Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Hadi's justification of cash to voters is indefensible By R Nadeswaran
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Malaysiakini : But gratification, more commonly known as “bribery” - offering,
giving, receiving or soliciting something of value (for example, money,
information or votes) – is an attempt to illicitly influence the
decisions or actions of a person.
Hadi defended
his party’s distribution of cash to voters during the 15th general
election, claiming it was a charitable act and hence, not prohibited by
electoral law, The Malaysian Insight quoted him as saying.
Unlike other politicians who provide all kinds of unacceptable explanations when caught red-handed, Hadi must be given credit.
He makes no bones about it and it comes as a tacit admission that money was used by the party.
Hadi
said that giving out money did not violate the election laws because
the cash was not distributed by the candidates or their representatives.
“According
to the election laws, only candidates and their representatives cannot
give (the cash handouts). But if the public wants to give, that’s up to
them.
“According to election law, a candidate or a candidate’s
representative cannot give out cash, it is up to the public to give
alms,” he said.
This is far from the truth. For the benefit of
Hadi who espouses this theory and to those who believe in his tales,
this is what the law says.
Section 10 of the Election Offences Act lists various offences of
bribery, but we will stick to Section 10 (a) which reads: “Every person
who, before, during or after an election, who directly or indirectly, by
himself or by any other person on his behalf, gives, lends, or agrees
to give or lend, or offers, promises, or promises to procure or to
endeavour to procure, any money or valuable consideration to or for any
elector or voter, or to or for any person on behalf of any elector or
voter or to or for any other person, in order to induce any elector or
voter to vote or refrain from voting, or corruptly does any such act as
aforesaid on account of such elector or voter having voted or refrained
from voting at any election,” - shall be guilty of an offence.
The
law is not restricted to just candidates and agents. The act of dishing
out cash to voters before or during an election is bribery – and it is
indefensible.
Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin
While
alms are distributed to the poor, money and clothing are given to
victims of floods, giving out money a few days before polling day smacks
of nothing but vote buying.
A matter of intention?
As
if Malaysians do not know the difference between charity and an
outright bribe, former home minister and Perikatan Nasional
secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin threw his hat into the ring with his
own interpretations.
He argued that when talking about giving money, it is the intention that is more important.
So, for argument’s sake, please do tell us what the intentions were to give out money just before polling day.
Never
mind that he is trying to deflect the accusations against Hadi, but
what other intention does one have if he or she goes around the kampung
with wads of money being distributed to adults?
“I am not so sure
about that (Hadi’s statement). But the point is here when we talk about
giving money, it is the intention that is more important,” Hamzah said.
Now
that there are three election petitions before the Kuala Terengganu
High Court, let us follow the proceedings and we will get to know the
size of the war chest which was used in the recent hustings.
