Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A voice of dissention (and a little courage)

Would you say that a voice of dissension is patriotic?
Its wanting to see some good happen for all. In anycase I was considering pulling the url off my Facebook profile because as numbers increase, the more people I actually know will be reading my posts. Thoughts of Dooce comes to mind pretty often.

But then, being a coward is the anti-thesis of what I have been preaching. So is censure. Hence the blog will go on and the url stays.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

I have no time but I just HAVE to blog this


Penang Government agrees to multi-language signs for tourists’ benefit
The Star, July 23 2008


GEORGE TOWN: The state government plans to put up street names and road signs in multiple languages at heritage areas here for the benefit of tourists and visitors.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said yesterday that the languages would depend on the cultural characteristics of the streets in question.

“There have been requests for road signs in various languages now that George Town has received Unesco recognition as a world heritage site. The state has, in principle, agreed to have signs in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese and Tamil, and maybe even Arabic,” he said.

Chinese signs: Penang residents riding past one of the six new road signs in George Town yesterday. The six signs were put up by a group of Gerakan members on Monday.

Chow noted that the Federal Government had also approved an allocation to put up signboards in various languages around George Town.

On the six street signs put up by several Gerakan members, led by former Penang Municipal Council councillor Dr Thor Teong Ghee, Chow said he had instructed the council to give notice to the group to remove them.

“The council will advise them to take down the signs themselves, unlike in the past when the council under the previous administration used to pull down signs put up by the DAP within two hours,” said Chow.

On Monday, Dr Thor and six others put up the road signs in Chinese to remind the DAP that it had to keep its word to come up with such road signs now that the party was helming the state. The six signs were for Beach Street, Burmah Road, Macalister Road, Carnarvon Street, Chulia Street and Jalan C.Y. Choy.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said there was no reason for anyone to politicise the issue as this was the people's aspiration. He likened the need to have multilingual road signs to the multilingual announcements at airports which were a necessity.

However, Tanjung Umno Youth division chief Shaharrudin Hassan urged the local government and government agencies to only allow road signs in the national language.

“If the Malays can compromise with not having road signs in Jawi or Arabic, we do not see why the other races cannot practise a similar thing,” he said.

When contacted, Dr Thor said he would wait for the council's notice, but hoped that the signs could remain until the council put up its own.

Mlle Monster says

For tourists? What an utter load of rubbish! I am at a loss for insults because this is so preposterously absurd that calling him mentally challenged would be insulting the mentally challenged.

Lets just call a spade a spade here shall we.
This is clearly a response or a retaliation if you will to all the road signs that have been carrying jawi script. Of course when questioned, the asinine reasoning given was that it was for the benefit of Arab tourists. Yeah, sure...

So now in Penang, we are attracting Chinese tourists with our road signs are we.
This is so embarrassing.

Of course its racial. Let's just say it instead of hiding behind laughable statements. You have one faction that wants to brand everything Islamic even petty roadsigns and another that retaliates by repeating the exact same nonsense with Chinese characters. And the road sign contractors are laughing all the way to the bank. Some government crony is my bet.

Petty, wasteful and idiotic. Way to go Gerakan and DAP.
And the one person I really feel pity for is the postman.




Short, Fat and Ugly

Who ever coined the phrase pleasantly plump should be shot.
That and the term cute.

This Mlle is not amused.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Rant-a-tat-tat

Whehey.

There is ceartainly alot of fodder available these few days to rant about.

From the debate between the PKR de facto leader Datuk Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Information Minister on the fuel hike, to the nonsensical arrest and eventual release of Anwar - all I can say is that I am kinda tired.

The debate was just an opportunity for each to take pot shots at the other. But I like the under the belt punches and sarcasm. Now I know that I am but a padawan at the art of sounding 'laser', pardon the colloquial. Go YouTube it. The debate is available in about 8 parts. More or less an hour of jumping off tangent and talking about everything but the fuel hike.

This soap opera has been just dragging on and on and on. I mean, govern the country already. March seems like a long time ago isn't it? The fuel hike is stale news mon ami. Um, somebody do something already. Has ANY of the action plans proposed by the federal government been implemented yet? I really wanna know.

All I can see is my spending power shrinking daily and I am really pissed off at the bastards who are profiteering. For instance, how do you justify my pack of Strepsils costing 30% more? It does not take a rocket scientist to do the math that someone is taking advantage of the situation. May these business lose customers and go bust! Is the Ministry of Trade and Domestic Affairs looking into all this?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Why do ours never resign

Interesting read in today's newspapers on politicians and resigning. Written by Huzir Sulaiman.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/7/13/lifefocus/1575681&sec=lifefocus

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Jack in a box

I had the pleasure of dining at the Malaysian Petroleum Club this week. Being on the same level as the sky bridge on the 42nd floor of Petronas Twin Towers' Tower 2, we managed to catch the sun setting over the city. Its beautiful, yes.

