notable quote by Redbean

'It is fun to ridicule opposition parties as long as one is not ya ya.' Redbean.

Universiti Malaya 246th place!

The Times London Higher Education Survey listed Universiti Malaya at 246th, dropping 54 places. It is out of the top 200 universities in the world. Though I do not place much value in such a survey except as a guide, to be at 246th is a bit far off on any count. Given its western biased and artificiality, the survey is good only as a guide for students to know whether an university is respectable. Being in the top 50 or 100 should be a decent standing.

Not necessary for 6.5m population

Ngiam Tong Dow has reviewed his thoughts and felt that the population target of 6.5m needs to be reviewed. This is an old number done many years back and the changes in technology has made this number not so valid today. I think he is feeling the sense of frustration and despair among the population on this push for 6.5m. He is calling for a rethink. Sad that with so many brilliant brains, it needs an old master to tell them what to do. Don't they think? Are they brave enough to relook at old premises and say, hey, they don't look right?

Different perspective of wrongdoings

Venerable Ming Yi said the amount unaccounted for is only a couple of hundred thousand. No big deal. 'The Sunday Times understands that the amount of money not accounted for adds up to a few million dollars, and not a few hundred thousand as the Venerable Ming Yi has said.' When people are used to big sums of money, their perspectives on the value of money changed. It is less hand half a peanut. Nothing to cry about. When they shit, probably more than a peanut will ooze out. And people were literally hanged for cheating on taxi fares for a few dollars. And public transport commuters can be jailed for cheating on the fares for a few cents. This is the new Theory on the Relativity of Money.

Malaysians marched in protest

It is unusual for such a huge turnout of mass protest against the Malaysian govt and the political system. 50,000 protesters, many dressed in royal yellow as a sign of respect to the royalties, marched to the palace to hand in a protest note to the king for political reform. The official press put the number as 10,000. Never believe in the numbers provided by the official press. What is happening to Malaysia? Has the system got so rotten that the people are rising to call for a change? Apparently, from all the happenings and reports, corruption in the system has reached a point that it is an open secret. The country is disintegrating in the hands of politicians who only know how to politic and line their pockets and nothing else. The Malaysians are so fed up with the politicians that they are siding with the royalties and pleading to the royalties to take a more active role in its politics. This is something unheard off in the past 30 years. The politicians are cornered. Their political gimmicks and games designed for their own aggrandizement have been exposed. The ground has shifted and a dramatic change of events is taking shape for a new Malaysia and a new social contract. If that is the message of this latest protest.