had received not less than 10 telephone calls from residents in the vicinity of the stadium complaining about the rally.

Comment:
I presume that would be slightly more than 10 (maybe 11 , 12) but definitely lesser than 20. It is also possible that only 10 calls were received.

Excerpt:
The rally was organised by the opposition parties to garner the sympathy of the people to protest against the government's decision to raise fuel prices last month.

Comment:
This statement is confusing. The venue was MPPJ, a Selangor area. From what I gather, Barisan Nasional, the opposition party in Selangor did not organise the rally. Pakatan Rakyat is the Selangor State Government. The Barisan Nasional Federal Government was the one who decided to raise the fuel prices last month.

Bernama sshould use the words "Barisan Nasional" and "Pakatan Rakyat" instead of "Government" and "Opposition". It is rather questionable when the latter terms are used.

"Garner the sympathy"? Hahaha.. that is a good one. The last thing I heard, there were many who were not "sympathised" but actually angry at an unconscionable fuel price hike.

There is also a lack of writings on the speeches of various MPs and people who were present in the rally.
_____________________________________________

As a conclusion, I would like to state that I do not need any news that side with either Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat.

I need an equal measure of fair reporting. That's all.

It is not hard to guess which side the Bernama report leans towards.

The End of 2nd Month After PRU12

[by Sagaladoola]

Previously, I had blogged about the New (or Old) Administration precisely at the end of the 1st month since its inception. Titled PRU12 Is Not Over Yet ?, it was published in Malaysiakini , Malaysia Today and comment section of Asia Sentinel. Since then, the parliament had presided and I thought finally after 50 years, there will be reform in the way things are being done.

Raja Petra and Arrest
On the 8th of May 2008, precisely the end of the 2nd month, I was greeted by news of Raja Petra (or RPK of Malaysia Today) going on a hunger strike in Sungai Buloh prison for a charge, which later proved to be of another case. Earlier, RPK's home was raided. As a reader since its year of inception, I was shocked. Instantly, the news on RPK spread like wildfire and it has become international. Try these links, to name a few :

CNN : Malaysian blogger faces jail for sedition
Inquirer UK : Malaysian coppers swoop on blogger
AKI - Adnkronos international - Malaysia: Blogger charged with sedition
Agency France-Presse : Malaysian police raid blogger over murder article
Straits Times Singapore : Blogger Raja Petra charged with sedition
UB Post - Mongolia

Two candlelight vigils were held to call for his release. The first, was in front of Penjara Sungai Buloh and the second was on Dataran Merdeka. These reminded me of the Nat Tan incident in July 2007 . I was there to make a voluntary coverage of a similar candlelight vigil in front of the Dang Wangi police station. I could remember that Malaysian bloggers, presumably voters in PRU12 were greatly displeasured. Many NGOs condemned the incident. Nat Tan's case was of a different nature. Surprisingly, the police is quick in dealing with the report on RPK.

It makes me wonder if (not necessarily real) there is someone who waved around with a sword or gun and call for the blood of a certain category or race, the police response would be similar. Of course, neither Nat nor RPK had done something like that.

Bear in mind that RPK is supported and praised by many netizens for his fair stand on national unity regardless of race and religion. As a sympathetic Malaysian, I see it necessary that justice is accorded to the deceased Altantuya. It is sad to see her father, Shaariibuu travelling to Malaysia periodically longing for justice to be served.

Karpal Singh and Sedition Act
Furthermore, there is another police report purportedly on using Seditious Act on Karpal Singh. Karpal earlier spoke in public discussing matters are not within the jurisdiction of certain leadership. Common sense tells me to ask this question : Is it wrong for a law practitioner or a member of Parliament to discuss the roles and responsibilities of a national leader in public as stated and accorded in the Malaysian Constitution?

The Malaysian governance is called Constitutional Monarchy, meaning there is acknowledgment for the existence of Sultans and Agong in reference with a Federal Constitution. State matters are ruled by State Constitutions which do not contradict with the highest law of the land, the Federal Constitution.

