Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen 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 soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt 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."
The tragicomedy of Parti Keluarga Rakyat By Mariam Mokhtar
Friday, May 09, 2025
Malaysiakini : Anwar dismissed the allegation of nepotism and said, āNepotism
is where (a family member) is given a position to abuse power, enrich
themselves, obtain contracts, and get paid a huge sum.ā
Does
Anwar think we are daft? When relatives are given special positions,
including within political parties, they can wield enormous influence,
and few people dare challenge them because of the blood ties.
They are in an extremely powerful position, but are not accountable to the public.
Malaysians were not convinced by Anwarās definition of nepotism, and the public backlash prompted Nurul Izzahās removal.
However, it was very concerning when she kept popping up
in overseas locations whenever her father was present for a conference
or summit. When quizzed, Anwarās aides would say her expenses had been
paid for by NGOs.
When these politicians were in the
opposition, they would have cried out, ānepotismā; but as the ruling
party, their aides will come to the rescue with daft comments like āthe public should not question the PMās decisionā.
Propaganda overdrive
Towards the end of April 2025, Nurul Izzah suddenly declared that Reformasi was not dead, and she urged Malaysians to be patient because reforms take time.
It felt strange that reformasi had been brought up for no apparent reason, but now we know why.
At
around the same time, many negative newspaper reports were circulating
about PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramliās absence in the cabinet, his
extended leave, and his alleged resignation.
Even Bersatu Youth joined in the chorus, questioning Rafizi's absence.
Rafizi Ramli
So,
was it a coincidence that a week later, intense lobbying started for
Nurul Izzah to vie for the deputy presidentās post in PKR?
PKR
vice-president Shamsul Iskandar Akin, who is also PKR Hang Tuah Jaya
chief, and other Malacca division chiefs openly declared their support for Nurul Izzah to challenge Rafizi.
Shamsul
hailed his bossā daughter as someone who is ācapable of advancing
reformist values, driving change, and translating the peopleās
aspirations more effectivelyā.
Really? Didn't her
electorate reject her in Permatang Pauh? What are her notable
achievements besides spearheading the movement to free her father from
prison?
What has she done to advance womenās causes?
What has she done to stimulate change? What has she done to ban child
marriages or polygamy, or urge the education minister to introduce sex
education in schools, or to help single mothers who have been abandoned
by their polygamous former husbands?
With Nurul Izzah gaining increasing support for the deputy presidency, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil denied the charge of nepotism.
Nurul Izzah Anwar
He,
like others in PKR, was confident of her capabilities, her integrity as
a future leader of PKR, and her āhigh diplomacy to unite party
membersā.
The PKR Women deputy chief, Faizah Ariffin,
voiced support for Nurul Izzah because āno woman has occupied the
position beforeā. Is that it?
Pasar Gudang MP Hasan Abdul Karim claimed
that he opposed nepotism, but said that Nurul Izzah was an ideal
candidate for the post as she has been involved in PKRās struggle since
she was 18. Seriously?
Slippery slopeof nepotism
None
of these people appear to listen to the rakyat, who understand that
with nepotism, the seeds of mistrust will be sown among the rakyat.
Nepotism
goes against democratic principles and diminishes equal opportunities.
Nepotism discourages highly qualified and more experienced contenders
from participating.
Posts that are filled with people
with blood ties instead of merit will eventually lead to inefficiency,
potential conflict of interest, possible abuse of power, probable misuse
of funds, and discrimination.
Weāve seen firsthand
with Malaysian political dynasties that family members occupy important
positions, and family businesses (and cronies) often āwinā lucrative contracts.
Anwar
has been a huge disappointment for Malaysians who supported change. PKR
is no longer seen as a party which champions justice and equal rights.
PKR behaves more like Parti Keluarga Rakyat. Mother, father, daughter.
The
weakest link in the Madani administration is PKR, with its never-ending
internal conflicts, personality clashes, power struggles, and the
sidelining of potential young leaders.
Malaysians are fed up with playing family charades.
Perhaps, Nurul Izzah is being groomed to be the prime minister. Her qualification? Being Anwar's daughter.
Perhaps Rafizi should challenge Anwar for the top post.
