Yahoo Mail now gives out unlimited storage mailboxes. I guess many people will be making the switch soon. Will other mail providers follow suit? Good move Yahoo!

May 13 1969, the darkest hour of our nation's history, but a significant event that shaped the policies of today. Policies that are purportedly in place to ensure the events on May 13th will never recur.

This book which details the declassified documents by the British intelligence claims that a conspiracy within UMNO could be a potential source of such riotings. From the events surrounding the inaccuracies of the intelligence reports from Iraq, I guess we may have to take these documents with a pinch of salt.

If the book contains only declassified documents, then there is little reason to erase this part of history. Whether or not, it speaks the truth, that is the domain for the historians to investigate. History should never be distorted for political purposes. With the emergence of new evidence, history books can be rewritten.

History is important as it helps shape the future. If indeed there was a coup d'etat to overthrow Tunku then it may be an important missing link in our history. Then perhaps preventing the recurrence of May 13 may not be achieved with the hardline Internal Security Act or the New Economic Policy but the removal of thuggery from politics.

**Get your copy at http://www.kinibooks.com for RM$20.00 + RM$5.00 for shipping

MP for Jasin Datuk Mohd Said has now refused to apologise postulating instead that he was referring to the leaks in the Parliament building, as reported in The Star. If one looks at the video clip, it is very clear what they were referring to.

"Batu Gajah tiap-tiap bulan pun bocor juga" was clearly heard from the clip. Of course the MP for Batu Gajah was none other than MP Fong Po Kuan.

By denying that fact is equivalent to Clinton saying "I did not have sexual relationship with that woman" referring to Monica Lewinsky. Such lies only taint Barisan Nasional further and further cementing the fact that MPs think Malaysians are idiots!

Their behaviour in the clip is that of jest when making the comment of such leaks. Their intent was clear. I think the PM should demand that these 2 politicians apologise, or else, it may only encourage others to utter such demeaning remarks.

If not, all women should not vote Barisan, that ought to teach these chauvinistic folks a lesson or two. ;-)

I read with interest from the local dailies about how Malaysia plans to foster national unity. Unfortunately I cannot help but denigrate this plan especially when the New Economic Policy is still strongly enforced. Or when banks are still racially biased and political parties still drawn along racial lines, these are examples of the barriers that persist in our society. They will no doubt leave imprints on the minds of our younger generations and convince them that national unity is just a political farce.

Many talents are leaving in droves and those overseas are staying away. Many fear the inequalities that they may face when they return. In addition, many government procedures are still not transparent and this will scare the hell out of anybody wishing to return. When promotions are not based on merit but rather on seniority and race, or when opportunities which are racially inspired are still in place, there is little to suggest that we are not moving ahead with national unity.

If we are serious about national unity and would like to educate our children about improving national unity, the current generation must set a good example. The NEP has to end. There is enough evidence to suggest that it is no longer needed. Political parties should be based on political ideology not racially motivated. We should strive for a Malaysian race and not segregate ourselves based on race.

This is a tall order but it has to be set in motion. Otherwise, all talk about national unity will be like the Malay saying of "menyiram air di daun keladi".

There has been much debate about the quality of buildings and the amount of money that were spent on building them. Now much more is needed to inspect and repair defects. It is only normal for many, including BN supporters, to question the processes involved in such contruction projects. Shouldn't the building be inspected first before official handover? And shouldn't the officer that accepted the handover of keys be charged with negligence?

When I was a medical officer at a health clinic and presided over a renovation project, I realised that all is not right in Bolehland. First and foremost, a small extension commanded an astronomical monetary figure. Secondly, the actual contractor had sub-contracted the project and thus claims little responsibility on the faulty workmanship. Thirdly, I was informed that the contract giver, in this case, a medical assistant, was paid 10% of the amount and was purportedly a normal practice. Lastly, there is no open tender as many projects are given out to people with special interests. In one particular case, the husband of the District Health Officer was awarded the construction project.

Now my time at UMMC is no different. New renovated buildings are faulty and I was informed that the Emergency building is still without its certificate of fitness, although it has been functional for a couple of years now. This building has been dogged by unending building defects and the quality of workmanship is poor. Heck, in some areas the staircases are uneven and are hardly built to meet high safety specifications.

Politics aside, this trend of poor quality buildings needs to be stopped. I fear that the only way to change the mentality and inject some urgency into the issue, is for a catastrophy to occur with unnecessary loss of lives. That will be inevitable if things are not put right now.

"Sexist lawmakers get away with insulting women", screams New Straits Times. It appears that the Opposition was bringing up the matter of leaks at the Parliament building when 2 politicians said

"Where is the leak, the member for Batu Gajah also leaks once a month." It refers to the MP for Batu Gajah, YB Ms Fong Po Kuan from the DAP.

