Karim Raslan: The Constitution must be supreme

Excerpt:

'To me, the challenge for Malaysians is simple enough.

We must decide what kind of country we’re living in.

Is it secular or religious? A constitutional monarchy which practises Westminster democracy or something else altogether?'

'Our leaders have shied away from answering these questions for far too long, allowing opportunists and extremists to dominate the discourse.

This has left Malaysia in a permanent state of flux.'

'Unlike Britain, Malaysia’s Constitution is written.

This makes us a nation of laws, which gives us a framework for how we deal with each other.

And what does the Constitution say?

It is true Article 3(1) states that Islam is the religion of the Federation but also provides that other faiths may be practised in peace and harmony.

Every mainstream voice in Malaysia has accepted this.

But does this article mean that the rights and values of non-Muslim Malaysians are completely irrelevant the moment Islam comes into any matter?

Let us also not forget that Article 3(4) also states: “Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution.”

I might be wrong here, but I think this also means that Islam’s special position does not abrogate the force of other provisions, like Article 8(1): “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.”

Rest of his article:
http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Ceritalah/Profile/Articles/2014/06/24/The-Constitution-must-be-supreme/
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Counting our pennies during hard times

Sometimes, it is amazing how we can be very calculative over small amounts, especially when we know affordability isn't a problem. I find this true with senior citizens even though their children are very successful in their business, profession or career. Perhaps, old habits die hard, when they had been through hard times years ago.

One morning, I informed a retired teacher as to where we were heading for breakfast in Pusing. His immediate reaction: 'That coffee shop? Their drinks are very expensive.' When we were at the shop, I could not resist but tell the proprietress about his reaction when her place was mentioned. All because she charges Rm2.20 for a glass of tea with milk (Rm1.50 for a cup)! When he asked the waiter about the price to confirm, he was actually about to cancel his order! The irony of it was that he is always quick to pay for a round of drinks, yet put off over a mere 10 or 20 sen difference for his own tea. When I told the couple about the proprietress's reply ('money is yours, you are free to go wherever you like'), his wife felt the reply too 'actsy' and her reaction would be not to come again!

Later in the afternoon, I was at a hawker centre near Farlim, Ipoh. A woman ordered 2 items of 'kueh', followed by her husband who ordered another 2 items. When asked for the total amount, she mentally calculated and said, Rm4.30. When he asked for details, stall woman wrote out the details to make sure and came up with Rm4.70! The man blew his top and scolded her for giving a higher figure instead!

When I was in Malacca, I lost my temper too, over the parking charges, even though it was surprisingly cheap compared to KL or PJ. The reason? I read the sign at the entrance which stated that the first hour is chargeable at Rm1 and subsequent hours at 60 sen per hour or part of an hour. The poor attendant had to explain that it had been changed and gave me a printed receipt which clearly stated 8 x 1.00. I felt bad, especially in the presence of a new friend, but the management should have changed the outdated rates shown on the sign.
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Why I think my wife deserves a medal from Tourism Ministry

