I actually wanted to write about the ISA law in Malaysia, (refer to my previous post), but then a friend sent me a video that I believe everyone should see. So, I will write about the ISA in my next post.

Coming to the video in question, it is a in essence a video about 9/11. I know many people are already bored with 9/11 but this is precisely the reason why I'm writing this post. 2,973 people lost their lives. Two wars were waged, with one still ongoing. Thousands more died from the repercussions of 9/11.

I still remember that day. September 11 2001. I remember what I was doing. I was actually watching WWE Smackdown on the telly. Then suddenly, the broadcast was interrupted and a newscaster came on TV and started reporting on the unfolding tragedy in New York. I remember seeing one of the towers in flames and thick heavy smoke billowing up. I couldn't react and I could only watch the live news coverage. And then came the pivotal moment. I saw the second plane approach and hit the second tower. My mind went numb and when it finally registered, hot anger surged through me. How can anyone perpetrate such atrocity?? The people who did this must pay! Someone must pay! Thoughts raged through my mind.

Fast forward to present. I lost a friend in 9/11. All they found of him was his thumb and a finger. A total of 2973 people died. But numbers mean nothing. Numbers are nothing but figures, a statistic. 2973 people died. Friends, fathers, mothers, children, husbands, wives, grandmothers, grandfathers. Someone's uncle, someone's aunt, someone's family. Firemen,policemen and rescue workers.

People tend to forget. 6 years on, people think of 9/11 as a passing cloud. It hasn't been helped by the paranoid people who invented conspiracy theories and all those nonsense. Forget about the 'false flag operations', 'government conspiracy', 'Bush is really the Devil in disguise' crap. Remember only that 2,973 people died. They lost their lives. 2,973 people. I lost a friend. It hurts. Someone out there has lost a parent or a relative or a friend. A child could have lost his or her parents and left orphaned. A family could have lost their breadwinner. Imagine how hurt they would feel.

It's easy to sit in a chair, watch the news and say, "Oh my god! That's awful". It's true what they say, you only feel the pain if you yourself are hurt.My rage and anger still boils within. I have never forgotten 9/11. I never will...

Is this fair?

I was recently contacted by a friend from Malaysia. She is 19 years old and just finished her STPM(highest secondary school exam in Malaysia, purportedly to earn a place in a public University. She was at first elated when she got the result for her exam, as she had managed to acquire a decent CGPA of 3.25. She thus applied for a course in a public University, confident she would have a place.

However, imagine her surprise when the University placement results came out, she wasn't offered a place in any university for any course at all!She was confused, sad and hurt as she was the only daughter and her sick, elderly parents had placed high hopes on her on succeeding. She came from a modest working class background and as such, she couldn't afford any private universities. The public university was her only option at getting out of her poor life. For a few days, she drifted in and out of depression and she couldn't bear to see the disappointment on her parents faces.

Then, imagine her surprise, when she found out her classmate, who had a lower CGPA of 2.9, got a public university place!!She who had a higher CGPA had missed out whereas her friend with the lower CGPA got a place. Both had excelled at co-curricular activities, achieving similiar marks, the only difference is academically, my friend had a higher CGPA, which should make her the choice to get the University place!

Malaysia officially practices a system of meritocracy when determining a place for public universities. In the past, the country practiced a quota system, where each race is allocated a certain quota of students that will be admitted. The system favoured the majority Malay race, with them receiving a whopping 50% share of the quota followed by the Chinese with 30% and Indians 10% and others 10%. This system was abandoned after many years of practice after protests from sides that argued it was very unfair, denying many gifted students and poor students entry into public University.

My question is, now, since Malaysia 'practices' meritocracy in determining University placements, how come the complainant was denied a place while her friend with the lower CGPA and equal co curricular marks was accepted? Why can't they make the selection process more transparent? Just for the record, the complainant's friend was of a different race. Malaysians will get my meaning.

