IS KU LI DEAD?

I mean politically.

Just before the recent UGA he said humbly, "Saya orang biasa".

Being in the doldrums for so long and with plenty of time at hand Ku Li may have reinvented himself in many ways. A wiser politician perhaps but much left out of current support and kakis among the younger generation of UMNO members.

The opposition parties would not want him in their ranks for they have their own people lined up. Moreover, they could not trust  a longtime UMNO member. A katak lompat can be an opportunist.

Ku Li is not that desperate to test the opposition waters. He is just marking time and let it be. He could reminisce his times  of ambitiousness and jealousies in dirty politics that got him played out by the likes of Musa, Anwar, and others.

Mahathir may not forgiven him for the splinter in UMNO when he formed the breakaway Semangat 46. In another light Ku Li was brave to do such a move but then did the right thing later as an act of solidarity when they disbanded and rejoined UMNO.

Can a Kelantanese be a PM? They can be detrimentally parochial at times.

Ah, in these days of cheap politicians and dirt of good leaders!

HAMKA - PUJANGGA NUSANTARA

HAMKA - Haji Abdul Malik Karim Abdullah.

Dari kiri: Hamka semasa melawat Kolej Islam, Klang;  Zulkifli, Pengetua Kolej Islam yang kedua.

Zulkifli (kanan) bersama Pengetua Kolej Islam yang pertama (Zulkifli meninggal umur masih muda dalam kemalangan kereta); Shahib Al-fadhilat Al-ustaz Ismail 'Omar 'Abdul Aziz (kiri).

Dr Hamka memberi ceramah di UPM.

Di Kementerian Agama, Indonesia. Dari kanan - Dr. Mukti Ali (Menteri Agama Indonesia), Dr. Hamka, Zainal Abidin Sulung (Dubes Malaysia ke Indonesia)

Manjakan cucu.

Hasil karya:

HAMKA. 1950. Ajahku: Riwajat  Hidup Dr Abd Karim Amrullah dan Perdjuangan Kaum Agama. Djakarta

1961. Pengaruh Muhammad Abduh di Indonesia. Djakarta

1974. Antara Fakta dan Khayal Tuanku Rao. Bulan Bintang, Jakarta

1976a. Perkembangan Kebatinan di Indonesia. Yayasan Nurul Islam, Jakarta

1976b. Sejarah Umat Islam. Bulan Bintang, Jakarta jld IV

1980. Tasawwuf: Perkembangan dan Pemuiniannya. Yayasan Nurul Islam, Jakarta

1981a. Dari Perbendaharaan Lama. Pustaka Antara, K Lumpur

1981b. Prinsip dan Kebijaksanaan Dakwah Islam. Pustaka Melayu Baru, K Lumpur

NAJIB-MUHYI DON'T SEE BEYOND NOSE BRIDGES!

Would NAJMUHY (short for Najib-Muhyiddin) bank in the Nusantara Bridge proposed by Melaka? Chances are not. For one thing Melaka would put them to shame if the bridge become a reality. Both of them believe that they have the longest nose bridges beyond which is fathomless.

Naj is the worse fellow for he is clueless even after 11x3years wallowing in politics of luxury and pretension. One can tell from his habits of sloganeering and misspending tax-payers' money. He is already burdening the rakyat whatmore another term. Now he is trying hard to look smart and shed the stupid image.

Strategically, he still cannot see beyond the scenic bridge. Is something holding him back? Ask slumberjack, Singapore, or even CIA.

Slumberjack even in his apnea got the second bridge built for Penang! He may have undergone the Pillar Procedure, not snoring anymore to the delight of Jean.

As for Muhy when Sabahans asked for Labuan-KK bridge he said much depend on economics. What does he know about economics when his readings lately as Minister of Education are based on Bahasa? He is blind to PPSMI.

Anyway, economics is not the one and only thing to be considered. To be inclusive to borrow Naj other factors should be taken into account - social benefits, security measures, transportation efficiency, technology spinoffs, human resource training, job opportunities, to be gained for now and the future. How one equate those in monetary terms?

ETHNICS PLAY THE NOSE FLUTE

Nose flute playing is a becoming rarity even among traditional ethnicities of Malaysia nowadays.

Playing the note flute by a Sarawakian ethnic villager living by a riverbank to Mulu National Caves while waiting for tourists to buy beads, baskets, and other handcrafts. Hear the free music and you still want to bargain? Life is hard.

Intricate and painstaking work on basketry.

Another ethnic, Sudirman look-alike playing the nose flute.

Mah Meri woman of Carey Island playing the nose flute.

Mah Meri man and flute.

P. RAMLEE - BERKORBAN APA SAJA

P. Ramlee tidak ada tolok bandingan semenjak pemergianya - pelakun, penyanyi, dan pemain muzik. Ia masih menjadi idola bagi kaum muda maupun kalangan dewasa-tua.

Wajah dan lagu2nya tidak luput dek masa dan tetap menjadi igau2an. Suaranya yang lunak dan merdu memikat hati.

Beliau Elvis Malaysia dari segi sanjungan dan ingatan berpanjangan.

OF WOMB RENTAL AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

With the advent of large sailing ships massive human trafficking across oceans was made feasible. For three and half centuries between 16th and mid 19th centuries slavery was big income to the coffer. Even kings, queens, and sultans had their major share in the slave business.

Under modern day refinements certain human and human part trafficking are seemingly difficult to detect and apprehend hence offer rich rewards.

n.b. When my daughter was studying medicine at Bandung she complained of lack of cadaver for practical training.

MOST BIGOTED PRESIDENT - ROOSEVELT

Bigot - one obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his own belief or opinion.

Roosevelt was a bigot but also a racist who became President of USA in 1901 and reelected for another term in 1904. He believed in white supremacy and was perhaps a Ku Klux Klan cloaked in the White House.

Foreign lands and natives were to be subjugated under the pretext of benevolence. His policy as head of state propelled the American psyche to a deranged sense of might.

White supremacy.

Bigoted moslems.

Victories of Islam over Christian.

Natives as the missing links.

Faked naval battle, the idea.

Roosevelt's mentor.

In praise of Japan.

In the tradition of the Aryan's race by the like of Roosevelt.

Years before the WW1 the Americans promulgated  the pride of the Aryans conquering over others. Can it be said that the precursor of Nazism was the US and not Germany?

"MY COUNTRY RIGHT OR WRONG"

Tripoli in Libya is steeped in history of political interest to the US. A decade after the civil war ended they ventured for new horizons towards the Middle East among others. That set the beginning of a megalomaniacal for world power.

Their entry point to the Middle East was the coast of northwest Africa, the Barbary Coast  - Morocco, Algiers and Tripoli. There were fierce piracy, rich slave trading and cruel sultans in the region.

Tripoli harbour, c. 1802.

Slave trading.

The Middle East is now the US's backyard where they make wars and change governments at impunity. Oil is what make it profitable adventure. Just a few days ago their special forces hijacked al Liby, a top Al Qaeda commander in broad daylight.

They know Tripoli like the back of their hands since early days more so now with spy satellites hovering.

Tripoli was brazened enough to declare war on the US in 1801.

LINCOLN OVER NAKED WOMAN

Salvador Dali, famous Spanish surrealist artist -

He was in the US for some years. An eccentric and exhibitionist, he (and wife) arrived at one of his art exhibit in a car filled with cabbages in New York.

Image of Lincoln viewed at a distant angle and eyes half-closed was one of his artwork.

Some of Dali's paintings are reproduced in SAVE's postings lately.