cakap cakap...on being seventy.

Seventy today! Clear the dirty dishes. Done. Fill the water bottles. Done. Give the oven, the table, the sink etc a wipe down. Done. Dry all the dishes and pots and pans and store them away. Done. Throw the rubbish out. Done. Take the washing in, fold them up and put them away where they belong. Done. Boil water for later use. Done. Feed he cat. Done. Shower and get myself organised. Done. Cup of mango infused tea. Done. Power on my Mac. Done. Read all the birthday greetings. Done. Take my first sip of the mango infused tea. Done....now ready to blog!

Selamat pagi! It is 11.30 here in Fitzroy Melbourne...and that should make it 8.30 am in K Hell. Right this very moment my mind is a blank and I am writing on adrenaline alone....no pakai otak......just winging it...and write whatever comes to my head.

This bit that I read in my whatsapp group early this morning, about the plane this BN government has put up for sale, keeps playing in my head.

     "RM 38 juta is very cheap. Aircraft ta banyak di gunakan. (+) kejatohan nilai mata wang RM. Any commercial aircraft must fly everyday with >85% pax load for break even operating cost. Anything > 85% load is profit, sampai book value. On attaining book value, approx 10-12 yrs, is profit. Tetapi executive aircraft " bila na guna: "run up the engine, polish, bersehkan, pull out from hangar, " jalan". Bila balek masok hangar semula. Bill? , not to worry , gomen bayar! "Macam mistress, sekali sekali pakai sahaja"

That phrase "Bill? not to worry, gomen bayar" ....when our gomen pays, that means they pay with OUR money! Damm this BN gomen!

And another thought that has kept playing in my mind this morning is this thought : That Umno is not trying to win the election. That Umno is not thinking about what it will do when it wins PRU14. That Umno is not trying to get it's election machinery organised and ready to do battle with the opposition come PRU14. Those in control of Umno have accepted the grim reality that Umno is dead. All it can do now is to get together a search party....go out and try to recover what remains they can find of the Umno that once was....not a search and rescue....but a recovery mission. And what has killed Umno is Dedak, Arrogance and that which has befell those Dinosaurs that once ruled the Earth....they just outlived their usefulness in a changing world that is unforgiving of those that does not change with it!

All these thoughts are in my head as I read the birthday greetings that you all sent me. For all those greetings....thank you.

Being 70 is not just a number. I have plenty to be grateful for. My wife, my children and my grand children. We are all talking to each other. All family. I hope that will still be so for all the years that is still to come. With my own brothers and sister, I am estranged. We have not spoken with or to each other for over two decades....so I treasure my own family even more. Every day is a blessing.

Enough of this selfish meandering of the things that matters to me. I must now blog.    

Towel Head and Clare Rewcastle Brown

Response to Hadi Awang

• 30 October 2017
 
• 1 comments

Below, for the purposes of accuracy, is the Court Summary of Sarawak Report’s Defence and Counterclaim against Hadi Awang in the UK. You can also read the full 55 page defence on this link and Hadi’s initial suit on this link:

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE                                                                                             Claim No. HQ17M01386

QUEEN’S BENCH DIVISION

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS LIST

BETWEEN

HONOURABLE ABDUL HADI AWANG MP

Claimant

and

CLARE REWCASTLE BROWN

Defendant 

__________________________________________________

SUMMARY OF THE DEFENCE AND COUNTERCLAIM

pursuant to PD16 to Part 16 of the Civil Procedure Rules

___________________________________________________

SUMMARY OF THE DEFENCE

1. The Claimant claims in respect of the publication of a political commentary written by the Defendant and published by her on the Sarawak Report website from 6 August 2016 and by being sent by email to subscribers to Sarawak report in England and Wales, Singapore and Malaysia. The words complained of appear at the end of the article, in its final eight, short paragraphs. They refer to the political party PAS and to “the top echelons” of that political party. The Claimant is neither named nor identified as being the object of any statements made in the article.

