Costly, risky experiment with nation' s future

I met Uncle Din this afternoon in PJ and he said categorically that any experiment or gamble with the "Dangerous Trio" for the future will be extremely costly and highly risky for ourselves and the entire country. Indeed, as a British historian Lord Action once pointed out with great insight: "power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Ex-CEO Khaild Ibrahim fights on in opposition

2004 experiment with strong BN gov' t costly

Mr. Ng Cheng Lian from S.E.A. Park in PJ emailed me this morning to draw my attention again to the two letters he wrote to malaysiakini in 2004 and 2005 respectively. In his email, Mr. Ng says that he feels better and happier now that many people, including his own relatives, friends and neighbours, have now realised that their experiment with a strong BN government in the 2004 general election was really costly and risky, and it is now time to swing back to render the Opposition even greater support to provide more effective checks and balances.

BN's trustworthiness to come under spotlight

Ex-CEO Khaild Ibrahim fights on in opposition

Like Din Merican, another learned friend of mine Khalid Ibrahim, 62, was an educated economist who also possesses a very vast pool and range of practical experience in life as a former corporate figure, and also fire in the belly as a leader of opposition. Khalid has decided to battle on as a candidate, on the platform of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, in the parliamentary seat of Bandar Tun Razak (P.124) in the KL Federal Territory and the Ijok (N.11) state assembly constituency in Selangor.

Another 'neighbour's girl' fights BN in Machap

"Dangerous Trio" in M'sian Ministry of Finance

68-year old ' bookworm ' Din Merican was once a man of action deep inside the Establishment, in both corporate world and Wisma Putra. He now really worries about what he sees as a Dangerous Trio in the Finance Ministry in the making should BN wins big again in the 2008 General Election in Malaysia. Din is not contesting as a candidate of any party but he is certainly working hard to ensure that a stronger Opposition emerges to serve as checks and balances against the BN. Din's greatest hope at this age is for younger Malaysians of all races to have a truly fair, clean, accountable and transparent government.

BN's trustworthiness to come under spotlight

Chinese concern on fuel price hikes, inflation

According to a 26 Feb report in Sin Chew Daily, the President of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) William Cheng has called on the post-election government to "cautiously manage" fuel price and inflation. Cheng was also quoted as saying that while ordinary people are concerned about the rise of the cost of living, businessmen are also generally worried about the "chain reactions" of fuel price increases.

Chinese federation opts for " neutrality " in GE

BN's serious strategic blunder & vulnerability

As a very smart friend of mine observed earlier, BN has made a really serious strategic blunder of 'allowing' ex-DPM Anwar Ibrahim to be a 'free' man in the general election. On top of that strategic blunder is the vulnerability of BN's propaganda themes to opposing arguments. Moreover, those huge portraits of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and other BN leaders on billboards and banners do not seem to have any more new psychological impacts on the people as they have been parts of the landscape in Malaysia since early last year ostensibly for 'Merdeka' celebration. Many people may even have been bored by the images and, needless to say, boredom will soon cause or lead to all types of negative sentiments or feelings against the object and its message.

BN to launch Manifesto & unleash propaganda

Another 'neighbour's girl' fights BN in Machap

A close friend of Pei Nei and fellow graduate of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Ginie Lim Siew Lin (left) has also become a candidate for the state constituency of Machap (N.08) in Malacca bearing the standard of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Ginie Lim is also a trilingual social activist who mixes around well with people of all races and ages. A common friend of Pei Nei and Ginie, viz. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is also participating in the electoral contest in Seri Setia (N.32) in Selangor.

Old ' bookworm ' Din Merican as a progressive

'Your neighbour's girl' to battle BN in Rawang

Another young friend Gan Pei Nei, 27, is also contesting in Selangor's Rawang state constituency (N.14) under the banner of Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Pei Nei, a trilingual graduate of Mass Communication Studies from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been working fulltime as an assistant to Tian Chua since 2004. Despite her 'baby-face' look and soft-spoken personality, Pei Nei possesses critical spirit and a sharp and tough mind for details as well as fire in the belly for good causes.

