Bak Kut Teh in Klang

Yesterday was anthony's birthday. so today we went to klang to eat bak kut teh. he belanja us 1. the bunch of us (carmen, amy, jiau chee, shan, ian, sue sin and me) left PJ for klang at around 9. yee von and mich was supposed to join us but both of them fell ill and couldn't make it. yee von's the most pitiful 1. she was here early in the morning and then had to go back bcoz her tummy ached. kesian ler. she din get to eat the cake that she bought. mich memang couldn't make it from the start.

i sat in carmen's car. yoh, she drive so slow lah. if it wasn't for the parking troubles, i would have driven. we could be there in like 15 minutes. anyway, tony promised to meet us just after klang toll and guess what. he's late as usual. so we had to head towards the mamak that he and i went to b4 to wait for him to arrive and lead us to the bak kut teh shop. actually, its kinda near to the mamak that we went to last time.

We ordered bak kut teh for 8 people. wah bukan main sedap la. especially the dry 1. the smell also cannot tahan d. when the waiter put down oni, straight rebut for it d. haha. the wet one was ok too. if the soup was a little more bitter, u noe the herbs more. then it would be perfect !

next one was the cake. Chocolate fudge from secret recipe. yee von and me chose the cake 1. yummy yummy. super delicious. if can i want the whole cake for myself but i can't be too greedy. the cake is for tony who turns 21 d.

after the bak kut teh brunch. we went back to pj lo. got classes after that.(many ponteng). took the NKVE back this time. the road super cun la. if i drove my car, would have went around 120-130 d. too bad carmen dont speed. tony said this was the slowest he ever drove in NKVE. he felt like sleeping. we also happen to passby carmen's apartment. wahh damn cun la her place. one day wan dropby d. carmen, u sure welcome 1 hor? rite rite? hehe.

we managed to reach in time for toshiko's class. so little ppl oni la. less than 10 out of 33 students. imagine that. the lesson was boring as usual but i din sleep for a change this time. after the class, i sent tony to his car. he parked inside jaya 1. damn, today only i know that we can park in jaya 1 for free. today onwards i no need go so early d and i can park my car in an indoor building. no need jemur my car d. yipee..

that's all for today..zush..

What a joke it was~

Telling me that i'm not well informed? That must be one of the best jokes i ever heard. Miss (i duno wats yr name), thx for giving us a good laugh. I'm sorry to tell u (if you ever read this), that you picked on the wrong person. No offence meant ya. I'm just stating the obvious here. This is just one good example of why ppl cannot discuss openly when emotions are involved.

I don't think u realized that you committed a big fallacy by saying MIC as a whole would not react IF the government decides to ban the Hindu religion in Malaysia. Even the most corrupt person like our former Works Minister Mr Samy Vellu will not take this blow lying down. IF he somehow (although i don't see how) does not stand up to this, i don't think that other members of MIC that number 630,000 will accept this. Not everyone are the same ! You cannot say that all the 630,000 are the same! Even if the leaders are corrupt and are there just to serve themselves and not the people, not everyone in MIC are the same. It's a hasty generalization on your behalf to assume that all MIC members are just like Samy Vellu.

There are people in MIC like S.K Devamany who spoke up in support of HINDRAF. I believe there are many more MIC members like him. It's just that their views or voices are not heard. The Malaysian media do not give them a chance to be heard. The same goes to the leadership of MIC.

Many people are still of the opinion that marginalisation is not that serious among Indians bcoz our media plays down this issue. That is why MIC leadership chose to keep quiet. They chose to be ignorant but banning of religion will be too big of an issue to keep mum on. In the event of the GOVT banning Hinduism which is a very serious issue, MIC will definitely speak up. No Indian can accept the fact that their religion will be banned. If somehow, Samy Vellu does choose to support the GOVT's decision to ban Hinduism, i believe he will be toppled from the post of MIC president and the other members will stand up and fight for their rights.

I understand the fact that you care very much for the plight of the Indians, but do not let your emotions cloud your judgement. Think rationally and critically. You can't take things too personal and go to extremes if you don't want people to dismiss you and whatever you have said. Extremism does not appeal to the majority.

