Mahathirism

Mahathirism - an action, attitude or culture which bears the ultra and arrogant mindset of Malaysia's 4th Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed. Tun, Dr.M, Ma yee sang, Dictator, Autocrat, ultra-Malay.

As a young Malay (only by the definition of Malaysia's constitution, otherwise he's quite a mix of different races), he was an ultra, fighting for the Malay agenda. After the May 13th incident, Dr. M wrote a personal letter to then PM Tunku Abdul Rahman calling for him to be personally responsible and to resign. Seeing the danger that these ultras posed to UMNO and the Malay + Malaysian agenda, there was a need to act, so the Tunku expelled him and the other ultras from UMNO. Dr. M then authored the Malay Dilemma underlining his argument for special rights to the Malays.

Fast forward a few years, Dr. M became UMNO President and Malaysia's 4th PM. Widely regarded as the Bapa Perindustrian Malaysia, he brought radical changes to industrialised the Malaysian economy. Proton, Petronas Twin Towers, Multimedia Super Corridor etc etc. Many Malaysians 'look up' to our Bapa Perindustrian. Some say that 'Well yes he was corrupted, but at least he brought progress and modernization to the country'.

Huh? Couldn't Malaysia progress and modernize all the same without Mahathir or Mahathirism? I don't see Australia or Hong Kong lagging behind..they don't have any dictators or autocratic Prime Ministers. Worse, Malaysia's so called progress is built on weak foundations. Malaysia's skyscrapers, grande federal administrative territory, modern airport are the first part of the phrase 'First World Infrastructure, Third World Mentality'. This is bound to crash just as what we see in Indonesia during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

As of this moment, Dr. M is vigourously trying to bring down his successor PM AAB. Some of his accusations toward our PM now are true to what voters feel especially his inability to rein in on the Little Napoleons and his arrogant SIL. But a lot of Tun's arguments and accusations don't quite make sense because it was all the left over products of what we call Mahathirism. Take Rafidah Aziz and Samy Vellu for example. Weren't they his bootlickers once? And the use of the ISA on Hindraf..didn't Mahathir use the ISA to silence opposition too? What about the accusation that AAB is allowing cronyism and corruption? WTH this mad Doctor's name was SYNONYMOUS with Corruption and Cronyism.

In fact, we should be respecting AAB for daring to lose and working towards a healthier democracy with more opposition. Had it been Dr. M, it would surely have been Ops Lalang II. Hooligans will be let loose on the streets. A state of Emergency would be declared. And all states including Opposition led ones would have been controlled by KL directly under the PM.

BN is shitting in their pants thinking about the Kataks from their camp who may jump anytime to BR. Let's hope the BN MPs don't forget what Mahathir did in Sabah in the 80s. Money was pumped in, incentives were given, federal funds withheld, everything was done to ensure Sabah does not fall into opposition hands again. Retribution huh? Too bad the retribution isn't going to hit the culprit if it does happen.

Now he's saying it's not his fault that Tun Salleh Abbas got removed as Chief Judge. Who else would gain from the removal of the Tun Judge if not for the Tun Ultra who was trying to do consolidate power unethically?

Mahathir is also the main culprit in the Lingam case. Quite obvious huh? Notice anything missing from his list of criticism of AAB as to why BN didn't win as much? That's right..Lingam! Any election analysts would point to the high-profile case as one of factors for low public confidence in Abdullah's anti-corruption drive. But not our Tun Dr. M, because he 'cannot recall, cannot remember' why the judiciary is rotting.

Anyway, Mahathir is a thing of the past now although Mahathirism still lingers on. Of course he comes up and say things once in a while but he did help the opposition win bigger this time so we should thank him too. Hopefully, with Tun's help as the Opposition within UMNO, PM AAB will be pressured to work harder on his Election 2004 promises. That is if he even survives the UMNO elections and/or the rumoured katak migration.

To Dr Mahathir: Behold the fruits of your doing!

Dawn Of A New Malaysia?

I have been reading more news on Malaysia-Today.net. News which have not been covered by the national mainstream media. It seems like YM Raja Petra and other readers have now turned their sights on the Barisan Rakyat state government and federal opposition to actually walk the talk! Which is good news of course. If the BR can get their act together, perform to a level MORE than what the rakyat expects, then rest assured the rest of the country will fall like dominoes in 2012/2013.

