PAYATAS - A MIRROR OF POVERTY

Please remember
Christmas For Payatas

WORTH WATCHING?

WATCH THIS BEFORE IT IS TAKEN DOWN.

THINKING OF YOU ON THIS FESTIVAL OF SACRIFICE

TO ALL MY MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS
GOD'S BLESSINGS ON YOU AND YOURS
LET US ALL HELP EACH OTHER TO MAKE
THE SUPREME SACRIFICE
REQUIRED OF US
TO ENSURE
THIS COUNTRY REMAINS UNITED.

LANDSLIDE: NEXT CHAPTER - FINGER-POINTING!

CLICK ON PIC TO ENLARGE

KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities should be on alert and take remedial measures as more landslides are expected during this rainy season, an environmentalist said.

Centre for Environment, Technology and Development chairman Gurmit Singh said that landslides were common occurrences and most of them could easily be avoided if professionals, developers and civil servants were responsible enough to carry out their duties with care and diligence.

Meanwhile, president of the Bukit Bandaraya House Owners Association Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said the Damansara area was also prone to landslides.

The latest incident was on Thursday when the retaining wall behind the CIMB Commerce Square and the CIMB Amanah building collapsed following a landslide.

Construction work of a three-storey bungalow on the hilltop could be the cause of yesterday's landslide.

The Bukit Antarabangsa Residents' Association deputy chairman Raymond Jegathesan said all signs pointed towards the luxury bungalow project on the southern tip of the hillside.

The project has been under construction for the past year and Jagathesan believed that piling works, coupled with weak soil conditions and heavy rainfall, had contributed to the landslide.

He also questioned why the geological firm appointed by the previous state government to monitor geological conditions in Bukit Antarabangsa had failed to detect a possible landslide.

"Surely the possibility of such a major earth movement could not have escaped their notice."

We can only hope that the new Selangor State Government will hold firm against the wanton destruction of our hillsides by developers. Hundreds and even thousands of unsuspecting residents that have put their trust in planning authorities will continue to be casualties if we don’t put a stop to such dangerous developments. It is time that the public stand up and give full support to the Selangor State Government. Let the onus of proof on safety of hillside development be fully with the developer. Let town planners not compromise on any development to fatten the profits of developers

Unfortunately for residents in Kuala Lumpur, City Hall is hard of hearing and wears tinted glasses. So, be warned and be ready to challenge them directly to protect your safety. Don’t be taken in by the many platitudes and promises of the Federal authorities. Many promises and supposed regulations were in place, yet every hill in KL is not safe. Every green area is targetted for concrete. Don’t believe me, just look at the KL Daft City Plan.. Sorry, I mean KL Draft City Plan.

DEFINITELY NOT AN ACT OF GOD!



I AM INCLINED TO THINK IT IS TOO MANY DIRTY

HANDS IN THE POT.

TIS' SURE IS THE SEASON OF GIVING

No Sisa Fajar is not the only one to have a Christmas tree. My breast-mate (that's between us, OK?) Faridah always have hers up before many of us remember that Christmas is near. I dedicate this post to FARIDAH (sorry sayang, I won't be able to be at the eve dinner that I have never missed) and SISA FAJAR.

MAY THE PEACE THAT IS CHRISTMAS

VISIT YOU AND YOURS.

Visiting MT's "My Little Scrapbook" I read Sisa's gift to her daughter. But what moved me was what commenter Sen Zen wrote and must be shared:

My dear sister Sisa,

Tears came to my eyes when I read your little piece!

I am a Chinese female. I do not subscribe to any religious belief but I do very much believe in God. And I also respect and accept those who do; in fact some of my close friends are devout Muslims, Hindus and Christians. I am now retired. When I was working, I made it a point not to eat in front of my Muslim colleagues during the fasting month. Our little clique shared a common love for baking and we sometimes shared our homemade goodies with each other. But it was an unspoken understanding to curtail this practice during Ramadhan. When my good friend Reeka got married according to full Hindu rites, I surprised her by wearing a traditional saree to the ceremony. Her mother gave me a hug and applied a tilak on my forehead. "Now you look complete!" she said. Christmas had always been hard for one of my nieces cos she was the only Christian in her family. So I would "kidnap" her on Christmas eve and accompanied her to the midnight mass at her church. She would stay over for Christmas morning cos I had set up a Christmas tree for her, with presents to boot! One last experience to share: I have been a strict vegetarian for the past 20 years, still am..., for my birthday some years ago, my Muslim buddy at work actually took the trouble to learn how to bake a vegetarian cake for me!! How cool was that!!?? I still remember...

These are some of the many, many unforgettable experiences I've had the privilege of being a part of. Religion should not be a divisive factor. The common platform is our love for God, and this transcends to love for our fellow humankind.

So dear Sisa, I salute you for being so magnanimous in your attitude towards a religion and culture that is different from yours. Your generosity of spirit has done more to bring about harmony amongst us than you can imagine. Your daughter should be so proud and fortunate to have you as a mom!!

