My name is Cass and I am an Ebay junkie

And thanks to watching me receive my numerous packages, a colleague confided in me that he too was browsing antique cow bells.  

Indeed, there is a compulsive shopper in all of us. And yes, we harbor dark secret desires.  I am getting my tartan skirt in a week or two and the cowbells.. well.. if we receive a noisy package, I will look away discretely. 

Selamat Hari Raya

Maaf Zahir Batin

KL to fight ‘Islamophobia’

The Star 26 Sept

NEW YORK: Malaysia has pledged to be at the forefront of an international effort to fight “Islamophobia”.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said that Malaysia had agreed to work with the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to play a more positive role in the effort.

To counter the “illogical” portrayals of Islam, he said an international forum would be held early next year in the United States to be attended by the heads of government, scholars and representatives from organisations linked with religious tolerance.

In discus sion: Dr Rais (left) in talks with Commonwealth Secretary- General Kamalesh Sharma (right) and his counterpar t from Uganda Sam Kutesa on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting in New York on Wednesday. — Bernama

Briefing Malaysian journalists here on Wednesday of his meeting with OIC secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsa-noglu, Dr Rais said there should be a more accurate portrayal of the religion.

The minister, who is leading Malaysia’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly here, said the OIC had expressed the need for Malaysia’s involvement in the effort.

“If we, as a member nation of the OIC, do not give our co-operation, then we would be failing as a member of the OIC,” he added.

Dr Rais said the United States was picked to host the forum because of “the diverse views of religions here.” “This is also where Sept 11 took place,” he said, referring to the terrorist attacks here in 2001.

He also hoped that the forum would open a new window to better understanding of civilisation, adding that he would present a report to the Cabinet on the plans for the forum.

Monster says: Personally I find it ironic (re: laughable) that Malaysia, of all nations, seeks to engage with representatives linked with religious tolerance.

This is when as Malaysian citizens:

• we are not allowed to hold dialogues on religion freedom (re: Article 11 forums)
  
• unable to sit together to address common issues and religion concerns (re: shooting down of attempts to set up the Inter-faith Commission)
  
• dissuaded from discussing conversion (re: Bar Council’s attempt at its highly politicised public forum)
  
• being intimidated from writing one’s mind over religion (re: RPK’s detention in Kamunting by virtue of s8 ISA )
  
• do not have clear recourse to justice when there is a conflict of jurisdiction. (Re: Shamala Sathiyaseelan v Dr. Jeyaganesh C. Mogarajah;   Moorthy Maniam). There is no progress towards pluging this lacuna because the initiatives by the Bar Council and civil groups have so far failed, and the government does not seem to see a need to legislate.

Hence before our government intends to take on the world in speaking about religious tolerance and dispelling “islamophobia”, perhaps it should take a good hard look in its own backyard and look towards dispelling its own institutionalised “christianophobia”, “hinduphobia”, “buddhistophobia”, all what is essentially its “non-muslimophobia”.  

It’s a two way street. I will defend your right to embrace whatever organised religion or belief system you have. Go ahead. Be an atheist if that suits you. And I seek not your approval nor acceptance of my beliefs, but I seek that you accept that I have a right to mine. And that we all stand equal as fellow human beings.

And if we are as secure in our beliefs as we say we are,  there will be no need for fear, intimidation or disrespect because we will hold true to our common religious values of peace, humility and wholesomeness.  

But then, who ask me to be an idealist. End up I am so constantly disappointed.

Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold

I think I have posted Yeats here before. Yet at this point, none is as poignant and accurate of the current state of affairs, both political and personal. 

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

From Icanhascheezburger.com

Sex, Lies and Forwarded news

It never fails to give me a good chuckle. 

If you browse The Star's online portal, while the headlines will scream of one political scandal or another, you can bet that most times the Most Read bit of news would be something tittlitating and far more interesting. If not in the Most Read, then definately in the Most Emailed.

Take today for instance.The headlines annoounced the law minister's resignation. And it even made it to the most read news. But the most emailed is "Report Over Wife Who Has Affair With State Rep". 

Just goes to show.   

Finally, a stateman in government

KOTA BARU: The Internal Security Act (ISA) should not be used against civilians, de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said.

The Act should only be used against terrorists or those trying to topple the Government by force, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said at a press conference at his home here on Sunday.

He was commenting on the arrests of three people -- Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kama rudin and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng -- under the ISA.

Tan has since been released.

“I will seek a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to have a frank discussion about this issue to seek his views as soon as possible,” he told reporters.

“I know I am breaking rank here ... I am prepared to face the consequences. If I am told to resign, I will do so.

"I am not a trouble maker and I don't want to cause any trouble for the Prime Minister, but I have my principles and will always be a vocal critic of the use of the ISA.

"I joined his administration to make changes and everybody knows, I am also for a more open form of media reporting," he added.

Zaid said it was time for the Federal Government to revert to the original spirit of the ISA, which was enacted to curb Communism and today should be used only on armed terrorists or those out to topple the Government by force.

“I am not calling for a repeal of the ISA, but it should only be use when there is a real threat to national security, such as armed terrorists, and not on civilians,” he said.

