Malaysia Heading For Snap Polls amid 'Islamic state' squabble

Malaysia is heading for snap polls amid a controversy about the 'Islamic state' 
and a perceived return of popularity for the Barisan National (BN). In the midst 
of these indicators, don't forget to see the pace of roads being asphalted and 
the aggressive manner the pro-BN press is hammering Anwar Ibrahim together with 
the recent turmoil that shook the Party Keadilaan Rakyat (PKR).

In military circles, it is hinted that snap polls are for next year and it will 
be announced right after the breaking-ground activities of a multitude of 
'development' and 'construction' projects by the Prime Minister, Najib Tun 
Razak.

In the mean time, the government is taking heed of the advice from Tun Mahathir 
Mohamad, our former PM that the opposition is in disarray and has lost its 
glitter hence the ruling party can take advantage of that situation along with 
the rise of the 'Perkasa' to form a not so powerful regime after the elections. 

According to Tun Mahathir, the ruling coalition can re-gain at least two states 
from the Pakatan opposition. In his own words however, he said that 'maybe Najib 
can win back 'one' or two states', which is a coherent form of 'uncertainty' by 
the former PM himself. 

 On the other hand, Abdullah Badawi said it was an 'insult' as he was asked to 
comment on a statement by Anwar that he considered it an insult when countries 
hailed Malaysia as a modern Islamic nation. This piece of crap from Bernama does 
not explain anything except that there is confusion in the 'editorial' boards of 
the National news organization's way of writing news pieces!

What it had to mean was that Abdullah Badawi, trying to play a bigger role in 
the upcoming elections - remember he is still an MP at Kepala Batas - is saying 
that Anwar insulted Malaysia when he told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that it 
was something like ridiculous for Malaysia to be seen as a 'modern' Islamic 
state since Malaysia was not an 'Islamic state'.


The question that was making havoc in 2007, whether Malaysia is an 'Islamic 
state' or not, is back. This time Anwar Ibrahim is accused of insulting 
Malaysia. Lets take the issue to task for a minute. If Malaysia was an Islamic 
state, it would have directed all 'rape', sodomy, wife beating, stealing and 
other cases to the 'Syariah courts' as there would be no need for Muslims to be 
tried in non-Islamic courts for that matter.


Then if that was the case, the second sodomy saga against Anwar Ibrahim would 
have to be brought to the Syariah courts, not to the high courts! And the 
threats of putting Anwar Ibrahim behind bars for 20 years would have vanished 
just like that since under the Syariah, the prosecution and the accusers need 4 
witnesses to 'prove' that they saw Anwar Ibrahim in the act - which is not the 
case since there are no four witnesses.


Or is it possible that in a 'Modern' Islamic state, the Syariah courts are 
substituted for political reasons by the 'conventional' British inherited 
courts? The answer to this question is vital but we do not have the answer here 
so we leave it to the political mavericks to battle hard on it!


Nevertheless, Malaysia is heading for polls amid the controversy that 'Allah' 
cannot be used by non-Malays and the fact that people who were once patting in 
'muddy waters' are accusing Anwar Ibrahim of 'heresy.


Among other facts, the Bernama insisted that Anwar Ibrahim made his statement on 
the 'Islamic state' because he was trying to 'regain' international support 
after 'supposedly' being dropped by Hilary Clinton on the 'sodomy' issue. Now we 
know who are the real 'friends' of Hilary Clinton, that is if it is not Anwar 
Ibrahim, then who else than BN?

The Malaysian Tea Party

Malaysians love tea, they love the 'Teh Tarik' in particular but they also do 
love Teh O' Ais Limau. As a matter of fact, it is not surprising to say that the 
most popular drink in this country is 'tea'. However, this article is not about 
tea itself but about America's 'Tea parties' that helped a broken down, almost 
destroyed Republican Party (GOP) wrestle the 'house' from Barack Obama!

