masterwordsmith-unplugged

In response to an article in Malaysiakini on Pakatan Will Prevail - With or Without Me, Malaysiakini featured an article that showcased comments to support the premise that If Anwar jailed, even more will vote Pakatan. Those two articles clearly show that whatever attempts to martyr DSAI will lead to a paradoxical Catch 22 Situation .



Jailing DSAI could possibly:

• reinforce the notion that DSAI is being demonized because he is perceived as a serious threat to the status quo
• help PR to gain more support - most vital at this stage as its prestige has been affected by the poor publicity caused by the resignation of Datuk Zahrain and the bad blood between the Kulim MP Zulkifli Nordin and PKR
• create a backlash against the status quo in the next GE as more outraged voters could possibly vote PR in protest
• affirm the notion that the status quo need damage control because possibly some of the accusations and recent damning revelations might have dented BN's prestige and credibility
• convince the rakyat that the status quo have no wish for any form of reform whatsoever - be it politically, socially, economically etc. and are ready to stem out any source of dissension or attempt to unseat the status quo thereby causing some to conclude that the alleged rot could have truly gone to the core in a irreversible manner
• raise DSAI's political prestige which augurs well for PR. We all know no one is perfect, including DSAI. Most are aware of his limitations and strengths. While some may focus on his strengths, others capitalize on his weaknesses and play these up to the max for their own advancement. Any move to jail him would possibly raise protests on an international scale and of course, locally. Such negative publicity would affect our country's reputation negatively while that of DSAI would be elevated to that of a martyr.

So are the forces that be ready to take the risk of such challenges and more?

Not jailing DSAI could possibly:

• exterminate the DSAI threat and possibly dent PR but at what cost?
• reinforce the notion of some that he was scapegoated for some to achieve their agenda
• lead to many questions about the credibility of certain institutions or characters etc - you know what I mean and I am sure you understand that I cannot discuss this due to the ongoing case
• etc etc etc
  

As such, either way, BN will lose out - at least that is what I feel, although I could be wrong.

So is it worth it to martyr the man? Is BN ready to face the consequences of martyring DSAI? Consider what happened when Che Guevara was martyred. If you are unfamiliar with the circumstances, allow me to refer you to an excellent article which has been widely reposted all over the net called The Martyring of Che Guevara by Robert Scheer.

Excerpt from the article:

It also turned out that killing Che was a big mistake, as his message was spread more effectively by his execution than by his guerrilla activities, which were, after he left Cuba, quite pathetic. This is the case in Latin America, where political leaders he helped inspire are faring better than those coddled by the CIA. Daniel Ortega, whom the CIA worked so doggedly to overthrow, is the elected president of Nicaragua. Almost all of Latin America's leaders are leftists, some more moderate (as in Brazil), and others as fiery as Che (in Venezuela), but all determinedly independent of yanqui control. Fortunately, they differ from Che in preferring the ballot to the gun. But all recognize that poverty remains the region's No. 1 problem and that the free-market model imposed by the United States hardly contains all the answers. Recall that the U.S. break with the Cuban revolution came before the Castro's turn toward the Soviets, and that it was over his nationalization of American-owned business assets in Cuba ranging from Mafia-run casinos to the electric power grid.

These days, few politicians in the United States even seem to care about the subversive Cuban influences in our own backyard that once haunted them. The embargo on Cuba remains to mollify Florida's aging Cuban community, but the prize is Mideast oil, not protecting the peasants of Bolivia from the likes of Che Guevara. On Monday, Che's death was marked, in the Bolivian village where he was killed, by Bolivian President Evo Morales, who proclaimed his movement "100 percent Guevarist and socialist," which hardly registers as a propaganda success story for those favoring CIA assassinations. They turned a failed - and flawed - guerrilla fighter into an enduring symbol of resistance to oppression.

Will martyring DSAI turn him into a similar symbol? Food for thought.

Guess what? When something is BIG NEWS and there is low-key reporting, something is amiss!

