No one to blame but ourselves

The sole Barisan Nasional MP that sign the petition to prioritise the Parliamentary debate on the Internal Security Act was the 5 term MP for Hulu Rajang and Vice President of Parti Rakyat Sarawak, Billy Abit Joo. His identity was revealed by DAP Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang during the official opening of DAP Jalong branch.

Credit should be given to Billy Jol Abit for having the balls to stand up for what he believes in unlike his other sissy hypocrite counterparts. He is of a dying breed of politicians, the example of the kind of MP that we need and not the “NATO” (No Action Talk Only) politicians that we have been cursed in abundance with.

Politicians in Malaysia are the exact kind you’d expect every politicians to be, lying, cheating conniving, manipulative, spineless low life scums of no dignity and pride whatsoever. The only difference between a criminal and a politician is one is stupid enough to break the law but the other is smarting enough to makes the law to legally benefit themselves.

But of course there are some good ones left. Funny how as they season themselves in the political world they usually end up corrupted as well. Politics is just the 1 profession where the saying “Don’t let one rotten apple spoil the whole basket” does not apply. Modifications to that saying to make it more applicable would sound something like this, “Hope that one good apple doesn’t rot along in the whole basket of rotten apples”. Sad to say but it is quite impossible when you think about it.

Over the years we’ve seen some bright and courages preachers of change and reforms but in the end once they achieve their political aspirations they end up doing nothing and become the "NATO" politicians.

Maybe there is some truth when people say the minute you join politics, you leave your sense of pride and dignity at the door. Once you enter you will be given a bible of politics where you will preach the holy gospel of lying, cheating and conniving the Rakyat. You will then be instill with the self benefiting love for wealth and power. You will be taught how to manipulate and incite racial sentiments and to manipulate, abuse and oppress the weak and helpless. The Ten Commandments of Politics that you will live by now is to lie, cheat, steal, discriminate, oppress, abuse, manipulate, defame, mismanage and putridness. These are your new believes once you’ve sold your soul to Malaysian politics.

A good example, the MCA. They just concluded their party election recently. During their campaigning, a lot of mention on the review and abolishment of the ISA. Once the poll results were known, those that have won kept quiet as can be seen in the absence of their signature on the petition.

Another good example is the Gerakan. After much talk and hoo hah on the ISA issue and as expected, turned out to be all nothing but bullshit.

I take pride and believe that we Malaysians are now much more intelligent than our past generations but why are most of us still making the same mistake by voting for these goons. Haven’t we realize that the only ones capable of helping us is our own selves. Malaysia is a nation that practices democracy and the basic fundamentals of democracy is “A government for the people and by the people”. We, the Rakyat of Malaysia, are the ones with the power and not those crooked scums.

I recently had lunch with a close friend and after gobbling down the food we had our usual chatter about sports and stuffs but once the very mention of an issue regarding to politics, it was met with rejection. My friend’s argument was that he has no interest in politics whatsoever but the cheese of it all is that how can one living in Malaysia not be interested or concern about the going ons in their motherland especially when politics will determine Government policies which in turn determines our very livelihood and existence.

His rebuttal was “No matter what you do things will never change. The Government will always be filled with spineless crooks who have nothing but their own well being in their minds”.

What he said bears some truth in it but the only reason why it is so today is because most Malaysians have this exact attitude. Most Malaysians just don’t want to bother themselves because they think one person cannot make the difference. Fear maybe part of this ‘whatever la’ attitude here in Bolehland. Most just have the balls to talk about these issues in coffee shops and mind you, it can get interesting if you watch these ‘kopitiam MPs’ argue among themselves silly with sweat and saliva dropping everywhere. Sad thing is that the usual closing arguments will meet with the usual chorus of mutual agreement of “Si aneh liaw la, eh tang an chua ley?” (Hokkien for – that is the way it is, what can you do about it).