From what I have gathered, I did not read in the papers of any call for the abolishment of the monarchy. There were no gigantic demonstrations in front of the palace with banners describing "Natang" or any derogatory words to date. So, it would not be appropriate to equate Karpal's case with any other case with such nature.

Conclusion and Other Matters
Four days ago was 8th May 2008 , the end of the 2nd month post PRU 12. The 1st month completed with plenty of blaming, megaphone diplomacy and internal bickering within BN and Pakatan Rakyat. The dust has not completely settled but at least the situation is better now. Then, I was hoping that the situation would change after the parliament presided.

Quite the contrary, the second month concluded with news of Sedition Act usages coupled by an international media coverage and basic needs price inflations.

In the meantime, for some personal reasons, I have already lost confidence in Najib. In order to be fair, I would not place a 100% blame on Pak Lah and his Administration for the rising price in commodity goods. It is a global phenomenon. At least, he is trying to do something about it like speaking with the Thai government to work out something.

On the other hand, I am really concerned is the usage of Sedition Act and the image of Malaysia in the eyes of the world.

As I said in an earlier post, shouldn't we place more emphasis on handling any potential economic crisis resulting from the U.S. economy meltdown? Otherwise, is it necessary to give voting Malaysians a chance to see more less than positive news in the eyes of the world? Would that really help in gathering more support for the government? This is too easy to answer and I leave this to the readers' discretion.

What Malaysians need are motivating international news and policies to propel the nation into the next level of development. A Federal government was chosen to perform great things and put the name of the country back in international papers with positive and great achievements, rather than spending time on using Seditious Act, Internal Security Act, Official Secrets Act, certain clauses of Printing Publishing and Presses Act and Universities and University Colleges Act.

In fact, I believe some quarters want the Federal Government to repeal these acts. As a blogging Malaysian, I would sincerely hope to see that happen. Could it be possible when Barisan Nasional is still the Federal Government?

This article is also published in http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/7358/84/

Babi-Buta and Pig Farms

I can't help it but laugh after reading something about Membabi Buta in Aisehman's page. It is related to Pig farm fiasco: S’gor gov’t reveals photos in Malaysiakini . Read the links above for more information.

Perhaps, in all matters which may or may not be related above, we should not oppose something for the sake of opposing as someone once said. We should investigate first, especially whether we have done anything earlier that may be affected by what we are currently opposing. It is not wise for one to be seen by others to be opposing oneself by an initial intention to oppose others. Read the links above for more information.

If I were to say that the construction of pig farms in Selangor will not affect anyone, it would be false. However, the most important element would be to do the best to ensure the surrounding areas unaffected by the faeces or remains of the pigs. Pollution should be kept at a minimum.

Now, should the government and people ensure pollution is avoided only in pig farms? What about duck farms, chicken farms or any other type of farms?

If there is any new project concerning any type of farm, pollution should also be kept at a minimum. That should not be limited only to pig farms. I am sure most religions and races place cleanliness as an important element. Therefore, we should not see the potential pollution issue limited only to Muslims but Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and so on so forth as well. It affects all and sundry.

I personally see the consolidating of various smaller pig farms scattered across Selangor into one location as suggested will potentially minimise pollution provided the consolidated major pig farm is managed properly. Having one major farm would be easier to exert control if there are pig diseases and such. For your information, animal diseases are not only limited to pigs.

Since the State government led by Pakatan Rakyat had made a promise on this, I call for all citizens to give them a chance. Citizens should see whether the promise is delivered in time. If all else fails, I am sure everybody would know the right thing to do come PRU13 or beyond. I think we should view this issue objectively.

Will There Be A New Government Soon?

It seems Anwar had said something important during his maiden speech after being officially back in politics. Black 14 has turned into White 14 on 14-04-2008. Will we witness an important moment in time for Malaysian history? Check out The Malaysian Insider for more information.

1) Video in Youtube: Black 14 2008 di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman Kg Baru KL
2) Pictures by TV Smith: Sightings Update

I place the most important emphasis in seeing the official registered formation of Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance). It is really high time for a two-party system in Malaysia. It has been 50 years, half a century.

