Reform Marty

Sadly, the overall trend in freedoms this past year has been to move backwards, not forward.
Bridget Welsh, Malaysiakini, Dec 10 2024

So, you must be wondering: who the heck is Marty and why does he need to be reformed?

For the longest time, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s rallying call has been about reform – or, in the Malay language, reformasi – from the time he got kicked out of cabinet in 1998 pretty much.

Since I trust that you, dear readers, still have analytical brain cells swimming in your noggin, you’re now fully clued in to what this post is all about. I hope.

More and more we see on social media that PH’s promised reforms have thus far – two years on – remained just that: promises. The most recent examples being Fahmi Reza getting hauled up by the police for his satirical caricature of newly appointed Sabah TYT Musa Aman; excuse me… Tun Musa Aman to us the unwashed masses; and Hadi Awang getting called in for questioning over his opinion piece about the Batu Puteh sovereignty issue.

In other words, the optics (at least) indicate that freedom of expression is being curtailed at a level similar to them BN days of yore. Some even say it’s worse than those days. Granted, correlation doesn’t imply causation, but could it be that BN being in the unity government has something to do with these recent crackdowns? And by BN I really mean UMNO, since the other component parties are pretty much inconsequential.

Also of concern are the laws that give broad powers to certain individuals and agencies, for example, the recently passed amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act (read the concerns raised by Article 19) giving MCMC almost unbridled and unquestionable powers. And then there’s the licensing of social media platforms, imposing a “strict liability on service providers for user-generated content” (from the Article 19 posting), which will very likely incentivise platforms to remove content that they deem may be ‘problematic’ – in layperson’s terms: arbitrary censorship by the platforms, potentially. And since social media platforms are fast replacing human arbiters with AI-driven algorithms, it may lead to a situation where anything with an iota of a whiff of being problematic may be removed.

In fact, I believe this is already happening: Fahmi Reza’s TikTok account was banned while he was livestreaming a lecture session at the Universiti Malaya campus a few days ago, without any reasons given other than the generic “multiple policy violations” excuse. As of the publishing of this post, however, it’s been reported that his account has been reactivated and accessible again.

So bottom line, when it comes to individual freedom of expression, it would seem like we’re regressing. Similarly, with human rights in general, as stated in SUARAM’s 2024 Human Rights Report.

On the economic front, Malaysia seems to be on the right track. On the macro level, at least. On the ground, however, we’re still feeling the pinch when it comes to the cost of living. Important reforms to subsidies are in the works, particularly to remove blanket subsidies on fuel to a regimen that’s targeted to the lower income groups that need them the most. At present Malaysia has the lowest petrol prices in Southeast Asia.

Anwar Ibrahim maintains, however, that promised reforms are in progress and will be delivered:

and even more recently:

It’s true that the primary focus of perceived regression has been on human rights and freedom of expression, and almost zero focus on governance. But if my assessment of sentiments based on my observations is accurate, I would also add that not enough has been done to properly communicate these governance reform initiatives; simply because next to no one is talking about them within the online sphere.

It doesn’t help when things like the dropping of charges in the Rosmah Mansor case, and the dropping of the appeal against the dismissal of charges in the case of Zahid Hamidi happen. Even if the former is due to faulty charges, thus rightly dismissed by the presiding judge (but not so much for the Zahid Hamidi case), as long as there’s no separation of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor roles, there will always be the lingering notion that these were done at the behest of the government, and in particular, of the PM.

Anwar has denied involvement, but the optics have nonetheless been damaging. And optics contributes greatly towards perception, which in turn colours what’s regarded as “truth“. More damaging is what I’m seeing as an erosion of PH’s support base as a result.

And if that erosion continues, PH could just find itself in the same position of the Democrats in the recent US Presidential Elections. Academic Bridget Welsh, for whom I have great respect, outlines some valuable lessons to be learnt from Trump’s triumph and second coming.

The difference with Malaysia, however, is that Perikatan Nasional (PN) falls way short in the credibility department when it comes to being an opposition block. Sure, it has loads of support, particularly for PAS, based on their religious cred (and not much else) that has great appeal for the increasingly conservative Malay demographic who somehow yearn for greater control over every minutiae of their lives and somehow have lost the ability to think for themselves. Another downside of the tongkat mentality, perhaps?

In any case, back to Marty… are the prospects of reform completely dead in Malaysia? Anwar says NO, but increasingly voices on the ground seem to think so. And with systemic reforms to the economy apparently in progress, the short-term negative effects will likely amplify those on-the-ground voices even more.

The rollback of fuel subsidies – done for diesel, to be implemented for RON95 in the near future – is bound to cause even more negative sentiments towards the PH-helmed unity government.

I have always maintained that change isn’t easy, and that often with change things get worse before they get better. Inertia, part and parcel of governmental bureaucracies, is partly to blame; as is the fact too many basic needs in our lives have been subsidized over the decades.

And why have wages been stagnant? I don’t know for sure, but I theorize it’s partly because of the desire for wages to be suppressed so that we appear more “competitive” cost-wise, to attract Foreign Direct Investments. Similarly with the undervalued Ringgit.

Reversing things like these require systemic overhauls which take time to realize – the longer policies have been in place, the longer it’ll take to overhaul them. Even then, economic policies are not instant noodles – effects aren’t immediate and sometimes takes years only to discover that the world has changed (again), and so further adjustments are required. Compounding this is the fact Malaysia doesn’t exactly have a good track record of metrics surveillance nor the agility to make timely corrections. Oh, and the habit of perpetuating and repeating mistakes but hoping for different outcomes.