Sad isn’t it. It seems like Malaysians are just content to forego their rights in this country to corrupted and crooked lawmakers. It’s not a wonder our ministers nowadays just do as they please. The ministers now don’t even bother to be discreet about their wrong doings anymore. They blatantly abuse their powers to benefit themselves as they know the Rakyat won’t do anything and will just suck it up and swallow it down.

Funniest thing is that we Malaysians proudly claim that Malaysia is an independent sovereign country with democratic laws but in actual fact we fail to realize that we are but living everyday in self denial. Our crooked Government administrators can’t be blame for everything cause it us Rakyat that chose to live in oppression and marginalization as we choose to keep quiet and do nothing about it. We, the people of Malaysia, are the ones that have let our ancestors down who have fought with their blood and lives so that we may have equal rights. Embarrassingly, we also have let our future generations down.

As the age old saying goes, “a twig alone will easily be broken but a bundle of twigs bound together will be strong and mighty”. It may seem somewhat a cliché but it is ever so true. Don’t think your individual voices doesn’t matter cause it does. Your voice plus the voice of many others will help and make the cause of people fighting for our rights strong. People like the Hindraf and RPK. Lets speak together so we can shout out loud and show our support for these people who have given up their freedom for the fight so that we may keep ours.

Down with the racist tyranny of the BN and UMNO. We the Rakyat want peace, harmony, freedom, and equality for all Malaysians!!!

Selamat Hari Raya - Maaf Zahir dan Batin

Tomorrow, 1st October 2008, Muslims in Bolehland and all over the world will mark the end of the fasting Ramadhan month and celebrate Hari Raya Puasa.

As the traditional 'balik kampung' rush is now on, I would like to remind all road users to be considerate and careful when on the road. Get home to your loved ones safe to celebrate this joyous occasion with. Be late if need be but just get safely there. Think about them who are waiting and anticipating for your arrival. So do not arrive in the morgue inside a body bag. I am sure you do not want your loved ones to mourn their lose instead of enjoying this auspicious day.

So DRIVE SAFE!!!

Lets also take time to think about those that are less fortunate than we are. Some may not even have had new clothes, shoes or even proper food before for Raya. Let us keep them in our prayers and hope that the future will get brighter for them and may they continue to be strong and patient through these bleak times.

To Marina Lee Abdullah and family, we wish you a very Selamat Hari Raya. be patient and strong as RPK shall be free soon.

To Raja Petra Kamarudin, we wish you the best and a very Selamat Hari Raya too. We hope you are well and in good spirits. We pray for your safety and speedy release from the draconian ISA so you may be united again with your family and your loved ones, the Rakyat of Malaysia.

Not forgetting as well the civil officers such as the police, soldiers, medical doctors, staffs and presonels, fire fighters, rescue personels and many more who might have to spend this Raya on duty to help protect and serve us Rakyats. We will always be in debt to you for your sacrifices.

Lastly I would like to wish all my Muslim friend's a Selamat Hari Raya and to my readers I would like to 'pohon maaf' if the content of my blog has been insensitive and hurtful.

To one and all Muslims.....SELAMAT HARI RAYA!!!

p/s: To DSAAB, DSNTR, Datuk Syed Hamid Albar, UMNO and BN members, Selamat Hari Raya to you all as well but you guys are still crap!!! To Ahmad Ismail, hope you choke on your ketupat.....

Free RPK T-shirt are available for order now - show your support!!!

The T-shirt supporting the release of Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin will be available on the 3rd October, 2008 but is now open for order.

Two designs and and 1 of the designs are available in 3 colours. See below for sample.....


It's selling for RM20 per piece and if you order more than 50 pieces in a single order the T-shirt will be revised to RM15 per piece.

So show your support in the bid to free RPK and fight for the abolishment of the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA).

Let us all stand united together as we Malaysians always have!!!

'Well wishes' card for RPK

On Monday night, 22nd September 2008, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin was served with an order of detention in Kamunting for 2 years under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

A man with nothing but the balls to put truths into writings on his blog is incarcerated using an act that was drawn up for communists and terrorists.