Badrul Hisham takes on Abdullah' s son-in-law

Badrul Hisham takes on Abdullah' s son-in-law

Badrul Hisham bin Saharin of PKR (wearing red shirt and giving out Gong Xi Fa Cai Mandarin orange in pix) now contests against Khairy Jamaluddin in the parliamentary constituency of Rembau (P.131) in Negeri Sembilan. Badrul Hisham has been working very persistently and closely with other friends like Tian Chua and Dr. Lee Boon Chye since 1999 to foster inter-ethnic solidarity and national unity in the struggle for democratic transition and transformation in Malaysia. I also know Badrul Hisham personally as a mature, broad-minded and very knowledgeable Muslim friend who is also multi-racial in outlook.

BN makes strategic blunder on Anwar Ibrahim

BN makes strategic blunder on Anwar Ibrahim

A very smart friend of mine has observed that BN has made a serious "strategic blunder" in not allowing ex-DPM Anwar Ibrahim to contest in the general election because the ban now allows the man to have more time and concentration of mind to strategise and also to rally more people for other Oppositionists and he would then contest in a by-election later to re-group with other parliamentary Oppositionists. Had Anwar been allowed to participate in the electoral contest, his time and energy could have just been confined and his movements bogged down within a single constituency where he, with thousands of tactical details to divert his mind, has to fight to win personally.

Son-in-law of Abdullah attacks Anwar Ibrahim

@ Jonah contests against BN' s No. 2 in Pekan

31-year old trade unionist and former student leader who was once detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin is now a candidate of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, contesting against BN's deputy chairman and Umno's deputy president Najib Razak in Pekan in Pahang. Khairul is also affectionately known as 'Jonah' among many young activists of all races in the Klang Valley.

BN's trustworthiness to come under spotlight

BN's trustworthiness to come under spotlight

Like it or not, not only BN's broken promises in the past four years would be attacked, the trustworthiness of its future committments would also be subject to intense questioning by the Opposition on a wide range of social, economic and political issues in Malaysia. The Chua Soi Lek and Lingam tapes have sensationally accelerated the widespread erosion of popular confidence on the governing elites.

BN to launch Manifesto & unleash propaganda

BN to launch Manifesto & unleash propaganda

While BN's Manifesto, which is going to be unveiled, is very unlikely to spring any surprise and its Propaganda from the usual toolbox has also been proven to be somewhat overused and rusty, it remains to be seen if there are any hitherto unknown 'secret weapons', in words and images, to be launched at a very critical moment, like just two or three days before polling, against the Opposition which will has no more time or resources to defend itself against the surprise attack. I am sure experienced Oppositionists at all levels have projected some realistic Worse Case Scenarios in advance in order to strengthen the psychological defence of their campaign workers and also supporters.

Umno' s campaigns of character-assassination

Old ' bookworm ' Din Merican as a progressive

When I first met fellow bookworm Din Merican (pix) in Kuala Lumpur's Kinokuniya bookshop a few years ago, I used to make the assumption that he was a typical conservative or even reactionary in the politics of Malaysia because of his age and also social class background in the corporate world. But, I was proven not right when the 68-year old Din decided last year to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat openly for progressive changes and reforms in our country. When he was young, Din studied economics and business management in universities, but he now also reads serious books on political ideas. The Old Man is not standing as candidate in any constituency but he is helping out by giving advices or passing on his own social experience to young men and women of all races who are willing to listen, and also managing his new party's Electoral Campaigns and Information Backroom at the national level.

Local united front against Umno' s extremists

Old Indian shares wisdom with young Chinese

Enjoying a multiethnic Malay marriage dinner

Tian Chua to contest GE in Batu for KeADILan

Besides Dr. Lee Boon Chye, PKR has also appointed yet another close friend and fellow former Australian student of mine Chua Tian Chang @ Tian Chua to contest in the Batu parliamentary in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Like Boon Chye, Tian Chua has been contributing tremendously to inter-ethnic solidarity and national unity through persistent political ground works since 1999.

Umno continues to attack a " forgotten " man

My friend Dr. Lee Boon Chye fights in Gopeng

Another friend of mine Dr. Lee Boon Chye, a UK-trained and trilingual heart specialist practising in Ipoh, has just officially been appointed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat or PKR, to contest in Perak's parliamentary constituency of Gopeng in the coming general election. Just like Ipoh, Kampar and Batu Gajah, Gopeng is also well-known for its historical role as a tin-mining settlement in the Kinta Valley from the heydays of British Malaya to the mid-1980s when the tin industry and market collapsed structurally in the midst of a serious nationwide recession.