Daughter mentioned about a French colleague in Bangkok on official duty in Cyberjaya and asked if we could take her round in KL during the weekend.
When I mentioned this to some friends, different people have different reaction:
'You mean you don't know her?'
'You have not even met her?'
Actually, apart from an exchange of emails, we did not even have a photo of her when we met her in Cyberjaya!
As for my wife, she is game whenever there is such an opportunity to meet daughter's friend as well as her own need to travel (she lives to travel) and revisit some of her favourite local tourist sites.
We had to travel from Batu Gajah (200 km between BG & KL) to make this possible, but it was also an opportunity to visit our son and grandson in PJ.
We were in PJ on Friday so that we could meet Clotilde the next morning (at 7.30 am!) in Cyberjaya. The cyber township was new to us and I had terrible experience before, having got lost once when trying to find Marriot in Putrajaya (main reason was being misled by its name when in fact, the hotel was not in Putrajaya!), and the worse was when travelling from LCCT at night using Maju Expressway for the first time. This time, my son gave me instructions on how to get there via the route familiar to us, ie. the way to KLIA. We were to take the turning (to Cyberjaya and Putrajaya) just before Dengkil rest area. Believe me, apart from the sign (to KLIA, etc.) at the exit after Subang interchange, there were no reassuring signs pointing to Cyberjaya/Putrajaya until just before turnoff to Dengkil rest area. This is typical of our road signs: show you the way and then leave you wondering at various junctions after that. It is as if the highway authorities have a wicked sense of humour and enjoy having travellers making mistakes.
Not sure how long it had been there, but there were a couple of diversions in the form of makeshift junction or roundabout before we come to a necessary U-turn (before Lim Kok Wing University) to get to Cyberjaya. As first-timers, our problem wasn't solved even after finding Shaftesbury Square (commercial centre). It was only later that we realised we should have used our common sense (Shaftesbury Suites should be near or next to Shaftesbury Square), instead of listening to a foreign security guard who pointed us to a junction just before Petronas station. Not finding it, my wife asked an Indian taxi driver who was having his taxi refilled with NGV and was kind enough to offer to lead the way. But alas, he led us to Prima Suites instead! By then, we had no choice but to call Clotilde 's French mobile number and was told the Suites were behind the Square!
The reason we made the appointment at 7.30 am was because of our being new to Cyberjaya, and also to ensure she could join a Heritage Walk at Merdeka Square in KL at 9.30 am. We decided to use Maju Expressway on our way to KL and found it rather convenient coming out to join Jalan Bukit Bintang. Since we were early, we stopped at Jalan Imbi for breakfast. We had to suggest something suitable for a vegetarian and she liked the char kway teow and nyonya cakes we ordered. I dropped them off at Merdeka Square and went home until they were ready for the next destinations. After the walk, she was shown Central Market and Petaling Street.
I picked them at Jalan Sultan, near Petaling Street junction. My wife suggested that we go to Craft Complex before going to Batu Caves. From there, I missed the turnoff to join Jalan Kuching and ended up on Jalan Kepong and had to turn into the road to Taman Bukit Maluri so as to go through Segambut and head towards Lake Gardens. After that, my wife suggested Hokien mee and we went to Ah Lok on Jalan Ipoh for it. Then we sent Clotilde back to Cyberjaya, this time at night to test our sense of directions again.
My wife made appointment for the same time the next day, this time, to go to Melaka. We stopped at Air Keroh rest area for some hot drinks. From there it was a long drive to get to the city centre. Knowing her, I knew it was going to be a long day again. We parked our car at the car park next to Stadthuys. Then we walked to the Tourist Information centre to get some information. As we were walking around, we saw a long queue leading towards a coffee shop or restaurant. Instead of joining, we went into one with less customers for brunch. The problem with having an obvious foreign tourist with us, I could sense some overcharging, especially Rm18 for a quarter chicken! First stop at Hereen Street was a heritage house. I waited outside and then left a text message, 'Take your time, meet at the car park'. Well, my wife literally took her own sweet time! By the time I walked around for more than an hour and had a cold drink, it was 12.30 pm when I reached the car park. I dozed off in the car and did not take note of the time when my wife came to change her pair of sandals and said, 'We covered most of the places, now we are going up St Paul's Hill.' I honestly expect not more than an hour for that. But it turned out much longer - by 4.30 pm, I texted her, 'Can we go back now?' and she replied, 'We need another half an hour.' Again, it meant another hour and I was told they took a trishaw ride and visited several places of interest! Based on my parking receipt, we parked for almost 8 hours! Despite my earlier request to go home, she insisted that we go to Portuguese Settlement for dinner! Again, we had to find our way there. It had been transformed into an attractive place for dinner by the seaside. How I wished I was in a better mood.
We had problem trying to find our way to join the North-South Expressway. There was a sign which showed the direction to NSE with an arrow pointing North-East in between other  directions on the same signboard. We went in a loop before we realised that it meant turning North east at a junction a few metres further down the road! Then we came to a T-junction with road signs on a blue signboard - nothing to indicate which way to NSE! We took the right turn (Muar was shown) and it turned out to be the right one when further down the road, we came across the familiar green signboard leading to NSE.
Between my wife and me, we have this usual problem of one who insists on spending more time at a place while the other wishes for a short and sweet visit instead.  There was no consideration given to the fact that the aging driver is now not what he used to be. Coming back from Malacca at around 7.30 pm, it meant driving at night on a busy 3-lane expressway. Just imagine having to focus your attention on the road (while she dozed off) until we reach the place where she helped to look for signs to get to Cyberjaya, this time from a different direction.
Don't you think my wife deserves some kind of medal for being a committed unofficial tourist guide who went out of her way to take a foreigner around?
I guess Clotilde must have felt as if she won a prize to a two-day guided tour!
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Nedim and his Lamborghini Avantador