Starting today we mourn the demise of justice, freedom and rule of law in our country but let us get together, cheer and celebrate RPK, the man who dared to stand up and expose the truth regardless of his own well being.

To his wife, Marina Lee Abdullah and family, we wish you the best and may you be strong through these trying times. We pray that you all will be blessed with good health and may RPK be released soon.

So as of today onwards till the 12th of October (actual day that RPK was detained under the ISA), that day being the 1st full month of RPK detention, I shall send him a well wishes card. Those who want to do likewise may send your cards to;

Y.M. Raja Petra Kamarudin
Tempat Tahanan Perlindungan,
34009 Kamunting, Taiping,
Perak, Malaysia.

or you may sign mine by putting your name (nickname advised) and location (eg: city, town, state) on this blog or on FaceBook (just click on link) in the comment column. Feel free to add your personal message if you have any and I will compile them and mail it to RPK.

Lets show our support to RPK everybody by showing him our signatures that we have not forgotten about him.....

The truth behind the May 13 tragedy!!!

The expected and unavoidable day has dawned. On the 12th September 2008, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin was arrested under the Internal Security Act or ISA.

Raja Petra's wife Marina Lee Abdullah said her blogger husband was arrested at 1.10pm at their residence in Sungai Buloh by a team of 10 police officers. She informed that Raja Petra and some 17 cds along with a computer was taken away at about 1.50pm but whereabouts of the detention was not known.

RPK was arrested under the ISA Section 73 (1) which deems him as a threat to national security, peace and public order further intensifies the 3 years party membership suspension of racial remarks loose tongue shotgun mouthed Datuk Ahmad Ismail as light weighted and pretty much nothing.

In light of this injustice by the corrupt and racist government of DSAAB, we hope and pray that RPK will be treated well and with dignity while under the ISA detention.

To madam Marina Lee Abdullah and all the family members of RPK, you are in our hearts and prayers. We hope that you will be strong in enduring these trying times.

The Government and UMNO led by DSAAB has become so obsess with the fear of the rapid rise in support for DSAI and the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that they are now resorting to the most dispicable and inhumane tactical move of all, playing the racial card. The recent Datuk Ahmad Ismail racist slur and the irresponsible behaviour of his supporters coupled by the DSAAB and UMNO Supreme Council so said to be 'stern action' against Ahmad further proves that racial politics does exist in the present Government.

Let us all remain calm, be rational and keep our emotions and statements in check. A repeat of that fateful bloody day of May 13 is not what we the modern, civilised Rakyat of Malaysia wants.
Let us not let the pea-brained DSAAB and his cronnies out smart us unlike the unfortunate relatives of ours in the past.

They say those who forget history are condemn and doomed to repeat its mistakes. History is something not to be forgotten and buried but should be made a lesson to us all so that we may refrain ourselves from the mistakes made by the ones before us.

In consideration to this, I bring to your attention an article by RPK. Please do read it and read it well. It is the truth of what actually conspired which led to that dark and bloody tragic day in Malaysian history.....13 May 1969;

In 1968, Umno fanned racial sentiments in a bid to 'unite' the Malays under its banner. Umno realised that the Malays were abandoning it in droves and it needed an issue to reunite the Malays. Further to that, the Prime Minister was being blamed for what Umno perceived as a loss of Malay support and the Young Turks in Umno wanted to also use this issue to pressure the Prime Minister into resigning.

Twenty years later, in 1988, Umno again went into turmoil with the emergence of Team A and Team B, which eventually split into Umno Baru and Semangat 46. Again, just like twenty years before that, the Malays had become disillusioned with the Umno leadership and there was a danger that Umno would suffer the same fate it did in 1969 if the general election was called.

The Umno leadership very cleverly got the Umno Youth and MCA Youth leaders to raise racial issues and bring the country to the brink of another ‘May 13’. This was when that infamous gathering at the TPCA padang in Kampong Baru was held and when Najib Tun Razak, the Umno Youth Leader, raised the keris and threatened to bathe it in Chinese blood.