Malaysia-Today's chief, Raja Petra Kamaruddin is riding the horseback against 
the local opposition parties, accusing them of flinching in their quest for 
power and in abandoning many of the promises made during the 2008 General 
Elections.
Raja Petra is also fighting for the creation of a 'third force' not 
to counter the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but on the contrary to give the PR a boost by 
keeping 'civil societies' and ethnic groups together for the next General 
Elections, which may be held in 6 months time if we are believe rumors.

According to some logic, a third force in Malaysia will only contribute to a 
distraught performance by the PR in the next elections.
Raja Petra however does 
not agree with this theory as he insists in his editorials on Malaysia-Today 
that such a force, grouping the civil societies, the loose coalitions that 
supported the PR in 2008 and surely the group of 'liberal' thinking people will 
only add more power to the PR.

As a matter of fact, the PR is in need of 
additional support in the wake of the recent poor performances by the opposition 
coalition in the by-elections and the waves of dissent that has rocked the Party 
Keadilaan Rakyat (PKR) in particular. The Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) is only recuperating from the near break-away last year when members of the party wanted 
to sacrifice the PAS to join the United Malays National Organization (Umno).

The Umno has in a sense outpaced the opposition in this direction with the 
creation of its own 'back-up' group called the Perkasa which is the creation of 
a Malay group who is not satisfied with the Malays losing their 'Ketuanan' role. 
Ketuanan would mean the bosses, the leading ethnic group and the group that 
controls the political strings in the country. With the advent of Anwar Ibrahim 
– rather his return – on the political scene since 2004, the 'extreme' Malays 
found themselves losing their prerogatives with Anwar Ibrahim taking the lead as 
the most popular, most supported Malay political figure in the country.

The 
jailed leader came out of the black box to emerge as the potential Prime 
Minister of Malaysia, surpassing Tun Mahathir in popularity and beating the Umno 
in the 2008 General Elections only to remain in opposition after the 'betrayal' 
of 30 Barisan National (BN) members who apparently gave him their word they will 
join his PR to form a new government.

The group Perkasa may be object of the most famous 'jokes' in blogs across 
Malaysia but this does not mean the group is not doing ground work jobs to bring 
back the Malays into the Umno folds.
Using very crafted languages that could 
stir trouble in a non-Muslim majority country, the Perkasa is telling the Malays 
they are losing to the Chinese and will lose to the Indians if Anwar Ibrahim 
wins the next General Elections. They are also pressing the Najib Razak regime 
to turn 1Malaysia into a 1Malay 'Ketuanan' political and economic force. The 
group has non other than Tun Mahathir as the 'mentor' as they have his absolute 
support.

In the end, they are doing their job as the 'invisible' force that is pulling 
strings among the Malays in an attempt at eroding Anwar Ibrahim's powerful grip on a significant percentage 
of the Malay-Muslim community in the country.

Hence, the role of a 'third force' acting as the Malaysian 'Tea Party' in 
reflection to the Republican Party's Tea Party in the US, is paying out for the 
Umno. Thus, Raja Petra would be right to create the 'third force' but only if 
the 'third force' will have for aim the destabilization of the Perkasa and the 
regrouping of the 'PR' supporters under one roof, one leadership, that of Anwar 
Ibrahim.

There is no way the PR or any other opposition force to defeat the BN or the 
Umno without Anwar Ibrahim as the future Prime Minister and this the Chinese, 
Indian and many of the Malay community supporting the PR knows it well. In the 
event the 'civil societies' are 'fed-up' with the political force within the PR, 
they have to regroup themselves under a single force that will support the PR 
and counter the Perkasa. Countering the Perkasa will be the most ardent task as 
they will have to deal with Tun Mahathir, the maverick Malaysian politician who 
is not afraid of using the 'race' card in order to regain popularity.

While a third force will not be the only plausible answer to the 'Perkasa', the 
PR too has to revamp its 'manifesto' to include elements that will galvanize its 
supporters and literally 'steal' the BN supporters in the next General 
Elections!

British slander against its World Cup 2018 rivals

clik on the link: http://www.wfol.tv/columnists/5695-british-slander-against-its-world-cup-2018-rivals.html

Nalla, Ezam, Zul crying wolf form the wolf's den!