Reference

2. The Claimant’s case that the words complained of were reasonably understood to refer to him is denied. The Claimant could not reasonably be understood to be referred to. Affording the Claimant a cause of action as a person referred to by the said words would be a disproportionate, unnecessary and unjustified interference and inhibition of the Defendant’s and the public’s rights to freedom of expression pursuant to Article 10 and particularly the exercise of those rights in the free discussion of political matters.

Meaning

3. The Defendant denies that the words complained of could be understood to bear either the defamatory meaning concerning the Claimant for which he contends or, indeed, any defamatory meaning concerning him.

Serious harm 

4. Section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013 requires that it be proved that publication of the statements complained of has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to the reputation of the Claimant. The Defendant denies that such harm has been caused or is likely to be caused by the publication of which the Claimant complains

An illegitimate, politically motivated claim

5. Contrary to the Claimant’s professed purpose in bringing these proceedings, the Defendant will contend that his purpose and intention has not been the legitimate one of correcting and protecting himself from serious harm to his reputation but for the illegitimate purposes of protecting the reputations and advancing the political purposes of the PAS party and his political ally, Malaysia’s corrupt and corrupting Prime Minister, Najib Razak.

Publication in the public interest

6. The Defendant also relies on the defence available to her pursuant to s.4 of the Defamation Act 2013.

7. The statements in the Article of which the Claimant complains were, or were part of, statements on matters of the greatest possible public interest, namely the corrupt and criminal history and activity and corrupting conduct and influence on the government and political and judicial processes of Malaysia and fitness for office of that country’s Prime Minister, Najib Razak.

8. Having regard to all the facts and matters set out in paragraphs 25.1 to 25.102 of the Defence and (as required by s.4(2) of the Act) all the circumstances of the case, it was entirely reasonable for the Defendant to believe that her publication of the Article including the statements complained of was in the public interest. The Defendant will contend that to find to the contrary would constitute an illegitimate interference with her and the public’s Article 10 rights wholly disproportionate to any countervailing need to protect or vindicate the Claimant’s reputation rights.

Truth

9. The Defendant also relies on the defence of Truth available to her pursuant to s.2 of the Defamation Act 2013.

10. If and in so far as the words complained of were reasonably understood to convey an imputation defamatory of the Claimant, that imputation is substantially true. The Defendant will prove that as the President of the political party PAS the Claimant has knowingly allowed that party to be compromised and corrupted morally and politically and the democratic process to be undermined by senior party personnel accepting and personally benefitting from enormous secret payments of money from the corrupt Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak, paid to undermine and draw PAS away from the Opposition coalition.

11. In the premises the Claimant is not entitled to damages as sought, whether aggravated or at all. Nor is he entitled to injunctive relief.

SUMMARY OF THE COUNTERCLAIM 

12. The Claimant has colluded with the Malaysian government of Najib Razak and their agents to exploit these proceedings as part of their propaganda efforts to exonerate Najib Razak and disable and discredit the Defendant and Sarawak Report in its justified campaign that Najib Razak be removed from office and brought to justice for his corrupt and criminal conduct.
13. The Claimant, whether himself or by his agents, has either been party to the publication of a series of articles viciously and racially abusing, defaming and harassing the Defendant on The Third Force website and on the Malaysia Today website, or has aided and/or abetted and/or counselled and/or procured those publications by passing information concerning these proceedings to those agents of the Malaysian government of Najib Razak.

14. Those publications amount to harassment, proscribed by s.1(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Pursuant to s.3 of that Act, the Defendant claims damages for the severe stress, anxiety and distress caused her by those publications and an injunction restraining the Claimant from further harassment of the Defendant.

HARVEY STARTE

STATEMENT OF TRUTH

I believe that the facts stated in these Particulars of Claim are true.

For the full claim and defence click on the links below:

WRIT HADI 24365728-v1-PARTICULARS OF CLAIM

Quickies : No money say lah no money!

