WITH FEET OF CLAY QUIETLY SNEAKING AWAY IN FEAR.

The DG of Jakim, Wan Mohamad has issued a strong challenge to the administration of AAB and has publicly humiliated the premier by telling him to “fly kite” over the latter proposal which requires non-Muslims to inform their family before their conversion to Islam.
Will the minister in the PM department Ahmad Zahid who declared last month that “all officers working with Islamic agencies must support the government policies or they will have to quit their jobs” rise up to Wan Mohamad challenge and pick up that thrown gauntlet? Or will he with feet of clay quietly sneak away in fear and hope that Wan Mohamad challenge stays unnoticed by the public.

Senior Islamic leaders have rejected a proposal to require non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam to inform their family before doing so.
Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz said this was decided at a recent conference in Seremban to streamline Syariah and civil laws.
The conference was attended by state legal advisors, muftis, syarie judges and Islamic department directors.
“It is the unanimous conclusion of the conference members that the implementation of the proposal was unnecessary,” said Wan Mohamad.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said the Government would introduce a regulation requiring non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam to inform their family before doing so.
He said this would prevent problems of families disputing the conversion of their loved ones when they die.

The AAB media is making the most out of the Balkis issue and continues to deliver underbelly blows at Khir Toyo for being on the wrong side of UMNO political divide.
The Warong kopi says “Since the Datin Sri loves to go on “lawatan sambil belajar” activities perhaps an all paid “tinggal sambil belajar” on the practical aspects of our penitentiary system could be scheduled as her next itinerary”

While their husbands went on lawatan sambil belajar, the wives were not to be outdone. Shopping trips, overseas junkets and lavish functions have been the hallmark of activities of Balkis– Association of Wives of State Assemblymen and Members of Parliament in Selangor.
Nothing wrong with the junkets, except that their excesses were paid for by the state government and private donors, who contributed money in the belief that it was going to good causes. Attempts to get an insight into its operations have come to naught – newly appointed state executive councillors Teresa.
Kok and Elizabeth Wong who had gone to the Balkis secretariat to seek information and collect files were refused entry. Staff had been“instructed” not to allow access to the office - some of its programmes raise the question if Balkis’ philanthropy is a façade for a group of VIPs to enjoy themselves at the expense of generous donors who included state government subsidiaries.
In the eight years that Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo has been mentri besar, his wife and Balkis president Datin Seri Zaharah Kechik (above) has led delegations to Europe, Hongkong and Australia.
According to sources in the state government, these trips were listed as among Balkis’ annual activities but had nothing to do with charity.
Balkis’ accounts have never been made public and no one is sure if they too had suffered the same fate as other documents – shredded and destroyed after Barisan Nasional (BN)’s rule in Selangor ended on March 8.

What if it had been an extra 3 votes for Tan Seng Giaw?
That would certainly have been a great start for the 12^th Parliament and would have shaken the URFeG to its core.

The opposition was left flummoxed yesterday over its solidarity when its candidate for the deputy speaker's position, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, polled 81 votes instead of the expected 82.
After the vote, opposition deputies singled out independent, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, as the likely villain.
Ibrahim was coy about it.
"My vote is secret. I am a man of integrity. It is up to people to say what they want. It is confidential," Ibrahim said.
Though an independent, Ibrahim had contested the Pasir Mas seat on a Pas ticket.
Ibrahim said he did not have any problems with Dr Tan and counted him a friend.

WE, THE COMMON PEOPLE THE ENEMY.

The UMNO run federal government (URFeG) has embarked on a “scorched earth” policy against the 5 PR states. This strategy was used by the Russians during the 1812 French invasion of Russia and was also deployed in 1941 against the invading Germans. The Iraqis under Saddam used it in 1990 when their retreating army set the oil wells of Kuwait on fire.
The “scorched earth policy” seeks to deny all things which are useful to the enemy and the URFeG parallels this by obstructing funds from being sent to and/or by moving funds out of to the 5 PR states. They have also maliciously targeted the most valuable resource of all, capable man and women who are willing to serve their states but have the misfortune to be shackled by virtue of their position within the BN.
While these hateful actions against the common people of the 5 states reflect the current URFeG political insecurities, it also reveals much of their dodgy ideology. What used to be their common strategy of "divide and rule" of communities - they have now extended it to the states under the stewardship of the PR government and have now categorized we, the common people as their enemy to be subjected to their scorched earth policy.
Anyone for BNs election promise of "security,peace and prosperity for all"?