A dawn of a new Malaysia? Let's hope so! We certainly don't want to see yet another government bound to the principles of NEP (or should I say the 'Old' Economic Policy) - cronyism, racism, corruption. Many Malaysians believe that as long as the BN Feds get their feet on the ground again after the electoral disaster, Malaysia can look forward to another 5 years of BN governance i.e. living in a system of patronage. With a stronger opposition, and no 2/3 majority, the BN would probably do much better in serving the rakyat. Ministers and Members of Parliament will be much more careful in their statements so we'd probably see less 'bocors' or 'you tak suka, you keluar dari Malaysia'. But will we still see idiots like Nazri proposing to give illegals Permanent Residency? Will we still see the denial syndrome by refusing to push through the IPCMC and Royal Commission of Inquiry into the judicial rot? Let's hope Barisan Nasional will do away with their 'anti-floor-crossing' policy and instead allow their MPs to serve the rakyat effectively insteady of the party.

Conspiracy theorists believe that this BN government will not last even one year what more 4 or 5? News and rumours have trickled in that Anwar has already got 30+ kataks ready to jump into BR's ponds. This is more than enough to form a simple majority in Parliament to form the Federal Government! Embarassingly (for me as a Sabahan) enough, some say that around 12-16 of these potential kataks are from Sabah.

Now the question arises. Do we really want to see a new federal government? Honestly for myself, yes. It is a time for change and especially if the BR keeps their promises to do away with the NEP. Now, change the question to 'Do we really want to see a new federal government with kataks?' The answer is a simple no. Yes there must be freedom of association. And yes some people change..but politicians? err..nah. Politicians will always be politicians. Once a katak always a katak. I wont be surprised if these kataks jump back to UMNO if they are promised more than what BR can give them. Where is their sense of loyalty? Anwar probably knows that there is no loyalty in most politicians because they are driven by power, money and greed.

Anwar has bought politicians before albeit under the instruction of then PM Tun Mahathir. Don't believe me? Ask Sabahans around the age of 40 and above what happened between 1985-1994. Like corruption in Malaysia, everybody knows about buying potential kataks but keeps quiet. Try telling a Jesseltonite or Sabahan or Malaysian that 'the traffic police are an incorruptible lot..no matter how much you want to pay them they'll still give you a ticket', you will probably get laughed at. It's the silent truth because as usual, there 'ain't no proof'. Of course I have no proof of this because only stupid robbers leave their trail after breaking in. Tun Mahathir isn't dumb. On the contrary, he is an intelligent and very bright politician; he eats a lot but wipes his mouth clean. Does this mean Anwar should use this tactic to bring retribution to UMNO? Well, if it is true that Anwar is buying these guys, then let's hope the retribution stops there and not turn another round to hit him back. For the moment, let's just give Mr. Anwar the benefit of doubt and take what he said at face value; that the kataks are willing to jump on their own accord and not baited by 'financial incentives'.

Will Malaysia wait for the new BR Federal Government and be content with a strong Opposition at the moment? More importantly, CAN it afford to wait?

Don't Be a Fool, Karyawan!

KARYAWAN FEARS FOUR STATES MAY FOLLOW KELANTAN'S EXAMPLE
The Star, Friday 28th March 2008

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Artistes' Association (Karyawan) fears for the local arts and entertainment industry following the formation of new governments in five opposition-led states. “We are very apprehensive that the same restrictions in PAS-led Kelantan might apply to the four other states where the party is part of a loose DAP-PKR-PAS coalition,” president Freddie Fernandez said. Kelantan has been notorious for initiating controversial rulings since PAS took over 18 years ago. Entertainment spots like bars, dance clubs and karaoke joints and concerts, gambling and alcohol are deemed unhealthy. Female retail and restaurant workers have to follow strict dress codes – the headscarf is mandatory for Muslims and cleavage and navel-baring clothing is a no-no for non-Muslims. “We all know Kelantan is very restrictive in terms of entertainment. Concert promoters have not bothered to go there since PAS took over,” he said when contacted yesterday. “People and the performers used to look at it as 'just one state.' But now, we have two or maybe three states with PAS at the forefront. This worries us.”
Kelantan, he said, posed limitations for artistes intending to meet fans and to promote their albums. “There may be serious repercussions for the country's arts and entertainment industry if similar restrictions are imposed in the other states, too,” he added. Fernandez said the association hoped to meet the state leaders for a dialogue to ensure the right steps are taken to allow entertainment to go on. “We want to convince them that there are concerts and performances that can be well managed and run, even without strict restrictions being imposed,” he said, adding that Kelantan's gender segregation concerts were impractical. Two years ago, Kelantan lifted a 16-year ban on pop concerts and invited celebrities like Mawi, M. Nasir and Aishah to perform. Aishah and four other female performers regaled 3,000 fans at a women-only concert while Mawi and his gang sent 15,000 concert-goers into a frenzy. Never mind that male and female audiences had to be segregated. Families, however, were allowed to sit together. “We will have to have three categories – women, men and families. This will limit communication between the artistes and fans. It will not be enjoyable,” Fernandez noted.
“There should be more flexibility. It is not a necessity to segregate.”

