High hopes and high expectations

There have been many positive comments on the milestone set by Najib and Hsien Loong and the expectations are high for more cooperations ahead. One big surprise is the reticence coming from the court of Mahathir. Or is he planning a long thesis on how foolish is this Najib move? The Najib magic is a direct slap on Mahathir and he should feel the most pain. During the tussle for power, he was still calling the shot in some ways when Najib was reported to have met him to discuss his future as the next PM of Malaysia. It was like Najib needed his blessing and support for the seat. All that has passed now and the first major international policy made by Najib was to dump all of Mahathir's venom into the sungei. While Mahathir is fuming and planning his next move, the Malaysian paper Sin Chew Daily commented on the diverse path that the two countries have ventured and the gaps that needed to be bridged to move along as equal partners. It summarised the policies of Mahathir and how these have held back Malaysia to its developing status while Singapore is running away in the developed league. It lamented that the lack of competitiveness, efficiency, corruption and racial politics would be difficult problems to surmount as the two countries try to get their acts together and move along as partners. The high hopes and expectations are positive but after 20 plus years of heading in different directions, it is not going to be easy, or can be overcame quickly, to get things on the same footings. It will take a long time for the two to be able to operate in the same frequency and enjoy the fruits of their new endeavours. It will demand a lot of patience and statemanship to bridge the gaps and set aside decades of bad blood and perceptions of each other. The people of the two countries can only hope that it is not a flash in the pan move and the subsequent leaders would be dedicated to keep the momentum going. Would this be another high hope?

Why only 70% believe?

The South Koreans reportedly conducted a survey on the sinking of Cheonan and was surprised that only 70% of the South Koreans believed that it was the work of the North Koreans. Why is it that there are still 30% of the South Koreans disbelieving the claims by their govt even with their one sided evidence? Given the overwhelming proof produced by the South Koreans, the American and British experts, there should not be any doubt to believe otherwise. So far the western world all believes that the North Koreans are guilty beyond any reasonable doubt. Even the UN Secretary General said so, and he believed everything that the South Korean govt said. And reading from the media, it is conclusive that it was the North Koreans who did it. Would a one sided evidence produced in secrecy by a gang of interested parties that have all the reasons to point the fingers at the North Koreans be admissible in court as valid evidence? And China is expected to take these evidences as the gospel truth. Though China and Russia have said that they would want an independent investigation on the evidence, how much can they differ if the evidence were expertly cooked for several months? The happiest person is the little girl who thought that everything has been sewn nicely and foolproof, that the North is guilty and no one can deny it. The possibility of it being a North Korean act cannot be ruled out, but the probability is low. What if it was a sinister plot by a third party to fan the tension and at the expense of South Korean lives, and the South Koreans swallowed it hook, line and sinker? Isn't that a shameful tragedy while the third party or parties quietly partying away for a great clandestine op?

The transition is taking place

Stephen Bernard and Tim Paradis, AP Business Writers, On Thursday May 27, 2010, 6:19 pm EDT NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks had another turnaround Thursday and rocketed higher after China reassured investors it doesn't plan to sell the European debt it holds. The Dow Jones industrial average surged nearly 285 points. Treasury prices tumbled as traders funneled money into riskier assets like stocks and commodities. China's show of confidence in Europe let the market resume a rally that stalled late Wednesday following a report that the Chinese government was considering cutting its European debt holdings. If that were true, such a move would have signaled that China didn't think Europe would be able to contain its debt crisis. The agency that manages China's $2.5 trillion in foreign reserves denied the report.... The above passages are signs that the world leadership is slipping from the fingers of the American and into the Chinese. A few words by China are enough to bring a rally in European and American stock markets while Timothy Geithner's visit last week yield practically not even hot air. The weight that China carries in the financial world is evident in contrast to the mess the Americans carved themselves into by the very best financial gurus they have produced from their best universities. These unethical selfish individuals are out there doing their best for their own pockets with total disregard to the ruins they are creating. Obama is trying his level best to put a lease on these crooks but unlikely to succeed as nearly everyone in Congress is probably being paid by these guys or their institutions. The bills may be passed, but the implementation is another matter. In the meantime the American financial system, including the Europeans, will continue to wind down and implode. On the military front, the hawkish and warmongering policy of George Bush of pre emptive strike comes under the limelight. This cowboy gun firing policy, the right to invade any country on the ground that the US claims that it is a threat is now being abandoned by Obama in name. In practice, the policy is still in practice as is seen in the Korean peninsula and the Middle East. Just brand the countries as a threat to American interests and it is up to the Americans to decide when to invade. The world must be feeling very disgusted with the evil Empire and Obama knows it. Unfortunately the little girl is still innocent about what she is doing and is waving the flag of war in Korea. More sanctions, more war games and provocative actions against the North on a charge backed up by evidences that are highly suspect, like the WMD evidences. She is still continuing with the Bush Doctrine of starting war everywhere. As the world wisen up to the deeds of the evil Empire and their bankrupt policies and treasury, I wonder when will they jump ship and let the boy to continue crying wolf and playing the pipe piper to lead the world in financial ruins and war?

