Two days at wedding!

Georgia and Andy at their wedding in Kampung Kionsom, Inanam

The last two days were spent `aramai tii' at my niece's wedding. A time that I met/saw faces of cousins/relatives and in-laws whom I had not seen for ages. There was a lot of talking and of course drinking. The coming two days will also be spent with love ones and relatives in ushering the new year - 2008.

Happy New Year to all visitors.

What's up, Kanul, Ansari, PKR?

I received an interesting Press statement from Kanul Gindol, the political secretary to Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan today. It is in response to Haji Ansari Abdullah's statement on Wednesday which I posted earlier.

Kanul's Press Statement is entitled `It must be Ansari personal opinion' and I quoted in full below.


KOTA KINABALU; What Ansari Abdullah has stated in his news conference yesterday must be his personal opinion, because it is a deviation from an agreed policy of the party's top leadership that the State Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Steering Committee under the chairmanship of Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is the top policy-making body on policies and election candidates, as far as Sabah is concerned.

I am issuing this statement in my own capacity with the instruction from the second echelon leaders as well as the grassroot that we must put our beacon of hope at the right spot, and that we must always sends truthful words to the people.

As far as I know there was no such state decision as yet to field Ansari or anyone else, in a predominantly Kadazandusun parliamentary seat like Tuaran, so I found it as just being disrespectful to our leader Dr Jeffrey, who is recuperating in hospital for spinal injury, to pick this time to announce own candidacy in a seat like Tuaran.

The announcement by Ansari could mean many things on Ansari and the party. Many are alarmed at Ansari's words because we understand that there was not yet a decision by the Steering Committee as to stand in only 40 seats and 20 MP seats, as Ansari had wrongly implied. This must have come from Ansari single head.

I am more concerned, and now want to share my concern with the public, when I am told by friends that Ansari had unilaterally, but with the knowledge of Sec-Gen Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who was here recently, `decided' to omit any Kadazandusun & Murut and Chinese leaders from the team to negotiate with DAP on the latter's intention to field candidates in Chinese and KDM areas.

What does this mean?

How on earth could this be when the very thing we wan to negotiate is Chinese and KDM seats like Api-Api,Kepayan, Tamparuli, Laiwan and even Kuamut where DAP also had made known to us its interest to put up candidates.

My Say:

Its look like this opposition party's leaders are divided and have their own camp and personal agenda.

Keadilan to contest all

Parti Keadilan Rakyat must be confident of garnering enough seats in the coming general elections to form the next State Government in Sabah. What else can be said when the party had decided to contest in all the 40 State and 20 Parliamentary seats in Sabah. It look like they will be going alone in this election.

The opposition party's liaison chief for Sabah Haji Ansari Abdullah today made the announcement saying that he will be contesting in the Tuaran parliamentary seat. He contested in the Sulaman State seat for the party in the 2004 general election. He lost to Datuk Haji Noor who is now Local Government and Housing Minister.

Ansari today said that despite of another opposition party call for national-based party to only contest in parliamentary constituencies and let Sabah-based opposition parties contest in State seats, Keadilan will be fielding candidates in all constituencies.

Berman Angkap, Parti Barisan Rakyat Sabah's president, had last week said that only Sabah-based opposition parties should contest against Barisan Nasional in State seats. National-based opposition, he said, should focus on parliamentary seats.

"There is no point in asking Umno to return to West Malaysia but the same time allow Peninsula-based opposition parties to contest all State seats," Angkap said.

Ansari said Angkap party was entitled to their opinion, saying that when Keadilan contested in 2004, they fared better than Angkop party and the other opposition parties.

He said the independent candidate, who contested in Banggi and now Keadilan Banggi chief, lost by only about 300 votes to the Barisan Nasional candidate.

"Keadilan in Sabah is well prepared for the elections," Ansari said.

My Say:

All political parties will have the same assumption. There was this party called Parti Rakyat Sabah headed by Datuk Dr James Ongkili (the late) who was so confident in winning and forming the State Government, contested in all seats but lost all, its candidates almost all lost their election deposit.

Yes! Back for good now

I had a special X'mas gift yesterday. One Samaritan came home with a big box which I had thought was some edible thing for the celebration. I went out to join friends to celebrate X'Mas and back late night. I remembered the box and went looking for it but no where to be seen.

Then I saw something in the computer room, yes a new flat monitor. Yahoo......now I can go surfing again and of course continue on to post on this blog. And I promise to discipline myself to take great care of this computer which was actually (the one whose monitor went kaput) was inherited to me by my oldest son Leslie who is now in Jakarta.

I am working today and will be back tonight into this room to post new issues of interest that I can gather while at work. And yes beginning tonioght, I will again be back to my routine, to sit infront of this computer as long as I can. And my wife will be sleeping alone again for sure.

Merry Christmas to all.

Greetings...

Happy Aidiladha to all my Muslims visitors and a Merry X'Mas to my Christian guests.

Dr Jeffrey cheats death

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan met an accident about 5am today at Kampung Bongol, Pekan Nabalu, along the Tamparuli-Ranau Road.

Dr Jeffrey suffered injuries on the face and neck and is now warded at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu. He was travelling from the East Coast of Sabah after a party's roadshow. The 4x4 vehicle he was travelling in was said to have went out of control and hit a hill side before turning turtle.

