A picture says more than 1,000 words

Over the weekend the BIG event was of course the Umno Assembly. And out of it has come happenings which will have far-reaching effects for every Malaysian and the whole country's future. But I am not going to dwell on those things here today. There are better blogs you can go to for that. Instead, let's have some fun here. Yesterday's newspapers carried lots of photos of the events at the Umno Assembly. The ones below caught my attention...

(photo taken from street version of The Star)

MY: Errrr....excuse me. I think you're in my chair.

NR: Yeah. I think he knows his time is over.

PL: (No response cos he's asleep)

Niamah!!! Contest

Caption the above photo yourselves. Be creative. This might be your last chance as a Malaysian to practise a bit of free speech. No vulgarities please! We'll leave that kind of stuff to 'them', ya? The writer of the best caption will receive a dinner package for four (4) persons at Damansara Village Steamboat courtesy of the blog owner. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained. Closing date is April 1, 2009 and the winner will be announced here April 5, 2009. Have fun!!!

AND THE WINNER OF THE CAPTION CONTEST AND DINNER FOR 4 AT DAMANSARA VILLAGE STEAMBOAT IS.........

U-En who sent this.....

NR: No, you moron. That's MY chair. Wait your turn, you over-ambitious greasy-pole-climbing lecherous monkey.

AAB: You are both idiots. Wipe the Rahim Thamby Chik from your faces boyos. I never said when I'd get my narcoleptic arse out of this chair, so why don't you just--

(pause)

zzzzzz

8:17 PM

Thank you and congratulations, U-En. You've won a dinner for 4 at Damansara Village Steamboat. Please email your contact details to mortimer@gmail.com to claim your prize. To all the others who sent in captions and/or comments, thank you for your participation and for visiting Niamah!!!

And while you're at it take a look at this edited frame...

(photo taken from street version of The Star)

The faces of Malaysia's Prime Minister-to-be and also a photo of, possibly, Malaysia's future Prime Minister. Scary isn't it?:-)

Niamah!!!

What the F***!!!

Adam: What!!! You don't say!!!

Some of my friends believe that politicians, especially Malaysian ones, say the darndest things. Okay that's correct I guess. I even get a few laughs once in a while from that kind of thing happening. But these days our politicians have gone one step beyond 'darndest'. These days it seems more appropriate to say, Politicians Say The Stupidest Things.

The Star today published an interview with Azalina Othman, the minister of tourism who is embroiled in some controversy involving the MACC's investigation of her ministry and her staff for corruption. Anyway, the interview isn't what interested me. It is the usual political drivel in politic-speak which nobody really understands anyway. What caught my attention were these 2 questions the reporter asked and Azalina's answers to them. Be careful from here on because you might hurt your jaw from laughing too hard. Ready?

The Star: Why did you take your father with you? (She went to see PM Badawi on Thursday)

Her classic stupid reply: I am not married. I can't be walking alone right? Being a Muslim woman, the right person to accompany a single woman would be the father.

Huh??? What??? You are not married and so you can't be walking alone???

And then further in, the paper published this quote (with nice photo and all) from UMNO potential Deputy Prez, Muhyiddin Yassin which is so laughable it almost defies belief.

He was rubbishing Universiti Malaya's findings of a recent survey on the public's choice for the Umno deputy president and so he said,

"I also went to university. I can concoct a study to show whether I'm winning or losing."

Meaning? You also went to university so you also can concoct falsehoods? Is that what our univeristy graduates learn to do?

Not to be outdone, the Toyo fler jumps right in.

"If all the allegations were true, why attack me in the State Assembly? If there is any wrongdoing, report it directly to the MACC."

Why not accuse you in the State Assembly AND report you to MACC too? Any particular reason?

And finally, today must be a very good day for Mat Rempits all over the country. They must be laughing their heads off.