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The Jesseltonite Review

Don't be a fool Karyawan. Are you stupid or what? If you're just another BN crony, I wouldn't blame. You probably would be shitting in your pants right now cos you're in Opposition territory. Segregate? You don't need to be in Kelantan to know what segregation is like. Just go to our schools. And try asking a non-UMNOputra to open a business. Maybe a non-UMNOputra trying to vie for government projects. Try asking them and they'll tell you what segregation is. Ask the pig-farmers in Melaka. Oh and the Hindu people whose temples were demolished? I'm sure they and HINDRAF knows what segregation is like much clearer than YOU Mr. Karyawan.

Fool!

Faith, Passion and Glory! Sabah Rhinos vs PDRM Tonight! (1st update)

Tonight's the game! 2nd round 2nd leg of the Malaysian FA Cup! Come support our Rhinos fight back from a goal down.

First leg results:

Selayang Stadium 20th March 2008
PDRM 2 - Sabah 1

Goalscorers: 30' Andre (SAB)
47' Budi Sudarsono (PDRM)
62' Mohd Afif Amirudin (PDRM)

Second leg:

'The Graveyard' Likas Stadium 27th March 2008
8.15pm - Ticket Price: RM7 only!
Not many public transport options so it's best to drive.

Let's all go support the Rhinos! Araimaiiti!

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-1st UPDATE-

Results: Sabah 3 - PDRM 1

Goalscorers:
1' Kokhrei (SAB)
14' Sindih (SAB)
49' Sundawat (PDRM)
69' Kokhrei (SAB)

Congratulations Sabah!

Makan Makan Jesselton - Eating @ Jesselton

I have added to this page a food blog link list called Makan Makan Jesselton - Eating @ Jesselton. The list only has one blog so far by a young lady who has been really active going around town trying food places - a food critic. I will try to add some 'Places to Eat' posts in the near future but for now this blog seems to be the most active in terms of food testing in and around Kota Kinabalu. Have a look!

Travel Ban on Harris

THE DAILY EXPRESS
Thursday, 27th March 2008

KOTA KINABALU: The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has barred former Chief Minister Datuk Harris Mohamed Salleh from leaving the country until he settles RM 419,715.62 in Real Property Gains Tax owed to the Board, the Daily Express reliably learnt. A Certificate dated Feb. 22, 2008 signed by the Kota Kinabalu IRB Principal Assistant Director (Collection) Shahril Jalinus had been issued under Section 22(1) of the Real Property Gains Tax Act, 1976 to compel Harris to fully settle the amount or furnish security to the satisfaction of the Director-General. Shahril was believed to be exercising the power conferred to him by Section 45(4) of the Real Property Gains Tax Act to certify the amount that must be settled by Harris. The IRB had forwarded copies of the Certificate and letters to the Inspector-General of Police and Immigration Director-General requesting them to take necessary action to prevent Harris from leaving Malaysia unless and until he had settled the outstanding tax. When contacted, Harris confirmed receiving the ban letters both in Bahasa Malaysia and English. However, he insisted that the whole episode was a "very bad mistake" on the part of the authorities which "bordered on malice or was politically motivated". He said the matter had been referred to his lawyers who would soon be demanding a public apology and appropriate compensation from IRB. "Whoever is responsible can expect to face a lawsuit," he said. According to him, he is not liable to pay the Real Property Gains Tax. He said he is puzzled over the action as none other than the IRB had issued him a letter in 2005 stating that the land involved in the transaction was subjected to tax. "I can only conclude that the action is based on malice or was politically-motivated," he said. Harris was Chief Minister during the Berjaya era from 1975 to 1984. If it comes to that, this is not the first time that Harris had sued authorities for actions that he deemed to be unjust. In the late 1990s, his Hotel Labuan was ordered close by the then Labuan Development Authority on the basis that it was structurally unsafe. However, he claimed it was politically-motivated and took the LDA to court. The court then awarded him RM90million compensation and to return possession of the hotel to him. However, Labuan LDA had appealed and the outcome is awaited. It was reported that the Government was agreeable to compensate him an appropriate amount out of court.