Malaysia's political scene is very murky, dirty and filled with backstabbing. This is nothing new but in the recent days, we witnessed the anti-Anwar Ibrahim bashing from a 'triumvirate' of former pro-Anwar Ibrahim preachers that left a very noxious feeling.

The non-stop bashing of Anwar Ibrahim by the three stooges who were formerly clinging to Anwar's neck is not surprising at all. They left Anwar to join the cohorts of anti-Anwar campaigners with the sole aim to cause suffering to the opposition leader and to destroy (at least attempt) the opposition. Their campaign is however causing more people to hate the ruling coalition instead and this will be proven in the near future indeed.

What the strategic planners of the Barisan National (BN) are not taking into consideration is that the daily attacks on Anwar is making the opposition leader into a household name in Malaysia – as if he was not already – but a household name that the BN cannot do without to the extent that the BN propaganda machinery has to invent stories and bring stooges to talk about him!

The fact remains that the Nalla, the Ezam and the Zul are crying wolf about Anwar and Anwar's attempt at becoming the next Prime Minister of Malaysia, which is the legitimate right of any Malaysian (Malay) politician. These stooges have the perfect idea that they will never be in a position to be the Prime Ministers of Malaysia hence their jealousy that Anwar is in the right place to be on top sooner or later!

The other thing is they have failed though to realize that they are crying wolf right from the very den of the wolves itself and they expect the sane people of the country to believe their cries. The story goes that when the real wolf come for the one who cried wolf too much too early, no body will believe them and they will be the ones who will be swallowed by the wolves!

The pitiful thing is that all three of them seem to have lost their souls and have no qualms in carrying out their daily harping about Anwar.

Now, with the Zaid Ibrahim episode which will surely end in Zaid Ibrahim being kicked out of the party Keadilaan, we can see the strategy of the BN clearly. The three were calling for Anwar to leave the political scene, to retire from politics. Today it is Zaid who is calling on Anwar to resign as leader of the party. This smells the rotten fish of local politics.

How is it that Zaid suddenly joins the gang of goons and clowns by calling on his leader, the man without whom the PKR would be inexistant, to quit the leadership of the party unless it is a clear attempt at overthrowing Anwar from his party?

Well, the dots are now connected and now that we know where the wolve's den is, we also know why Zaid is doing what he is doing...and this is what I am hearing from my visits to cafe's and restaurants!

Korean Peninsular Tension a significant problem for Asia Pacific

clik here to read more:  http://www.wfol.tv/analysis/asia/5671-korean-peninsular-tension-a-significant-problem-for-asia-pacific.html

Asia-Pacific Military Dominance: U.S. Makes Waves In South China Sea

 -The freedom of navigation which the US claims to protect is actually the freedom of the US military to threaten other countries....In advocating that free and safe navigation in South China Sea is threatened, the US is creating a false impression of a worrying situation of South China Sea to the international community. It boosts the "China threat theory" claimed by some Western politicians, distances the relations between China and Southeast Asian countries and creates new leverage to contain China's development.

Since July, US politicians such as President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have frequently mentioned on various public occasions the issue of free and safe navigation in South China Sea.
They claim that maintaining free navigation in the South China Sea is in the US national interest and oppose any actions obstructive to free navigation. If one listens to them, the South China Sea no longer seems calm and tranquil.

But there is no threat to free navigation in the South China Sea. Maintaining free navigation and ensuring a smooth trade flow is in line with the globalization era, which has already become an international consensus.

Those who act against free navigation, such as pirates and maritime terrorists, have become the enemy of all, as the traditional legal description of pirates goes, and are opposed by every nation.

The South China Sea is one of the world's busiest shipping channels with more than 40,000 vessels per year passing through.

If there were really problems, how could so many ships sail through the South China Sea frequently, safely and smoothly?

The answer is self-evident. The US is beating the drum on an issue which doesn't really exist.

Behind its high-sounding words, what exactly are US intentions?