So yeah, things are gonna be a lot worse before they can get better. If they get better…

All that said, personally, I think there’s still hope, although I’m not entirely optimistic looking at things through reality-tinted glasses. We’re roughly two years into Madani, with three more to go if the current government goes the full term. What transpires in 2025 will be important to watch, and God-willing, I’ll update my thoughts as we stumble along.

Reform Marty? No, I wouldn’t exactly say that. Yet. Let’s just say Marty’s gotta up his game… by leaps and bounds.

Has it been that long?

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

Two things: first, an apology for not posting for so damned long; the last posting was in April… of last year… Like, seriously?!?. The second, and arguably the more important thing, is that Walski has made the decision to stop writing in the third person (except for this sentence).

Yeah, it’s tiring, truth be told, and somehow puts me in the same league as those entertainment gossip columnists in Malaysian media we so love to loathe. So there… as I – and Walski before me – break with tradition. Again.

I could go into all kinds of reasons why – mostly made up – I haven’t updated this blog in such a long time, but quite simply it’s because 2024 has been a busy year for me in the real world. As you may or may not know, I co-run an art business and since it’s now a nomad gallery, travelling has been a big part of running said business.

These days Walski shuttles back and forth snugly hibernating in my suitcase between KL and Manila, and only gets the opportunity to leave the confines of baggage and breathe some fresh air whenever something ire-inducing pops up on X/Twitter (and other social media outlets).

Which arguably is becoming more often than I like it to be these days.

Domestically, the primary source of ire is how a coalition I had put my trust in to introduce positive reform has instead been mostly regressive in their 2+ years in office. Making matters worse is an opposition block that, to put politely, has been not much more useful than a zoo full of morons (except for a few monkeys).

I won’t go into a blow-by-blow account of how disappointing the PH-led government has been, or the legislations they’ve pushed through that are more problematic than they are helpful or progressive. To be fair, the PH-led “unity government” has achieved some positive milestones, like the model of government itself for one, and the abolishment of the mandatory death sentence, to name another.

Personally, I see that the achievements made thus far are few compared to the amendments to, and applications, of restrictive laws, in some cases make them more vague and more open to abuse; the most recent example being amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act that were rushed through the house despite calls from all and sundry for it to be sent to a Parliamentary Select Committee for scrutiny. Oh, and the amendments also give MCMC almost unrestricted powers. Hurrah for freedom to shut the fuck up, or else…

But why has PH, which ran on a promise of broad institutional reforms and freedoms, turned retrograde and regressive? IMHO the answer lies in the elephant-sized albatross that’s also part of the “unity government”, better known as UMNO and the handful of hangers-on that form the rest of BN. PH couldn’t have formed a government if not for this unity arrangement, which I’ve mentioned on X/Twitter sometime back is far from ideal. But here we are. And it is what it is for now.

And don’t even get me started on the MIB (Malaysian Islamic Bureaucracy) and its tentacled network of affiliates (both private and public sectors)… But I will mention one discomforting initiative on their part: the proposed F.T. Mufti Bill.

Internationally, the world seems pretty messed up these days. Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, and the FUBAR attempt at martial law in South Korea… just to name a few recent global events. Topping off the global shit-cake is, of course, the orange-tainted cherry of Trump 2.0.

So yeah, loads and loads to bitch and moan about, but so little bandwidth…

I am hesitant to make any promises that this post will mark a comeback to posting more regularly. Time and again things in the real world have come up causing me to go on hiatus and Time being the elusive animal it is, refuses to tell in advance.

But we’ll see… where there’s a will, there’s a way; and a horde of relatives fighting for the deceased’s estate…

Hasta la later, sports fans… unless you’re a Manchester United fan, then it’ll probably be much, much la later… 🤣

Time, and other illusions

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)

Remember what Walski said in his post early this year, about wanting to post more, better time management, etc.?

Well, while he didn’t outright lie about his intentions at that point, time had other ideas. And what Walski had intended didn’t come to pass. On that count, Walski apologizes. Profusely.

The reality, though, is that what’s happening in Malaysia today – and how it gets reported in the news and on social media – means that there are too many issues and too much stuff going on to comment on every single thing that irks him. Unless he’s willing to be stuck behind the computer screen indefinitely, which he doesn’t.

To summarize 2023 thus far, Malaysian Islamists seem to be winning the narrative game. And it doesn’t help that the government seems to be bending – or at least acquiescing – to what they want. Granted, PM X has Islamic (and some argue Islamist) credentials. But is the current governmental stance going to help in the long run?

Flashback some 3-plus decades past: Dr. M the then PM, as a response to PAS’s growing influence opened the Islamist floodgates by making the government more “Islamic”, albeit in a moderate manner. Walski won’t rehash what’s transpired since, but the moral of the story: once the Islamic genie has been unleashed from its bottle, there’s no way to rein it back in.

When it comes to the current government, Walski can think of two possible thinking modes why the strategy is what it is: one, being friendly with the Islamists and acquiescing to what they want is to prevent losing in the upcoming state elections; or two, the idea that the Madani government can manage it better than Dr. M.

That’s Walski’s guess anyway.

On other fronts, UMNO wants Najib to be pardoned, and UMNO’s president (who’s also Deputy PM) wants the charges against him dropped.

It is Walski’s ardent hope that neither comes to pass.

And that’s all he can do – hope.

Because if there’s one thing Walski’s realized and come to terms with after all these years: just like time, citizen empowerment in Malaysia is an illusion. There may be the occasional small wins, but almost negligible compared to the major losses that have come in tandem. About the only saving grace: the current government is serious about institutional reforms.