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The Jesseltonite Review

If this guy was in Australia or Singapore, he would have been 'crucified' for setting a bad example as a Chief Minister running away from tax! Anyhow, we'd like to see what happens now since he claims it to be a 'politically motivated' move. Should we give him the benefit of doubt?

Good job IRB for digging the truth out if it is even true in the first place. But I'm sure Harris isn't the only one with unsettled Real Property Gains Tax. What about current Ministers? Let's hope that the IRB isn't the next government body that is pro-BN. Let's not stop at digging out dirty laundry like unsettled taxes. What happened to the ex-Sabah CM who gambled some millions away at casinos in the UK and Australia? Where did his money even come from? Is he still running around free after mismanaging State funds? And the other ex-Sabah CM who signed away the beautiful Likas Bay to be reclaimed (Thank God that project was halted before it could even start). Oh, I heard he got penalised for some 'technical errors' in the 2004 elections and was therefore removed as Assemblyman. 'Technical errors'? Wasn't it something like importing phantom voters into the electoral roll? Isn't that selling your state away to a northern neighbour? Shouldn't all these ex-CMs be jailed so that future CMs be taught a lesson that they can never get away with their dirty laundry? Let's not stop there my dear government bodies. IRB, ACA, etc. etc.

Perhaps, if politicians in Sabah are truly loyal servants of the State, they should follow Penang CM Lim Guan Eng's footsteps in making it compulsory to declare Minister's assets. It's also reported that The Prime Minister under immense pressure has already committed to asset-declaring of the Cabinet and also with the IPCMC..hopefully he goes through with the commitment. Of course, asset- declaring will never happen in Sabah because if it does, the State Assembly will go into anarchy! If there is any witchhunt, ALL of them will be 'burnt at the stake'!

*shakes my head*

Corruption! Corruption! Corruption!

Tourists Flooding Jesselton..& They're Not The Only Ones!

I was at Hyatt Regency Kinabalu having dinner today and noticed a lot of guai lou or mat sallehs walking around the hotel, some walking towards the popular Upper Star bar and restaurant across the road. My father would make a sacarstic remark ,"KK is getting more and more haunted." I mean why not..with so many guais (ghosts) coming here for holidays.

Over the past two to three years, more and more tourists are coming to Jesselton to relax and rest for the night before continuing on to their Borneon wildlife adventure. I'd doubt some would stay for shopping because let's face it, they probably would have done their shopping elsewhere say KL. But of course you'd have some of the guais enjoying the atmosphere at Warisan Square or Centre Point. The tourists come from all over the world; Australia, UK, EU, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, etc etc. These tourists bring much needed foreign currency into Jesselton's urban economy and Sabah in general. That's what we need..cashflow! More effort has been made to improve services and promote Sabah as a tourist destination, capitalising on the dwindling popularity of other SEA destinations such as Bali, Phuket and so forth due to security reasons. Although Jesselton is pretty safe compared to KL, we need more tourist-friendly services lest we end up like Japan where tourists really find it hard to get around without having a local guide. Of course, we can't survive like Japan because our tourism industry depend heavily on international visitors whereas Japan is quite self sufficient with domestic tourism.

It's all good news really. More tourists..more money..more cashflow..more spending..economy becomes stronger with more money distributed around. But we must not forget the other type of tourists. The tourists which we Jesseltonites are not quite fond of. The type that don't really bring foreign currency but instead channel ringgits out, not to mention using up our facilities such as schools, hospitals, steal our water and electricity etc etc. 'Tourists' which take up a quite different type of 'Malaysia My Second Home Program' gladly...with the option to become citizens by voting for the Government which quite conveniently hands them free MyKads just before elections. And if they don't get the free MyKads, they can gladly approach corrupt immigration officials to buy them for a small price. Tourists whose children are now roaming the streets in Segama every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights purportedly to direct traffic and guide party-goers to their carpark, and expecting a small fee in return lest they smash your car windows. Keep in mind that, at the rate our Government is going in handling them, these same 'tourists' will be first class Bumiputeras in the near future and have access to Native Titles...and the true Sabahans will lose their identity, culture and birthrights.