The first aim is to maintain US military hegemony in Asia-Pacific region.

The US has been sending a variety of military surveillance ships, observation boats and survey ships to launch probes and collect national information in the South China Sea for years. It seriously threatens the security and interests of surrounding countries and undermines regional peace and stability.

Facing international opposition, the US deliberately altered the concept and then created the pseudo-proposition of free navigation in the South China Sea, trying to shape international public opinion and force littoral countries and regions to accept its increasing military detection activities.

The freedom of navigation which the US claims to protect is actually the freedom of the US military to threaten other countries.

The US is also seeking a fulcrum for its new Asia-Pacific strategy. The US government is pursuing a return to Asia. If it intends to return with a mutually beneficial attitude and open mind, this is fair enough. If it is self-conceited, intolerant to others and trapped in a Cold War mentality, it inevitably will start forming cliques.

The US is also trying to contain China through the use of the South China Sea issue.

The US has acquired many benefits from friendly cooperation with China. But China's goodwill has not received good returns from the US.

Based on a Cold War zero-sum mind-set, the US cannot tolerate the reasonable growth of China's national strength and regional influence.

It falsely claims that China will challenge US global hegemony in the future and believes that China will implement an "Asian Monroe Doctrine" while the US is too busy to look after East Asia.

In advocating that free and safe navigation in South China Sea is threatened, the US is creating a false impression of a worrying situation of South China Sea to the international community. It boosts the "China threat theory" claimed by some Western politicians, distances the relations between China and Southeast Asian countries and creates new leverage to contain China's development.

Thus, the speculation of the US over the issue of free navigation in South China Sea is in the name of a public good but for the sake of private interests. The US has no justifiable reasons to interfere the South China Sea by simply using the free navigation issue.


The author is a member of the China Institute of International Studies. ===========================
http://opinion.globaltimes.cn/commentary/2010-11/590145.html

New Zealand new ties with Pentagon

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand wants closer military relations with the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada, as well as enhanced front-line capabilities, a defense white paper said.

The goal is to improve the country's contributions to U.N. military operations in world trouble zones, with a focus on terrorist activity prevention, the 100-page document said.

The white paper was published just two days before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in New Zealand for a three-day visit, prompting one newspaper to suggest it was a perfect gift for her.

Clinton is expected to sign, before the end of her visit this weekend, a declaration confirming closer ties between the two countries. Military relations have been icy since 1986 when New Zealand banned nuclear warships from its waters. The two countries haven't had joint military exercises from that date.

The white paper firmly states New Zealand's desires for closer cooperation, including for military spending, as well as a desire for Wellington to play a bigger role in the Pacific region should the government be called upon for help.
....
On the ground the army will get more front-line soldiers and Special Air Service elite troops, while on the seas the Anzac frigates will be upgraded.

The air force is to replace its Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion, the main maritime patrol aircraft, and C-130H Hercules -- Vietnam-era transport planes -- within the next 15 years.

A program to upgrade the Orions will continue and could include self-protection equipment and anti-submarine sensors, the paper said. But they will be replaced "with an equivalent level of capability, manned or unmanned" by around 2025.

No specific planes were mentioned as an Orion replacement but analysts have said they likely would include the Airbus Military C-295, Embraer EMB-145 MP, Saab 2000 MPA and the Saab 340 MSA. Unmanned options might be the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk.

Upgrading of the five C-130Hs also will continue although they will be replaced by around 2020, the paper said. Equivalent planes on the market are the C-130J, Embraer's KC-390, or even Airbus Military's A400M.

The white paper, the first in 13 years, sidestepped a decision on the air force's two Boeing 757 transport aircraft, saying a study before the next defense review in 2015 will consider replacement options.

A similar review on replacing the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite helicopters will be completed by around 2015, and when they are due for upgrades.
....
Around 45 percent of the defense department's operating spending is on front-line activities. Savings will be sought from backroom operations where up to 1,400 military jobs have been identified as potential civilian jobs.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/11/04/New-Zealand-signals-closer-US-ties/UPI-21571288868160/