Whether or not it will be allowed to realize those reforms, without too much compromise (that would make those ‘reforms’ pointless), is left to be seen.

In any case, Walski really wanted to post more here since the aforementioned January post, but had to give in to other more pressing matters. There’s only so much headspace in his advancing years, and priorities had to be made.

The ugly truth is that keeping this blog alive with content (that folks wanna read) has become a chore. And frankly, compared to the other stuff he has to do, myAsylum is of low priority. Walski realizes that he doesn’t have the luxury of time like he used to, particularly since with every passing day time is slowly but surely running out.

Be that as it may, Walski will return once in a while to populate this blog with his thoughts. Hopefully thoughts that matter and not simply barking like a rabid dog against a deluge he cannot stop, and for a cause that is, for all practical purposes, lost.

And that lost cause? Malaysia.

Walski, on this tenth day of April 2023 is one dejected son of a bitch… and that, dear reader, is the honest truth.

But he sincerely hopes you’re having a better day. And an even better tomorrow.

p.s. – before Walski forgets, his real-world alter ego decided to start writing on Substack recently. While there’s nothing much of interest posted there – yet – Walski thought you might be interested to know. Reportedly, it is supposed to be less ranty. Good luck with that…

New Year, New Hopes… and better Time Management

All talk on Islamic States is just an empty dream. No man in his right sense would accept a nation which bases its political administration on religion, and in a country like Malaysia with its multi-racial and multi-religious people, there is no room for an Islamic State.
Tunku Abdul Rahman, First Prime Minister of Malaysia

First off, Happy New Year 2023 to everyone!

2022 was an interesting year, for several reasons. Not least among them was the 15th General Elections on November 19th, resulting in a hung parliament but eventually returning Malaysia’s governance to Pakatan Harapan, spearheading a coalition government – or Unity Government, as it’s officially being called – which includes BN, something that very few would have expected.

But such is politics, and the strange bedfellows it makes. What will be interesting to see is if the negative narratives against DAP, a key component of PH, can be countered with BN being a part of the government. Why? Simply because UMNO was where the demonization of DAP began, a stratagem now taken up with gusto by Perikatan Nasional (PN), primarily comprising Bersatu (an UMNO offshoot) and Islamist party PAS (another UMNO offshoot, historically).

There are many challenges that the Unity Government faces, as the Malaysia it has inherited isn’t exactly one that was well managed post-Sheraton Move back in 2020. Thus far, the assurance given is that the primary focus for the present will be the economy and helping Malaysians tackle an ever escalating cost of living.

A month plus in, the government has so far been doing just that. But as we’re all too familiar with, band-aids may help in the short term, but what Malaysia needs moving forward are well thought out policies in all areas of governance and life. It’s early days still, and how the government fares will be something every Malaysian will be paying close attention to in 2023 and beyond.

There are a few things that Walski would personally like to see happen this year. Frankly, it’s a long wishlist, so he’ll just mention a few in this post.

One of the things that has suffered greatly in recent times is personal liberty, and the freedom to be. Overall, Malaysia has slowly but surely become more conservative, primarily due to religion being increasingly forced upon contemporary Malaysian society. And the push for “Islam” to be the base consideration for everything, affecting everyone regardless of creed, even if the ‘official’ spiel is that it will only affect Muslims. So does that mean a religious apartheid with heightened Muslim-policing best case, or worst case, a comprehensive religious police state?

That Walski has written “Islam” (in quotes) is by no accident – what he’s referring to is a very narrow officially sanctioned interpretation of a tenet that ironically has a long and rich history of divergent viewpoints and interpretations. And this officially sanctioned “Islam”, too, has (d)evolved over the years, a lot more puritanical today compared to a few decades ago.

For instance, every time we approach a non-Islamic religious, or even non-Malay cultural celebration sometimes, without fail injunctions on wishing well those who celebrate will magically emerge on social media. And this year, also without fail, emerged a lovely Christmas prohibition message, from none other than Malaysia’s favorite dissident religious persona non grata, Zakir Naik.

**The 2022 edition of Zakir Naik’s divisive Christmas prohibition message…**

Granted the Facebook posting this image was sourced from has since been taken down, how did this kind of divisive messaging become so commonplace in multicultural, multireligious Malaysia? The quick answer, from Walski’s POV: over-empowerment given to the religious right to push their ideologies into almost every aspect of life in this country, under the guise of Ketuanan Islam (Islamic Primacy/Supremacy), which is, in effect the new Ketuanan Melayu.

And it is upon this new reality that Perikatan Nasional made much gains during the recent GE15, support for PAS being the main contributor of votes, building upon GE14 momentum, and almost resulting in PN taking the reins of power (which, thankfully, didn’t happen).

What comes with an inordinate amount of religion in the public sphere? Quite simply ANYTHING that doesn’t jive with the Islamist establishment is suppressed and/or outright banned. Worse, anything found to be “insulting to ‘Islam'” (as defined by these Islamists, as and when and how they please) will land folks into hot soup. We saw this happen for real in 2022, by the way. Case in point: what happened to Rizal van Geyzel.

Walski’s hope is that we see no more of this similar Islamist-influenced BULLCRAP. And not just for 2023 either. Because the joke that Rizal van Geyzel made was something based on a FACT that didn’t sit well with trigger-happy Islamists: racial discrimination in favor of Malays/Bumiputera. And by some strange magical linkage that only an Malay Islamist could appreciate, this translated to an “insult to Islam”. Yeah, go figure.

