Remiss of Decadence*

* Title with thanks to John Carroll - Sceptical Sociology (2014) 

“The private jet that is paid for by the school that is not built. The luxury house that is paid for by those who cannot get the medicine they need. The yacht paid for by the homeless.”

These words sum it all up why the morally bankrupt leaders we have right now must go.

Otherwise, we will become a turtle of a nation.

Nay,. A snail of a nation.

Stark naked without the brittle shell of self-developed support.

And yes. Stop bleeping bringing in Islam into the issues at hand.

Don’t risk God’s wrath for the sake of one man and his coterie of cahoots with such brazen spin.

Thomas  Couture -

Romains de la Decadence (Romans of the Decadence) (1847)

SIGNIFICANTLY INSIGNIFICANT

It’s the same old shit la.

Scandals upon scandals, allegations after allegations, supposed proofs after supposed proofs.

And what do we have in return?

 

A BIG FAT BLEEPING NOTHING.

Seriously.

NADA. ELEK. TAKDAK APAPA LANSUNG.

What are we to make of these?

We are nothing but numbers. Insignificant until the general election.

The rest of the time: INSIGNIFICANT.

We’re better off minding our god damn business and let the country rot right down to our grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren.

How many generations is that?

The bleeping USD700m alleged slush fund could certainly fund the shopping spree of several generations of SIGNIFICANT ONES.

Us? Like I said. Insignificant. Less than a gnat.

Rant all you want. Blog. Tweet. FB posts.

The  SIGNIFICANT ONES don’t give a bleep.

How’s that for a dose of reality?

PS: 

Picture is of no bleeping significance either. Just bleeping love the bleeping image.

 

Serious Water Woahs

Probably no one is surprised with the whole “No Way, Jose” stance by the Serious Water Cabinet Committee on Selangor's serious (treated) water conflict.

Decision No 1: Push the "Take Over Syabas" application to the AG on “substantive and procedural” concerns

Decision No 2: Push ahead the billion Ringgit Langat 2 treatment plant.

Decision No 3: There’ll be no water rationing and Syabas has to ensure waters supplies are a-flowing

Note also all these decisions are made unilaterally and came mere days after the Serious Water Conflict Cabinet Committee was formed.

Apparently, the seriousness level of the serious conflict was not THAT serious to warrant a lengthy drawn out, candle burning, coffee cups re-brewing, inter-missive home calling: “No dear…Still nothing” “Don’t wait up” marathon sessions.

Nope. Nothing of that sort. One meeting was all it took.

Urmm… If things were that bloody simple, why the Sam Hill was there a need to form such a seriously manned, and helmed Cabinet Committee? Collective responsibility? Safety in numbers? Bullying capacity?

Mind also that the water crisis situation is current while the so-needed Langat 2 water treatment plant is said to tackle future ones.

Huh? Aren’t we supposed to be in a serious situation NOW? So, what about the NOW?

Syabas is supposed to ensure free flowing water taps from where? The supposed over utilized current treatment plants?

Anyway: do read up also RPK’s take on the whole Selangor (and elsewhere) water situation and yes, in a way, I do agree with him.

We shouldn’t have gone the way of privatization of such a basic need of the Rakyat in the first place.

After all, it might just (might, mind you) open the Pandora box to a possible milking of serious water crisis situations to milk the state / federal coffer for money to “solve” the crisis.

Again I repeat: might, not would, not could, but might.

Nah. Probably not. We are in good hands of corporates who are all “People first, profits second.”

Parting Gift

PTPTN has apparently frozen all loans to students’ of Selangor’s Unisel.

Apparently, the move is courtesy of Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin as confirmed to Utusan Malaysia.

Of late, PTPTN has come under the limelight of sorts with calls from the Pakatan Rakyat for it to be abolished and for the Federal government to introduce free higher education.

The issue was debated quite extensively by the dynamic of Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin and PJKR’s Rafizi Ramli and I don’t believe that any “correct” conclusion was reached despite the heavily partisanship stance on the matter.

