Let the Felda Settlers eat cake and other stories.

Ariff Alfian.

As expected Ariff Alfian,the Gay Petronas scholar, bashing has started in earnest with no less a media then the doyen of our government owned media – NST – leading the charge. The emphasis is on the ‘whopping’ RM890,000 education loan his aged parent will have to repay Petronas. Will Petronas go after these warga emas to get back their RM890,000 education loan to Ariff? Possibly not. But then that would take away the central argument by NST that “it's never okay to scandalise our nearest and dearest, cause them grief, and then leave them to pick up the pieces.” I have had enough of sex (from any angle) being used to generate interest in any story in this Islamic nation of ours. This one will be  used by the powers that be to emphasize that once again UMNO is championing Islam by going after Ariff.

First it's cronyism, now race creeps in.    

This is about the continuing saga of the turbulent times that Penang DAP is now going through.

“The attempt to put a lid on the simmering feud between two top leaders in the state has been disrupted by protests, including one in Klang, Selangor, over the weekend.

The latest protest by a group of about 15 people was not widely reported, but what they did definitely had an explosive effect.

The group, claiming to represent three Indian non-governmental organisations, had gathered to demand an apology from Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer and Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Tanasekharan”.

Come on lah…15 people representing three Indian NGO? That makes it an average 3 people per NGO! Aisehman there are usually more people around the rojak stall in Jalan Ipoh at any time of the day.

Najib: Second Financial Sector Blueprint reinforces Govt. initiatives. 

The second 10-year Financial Sector Blueprint (FSB) will reinforce the government's initiatives to drive Malaysia to become a fully-developed nation by 2020 while keeping the development and growth agenda to be inclusive and sustainable.

I did not know that the government initiatives to drive Malaysia to become a fully developed nation by 2020 needed ‘reinforcing.’ It had the usual comforting soundbites emphasizing the usual “Malaysia’s growth potential,” “opportunities for risk diversification,” “cement Malaysia’s leadership in Islamic finance,”  - all right sounding phrases that inspire confidence and a sense of stability in our nation’s .

And just to be sure Najib threw in “that like the New Economic Model (NEM) and the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), the new blueprint also emphasised on balanced and inclusive growth”. The same tired words being used over and over again.

'Settlers to get windfall from Felda Global listing'

According to the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department the settlers are going to get the windfall – not Isa Samad or UMNO but the settlers.

"Besides, the profits to be derived will be enjoyed in the form of dividends and can benefit the 224,000 KPF members, and the (income from the) surge in the KPF investment value will be distributed to the settlers by way of special awards,"

He also said that the listing, which was expected to take place next year, would benefit not only the Felda population but also the people and nation as a whole.

And it seems that the people of this nation – that’s you and me – would also benefit! Ok its settled then –go for listing! Who is going to stop this ‘corporate’exercise anyway? Even I can’t understand what UMNO is doing with FELDA – do you think the settlers care? As Mary Antoinette said “ Let them eat cake”...this is exactly how Isa Samad and Najib thinks and treat these Felda Settlers.

Former Selangor exco acquitted of graft charge.

Outside the courtroom, an emotional Shariff, who was trying not to cry, said that he was grateful to his lawyer, Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who had put up a convincing argument in court, resulting in his acquittal.

Shafee meanwhile told reporters: "This is the end of the three big cases. There was Tan Sri Eric Chia (former Perwaja Steel managing director), Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam (then Land and Co-operative Development Minister) and Datuk Shariff.

"In all three cases, the accused were acquitted.

"Datuk Shariff should not have been charged in the first place as there was no merit from the very beginning," he said.

Right on! Eric Cheah and Kasitah Gaddam wre acquitted because there was no merit in their cases! A triumph for justice as she is practised under the Barisan NAsional government.

As for Shafee Abdullah I want to repeat what I said of him earlier : “He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.  ~George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859