I used to joke about how an ordinary guy would be made a bankrupt if he were to be gifted with a Ferrari, with a condition that he uses it daily. It makes no difference if the car had been a Lamborghini, as both are Italian super sports cars which only the very rich can afford to own and maintain.

This guy was appointed a 'special officer' in the Tourism Ministry by his old man, the minister. Amid criticisms (critics have been described as 'stupid'), he downplayed the appointment and described his son's role as that of 'office boy' with no pay. Boy, what a flamboyant office boy in the ministry... sure makes a good impression to foreign tourists!

Recently, we were at the Craft Complex (Komplex Budaya Kraf) in Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur, and it was a real disappointment on a Saturday afternoon.

I was hungry, having missed lunch, and the directions to a cafeteria led to a closed one, and when asked, it was closed on public holidays (including Saturday and Sunday)! Because of the high-end high-rise development around the spacious complex comprising of low-rise buildings, it is difficult to find an ordinary cafe nearby for some snacks. My first impression of the property in a premium location in KL was the high value it could fetch if put on sale in the open market. I think the opportunity cost would easily put the complex as a white elephant which is better off being re-sited elsewhere. The fact that a cafeteria cannot survive on a daily basis, shows the lack of response from both tourists and public alike. While I was there, I noticed the KL Hop-on Hop-off buses stopped by quite frequently, but not fully packed. There were a couple of coaches with students on a visit to the complex.

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Dr Khoo Kay Peng: Constitution is clear on Malaysia’s secularity; no need to seek clarification

"It is unbelievable that some Malaysians, especially politicians and Muslim scholars, are questioning the status of Malaysia as a secular country. Those who called themselves Malaysians should be familiar with the founding spirit of this country.

During my secondary school days and learning the subject of General Studies, it was explicitly taught to us that Malaysia is a secular country although Islam is its official religion. Islam as an official religion is basically applied to state and palace ceremonies and rituals. Constitutional monarchs are heads of the religion in their respective state.

 The Federal Constitution, largely seen as a compromise to bring inter-ethnic peace and harmony post independence, is a secular document. The judiciary had adopted the common law framework. Malaysia is practising an English-styled parliamentary democracy.

The inclusion of Article 3 that professes “Islam is the religion of ‘the Federation’” means that Islam is the State Religion and was not meant to frame the country as a theocratic state. Tun Mohamed Suffian, the former Lord President, emphasised that notwithstanding Article 3, the Federal Constitution guarantees freedom of religion of non-Muslims..."


See more at: http://www.theantdaily.com/main/Constitution%20is%20clear%20on%20Malaysia%E2%80%99s%20secularity;%20no%20need%20to%20seek%20clarification#sthash.lQ05zvPO.dpuf

As a layman, in my humble opinion, it is a matter of time when the sheer majority of the Malay Muslim race will see to the change in the constitution to make Malaysia an Islamic state. Meanwhile, we have to deal with differences of opinion, with each trying to have the last say.
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He is no superman... biting off more than he can chew?

He is our Prime Minister and Finance Minister, and our FLOM's husband.