I concede that one could argue that this BIG NEWS is overshadowed by the hue and cry over the damning findings of Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest but surely, this particular case which was MAJOR news and talk of the town for some time merits wide media coverage!!!!

If you glean the MSM online, you can see that only The New Straits Times, The Star and The Sun reported this piece of news. Nothing was mentioned in Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider, The Sun and The Edge.

I wonder why.

Most interesting is the declaration by our PM as seen in The NST:

Legal action will not be taken against prominent lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam for lack of evidence and testimony in the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam tapes.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told Parliament the findings of the probe were not substantial enough to initiate legal proceedings. In a written reply to Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, he said there
were several factors tied to the issue that had thwarted efforts to move ahead with the case.

He said no evidence was found to prove abuse of power in judicial appointments as presented in the then Anti-Corruption Agency’s investigation report on
the issue.

“Hence, the Attorney-General’s Chambers ruled that there would be no further action (in the matter. Najib said investigations commissioned under the Official
Secrets Act 1972 could not identify any wrongdoing by anyone in the handling of documents related to appointments of High Court judges. Investigations into former chief justice Tun Mohd Eusoff Chin’s New Zealand holiday were also hampered as a key witness could not be found, he added.

On alleged false claims for a hotel stay by former chief justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, Najib said there was insufficient evidence to back up
the allegation.

“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Legal and Prosecution division director decided not to pursue the investigation. The investigation
papers were not referred to the attorney-general.”

Najib explained that no action could be taken against Lingam based on the findings of four separate investigations scrutinised by the commission. Please CLICK HERE to read the rest of the report.
There is enough in cyberspace for all of us to refresh our memory about this case such as over HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

We can predict future events by looking at past trends.

Usually, if the small fish is caught, the BIG FISH will also be exposed but surely Big Brother won't let that happen.

Ironically, certain influential quarters are counting on the probability that Malaysians are blessed with memory of a fish. When people stop asking questions and the hype has died down, the Big Plan as determined by the Big Fish will run smoothly in the Big Plot as discussed in the Big Promise earlier.

Why bother to sweep things under the carpet when the outcome is expected?

Well, they forget that we have more brains than them and are not as hare-brained as them.

So while the rest of us are crying for Teoh Beng Hock, another drama has seen its final curtain and in true blue Bolehland tradition, they did it THEIR WAY!!!

Incredibly, some escape scot free while we reel in shock that "Batu MP and PKR strategic director Tian Chua was today fined RM3,000 and jailed six months after being found guilty of biting a police constable and preventing the latter from discharging his duty" (extracted from Malaysiakini.)

That's Bolehland for you!!!

Are we supposed to accept all this lying down???????

Once upon a time in Bolehland, lived a man with the iron grip - a man who thought he was invincible, a man who thought that he would always be indispensable to his community in good or bad times, as he regarded himself as the epitome of the best leader in his community (*choke*) solely because no one else has served as long as he has.

Tragically, not only is he delusional, he is also ill-informed with regard to how party support is aligned in his direction. At this juncture, he seems blind to the fact that his party has failed to function as a cohesive unit as many prefer to go solo or to sing out of tune or to sing in-tune only when instructed to do so.

Isn't it sad that this so-called leader is displaying metal fatigue and worse still, is unable to see the progressive and structural damage that has occurred, probably due to the mental fatigue that age has endowed upon him? What we see in the various MSM reports and online news portals is evidence that he has outlived his shelf life and exceeded the threshold of tolerance of his party members, not forgetting the community to which he belongs.

To use the analogy of a family, if the leader is dysfunctional, the family is unable to function as a unit. Thus, when the leader of a party falters and fails, waffles around with conflicting statements, e.g. supporting someone and then lambasting him the next day, the signs are crystal clear that HE MUST GO.