Of course, this second ‘May 13’ never happened. What did happen instead was that Operasi Lalang was launched and more than 100 opposition leaders and activists were detained under the Internal Security Act. Najib and the MCA Youth Leader, Lee Kim Sai, however, were spared detention, although they were the two main players in the whole episode.

The ploy did not quite succeed though. In the 1990 general election, half the Malays swung to the opposition and Umno lost most of the Malay heartland to Semangat 46 and PAS.

Twenty years on and history is, again, being repeated. It appears like every twenty years Umno takes the country to the brink of a race riot in its effort to 'unite' the Malays and to ensure that it does not lose Malay support. And the 8 March 2008 general election, as well as the recent Permatang Pauh by-election, is proof that Umno has lost Malay support.

"The current situation is a repeat of 1969," said Umno in its brainstorming session held at the Umno headquarters to conduct a post-mortem of the election results. "Therefore, a 1969 'solution' will also be required."

This is very dangerous talk indeed. And Umno has been doing nothing but talking dangerously since March 2008, as evident in the recent episode in Penang. Maybe the culprit has since been punished. Yesterday, Umno’s Supreme Council decided to suspend Ahmad Ismail for a period of three years. But the damage has already been done and the suspension can’t turn back the clock. Racial sentiments have already been fanned and Malaysia, again, is being pushed to the brink of a race riot.

Malays, Chinese and Indians need to know how May 13 started. They must be made aware of what May 13 was really all about. They must be made to realise that the current sabre-rattling is nothing but the same ploy that Umno used back in 1968 and 1988 whenever it felt that it was losing Malay support. May 13 was not about race although it is being touted as so. May 13 was about ‘reuniting’ the Malays and about ousting the Prime Minister from office.

To forget history would be to repeat its mistakes. Let us not be taken in by Umno’s shadow-play (wayang kulit). They know they are rapidly losing power and they want to retain power through foul means by raising the spectre of May 13. Malaysians need to be matured and clever enough to reject this ploy. Umno can try, but whether it can succeed will all depend on whether we get suckered into this very dangerous race game.

Let me take you down memory lane and recap what I wrote nine years ago so that we may learn from this dark history and not repeat what went wrong. As follows is what I wrote in Harakah on 24 September 1999.

***********************************************************

A REPORTER’S ACCOUNT OF AN INTERVIEW WITH TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN ON THE 13 MAY INCIDENT

The following statement is a factual account of the above-mentioned event given to me by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman (first Prime Minister of Malaysia) during an interview at his residence in Penang in 1972. I requested to discuss the above incident and was surprised when the appointment was given within three days.

His Secretary, a Chinese gentleman, allotted me one hour and advised me not to go into too much detail as this would tire the Tunku unnecessarily. In fact, the interview lasted three and a half hours. Because of the very surprising details provided to me, I think it would be best to report in a first-hand manner based on my notes written immediately after the interview.

"It was clear to me as well as the police that in the highly charged political atmosphere after the police were forced to kill a Chinese political party worker on May 4th, 1969, something was bound to happen to threaten law and order because of the resentment towards the Government by the KL Chinese on the eve of the general election. This was confirmed at this man’s funeral on the 9th May when the government faced the most hostile crowd it had ever seen.

Therefore, when the opposition parties applied for a police permit for a procession to celebrate their success in the results of the general election, I was adamant against it because the police were convinced that this would lead to trouble. I informed Tun Razak about this and he seemed to agree.

Now, without my knowledge and actually “behind my back”, there were certain political leaders in high positions who were working to force me to step down as a PM. I don’t want to go into details but if they had come to me and said so I would gladly have retired gracefully.

Unfortunately, they were apparently scheming and trying to decide on the best way to force me to resign. The occasion came when the question of the police permit was to be approved.

Tun Razak and Harun Idris, the MB of the state of Selangor, now felt that permission should be given, knowing fully well that there was a likelihood of trouble. I suppose they felt that when this happened they could then demand my resignation.