View this Youtube footage


Surprisingly the Minister in the Prime Minister's department did not find the choice of words offensive.

It reflects the intellect of our political representatives when they have to resort to such cheap, derogatory remarks to gain political points. Women politicians including Rafidah Aziz and in particular Shahrizat should stand up for women in general to rid the Parliament of chauvinistic tendencies, which appears resolutely in place.

Even if the technicalities of Parliamentary rules prevented diciplinary actions from being meted out, I think these politicians should be chastised. The only dignified thing to do now is that these politicians apologise for such an unnecessary sexist remark.

Such disrespect should never be tolerated. Malaysia Boleh!

Bernama reported today

Maximum Fine For Motorists Who Obstruct Police Riders

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- Road users who do not give way or obstruct traffic police riders escorting VVIPs, ambulances and fire engines responding to emergency calls, will be slapped with the maximum RM300 fine with immediate effect, Federal Traffic Police chief Datuk Nooryah Md Anvar said today.

She said the action was taken following the death of two police riders in an accident while they were escorting the Regent of Terengganu Tengku Muhammad Ismail Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin to the Sultan Mahmud Airport in Terengganu on April 8. continuing story

We all must have had brushes with police escorts at some point in time. The manner which the escorts manoeuvre their piece of equipment might make novices of Mat Rempits. Even in situations where traffic is at a standstill police escorts for VIP will force you aside even if you might endanger your own vehicle. Sometimes they may even add to the traffic woes by halting traffic at congested junctions. So what is the rush? A case of national emergency?

There must be some sort of code of ethics for police escorts. They must be bound by certain rules and not deal with other motorists as they fancy. Slapping a fine for "obstructing" police escorts is open for abuse, considering such police escorts can be rather short tempered and abusive. Escorting a VIP does not make a police escort above the law. They can intimidate and frighten young inexperienced drivers.

It is unfortunate that 2 police escorts were involved in a fatal incident, however, the manner in which they ride should not have brought surprises to the occurrence of this "unforseen" event. They should give the other motorists ample warning to move aside and be clear with their instructions. It is easy to spot an ambulance or fire truck but a VIP convoy may not be easily identifiable from one's rear mirror. Zooming by, expecting everyone to react in an instant manner is to me a form of road bullying.

Just as ordinary road users are encouraged to be courteous on the road, so should such police escorts.

From The Star

Tiny terrier saves five Kiwi children from pitbull attack

WELLINGTON (AP) - A plucky foot-high Jack Russell terrier named George saved five New Zealand children from two marauding pitbulls, but was so severely mauled in the fight he had to be destroyed, his owner said Wednesday.

George was playing with the group of children as they returned home from buying sweets at a neighborhood shop in the small North Island town of Manaia last Sunday when the two pitbulls appeared and lunged toward them, his owner Allan Gay said.

"George was brave - he took them on and he's not even a foot high,'' Gay told The Associated Press.

"He jumped in on them, he tried to keep them off.

"If it wasn't for George, those kids would have copped it.'' continuing story

This is the epitome of a true friend. Rest in peace, George.

From Malaysiakini,
Are these figures accurate? Does it make sense to build a 16 million health clinic for a population of only 10,000? Does a health clinic cost 16 million? Unless of course, only if they are planning to build a small district hospital, this amount is ridiculously high. Even a house in KL would not have fetched such a high price. So what promises did BN actually give to these Ijok folks?

If BN is so flawed then why are they still winning? Perhaps the flaw is with PKR itself.

Rather than lamenting on the loss, I think that PKR should seek solace with the fact that 40% of the voters actually voted for them. They should consolidate their position by showing sincerity in service rather than bickering about inconsequential fights between Anwar and UMNO. PKR should move away from Anwar based arguments to more relevant local, federal and international issues. Datin Seri Wan Azizah should also relinquish her presidential position to remove any taint that she may carry from the Anwar saga. PKR needs to seriously reinvent themselves, not as a political party but rather as a organisation that could be an independant critical appraiser of the present Government.

If PKR is to win an election, it must be seen as a possible alternative to the present Government. It must have the ability to show resolve at all levels including international issues. The opposition front must show cohesiveness at all times, not just during election campaigns. They must be seen to have the ability to form the next stable government and bring Malaysia forward.

I feel that it may serve the opposition well by having a shadow government. In this way, they can participate at all levels and be seen as a possible alternative to the present administration. As of now, the opposition parties are ruled in an authoritarian fashion with PKR controlled by Anwar , DAP by Lim Kit Siang and PAS by Nik Aziz. This egoistical political stance will not serve the opposition well and might not be appealing to new members.

It takes years if not decades to build a good foundation to gain the trust of the people. Get involved in things not political, reach out at all times. Current opposition tactics are at best antagonistic and adversarial. If they do not change, then that is where they will continue to stay.