Friday, May 08, 2009

Half-time score 2-0

Let's wait patiently for the finals in 2013

In the Perak match The score now is 2-0 in favour of BN against PR.BN scored the first goal through top striker Datuk Seri Najib in February.The second goal was scored yesterday by Datuk Seri Zabry with the help of imported striker Ganesan.PR goalkeeper Siva was carried out injured.

On Monday,most malaysians expect the score to be 3-0,the third being scored in the courts.

All goals were skilfuuly executed with the help of spectators-the police and civil servants.The general public forcefully kept out of the stadium.

However the final will be in 2013 when the rakyat hope to successfully convert all 5 penalty kicks to win by 5-0.Pakatan must train as a team for the finals,consolidating the ties among them.So let's all practice hard day and night.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Mother’s Day 2009

Mother – a source of strength,inspiration and solace


Mother’s day is again just around the corner(May 10) and many of us may have great plans to celebrate the occasion with our mothers. We may be planning to give her expensive gifts, banquets and trips to places of interest. The whole idea behind all these elaborate celebrations is to make our mother happy and reassure her that we care for her. It is a noble intention that we should all cherish for a person who deserves every bit of our gratitude.

It is sad that for some of us it is the only day we spend some time with her as we are all busy with managing our own families with all the attendant problems. We forget that our mother is part and parcel of our family not just in times of happiness but more so at times of difficulties and pain.

Very often we are very generous with what our mother needs least, food and money but extremely miser with what she needs most, love and time. These are more difficult to part with especially in the fast moving competitive world where every minute is so precious.

Our mothers brought us up to what we are today hoping that one day we will be successful and happy in our own lives, with good health, prosperity and peace. It is this happiness in our lives that bring them their own joy and satisfaction. It is time for us to reflect to see whether we are truly giving her the real happiness that she yearns for by living up to her expectations. Many among us ignore her pleas and keep doing what is against her wishes without realizing the adverse consequences of our deeds.

In a world driven by materialism, lust and greed, the mother, particularly the old and infirm, may seem irrelevant but we will be sadly mistaken if we ignore the love and advice of our mother, however irrelevant she may appear to be. All wise men of the past seem to concur that a man who does not please his mother it whatever he does will never find true happiness in his own life. All these great men cannot be wrong, can they?

At an advanced age and in their loneliness, our actions of going against our mother’s wishes would be the most painful experience for her to endure. All we need to do is to consult and obtain her blessings for the many major decisions in our lives; our marriage, carreer,health and care of our children. A effects of a mother’s blessing should not be underestimated as it is priceless and goes a long way to bring success in whatever we undertake without even we being aware of it.

No wonder the mother is the most revered person throughout the history of mankind. Mothers are revered and adored, showered with affection, shown great respect and she is held in high esteem in all cultures. In fact Islam teaches that “Paradise is at the feet of mothers” and Hindus regard her as a goddess of love. A Jewish Proverb says “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers”
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Our mother may be advanced in age, infirm and be of no use to us anymore but nevertheless she remains a symbol of moral support, strength and solace for us in times of trials and tribulations in life. We may not realize this important source of inspiration and strength until they leave us for good when it will be too late to regret..

On this Mother’s day, amidst all our celebrations let us take special pains to make our mother happy by doing what pleases her. Let us repay our gratitude to this special person who had sacrificed her life for the love of us, her children. Let us go back to her for every major decision in our lives, like we used to do when we were helpless kids. Our mother is a wonderful creation of God for whom love for her children has made her sacrifices a pleasure.


Dr.Chris Anthony
May 3, 2009

Najib’s moves for change


Must submit to wish of Perakians


Since the taking over the premiership, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had embarked on a series of bold and positive moves to impress and regain the support of the people. His 1Malaysia policy, willingness to review the ISA, the easing on bumiputra equity, liberalization of the banking sector and the decision to allow children of divorced parents to be brought up in the religion at the time of marriage.

These steps may be very encouraging and indicate that the new Prime Minister is serious in bringing about the reforms promised. His pledge that no one will be left to feel as second class citizens is reassuring to all Malaysians. Despite his attempts to get close to the people, there are still some nagging problems that stand in the way to regain the full confidence of the people.