Related to this is Walski’s ardent wish that Islamists should no longer be allowed to dictate public policy exclusively. Sure, their opinions may be sought – and since we’re still a democracy, should be heard – and if these opinions are constructive they may very well be adopted, but not to the extent of blanket yes/no based on their opinions alone. Malaysian Islamists (maybe any Islamist) tend to be prohibitionist by nature and action. If they don’t like something, then NOBODY can like that something.

Here’s a current example: the Ministry of Health is embarking on a pilot project to provide PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) to prevent the spread of HIV, targeting people deemed to be most at risk, which includes intravenous drug users and sexually active male homosexuals. It’s no surprise that our Malaysian Islamists (i.e., ISMA et al) are campaigning against it, on the grounds that it will “promote homosexual activities”.

Screenshot from an article posted on Samudera.my, a news portal likely linked to ISMA

Instead, not unlike their Christian far-right counterparts in the US,, they promote Abstinence. Perhaps they should read research that has found abstinence-only strategies to not be effective. Or perhaps they’re aware but simply don’t care because it goes against their so-called beliefs, and so continue to promote what they believe to be the only acceptable way. Again, very much like their US-based Christian far-right counterparts.

Be that as it may, their opinions alone shouldn’t be the benchmark to create and implement public policies. And that’s another one of Walski’s hopes for the nation, this year moving forward.

Will the current PH-led government be able to last a complete term, or will it once again implode under the weight of political sabotage? There are many opinions about this, and quite frankly, at this stage, many of these opinions are mere speculations. After all, the government has only been in place for a mere month and a half, and for the most part is only now really getting down to business.

One thing, however, is clear: the Anwar-led Unity Government needs to deliver to a population that generally wants a better Malaysia, and after a fairly lackluster almost two years, wants that better Malaysia sooner rather than later. At the same time, however, Walski believes there is a real need to temper hopes and/or expectations, and to not expect the impossible.

At the year’s end, there is promise and potential for change, but cynicism and fear of disappointment reduce expectations and dampen hope. Not least of all is the reality that old forces remain in political power, despite the overwhelming call for change.
Dr. Bridget Welsh, “Malaysia’s year of yearning: Reflecting on 2022“, Malaysiakini, January 1 2022

As Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben once never said, “with lower expectations come fewer disappointments”.

Walski would ideally want to see Malaysia change for the better in all areas, but he realizes that changes to a “business as usual” governmental machinery cannot be achieved overnight. Even if those changes are for the better, because that’s just the nature of governments and bureaucracies – lots of inertia and lots of resistance to change. Sure, there are political pitches, promises, and all that, but never forget that animal called realpolitik. And overcoming that beast takes time.

The hands that work these bureaucracies, lest we forget, are real, living, breathing human beings. And we all know, despite putting up a façade to indicate otherwise, the operative thoughts will be, to varying degrees, “how will I be affected by all this change?”.

But Walski is hopeful that this time around, the PH-led unity government can and will deliver. The only question is how much and how soon. Walski is of the opinion that the government needs sufficient time and room to produce results, and not succumb to pressures to rush things heedlessly.

And in some areas, if Walski may remind you, effects of changes will only materialize after a period of years, and not weeks or months. Realistic change is not fast food, or pizzas that appear at your doorstep in 30 minutes or less (or your money back).

And if any politician tries to convince you otherwise, they’re lying. And if you actually believe said politicians, you’re a bigger fool.

So bottom line, fellow Malaysians, we will need to exercise some patience on our part as well. At the risk of sounding like a broken record: change takes time. More importantly we need to observe what are the steps being taken to exact that change we so desperately want? Personally, as long as things are moving in the right direction, Walski is happy.

Perhaps the one good thing (and maybe only one) about growing older is that one learns how things really work in this world. Well, Walski has, at least. And with that knowing is the realization that a lot of things take time. Just like the cliché about building Rome.

These aren’t the only hopes Walski has for 2023, of course, but let’s just say they sufficiently encapsulate the gist of things on his mind.

To close, on a more personal note, there is the question of New Year resolutions. And while some people’s resolutions are currently at 4k, Walski’s remains at full 1080 HD. A bit behind the curve, perhaps, but certainly clear enough to see what’s what, who’s who, and… where is that damned pizza he ordered an hour ago?

Kidding aside, though, Walski hopes to write more this year. And for this blog to not be neglected like it was in 2022. And in order to write more – which also means needing to read more – Walski needs to manage his time better. So yeah, that would be the other resolution he has for this year: better time management.

Apart from writing for work (i.e. his real-world business), as you may or may not know, Walski also writes – 280 characters (or less) a pop – on Twitter. Yeah, yeah… he’s sticking around despite the mess Mr. Musk has made. So if you think Walski’s slacking off updating myAsylum, please remind him – nay, bug the heck outta him – on that bird app.

In the meantime, enjoy your Monday off, and once again, Happy New Year 2023!

Till death do us part…

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom’s a junkie
Strung out in heaven’s high
Hitting an all-time low
“Ashes to Ashes“, David Bowie (1947 – 2016)

If there’s one thing that’s been important in Walski’s life, apart from visual art, it’s music. He feels blessed that he was introduced to music at a very young age, primarily through his late dad. Never mind if that music came in the form of what dad liked: Andy Williams, the Ray Conniff Singers, Bing Crosby… these became important touchstones that would be the seeds germinating to become Walski’s own eclectic music sensibility.

One thing about Walski’s dad, when it came to music, while he liked what he liked, dad never tried to impose his likes onto Walski. Apart from introducing stuff (that he liked) for Walski to listen to; but to impose what could or couldn’t be listened to, not ever. At least that’s how Walski remembers it.