WHO SAYS WE DON'T HAVE BEAUTIFUL MALAYSIANS OUT THERE?


+++++

Please remember
Christmas For Payatas


*****

OFF NOW TO THE NPC TO GIVE THE STUNNINGLY ALLURING NISHA A BIRTHDAY HUG.

NOBODY SHOULD NOT READ THIS.

I made up my mind not to blog on Saturdays and to spend Saturdays reading blogs and catching up on emails and the Facebook.

Sudesh (HERE) my condo buddy and President of the Resident Association and JMC, were lunching at Kana's. I arranged the lunch to inform him that I was reliably informed by a lawyer friend that the lawyers from our developer Puncak Dana has sent out a notice to demand that both of us retract the postings where we whacked PD for robbing the residents of our lake. I have not received the letter but they will regret that the only compensation they can get from me is the ciku plant I planted under Danny http://letswheel.blogspot.com/ (Kerp's) window. The ciku plant is only about 3 feet tall but bearing fruits. I malt-water them regularly at around 3am or 4am or is it through fright that they are bearing fruits. I don't know. These pirates can have this ciku plant and if they are not satisfied they can have a pound of my flesh, but God help them if they spill one drop of blood. Just a pound of flesh, and no blood please or I will sue those mother-effers blood-suckers! Sudesh, too received no letter to date and he had to rush off for a cooking class....this lovable giant of a man is into cooking now. As we were about to leave I was pleasantly surprised when PKR's Sec. Gen Datuk Sallehuddin Hashim came by to say: "Zorro, nothing like a late lunch. WHAT'S UP?" I told him about the developer wanting to sue for defamation and he left with "WHAT'S NEW?"

So why am I blogging today. Whilst thrawling my blogroll it was "The Man from PAS" as my next read. I featured this blogger as my Friday Guest Blogger last week. His latest posting (Friday) is riveting and this has to be shared:

For those who read Chinua Achebe's (left) works, mainly his books on post-African independence, you must have seen that two themes run through his books: the sheer hypocrisy of the African leadership and the question of neocolonialism. Immediately after majority of the African states gained independence, Achebe warned the African people that they faced a new colonialism: the deceit and manipulation of "home-grown" leadership.


He called on Africans not to buy the "patriotism" of the local leadership since they were not patriots by any measure. He repeatedly warned them that the new "patriots" will use whatever they could to sustain themselves in power by using catchy phrases like patriotism, nationalism, independence, cultural superiority, etc, [Ketuanan Melayu] while they rob them. A lot of these "patriotic" qualities can be seen in the kind of leadership he portrays in his book: The Trouble with Nigeria. When I read that book, I immediately recalled Najib Tun Razak's bizzare Glocal concept.

In 2004, Achebe, one of Africa's leading writers has rejected a National Honours Award from his government in Nigeria in protest at the state of his motherland. "Nigeria's condition today under your watch is ... too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honour awarded me in the 2004 Honours List", he wrote to immediate former Nigerian President Oluṣẹgun Obasanjo.

In his satirical novel, A Man of the People, 1966, Chinua Achebe exposes the sheer hypocrisy of the "patriotic, religious and nationalist" African leadership ala Umno. One area he covers is the conduct of the leadership's children. A man is his children they say. And in the African and Eastern (Islamic) tradition, a man is measured by his family. There were times when certain Muslim leaders were rejected because of their children. It was argued that one who couldn't "help" guide his children couldn't shoulder the (Muslim) community's burdens.

In one instance, Chinua talks of the main character of his novel, Chief Nanga, the powerful but corrupt Minister of Culture and his children. As you can see, Mr Nanga is supposed to protect the ideals and the culture of his people and nation but he is undoubtedly its Number One enemy. Chief Nanga always brags that's he is deeply religious and nationalist, yet he doesn't subscribe to any of his people's culture though he is the main guardian of that culture. Ironical indeed!

The Minister urges his people to be proud of their "supreme" culture and status. I guess Umno Ministers' Ketuanan Melayu must have crossed your mind by now. However, none of his children speak their local language. Although the Minister roots for local schools, he doesn't take his children to them. In Malaysia, it is well known that none of Umno Ministers' children attend local schools and if they do, they are the International Schools owned by the "evil" Westerners. Yes, "evil", but they like that "evil" though they tell their people that they are protecting their children from those "evil" people. I love this!

Mr Nanga's children can't even eat the local food but their father urges the locals to eat Home Made products so that they improve the "local economy". There is an instance in which Mr Nanga's youngest child calls his grandmother unprintable names for being a local and backward. However, their father deceives his people by being populist and a purported nationalist and positions himself as the only guardian of his people's strategic interests. Yes, Umno Ministers tell the Malays to trust them alone as the rest are enemy sympathisers. Deceit and manipulation is the culture of scumbags.

