PKR’s Cold War, Ensues

Anwar measures the divide inside the party.

The deputy president has to air his objections to the party president’s new leadership council appointments, publicly.

Things have not improved between Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali.

That is to say, the president and deputy president were not able to agree, or the deputy was never consulted. Either way, that’s a mess inside PKR, because the top two don’t see eye to eye.

In the backdrop, more quagmire.

Nurul Izzah Anwar, the top elected vice-president, the technical number three, albeit being the president’s daughter quit the leadership cloaked in secrecy.

Tok Pa And The Giant Peach Lie

Together again

Don’t wish Mustapa Mohamed well in Pribumi.

At this point, I don’t think I can wish anyone who had been in government before 2008 well.

The system stinks and anyone who was in government through those years should put their head down in shame, which includes most of Pribumi today.

The hypocrisy.

I’m not upset that Tok Pa left Umno, my lack of empathy for that racist cesspool is common knowledge, but rather incensed by his rationale. Not only him, the whole queue of those who left Umno since May 9.

In summary, according to them, they had to serve the people, and which means they had to abandon ship and join the present overlords.

Rozman had to, Anifah had to, Noor Azmi had too. Poor bastards, how their life had come to this, that they had to crawl back to power and point a large middle finger to life in the opposition, because apparently, one can’t serve the people when not in power.

Top 10 Things To Come Up About Malaysian Politics (At The VI Dinner) Tonight

Hussein Onn at the VI. Not an old boy.

Heading out to my alumni dinner in a few hours.

The Victoria Institution has never been the vanguard of the left but rather a beacon of moderation and progenitor of the doomed Barisan Nasional. It would be interesting to note what gets talked about at dinner.

I’ll walk the aisles like I did the corridors at school decades ago.

I’m guessing these will crop up, about the country.

10. Port Dickson, was Anwar happy to see Saiful?

OK, let’s put the biases out there. Of course VI boys always speak about the Malay College boys being a bit backward and putting from the rough not only at the inter-alumni games. That their brotherhood is always a bit spicier despite the lack of Indian restaurants in Kuala Kangsar.

So yes, it’ll go on, the banter. Yes, I’ll feel guilty, but maybe not tonight. After all, I’m not part of the group giving out contracts and political positions because they wear the same ties on Wednesdays.

The Alcohol Tax Which Killed Some Dudes

An easy problem?

A bunch of guys died, and the health ministry and government struggles to respond.

Why?

Deadly alcohol poisoning from bootleg was always going to happen. Because it has got out of control for decades, and no one in power cares.

The nonchalant response from the health ministry is case in point.

This is a problem 35-years in making.

We have to go back to the 1980s. And even this is related to Anwar Ibrahim and Mahathir Mohamad.

In the wake of Anwar’s entry into the Umno government, to stave off PAS the Mahathir administration was keen to appear overtly Islamic.

An easy target was to punish alcohol consumers.

They literally get to have their cake and eat it too.

PKR-Umno Secret Deal Rumours Escalate

To the point, without any delay, are there backroom negotiations between Anwar’s men and Umno?

Has a deal been struck?

The speculations are swirling.

Like a decent play, let’s list all the players in this stage production.

Anwar Ibrahim’s protege is Ahmad Zahid Zahidi. Anwar will officially assume the PKR presidency when the annual meeting rolls in November. Zahid has been Umno president since Johnny-Come-Lately Khairy Jamaluddin was defeated for the post in June.

The First Temptation of Maszlee Malik

Looking for truth, Maszlee

It’s not hard to understand.

Every university staff fancies it. Actually most employed in large bureaucracies rife with rituals and glamour due to cultural imageries associated with the institutions would occasionally imagine themselves being literally, the big man in campus.

Robe, mortar board and flashing lights, while the young adulate and the parents smile in approval.

It’s a self-structured game show:”Who wants to be a university rector?” — ready to be exploited by a TV station.

The CEO of a public listed company has appeal, but a university supremo while with less money is offered class, and class is forever.

‘Please Cry For Me, Malaysia’

Time to be supreme

This might come out as shocking news, but Anwar Ibrahim is a politician born in 1947, and has been deputy prime minister. There is a fair certainty he will be the next prime minister.

I say surprising because the rancorous noise from his ardent supporters demanding those in the party and generally in the country, must do everything possible to ensure Anwar becomes the next prime minister, is threatening to present the new president of PKR as petulant to his countrymen.

Look how PKR politicians are expected to pledge they would vacate their parliamentary seats on demand, so Anwar can contest the by-election.

Look how some PKR leaders demand Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin should raise their hands and scream the chorus “Take my seat, Anwar.”