Walski’s not entirely sure why he’s penning this, to be absolutely honest. Maybe it’s because of the visit to see mom yesterday (we talked about dad for a spell). Or that it’s approaching the end of another year. Or maybe the news of Terry Hall‘s death today, reminding Walski of the many music icons in his life that have passed on, particularly in the past decade.

2012 was the year that Andy Williams died, the same year that saw the passing of Robin Gibb, Whitney Houston, Ravi Shankar, and Donna Summer, to name a few personalities from the music world, all of whom died that year. And in the years following, more and more personalities from the music world that played a part in shaping Walski’s musical spectrum began dropping out.

This year alone, in addition to Terry Hall: Angelo Badalamenti (composer), Julee Cruise (singer of “Falling”, the iconic Twin Peaks theme song, composed by Badalamenti), Anton Fier (musician and producer), Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Keith Levene (The Clash, Public Image Ltd.), Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac), Meat Loaf (actor/singer), D. H. Peligro (Dead Kennedys, and briefly with Red Hot Chili Peppers), Pharoah Sanders (jazz saxophonist), Vangelis (composer), Don Wilson (The Ventures)… and many more, all inducted into the ever-growing Choir Invisible this year.

Gone, but certainly not forgotten. Certainly never to be forgotten is the biggest demise of 2016, David Bowie… by any measure a tremendous loss to popular music. That passing still lingers on Walski’s mind even over six years later.

But Walski reckons that’s what happens when we grow older… one by one our “heroes” fade permanently into the sunset. Each and everyone leaving a mark in the world of music they helped shape.

Which brings him to this thought: when the day comes, how will Walski, the undisputed self-proclaimed Maestro of Abandoned Dreams, be remembered?

Or, the more realistic question, will anyone even bat an eye?

Breaking Radio Silence

I don’t even know why I’m saying this in an interview situation, but I always feel like I’m not good enough for some reason. I wish that wasn’t the case, but left to my own devices, that voice starts speaking up.
Trent Reznor

Walski can truly identify with what Trent told the New York Times back in 2008. It’s these constant feelings of inadequacy, of not being good enough (for anything), and constantly wondering if the world would have been a better place if he’d never existed.

Is Walski feeling suicidal? No, he’s too chickenshit to think along those lines (see? more inadequacies). No big loss if he were, but no such luck. Sorry.

So what’s up with Walski? Couldn’t tell you even if he wanted to. It’s just that it feels like everything he touches these days seem to go to pot. Even when he “accomplishes” something, it just feels like what he did just wasn’t good enough.

If you think it sounds utterly depressing being Walski, you’re probably right.

Sure, he can act as if everything’s hunky dory A-OK. Sometimes quite well. But not well enough to win an Oscar any time soon (more creeping inadequacy… just par for the course).

But it is what it is.

Walski just wanted to pen these thoughts for a couple of reasons. One, it so happens that he’s not written anything here since May! Gosh… one whole quarter of not writing anything for this blog. Time flies when you’re running in circles, ya know?

Second, he just wanted to get this shitty feeling off his chest.

Well, a lot has happened around Walski since May.

For one, Najib Razak finaly got put away. But that mofo is still behaving like the fucking world owes him a comfortable living. Ironically, being an MP with one of the absolute WORST attendance records in Parliament, just days ago he sought approval from the Prisons Department to be able to attend sessions in Parliament. And to visit his constituents in Pekan every now and again.

That idiotic request was, quite fortunately, DENIED. Seriously, what a thick-skinned shameless asswipe mofo of a human being…

But you know what? Walski could sure use some of that same hyper-confidence shown by the erstwhile ~~Crime~~ Prime Minister. Exactly how does one cultivate that sort of can’t-do-any-wrong persona? Quinoa on steroids? What?

Who knows… and frankly, who cares? Walski thinks he is the way he is for a reason. Hopefully a good reason, whatever that might be.

That’s all Walski really wanted to say today. But he’ll add one thing: this post has been somewhat cathartic. Just getting stuff off his chest. Definitely cheaper than therapy, that’s for sure.

Ah, well… guess he’s stuck being the inadequate human being that nature intended him to be. Walski will certainly try to make the best of that inadequacy. Not that he has any other recourse.

Until next time…

In the dying embers

They say if you scratch a cynic, you will find a disappointed idealist
George Carlin

It would be fair to say that Walski has become cynical in his old(er) age. About a lot of things. And part of the reason why he’s grown to become cynical is simply this: living in Malaysia for the past three decades, plus change.

When he returned back in 1990, Walski actually had hope that Malaysia would one day free herself of the shackles of feudalism, to embrace a more egalitarian reality, to regard all her citizens as equals by citizenship. It was a hope that all born in Malaysia would be regarded as daughters and sons of the soil.

Instead, thirty some years down the road, we’ve regressed to become an even more feudal society; class matters, being born with a silver spoon up your wazoo matters even more. And if one were to have the misfortune of being born into a “less preferred class” – definitions vary – then the blame is solely on that one for being born wrongly.

And that’s just the tip of the feudalism iceberg. So is that just cause enough for Walski’s cynicism?

Hence, what George Carlin mentions in that short YouTube clip (click on his name in the quote attribute above) resonates strongly with Walski. Because he’s like that pretty much – a disappointed idealist. Whatever optimism he once had that Malaysia would become a nation to be envied has turned into dread that this nation slips further down the abyss.