North Korea's acts as baffling as ever

This is the title of an article by John McBeth in the ST today to describe the sinking of Cheonan. He could not find a sensible reason for the North Koreans to do such an act. And as national leaders, one must assume that they are thinking people and will act only when they are to benefit from it. There must be good reasons for them to sink the South Korean ship. But apparently there were none. The truth is that the sinking of Choenan has all the bad reasons for North Korea. And the evidence are all there to say that the North Koreans have nothing to do with it. Instead, the sinking are all in favour of South Korea and its allies and what they are up to. The AGENCIES reported that the South Koreans are monitoring and tracking the movements of the North Korean submarines. This is a Freudean slip in the first order. It reveals and admits that the South Koreans have all the while been tracking the North's submarines. And if there was one near Choenan, they would have known and would not have been knocked out by surprise. The South Korean's National Intelligence Service also reported to the President that the North did not do it. And they were arranging for a meeting between the two Presidents which made such an incident intolerable. The factors that are in favour of such an incident is exactly the above. The meeting between the two Presidents and the warming up of relations between the two Koreans must be stopped. Then there is the China element. China is gaining in building up closer relations with the two Koreas. The third reason is of course the American bases in South Korea and Japan. An incident like the sinking of the Choenan would strain relations between the two Koreas, raise tension and justify greater American military presence. And of course, it would drive a wedge between China and its closest ally, North Korea. China would be forced to take sides and whichever side it takes will hurt its relation with the other. Brilliant strategy! China is now in a fixed. North Korea is branded as the bad boy. America, Japan and South Korea are the good guys. And after months have passed, they expect the Chinese to examine the evidence provided by them for the sinking of the ship. During this time they were the ones meddling with the evidence and who knows what they had done to it. They had the chance to have an international and impartial body to examine the evidence but they passed it. China and North Korea should simply rule the evidence as questionable and not admissible as proof. Period.

Be tough to Singapore!

This mentality was stamped in the Mahathir era and has been embedded deeply in the minds of those who have worked with him. Anwar is no exception. And his immediate response to Najib's agreement with Hsien Loong was that Najib was soft. Any Malaysian leader that signed or come to any agreement with Singapore must be soft. Then what is being tough? Being tough means never to sign any agreement with Singapore. If Singapore asks for 10% Malaysia must ask for 20%. If Singapore asks for 20% Malaysia must ask for 40%. The greatest example was the price of water to Singapore. It was a few cents and Mahathir asked for $3 for a starting price, I could not remember the exact figure. And when Singapore tried to negotiate, the price was raised to more than $10 and even higher everytime Singapore try to negotiate for a more reasonable price. This is what tough meant to Mahathir. Actually it is not tough. It is sheer stupidity. It is an approach that says he would not want to sign any agreement unless it is on his terms. In any business or bilateral agreement, how could any party think that an agreement can be signed on a one sided terms. To go forward, to negotiate any deals, the premise must be that both parties are comfortable with the deal and see benefits in them in an equitable manner. And that was exactly what happened when Najib and Hsien Loong met. And a deal was done. So, in the eyes of Anwar and Mahathir, and those who have been programmed to be tough, Najib must be soft. How to go forward like dat? PS. The best part is that after signing every deal that they had thoroughly studied in details before signing, they will come back and say they had a raw deal. That they were cheated.