The state government is challenging a move to dissolve the organisation by the Selangor Wives Welfare and Charity Organisation (Balkis). Balkis is an association for the wives of past and serving Selangor elected representatives.
The state government is also moving to block a move by members to transfer RM9.9 million of the organisation's funds to the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti).

Gerakan adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik yesterday called Lee an opportunist and lacking in principle.
"Run Penang but there is no need to poach our people and he (Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng) called this the new era of politics."

Four days after being told of delays in the second Penang bridge project, the state could face further setbacks – the monorail and Penang Outer Ring Road projects may not take off.Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the mega projects have yet to be approved by the Federal Government and have not reached the “approval stage”.

The Star asks “Whose money is it?”.
The Warong kopi says "Don't be a star ass! The money does not belong to the Datin Sris and Datins. It was collected from the rakyat and belongs to the people of Selangor. The PKR-DAP-PAS government has been democratically elected by the people and therefore represents the people."
Perhaps to assuage the concern of Zahara Kechik, she could be the special representative of the losers of 8308 and rope in as a committee member of the ‘New Balkis”.

Questions are being asked whether it was correct for the Wives of Selangor Assemblymen and MPs Welfare and Charity Organisation (Balkis) to transfer out the RM9.9mil it had in its coffers a few days after the state fell to the Opposition.

A GREATER SHAME.

The CM of Penang must forge on and do what is best for Penang. Negative advices from within the ranks of DAP should be set aside and unsolicited comments from the now drowning UMNO chairman ignored.
LGE must draw lessons from the mistakes of Paul Bremer, the 1st US administrator of post war Iraq. The latter foolishly disbanded Saddam’s army, fired thousands of school teachers and started a purge of capable government leaders because they were Ba'ath party members. For hIs folly, Iraq today is in a quagmire of endless suffering and pain.
The DAP-PKR government must not mirror the stupidity of Paul Bremer or the arrogance of the UMNO run federal government. It is no shame that the DAP-PKR government do not have the best people and have to appoint an "outsider" of the caliber of Lee Kah Choon. However, it will be a greater shame should they hold back the appointment of the most capable and the willing just because of some past political hang up.

The move by Datuk Lee Kah Choon to accept the posts of director of Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and investPenang is opposed to the Barisan Nasional spirit, said party chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Abdullah, who is also prime minister, said Lee cannot accept the two posts offered by the Penang state government before conferring with the Gerakan leadership.

On the same issue, DAP chairman Karpal Singh said it was wrong for Lee to accept the appointment and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng should not have offered it in the first place.

TAX PAYERS PLAY THE ROLE OF FOOLS.

Another trainee pays the ultimate price in the name of National Service - Victim number 22.
How many more good lives are to be expended before we say “enough is enough”?
How many more to be needlessly thrown away before accountability is seen?
And how long more before any one is charge with dereliction of duty?

National Service (NS) trainee at the Sentosa Chenderiang training camp in Tapah near here died of fever last night.
NS Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said Afiq Zuhairi Ahmat Rozali, 18, died at Teluk Intan Hospital at 9.30pm while undergoing treatment.
Abdul Hadi said the trainee was first treated by an assistant medical officer at the camp on Monday after he complained of fever.

Tax payers play the role of fools as they pay NS trainers for their undeserved 5 days paid holiday and some crony make an extra bundle along the way.