Realistically, we must realize that to survive and to be able to lead a party effectively, one must be visionary and not severely myopic in perspective. A visionary leader can take his followers to greater heights of achievements and leave behind a shining legacy. Visionary leaders groom potential leaders to take over their place but in this case, he clings on to his seat with an iron grip that is slowly being prised from his clasp by people who can no longer tolerate his contumely behavior.

Take a look at his statements extracted from Malaysiakini which are nothing but failed allusions to Tun Dr. Mahathir.

"I will take the two months off from my duties as MIC president to let (G) Palanivel, my deputy, fill in for me during my absence," said Samy.

"I won't be trying him out during the two months like what Mahathir did with Anwar Ibrahim."

Samy Vellu (left) was following up on a statement by Palanivel that "the ball is now in Samy Vellu's court".

Earlier, underlining that a transition was more imminent than ever, Samy Vellu had told the media figuratively: "I will ask Palanivel whether he is ready to take over as MIC president. If he says he's ready, I will go the next day, perhaps even the same day itself".

Palanivel responded with his much talked about "ball" idiom but added, "I am sure the president knows what to do. It's not as if someone has to tell him. I am ready to take over anytime he says so. Meanwhile, I will continue working as usual".

'Won't destroy successors like others'

Samy Vellu reiterated that he has no plans to come back after the proposed two months and find fault with Palanivel, again referring to the Mahathir script with Anwar.

For better or worse, Palanivel will step into the president's post, assured Samy, "and I have no intention of destroying my deputy like what Mahathir did to all his potential successors and even his successor, all hand-picked by him, not the party members".

"Even if Palanivel (right) is found wanting, I will hold my peace. Whether he fares well or does badly is up to him," said Samy Vellu in defining the importance of loyalty and standing by his men through thick and thin.

"I cannot support him for the deputy presidency and then later turn around and claim that he's not really suitable to be the MIC president. I don't play such evil games. We are people with human feelings."

His veiled reference to his former boss, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was unmistakably clear although no names were mentioned.

Let's face the truth. A leader of exceptional calibre would inspire his followers to develop themselves, inspire others to walk in their footsteps, nurture and to draw the best from each member/level of the party. A wonderful leader who has the RIGHT to stay on would have spelled out clearly values, principles, objectives and the direction that the party should take in order to achieve its mission/objective most effectively. But has he done that?

Persons with genuine leadership qualities are gentlemanly in the way they lead the team and to delegate responsibilities. They DO NOT act like warlords who have outlived their shelf lives. They DO NOT THINK of themselves but that of the collective unit. They DO NOT pursue his own ambitions or that of his cronies or family members at the expense of his others in his party.

A thorough bred leader must be relevant to the party, to his community, to other citizens in the nation and to his country as a whole and not to be FICKLE in saying one thing or defending one person one day and doing just the opposite the next day. Inconsistencies or delays in tackling current issues/problems do nothing to build up confidence in the party or in the leader. If he does not have the guts to be relevant and make the right decisions for the good of the nation, are we surprised to read about how our current PM is going to officially launch the newly-registered Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party (MMSP) on October 10th?

Despite the fact the fact that his party members and even BN leaders are unhappy with him, the man with the iron grip is trying his best to tighten his loosening grip!!! The writing is on the wall - his time is up and HE HAS TO GO even if he does not want to pass on the baton!!!

The question that remains is whether he has noble ambitions, visions, goals and ethics that can be emulated. Can he leave with his head held high with dignity? Can people remember him positively? Selfish ambition must not be used as a tool for enemies to fragmentate BN and its component parties.

What else can I say?

The man with the iron grip MUST GO!!! Iron corrodes. The damage is colossal and applying anti-rust is too late now!!

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the Poor.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

- extracted from Thomas Gray's "ELEGY WRITTEN IN A CHURCH COURT-YARD.

Please leave a comment. I would love to hear your views. Thank you.

Have a lovely evening.

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Latest update: If you subscribe to Malaysiakini, please CLICK HERE for the post on
"MIC members want fresh polls, allege irregularities".