Dave Low

 · 

No Money say lah no money
Go pinjam from Along lah - dont be shy

“The companies or agencies concerned should have been able to fulfil payments to the third parties who have rendered their services,” said Zolkples, adding that all payment applications had to adhere to the procedures set by the Treasury.

Meanwhile, Masoc said it had paid the allowances of most of its volunteers although there were still some who had not been paid due to technical reasons including incorrect bank details.

Zolkples said payments would have been made earlier if the 16 Masoc sub-committees had submitted their complete payment requests according to procedures set by the Kuala Lumpur Finance Committee 2017.

SEA Games organisers says artistes to be paid by end Nov | Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: All artistes who performed at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games…

FREEMALAYSIATODAY.COM

Selamat Pagi Malaysia.

Datuk Melayu, Cina or India...teach him a lesson he will never forget! And of course the Datukship is from Pahang! Pay ma!

Lelong...lelong...this BN government really is short of cash!

Judi and Prostitution are sources of income for PDRM....How to dedah?

PDRM buru Datuk Datuk Seri Tan Sri dalangi sindiket perjudian negara

PDRM mendedahkan terdapat dalang dan ketua sindiket perjudian di negara ini…

ASTROAWANI.COM

I wrote this on 24 September 2014...and it still applies today! 

Prostitution is a source of income for PDRM.

A video documentary showing the reality of underage prostitution in Kuala Lumpur is "lopsided" as Malaysia does not have a sex "industry", police told The Star Online today.

The Star's news portal quoted the Secret Societies, Gambling and Vice Division principal assistant director SAC Datuk Roslee Chik as saying that Malaysia's sex trade was "not that big".

"Sex is not an industry in Malaysia, the term 'sex activities' is more accurate," he was reported saying.

He told the portal that the word "industry" implied that the profits derived from prostitution in Malaysia was as big as in Thailand, where prostitution is legal.

steadyaku47 comment: I wrote the following article in May 2010. Nothing has changed!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Prostitution - a source of income for PDRM.

INTEGRITI AMALAN KITA? HUH?

                  

15 foreign masseuses held at reflexology centre

JOHOR BARU: Fifteen foreign female masseuses were detained in a raid at a traditional reflexology centre in Jalan Pingai, Taman Pelangi here last week. Of the 15 women, eight of them were believed to be victims of a human trafficking syndicate.

The eight, seven Cambodians and an Indonesian, between the ages of 18 and 20, were believed to have been brought into the country legally under the pretext of securing jobs in factories.
The raid was conducted by a team from the Federal Police Anti-Vice, Gaming and Secret Societies (D7) division following a tip-off.

     Let me tell this as it is – as it should be told rather then the above media headlines which seems to tell us that PDRM is on top of everything. In this matter what they are on top off is open to conjecture. I want to say here categorically that 90% of these “reflexology centre” in this country are fronts for prostitution. Full stop!

     Let us take Jalan Bukit Bintang. The massage centers, SPA, reflexology centers on that street and on the side street running off Jalan Bukit Bintang are centers for prostitution. The Massage Center at the Federal Hotel – a center for prostitution that not only has the vice squad officers on a monthly retainer but also entertains them on a need basis – not their needs but PDRM needs. This massage center is confident enough to have Malay girls on their premises without fear of being raided by PDRM or the religious authorities.

     You can see the cars carrying these ladies of the evenings to and fro along these streets delivering them to the various hotels and massage parlors for them to do their “business” and their business is prostitution!  Chinese from China, Cambodians, Thai, Burmese’s, Indons, Russians – for a price they can all be got in Jalan Bukit Bintang.

     Stake out the back of Federal Hotel – the road between the Hotel and the Bowling alley – and you see the activities of these pimps with their females. Gone are the days when only Protons were exclusively used (a fact that Mahathir would have approved – the use of Proton I mean!) – but no longer because Proton cars die too soon though you do see them sometimes – but there is no denying the existence of these pimps and their charges – and where are the Police? Where are the Federal Police Anti-Vice and D7 officers?