To think that his cousin is Defence Minister and Acting Transport Minister, it would appear either there are not enough capable or suitable candidates for such important positions, or simply they are being greedy in wanting more portfolios.

MCA leaders should thank their lucky stars that one of them who was supposed to be Transport Minister was not, at the time of disappearance of MH370. Hishammuddin had the advantage of overseas education and experience in various portfolios to be able handle the daily press conferences at the early stage. Though there were brickbats, there were also compliments about his excellent command of English in the face of questions from foreign journalists. But we should not confuse suaveness and flair with competency. He had the added advantage of being Defence Minister who can speak with authority when dealing with the Search and Rescue operations. I cannot imagine how an MCA Transport Minister would deal with the problem under the circumstances, especially without actual authority in many things.
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The good and bad news of a senior

60th High School Reunion


He was a widower and she a widow.

They had known each other for a number of years being high school classmates and having attended class reunions in the past without fail.

This 60th anniversary of their class, the widower and the widow made a foursome with two other singles.

They had a wonderful evening, their spirits high.

The widower throwing admiring glances across the table.

The widow smiling coyly back at him.

Finally, he picked up courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"

After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered,

"Yes,..... yes I will!"

The evening ended on a happy note for the widower.

But the next morning he was troubled.

Did she say "Yes" or did she say "No?";

He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He went over the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank.

He remembered asking the question but for the life of him could not recall her response. With fear and trepidation he picked up the phone and called her.

First, he explained that he couldn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the past evening.

As he gained a little more courage he then inquired of her. "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say "Yes" or did you say "No?";

"Why you silly man, I said 'Yes. Yes I will.' And I meant it with all my heart."

The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip a beat.

Then she continued. "And I am so glad you called because I couldn't remember who asked me!"

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Opening doors

Able to read helps...

Modern sliding glass doors prevent people from trying to walk through them, or momentarily confused whether to push or pull.

If push or pull does not work, the place is probably closed...

The word 'closed' is often without the 'd', quite common in Malaysia because the sign-makers are usually Chinese educated.

There are certain shops which are very particular about certain things. There is one famous 'pan mee' restaurant with signs warning customers not to steal their special chilli sauce, with CCTV pics of past offenders! But this one takes the cake...

To me, low-cut pants remind me of Chinese gangsters of yesteryears, and I never appreciate them on girls in particular.
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Fishing: how to catch a big fish when you least expected

Post by Chada FM.

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Meet the Mumbai Sexpert

As I was considering whether to post this (from Bayi Yap), the first thing that came to mind was whether I should put a warning, 'Viewer's discretion is advised' in my blog. But then again, with Sodomy 1 and 2 trials which had explicit descriptions in the mainstream media, this is mild in comparison, and can even be suitable as sex education.

In the Times of India afternoon paper in Mumbai, called Mumbai Mirror, there is a column on "Meet the Sexpert" there. Some funnies below :

Q: Is it safe if penis is kept in the vagina when sleeping?
A: Usually when the penis returns to flaccid state, it will slide out of the vagina. Even if does not, be rest assured the vagina will not have it for breakfast.

Q. I am a 36-year-old man. Six months ago I had sex with a housewife. Then, I made as many as 220 strokes in the 40 minutes of our intercourse. Today, I could only reach 180 in the same time. Please reply. I am worried.
A: Do take part in the Commonwealth Games since you seem like an athlete. My advice is to enjoy the act and stop counting. Do give a thought to whether you are satisfying your partner or not!

Q: I am a 25-year-old man. My penis is short and small in diameter. When aroused, its size increases to resemble a ¾ inch PVC pipe. I have heard that there are capsules available that help increase the size. Please advise.
A: As plenty of water can pass through a PVC pipe, similarly more than enough semen can pass out of your penis.

Q: I have heard that any kind of acidic substance can prevent pregnancy. Can I pour some drops of lemon or orange juice in my girlfriend’s vagina after the intercourse? Will it harm her?
A: Are you a bhel puri vendor? Where did you get this weird idea from? There are many other safe and easy methods of birth control. You can consider using a condom.