Mooncakes now serve as cross-cultural bridge

Fong back to battlefield under Rocket banner

So, Po Kuan has now decided to be back to the battlefield to defend the Stone Elephant under the DAP banner and, so, it has proven that she has not been 'secretly bought over' by this or that BN party or BN-linked interest "just like" so and so in DAP's yesteryears. The popular emotion generated by Po Kuan's earlier decision and the widespread and passionate call for her, in both Batu Gajah where my mother was born and schooled, as well as throughout Malaysia, to be back to the frontline, were genuine. Ong Ka Chuan has now to seriously re-assess the risks and consequences of being 'slaughtered' for the second time by Po Kuan as he is tipped to be a minister if he win a parliamentary seat, and also MCA's next president after the exit of Chan Kong Choy.

MCA' s unique way of promoting Asian Values

MCA' s unique way of promoting Asian Values

MCA's president Ong Ka Ting has been quoted by Bernama as opining that "the Barisan Nasional (BN) Manfesto (for the General Election) is more than a mere document to draw the attention of voters". It also probably serves to rejuvenate Asian family values for an ethical order of society which is in line with Islam Hadhari or Civilisational Islam.

To complete BN' s General Election Manifesto

Chua Soi Lek' s son to contest on BN platform

Online Chinese-language daily Merdeka Review reported that a son of MCA's former Health Minister Dr. Chua Soi Lek is going to contest in the Labis parliamentary constituency under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner to defend his father's stronghold in the 2008 general election. More likely than not, popular imagination would run wild again during the campaign period in Labis as market places are fed every morning with more "colourful" stories by all types of sources, including MCA's factions which are hostile to that of Dr. Chua Soi Lek and/or his son, and the possibility of other DVDs appearing also cannot be ruled out. Thus, it is only being responsible for parents and grandparents in and around the Labis constituency to take extra and special care of their children or/and grandchildren who are under eighteen years of age, by, for example, regularly checking their school bags for suspicious VCDs and DVDs, during the entire period of campaign of the election.

Other issues following Dr. Chua' s resignations

Local united front against Umno' s extremists

According to my very good friend in MCA, he and his comrades have formed a nationwide 'Surgical Strike' network of 'conscientious MCA grass-root members' to boycott BN campaigns and/or work behind-the-scene with opposition parties such as PAS and PKR to make sure that Umno extremists and nonsensical characters are kept out of the Parliament and State Assemblies for the well-being of our multiethnic nation and he also hopes that 'conscientious' Gerakan members would also join in this "Sacred Mission". With Internet, SMS and the strong networks of political quanxi in the Chinese community, this type of customised or constituency-specific and also asymetrical operations is not really that difficult to be executed or implemented any more. By the way, one 60-minute session of foot reflexology plus another 1-hour back massage is relaxing and refreshing to the body and mind.

Chinese federation opts for "neutrality" in GE

Son-in-law of Abdullah attacks Anwar Ibrahim

While his father-in-law Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said that he has forgotten a man named Anwar Ibrahim, Khairy Jamaluddin reportedly "rained insults" on Malaysia's ex-DPM, "repeatedly" labelling the latter a "traitor" and "hypocrite" in a Malay-majority residential area in KL. The Oxford graduate, who is also intensely disliked by former PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as well as many other Umno veterans and Malay supporters of both PAS and PKR, also reportedly resorted to using an extremely distasteful and vulgar analogy to attack opposition parties.

Umno continues to attack a " forgotten " man

My Collected Works on Fong Po Kuan' s issues

Besides Merdeka Review, I also provided my own observations on the Fong Po Kuan issue to the Chinese-language edition of malaysiakini, and all my thoughts on the subject in English can also be easily found by clicking the words "fong po kuan" in the Search Box. Chairman of Perak DAP and lawyer Ngeh Koo Ham and Perak DAP's State Publicity Secretary Ngeh Kor Ming, who is also a lawyer, should probably take a look to determine or ascertain whether these articles are defamatory or libellous enough for them to initiate world-class lawsuits in courts. My personal advice to Supremo Lim Kit Siang is that, as a socially and politically responsible public figure, he should immediately delete the mobbish 'comments' in his blog that allege or insinuate without proof that Fong Po Kuan has been 'secretly bought over' by this or that BN party or BN-linked interest "just like" so and so in DAP's yesteryears.