But hey, don’t worry if you’ve bought tickets, because we’re more than halfway there…

In today’s Malaysia, we have a convicted and disgraced ex-PM parading around like he’s a national fucking hero. Worse are his supporters, adulating him like a demigod. Why? Simply because of his perceived “pedigree”. If stated in canine terms, he’s an adulated top dog behaving like a complete bitch.

Is that the kind of Malaysia anyone could be proud of, all for the sake of upholding feudalism?

Also in today’s Malaysia, inept politicians are punished by elevating them to higher positions. Most recent case in point: Yes, Malaysia has become a nation where if you’re the right pedigree, preferred skin-color, and a member of correct political parties, you may very well fail upwards.

Recent case in point: Pasir Salak’s pride and joy Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, appointed as Malaysia’s next ~~embarrassador~~ ambassador to Indonesia. Let’s just hope he doesn’t start an international diplomatic incident any time soon. For all our sakes.

And then there’s the annoying oh-I’m-so-damned-important motorcades, ignoring the realities of everyday citizen traffic woes, parting the sea of automobiles like a platoon of hot-rod Moses wannabes. Just so these VIPs, VVIPs, VVVVVIPs – ad nauseum – can get from point A to point B without having to experience any hardship whatsoever. And anyone with the audacity to block these non-emergency vehicles? They get charged in court for “obstructing civil servant duties” Granted in this case said driver did act in a dangerous manner, the general public’s feelings towards these motorcade is well known. And they are far from good feelings.

Among other ways, that’s how feudalism has completely SCREWED UP Malaysia. And at the root of all this feudalism lies one political party – which Walski doesn’t need to name – that is the bane of Malaysia’s existence in a 21st century world. It is feudalism that keeps this damned party alive, hence the party’s zeal to keep feudalism alive. Not for the nation’s sake, but for their own survival.

From this party has, over time, spawned various bastardized versions of the original, whose only difference with the parent bastard is the rancid personalities inhabiting those parties. They live for feudalism, and use feudalism to their own decrepit advantage, all the while hypocritically proclaiming that their existence is for the good of the nation.

In truth, Malaysia would be better off without these damned parasites.

As you can probably tell by now, feudalism is something every single fiber in Walski loathes to the max.

So, tell you what: while the dying embers of Walski’s idealism still manifests itself, now coated with the ashen veneer of cynicism, he promises you this – come GE15, any political party that still dares to campaign based on upholding FEUDALISM as a way of Malaysian life will NEVER get his vote. Regardless of whether it’s the ORIGINAL party of bastards, or their vile bastard offspring parties.

Consider this a notice to you motherfuckers who love your feudalism so much, a feudalism that will result in the total obliteration and destruction of this nation that Walski loves. Because either you feudal bastards go to Hell, or Malaysia will; not if, but when.

Meanwhile, sit back, relax, and choke on your popcorn, while the nation sinks further down into the quicksand of feudal piety and suffocates…

(Photo credit: feature image used in this post was taken from this MalaysiaNow news report, about that particular unnamed political party Walski made reference to)

Hook, Line & Stinker

The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum….
Noam Chomsky, The Common Good

Walski isn’t against debates. But his beef with the debate that took place last Thursday night between Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Former ~~Crime~~ Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is this: why on Earth should Najib be given any kind of legitimacy?

This he made quite clear in one of his recent tweets:

But that’s now water under the bridge; the so-called “debate” is over and done with. Walski put it in quotes simply because it wasn’t a true debate, but more a stage managed dialog/pseudo-debate between two very divisive characters in today’s Malaysian political landscape.

If you missed it, or want to watch it again, you can do so below (fast forward to 9:20 min, which is the point where the debate actually begins).

There were two topics that were discussed: should Sapura Energy be bailed out, and what should be the direction to move the nation forward. For Walski, the contents of what was said wasn’t so important – there was nothing new, or novel, or ground-breaking that was mentioned.

What is important, however, is the basis of what was said, and where each one of them comes from.

Sapura Energy: Blind Bailout vs. Due Diligence

In the case of Sapura Energy, Najib suggested a bail-out that he claimed wouldn’t cost the government a single sen, providing two options:

for Petronas to acquire/takeover Sapura Energy
government guaranteed loans by banks to take the conglomerate out of the red (sound familiar?)

Frankly, it doesn’t take a financial genius to suss out that both solutions are deceptive and deceitful, and in fact WILL cost the government. The second option is exactly what happened with 1MDB, for which the government has to service the debt.

And as for the first option, allow Walski to ask this simple question: WHO owns Petronas?

Answer: it is WHOLLY OWNED BY THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT.

So, apart from the die-hard Bossku worshippers who’ve demonstrated that they have the collective IQ of a brick, who is Najib trying to con this time?

Walski needs to make this important disclaimer: he is no big fan of Anwar.

But between the two, it’s clear from the debate that Najib is incorrigible; bailouts are the only way, and worse, bailout first due diligence later. This borders on idiocy from a business perspective, but try telling that to the mindless TERBAEK Bossku minions (read: UMNO and their supporters).

Anwar, on the other hand, called for a forensic audit before any bailout actions be made. He also called out Najib’s assertion that “no government funds” would be incurred by asking the question of who owns Petronas.

So, what happened with Sapura Energy, once hailed as a darling of the homegrown integrated oil and gas service provider, to a situation where it’s pretty much on the verge of going belly up? It’s a long and convoluted tale, but this recent article from The Edge provides a good picture. In summary, partly mismanagement and partly market prices for hydrocarbons.