The newspaper headline read "SELANGOR POLICE TO COME DOWN HARD ON MAT REMPIT"

The state deputy police chief Jamshah Mustapha threatened that he will not tolerate Mat Rempits breaking the law. And as usual the threat was that the police will "come down hard" on them. As any ordinary Malaysian motorist will tell you Jamshah, Mat Rempits thumb their noses at the police all over the country everyday la. So your threats are as empty as politicians' promises so why waste your breath?

Motorcyclists run red lights in front of traffic policemen. They don't wear crash helmets. And the other day I saw a kap cai fler cross a junction on a red light and drive across the road to park right next to a police patrol car going the opposite direction!!! This was not on some kampung road. It was on the Sultan Ismail/Jalan Ampang junction.

Come down hard issit? Don't say stupid things la. Just shard up la. Can or not?

NIAMAH!!!

Wah this is confidence la...

Rosmah: I'm not blowing this out of proportion. God says it is his turn. Ok?

This post is a bit "yesterday's news" la but what to do? I am a slow reader so...

I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I read the news story about Rosmah Mansor proclaiming to the world that it was now her husband's 'turn' to rule. She even had what I would term a veiled threat thrown in when she was quoted as saying "Let's not do anything unethical to stop it. It is his turn."

Waaaaaaaaaahhhh!!! Is that confidence or what!!! And for good measure she even used the name of the Creator in her proclaimation. Rosmah said, "God says it is his turn, it is his turn. That is the thing we all have to accept..."

Wah liao!!! Serious ah?

NIAMAH!!!

Water, water everywhere...and it's going to cost you even more.

If you live in Selangor....If you are a concerned Malaysian....watch this embedded video......

Why? Because things might happen that will cost you, the Malaysian wage earner, lots of money. Money that you can't afford. Money that you don't have. The issue is WATER. The water that you use to cook with, drink, wash. Water that may from next month cost you up to double-digit % more. Hear how contracts are negotiated and awarded. Be amazed at RM700,000 monthly management fees. Be informed. Take charge as a Selangor-ian. Be aware as a Malaysian. Then make up your own mind.



NIAMAH!!!

A perception of priorities.

Adam: Huh? So what's that supposed to do for the safety of my house?

Of late those Federal Government flers seem to be doing a lot of things that piss me off. Is it just me being an old and grumpy fler? Is it really their vocational determination to make sure we vote the other team? I also don't know la. Ok, look at this rough chronological chain of events.

Landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa. People killed. Properties destroyed. Lives traumatised.

Residents banned from returning to their homes due to safety reasons.

Police and security staff deployed to 'guard' the area.

Government announces RM70 million plan to 'strengthen' slopes around the area.

Security staff move out almost immediately upon the announcement. I still see a couple of bored pegawai polis there in the mornings. Sometimes. Night time? Nobody. Priorities?

Some equipment (which incidentally don't really instill any confidence in anyone seeing them. Like some discards from some abandoned construction sites.) arrive accompanied by some workmen who look like untrained immigrants from a neighbouring country.

And then......the BIG push.....................our Kerajaan's idea of making sure things get done for the rakyat's benefit the quickest, most efficient way.......

They erect this........

I don't know how much will come off that RM70 million to pay for this. Look at it. It's not exactly an A4-sized proclamation. It is a full sized eyesore anchored to the ground by solid concrete pillars. Telling me that it is a project of the Federal Government. Like it is a gift. So say "Thank you" you ungrateful scum.

A sign that will stand the test of time!!! Don't know about the hill slopes though. Doesn't seem to matter even. As long as it is a.....

PROJECT KERAJAAN PERSEKUTUAN!!!

NIAMAH!!!

Stimulus or Stupidus?

Adam: Aiyoh!!! Why so stupid one?

If you turn to page N19 of The Star today you will see a full-page, full-colour advertisement taken out by the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia to say "Terima Kasih" to the Yang Dipertua of Pulau Pinang for officiating at the launch of a Tourism Malaysia campaign.