DAP now reaps what Lim Guan Eng has sowed

Po Kuan: let' s " show people' s power to BN "

At about 3.00 pm yesterday, independent Chinese online newspaper Merdeka Review asked me whether, in my observation, Fong Po Kuan would re-consider her decision not to seek re-election in Batu Gajah and my answer was that I have not known her as a flip-flop character, and that any reversal of her final decision would be castigated by her MCA opponent in Batu Gajah for being "immature". Around the same time, she herself made it abundantly clear in her blog that her quit decision is really final and she also re-iterated her call to " show the people’s power to Barisan Nasional " in the coming general election. So, DAP's 'Holy Ghost' must not try to churn out and spread the utterly nonsensical conspiracy theory that Po Kuan has been 'secretly bought over' by this or that BN party or BN-linked interest just like so and so.

DAP now reaps what Lim Guan Eng has sowed

DAP now reaps what Lim Guan Eng has sowed

Some friends in DAP have already protested against the mainstream media for "exploiting" the Fong Po Kuan "incident" by "blowing it out of proportion". To a certain degree, I agree with them but they must also understand that it is their secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who has been helping newspapers like MCA's Star and Umno's New Straits Times to regain their credibility and or even strengthen their image of 'impartiality', which was once extensively eroded during the 1999-2004 Reformasi Movement, by granting these newspapers personal interviews and even writing commentaries for them. To put it very simply, DAP is now reaping what Lim Guan Eng has sowed since 1999.

Propaganda & struggle of counter-propaganda

Po Kuan still calls to reject BN' s 2/3 majority

In her press conference held yesterday, my dear friend Fong Po Kuan still made the clarion and stirring call, with very clear conscience and indomitable spirit, for "all Malaysians to deny the Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in the coming general election" to be held soon.

Umno continues to attack a " forgotten " man

Umno continues to attack a " forgotten " man

I have personally lost count how many times the mainstream media has reported UMNO and other top BN leaders since 1999 as claiming that they have "forgotten" a man named Anwar Ibrahim. However, I have just read in the evening edition of tomorrow' s Sin Chew Daily how an UMNO vice president Muhyidin Yassin, while maintaining that Anwar Ibrahim is politically "gone", continues to paint quite negative pictures of the man and his opposition party in a two-page interview. Of course, Muhyidin Yassin also denies in the interview that the date of parliamentary dissolution was fixed to contain the "Anwar Effect".

Propaganda & struggle of counter-propaganda

Fong Po Kuan declines to contest again in GE

My dear friend Fong Po Kuan has reportedly decided not to contest in any seats in the coming general election. As a friend from afar, I can only wish her all the best in whatsoever future endeavour she decides to embark on as her father wished me in 1995 in our hometown Ipoh. Just like me in 1990, Po Kuan was also a young 'giant' s killer' in 2004 in the legendary heartland of the Kinta Valley's Chinese working class.

Chinese federation opts for "neutrality" in GE

The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia or Hua Zhong, which is normally perceived to be pro-BN, has declared "political neutrality" in the coming general election signalling rather clearly, according to seasoned observer of Chinese politics TK Lai, that "a powerful anti-BN current has emerged in the Chinese community in recent months".

Old Indian shares wisdom with young Chinese

To complete BN' s General Election Manifesto

According to a Datin friend whose ex-husband still works as a senior public servant at the state-level, my predictions of the Key terms in BN' s General Election Manifesto is not complete yet because 'the 9th Malaysian Plan' or '9MP' and 'Islam Hadhari' or Civilisational Islam are missing. She said that is is important for the Manisfesto's writers to make it very sure that their Supremo "would feel he would be felt" as an 'economic thinker' and 'political reformer' with a 'futuristic' mind in the urban centres and a 'defender of tradition' in rural constituencies.

