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."
Is Siti Zailah a lawmaker or breaker? By Mariam Mokhtar
Friday, May 12, 2023
Malaysiakini : What about the latest publicity stunt by Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff who boasted about her service to provide water for free (khidmat air percuma) to her constituents?
Was
the water drama her means of getting a head start on the competition in
the upcoming state elections? Was this her embodiment of a
representative of the people (MP) being active in the community at the
ground level, by establishing a solid bond with them via water?
Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff watching firefighters tap into a fire hydrant to pump out water
However,
PAS MPs rarely get punished. Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor
has courted many controversies with his racist remarks, his
insensitivity towards non-Islamic festivals, and the arrest of his
critics, but he has always avoided punishment.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang accused non-Muslims and non-Malays of systemic corruption. Despite an investigation into his incendiary remarks, what became of his punishment?
By her own admission, Siti Zailah supplied her electorate with a
clean supply of water from a fire hydrant. She knowingly violated
Section 26 of the Fire Services Act 1988.
Despite breaking the law she probably knows that, like her peers, she would not be punished.
Instead, we suspect that a face-saving gesture has been put into motion. Why are PAS MPs always treated with kid gloves?
Is it because they preach hell, fire and brimstone and the enforcement officials are afraid of their souls being damned?
Most
of the wannabe politicians-cum-preacher constantly harp on the
afterlife, but say very little about life on earth, the importance of
unity and good community relations, of having solid moral values and of
being able to distinguish between right and wrong.
Show proof of permission
Last
week, Siti Zailah claimed that she had successfully sought and obtained
the permission of the chief of the state fire services. She denied
allegations that she had "stolen" water, saying that the suggestion to
use water from the hydrants had come from Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB).
Despite her claims, Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Zainal Madasin denied this. He said that Siti Zailah had not sought permission.
So who is telling the truth? The PAS MP or the Fire and Rescue Department director?
Siti Zailah with villagers waiting to collect water
Siti Zailah could have swiftly ended this unnecessary banter by producing the letter of approval from Zainal but she did not.
Many
unsettling things about this case may seem trivial to some people, but
this incident is symptomatic of many other irregularities in government.
For
instance, when wrongdoing or crime is committed, the people allegedly
responsible, be it MP, civil servant or member of the establishment are
rarely found guilty.
Call it face-saving, or a cover-up. Not convinced? The death of student S Vinosiny
at her university campus in Sintok, Kedah is one such example. A young
woman died but how she was electrocuted has not been revealed. Was it
faulty university equipment, poor maintenance, negligence or a simple
accident? Why prolong the parents' misery?
Or when a woman
complains about being sexually assaulted by a member of academia,
company manager or board director, the investigation fizzles out and no
action is taken to protect the woman, or to punish her attacker.
Scapegoatmove
Siti Zailah boasted about providing free water but a contractor was fined. Why the contractor?
The
RM100 fine will not act as a deterrent. Anyone who decides that he
needs water for his own needs may just tap into the fire hydrant, with
the help of a willing firefighter or water-board contractor. He may
perhaps sell the rest to anyone who is desperate for water like
factories, farmers or animal breeders.
What would happen in an
emergency when firefighters find a depleted water supply because someone
had stolen it? What happens if dry weather sets alight crops, or dry
grass and the low volume of water is unable to douse the fire?
If
it was true that AKSB had mooted the idea to take water from the fire
hydrant, why did Siti Zailah, the MP, agree? She should have upheld the
law, rejected the suggestion and also admonished the person who made it.
However,
she went along with it and even commissioned a banner for the water
truck to give her publicity as the 'caring MP'. What happened to
integrity and principles?
Siti
Zailah and all those who were party to the idea should have been fined.
Instead, a contractor was allegedly made the scapegoat, and the case
was declared closed, but Malaysians know that there is no such thing as a
free lunch.
The Rantau Panjang MP, and some of her peers, make
poor role models. They appear to have lost their moral values and cannot
differentiate between right and wrong. Moreover, they are rarely
punished.
Are they really untouchable, or just insignificant?
There is one way to punish them and that is through the ballot box.