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."
Celebrate justice being upheld, not crooked legacies By R Nadeswaran
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Malaysiakini : Why should anyone show respect to an individual who caused over RM40 billion of taxpayers’ money to disappear?
Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki
But
what is disrespectful about celebrating judicial independence and the
rule of law? Do we really want to return to the bad old days when
judicial integrity was questioned?
Remember the Adorna Properties
and Ayer Molek cases, or photographs of a former chief justice
holidaying with a lawyer? Or the “correct, correct” correct” video clip
of lawyer VK Lingam speaking to a High Court judge?
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has gone further, fanning racial sentiments and implying political machinations behind the court ruling.
He
pointed to royal decrees, claiming inconsistency: “When they wanted to
form the government, the Agong’s decree (for a unity government) was
used as the main reason. But today, the decree (granting Najib house
arrest) was said not to be valid. The people can evaluate.”
Najib’s lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, argued that the ruling diminished the powers of the Malay rulers.
Clear ruling
But Loke was clear: Sultan Abdullah’s supplementary decree was invalid
because it bypassed constitutional procedures under Article 42, which
requires consultation with the Pardons Board. Clemency is a royal
prerogative, yes - but one bound by the Constitution.
The judge’s
ruling safeguards and protects the integrity and wisdom of the monarchy
from being leveraged as a tool for political manoeuvring.
The decision ensures that constitutional processes remain insulated from political manipulation.
If Yeo’s mild post drew such outrage, critics must have ignored or chosen to ignore Tony Pua’s far harsher words.
He
wrote: “The court decided that there is no basis for house arrest for
the biggest crook in Malaysia. The DAP is proud; I am proud of the fact
that we played a big part in the kleptocrat's downfall and stay in
prison.
“He
should be thankful he already received a massive 'discount' on his
penalty and jail sentence …. There is absolutely no need to sympathise
with such a crook.
“Those chastising us to have 'humanity', who
continue to love the crook, no one is stopping you. But do not stop the
rest of us Malaysians from celebrating justice upheld.”
Pressing for release
Umno’s
leadership has long pushed the “freedom for Najib” narrative, with
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claiming Najib did not receive a fair trial.
Najib
was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million in the SRC
International graft case - later halved to six years and a RM50 million
fine.
His wife, Rosmah Mansor, who was also convicted, urged Umno members to continue pressing for his release.
But making contributions does not include helping yourself to taxpayers’ money, for which he is being punished.
Najib’s
son even likened his father’s imprisonment to Nelson Mandela’s
struggle. The comparison is absurd. Mandela fought apartheid and
inspired generations to resist oppression. Najib plundered the nation’s
wealth.
Internationally, Najib was branded “kleptocracy at its
worst” by former US attorney-general Jeff Sessions, “a brazen
kleptocrat” by The Economist, and at home, a “national embarrassment” by the Court of Appeal.
So
how could anyone fault right-thinking Malaysians for celebrating a
judgment that reaffirmed constitutional safeguards and rejected attempts
to grant clemency for one man, who has yet to express remorse or admit
his mistakes?