Now, rather than leave things on an intellectual banter level between two foes, along came Khaled Nordin upping the ante with a decision with actual impact.

Come on la En Minister…

I might not agree with the whole abolish PTPTN argument, but this is clearly a discriminatory and spiteful move of a political score.

Who do you think the students will blame for the frozen loans? Pakatan?

I don’t think so. Not when there are already moves to provide interest free loans to students from Selangor.

I mean, even PMNTR did not pilih bulu when he distributed the much maligned BR1M cash handouts, correct?

Elligible Selangorians, Penangites, Kedahans and Kelantanese all got their dues.

In terms of political brownie points, such a move just gives Pakatan the extra ammo - already quite substantial in stock thanks to the NFC, the PKFZ and numerous other public procurement debacles - for their campaigns against Barisan.

Abolishing PTPTN is first and foremost a political talk; the reality is that it is not something QED what’s with the multitude on side issues to tackle.

A roundtable discourse on how best to approach the appreciably noble objective of free – or partially free – higher education would have been the better choice as regards the nation’s best interest.

Not this over-the-top, clearly Partisan’s move.

What bloody shame.

Imagined Stupor

Should I care
That the moon shuns a cloudless night sky
Should the sun cools a breezy afternoon
When a river trickles through a land parched
If the wind skips a sail held limp

Do I dare
Mouth words written silently in my mind
Capture images floating in a imagined album
Deny a memoir sketch from memory
Cast gloom on a dreamy fantasy

Don’t we fear
When children are adults too fast
Where rulers and peasants crowd the market selling
(Who’s buying we say as we turn away)
Of trusts treated like a private cask
Since liars masquerade as heralds born

Are we to enjoy
A hearty laughter from a stomach empty
At salesmen selling imagination for a fee
The measured trusts of dueling racial rapiers
When piled the land’s riches on barges
(Traversing the sea to destinations unknown)

My frame slouches
As the mind doubts
Of feigned interests
And caring, hyped

So we leave things be
Figuring somebody else
Will carry the burden of ascendency
A life in a stupor of faked serenity…

Callous Comics

Are you familiar with the term Adjourned Sine Die?

This usually means the suspension of an assembly with the premise of future – but yet unspecified – dates for congregating again.

Christmas may not come twice in a year (Remember this sexist Bond joke?), but the circus in the form of the Perak State Assembly made its appearance yet again today.

They way things are going, this can be expected a routine event for Malaysians to either look forward to for some good laughs or to retch in great disgust.

When our representatives fail us, what do we do?

We hold them responsible and asked them to take the appropriate measures.

Seek a renewed mandate, for example.

Or accept the current hung status and fight it out in gentlemanly debates and discussions.

No two ways about it: they have failed Perakians.

Yes, the BN State Assemblymen and the trio of BN-friendly independents (only in Malaysia) can say that THEY have the mandate of the Rakyat.

And, yes, the PR ADUNs will say that THEY have been calling for a snap election all the while.

Yes, and Yes, and double Yesses.

BUT have they not even an ounce of shame over the shambolic sittings of the Assembly so far after the reverse takeover of Perak?

Please. We all enjoy a good laugh every now and then, but these are becoming sick and disgustful jokes.

For it to occur the following day after the tragedy in Kuala Dipang involving three schoolchildren makes it even harder to stomach.

Come on, respected YBs and YABs. Takkan tak ada sikit pun rasa malu?

The 1Malaysia unity camp tragedy can be quite symbolic of Perak as it is.

Newly erected - but ultimately rickety - foundations, a youthful generation hopeful that the path would lead them to their destination, a few malcontents rocking the situation (for God knows what reasons), and then, the quite thinkable occurs and lives are lost.

Too distinct a tragedy to draw such symbolism?

Maybe. Perhaps. Most probably.

I know I am grasping at straws and probably life will go on as usual for both camps.

No giving, no taking.

Both adamant they are in the right.

If I were a Perakian, the next elections I'll vote ALL of them OUT.

See how they like a truly hung government.

Adjourned Sine Die, gentlemen.

Past Tense: Pos Dipang - Aug 29, 1996