I dug a bit deeper and I found a story, as reported by The STAR newspaper on the 20th June 2007. The story can be viewed at the link below

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/20/nation/18074809&sec=nation


Please, I urge you, do read the story. It is very, let's say, eye opening. Read the story and put two and two together. I also found a passage from the website of the independent publisher Malaysiakini, which several times has been embroiled in controversy for whistle blowing and allegations of government corruption. The passage reads,

'Is there an ulterior motive for the government to be doing what they are currently doing? Keep feeding the Malays with the ‘feel good’ feeling so that they will keep supporting the government no matter how corrupt the government has become?'


Hmmm... It makes you think doesn't it? Is the Malaysian government practicing a covert quota system, favouring the majority race at the same time, sidelining the other component races? Is the word 'meritocracy' is nothing but a cover and instead they are still practicing the quota system, albeit unknown to the masses? Why can't they make the selection process transparent? Do you think I'm just a paranoid schizophrenic guy high on pot and spouting conspiracy theories? Well, 99 % of my Malaysian friends agreed with me privately, because publicly, they can't say anything, due to the ISA law (Internal Security Act). I'll explain this draconian and outdated law in my next posting.

Oh, yeah, about my friend. I encouraged and helped her to apply to a foreign university where she was accepted immediately, with even a partial scholarship. That says a lot, doesn't it?

Please leave comments on this article. (Please understand that all information will be treated private and confidential but if you don't have the balls to say it publicly in the comments, you can always e-mail me privately. But that would make you no balls.. Hmmm... HAHA..) Have a nice day!!

a brief view of the world...

Hmmm... Iran wants to put into law a bill that would allow them to execute porn stars. Iran's Parliament has labeled porn stars as 'corruptors of the world', a very serious label in the Muslim world. Indeed, such accusations, under Islamic Penal Code, carries a death penalty. This is all in the wake of Iranian actress Zahra Amir Ebrahimi's leaked private porn video. The draft Bill also included death penalties for directors, producers, cameramen and of course the stars.

Hmmm... I suppose where else can you get executed for having sex on camera. A point to ponder, actually.

Meanwhile, a still developing story in Washington sees two former White House officials, Harriet Myers and Sara Taylor, being subpoenaed by the Congressional Committees investigating the firing of US attorneys. I'm getting information that the committees also intend to subpoenas are going to be issued for White House documents and a former White House counsel. It seems that certain elements within the White House had pushed for all 93 prosecutors in view of partisan concerns in that they are not doing enough to prosecute Democrats on voter fraud charges and going too far in pressing corruption charges on Republicans. White House, as usual, has denied these 'unfounded allegations'. Yeah, and they actually expect us to believe that? :)

A disturbing news has caught my eye. A woman who lay bleeding on the emergency room floor of a troubled inner-city hospital died after 911 dispatchers refused to contact paramedics or an ambulance to take her to another facility, newly released tapes of the emergency calls reveal. Edith Isabel Rodriguez, 43, died of a perforated bowel on May 9 at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. Her death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Relatives said Rodriguez was bleeding from the mouth and writhing in pain for 45 minutes while she was at a hospital waiting area. Experts have said she could have survived had she been treated early enough. County and state authorities are now investigating Rodriguez's death. Relatives reported she died as police were wheeling her out of the hospital after the officers they had asked to help Rodriguez arrested her instead on a parole violation. Sheriff's Department spokesman Duane Allen said Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing.

In the recordings of two 911 calls that day, first obtained by the Los Angeles Times under a California Public Records Act request, callers pleaded for help for Rodriguez but were referred to hospital staff instead. "I'm in the emergency room. My wife is dying and the nurses don't want to help her out," Rodriguez's boyfriend, Jose Prado, is heard saying in Spanish through an interpreter on the tapes.

"What's wrong with her?" a female dispatcher asked.

"She's vomiting blood," Prado said.

"OK, and why aren't they helping her?" the dispatcher asked.