The driver and an unidentified woman were not injured.

Among the first to visit the 60-year-old politician at his hospital bed was his older brother Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

My Say:

Dr Jeffrey had been touring the State on demand by the people in view of the incoming general elections. I will not be surprise that he will be travelling again once out of hospital.

Yes! I am back..........

Not that my computer had been repaired but this friend had with him his laptop when he came visiting so I am able to post this to just say hello to all my visitors. I hope to get my computer before the year end and I will, again, be posting regularly.

I am also taking this opportunity to wish everybody Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2008.

Sabbatical Leave

I have no one but myself to blame. I had not been able to post in my blog for several days now. I am not just making excuses but all this was due to my computer. It had gone kaput. I am now posting from a friend's laptop.

Gone were the nights that I spent until past midnight surfing. My nights are early now and one person is sure happy about this, my wife. For the last few days, I was able to do my morning exercise by cutting the grass around my house.

Merry Christmas

The Crosses Stay Put

On Monday (Dec 3) Federal Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar said it was a tradition for Mission Schools to have Crosses erected in schools' compound and they was no reason to remove them.

This assurances was made by the Deputy Minister in the wake of calls by Government Members of Parliament Syed Hood Syed Edrus (Parit Sulong) and Datuk Mohamed Aziz (Sri Gading) in Parliament to remove the Crosses and Virgin Mary statues.

Syed Hood said he was disappointed that the statue of Virgin Mary was displayed in front of convents schools and questioned why the Education Ministry allowed it as Malaysia is an Islamic nation.

Mohamed in support of Syed Hood said a Muslim father complained that these schools remained open when Hari Raya Aidilfitri was celebrated.

Opposition leader in Parliament Lim Kit Siang also said that there was growing intolerance and increasing extremism in Malaysia and the latest being the demand for the removal of crosses and demolition of Christian statues in Mission schools.

Noh Omar told Parliament in his answer to Kit Siang said: "We will continue with the current practice, which is a tradition started long time ago."

In Sabah, the Sabah Counsel of Churches chairman Bishop Datuk Voo Thien Fui welcomed the firm assurance by the Education Ministry that crucifixes placed in Christian Mission schools which have been part and parcel of the identity of such schools since time immemorial will not be removed.

The Bishop said the Council was very happy with the decision and thank the Government for understanding the sensitivities of Christians.

Former principal of Kota Kinabalu La Salle Secondary School, Brother Datuk Charles O'Leary expressed happiness that the statement by the two MPs had been corrected by higher authorities.

He said actions would be taken to dispel the anxieties and criticisms of the Christian communities throughout the nation.

Bro Charles said having crosses in Christian missionary schools is a long tradition going back to a couple of hundred years.

"Since Malaysia's independence, Christian schools have played an important part in the development of the country and in the promotion of education," he said.

"We opened our doors to Muslim students and there was never any attempt at making Muslim students Christians," Bro Charles added,

Bro Charles also recalled a statement by ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that his father attended school in St Xavier's Penang and even studied the Holy Scriptures.

Principal of the St Francis Convent Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu, Pang Shat Mui said the population of the school (Form One - Form Five) is 843 of which 300 are Muslims.

This school started as a primary school in 1923.


My Say:

During my tour of duty in Europe, I was based in London and stayed at 31 Chapel Side, Moscow Road, London W2 4LL. A portion of the house is sharing a common wall with a Catholic church, hence the name Chapel Side. My office cum house was on the second floor and a floor above me was a Muslim family - Sdr Karim Sulaiman and wife Siti Hawa and their children.

Ditching Pairin for Dr Jeffrey

The past few weeks several founder leaders of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) headed by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan had quit the party to join the opposition.

Founder leader and a Deputy Chief Minister during the PBS Government (1984-1994) Datuk Ariah Tengku Ahmad ditched Pairin to join Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Pairin was Chief Minister when his party was in power.

The latest was PBS former Assemblyman for Bengkoka Paul Tom Imbayan, who was also PBS former executive secretary. Several more ex-PBS leaders had joined PKR since Dr Jeffrey was made its national Vice President.

My Say:

Elections is sure coming very soon. May be if they stay put in PBS, these leaders has not chance to be nomintated to contest in the election for PBS. They are my friends, though, I wish them good luck.

Colin Powerboat World Champion

The UIM F2000 World Cup Powerboat 2007 season came to an end with runaway leader and favourate Briton's Colin Jeff taking the world crown at the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront. Colin's brother Owen who came secord was stripped of the placing and was given to Rick Haakonsen of Norway.

UIM commissioner Gorden Sutherland said Owen was disqualified after it was found out that there was irregularities on the engines of Owen's powerboat.

Third placing went to Uvis Slakteris of Latavia while fourth was Owen.

Meanwhile, a four-year-deal has been sealed between local promoter, Powerboats Event and Formula World Sports for the World Formula 2000 Powerboat World Championship series to be held in Sabah.

My Say:

A boost to the tourism industry in Malaysia, particulary for Sabah.

It's December

I wake up this morning to realise that it is December. How times fly, in 30 days time we will be in the year 2008. A year older, another year to face in this world full of challenges.

And I will continue on blogging.