sashi-isms

When I saw the front page of today’s Star newspaper, my first thought was, “Not again!”

My second thought was, “Is this gonna be 1998 all over again?”

My third thought was, “Poor Ong Ka Ting – his big news ends up playing second fiddle to the Anwar story. Can’t the MCA get a break?”

Yup, any other day, the news that MCA’s boss is stepping down would have received significant media coverage in all media pages and screens, be it mainstream or multimedia.

Not today, though.

So, as things stand, Anwar is currently the guest of the Turkish Ambassador for his own safety (whether real or perceived, but who wants to take the risk that the threats are fake?), the Prime Minister has stated that the government has nothing to do with the allegations (sorry, chief, but given the govt’s credibility, it’s gonna be hard for people to swallow that one), the kid who made the allegations (he’s younger than me, which makes him a kid ) has been named and shamed all over the net, and everyone’s buzzing with conspiracy theories (I even heard one that went that this whole thing was orchestrated by PKR themselves. Sheesh.)

Do I believe this allegation? Hell, no. I didn’t believe it the first time around either.

But that’s kinda the funny thing, ain’t it? Why on Earth would anyone trot out such a lame attempt to discredit Anwar? The BN, despite their many goof-ups, are not that stupid lah. So it makes no sense for them to pull this dead stinking rabbit out of their worn-out hat.

Here’s one theory I read that piqued my curiosity. Could this stuff have been drummed up in haste without proper planning and without consultation with people who’d have at least half an IQ point?

Could it have been cooked up by a “musang berbulu ayam“, a young man who, having failed in academia, tried, and failed, to serve his political masters, and when caught with his pants down (figuratively, at least), tried to save himself and his mission with a last ditch, but throroughly hamfisted, effort to discredit Anwar?

Ah, conspiracy theories – the Yanks certainly do not have a monopoly on them.

In the meantime, I can only pass on the advice that is being passed on by everyone to everyone else – Stay Calm.

Don’t take to the streets. Even an orderly demonstration can be turned into anarchy, thanks to a few twists of the screw made by certain people in power. And then what do you get? A suspension of the political process, a dictatorship taking over to “steer this country through this troubled times”.

Let’s sit and wait. I trust the people we have elected to Parliament to do what is right (I’m referring to the Pakatan reps, of course), and to handle the situation properly.

And if you’re the sort to believe in God, then perhaps a prayer might come in handy. Not just for Anwar and his family (and perhaps for that 23-year-old kid as well), but for this nation too.

Smashin’ Gathering for Bloggers

AMBP gathers again, and this time we’re collaborating with our friends from Cinema Online and Microsoft, both of whom will send a representative each to participate in the talks lined up.

Refreshments will be provided, so don’t pack your own lunch.

After the gathering, there will be a special screening of The Incredible Hulk, the one with Edward Norton as the green behemoth. To know how you can get invites to this special screening, read the June 1 AMBP Editor’s Note post, To gather again.

Smashin’ Gathering Details:

Date: June 14, 2008, Saturday
Time: 11.30am onwards; Movie screening: 2.00pm
Venue: Outpost Cafe, Cathay Cineleisure Damansara

I drive a rather compact car (1.3L) and I use it mainly to drive to and from work. I live only 20 minutes away (by car) from my office, and the place where I live has all the amenities and shops and places to hangout all within walking distance (except for a cinema, which is nevertheless only 10 minutes away by car).

I (used to) spend about RM65 per month on petrol, and with the 40.6% increase in the fuel price beginning today, I’d expect to pay about RM91 per month instead.

If the rebates as promised come through, I’d recoup about RM52 per month on that expenditure, meaning my total outlay per month on petrol would average out to about RM39, which means a saving of RM26 per month.

The question now is whether this monthly saving can offset the expected increase in prices of other goods I spend on per month.

Given the news of the revised electricity tariffs, and the reports of increased prices for food and other essential household needs, I most certainly doubt it.

Oh, and since a lot of bloggers are doing it, let me do it too: Read Malik Imtiaz’s Of Subsidies and Corruption.