Now some of you might say 'Nah..it can't be. It's not that serious is it?'. Some may argue 'We need them for our economy!'. I mean surely, there are other ways to look for labour to boost the economy?!. Beware. The problem is not far away. The invasion is coming. It's like Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds where the Aliens were actually here a long time before we knew it. It's already starting in Sandakan. These 'tourists' are not the ones we are looking for. These different type of 'guai lous' are the REAL 'guai'. Ask any Sandakan resident and they will tell you that Sandakan is a 'ghost town' at night. It won't be long till the scourge reaches Jesselton. Sigh..I hope this day will not come....

Personal Thoughts on Politics

The 12th Malaysian General Elections was held about 3 weeks ago on the 8th of March 2008. While Peninsula Malaysia saw a political tsunami sweeping the Barisan Nasional off their feets in 5 states, the BN in Sabah and Sarawak held firm winning all but the two largest urban parliamentary seats in the East, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Some in the Opposition party have blamed 'backwater' rural Sabahans and Sarawakians for the losses but the question arises. Can you really blame them?

Many in Jesselton wanted change. In fact, had it not been the multiple cornered fights, the opposition would have gained many State Assembly seats such as Luyang, Likas, Kepayan, Inanam, Sandakan, Sri Tanjong, Merotai and Bingkor (Api-Api was won by BN by a very slim majority in a straight fight but could have no doubt fallen had DAP and Keadilan combined campaigning efforts). This is even with the fact that campaigning by the opposition was minimal. Election fever didn't really hit Kota Kinabalu until the last two days to election day. My message here is to the arrogant, misinformed, over-zealous Opposition voters in West Malaysia: Please do not judge Sabahans as 'dumb' before looking at the facts. You aren't as smart as you think you are either. If you guys were smart enough, you would have voted BN down many years ago.

Don't get me wrong dear readers. I stand in solidarity with the Opposition. I too had voted for the Rocket and the Eye. I too wanted to see a loss of 2/3 majority by the 'dacing'. But it struck me pretty hard when, after the elections, a reader of http://www.malaysia-today.net/ condemned Sabahans as dumb.

Sabahans have seen change before. We have changed governments more than most Malaysian states. But it was most unfortunate that our political leaders time after time have failed us only to satisfy their own thirst for quick cash and power. In short, Sabahans had experienced 'out of the frying pan, into the fire' and no matter how, it cannot be denied that at this moment, Sabah is undergoing an economic revival of sorts. A change of government would most probably disrupt that smooth and easy flow which Sabahans are not ready to accept as of now.

"Okay, so you don't want a change of government but why didn't you vote to reduce the majority of Sabah BN?" some may argue. To this I say, was it our fault that the Opposition stood divided in Sabah? Was it our fault that the Opposition happened to choose incompetent leaders with a tainted past? Sure, we're not as wealthy as many other Malaysians. Neither are we as tech-savvy. But we are not dumb to see that the opposition is just another crocodile. Will voting another crocodile to take over another crocodile make life better?

Also, consider the tactics used to garner votes in Sabah. A sudden influx of postal votes..all going to the party which controls the EC (bear in mind the EC is supposed to be independent..'supposed'..). Oh and don't forget the new generation of voters..the illegal Pilaks. They'd vote for the government that gave them MyKads. What about the guy that won in Pensiangan where the two opposition fellas didn't get their chance to nominate themselves while the person behind them in the queue managed to get through? Ah..and the money bombs which made many rural households richer by a couple of hundred ringgits over night on the 5th, 6th and 7th of March?

Alright, so we can't really blame BN tactics although they really did very well employing them much better than in Peninsula Malaysia where they concentrated on the big guns AAB and KJ especially. Anyhow, let's not get into the denial syndrome like UMNO has in the West. Maybe, just maybe, Sabahans are really 'dumb'. Or with respect to many of the voters who voted for change, we say the majority of Sabahans are 'dumb'. Let's take it as constructive criticism and discuss ways to really bring about political change in the State.