At about 2p.m. today, Malaysiakini announced:

The Health Ministry has confirmed Malaysia's first case of A(H1N1) infection after tests were conducted on a student currently warded at the Sungai Buloh hospital.

In a statement today, Health Department director-general Dr Ismail Merican said that the 21-year-old youth was warded on May 14 after suffering fever, sore throat and body aches, after returning home from the United States a day before.

"Anti-viral treatment has been administered on the victim and he is in stable condition," said Ismail.

However, Ismail said that the public has no reason to panic as his department was collaborating with all relevant agencies to ensure that monitoring works were intensified and other proactive measures were taken to protect public health.

Ismail said that the health ministry had taken measures to prevent the virus by initiating contact investigations between the victim, his family and the airline's cabin crew.

"The health ministry also advises all passengers of MH091 from Newark, USA which arrived on 7.15am, May 13 to contact 03-8810-0200 or 03-8881-0300 for further action," he said.

As of midnight, May 14, Ismail said that the ministry's Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) were notified of 11 of suspected A(H1N1) victims nationwide.

Other than the case in Sungai Buloh hospital, clinical tests revealed that all suspected victims tested negative for the virus.

MOH travel advisory

Ismail also said 20 thermal scanners have been installed in entry points nationwide and 9,324 individuals from affected countries have been scanned as of May 14.

"However, no one has been referred to the hospital for investigations," he said.

According to Ismail, Belgium is the latest country to have confirmed cases of A(H1N1) virus, thus bringing the total number of affected countries to at least 34.

Out of the 34 countries, more than 7,457 cases of the deadly virus outbreak has been reported with 70 deaths, as at 8am today.

According to World Health Organisation, the pandemic alert level is at phase 5 - out of a possible 6 - which means a global outbreak is 'imminent'.

Ismail also advised the public not to travel to affected countries while those returning from affected countries showing flu symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

"Furthermore, there is no risk of A(H1N1) infection if meat or swine products are properly prepared and cooked," he said.

Further information regarding the virus outbreak can be obtained through the Health Ministry website.

Extracted from THIS LINK.

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A few days ago, my dear girlfriend Linda (mom of a former student) called me excitedly to let me know that when her husband asked her what she wanted for her birthday present, she replied, "Paula in Macau". Thereafter, he agreed to pay for a return air ticket for me. Of course I was absolutely delighted. It has been three years since I last saw Linda. Then Angela, a much beloved girlfriend knocked some sense into my head by saying, "Don't forget the A(H1N1) flu." My heart sank. To date, I have yet to book my ticket to take up Linda's offer, much to her disappointment. Thanks, dearest Linda but I have to wait and see first - after all, I have till November.

I am well aware of the dangers of flying during such times and would not want to risk being quarantined and putting other people who have had contact with me into a quarantine situation as well. My boy's Grade 6 piano and violin examinations are coming up and my better half is buried in work at the work place. Whilst I do not want to sound paranoid, I believe it is our responsibility to take precautions to reduce risk factors and to be in the pink of health.

So for this afternoon, I'd like to share this simple but useful article with you regarding how we can avoid contacting A(H1N1) flu. Take care and may God bless you and your family with good health. Have a great weekend.

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Grant Yourself the Gift of Immunity: 9 Ways to Stay Healthy This Flu Season

It is often hard to stay calm, when the news reports contain such words as Swine Flu: Impending Pandemic. Moreover, just the seasonal flu kills an estimated 36,000 people here in the U.S. every year. However, anxiety works against your immunity and other important body functions. You need to strengthen your body and can do so by practicing relaxation techniques, eating healthful foods, and adding natural supplements to your diet.

There are a number of things we can all do in the meantime to minimize our chances of getting the influenza virus. Vaccines and drugs are not at all reliable when it comes to especially a new viral influenza strain. Bolstering your immune system is the best way to protect yourself and those around you. There are a number of techniques we can safely utilize. The details are found in my book: PREVENT CANCER, Strokes, Heart Attacks and other Deadly Killers.

