Hard luck

The petrol price rise has really affected the ordinary Malaysians in so many ways. Every guy wants to make up for the extra buck used up for petrol. Some, car-pool to their working places, sharing petrol money. Some, use the public transports, take the bus or train, adjusting their time to keep with the schedules. Some, keep their cars at home, ride a motorbike to work. Consumes less petrol than cars and can wiggle through most traffic jams. Some, who only own a motorbike, mostly low-wage earners, got no other choice. Pay more for petrol. Why not cycle to work ? No need to fill petrol and good exercise too. Sure, but do you think its worth it, if your work-place is 5km or 10km or more from your home ? Can you feel safe when you are side-tracked into the road-side ditch by bullying trucks and busses ? The most popular mode of transport in Penang is the motorbike. Second-hand bikes are being sold like hot cakes here. Just be careful when buying these second-hand bikes, you might end up buying a stolen bike, you might be buying my stolen motorbike. No, I kid you not, my motorbike was really stolen last Thursday night. I never dreamed this could happen to me, only to other 'unfortunates'. Now I'm an 'unfortunate'. That night, there was a pasar malam in town. Just before maghrib I drove my bike down there to buy some food for the family (wife and daughter were fasting that day). I bought some laksa, pasembur ,murtabak and chicken rice. Got home, parked my bike in the porch, I just closed the front gate,unlocked. I was just in time, the bilal had just begun the azan for maghrib prayers, and my wife and daughter can break their fast. After the prayers, dinner, I went out to the porch for a smoke. I noticed that the gate was opened. Did I or did'nt I close the gate just now ? Hey, why am I feeling some barrenness in the porch, like something's missing. Then it dawned on me, my motorbike,PFS 496 is not there. Who moved it ? Have I been careless or not, I'm not sure. My motorbike has been stolen right in my own porch. And no one heard any unusual sound or noise. My two boys Fadzlil and Shafiq were watching tv in the living room. They did'nt hear anything. My nearest neighbors did'nt see or hear anything .They had closed their doors and windows, same as us. Its just circumstances, every Muslim household would close their doors and be indoors when its maghrib. And the thief took advantage of the situation. After I had calmed myself , my daughter Lina accompanied me to the police station, down the road to make a report. You know, this place Tasek Gelugor, every public building (police station, govt clinic, post office,BSN, Agro Bank, market, schools) is easily accessible by foot. Its already been a week, no news from the police. And I don't expect my bike to be found or returned intact. These thieves would strip the bike and take the parts that can be sold to the scrap-iron shops. Now I'm looking for a replacement. Its a necessity.

No Muzakarah with Umno

Badawi admits that he has had 'muzakarah (meetings )' with some PAS leaders. I wonder who those PAS members are, but its definitely not Tok Guru Nik Aziz. Tok Guru is very sceptical about Umno's invitation 'untuk bangsa dan ugama'. When Umno talks about kehilangan kuasa Melayu it is actually about kehilangan kuasa Umno. Now Umno needs PAS to get back its two-third majority in parliament and also to get back its power in Selangor,Perak ,Kedah and Kelantan. I'm sure those wayward PAS fellas must have been promised high government positions (say DPM, ministers,deputy ministers, exco and GLC chairs). Tok Guru Nik Aziz (also Tok Guru Hadi) has experienced what happened to PAS when Asri brought PAS into the BN after being invited by Tun Razak. The union did not last very long. Tok Guru Nik Aziz does not want history to be repeated. He said its okay to muzakarah with individuals but not the party (Umno).