"They're watching her there and they're not doing anything. They're just watching her," Prado said.

The dispatcher told Prado to contact a doctor and then said paramedics wouldn't pick her up because she was already in a hospital. She later told him to contact county police officers at a security desk. A second 911 call was placed eight minutes later by a bystander who requested that an ambulance be sent to take Rodriguez to another hospital for care.

"She's definitely sick and there's a guy that's ignoring her," the woman told a male dispatcher.

During the call, the dispatcher argued with the woman over whether there really was an emergency.

"I cannot do anything for you for the quality of the hospital. ... It is not an emergency. It is not an emergency ma'am," he said.

"You're not here to see how they're treating her," the woman replied.

The dispatcher refused to call paramedics and told the woman that she should contact hospital supervisors "and let them know" if she is unhappy.

"May God strike you too for acting the way you just acted," the woman said finally.

"No, negative ma'am, you're the one," he said.

The incident was the latest high-profile lapse at King-Harbor, formerly known as King/Drew. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is investigating claims of recent patient care breakdowns, including Rodriguez's case. How in the world are we going to have confidence in our medical staff after this?? Why are they receiving federal funding when they clearly have demonstrated that they are not even fit to have a medical degree up on their wall? The Hippocratic Oath states, "First, do no harm". Yet they allowed a sick woman, clearly in pain, vomiting blood to writhe on the floor for 45 minutes without giving her immediate medical attention. THEY LET HER DIE. THEY LET HER DIE IN A HOSPITAL. In a sense, THEY KILLED HER. How are we supposed to have confidence in our health care system and health care practitioners?? My own personal confidence in doctors has severely eroded after I read this news. I urge every health care professional to condemn this utter disregard for human life. Whoever was responsible should dragged to the courtroom with his/her stethoscope. The 911 dispatchers and also the alleged guy who ignored her should also be held accountable.

We want justice. Isn't the government is of people, by people and for the people?Lincoln must be rolling in his grave because of everything that's happening. Which makes present day people like me think, was Lincoln insane when he uttered those words?

An Update on the HMS ASTUTE

Well, well, well. It is four years late and 900 million pounds over budget but finally, it's here.

More complex than a space shuttle, with a displacement of 7,400 metric tonnes (equivalent to 1000 double decker buses or 656 blue whales), a height of 12 storeys and 97m in length, this is truly a behemoth of the sea. The Royal Navy's newest super submarine, the HMS ASTUTE.

The Royal Navy touts the HMS ASTUTE as having the distinction of being the largest and deadliest hunter killer submarine ever built. (Please note that the Russians have bigger, though older submarines and the Americans have more advanced submarines, like the new Virginia Class, as such the ASTUTE platform intends to blend both size and technology into a single working platform.). It has several features that any navy would die for. It's advanced sonar is capable of detecting large ships up to 4,800km away! To put that into perspective, if the ASTUTE was lying in the English Channel, it could detect ships leaving New York harbour 3,000 nautical miles away ( although exactly how it does this is classified).

It is powered by a nuclear reactor that does not need refuelling for it's entire 25 year lifespan and as such, it could remain underwater for it's entire 25 year lifespan. (Except it has to come ashore for stores and supplies). It has a top speed in excess of 20 knots, meaning it can travel 312km a day. It can also dive to a depth of more than 150m. The submarine's propulsion system makes less noise than a baby dolphin which makes it stealthy. The submarine has the ability to make drinking water out of seawater and generate its own oxygen. Once it goes in operation in 2009, it will carry a 98 man crew and stay at sea for routine 12 weeks patrol. It also has 11 extra bunks for 'passengers' (Read: special forces soldiers on covert missions). Tow masts carrying thermal imaging and lowlight cameras replace the periscope and need only break surface for 3 seconds to give the captain a 360 degree picture. Six other masts service radar, satellite and navigation systems.