1. Good Hygiene

The old saying still holds true: Wash your hands, often! Any time you cough, sneeze, touch food, or use the bathroom, thoroughly wash your hands. This means a gentle, natural soap and water for a good 20 seconds. Use a face mask when out in public. Keep your environment clean with natural cleaners and air purification.

2. Watch for Flu, Respiratory, or Pneumonia Symptoms

Since swine flu is manifesting as a respiratory problem, you should keep an eye out for these symptoms in yourself and others. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, muscle pain, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, giddiness.

3. Stay Home

If you are experiencing any suspicious symptoms, stay home from work, school, travel and social engagements. This will help slow the spread to other people, and help you to heal faster.

4. Relaxation

Our immunities and inflammatory responses are compromised by high-anxiety situations. Studies have shown that psychological stress reduces the immune system's reactions to hormonal secretions that are normally used to fight inflammatory response. Consider spending time focused on relaxation: buy a yoga video, explore meditation, practice positive visualization or look into guided imagery techniques. A good massage can also help.

5. Sleep

Get seven to nine hours of sleep a night, and take a nap if you need to. Sleep helps the body to heal, and limits your chances for picking up infection.

6. Healthful Diet

Proper nutrition through a varied diet is the ideal way to promote a strong immune system. Consume more fermented foods in your diet, especially fermented soybean which contains probiotic bacteria, isoflavones, saponins omerga-3 fatty acids, and phytosterols. These help to build one's immunity by helping to maintain peak levels of natural killer cells and macrophages (types of white blood cells) and by supporting cytokine production, which responds to infections.

7. Sunlight

Sunlight is the best way for your body to make vitamin D, which is great for immune system support. If you can, try to get 15 minutes of direct sunlight each day. Eat lots of berries and leafy green vegetables to protect your skin from being burned. I recommend at least 2,000 I.U. of vitamin D per day. Studies show that vitamin D stimulates the immune system and disease fighting cells, called macrophages and T cells.

8. Exercise

Regular exercise activity is wonderful for keeping the immune system strong. Several 20-30 minute brisk walks a week are recommended for most adults.

9. Natural Supplements

It is nearly impossible to get all the body needs to ward of viruses through diet. Supplementing your diet with natural products containing fermented soy, curcumin, resveratrol and green tea will give your body the boost it needs to be at its peak.

Fermented Soy: Boosts the body's immunity and regulates its inflammatory responses.

Curcumin: Have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and immune regulating properties.

Resveratrol: Is found in red wine and has been considerered a life prolonging plant. Taking Resveratrol supplement rather than consuming alcohol is a safer, more effective way to benefit.

Green Tea: One cup of green tea provides 10-40 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant effects greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries. Green Tea supplements provide the maximum benefit.

Yours in Vibrant Health,

Dr. Vijaya Nair, MD, FAMS, MS

Visit jivasupplements.org to learn more about the natural products discussed in this article and about Dr. Nair and her extensive research.

Author's Bio
Dr. Vijaya Nair is an esteemed medical researcher and epidemiologist with a passion for integrating Eastern approaches with Western medical and scientific training. A native of Singapore, she earned her medical degree from the National University of Singapore in psychiatry. Dr. Nair later immigrated to the United States, where she received a master’s degree in epidemiology from Columbia University and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School.

Reading news portals used to make my adrenalin flow but these days, it turns my blood cold until my heart and mind have an aching numbness that no medication, tea or stimulant can heal.

A few minutes ago, I casually entered Malaysiakini and was pleasantly surprised to see this letter And my father said, "Son, don't come home" written by Ice Cream Seller where he shared about the values and lessons his late father had imparted to him, only to realize its truth 30 years later. In a nutshell, his father told him not to return to his motherland but he did otherwise and only left for Australia recently. I was deeply moved by his post because my parents told me otherwise and I cannot help but imagine what a different world it would have been had I been brave enough to follow my heart...

