Prime Minister is in Brunei for a state visit while DPM Najib is on a two-week leave. Which brings me to ask, who’s taking orders from Khairy in the next two days?
(Interestingly, Najib and the wife is going overseas. So much for Cuti-cuti Malaysia-that stupid campaign geared in making Malaysians replace overseas holidays with local ones)
I don’t smoke. But I find the government attempts to reduce smoking a bit hilarious. High taxes doesn’t seem to do it, now they’re slapping a minimum price: price floors and ceilings worked for rice and sugar, they’re only extending from experience. Cigarettes, being addictive, does not respond all to well with prices (see: price elasticity).
The Health Ministry is complaining that the price war is undercutting efforts to cut down smoking (yes, cigarette companies absorb much of the tax… honestly, they don’t hire a single economist?) But it’s not as if the government itself is not undercutting it’s own efforts. Ciggies are cheap and duty-free in Langkawi, Tioman and Labuan.
And every time I see a Tak Nak advertisement, I become just this much closer to smoking.
Ou Yang Wen Feng hosted a “church service” in some hotel yesterday here in KL in the presence of his partner of four-and-a-half years. But I guess, when you start throwing out bits and pieces of the Bible that’s not up to your fancy, why stop at homosexuality?
Ou Yang divorced his wife and seeks to be “remarried”. Sure, Jesus condemned divorce (Mark 10:11… granted, it said, “another woman”). But, you bigots, don’t take whatever Jesus says literally.
And if homosexuality is a-okay in the eyes of God, surely living with a man for more than four years might grate on His stance regarding premarital sex (1 Corinthians 7:1-2… granted, again, it says women so only heteros are banned from premarital fun).
Likewise, the grandfather Bishop Parry divorced and “remarried”. Seems like a trend. The father of three, following Biblical parenting principles, is only in contact with one of his sons.
Update: MENJ:
But this incident does tell me a lot of things. On one hand, we have the hypocrisy of the Christians regarding their cherished “human rights” when they shout their outrage at the gay pastor for coming forth with his homosexuality and deny that person’s “human rights”.
Because fundamental to human rights is “freedom from criticism”? Dumbass.
Indelible ink would be used in our next general elections. Though BN may well find a way to make it, uhm, “delible”, so its supporters can vote early and often.
A Malay and Venezuelan couple named their daughters Malaysia, Mayday and Mardeka (a deliberate misspell of merdeka).
The prime minister said that differences between Syariah courts and civil courts would be solved amicably. Sure… Pak Lah can decide two ways. Subject Syariah courts to the constitution, and thus civil court review. Or don’t.
In other words, either Islamists be frothing in the mouth, or they can randomly declare dead people as Muslims and prevent non-Muslims from scratching out “Islam” from their identity card. Granted, you could get them frothed in the mouth other ways too. Amend Syariah law to recognize same-sex unions?
A few days ago, the prime minister announced that Malaysia is unique and crap like that, being neither secular or theocratic. Which beggars belief. Yes, Malaysia has civil law – but by that account, the Vatican itself isn’t theocratic. The constitution may be, in theory, supreme. But the constitution grant the Shariah courts no civil (read: constitutional) oversight.
Neither did it require the Islamic courts to be bounded by a secular constitution.
Court precedence suggest that if all 13 Islamic authorities decided to declare everyone a Muslim, the civil courts can do absolutely nothing.
A 19-year old lad was arrested for the most grievous, heinous crime of all – not carrying is identity card. He’s been stuck in there for months, his mother is too poor to bail him out. Just as well. Can you imagine the horror of identity card-less people roaming the streets? Never mind things bribe-receiving Chief Ministers, cut-up bodies in refrigerators, or even burning murdered victims in cars — those, little trespasses of the law. The police obviously got their priorities right.
Just now (yesterday), I went with a bunch of new hostel mates to the Padang to watch the National Day Parade live on the wide screen tele (which we couldn’t see or hear). But the sea of red and white were only waiting for one thing: the fireworks. After that, it was perhaps the only time I’ve seen streets like St Andrew’s and Coleman covered with people–so much so vehicular traffic can’t pass.
But the day before, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) anniversary passed without so much as a whimper. Take a look as it’s relevancy. Peace? With bits like the East Timor massacre, hard to attribute to Asean. Trade? AFTA (Asean Free Trade Agreement) is riddled with so much holes and exemptions, it’s benefits to Aseanites it marginal if at al. Maybe democracy in Burma? Heh, forget Burma – not one Indochinese Asean member is democratic by any stretch of the word.
Maybe haze prevention then? Nadda – not only is Indonesia sticking out, the recent bad haze in northern Thailand caused by Burma (both are signatories of that trans-boundary pollution treaty shit) only shows Asean is a rather expensive talk shop.
Moving back to Singapore, I’m proud of myself. I managed to stay away from liquor throughout the entire National Day holiday. Speaking of which, you know SMU Hostel bans alcohol? You know, the same school that has not one, but two pubs on campus? And two branches of 7-Eleven that sells alcohol? The same school that gave out free beer on its anniversary? They ban not merely consumption per se but procession of alcohol in my overpriced, cramp cosy hostel room.
They can pry my scotch from my cold, dead hands.
My first post in the new place. The internet connection is sucky. And I was kinda expecting more Indians in my room. Nope, my flatmates are four mainland Chinese and one Indonesian. Oh, the joys of communication barriers.
Recommended readings