BN cannot blame Dr. Mahathir for all malaises

Key terms in BN' s General Election Manifesto

What would be BN's 2008 General Election Manifesto like ? It is really not that difficult to predict : BN is all for "unity", "progress", "peace", "growth" and " development", "stability", "prosperity", "moderation", "harmony" and "integrity"; and when the BN Manifesto is launched, its chairman and Umno's president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would call on all public servants and the people to "work even harder" and "be more dedicated" to "enhance the delivery system" for "the benefits of all" because "failure is not an option" (failure has never been an option for anyone; it is an unintended and opposite outcome of an attempt to succeed) and he will surely add that "no groups will be left behind". Immediately after the ceremony and in the following day, all of us will read, hear and see in the mainstream media of all languages, other leaders of Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, SUPP and other BN component parties as well as some business and community 'representatives' and academics praising in unison Abdullah's "farsightedness", "fairness", "magnanimousness " and "insightfulness" and BN's "track records" in "very successfully" developing the national economy and managing an "uniquely" multi-ethnic society which have become the role model or object of admiration for the Third and Islamic Worlds and gained the recognition of the Western world, Russia, China, India and Indonesia.

Public trustworthiness also dissolved in M' sia

Why is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi so 'forgetful' ?

Reportedly, Umno president and BN chairman Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that he has "forgotten" ex-DPM and oppositionist Anwar Ibrahim. Earlier, Abdullah also reportedly denied he once reached an unwritten 'gentleman's agreement' with ex-PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to serve only one term as the latter's successor and give way to deputy Najib.

Full text of Anwar Ibrahim' s speech in S' pore

BN cannot blame Dr. Mahathir for all malaises

Although Abdullah has taken over from Dr. Mahathir for almost four years by now, I still hear in private conversations with some friends of BN background blaming the latter for the many political, economic and social malaises Malaysia faces currently. To my mind, unless they can really prove that Dr. Mahathir had drugged or pointed a pistol at Abdullah to make the latter his successor in 2003, then the successor must understand and accept the modern business practice that says that when one takes over a company, one inherits not only its assets but also its liabilities. Moreover, it can be reasoned that many of the malaises like the ever rising crime rate and no-yesterday-yes-today flip-flops are new liabilities incurred in the past four years, without Dr. Mahatrhir involving in any of the decision-makings in Putrajaya. The only correct approach to manage the legacy of Dr. Mahathir now is, in my personal opinion, ambil yang jernih, buangkan yang keruh.

MCA friend 'explains' Abdullah' s new flip-flop

A very good friend of mine who is also a card-carrying MCA member telephoned me early this morning and offered me 'an explanation' for Umno president and BN chairman comrade Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's no-yesterday-yes-today announcement of parliamentary dissolution : when Abdullah announced the dissolution of parliament yesterday, he most probably had forgotten what he said on the same topic the day before. Well, since my friend is known to me to be a rather jovially sarcastic character, I really do not know yet whether he was sincerely attempting to defend Abdullah or subtly registering a protest against Abdullah for dissolving the parliament while he and his family are still enjoying the Chinese New Year that lasts from 7th to 21st. Of course, we wished each other Gong Xi Fa Cai all the same and agreed to meet for yam char soonest to share ideas over dim sums and a pot of good tea, or one or two 60-minute sessions of sifu-class foot reflexology.

Old Indian shares wisdom with young Chinese

Public trustworthiness also dissolved in M' sia

Umno president and BN chairman Abdullah's overnight no-yesterday-yes-today announcement of parliamentary dissolution seems to have caused more widespread sense of uncertainty, anxiety, cynicism and skepticism among many ordinary people as far as BN's 'promises' and 'committments' are concerned. If BN wins big once again, what would happen to the prices of petrol, cocking oil, water and essential food, etc., which the BN government now 'promises' to control ? Would the many business understandings with the BN's government agencies or GLCs or BN's verbal 'committments' to fund schools, halls and other community projects be honoured after the election if the BN scores a massive victory again ? The list of this type of questions is long and bound to grow longer and longer as the fundamental values of public trustworthiness and social trust have been so blatantly trampled on.

My Chinese New Year 'red packets' to readers

"No" to Dissolution yesterday but "Yes" today

Just while the Opposition (and BN's internal critics like ex-PM Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad) has been pinpointing flip-flop as 'evidence' of PM Abdullah's "weak leadership" and "lack of credibility", Abdullah himself has just performed yet another flip-flop by denying yesterday that he would dissolve Parliament today to pave the way for general election and then calling a press conference today to announce the opposite. May be an agent of the Supreme Being visited Putrajaya last night to give him new inpiration or instruction to reverse the earlier decision, or he just received a memorandum by a " silent majority " of people somewhere early this morning humbly begging him to change course.