From as young as a five year-old, after developing a 'crush' on my kindergarten mate, my secondary goal in life was to leave the country, study abroad and never to return. Since I made this crystal clear to my dad, he NEVER allowed me to make that dream come true and even when I had job offers in KL, he would not let me go. I don't blame him - I was his one and only child. However, I sing a different tune to my boys, somewhat like the one sung by Ice Cream Seller's dad. Why?

Let's imagine for a moment that we are in a beautiful garden now. What can we see? Normally, a sight to behold would be butterflies flitting around looking for the brightest flowers because they feed primarily on nectar from flowers. Of course, some get nourishment from pollen, tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, and dissolved minerals in wet sand or dirt. Point is, they look for the best environment to live. Who wouldn’t?

Just as butterflies look for the brightest flowers, it is logical and natural that young graduates would look for the best environment to work and to live. If a highly educated and experienced professional had to make a choice between returning to his/her motherland to serve there and working in a foreign country, what factors would he/she consider?

Logically, who would want to return to work in a country where prejudiced treatment exists but subtly and sometimes overtly masked by cosmetically termed government policies to bring about supposed equality?

Who would want to return and work in a country where some supposed “HIGHER” group cannot recognize fellow citizens as humans and regard them as a certain member of the animal kingdom and order them to go back to a particular country in the far east?

Who would want to return and live in a country where plundering is an official hobby of a certain elitist group committing their acts even in broad daylight as if it is their right to do so and those who object or question will be sent to a certain confined area and enjoy curry rice for a period of time without rhyme or reason?

Who would want to return to a country where leaders live in denial and proclaim they practise meritocracy when in fact they impose racial quotas in education and then quietly send their own children overseas for their secondary and tertiary education?

Who would want to live in a ‘diseased’ economy where the weak are spoon-fed with all kinds of handouts and the strong get kicked in the butt, discriminated against, blamed for all kinds of problems including the malaise of the weak? They can actually laugh at certain nations for their apartheid policies when such policies exist in their own.

Even if the government really spends US$553.3mil over five years to boost research, attract foreign investment and build new facilities, who would come back if they know that the leaders are are incompetent as buffoons who call the shots in the game and change the rules whenever they feel like it?

Would you come back and willingly be ruled by leaders who fight over the minutest problem and cover up colossal problems…or even leaders who can actually work part-time in Hollywood or Bollywood with all the scandals they can fictionalise to discredit potential threats to the status quo?

Would you want to come back to a country whose currency is moving gravitationally to hit rock bottom goodness knows when?

Would you come back considering the country’s medical facilities, quality of life, crime rate, tax rate, deplorable public transport system, lack of equal opportunities in so many areas? I hope that one day, my boys will read this post of mine when they are free and realize the reason why I keep telling them to work hard and fly off to any where land...It matters not to me whether they are by my side. It matters more to me that they live and thrive in an environment that does not have so much incredulous injustice and half-past six scenarios.

Think. Can you blame the many graduates and experts for being like butterflies flying around for the most beautiful and most colourful flowers to suck nectar?

My dear sons and other young people, work hard and look for greener pastures. I am also looking but alas, age is against me. Just this morning, I was reviewing procedures and news for immigration to another country and my heart sank because I know the many obstacles before me. It seems impossible and I lament the fact that I had foolishly thought that things would get better....and now, it's too late for me to leave...not unless the heavens opened up and showered dollar notes into my humble home to give me enough to leave. Alas, I have little to show in the bank but a lot to show in terms of the number of candles on my birthday cake. Most of my friends have already left...another family is about to leave soon and these people are all younger than me...So what can I do now?

Pray. That's all that I can do now. I just have to make the best of what I have and hope that my descendants will be in greener pastures than yours truly....

So dear Ice Cream Seller ...I am happy for you and I am sure your parents, wherever they may be, are delighted that you finally took up their advice....It is never too late to learn.