Flying Contraptions

Can pigs fly?

Sure they can: provided they in the right kind of flying contraption, anything CAN fly, in fact.

Clive Kessler spoke of HIS dilemma over the choice between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional to govern this lovely country of ours.

Perhaps there is.

Too quite a few – at the very least the 22,270 odd people who was at the Bersih Sit and Protest – the choice has been made.

Anyway, I have yet to make my choice since I don’t know who will be vying for the two positions over at my constituency.

I think I will make mine a personality based choice.

To know their stand on things. To make sure they are articulate enough about their position on all that is important to the country’s future.

As luck would have it, my change of address is finally effected and I no longer have to drive all the way to Pandan Indah to cast my invaluable vote.

It does feel a bit weird in that I am no longer amongst the so called ears-and-eyes-on-the-ground component of the Govt election machinery aka the MSM.

Supposedly, our news reports (for what they’re worth) provide the powers-that-be with a gauge on how things are going with the masses.

Really? Could well be a figment of my own over estimation of reporter-self worth. Funny Ha Ha. Didn’t accept my take on the Chinese massive vote swing the last time.

It was fun all the same to be right in the thick of things when it comes to the ceramahs and what not.

Parliamentary dissolution notwithstanding, we do seem to be in a perpetual pre-General Election mode these days with ceramahs galore, show-of-strength rapat umums, unabashed feel-good factor highlights, shameless "choose me" political speeches, handouts to the masses etc etc.

Even the party flags are a-fluttering. Billboards campaigning too: Janji Di Tepati; shouts one along the southern route of the North South Highway, seen during a recent balik kampong trip to Johor.

And then, there are also the many  - too many - pronouncements these days from the Barisan Nasional fellas of “trouble if Pakatan Rakyat losses in the General Election”, “Be gentleman la”, or something along the line.

My, my. Whatever do they mean? A pre-telegraphed nipping at the bud action, perhaps? A smug confidence that a win is already in hand? A Goebbels communiqué? Hmmm...

Suffice to say, the only thing missing from this whole equation is the players aka the candidates.

Who will I choose?  Who will it be?

First things first, though. PMNTR has to make the call, the trumpet for the 5-year mandate seeking exercise to begin.

So the BIG question is: When will he? 

PS: The woman pictured below will make a fine candidate in my and surely a whole lot of others, good books...

Spiking Copies

My heart sure goes out to the Chief Editors of the Malaysian news media.

It has been quite the frenzy feast with controversial (juicy?) stories and attention grabbing headlines rushing headlong into the laps of our overworked Fourth Estate the last few weeks (Months?).

And today, another MACC related death.

With the Sarawak state elections revving up.

Not to mention the two videos of alleged sexual shenanigan of a so-called prominent politician who some thinks is a top draw for the Prime Minister’s position should he be afforded the opportunity.

There's an on-going Royal Commission of Inquiry of an earlier MACC's witness death.

May I also remind of the Customs department’s personnel alleged billion Ringgits siphoning of national would/could/should be revenues.

Or even the AlKitab compromise cum negotiations controversy that seemed to have escape some national dailies...

So many things pandering their already divided attention that I wonder if our newspaper men and women have time to breathe, much less eat, rest and do whatever it is that the rest of us do in our free time. (Blog, perhaps?)

Those are the current ones, but there are many others that simmer just beneath the readers’ (news) consciousness.

Shall we give these a go?

There’s the PKFZ inflated cost saga, the ongoing sodomy trial of a certain politician who many seems to think as Prime Minister material, RCIs that never seems to have closures, a displaced renegade anti establishment blogger, huge arm spendings we can seemingly ill afford, bleeding of the national coffers year in and year out through sheer (alleged) negligence and (alleged) inflating of bids and tenders, allegedly rigged ones, horrific crimes that remained unsolved…

I got tired of thinking them out and simply gave up at the dot dot dot.

I don’t begrudge the odd (is there any?) Chief Editor who decides to throw the towel (or spike the copy..heh) on hot controversial reads and zoom instead to the feel-good ones.

Alas, these headlines are either too few and far in between, or smack too much of political hypes and gerrymandering.

Hence my own hiatus from commentaries; turning instead to rambling, pathetic attempts at nonsensical lyrical (I hope!) writings.

Unlike my former colleagues/bosses/compatriots, I am plain tired of grabbing headlines.

Now, if only I can veer my eyes away from them…