He said by using the ISA randomly, the Government was sending out a message that it does not trust the capabilities of its own enforcement agencies, such as the police, in maintaining peace.

There are ample punitive legislations such as the Penal Code, Sedition Act and criminal defamation to take against those who break the law or are involved in activities which may destabilise the Government, without having to invoke the ISA, Zaid said.

He said the use of the ISA also gives the impression of “selective prosecution” as the Government cannot incarcerate everybody.

“In this latest episode, we (the Government) have generated an impression of selective prosecution since no action was taken against the person who allegedly uttered seditious remarks.

“We are saying that we are only acting against those who are disloyal to us.”

“The Government needs to change and Cabinet members need to realise this -- we have to be progressive.”

Asked whether the ISA was likely used because of strained “race relations” which may undermine national stability, Zaid said that while he placed paramount importance on national stability, the role of the Government was to find solutions, not to make matters worse.

“I agree we have many issues and sensitivities to address but for me, racial disharmony is a seasonal thing in Malaysia. We must engage in open dialogues and discussions to resolve these issues,” he said.

On whether the ISA was used because the court process may be too long, Zaid noted that the Government never even attempted to use the court system first -- instead, it simply went ahead with using the ISA first.

“If our court system is too slow, we must ... make it more efficient by hiring more prosecutors, while the police must conduct proper investigation to acquire credible evidence,” he said.

- The star.

BN digging its own grave

Today democracy has died been dealt a severely blow. I guess, I can't not talk about politics. Especially now. 

With the arrest of RPK,  Tan Hoon Cheng and Teresa Kok under s73(1) of the Internal Security Act it looks like the government is indeed seeking to gag the opposition. 

You'll see this section used alot. To understand this section lets go back to what is the ambit of the act: 

Section 8(1) of the ISA provides that ‘(i)f the minister is satisfied that the detention of any person is necessary …’ then s/he may issue an order for his/her detention. The three grounds given in Section 8(1) upon which the order may be based is where a person has acted in any manner prejudicial to the:

a) security of Malaysia or part thereof; or

b) maintenance of essential services; or

c) economic life.

In that light, s73(1) says:

"Any police officer may without warrant arrest and detain pending enquiries any person in respect of whom he has reason to believe that there are grounds which would justify his detention under section 8 (below); and that he has acted or is about to act or is likely to act in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to maintenance of essential services therein or to the economic life thereof."

 

Section 8 ISA: Power to order detention or restriction of persons. "(i) If the Minister is satisfied that the detention of any person is necessary with a view to preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to the maintenance of essential services therein or the economic life thereof, he may make an order (hereinafter referred to as a detention order) directing that that person be detained for any period not exceeding two years."

Although it says two years but there are provisions that allow the minister to just renew the detention for another 2 years indefinitely. And there are NO safeguards because its detention without trial.   

So they slap the racist Ahmad Ismail  who readily admitted to uttering the racial slurs with a 3 year suspension from Umno and they lock up the journalist who reported it.  Logic ke? So they are indeed prosecuting her for exposing what pigs BN politicians really are.  

But what is Teresa Kok in for? RPK, well we knew he had it coming sooner or later. 

Well, whatever it is, get ready for an opposition goverment if not by end of September, in the coming years. Its ok. We can wait. makes kicking out BN all the more sweeter. 

 

Can we populate the moon?

Are you making any sense of what is happening in Malaysia at present? It defies logic and common sense. Things are just insane. 

Bet my mom is stocking up on tins of sardines. 

I am just too disgusted to be commenting on politics at present.  So lets not. 

Oo look. A butterfly.

Despite the doomsayers and the idiot politicians spewing vitriol 

its a beautiful day! 

These Eyes I Have Known Before

These eyes I have known before
but, unlike countless others, I can't ignore
these icy blues with snowy whites
that hold me firm within their sight
and pin me to the floor.

No-- these eyes are more, much more
than the many weaker ones that I have known before
no-- these eyes are unquestionably stronger
than the countless others (though, I've known them longer)
and cannot their gaze ignore.

Yes, these eyes I have known before
yet, I do not know what they hold in store
for me and my dual browns
these eyes, content to stare me down
pinned upon the floor.

- Gary C. Daniels

Storm in a teacup, sex in a handbag

Love at first sight. That was what it is. I kid you not. Forget smitten. Forget crush. This is lurve, baby.

Very rarely, and when I say rarely I mean as rare as a politician who keeps his promise, do I fall this hard. The sweaty hands, the inability to think of anything else, the kan-cheong ness.

Haiya, hurry up and tell us the juicy bits, I hear your brain going.

Before I blow your sordid mind, I am referring to shopping.
Men, you can click Next Blog now.

Ladies, you know what I am talking about. If orgasms can be achieved through shopping, we can minimize heartbreak and we'd be a far happier lot.

Being head over heel with merchandise, that mon ami is quintessential true love. Its all there, no hidden agendas, no expectations beyond what is there, sitting patiently on the shelf, honest and pure, seductively calling your name in dulcet tones that only you can hear.

So that is how I ended up paying top dollar for a non-designer leather hobo bag. Still reeling but what is money between lovers.