Though Mr. Nanga reminds his people of his deep religiosity and commitments, his children's hang out is not the Churches but the popular entertainment spots in the trendy parts of the city. Their father is an adulterous person but always reminds his people of marriage fidelity. The evils and the shenanigans of Umno type Mr Nanga are unending and immeasurable.

There is one Umnoputra who is called Najib Tun Razak. He tells us to trust him since he alone can "protect" us. He lambastes others and talks of "culture", "Islam", "manners", "Religiosity" and of course co-existence and "integration". Well, we know what that integration means. May be it means grabbing every girl's breasts whenever we can get that. The trouble is that not all of us are filthy rich for the girls to "donate" their goods like they donate to one young Najib.

Our beloved patriotic leader Mr Najib doesn't allow any of his children in Ketuanan Melayu schools. That's why his son can't attend a local college. But he talks like a typical Chief Nanga about education and our children.

GO HERE IF YOU HAVE TIME ON YOUR SIDE

Me, I don't have the time....need to do what I am supposed to do on Saturdays.

AND THIS IS NOT A COUNTRY IN DISTRESS?

CAN BRING CANDLE BUT CANNOT LIGHT

CAN WEAR TEES BUT NOT THIS BRAND

EARLIER blogger Mustafa K Anuar wrote:

Wishing those ‘Jerit cyclists’ all the best in their endeavour to cycle for change. Hope they will no longer meet anymore ‘obstacles’ on their way to their final destination, Parliament. This Queen number (video) is dedicated to them.

Then we received this posting from SUARAM;

The police arrested 16 activists, including a 13-year-old Malay boy, involved in the JERIT The People, A Force For Change Cycling campaign at the SUARAM office in Skudai, Johor at about 9am.

And we neither had started cycling nor had BREAKFAST!

In their ZEAL, the police arrested two Parti Sosialis Malaysia Central Committee members, Selvam and Sivarajan, outside the office, which is located on the first floor a shop lot.

Five SUARAM Johor Bahru volunteers were also arrested after the police searched the office. Initially, SUARAM was reluctant to let the police into the premises but the police threatened to break down the door. In the end, SUARAM opened the door.

Currently about 35 teenagers, aged 14 and above, and about 10 JERIT and SUARAM volunteers are effectively under house arrest as we are not allowed to leave the office.

When contacted, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Ismail Omar says he needs to check the details of the case and is sure there is a good reason for the police wanting to force entry

AND NOW THIS ALSO CANNOT.....

And ANIL NETTO confirms:

Penang gov’t backs Jerit cyclists but police block them

The Jerit cycling team have again be stopped, this time at a police road-block in Penang.

They were them that they would not be allowed to do any cycling in Penang and could be arrested if they did. A lorry carrying the bicycles has been brought to the Teluk Kumbar police station.

Earlier this morning, at a joint press conference held by Jerit and the Penang state government, the Chief Minister’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik expressed the state government’s full support for Jerit’s cycling campaign, according to an email from Jerit.

A similar situation occurred in Kedah, where Kedah state exco member Ismail Salleh flagged off the cycling team in Alor Star for the start of their journey to Putrajaya. But one of them, Ruben s/o Loganathan, was arrested near Kulim yesterday and released on police bail hours later.

Meanwhile, over in Johor, the Jerit cycling team have handed in their memorandum to the political secretary to the Johor Mentri Besar. When they arrived at the gates of the state government building, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, they found it padlocked with a chain even though the MB’s office acknowledged receipt of their notice on 3 December that they would be coming today, according to a Jerit report. State opposition leader Boo Cheng Hau, also received a memorandum from the cyclists.

About 50 cyclists are making their way up north to Parliament where they are expected to meet up with the 45 cyclists on their way south.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT?

And some of you still do not believe that the country is in distress.....you may be right....we are not in distress BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY SLIDING (physically and literally.....) for starters, 2 landslides in 24hours....and don't give us that Samy shit again, will ya?

BUT IT SURE IS TURNING INTO...... A

TOO MANY BANANA SKINS AROUND AND WE ARE ALL SKIDDING?

PEKATAN RAKYAT.....HURRY UP YOU FELLOWS.

BANANA IS A LAXATIVE....NO WONDER.

MAKE THIS A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS

THESE ARE THE CHILDREN OF PAYATAS

The landfill in Payatas, The Philippines, is notoriously known the world over as Smokey Mountain. For over 35 years, the smoking dump site has grown to become a stark and heart-tugging reminder of the desperate conditions of humanity. On a daily basis, children pick through newly arrived garbage to collect material to sell. The earnings made by one child are not enough to even buy food for the day. Hence, entire families are forced to climb the mountain each day, hoping to earn enough to feed everyone. Children as young as four years old are forced to work in this daily struggle for survival.

Please visit Christmas For Payatas for more info and to make a donation. Every bit counts.