     I am accusing them of complicity  - if not all of them then the majority of them. Of complicity in ensuring that not only do the trade in these females flourish but it also stays beyond the reach of the law and religious authorities. Are you telling me that PDRM is not aware of these activities? That the IPK Selangor situated in the heart of things – in front of the Pudu Jail -  is totally ignorant of this lucrative business in Bukit Bintang?

     I tell you that they are in cahoots with the heavenly kings that control this trade. I tell you that the senior officers are receiving monthly retainers to turn a blind eye for amounts of Ringgits that would tempt many of us to want to join PDRM in droves. I tell you that this rot snakes itself from the lowest ranked constable to whoever is needed to ensure that the trade continues to thrive.

     As Sgt Schultz of Hogan Heroes said “Shoud it ever happen again I will report you to your superior officer and then to his superior officer and even to his superior officer. I will report it all the way up until it comes back to me and if I ever report it to myself…you are going to be in trouble!”

So all bases have to be covered and it starts with complicity at the highest level in PDRM.

     Where should PDRM start if they want to clean up Bukit Bintang from these activities? Pick any of these establishments. Any one of them and do a stake out in the open. Just place a police patrol car out front or at the back entrance.  Take photos of anyone visiting. That will stop all the customers from frequenting these places. When the customers stops coming – the business closes. The girls have no jobs and they will have to go back to Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia – wherever they came from. No worries about them not being able to leave just because they have overstayed. A system already exists between them and Immigration to allow them to leave anytime they want once they have paid what the immigration officers wants to allow them to leave our country without any hassle….see how accommodating immigration can be when there is something in it for them on a personal level!

     So Mr. IGP – are you denying that you and your officer turn a blind eye to these activities? The public who frequent Bukit Bintang can see what is happening. The Public does not have to stake out any establishment. They do not have to spend hours investigating what is going on  - it is there in front of their eyes! Is PDRM idea of passive containment for mutual gain?

     I am not even going to write about Jalan Chow Kit ! If you cannot manage Bukit Bintang then let us just pretend that the drugs dealing and the flesh trade in Chow Kit does not exists. Let us just pretend that all is good in that part of town. But do not think that we do so because we are heeding your demand that we leave PDRM in peace to do their job.

     Why IGP are you telling us to let a sleeping tiger alone? That PDRM is the sleeping tiger? Huh! You stand up and talk your head off about us doing what PDRM wants us to do. You go on and on about PDRM being maligned and bad mouth by the public. Mr IGP Tan Sri Sir you choose to not see what your officers are doing. We cannot because we are at the receiving end of it all. We bear the brunt of your PDRM thugs pushing their weight around in order to line up their pockets. Your constable on the beat have to work hard for their share of our money because after all their officers are getting monthly pay-off of up to $20K to $30K a month in Bukit Bintang alone. And these are not figures I pick out of the air. Go to IPK Selangor and see for yourself what car your officer drives, what car their wives drives – and just for the fun of it – search the pockets of each and everyone in that IPK building and see what you get! 

    So much corruption. So much abuse of power. So much complicity in crimes with the criminal elements of Kuala Lumpur. And so many of your officers involved. …and you wonder why we look upon PDRM with contempt and disgust? 

Stupidity : Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!

Two more Mara Digital Mall outlets to open by early 2018: Ismail Sabri

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View dari Pullman Hotel, Bangsar If nak ke Shah Alam, mohon elak dari guna federal highway. Banjir kilat.

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Terence Netto : Ops Lalang: To Apologise Or Not to Apologise, that is a Futile Exercise

by Terence Netto

http://www.malaysiakini.com

As a choice for the immediate future, Najib is execrable whereas Mahathir is merely reprehensible.–Terence Netto

COMMENT | The push to get Dr Mahathir Mohamad to apologise for Operasi Lalang is futile because it fundamentally misperceives his political persona.

He is a practitioner of Machiavellian craft. To a Machiavellian, admission of error or weakness is abjured because that is a sign of weakness.

As a national and transformative leader, Mahathir is one of the more successful deployers of Machiavellian political craft since Otto von Bismarck.

