Aarvidi’s Weblog

Pinocchio a wooden puppet who turns into a real boy, where his nose grows bigger and longer each time he tells a lie. This is a description Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, gives of the wooden puppet in a fairy tale. I read about this story when I was very young and it just passed my memory. But now the story takes on a new meaning every time, a political statement is made. I remember the Star Newspaper reporting our Minister of Works saying the Prime Minister had looked after the interests of the Indian community. He also spoke about issues that were raised with the Government on the interests of this community. Apparently, the Prime Minister was not aware of the details of the issues confronting the Indians, and Samy Vellu had to put in black and white to confirm issues existed. If the Prime Minister had looked after the interests of the Indians I still wonder why there should be issues to be addressed. Perhaps the Minister knows best.

Samy Vellu said the Government had set up a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to look into the problems of the Indians. If the Prime Minister is looking after the interests of the Indians, I don’t see the need for a committee. A committee is justified if issues had to be settled, but then the Prime Minister had looked after the interests of the community, why was it necessary for a committee. Here again the Minister knows best. 

Continuing, Samy Vellu said “They (the Government) are giving more opportunities for Indians in civil sector employment, more funding for small businesses and other sectors,” he said. These are very assuring words and I fail to see the reason why the Indians are clamouring for more.

The report continues that  MIC also distributed copies of a booklet entitled Malaysian Indians — Then & Now, outlining the history and development of the community in the last 140 years to the 1,500 delegates of the conference as well as the Indian media. 

The colourful 20-page booklet also contains the Indian community’s representation in the government and civil service, education, Tamil schools, tertiary education and religion.

Wow, Samy Vellu has done the best and if any Malaysian Indian or the Indians in India do not understand the progress, it is just bad luck. Would any Indian want to defy the Minister, the charismatic saviour of the community, the pain he had to undergo to put things in their right perspective.

But wait before bringing out the garlands, to honour our Samy Vellu, what is this? What 7 issues, has he forgotten what he said earlier earlier in India or it is that the moron of a speech writer for making the Minister say wrong things. The Indians should gun for the speech writer, something is wrong here.

But one thing is very sure. For 140 years the Indians have been in this country, and the present lot are the most gifted. Thank you Minister Samy Vellu.

Reverting back to the wooden puppet story, I am worried how the children in this country are being brought up. They should be told this story not for the intrinsic value of the story, which anyway is a fairy tale, but, you cannot lie. Children are vulnerable in that they accept at face value what they know. Telling lies makes your nose grow bigger and longer. If Samy has long and big nose, he will be a living example for Pinocchio and we can stop at that. Children will never lie.

I don’t like my brother-in-law because on my wedding reception he uploaded a beer on my head, and he is a non-drinker I suppose it is an excuse, but thereafter I never had no contact with him and my wife says it is because I am frightened he would do the same thing. Perhaps my wife is right after all.

So on reading the Malaysiakini news Haidar Mohd Noor said he hardly had any contact, I tend to agree with him. Brother-in-laws can be a pain the ass, and it is better they are avoided. I hope my sister does not read this. So, the chairperson Haidar has said the right thing and nothing can be done about it. Please read on. 

Haidar refuses to disqualify himself

Haidar refuses to disqualify himself

Beh Lih Yi | Feb 5, 08 4:04pm

The chairperson of the royal commission of inquiry into the Lingam tape Haidar Mohd Noor today refused to recuse himself from the proceedings as requested by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Haidar said that he “hardly had any contact” with former Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheik Abdul Halim and as such had no valid grounds to disqualify himself.
Earlier today Anwar had applied for Haidar’s disqualification on the grounds that the commission chairperson and Ahmad Fairuz were related by marriage.
Haidar’s sister is married to Ahmad Fairuz’s late brother.

This is the second time Haidar had refused to disqualify himself from the proceedings.
On the first day of the commission’s sitting, Anwar had similarly applied for Haidar to disqualify himself on grounds of potential conflicts of interest.
Anwar had said that Haidar was a trustee at the Perdana Leadership Foundation which is headed by ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was also a witness at the inquiry.

Another witness, Mahathir’s close ally business tycoon Vincent Tan - whose name was mentioned several times in the video clip - is also a trustee in the same foundation.
Another point raised was Haidar’s involvement as judge in the Raphael Pura defamation case where corruption claims in judiciary were ruled to be irrelevant.

Haidar refuses to disqualify himself