What Merdeka means to me

Everyone has their own respective definition of what 'Merdeka' means to them. How it touches them, how it affects them. I also firmly believe that the raison d'etre for each Malaysian differ and that they may not be the same with everybody else. So, it was very upsetting (though pathetically expected) when those in the 'Corridors of Power' saw it fit to delete my comments on what Merdeka means to me. It would seem that these people have not 'Merdeka' or liberalised their minds when doing so and are merely doing so to evade embarassment to their political masters.

How can you expect to be a 'Global Champion' if you cannot embrace differing opinions? How can you address the major challenges in the world ahead when you cannot even handle divergence of opinions? I wish you all the best and maybe the ECER Development Corridor will be better governed by a one-sided authocratic regime? Good luck to you.

Anyway this time around I would like to wish all Malaysians a great Merdeka and to the Muslims, Mabruk e-Ramadhan. May this year our convictions in Allah SWT remain strong and that we remain steadfast in fighting in his name. May justice reign supreme and may all evils be estopped.

My special prayers are with those on MISC Tankers Bunga Melati 2 and 5. I hope MISC Berhad will do the logical and reroute the lines to exclude the Gulf of Aden. My heartfelt condolences go with their families and may Allah SWT protect the hostages.

I also wish to congratulate the learned Attorney General on his report which effectively neutralises or even negates the so-called 'populist' 'band-aid' budget released by the Prime Minister. The inference is that the goodies were brought on to silence the rampant corruption, ineffective management, cronyism and nepotism of the current administration. Many weaknesses appear, for example only a one percent (1%) drop in income tax relief? RM150 for the disabled? truly the BN has lost touch with the people. An opportunity to neutralise the effects of the by-election in P44 - Permatang Pauh, by retouching the Budget, was left untouched - leading to further erosion of support.

And here was I thinking that Pak Lah's early return to KL before the announcements of the results of P44 was because he had to 'fine-tune' the budget!! Then what did you do laa Pak Lah?? sleep as usual?

All in all I cannot wait to see Malaysia finally and conclusively 'Merdeka' from the clutches of the BN and deliver the rakyat from suffering to content. May Allah SWT realise the dream of Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his allies in getting those ear-tagged BN defectors to declare themselves ASAP.

Mabruk e Ramadhan! MERDEKA!!