Malaysia's Independence day - Merdeka Murdeka Moodeka

Malaya (now Malaysia) achieved independence from its colonial master United Kingdom and August 31^st is celebrated as Merdeka which means Independence in Malay. Things however has not been going too well in Malaysia.

An opposition politician's aide, Teoh Beng Hock, was killed while under MACC's (Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission better know as Malaysia Agency for Cows and Cars) custody with many claiming he was murdered. Then there is the infamous protest over the relocation of a Hindu temple where protesters carried a bloodied head of a cow, an animal taken to be sacred by Hindus.

Malaysians have renamed this year's Merdeka day as Murdeka (murder) and Moodeka (moo, the mooing of the suffering cow)

Stalin tragedy statistic quote

“A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic”

Joseph Stalin

UMNO saying by Ismail Kassim

"To survive in Umno, you have to swim with the sharks and run with the tigers or you will be eaten up.”

Quoted on page 118 of the book "No Hard Feelings" by Ismail Kassim who was the Singapore Straits Times reporter in Malaysia. UMNO is short for United Malays National Organization, the ruling political party of Malaysia which is noted for its "money politics" which is another name for corruption.

ISA

My cabinet colleagues and I gave a solemn promise to Parliament and the nation that the immense powers given to the government under the ISA (Internal Security Act) would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silence lawful dissent

by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. The draconian ISA allows detention with trial but despite this reassuring undertaking, the ISA had been abused for decades to stifle political protests in Malaysia.

Racist quote - George Wallace

"In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."

George Wallace
Former Governor of Alabama

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Marcos Joke

Shortly after Dr. Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister of Malaysia, he made a study trip to the Philippines to consult Marcos on how he (Marcos) had enriched himself off his nation’s (Phillipines) wealth.

Flattered, Marcos took Dr. Mahathir to the top most floor of his office building in Quezon City, went to the window, pointed out to all the skyscrapers out there and said, ‘See those buildings. Those Government buildings were built on grossly inflated costs. The surplus cost is mine. Privately owned buildings only approved after I’m taken care of’.

Dr. Mahathir thanked Marcos for the lesson.

Years later, Dr. Mahathir extended an invitation to Marcos to visit Malaysia to see for himself how well Dr. Mahathir had learnt from that one visit to the Philippines.

Dr. Mahathir took Marcos to the top most floor of his office building, went to the window, pointed out and said, ‘See those buildings. Government buildings built on grossly inflated costs’.

‘But there are no buildings out there’, a bewildered Marcos replied.

‘I know. The entire building cost is mine’, a smiling Dr. Mahathir replied.

Vote BN or Vote DAP (Undi BN atau undi DAP)?

UMNO is United Malays National Organization, the big brother in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in rotting Malaysia which according to DAP's (Democratic Action Party) Member of Parliament and Opposition Leader practice hegemony, a step further from dominance of the Barisan. Dominance means UMNO plays major role but other component parties are given due respects. Hegemony means UMNO tells component parties to jump, and component parties jump.

From a Malaysian who wants to remain anonymous

"Undi BN, barang naik. Undi DAP (Rocket) naik bulan" (vote for BN, prices increases. Vote for DAP (Rocket), gets to the moon."

My interpretation: Getting to the moon mean technical progress by practicing meritocracy. BN responsible for rising prices because of many unfair and one sided contracts including the tolled road contracts and the IPP (Independent Power Producer) contracts where they are guaranteed huge profits at the expenses of the general public.