To really deny BN the majority in Sabah and have a healthy democracy, more must be done. More than just criticising and grouping Sabahans as 'dumb'. Campaigning should be done more vigorously. Education and political awareness holds the key to a stronger opposition in Sabah i.e. a healthier democracy. Education and political awareness such as understanding that you cannot really vote for the individual candidate in Malaysian elections especially if you vote for a Barisan Nasional one because the BN has an anti-floor crossing policy. This means that when a stupid proposal is made by a stupid idiot like the ex-Minister in the PM's Dept's suggestion to give Pilaks PR (and eventually citizenship), and if it is tabled in Parliament by a BN MP, then the BN MPs (inclusive Sabah BN) MUST vote for it. If they don't, then it is tantamount to 'derhaka' and they may face the party whip. Just look at the poor Indian Gerakan MP who got punished just be defending HINDRAF. They also have a 'must-vote-against-Opposition-motions' policy. So if YB Lim Kit Siang from the Rocket proposes a motion good for Sabah, the BN MPs including Sabah ones MUST vote against it. Now this means that they are NOT wakil rakyat, but rather wakil parti if not wakil poket sendiri.

I strongly believe a stronger opposition and a healthier democracy will automatically solve Sabah's problems and issues such as land, illegal immigrants, illegal logging and so forth when leaders are forced to look into these problems when there is the fear of losing their power. How do we strengthen an Opposition? Perhaps encouraging a new breed of young and untainted opposition leaders who dare to speak up for the rakyat? What about making their education level a criteria? Banning 'kataks' from positions of power in the Opposition party? Feedbacks from the grassroots before selecting a candidate? Coming out every once in a week instead of once in five years (you don't want to be like the BN MP here now do you?)? A work ethic that understands that an elected representative is there to serve the people not his/her pockets? Maybe encouraging a sense of loyalty to the State since none of the politicians in Sabah really care about bringing development to the state. Yes that's right..a sense of loyalty..just as the NEP is the root cause of all problems in Malaysia, a lack of loyalty to the State by politicians both BN and Opposition is the root cause of all problems in Sabah. Loyalty.

Which brings me to the next thing..Kataks. Kataks should not be encouraged so if it's true that there are some disgruntled politicians going to jump to the next 'pond', then I strongly despise them. A by-election should be forced. Yes, I despise political frogs I think they should be removed from their position because they have dishonoured the people who have voted him to be their representative. If it is also true that Anwar Ibrahim is trying to buy them over, then I think PKR popularity inside my little mind will lose quite a bit of percentage points. Of course, one can see that UMNO is shitting in their pants at this moment just thinking about the pending retribution. They know that they've bought politicians before and when the anti-hopping law was proposed in Sabah it was overruled by a BN-linked court saying 'its against the Constitution'. Now they're proposing it because it is to their advantage that the anti-hopping law be enacted. A few years down the road when there's a need to buy some politicians, the law will be amended or removed..typical UMNO hypocrisy.

Sigh..I can go on and on..but am I even dreaming? A progressive Sabah? A democratic Sabah? A Sabah with a political attitude like Australian politics? Many Sabahans, when they read this post, will probably think I'm crazy. Maybe they think I'm over-optimistic. Why? Because many Sabahans know that this will never happen.

Perhaps they don't care?

'Okay bah kalo ko!'

First Official Jesselton Times Entry

Congratulations to The Jesselton Times. This is the first entry on its official blog @ jesselton-kinabalu.blogspot.com. Let's give our readers a little background on TJT.

FYI, The Jesselton Times isn't really an official newspaper. It is just the product of a sudden urge to rant about happenings in my beloved hometown, Jesselton. Hopefully, this 'urge' will continue to burn as much as my love for Jesselton. Some may ask 'why blog?'. As much as animals and humans have the urge to reproduce, it is just the same to blog and rant. Maybe it's this exhibitionist side of me..a less sexual type of exhibitionism where the pleasure of knowing that people are reading your rantings excites you.

Recently, the power of cyberspace news had flexed its muscle especially in Malaysia's recent 12th General Elections. During the run-up to the GE, I have been reading a lot of interesting blogs and websites like http://malaysia-today.net/ and of course http://www.malaysiakini.com/. I was (I stress the word WAS) an avid reader of http://www.thestar.com.my/ especially during my uni days when Malaysian news in Aussie was as scarce as their water supply. But those days are gone when I decided to go ahead with a personal boycott after The Star, without shame, posted very bias news without seeing the negative impact on their paymaster, the Government. The political news here (in fact all types of news posted) will be, we hope, as neutral as possible. At least we'll try :)

Anyway, that's politics and we at TJT aim to use cyberspace to not only create political awareness amongst Jesseltonites, but to promote Jesselton to the world and bring about changes in the way news about this beautiful city is presented.

Thank you.

Best wishes,
The Jesseltonite

Chief Editor

(pictures courtesy of www.wikipedia.org)