Hidup Umno ! not Hidup BN !

I got really pissed from what I saw on TV3 1.30pm news today. There's this bimbo (probably first-timer) running for a state seat somewhere in Johor. After introductions by her seniors, made a little speech. And she rounded it off with shouts of 'Hidup Umno !' 'Hidup Umno!' ' Hidup Umno !' and ' Hidup Melayu !' 'Hidup Melayu !' 'Hidup Melayu !' Did anybody tell her that she is running on a multi-racial Barisan Nasional ticket ? She forgot that she was accompanied by several non-Melayu to submit her nomination papers last Sunday. If this is the type of young Malays being groomed as future leaders, then it don't look good for racial harmony and all that muhibbah bull being publicised all over the world. No wonder, the other BN coalition parties, despise Umno, and are just hanging on to BN for their own political and financial survival. Just disband the BN and each go your own way.Who will survive ?

Penang's candidates

Sunday was Nomination Day for Malaysia's 12th General Elections. I watched Pak Lah and other candidates in the Kepala Batas constituency filing their nomination papers on TV. Pak Lah's constituency is next to my constituency of Tasek Gelugor. Local UMNO warlord Shariff Omar (deputy agriculture/agro-based industries minister) has been the Tasek Gelugor MP for three terms. He was deputy CM of Penang, before he moved to parliament. He had to give up his seat to elections first-timer senator Nor Mohamed Yakcop (second finance minister cum economics adviser to the gov't). I guess Shariff was not very happy, and so were some of the locals. This YB always returns to his kawasan regularly. He lives not very far from the Tasek Gelugor, Sungai Dua and Telok Air Tawar towns in the constituency. The state assemblymen/woman from TG constituency were retained to seek re-elections. At the 11th hour, incumbent Sg Dua ADUN, Jasmin Mohamed was dropped for a Pemuda UMNO candidate. Then at the 11th and a half hour later, he was in again. The Pemuda chap had a 'khalwat' case ongoing. On Nomination Day, it was confirmed that Nor Mohamed Yakcop will be fighting for the Tasek Gelugor parliament seat against Ismail Salleh from PAS. Jasmin Mohamed going for Sg Dua state seat against Mohd Salleh Man of PAS. Shahbudin Yahaya for Ptg Berangan state seat against Arshad Md Salleh (PAS) and Jahara Hamid for Telok Air Tawar state seat against Norhayati Jaafar of PKR. I predict that BN will win all those seats but with reduced majorities. Former Penang CM and acting Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon is running for parliament in Batu Kawan on the mainland. If he had stood for parliament on one of the island's Chinese majority seats, he doesn't stand a chance against the DAP. He will be facing off against Dr Ramasamy of DAP. There are 23% Indians,21% Malays and 54% Chinese in this constituency. I ,personally would like to see Koh Tsu Koon in parliament. Good luck to him. DAP sec.gen. Lim Guan Eng is trying his luck in Bagan on the mainland. The incumbent DAP MPs on the island were reluctant to give up their seats to an 'outsider'. He managed to get a state seat Air Putih in the Bukit Bendera parliament constituency ( the fortress of Gerakan sec.gen. Chia Kwan Chye). He could win both seats. PKR president Wan Azizah is defending her Ptg Pauh parliament seat. And the disgraceful ustaz Firdaus Ismail is trying again to get that seat. Wan Azizah will win again with an increased majority, if there is no hanky-panky from SPR and BN. I will not be voting in Tasek Gelugor (my wife will be voting here). I will be voting in Bayan Baru parliament seat and Batu Uban state seat on the island. I registered as a voter there in my bachelor days and haven't re-registered at my present address. Old friend Zahrain Md Hashim (PKR Penang chief) is running against MCA's Ooi Siew Kim for parliament. I wont tell who I'll vote for, my secret.

Kong Xi Fa Cai

Happy Chinese New Year to everybody with Chinese ancestory. (Look up your family tree, and maybe you might find some drops of Chinese blood there. I know, I have some.) Drive safely, keep your houses safe and enjoy the holidays. Kong Xi Fa Cai.

Muhibbah

My friend from Talk Only (Cakapaje) blog tagged me to give my views on `muhibbah'. Muhibbah is derived from an Arabic word habibba meaning 'love' In English, it means 'goodwill'. In the Malaysian concept muhibbah means respect and tolerance of each other's customs, tradition, way of life,religion and opinions. Sharing each other's joy and sorrow. Standing by each other during hard times and enjoying the good times together. This is what the new generation are being taught. My generation has been practicing this muhibbah thing long before the government forced it down on you young people. We called it friendship and sincereness. Now its just a government buzz-word, to make Malaysia look good in TV promos and tourism pamphlets. Watch any show on RTM or some other local TV station, there will be a 'token' Chinese or Indian actor or actress to make us believe that muhibbah is being practised. The goodwill of muhibbah is disappearing. Where is the goodwill when you bombard water cannons on innocent people trying to express their dissatisfaction and unhappiness in a peaceful manner. Where is the goodwill when you disrespect other religions. Where is the goodwill when you fail to keep your promises. Yes, go and fool those foreigners that we practice muhibbah in front of their million ringgit mugs, and then go home and curse them, for forcing you to pretend. Its all about being sincere and honest with each other.That's what muhibbah is about.