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."
Dark truths on '98 Commonwealth Games emerge By R Nadeswaran
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Malaysiakini : I persevered with a continuous barrage of questions for Hashim Mohd
Ali, the executive chairperson of Sukom 98 and CEO Manap Ibrahim.
None were forthcoming.
Given
the scandal that engulfed the bids made for the football World Cup at
that time, I wrote: “It is pertinent to reiterate that every bid for any
event – not necessarily football or sports – comes under heavy
scrutiny.
“Even the slightest deviations from the norm is likely
to be examined with a fine-tooth comb and every scribe worth his salt is
likely to dig and dig every bid.”
Real cost of ‘98 Games
Yesterday, Hashim broke his 26-year silence by giving us a hint on how much the games cost the government.
In
opposing plans to host the 2026 Games, he said: “We were given a RM1
million grant from the government to set up Sukom 98 Bhd, and we had
four years to prepare for it. We looked for sponsorship and did not rely
on government funds.
“Mastercard gave us a US$5 million
sponsorship while Malaysian Airlines sponsored air tickets to be shared
by athletes and officials of the 69 Commonwealth countries. It was a big
deal back then.”
But what he did not tell us is that the government spent millions on
the 88,000-seater national stadium, the aquatic centre, and the hockey
stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
What about the upgrades of the velodrome, sports fields, and other amenities?
The
then deputy sports minister Loke Yuen Yow told Parliament that
preliminary estimates found the games would generate about RM38 million
in ticket sales. Organisers forecast a profit of around RM5 million.
However, Hashim seems to have selective memory and omitted details of income and expenditure.
Hashim Mohd Ali also Brother In Law of Mahathir
How
much did it cost to make the thousands of colourful blazers for
officials and delegates? How much was spent on hotel suites for those
classified as VIPs and VVIPs?
What about other sources of income including minor sponsors, car number plates, sale of apparel, and souvenirs?
Carlsberg controversy
The most glaring omission is that it had to pay a brewery after signing a sponsorship deal.
In
response to demands from religious quarters, the government banned
Carlsberg’s sponsorship of the games - just two months before it began.
The cabinet decreed that all traces of Carlsberg must be removed, but Carlsberg was faced with a sizeable logistical task.
Fleets
of buses and taxis proclaiming the company’s sponsorship, banners in
shops, and of course, it was advertised on thousands of litres of tinned
and bottled beer (collector’s items of these paraphernalia are still
available on Carousel).
BBC reported that the organisers
were also facing trouble - they would have to repay £800,000 (RM5.6
million at the time) of sponsorship money and could be facing a £1
million bill from distributors for cleaning up the mess.
BBC
said: “Malaysia is the first Asian nation to hold the games, and the
organisers were already facing financial problems because of the
region’s economic slowdown. Budgets for the opening and closing
ceremonies have been slashed.”
There was also a protracted dispute with the ticketing agent that went to court.
Gymnast attire
Why bring up these episodes and dark history? There’s danger at every turn.
If
we decide to host the games, will the government ban leotards and
swimsuits to appease the “Green Wave” and show its green is brighter
than the other side?
How do you do a triple somersault wearing a sarong or would a female athlete dive into a pool wearing a house coat?
Be warned. The drums of godly augmentation have already started beating.
As it is, PAS-led Terengganu has banned female gymnasts from participating in the Sukma Games since 2019, citing concerns about their attire not adhering to syariah standards.
Gymnasts have pulled out, but does anyone care?
Such
misogynistic edicts will certainly resurface and once again, Malaysia
will be making the headlines the world over for the wrong reasons.
Additionally, will athletes from countries that did not condemn the atrocities of Israel be harassed?