But its far from a peaceful scenery.

But then again who is at peace looking over a busy cityscape during rush hour?
I don't know if I am just getting tired of city life, but from my high vantage point, all I see are glass chimneys and concrete pigeon holes stretching out far and wide, playing catch up with the horizon.

The Malay word for it is rimas. Not the right time to be cultivating claustrophobia certainly. But the sudden longing for space was a little overwhelming.

Anyway, the view was the highlight. The food was mediocre.


Better pics from the dSLR next week

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

I am sowwy

Dear friends, I am sorry that I have not been replying your sms-es, emails, phone calls or Facebook messages lately.

Been under the weather and close to blowing up the office. So rest assured I am alive (for now) and I will make it up to you.
If you can tell me where I an find T'ganu standard Keropok Lekor here in KL, I'll make it up to you faster.

Kiss kiss.

- Cayang, Mlle Monster

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Lies akin to treachery

From The Star today:

PUTRAJAYA: The allegations being spread to create an unsettled political atmosphere lately are tantamount to treachery, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

He said the allegations and news championing those who broke the law through SMS, blogs and YouTube were akin to treachery.

“These stories and SMS do not have any benefit. It is a deliberately attempt to create a negative perception (of the Government).

“This is not the doing of a race that wants to progress,” he said, hoping that the rakyat would not be influenced by it all.

“There is total disregard for the law and no one is giving importance to what is right and wrong any more,” he said, advising Malaysians to disregard all such attempts.

Unfortunately, however, he said that these allegations made interesting fodder for gossip.

Addressing staff of the Prime Minister’s Department at its monthly gathering here yesterday, Abdullah said he was also sad that the recent spate of events showed that the principles of the Rukunegara had been tarnished.

Abdullah assured Malaysians that the Government, which was given the mandate to rule in the last general election, had come up with various measures to reduce their financial burden due to the rising cost for fuel and goods.

Stating that peace had to be given priority, he added that enforcement agencies must continue to strictly perform their duty to help alleviate the people’s fear of food shortage and the safety of their family.

“The rakyat must be convinced to continue to progress and help develop the country and that this country is safe for all,” he said.

Later, speaking to reporters after holding bilateral talks with several leaders of the Developing Eight countries, Abdullah said he wanted bloggers to stop speculating and spreading rumours on the Internet.

“I want to tell the blogs to stop all this. They are also responsible for what has happened. The best thing they could do is to stop.”


Mlle Monster says: The folllowing are also treachery:-

Cronyism, money politics, police brutality, racial discrimination, instigating racial tension, undermining the judiciary, votes rigging, corruption, misappropriation of funds, poor governance and withholding of development from opposition held states.

The best thing the government could do is to stop.


Sunday, July 06, 2008

Protes 2008

I live in Kelana Jaya. And today we residents were bracing ourselves for a massive build up of about 1 million angry protesters to gather at the KJ Stadium to protest against the recent fuel hike. Its 4 pm and everything is relatively quiet.

And yes, there was military presence here yesterday. If you consider millitary trucks going up and down as presence. And as far as I know there are roadblocks at the interstate tolls since yesterday. And today the roads are exceptionally quiet. Is political activism of the masses losing momentum? Hm, maybe activism is too strong a word. Maybe participation is better.

Regardless what Najib says, there is no reason for the MILITARY (instead of just the police) to involved at a peaceful civilian gathering. This reeks of intimidation. What violence are they expecting or at least trying to give the impression that there is to be?

Early reports say that there is an air of festivity at the stadium. But somehow festivities and a serious protest just doesn't sit well in one sentence la.But thats just me.

I think generally people just want to get on with life. Enough bickering already, just get on with governing the country.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

The week that was

Have you been keeping up with the high suspense drama that is Malaysian politics at present? Forget West Wing or 24, this has all the heart stopping action, not to mention scintillating sex scandals, thrown in. And there is a new twist everyday!

While the nation ponders who murdered who, who framed who, what is to become of the country, I think the most interesting question is - why are our politicians so preoccupied with anal sex la? Of all things Bala's SD just HAD to mention the anal sex bit, kan? If our country is becoming the butt of jokes, we so deserve it.

And why is it anal sex when its Najib and Altantunya but its sodomy when its Anwar Ibrahim and Saiful? Will someone care to explain this to me.

Anyway, there is really nothing much to speculate here because you get the best and juiciest on the other political blogs. Go add to Raja Petra's hits or hack someone's Malaysiakini account. Nobody knows whats the truth anymore but as my mom practices.. when in doubt, stock up on cans of sardine.


Thursday, July 03, 2008

Goldfrapp

With so many dramatic events lately, treat yourself to something totally random