Strong government & bad governance in M' sia

Kelantan cherishes Chinese, Indian traditions

According to a Harakah Online Malay-language report, a group of 30 Indian community leaders from Selangor recently visited Kelantan and saw for themselves Hindu temples like Sri Maha Mariamman as well as Buddhist holy places like the Reclining Buddha in Tumpat. The joy of Chinese New Year has also always been shared among all races in the Muslim-majority state of Kelantan under the PAS administration.

Mooncakes now serve as cross-cultural bridge

Strong government & bad governance in M'sia

One central question that is extremely difficult for the National Front to explain to the people of all ethnic communities is why, in spite of its huge victory in the 2004 general election which allows it to control 90% of the parliamentary seats and despite the fact that PM Abdullah holds three Cabinet positions simultaneously, this country has since been plagued by more sexual, criminal, judicial and political scandals among ruling elites that still shock not only Malaysians but the world while the much hyped anti-corruption campaign seems to have been quietly forgotten. Malaysian politics in the past four year has proven that strong government does not necessarily mean good governance.

Old Indian shares wisdom with young Chinese

Old Indian shares wisdom with young Chinese

According to the remarkably solid and truly irrefutable reasoning of Uncle Krishnan who was a friend of my father and faithful supporter of D.R. Seenevasagam, the Malayan/Malaysian Indian Congress or MIC has been in political existence since 1946 and Kuala Lumpur has been the capital of Malaya/Malaysia since 1957 but Thaipusam was only declared a public holiday for the city after the massive protest rally called by HINDRAF in late 2007 and as Malaysia's 2008 general election approaches, and it is therefore only logical or reasonable for the Indian community to feel grateful to HINDRAF, not MIC or Umno.

Chinese New Year observations in hometown

A Malay village's Chinese New Year greetings

This morning, I received with grateful delight the Chinese New Year greetings from Pakcik Abdullah CD, Makcik Suriani Abdullah and their anak cucu as well as orang-orang kampung from Ban Chulabhorn 12 in Sukhirin, southern Thailand. Ucapan ribuan terima kasih dirakamkan.

Wishing Chin Peng a happy Chinese New Year

Remembering Pak Rashid Maidin (1917-2006)

Indian gratitude to HINDRAF very widespread

This morning, some Indian friends and their very cute children from Kuala Lumpur visited my house in Subang Jaya for Bai Nian, and while the adults enjoyed my Pu'er tea, children were certainly delighted by Uncle Wong's Hong Bau. In our chats, I discovered that the gratitute expressed by the Indian community for HINDRAF's struggle is genuine and widespread because I also sensed similar sentiment when, among many other occasions, I paid a visit to the 80-year old Uncle Krishnan and his family in Ipoh's Buntong a day before the Chinese New Year. Despite some minor disagreements with HINDRAF's tactics, I do share the views that it is playing a truly historic role in conscientising the Indian masses for a collective self-reaffirmation as modern citizens.

Indian martyrdoms for Malaya' s independence

Old Ipoh honours D.R. Seenevasagam' s legacy

Cheers for Dr. Rajakumar's good health, spirit

End of my Chinese New Year vacation in Ipoh

Having spent five days in hometown Ipoh for the Chinese New Year (as well as, coincidentally, the birthday of my brother-in-law Rajah on the first day of the festival), I have just came back to Subang Jaya. My next traditional trip back to Ipoh would be for Qingming in April.

Growing up with Mooncake Festival tradition

Chinese New Year observations in hometown

Having met and talked to many childhood buddies in Ipoh who have become businessmen and professionals, I am now finally convinced that many people are not optimistic or even outright pessimistic on several crucial spheres of the national life like the economy, law and order, quality of education at all levels and integrity of the judiciary, and aunties are certainly not happy about the fact that the prices of all things have gone up and up. Of course, in festive days, everyone just tries their very best to put on smiling faces in the public and to wish each other Gong Xi Fa Cai purely as a mark to respect tradition.

Home sweet home for festive family re-union

Southern US states mourn for twister victims

It is really sad to hear and see in TV news the damages inflicted upon the people in five southern states in US by tornadoes. My thought and sympathy are undoubtedly with the victims and their families on this morning of this second day of the Chinese New Year in my hometown.