The bigger question from the debate, however, why the obsession to ensure that Sapura Energy doesn’t fail? (more on Najib’s part)

The Way Forward For Malaysia

The second topic of the night focused on what, in the opinion of the two debaters, would be the way forward for Malaysia. And here, too, nothing new or novel was proposed by either Anwar or Najib. But what they did say spoke volumes.

The thrust of what Anwar Ibrahim proposed hinged on structural reform, transparency, and the fight against systemic corruption. These are things that the Opposition Leader has long been pushing to the fore, as well as what PH was trying to do during the 22 months they were in power.

On the other hand, Najib’s idea of a better Malaysia: mega projects and GST. As if these two would be the panacea to right the ills that plague Malaysia. He also mentioned eradication of corruption, to which Walski couldn’t help but laugh. In essence, what he wants is to take Malaysia back to the days of unfettered largesse with little if any oversight.

Which do YOU think would serve Malaysia better in the long run?

So there was a debate. Now what?

Was there a winner in the debate? Did the debate itself matter? Will anything useful come out of the debate? Now that we’ve had the debate, what’s next?

The whole premise of the debate wasn’t hinged on winning or losing. But in terms of what was delivered, was there a clear “victor” between the two? Walski’s answer to that: it’s irrelevant.

Frankly, even entertaining Najib to a “debate” – a term used very loosely because the event was a stage-managed PR exercise more than anything else – gave the man undeserved legitimacy. Currently a convict awaiting sentencing appeal, nobody should have entertained the notion of having a debate with him in the first place.

But that aside, a clear dichotomy emerged: it was proper structural reforms vs. same ‘ol, same ‘ol largesse without oversight.

For Walski, between the two, and taking into account the current state of the nation, it’s blatantly clear which would bring about a better Malaysia. It boils down to a choice between rebuilding and strengthening the nation’s institutional foundations, or dancing and fiddling with reckless abandon while Rome burns to the ground.

What transpired on Thursday night may not be enough for many to make a decision. For sure, the so-called debate wouldn’t have swayed any fence-sitters. Partisan supporters would already have made their mind, regardless of whatever BS was flung (and there was a fair bit of it) to and fro.

But when it comes time for GE15 – whenever that might be – ask yourself this question: which of the two approaches would help create a Malaysia that you aspire for your children, your children’s children, and the many generations to come?

As far as Walski is concerned, however, the answer is straightforward and clear…

Post-script:

Rumor has it that the originally mooted format of the debate would have made it closer in feel to an actual debate. But one side didn’t agree to a more debate-like debate, so the other side had to accede. So it was more of a stage-managed dialog as opposed to a real debate. The audience was by invitation only, and the questions posed by the “audience”, too, was curated. Originally, it was suggested that questions posed to each debater would be by a member of the opposing party. The same side that didn’t want a more proper debate opposed this, hence what we got was a carefully curated event from start to finish.

Someone somewhere once defined debate as “de stuff you put on de hook to catch de fish“. Walski just wonders if there are those who actually bought what was being said, hook, line and sinker…

Despondency Inc.

“The first ten million years were the worst,” said Marvin, “and the second ten million years, they were the worst too. The third ten million years I didn’t enjoy at all. After that I went into a bit of a decline.”
Marvin, the paranoid android in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

Scrolling through the various social media platforms, in particular Facebook and Twitter, Walski has observed a heightened level of despondency in today’s Malaysia.

And this feeling seems rooted in two areas: politics and religion. Also economics, but in Walski’s opinion the root cause in politics. More specifically, the obsession among our politicians to further politics over policy.

If once upon a time there was a push for Malaysia, Inc., the reality we’ve arrived at today is Despondency, Inc. And it honestly doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better anytime soon.

What the Malaysia, Inc. initiative – basically a situation of cooperation between public and private sectors for the advancement of the nation – turned out to become consolidation of wealth for the oligarchs in this country, and the creation of a GLC-controlled economy.

The 1980/90 period saw the start of a quasi-Thatcheresque privatization of government services, but with the government still very much involved in business. It was those with ties to the parties within government that benefited most (and continue to).

The other side effect of mega GLCs: crowding out of the market, creating barriers for ground-up businesses to flourish, and because of lopsided “policies” (to use the term loosely), those that really wanted to grow could only do so by relocating elsewhere. The most recent case: Grab, that relocated down south and is now a Singapore-based company.

Back in January this year, The Edge ran a story analyzing why Grab left, and what has made Singapore a better environment for tech startups. Walski won’t comment much on the article – go read it for yourself. But the question is this: if Malaysia has no shortage of Venture Capitalist (VC) organizations, what is it we lack preventing ambitious corporations like Grab to grow regionally or even be a global brand?

The complete answer, like all answers to simple question, is undoubtedly complex, and would require several posts to answer in sufficient detail. But for Walski, the bottom line is three things: lack of vision, lack of agile policy, and the fact Malaysia continues to be mired in identity politics.

And all three, at the end of the day, boils down to politics.

Perhaps an oversimplification and pretty crude, but it wouldn’t be unfathomable if one of the root-cause factors leading to Grab’s relocation is that the owners are of the “wrong demographic“.

Closely tied to the quagmire of Malaysian politics is religion, a source of political power for the major players in our political environment, which by and large still believes religious/ethnocentric concerns are the key priority. In the meantime, the rest of the world moves according to REALITY. Even those political parties whose existence isn’t grounded in this antiquated notion ultimately get dragged down into the bottomless shithole pit.

Because if they don’t play ball, the big political players and their legion of fucked up retard minions will start their campaign of mudslinging. Islam Über Alles… that sort of thing. Fascist? You betcha!