Now, call me stupid too but I just don't get it. In such economic times should much-needed public funds be spent this way? I don't know how much exactly but a full-colour, full-page advertisement in The Star must cost at least a 5-figure amount of Ringgits. And that's not counting the costs of writing, designing the advertisement. What does Azalina and her gang hope to achieve with the ad? That would benefit the cause of promoting tourism to and within Malaysia? And isn't it a part of the Yang Dipertua Negeri 's job to officiate at these functions? So why waste public money in thanking him this way?

Coincidentally, the headline news today is about the MACC investigating possible wrong-doing by the said ministry and its officials.

NIAMAH!!!

No more problem but something smells fishy.

Adam: Hmmmmm....something smells fishy....

The headline story in the printed version of The Star today made me rather suspicious. Okay, okay it is probably just me la. What? Okay, the headline read RULING CAST ASIDE. Then the box inset has a quote "With immediate effect, the importers can use the insulated containers on a voluntary basis. So, the issue over the containers is now considered closed"...Mustapa Mohamed, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister. And there was a photograph of people selling and buying fish at a market.

Normally, I would have ignored the story completely as the sight of dead fish isn't what I like to start my morning with. But it was those words that piqued my curiousity and suspicion.

"....the issue....is now considered closed"???

And a minister said that only days after the 'issue' began?

Hmmmm.....smacks of something not quite right here. Why the haste in 'closing' the issue?

Since it involved the ministry forcing fish importers to use only 1 type of containers which can be bought from only ONE supplier??? Suspicious, right? I mean if these containers would improve things for everybody then the government must press ahead in implementing its carefully thought through decision, right? (Ok la so I had a tough time trying to type that last bit with a straight face la.) If not then why come out with the ruling in the first place and why must buy from ONLY one supplier???

I love the minister's statement......"So, the issue over the containers is now considered closed." Ha! I wish some other stuff would be resolved with as much speed and efficiency.

NIAMAH!!!

Was it really smart?

UPDATE
10 March 2009

As someone who works for SMART, but was not involved at a political level I can tell you the reason why... SMART can only divert floodwaters from the Sg Klang and Sg Ampang. On this flood event, the floodwaters came from Sg Batu. SMART did everything that it could - there were no floodwaters that it could divert through the tunnel because the water came from a different area. Blame politics if you think but dont blame the operations of the tunnel.

stormwatertunnel at gmail.com

Posted by Anonymous to Niamah!!! at 1:37 PM

Photo from Bernama

Chaos as flash floods hit city........The New Straits Times

Thousands caught unawares as 2m-high flash floods hit KL..........The Star


Photo from The Sun

Flash floods wreak havoc in KL; thousands stranded...The Sun

I sympathise with the thousands of Malaysians who were caught in the massive traffic gridlock caused by floods in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas. Including my wife who took 2 and a half hours to make the journey home when it would normally take her 20 minutes.

Are you fed-up?
Are you angry?
Are you frustrated?
Are you going to say, "Hiyah naer mine la. Like that one la. Malaysia ma."

Or are you going to say/shout/scream/vote ......

"I'M MAD AS HELL AND I WON'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!"

Photo from The Sun

Maybe it is also time to ask all those YB's responsible if all those billions of our tax-payers money spent on the SMART tunnel was such a smart move after all.

NIAMAH!!!

Comment:

It was pointed out to me that...

According to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall flood information centre, the floods began at 5pm after a downpour.

Enforcement officer Chief Insp Lamli Musa said the flood waters began to recede after the Smart Tunnel was closed to traffic to enable flood operations.

So the floods began at 5 pm. Waters got up to 2 meters. Then the SMART tunnel was closed to traffic and that caused the waters to recede. Ahhhhh....I see. Stupid me! I always thought the SMART was built to PREVENT floods. Now I know that it is to make flood waters recede. Meaning that floods will still happen whenever there is heavy rains. But wait ah...what the Chief Inspector fler didn't say was that the tunnel closure also meant total, horrendous traffic grid lock. So think about it. Whatever happens WE lose. Heads they win, tails we lose. Sound familiar?

p/s Was that a Star typo or is his name really Lamli? Hahahahahaha...sorry Lamli.