One of the biggest drawbacks to Najib’s reforms is the ongoing constitutional crisis in Perak that many believe is his own making. It has since thrown the state into chaos and with each passing day the legal tussle getting more and more complicated with no possible end in sight. The suing and countersuing by the disputing parties is frustrating the people to the extent that they are getting angry with the abuse of our democratic system. There are serious concerns that the constitution that guarantee the separation of powers between the legislature, judiciary and the executive, is being blatantly trampled upon by the very people entrusted to safeguard it.

Come May 7, with the controversial reconvening of the state assembly, the crisis may enter into greater complexity and turmoil, taking the state into deeper constitutional crisis from which it may never recover. Do we need such a crisis at this time of global economic uncertainties with thousands losing their jobs and having difficulties in making ends meet? Who benefits from this crisis?

To the people the solution to this crisis is simple; go back to the rakyat to re-elect the government of their choice. The vast majority of Malaysians feel the people should decide on the choice of their government not the courts or the ruler. Instead of taking this simple way out why is the government going through such complicated and at times unconstitutional means that are detested by people?

All his efforts to reform and revamp the system and may be meaningless if Najib does not solve the Perak crisis in a legitimate way acceptable to the people. Involving the courts and the rulers is not only a waste of their time but unnecessary as they get tainted in the process.

If the Prime Minister can bring the constitutional crisis in Perak to end in the way the people want and in accordance with our nation’s constitutional and democratic principles, he will have all to gain as the people may in return reward the BN to rule in the state. At the same time doing so will avoid dragging in the royalty and the judiciary further into the mess. Any delay in submitting to the wishes of the people will only erode the trust and confidence of the people in the BN government and benefit the Pakatan Rakyat.

Sadly in today’s confrontational politics, submitting to the demands of the people is seen as a sign of weakness. On the contrary listening and acting in accordance with the will of the people is a sign of strength that must not be underestimated. History has shown that in any showdown with the people, despite all the odds stacked against them, the people will always win in the end, their will finally prevail. This simple fact is the basic tenet of every major religion.

Friday, May 01, 2009

Najib must prove sincerity for reforms

Initial moves encouraging

Since the taking over the premiership, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had embarked on a series of bold and positive moves to impress and regain the support of the people. His 1Malaysia policy, willingness to review the ISA, the easing on bumiputra equity, liberalization of the banking sector and the decision to allow children of divorced parents to be brought up in the religion at the time of marriage.

These steps are very encouraging and indicate that he is serious in bringing about the reforms promised. His pledge that no one will be left to feel as second class citizens is reassuring to all Malaysians. Despite his attempts to get close to the people, there is still much more to be done to gain the trust of the people.

One of the biggest drawbacks to Najib’s reforms is the ongoing constitutional crisis in Perak that many believe is his own making. It has since thrown the state into chaos and with each passing the legal tussle in getting more and more complicated with no possible end in sight. The suing and countersuing by the disputing parties is frustrating the people to the extent that they are getting angry with the abuse of our democratic system. There are serious concerns that the constitution is being blatantly trampled upon by the very people entrusted to safeguard it.

Come May 7, with the controversial reconvening of the state assembly, the crisis may enter into greater complexity taking the state into deeper constitutional crisis from which it may never recover. Do we need such a crisis at this time of global economic uncertainties?

To the people the solution is simple; allow the rakyat to decide who they want to form their government. The vast majority of Malaysians feel the people should decide on the choice of their government not the courts or the ruler. Instead of taking this simple way out why is the government going through such complicated and at times unconstitutional means?

All his efforts to reform and revamp the system and may be meaningless if Najib does not solve the Perak crisis in a legitimate way acceptable to the people. Involving the courts and the rulers is not only a waste of their time but unnecessary as they get tainted in the process.

If the Prime Minister can bring the constitutional crisis in Perak to end in the way the people want and in accordance with our constitutional and democratic principles, he will have all to gain as the people may in return reward the BN to rule in the state. At the same time doing so will avoid dragging in the royalty and the judiciary further into the mess.

Sadly in today’s confrontational politics, submitting to the demands of the people is seen as a sign of weakness. On the contrary listening and acting in accordance with the will of the people is a sign of strength that must not be underestimated. History has shown that despite all the odds the people will always win in the end, their will finally prevail.