The ‘Iron Chancellor’ in the 19th century welded the Prussian principalities into a united German nation by dint of his skill at pushing for the attainment of his objectives through the tactic of restraining contending forces by manipulating their antagonism.

As Prime Minister over a 22-year span (1981-2003), Mahathir was skilled at destroying opponents in UMNO, mainly, as well as outside his party, by manipulating their weaknesses.

This skill had enabled him to stay in power over an extended period – too long for the health of a polity – to achieve his aim of transforming the country from a primary commodity producer to a manufacturing one.

It was a successful span, given that the economy grew and the middle class burgeoned, as that class must if a country is to climb out of Third World classification to a higher position in the global economic order.

Mahathir built up the country physically and emasculated it morally. The institutional life of the country petered out under his rule.

Mahathir won’t say he’s sorry for, as the then Home Minister, signing on in October 1987 to the detention of 106 political and social activists, several of whom are clamouring for an apology for grave wrongs from the current chairperson of the movement to depose Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Many think an apology for his misdeeds is imperative for Mahathir to begin to be credible as a reformer.

His detractors argue that sans an apology, he would be prone to replicate his wrongs, to borrow with a twist George Santayana’s famous aphorism that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

True, the movement for political change in Malaysia suffers from discouraging, though not disabling, inauthenticity on account of Mahathir’s misdeeds.

Several of his transgressions against liberal democratic norms have been leveraged to the detriment of the Malaysian polity by its incumbent supremo, Najib.

But unless one regards voters in most democracies as apt to be faced with a selection between good and better, rather than what the philosopher Edmund Burke envisaged, as a choice between the undesirable and the intolerable, Mahathir’s misdeeds over his 22-year premiership (1981-2003) are not a fatal disqualification for the role of majordomo of the movement for political change in Malaysia.

As a choice for the immediate future, Najib is execrable whereas Mahathir is merely reprehensible.

Another five years of Najib’s premiership will be the prelude to perdition, as he seeks to hide what can no longer be camouflaged: nation-debilitating larceny on a stupendous scale.

Though he has denied wrongdoing, it rings hollow. In the main, he is believed only by people in whose interest it pays to abide his denials.

Even if he is a risky alternative, at 92, Mahathir can only have a limited turn as pilot of the ship of state, should the opposition Pakatan Harapan win the next general election (GE14).

If his turn at the stern is to be nasty and brutish, as detention under the Internal Security Act was, it will almost certainly be short.

A nonagenarian, even one of Mahathir’s formidable spirit and longevity, cannot hope to last long in the pressured role as Prime Minister.

Actually, the Harapan of PKR, DAP and Amanah should contrive to use Mahathir for its purposes more than he is wont use to others for his covert ends.

Their use of each other illustrates Charles de Gaulle’s dictum that in politics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies; only interests are permanent.

A Buku Jingga-like manifesto for Harapan and a Harapan leaders’ declaration pledging consensus on major issues as the coalition’s mandatory modus operandi would tilt the balance against deviation.

It’s a wiser, viable and more likely winning strategy than getting a man of Machiavellian craft to do something that goes against the grain of his persona.

---

TERENCE NETTO has been a journalist for more than four decades. A sobering discovery has been that those who protest the loudest tend to replicate the faults they revile in others.

Laughter....

Ø Husband to wife,
"Today is a fine day"
Next day he says : Today is a fine day. Again next day,
he says same thing.

Today is a fine day. Finally after a week, the wife can’t take it and asks her husband – since last one week, you are saying this “Today is a fine day’. I am fed up. What’s the matter?

Husband : Last week when we had an argument, you said, “I will  leave you one fine day.”

I was just trying to remind you……

Ø  A bookseller conducting a market survey asked a woman – “Which book has helped you most in your life?”
The woman replied – “My husband’s cheque book !!”

Ø A prospective husband in a book store “Do you have a book called, ‘Husband – the Master of the House’?

Sales Girl : “Sir, Fiction and Comics are on the 1st floor!”.