Blizzards hit Britain while China battles snow

'Creationism' in old Chinese New Year legend

The seventh day of the Chinese New Year is interesting because it is a very important day in the Lunar Calender to celebrate the Birthday of Humanity or Renri. Contrary to popularly mistaken understanding, traditional Chinese culture does have its own written legends of The Creation which holds that the 'heaven' and earth as well as all human beings, animals and plants on it were physically made by some higher beings like Pan Gu. To be sure, as my late grandmother used to tell me in the 1970s when I was a child that nobody had believed these legends literally anymore even when she was a kid in the early 1900s. But, I always believe that the legends serve the purpose of reminding us symbolically, whether Chinese or not, of our common humanity.

Ancient temple in China to add an Indian hall

Muslims in China begin to celebrate Ramadan

A multiethnic , multinational campus in China

Wishing Chin Peng a happy Chinese New Year

Xin Nian Jin Bu greetings to Chin Peng, Suriani Abdullah and all other war veterans from James and friends as well as many other readers.

American views on world politics, 1989-2001

For Chinese New Year holiday reading this year in Ipoh, I have brought home American and the World : Debating the New Shape of International Politics , a collection of old essays written by some really big names in the US like Samuel Huntington, Francis Fukuyama, Robert D. Kaplan and Fareed Zakaria from the sea change in the former Soviet Union and its Eastern European allies in 1989 to the immediate aftermath of Sept 11 attacks on American homeland in 2001.

In fact, I have already read many of those essays published mainly in the Foreign Affairs but re-reading them, especially those by Samuel Huntington and Francis Fukuyama, ten years or more later stimulates deeper and more mature reflections with the benefits of more social experiences, and a larger stock of general and specialist knowledge. I do read books (and even attend funeral services) during Chinese New Year holidays because, having been brought up in the progressive and scientific tradition, I am not superstitious. Moreover, I don't gamble.

Chinese named World Bank's Chief Economist

Professor Justin Lin Yifu, with whom I exchanged some thoughts and ideas in Kuala Lumpur in mid-2006, has just been appointed as World Bank's Chief Economist. Lin Yifu was a Kuomintang soldier in Taiwan who swam across the Strait of Taiwan to cross over to China in 1979.

Communist 'masterminds' China' s lunar probe

Home sweet home for festive family re-union

Balik kampung tomorrow to four-generation hometown Ipoh for a few days to celebrate with heartfelt joy the traditional Chinese New Year with mother, siblings, relatives, old neighbours, former school mates and childhood buddies. I hope you also enjoy your Chinese New Year.

Joining Muslim friends for fast-breaking meal

My Chinese New Year 'red packets' to readers

Think about the observations I have made in Propaganda & struggle of counter-propaganda and also Is Abdullah more trustworthy than Mahathir ? as my Chinese New Year red packets to you and your kids.

Chinese New Year greeting from Clare Street

Blizzards hit Britain while China battles snow

While millions of people in mainland China are battling the rare snow storms as the Chinese New Year approaches, gales and blizzards also reportedly hit Britain causing, among other havocs, the interruption to the electricity suppy to thousands of homes and hazards to traffic. 306,000 soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in China have been mobilised to combat the effects of snow and protect the people.

Chinese New Year greeting from Clare Street

My private notes on McCain in last November

In mid-November last year, I made some observations in my private notebook on the US presidential candidates and one of the remarks reads: "... given his credential as soldier and experience in national security issues, McCain may eventually emerge as the leading GOP candidate despite age and apparent lack of fund-raising capability ".

American politics in transitional flux in 2008

Chinese New Year greeting from Clare Street

Wishing all Chinese relatives, neighbours, teachers, friends, students and readers, including Communists and also Muslims, Xin Nian Jin Bu. Clare Street would also like to convey its message of solidarity to the people of China who are battling the snow storms with great tenacity.

Lee Kuan Yew not in Dr Mahathir' s new book

My friend Beng Cheng has already read Dr. Mahatir's Selected Letters to World Leaders and found that there is no entry of "Lee Kuan Yew" or "Kuan Yew, Lee" in the index. It is not immediately known if the correspondences between Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew are still being locked up by the administration of PM Abdullah or/and considered as "relatively unimportant" by the author and his editor. Of course, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is currently writing his memoirs.

Full text of Anwar Ibrahim' s speech in S' pore