Dr.Chris Anthony

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Federal Court and Perak State Assembly

Can the Courts overrule the legislature?

The Federal Constitution is clear as a crystal on the legitimate rights of the state assembly and its speaker.

Under Article 72 of the constitution, the privileges of Legislative Assembly are as follows:-

(1) The validity of any proceedings in the State Assembly of any State shall not be questioned in any court.

(2) No person shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him when taking part in proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of any State or of any committee thereof.

(3) No person shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything published by or under the authority of the Legislative Assembly of any State.


Even laypersons,like you and me, have no difficulty in understanding these provisions but extremely learned judges of the highest court in the land don't seem to.May be they know something which more than 25 million Malaysians don't

Friday, April 17, 2009

Najib: Not the time for another by-election(Malaysiakini)

The Penanti by-election

We all agree with Najib that this is not the time for another by-election as we have better things to do than politicking.We agree that the forcing of the by-elections in Penanti is politically motivated.After all it is politics.

Similarly what was the need for power grab in Perak recently that has left the state crippled since then? Wasn't it politically motivated?

Let's be fair to all parties - stop politicking.Return the rule in Perak to the government elected by its people.Give a walk over in Penanti to save the taxpayer's money,time and energy

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Pak Lah- a symbol of moderation and tolerance

Tribute to Pak Lah

After more than a of year of uncertainties finally Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had stepped down as Prime Minister. Despite calls by various quarters to continue as PM and with widespread rumors that he may change his mind at the last minute, Pak Lah kept his word till the end which demonstrates his integrity and honesty, attributes rarely seen these days especially among politicians.

In fact the many admirable age-old qualities of Pak Lah make him more of a decent man and a lesser politician in today's world which may partly explain his short stint as Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Umno and Barisan Nasional(BN). In a world that measures success by material gains and power it may be timely to pay tribute to this man for his humility, simplicity and unwillingness to hurt the feelings of others including his enemies.

Pak Lah came to power with a landslide mandate unprecedented in the nation's history but over a short period of 5 years he was forced to relinquish the post because of his so-called “failures”. It was the virtues of humanity in him that led him to be seen as weak, indecisive and ineffective as a leader who was taken advantage by his political opponents that led to BN’s losses in the last general elections.

Despite the repeated and harshest criticisms, often unrealistic and unfair, from his predecessor, Pak Lah kept his cool and never for once retaliated although he had the power and means to do so. He also took criticisms from the opposition with an open mind. This shows his magnanimity to take criticisms and forgive even his adversaries. Similarly his recent meeting with the Opposition Leader which was described as coincidental was a sign of goodwill and tolerance for his opponents which are an asset for democracy.

His gentlemanly handling of the election losses in 2008 was remarkable that contributed to the peace and tranquility that followed. It would be frightening to imagine what would have happened if not for his willingness to accept the people's verdict with an open heart without anger and spite. He did not resort to vengeful means to thwart the progress of the opposition or silence dissent. If fact he can be credited for the possible evolution of a two-party system of democracy that would provide a better check and balance governance. Such a system would greatly benefit the people in the long run and is what we should all strive for.

Pak Lah's repeated assertions that he was the Prime Minister for all Malaysians should be emulated by all our leaders. It is time to discard the practice where a particular leader represents only his own community. Why can’t we adopt a new Malaysian outlook where a leader regardless of his ethnicity represents the interests of all races? It should become the new Malaysian political agenda where the people are identified not by their ethnicity but rather by their citizenry. It is the only way forward for greater peace, progress and prosperity in a highly competitive and materialistic global world.

Some has described the tenure of his premiership as a period of missed opportunities. This may be true to some extent as he was not bold enough to push through with his reforms with force due to resistance from within his own party. Many who loved him hoped he was more forceful and combative but would it be fair to expect a normal human to be perfect?

Pak Lah might not have brought great structural and material developments to the country to earn the backing of his political colleagues but by his virtues and the opening of a greater democratic space, he has certainly won a place in the hearts of ordinary Malaysians of all races. They would really miss his gentlemanly hand in the local political arena that is becoming increasingly more aggressive, hostile and vengeful.

Dr.Chris Anthony

CNY - Year of the dragon

Happy Chinese New Year to all, in particular the Chinese members of our bigger Malaysian family.May this Year of the Dragon bring peace ...