To this day I find it very hard to believe that Razak, whom I had known for so many years, would agree to work against me in this way. Actually he was in my house, as I was preparing to return to Kedah, and I overhead him speaking to Harun over the phone saying that he would be willing to approve the permit when I left. I really could not believe what I was hearing and preferred to think it was about some other permit. In any case, as the Deputy Prime Minister, in my absence from KL, he would be the Acting PM and would override my objection.

Accordingly, when I was in my home in Kedah, I heard over the radio that the permit had been approved.

It seems as though the expected trouble was anticipated and planned for by Harun and his UMNO Youth. After the humiliating insults hurled by the non-Malays, especially the Chinese, and after the seeming loss of Malay political power to them, they were clearly ready for some retaliatory action.

After meeting in large numbers at Harun’s official residence in Jalan Raja Muda near Kampong Bahru, and hearing inflammatory speeches by Harun and other leaders, they prepared themselves by tying ribbon strips on their foreheads and set out to kill Chinese. The first hapless victims were two of them in a van opposite Harun’s house who were innocently watching the large gathering. Little did they know that they would be killed on the spot.

The rest is history. I am sorry but I must end this discussion now because it really pains me as the Father of Merdeka to have to relive those terrible moments. I have often wondered why God made me live long enough to have witnessed my beloved Malays and Chinese citizens killing each other."

This was a conspiracy at the highest level and nothing short of a power struggle, with the 'Young Turks' then forming the pressure group. To achieve their ends, they very cleverly used race to make the Malays rise and push the Tengku aside.

Today, they are doing it again. This is dangerous politics. It may backfire and, instead, it may make the Malays rise against the non-Malays, like what happened in 1969 -- a fire raging out of control with no fire extinguisher in sight.

We must never allow our country to be turned into a racial battlefield again. Let politics be issues concerning policies, civil rights, good governance and justice. Let us not allow anyone to bring race and religion into our politics lest we suffer the fate of many countries around us where mass murders of entire families are made in the name of ‘bangsa’ and ‘agama’.

Could be RPK's last article before ISA gets him...

Is Anwar Ibrahim unstoppable?

With the big margin he attained in the by-election, it does look as if Barisan Nasional (BN) will have a hard time stopping him. But then, as Anwar himself said, a week is a long time in politics, meaning that nothing is definite.

He is stoppable as a person, but I think what has happened to him is that he has become the focus of a lot of hope for Malaysians disillusioned with the BN system. Because he is a wily politician — or a chameleon, as critics like to say — he has been able to remake himself in the image of the reform movement that his arrest 10 years ago inspired and that developed more intensely than he could have expected. That movement has aligned itself with other oppositional forces and that new combined force now places him as its front man. In turn, he has become indispensable to that force.

Understood that way, Anwar does look unstoppable. The long-term way BN and the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) can take the wind out of his sail is to reform themselves radically, and in the process, change Malaysian politics to the extent that the polarised situation that makes someone such as Anwar so iconic disappear, or weaken. As long as BN refuses to change, the situation that created the strong opposition that adopts Anwar as its front man will continue.

His court case relating to a sodomy charge, starting on September 10, is a big worry for the opposition. A lot of resources will be focused on defending Anwar, and on weakening the prosecution's case, including proving that the charge against him is politically motivated.

What is Mr Abdullah's future?

History will perceive Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the accidental politician and will forgive him for many of his failures because of that. But for the moment, many Malaysians on both sides are simply exasperated by his weak leadership and his inability to adapt to changes. No one mistakes his reticence for astuteness any longer.

His time is up. He has to realise how critical reforms actually are to the future of the country.

If Anwar's attempt at toppling the government does not materialise, then the attention will turn to Umno's general assembly in December. Many Umno leaders are not willing to allow Abdullah to bide his time while they run the risk of being sidelined forever. One goes into politics to gain power, and if the power pyramid that one is part of is sinking, then at some point, one decides that it is every man for himself.

What about Umno's future?