Best of the best...

Girl: I'm 19 and I'm pregnant. How do I tell my parents?
Amazing reply from sexpert: If you can open your legs then why not your mouth?

This is perhaps the most profound philosophy I have heard in recent times:

"Life is like a penis - simple, relaxed and hanging free...   it's women who make it hard."

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Everyone claims to be most tolerant of others, guess who is being tolerant...

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On this Father's Day, this is pertinent in our country now

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Stone-age weather forecasting?

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This simple way of weather forecasting seems to make a lot of sense and more accurate than what we used to get from weather forecasters on television.

Anyway, I tried to search for the video of the famous bloop (I remember having seen it before) but it could have been a fake, according to this report:

The TV News Anchor Who Brought Down the House - Unproven!

Summary of the eRumor

The story is that a female news anchor in Michigan asked a weather reporter on the air why it didn't snow as he had forecasted by asking him, "Where's that 8-inches you promised me last night."

The Truth

When it comes to bloopers and out-takes from broadcasting, church pulpits, or any other public venue, one of the factors that sometimes makes them funny is the unintended sexual content.

The founder of TruthOrFiction.com, Rich Buhler, is a veteran of 40 years in broadcasting.

He says this story has made the rounds for years and that he has heard it attributed to TV performers in Los Angeles, Seattle, and elsewhere.

It could have happened, but we've never really gotten a first-hand report of it or documentation from a tape of a broadcast.

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks.

A female news anchor who, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked, "So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?"

Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too they were laughing so hard.

Source: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/t/tvanchor.htm#.U5w4zpSSzZE

A man who fits all your best descriptions

A man boarded an aircraft at London 's Heathrow Airport for New York , and taking his seat as he settled in, he noticed a very beautiful woman boarding the plane. He realised she was heading straight toward his seat and bingo — she took the seat right beside him.

"Hello", he blurted out, "Business trip or vacation?"

She turned, smiled enchantingly and said, "Business. I'm going to the annual nymphomaniac convention in the United States ..."

He swallowed hard. Here was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen sitting next to him, and she was going to a meeting for nymphomaniacs!

Struggling to maintain his composure, he calmly asked, "What's your business role at this convention?"

"Lecturer," she responded,” I use my experience to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality.."

"Really", he smiled, "what myths are those?"

"Well," she explained, "one popular myth is that African-American men are the most well endowed when, in fact, it's the Native American Indian who is most likely to possess that trait.
Another popular myth is that French men are the best lovers, when actually it is the men of Greek descent.
We have also found that the best potential lovers in all categories are the Irish."

Suddenly the woman became uncomfortable and blushed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I really shouldn't be discussing this with you, I don't even know your name!"

"Tonto," the man said. "Tonto Papadopoulos, but my friends call me Paddy."
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This urinal inspired by a White House joke?

Bush's White House Tour

Before the inauguration, George W. was invited to a 'get acquainted' tour of the White House.

After drinking several glasses of iced tea, he asked President Clinton if he could use his personal bathroom. He was astonished to see that the President had a solid gold urinal!

That afternoon, George W. told his wife, Laura, about the urinal. "Just think," he said, "when I am President, I'll have my own personal gold urinal!"

Later, when Laura had lunch with Hillary at her tour of the White House, she told Hillary how impressed George had been with his discovery of the fact that, in the President's private  bathroom, the President had a gold urinal.

That evening, Bill and Hillary were getting ready for bed. Hillary turned to Bill and said, "Well, I found out who peed in your saxophone."

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World Cup 2014: The Guardian has all the best features in one place

This is for those who are following the World Cup closely, mostly as fans but some as bettors. It is ironic because I am neither of those. But then again, many will be losing sleep as a result of watching matches live because of the time difference. Match scores will be heard among conversations in coffee shops. The following is just one of many interesting links:

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/12/world-cup-2014-all-our-biggest-and-best-features-in-one-place?CMP=fb_gu
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HK Actress Selena Li's ideal choice

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A cynical expression

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What does quality of life mean to you?