Weapons wise, the ASTUTE will carry 38 Tomahawk cruise missiles and an undisclosed number of Spearfish torpedoes for ship to ship encounters. The Tomahawks will have a range of 1,984 km which means the ASTUTE can attack targets in North Africa with incredible accuracy while still staying off the coast of Plymouth. However, an important thing to note here is that the ASTUTE will not be carrying any nuclear weapons. The Vanguard class of submarines remain Britain's preferred method of sea based nuclear launch platforms.

The HMS ASTUTE is built by BAE Systems at a cost of 960 million pounds each.

The question now is, do we actually need them?

I see world events and I shake my head. Every time I turn on the tv or surf a news site, I see news that make me shake my head. Death, destruction, mayhem and violence. It seems to me that our society is literally disintegrating and degenerating back into brutish, primeval Neanderthals with our violent cave man like behavior! I see the news and wonder if we are actually progressing forward or are we taking steps backward and becoming more rude, crude and more and more uncivilized. People see the evening news, look at the carnage and go "Oh my God!" before continuing with their dinner. Some people give $20 a year to Greenpeace thinking, they're changing the world. What a load of b***!

I think that most of our problems originate from our leaders. We elect our leaders to office in the hope that they will solve our problems but the thing is, a politician maybe a populist firebrand who promises tough immediate action to tackle problems but once a politician is elected, he will become just another politician. Promises are forgotten, problems grow and words are carefully measured. Our leaders fear to speak their mind because, face it, we live in a politically correct world. No matter what we say or do, someone somewhere in this world would be offended. That's why when our leaders speak, they speak in 'politically correct' terms, often masking their speech with tongue twisting and beating around the bush without actually getting to the point. It is actually a skill, because they pull off what they really had intended, which is avoiding the main issue, whatever it may be. It is a skill only politicians can master.

I do want to say this to politicians reading this. HELLO! We elected you to be our leader! If you are afraid of offending someone, quit politic and go be a hermit in a remote cave somewhere!That's the only way you wont offend anyone in today's world!

I'm not saying politicians are bad even though the general consensus says otherwise. People say politics is a rotting sewer while the politicians are the rats in the sewer. However, I do admire many politicians and leaders of the past. Winston Churchill, Eisenhower, Roosevelt, Gandhi, Nehru, Martin Luther King and the list goes on and on. I especially respect and admire leaders who has been involved in a tight spot but managed to come out on top for nothing tests a leader like a full blown crisis. It is because the only time you see a man's true character is when he is faced with a grave crisis with life and death decisions to make.That is why I admire Churchill so much. London was literally brought down to its knees during the devastating early period of World War II but he brought London back up and through great leadership, speeches and defiance, gave hope and courage to its people.


However, those days are gone as now, today, we are faced with an increasing number of incompetent, blundering and reckless leaders. Which makes you wonder, 'HOW DID THEY GET ELECTED IN THE FIRST PLACE??' or makes the ordinary person think 'DID I ACTUALLY VOTE FOR THIS JACKASS??'.

Leaders and politicians must face up to a problem and stand in front of it, not run around hiding behind many policies and laws. Leaders must make critical decisions at critical times and take responsibility for it, not hide behind and army of advisers and fire each one as their policies go bad. A leader most importantly must know to shoulder decisions and accept responsibility for it and not shift the responsibility to someone else once the going gets hot. A leader should not engage in a childish "HE DID IT!", "NO, HE DID IT!", "THEY DID IT" game, which will invariably end up in a complete farce.


Lastly, we voted you to be our leader. ACT LIKE ONE.

An Introduction...

Thank you for coming to my humble blog. First things first, though as I believe a proper introduction is necessary.

My name is Gabriel and this is my blog. Here, I write from my point of view in expressing what I feel and see and hear. Here, I give my comment and my perspective on a whole wide range of issues, local and international. Visitors are encouraged to post comments or e-mail me your views. Please rest assured that any communication with me will always be treated with the utmost care, confidentiality and privacy.

Thank you for visiting and have a nice day! :)