One day quite soon, Malaysians will learn to see political coalitions as temporary solutions to imbalances in power, and not as monolithic and eternal beings that become a goal in themselves. There are no permanent allies and no permanent enemies.

It will be nearly impossible for Umno to regain its former glory. That glory depended on the BN model. Today, it is like the Kuomintang of Taiwan in the '80s. It must go through a radical change, and to do that, it may have to leave the seat of power for a while. Its members have to realise that Malaysia's wellbeing is not necessarily Umno's wellbeing.

Even if the party loses power, it can return, but in a new shape and in new alliances. The worst-case scenario is that Umno may go the way of the Communist Party in Yugoslavia and disappear. The fear then is that the country will disintegrate along with it. The best-case scenario is that politics in Malaysia will mature to the extent that political opponents no longer wish destruction on each other.

Losing will not be everything; winning will not be everything.

From now to September 16 and December, what are the signs to look for?

Abdullah presented his budget on August 29 and Parliament is now in recess until the fasting month of Ramadan is over. In the meantime, we have Wednesday to watch, when Anwar goes on trial. Should the sodomy charge be dropped, then BN admits that its tactic has backfired and it withdraws to fight another day. Should it stick, Anwar's camp will try its best to keep him out of jail.

Given how Anwar was treated the last time he was in detention, his closest supporters fear that some serious harm will come to him while in jail.

September 16 is the day to watch — Malaysia Day, the day 45 years ago when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the federation. Anwar chose that day as a day of reckoning because it is very symbolic to the East Malaysians who feel let down by the federal government. He promises them a better deal, a simple enough strategy.

Even if Anwar cannot convince 30 BN Members of Parliament (MPs) to cross over to his side, he is expected to mark that day in a dramatic fashion. What he could do is perhaps to get some defectors to announce their intention publicly on September 16, and then hope for a snowball effect from there. He could also announce a defection by Umno MPs. Should nine of them defect, it would mean that Umno loses its majority within the ruling BN coalition. A bigger scoop would be to get a whole party to defect, threatening the existence of BN itself.

Also important to watch will be the Umno's division elections next month. What support Abdullah still has will become clearer from that. The main challenger to Abdullah within Umno, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, will also be gauging his own strength during that time.

If Anwar were to be Prime Minister, what kind of leader would he be?

His rhetoric seems to echo the wishes of a large segment of the Malaysian population at the moment, and that segment will be dictating what kind of PM he will be. Malaysia is suffering from a leadership problem at the moment, and many are putting a lot of hope in him.

Anwar has to balance the aims of the parties in his coalition, and we will see compromises being made. That is the reality in Malaysia. But I think a culture of dialogue will be developed under his watch and that will be a great achievement indeed. I think at least that can be accomplished by him.

Anwar can be expected to use a global economic focus to expedite institutional changes and minimise differences in the agendas of various parties. There is a lot of room for change, and with the political support he seems to enjoy, he should be able to do a good job. I think the new democratic atmosphere in Malaysia will see to that.

The writer is a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. He is the author of Lost in Transition: Malaysia under Abdullah and The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time.

*************************************************************

16 September 2008. That is Malaysia Day. That is also the day Anwar Ibrahim is supposed to take over the government. Today, some well-known personalities are joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat. From thereon, more are expected to follow, culminating in the final exodus of Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament.

Stay tuned for the announcements to follow.Many just can’t believe that Anwar will really take over on 16 September 2008.

Some just wish it were true. Some say it’s too good to be true. Others say Anwar is just playing poker. The sceptics say Anwar is laying the ground for a self-fulfilling prophecy. What is foremost in everyone’s mind is: is Anwar playing a high-stakes poker game or will this be a gunfight at the OK Corral?

At this point of time, Anwar can no longer just play poker. No one asked him to take over the government. No one set 16 September 2008 as the deadline. This was entirely Anwar’s own choice with no pressure or cohesion whatsoever on anyone’s part. It was Anwar who 'volunteered' the entire exercise. No one forced him into the situation.