DAP, PKR, PAS, please do your job. As a Malaysian, I am looking forward to it. I wish to emphasise again that the official formation must be done immediately.... An opportunity like this is scarce. I do not want to wait for another 50 years (provided I am still alive by then).

Meanwhile, I would like to praise PAS for choosing the tolerant nature in Islam, approaching Catholics in churches and respecting Hindus. DAP Lim Guan Eng should be complimented for his stance in practising transparency in Penang. If there are land scams, corruptions and misuse of public funds, please expose all of them. People in places other than Penang want to know about it as well. Malaysia Today publishes "Findings will be made public, says Guan Eng" .

In the meantime, Malaysiakini reports PKR leaders get early morning police visits on the 20,000 person Black 14 rally held in Kampung Baru last night.

PRU12 Is Not Over Yet ?

I am in a serious state of confusion today. Reading Malaysiakini , Malaysia Today, The Malaysian Insider and ironically mainstream papers like The Star and NST makes me feel as if there will be a gigantic national election coming soon. Probably, these are the campaigning days "prior to the election".

Wait a minute. The national election (Pilihanraya Umum 12) or synonymously named in its abbreviated form PRU12 was held exactly one month ago. Today is 8th April and it was on 8th March 2008.

It is not exactly the fault or any form of mis-reporting on the part of presses and publications that caused such confusion. Generally, the local news segments are full with articles emanating vibes of election. Finger-pointing , dissing out personalities , amassing supporters to organise gatherings , little street demonstrations , alleged saboteurs and megaphone diplomacy made it. The media is merely reporting what is happening in reality.

As a concerned citizen, I was really looking forward to reading development plans for Malaysia 4 to 5 years down to road. With the onset of a serious economic crisis in the United States, I think it is really time for the chosen government to actually formulate strategies to safeguard the local interests. Any form of inflation will affect the citizens by-and-large. These should be the priority instead. Regretably, "election-style" politicking seems to overtake these issues.

I hope there are people from Barisan Nasional component parties that will read this page and do something useful to the nation. Yes, BN lost its two-third majority and five states in PRU12 for the very first time in the 50 years of Malaysia. Yes, it is BN's worst defeat to date. Yes, it is alarming but it should be known that BN still has the simple majority. BN is still the federal government.

The internal bickering is not doing any good to the image and structure of the ruling coalition. Being denied two-third is not the end of the world. However, it will be the end of the world for everyone in Malaysia, be it commoners like me, opposing parties and BN if the economy crumbles in the midst of all these continual sensational drama. Believe me, PRU12 is nothing compared to the economic problems potentially reaching our shores as a side effect of the globalised economy centering on USA.

If one thinks PRU12 shook BN hard, imagine the damage an economic crisis may do to the foundations of a coalition. Think long and hard from the "confidence" perspective of a common Malaysian towards a political party. Would one choose to bicker first, cushion the effects later or the opposite?

As for me, I would choose the latter. If the economy is sustained, at least it will generate a certain amount of positive vibes in "confidence".

On the other hand, internal dispute is not only the problem of Barisan Nasional. Pakatan Rakyat has its share of megaphone diplomacy. Did anyone read about the latest DAP-PAS fiasco on an old issue of Islamic state versus Secular state? It is not really wise to hang dirty linens in public. It is high time to sit down , iron out the issue once and for all, prepare a detailed blueprint on "How to govern Malaysia : Muslims and Non-Muslims".

The PR political parties should not avoid this issue any longer. Even as I speak, the supporters of both parties have started less than pleasant comments that may put the collaboration at risk. As a Malaysian, it is my dream to see them work together as one. It should be tighter and more synchronised than the cooperation that was witnessed in PRU12. PKR must be in the picture as well.

Pakatan Rakyat has to know that it came into being with the support of Malaysians particularly through the Barisan Rakyat civil movement iniative. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should be appreciated. time to ride on the wind rather than let it pass through without capitalising properly on the given chance.