Archive for August, 2008

PR Vs BN: A case of Lampa-Palan?

So, DS Anwar Ibrahim won the Permatang Pauh by-election. I am sure the result does not surprise many. However, I was quite surprised that he still managed to win with a bigger majority compared to what his wife achieved on March 8th. Considering all the effort by the BN camp but still fail to make a single dent to the result is simply amazing to say the least.

Monkey drawings on a bananaIt was only a few days back when KJ (I think) confidently declared they are out to bury Anwar’s political career. Later, it was DPM DS Najib Tun Razak or the BN candidate (what is his name again?) that said they are confident of winning with 500 or 5000 majority. I am sure that they knew then that they didn’t stand a chance against Anwar. Their goal probably wasn’t to defeat him but just to reduce his winning majority. Despite all that, they still failed.

So now that Anwar has won the by-election, what is next?

Firstly, he is definitely on his way into Parliament and staying put for many years to come lest he ends up behind bars. Next, he may pull some tricks out of his magic bag ala David Copperfield style for the September 16th deadline. Then, maybe a few more cents reduced from the current petrol price together with other promises he made in the past.

The comments I have read and heard for the past few months have been mostly of supportive nature towards the PR camp. Call me a skeptic but I am in the group of people who doesn’t think BN or PR will make any much difference.

As I view it, politics is just another form of business. Politicians are the business owners, the people are the consumers and there are other shareholders/stakeholders.

A bunch of bananasOne company (A) has been monopolizing the market for over 50 years now. Then three smaller companies merged into one company (B). Their mission is to break the former company’s monopoly in the market and to try to monopolize it for the next 50 years or so.

You see, it really doesn’t matter who controls the market — company A or B. Company B may claim that they provide better service and quality products. At the end of the day, they are still businessmen. If there is only one thing in a businessman’s mind, it has got to be making money.

I don’t blame them. Like I said, politics is just like business. Unless and until politicians behave like they are running a nonprofit organization instead of a business, PR or BN makes no difference. PR or BN…will it become another case of lampa-palan?

Monkey eating banana pationately

Wait a minute. If politics become “nonprofit”, just who on earth would want to be in politics? Who am I kidding? Even a kid wouldn’t fall for that.

Not Too Afraid On Hungry Ghost Festival Day

It’s quite strange to go off for dinner and to return into an empty office at 8.30pm. Usually, there will be at least a handful of people still hanging around doing their thing.

Then, I chuckled.

When I was out for dinner a while ago, I saw a banner hung out on the first story window with Chinese words written all over it. There were only two things that I understood – “14/8/2008 to 15/8/2008” and “hungry ghost festival”.

Hot and sexy ghost in whiteI guess everyone must have gone back home early because of this. Either that or they are rushing home to watch the Olympics. In fact, my girlfriend warned me and told me not to go home too late tonight. “Before 12 midnight!” was her order.

I don’t know much about the hungry ghost festival but I know that this is when it is believed that the gates of hell opens and the dead will walk with the living. I remember some Chinese shows I used to watch when I was much younger. Those movies used to scare the shit out of me.

There will also be these performances held to entertain both the living and the dead. If I am not mistaken, the front row seats are always “vacant”. Well, at least to us humans of course. I wonder if anyone has ever seen an occupied front row before. Have you?

Then, there is the big question — “Aren’t you afraid of ghosts?”

Hell yeah I am afraid of ghosts. Who said Christians aren’t afraid of ghosts? Since young, if you were always scared and threatened with ghosts or little “invisible beings” (by friends, elders or television), do you think that has no affect on one’s mind when they grow up?

So am I shivering in my pants now? Not really.

Sexy ghost in white costumeWhy should I be any more afraid than what I already am of these two days when the gates of hell opens and all the ghosts are let loose? What can they do? Appear out of a sudden beside me with their 4 feet long hair covering their head? Climb out of the television set while I am watching the Olympics? (5 rings. Get the joke?) Knock on my window on their motorbike asking me directions to the nearest hospital when I am living on the 10th floor?

I am not making fun of anyone/anything. Those that have moved on onto another life deserve the utmost respect. Individuals’ believe deserves as much. The thing is that we are living in a world 24/7/365 where some deem to be far worse than hell. I have been literally living in fear for the past few months. Although the intensity of fear changes as each event evolves. What are these two days compared to that?

I believe I don’t need to elaborate on that point.

Happy Hungry Ghost Festival!

* Note: I couldn’t find any suitable photos on flickr with the ghost theme. Those two are what I found searching for “ghost”. Anyway, ghosts shouldn’t always be portrayed as bad looking and ugly. We have enough of those smoking cigars dressed up in suits.





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