Taking all this into consideration, there is no way Anwar can renege on his ‘promise’. To do so would result in a serious erosion of credibility. If Anwar fails to deliver his 16 September 2008 promise, he might as well disappear from the scene. If 16 September 2008 comes and goes as a non-event, Anwar too will become a non-event and will have to throw in the towel and call it quits.

Anwar is no novice. He is not an amateur politician. He is as seasoned as they come. And no seasoned politician like Anwar will commit Hara Kiri. And Hara Kiri it will be if Anwar turns around on 16 September 2008 and say, "I was just joking lah."

So my money is on 16 September 2008 happening. Not happening would mean the death knell of Anwar Ibrahim. And Anwar is not ready to die just yet. If Anwar fails to deliver, that would trigger the beginning of the end for Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Parti Gerakan Rakyat is on the verge of leaving the ruling coalition. No, it is not going to join Pakatan Rakyat. It is going to remain as an ‘independent’ party. And from there it is going to re-build its lost fortunes and revert to what it used to be when it was first launched 40 years ago in 1968.

Gerakan is going to be a most attractive party once it leaves Barisan Nasional and it launches its 'remaking' exercise. Hell, even I might get attracted to it once it transforms into what it started out in 1968. Gerakan will of course need to attract not only many professionals but from amongst all the races as well. And if Anwar falls short on 16 September 2008, Gerakan will be there with open arms to receive all the disappointed ex-Anwaristas who no longer have any confidence that Anwar is true to his word.

So, the stakes are too high not to succeed. This is not a game. It is not even a high-stakes poker game. It is a fight to the finish. It is a winner-takes-all situation. It is a last-man-standing duel. It is a gunfight at the OK Corral. And only one walks away from such a fight. And that one will be Anwar. My money is on that happening. Hell, my freedom is on that as well.

Today, I received many phone calls from concerned friends who told me that the government is considering detaining me under the Internal Security Act ‘very soon’. If that does happen, then this could probably be the last article I write, at least until 16 September 2008. So I too need Anwar to succeed. If not I will be in Kamunting for quite some time to come and you will not hear from me over the next couple of years.

Yes, I too have placed, not only my money, but also my freedom on Anwar. And if Anwar fails to deliver his promise on 16 September 2008, not only he but I as well am headed for a fall. But I have confidence he will do it. And I have confidence that my stay in Kamunting will not be for two years but for a mere two weeks.

But if I am wrong…..well, then see you maybe in six or seven years time, because for sure Najib Tun Razak will not release me in 2010 when he becomes Prime Minister. What he would do, instead, would be to rollover my two-year detention another two years, and another two years, and another two years, until I am too old to think and write anymore.

Till we meet again, if we do meet again, take care and keep the flame burning. There is still a long fight ahead of us in bringing reforms to this beloved country of ours.

Malaysian blogger arrested - What happened to freedom of speech and expression!!!

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian authorities have arrested a political blogger for possible sedition after he allegedly insulted police on his Web site, an official said Friday.

Police detained Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar under the Sedition Act late Wednesday to question him about a blog entry that he posted last month, said Victor Sanjos, a police official in the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department.

Abdul Rashid defaced the Royal Malaysian Police's logo by replacing its image of a tiger with a dog and indicated in his comments that he believed Chinese criminal gangs controlled police data systems, Sanjos said.

"His comments were very seditious," Sanjos said.

Sanjos indicated police may release Abdul Rashid soon because they need more time to investigate before deciding whether to charge him.

Sedition is punishable by up to three years in prison in Malaysia.

Some of Malaysia's most popular blogs offer strongly anti-government commentaries and present themselves as a substitute for mainstream media, which are controlled by political parties or closely linked to them.

Government officials often criticize bloggers for allegedly spreading false information and inciting hatred toward authorities.

Earlier this year, a well-known blogger, Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, was charged with sedition for writing an article that implied the deputy prime minister was involved in a high-profile murder. Raja Petra's trial is scheduled to begin in October. -AP 08.08.2008