National Service trainees, who are unable to make it back home during a five-day break from May 8 to 13, may apply for paid excursions.
They will be given two days off to go on "free and easy" day trips, to any location within 100km of their camp.
Expenses for the trips will be borne by the National Service Training Department.
NS director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil announced this at the open day at the Setia Ikhlas camp here.
But, he added that trainees would have to return to their camp for the night.
He said the five-day holidays were intended to give some 31,000 trainees a break since there were no major festivals for this year's second batch of trainees.

....... HAND IS STILL LONG AND HIS INFLUENCE IS STILL STRONG.

The half truths that NST brandished before 8308 is still in practise today.
While its editorial bashed almost everyone who had a hand in UMNOs 12th election debacle, the editors have conveniently left the feared SIL out.
The Warong kopi is certain that the public have not forgotten that it was the SIL arrogance coupled with his incendiary exhortations to “arms” that goaded mindless “yes men” to racist chants and behaviors.
The SIL hand is still long and his influence is still strong.

People are getting fed up with Umno’s moaning and groaning, the political wayang and sandiwara its cast of characters is playing up and down the country.
The truth is that the people have long been disgusted with the kind of boorish, loutish behaviour that Umno leaders had exemplified because of their grip on power since independence in 1957.
Brandishing the kris was hurtful to the non-Malays but the party leadership did nothing to take the Umno Youth chief to task for the menacing and insulting gesture. Which was why he was emboldened to repeat it and provide extra impetus for the Chinese and Indians to abandon the BN at the polls.
It also did not go unnoticed that the leadership put up with the racist and inflammatory rhetoric of the delegates at the televised 2006 Umno general assembly.
Then there was the desecration of the temple under the watch of the then Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo which did so much to outrage the Hindus throughout the country and turn them against the ruling coalition. And Dr Khir had the cheek to award a broom to a local council president, when neither he nor the party president could control the warlords who held the party to ransom over the choice of candidates, and stabbed the party in the back when they did not approve of the candidates.
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is now paying for these and other acts of omission, including the undeliverable promises of change that he made when he first became prime minister in 2003.
Every other day, he has had to deflect attacks by party members and ex-leaders who conveniently have absolved themselves of any fault. But every day that he is sidetracked by party bickering is another day affairs of state are neglected — the nation and the people are the losers.
Abdullah has said that he has got the message; he has accepted responsibility for the unkept pledges; and this time, he vows he will deliver on his promises and set the country in order before he retires.
That is, in fact, the verdict of his mandate, and he should be allowed to get on with it. But all the worms crawling out of the Umno woodwork — especially the retired and those with shelf lives past due who have found new breath in their calls for a party coup — won’t let him.
They don’t get it. Abdullah is not solely to be blamed and everything will not suddenly be all well again if he goes. Umno from the roots to the high branches all have to share the blame for their silence, their greed, arrogance and shenanigans that have turned off voters. So stop the navel-gazing and infighting.
If they have to fight among themselves, at least have the decency to keep it civilised and behind closed doors. They don’t have to drag the whole country through their infernal politicking.
There are more important things than private peeves and settling of scores.
Neither the brewing crisis over soaring food prices nor other major issues are going to wait for Umno to put its own house in order. Now is the time for the grand old party to move on, do the things its leaders have promised and show that it still has what it takes to lead the nation.

No sooner had Ahmad Shabery commented on the one sided and biased political slants over our television and newspapers, the NST had the cheek to come out with an editorial on "everyone is to be blamed for the fiasco of 8308, of course with the exception of ..."

Traditional media such as television and newspapers no longer have the credibility that they once commanded among readers and viewers.
Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said nowadays, the public no longer believed everything they read in the newspapers or heard on television, which are known to be controlled or directly owned by political parties inclined towards the government.
“Times have changed. The public does not believe everything that the newspapers write these days.

Even without the trappings of authority, the delusion of power still reigns in the mind of a chief who does not have a parliamentary seat …..

A six-year battle by medical graduates of unrecognised universities to win a second chance to become doctors "ended" in 40 minutes yesterday.Forty-five of them who had come to a dialogue to get the help of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu were left in a daze after the MIC chief walked off while answering the third question.