Foul!

UPDATE (May 12, 1.18pm):  Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri are scheduled to have a press conference at 2pm. Here are some questions I hope that would be asked (if they allow questions from the Press that is): i. Why didn't Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri play check and balance and looked into Dr Mahathir Mohamad's calls just before he quit Umno in 2016? (Read: Umno Youth loyal because Najib produces results, says Khairy ). ii. Despite so many nationwide programmes involving the masses and youths, it is evident they failed to translate into votes. Shouldn't Pemuda, Wanita and Puteri be also held accountable over Barisan Nasional's failure in GE14? iii. And if change they are demanding - then should the change start with new faces heading Pemuda, Wanita and Puteri? --- UPDATE (May 12, 12.49am):  Watch the KiniTV video   Tegang  ...pemuda umno 'bergelut' pada majlis ulangtahun Umno Also read:  Khairy:  The time to rebuild Umno...

"I will meet Tan (Seng Giaw) to get acquainted with his contacts and grassroots."  Those were the words of two-term Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng who will be contesting in Kepong in the 14th General Elections, as reported by The Star . His DAP colleague Hannah Yeoh, who is Subang Jaya assemblyman, will contest in Segambut. Winning the Kepong seat will make Hannah an MP - elevating her political standing. Her response to the switch, as seen in The Star article: “It’s an urban area, so there are similar concerns about safety, infrastructure, and quality of education,” she said, adding that the constituents knew their rights, have critical thinking and want access to right information. And here's what a Segambut resident had to say: "It's come to a point where I no longer care who contests , Hannah or the BN candidate. Because I know Segambut is messed up due to over-development and these people won't do anything." It is without doubt the l...

"Parliament to be dissolved on April 6. Elections will be held early May." This seems to be the talk of the town. If true dissolution takes place this Friday, the next question would be: when will the 14th General Elections take place? May 5, 2018 - a Saturday OR another date which falls on a working day? The Malaysian Insight, which has suspended its operations, highlighted the possibility of a  mid-week polling date . The report, published on March 29, stated:   " A mid-week election could result in a lower voter turnout for GE14, as there is a large diaspora of Malaysian voters, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, who return when the general election is usually held over the weekend." Having the general elections on a working day will be seen as an attempt to discourage the electorate from casting their votes. If that happens, members from the opposition parties will not be pleased. But holding the elections on a week day (not a...

UPDATE (Jan 8, 12.49pm):   Sports are a nation builder and unifying factor. Sports should not be tainted with politically motivated agendas.  To politicians of both divides, don't use sports as a gimmick to win votes. Read the full article here .  --- ORIGINAL POST To whom it may concern, This is in reference to a pledge made by the youth wing of a political coalition, claiming it will broadcast all international sport matches including the English Premier League on state-owned Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) should it win the upcoming general elections. The full report "We'll show the Premier League on RTM if we win GE14, Pakatan Youth offers"  can be read here . I responded through a series of tweets as seen below: I believe my tweets are self-explanatory. For the uninitiated (and those who clearly failed to do their homework before making the pledge), I had touched on this subject in 2015 through my column Haresh Says: Who should Serie A...

It was his childhood past time of doodling and dreaming that he turned into cartoons to amuse his friends. And decades later Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing's 'Guli Guli' continues to tickle many. It's a shame that his parents felt his artwork was "a waste of time". What they, and many others including the younger generation, would realise is his works published three decades ago still remain relevant. Why so? I'll let his comic strips, which appeared in the New Sunday Times from 1982 to 1987, do the talking. Haze We surprisingly lasted that long! And we're still talking about ways to combat the haze. (Sept 18, 2017 - Public awareness vital in combating haze) Budget Let's see what gets 'potong' when Budget 2018 is tabled later this month. (Sept 27, 2017 - Budget 2018 likely to see salary increases, tax incentives says RHB) Gambling I bet we will still hear of illegal gambling syndicates operating nationwide. (Oct 1...

We boast to be a so-called soon-to-be developed nation, have some of the tallest and biggest structures in the region and world. Yet, we can't even get basics right - like enjoying uninterrupted water and telecommunication services. Water disruption occurs on a daily basis in the Klang Valley. Why must we subject ourselves to such incompetence? Are we expected to console ourselves by saying: "Oh this is Malaysia lah" or brush issues aside by cynically saying "Malaysia Boleh"? Are we supposed to whine and rant only to forget about such matters the next day? Are we to adopt the 'tidak apa' attitude, hoping someone else will do the job? Are we to leave the future of the nation to a bunch of incompetent individuals? Are we to keep quiet if we were given certain forms of incentives (may it be cold hard cash or projects)? Are we to allow our children to grow up in a confused, greedy and selfish environment? Malaysians are bigger and b...

As published in Malay Mail today   By Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos FIRST of all, we should be fully aware that political stability is of utmost importance for the general well-being of the citizens. No country in the world which is politically unstable is able to develop economically or plan for the future general well being of its citizens. Political instability will not only frighten away investors but may also cause capital flight from the country by its own corporate players. Prolonged political instability will have immense negative practical impact on the ordinary citizen in terms of rising unemployment, increased cost of living, lowering of the quality and standard of living and so on. These in turn will certainly cause other social problems such as increase in crime rate, increase in corruption and wastage of national resources. In short, when the politicians fight, we suffer. We have been having political instability for far too long. The second factor wh...

As published in Malay Mail today HARESH SAYS By Haresh Deol SPORTS and politics in Malaysia have always enjoyed an “incestuous” relationship,  as I pointed out in an article ‘ Sport has no place for political ideologies ’ last Dec 24 in which I took issue with politicians who unashamedly gatecrashed the sporting arena for personal gain.   Today, I reinforce that stand in the wake of the Selangor Sports Council using #KitaLawan! (let’s fight) as its 2016 Malaysia Games (Sukma) battle cry.   I am appalled. It’s a political hashtag that emerged after Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sentenced to five years’ jail for sodomy on Feb 10. It has no place in sports.   A logo, complete with the motto, was unveiled during a Sukma briefing last Friday and Sunday Mail that first broke the story has Selangor executive councillor for sports Amirudin Shari on record saying it was a “non-issue”.   He said the battle cry was to motivate...

As published in Sunday Mail By Vijhay Vick vijhayvick@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — Sports officials, athletes and observers have lambasted Selangor for adopting the #KitaLawan motto for next year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma). The motto, revealed during a briefing with state sports associations at De Palma Hotel in Ampang on Friday, is the tagline used by jailed opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters who are fighting for his release. The Sukma motto has the words Selangor peneraju kecemerlangan sukan (Selangor spearheading sports excellence) above an eagle’s head and #KitaLawan! below. The meeting was organised by the Selangor Sports Council and chaired by state executive councillor for sports, Amirudin Shari. Amirudin insisted the tagline was “not an issue”. Sukma is the national games participated by athletes aged 21 and below. The 2016 edition is in Sarawak. “It is a tagline associated with resistance. Sukma is a sporting event for the young. It is ...