Today, race and religion have become all too intertwined. Religion has become the new “race”, and religion has become a blunt tool to exert perceived social and moral superiority. It’s a convenient tool to demand compliance of those with the audacity to think rationally and question when there’s a need to.

And if all else fails, invoke Article 3 of the Federal Constitution, regardless of how irrelevant it is to the argument. Or police reports, the favorite pastime of these mofo minions.

Religious authorities are regarded as sacrosanct, beyond reproach, and any criticism will be met with vociferous ire and blood-curdling threats of retaliation. Regardless of the sometimes overreaching and unreasonable these so-called religious institutions have become, these are the new sacred cows that can never be questioned. And who comes to the rescue when there is valid criticism voiced out?

The same damned mudslingers, and other minions of the countless religious NGOs that have mushroomed over the last decade, like fauna on fresh rain-watered dung. If there is one thing that will sink this nation down to the deepest pits of Hell on Earth, it will be our increasingly incessant obsession with invoking religion at every damned turn, and forcing it to be relevant over the most minute of concerns.

So if you wonder why Walski senses great despondency within the social media sphere, these are the two root-cause reasons. From his perspective, and his alone, naturally. And yes, he too is despondent. Very much so.

Oh, and by the way, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.

For all it’s worth…

Photo credit

The feature image used for this post is a screenshot from a video short called Suicidal Clown, via Alexandru Cotoc on YouTube (full image below).

The title pretty much describes what Walski thinks about Malaysia today: idiotically clownish, and just waiting to implode and self-destruct. But hey, as long as we’re “moral” and performatively pious, right?

Would a cesspool by any other name smell just as pungent?

The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and in-grafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man.
Thomas Jefferson

Islam in Malaysia has oftentimes been equated to be like Hotel California, based on that one line in Eagles’ most overplayed song – you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. And it’s worse if you were born in Hotel California.

There currently is one court case where an individual who was born into a Muslim family is trying to leave the religion, and said individual is currently seeking permission to have her judicial review heard in the civil court system, as reported in The Malay Mail this week.

You can read the background of the case, summarized quite comprehensively in that report. The applicant had already gone through all kinds of hoops and legal hoopla, as is the case with the Shariah Court system in cases such as this, only to have her application to leave Islam rejected by the Shariah Court of Appeal.

If you’ve read lawyer Fahri Azzat’s piece some months back, you’ll know that this is not surprising at all. Not by a single iota.

But what’s interesting is part of the court’s reasoning why the applicant’s request was rejected (emphasis by Walski):

Shariah High Court had — in rejecting A’s bid to be known as no longer a Muslim — ruled that the right to freedom of religion in Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution is not applicable to Muslims.
The Malay Mail, Wednesday, 27 April 2020

A few perplexing things are happening here. One, does the Shariah High Court even have the right to rule on constitutional matters in the first place? Ask most lawyers, and the answer you’ll get in most instances is NO. But never mind that for the moment.

Let’s digress for a sec so we can do a quick recap of exactly how Article 11(1) of the Malaysian Federal Constitution is worded: Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.

Every person – so, if EVERY PERSON has freedom of religion as a basic right, but this basic right is not applicable to Muslims, does that mean that in Malaysia Muslims are not even regarded as proper “persons”? If the answer is YES, then that goes a long way to explain the prevalence of herd mentality among many Malay/Muslims…

But all kidding aside, by making the ruling, the Shariah High Court has pretty much declared Malaysia to be a RELIGIOUS APARTHEID. At least that’s how Walski sees it.

Many a rational person would have to wonder: what’s the big deal if everyone – every person, to be specific – could exercise the fundamental right accorded by Article 11(1)?

Try to even broach this question, and the earth will undoubtedly start to shudder with the collective wrath of the “faithful”; HOW CAN YOU EVEN ASK SUCH A QUESTION!!! DOOMSDAY WILL COME IF THAT HAPPENS! THE EARTH WILL OPEN UP AND SWALLOW THE TWIN TOWERS, KL TOWER, AND MENARA 118!!!

Persist with the question, and you’ll probably find a gazillion police reports filed against you for the crime of intelligent enquiry…

But that’s the reality of this cesspool we’ve become. The entrenched status quo must never be questioned, even if the questions are reasonable ones. And why we’ve become the cesspool we are today has a lot to do with that quote by Thomas Jefferson.

And the root cause: political expediency; of trying to out-Islam the Islamists. Fast forward three decades plus change, the entire nation is the worse for it. We’ve become a religious apartheid, and as these things go, once Stockholm Syndrome sets in any attempt at change and rectification will be messy. And Malaysia doesn’t possess the political will to clean up anything that’s messy.

Regardless, the court challenge Walski mentioned above will be an interesting one to follow. Essentially, submissions to challenge have been made, and a decision on whether the challenge may be heard will be known come June 15. Well and good if leave is given, but if it is rejected then another round of questions will emerge. Either way, let’s hope the legal arguments presented are sound ones.

It is fortunate that the plaintiff’s legal team, the prosecution, and the court have unanimously agreed that withholding the applicants identity (the Islamists won’t be pleased, but screw ’em) is in the best interest of everyone involved. Because what will undoubtedly happen is harassment by the “faithful”, and maybe even threats to her life.

In the meantime, there is a sense of calm in this cesspool. For now, at least. Let’s just hope that calm isn’t the kind that precedes a ferocious shitstorm…

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Sapura Energy: Blind Bailout vs. Due Diligence

The Way Forward For Malaysia

So there was a debate. Now what?

Post-script:

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