As someone who had moved from KL to Batu Gajah since 1995, having a decent house to live in and a clear passage (without cars parked haphazardly) leading to the house count as well. How many of the average houses or condominiums in KL or PJ can have the 'luxury' of clear passage almost daily? Anything that can reduce stress is important to me, and that includes no traffic jams and less chances of meeting obnoxious drivers and bikers. With less vehicles on the road, the air is comparatively cleaner in small towns too.

Tricia Yeoh's 'Push for a better quality of life' in The Sun certainly has a comprehensive list worthy of our government's attention.

http://www.thesundaily.my/node/255223

Even though I used to live in KL, having lived in a small town for so many years, and especially being a senior now, every simple errand seems a task.

Tasked with 2 parcels to send to Dubai, I had to consider whether to send them at a post office in PJ or in Batu Gajah. It was supposed to have been sent from KLIA when we sent off daughter, but Saturday was a public holiday. To take them back to BG seems silly, knowing that the parcels will have to go back to KLIA. Moreover, the idea of carting the two heavy boxes up the stairs of BG post office put me off.

The idea of posting them from the post office in Section 14, PJ means having to deal with finding a parking space near to it. Even though I knew post office opens at 8.30 am, I was there at 8.00 hoping to find a space. Believe me, having waited half an hour, none of those cars moved! But there was one vacant space next to the corner shop behind the post office, but with a cone indicating it has been reserved. But by who? Knowing that it was likely being reserved by a selfish hawker, I was not in the mood to find out whether he has the right to do so. I was more concerned with getting the job done. So I approached the regular newspaper man who sells newspapers at the same spot almost daily, about the reserved lot. He said it was being reserved by the guy who sells fruits but he won't be in so early. I told him about my fear that if I were to occupy it, he might do something to my car. He replied that 'we won't do such a thing'. So I moved the cone aside and parked my car so that I can carry the two boxes. While doing so, I asked the cleaner outside the post office whether it is open and seeing me with the boxes, she even opened the glass door for me. Next, I was relieved to see a pleasant young Malay lady manning the parcels counter. I was given two forms to fill in details of sender and intended recipient before the boxes were weighed to work out the charges. The charge for the first box was Rm225 and the second was Rm265! I had with me just over Rm400. Fortunately, Maybank is just across the road and I could use the ATM to withdraw some cash. Even this, I had anxious moments when the first ATM took a long while because it did not have sufficient cash!

Back in BG, when I checked my ATM slips, the most recent informed me that I had already made 4 free withdrawals in June and the next one will be chargeable. But besides what I thought were only 3 withdrawals, what made me worried was what appeared to be a missing Rm500! Could it have been a mistake when the machine showed it was out of order, and cash was dished out after I left it? A quick online check of my M2U account showed a reversal of Rm500 (because of the failed attempt) but which was shown as deducted (according to the balance) on the slip of my subsequent attempt. Thank goodness for that!

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Dr Ong Kian Ming: My take on the Teluk Intan By-Election Results

Highlights:
'The Chinese support for DAP decreased by 15% from 85% in GE2013 to 70%;
The Indian support for DAP decreased by 10% from 62% in GE2013 to 52%; and
if there was a silver lining to this campaign, it would be the slight increase in Malay support of 3% from 25% in GE2013 to 28% in this by-election.'

Conclusion:
'The battle for Teluk Intan may have been lost by the DAP but by attempting this move to break down racial and gender barriers, new ground has been paved. I am confident that after this by-election, more young Malays would look at DAP as a possible avenue for political activism. I am confident that more young people would support Pakatan’s cause to move away from race-based politics. Pakatan’s challenge is to lead the way forward and not look back.'

Rest of his article:
http://ongkianming.com/2014/06/01/press-statement-my-take-on-the-teluk-intan-by-election-results/

Update:
Why DAP didn't pursue Teluk Intan recount
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/264897

'In accusing DAP, Wee implicated himself'
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/265069
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