Anyway, peiling and amelia did a good job in their presentation. Just need to touch up on some minor details and get the names of people spot on! It's crucial in the world of journalism. I heard Natalie Tan instead of Nathaniel Tan. There were quite a few blurps of this kind. So extra attention there. All in all, congrats for the great job that you two have done.


My POV:

This is my take on why banning of religion will not ever happen in Malaysia, no matter how bad the Govt has become. The first reason being, the BN govt prides itself in being a party for all races and promotes religious harmony although they discreetly marginalize the minority ethnic people with their policies like NEP. If they were to ban any religion, it would disrupt the equilibrium that they worked so hard to create. They will no longer be able to say proudly that racial and religious harmony exist in M'sia. The slogan Malaysia Truly Asia would not work anymore in this case. All the propaganda that they spent billions on will go to waste. The education system will go haywire too because what they do don't match what they practice anymore.

Secondly, huge international pressure will be exerted on M'sia if banning of religions do happen. The UN and especially United States will jump at the opportunity to label M'sia an extremist Islamic state. The M'sian govt wouldn't want that because the economic consequences will be huge and far reaching. The whole system could be crippled just like that. Islamaphobia is so widespread in the world now that the BN govt could not take a gamble that is this big.

Thirdly, civil war will break out in the country. The minority ethnics will rise in rebellion if banning of religions do happen. Even the ones not affected will rise up in arms because they will believe that next in line will be them. The Govt surely wouldn't be that stupid to take a line of action that is so drastic and outrageous.

Racist Overtone? You decide.

NEW YORK (AP) - When Vogue announced its April cover starring LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen, the magazine noted with some fanfare that James was the first black man to grace its cover.

But the image is stirring up controversy, with some commentators decrying the photo as perpetuating racial stereotypes. James strikes what some see as a gorilla-like pose, baring his teeth, with one hand dribbling a ball and the other around Bundchen's tiny waist.

It's an image some have likened to "King Kong" and Fay Wray.

"It conjures up this idea of a dangerous black man," said Tamara Walker, 29, of Philadelphia.

Photographer Annie Leibovitz shot the 6-foot-9 NBA star and the 5-foot-11 Brazilian model for the cover and an inside spread. Vogue spokesman Patrick O'Connell said the magazine "sought to celebrate two superstars at the top of their game" for the magazine's annual issue devoted to size and shape.

"We think LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen look beautiful together and we are honored to have them on the cover," he said.

James told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer he was pleased with the cover, saying he was "just showing a little emotion."

"Everything my name is on is going to be criticized in a good way or bad way," James told the paper. "Who cares what anyone says?"

But magazine analyst Samir Husni believes the photo was deliberately provocative, adding that it "screams King Kong." Considering Vogue's influential history, he said, covers are not something that the magazine does in a rush.

"So when you have a cover that reminds people of King Kong and brings those stereotypes to the front, black man wanting white woman, it's not innocent," he said.

O'Connell, the Vogue spokesman, declined further comment.

In a column at ESPN.com, Jemele Hill called the cover "memorable for all the wrong reasons." But she said in an interview that the image is not unusual — white athletes are generally portrayed smiling or laughing, while black sports figures are given a "beastly sort of vibe."

For example, former NBA star Charles Barkley was depicted breaking free of neck and wrist shackles on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Dennis Rodman graced the cover of Rolling Stone with horns poking out of his forehead and his red tongue hanging out.

Images of black male athletes as aggressive and threatening "reinforce the criminalization of black men," said Damion Thomas, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at University of Maryland.

But others say the image show James' game face — nothing more. And they note that Bundchen hardly looks frightened.

"James is a huge, black beautiful masculine statue and Gisele is a feminine, sexy gorgeous doll," said Christa Thomas, 36, a black account supervisor in Los Angeles.

"I didn't see any kind of racist overtone to it," she said. "I still don't. I think there is such a hypersensitivity to race still in this country."

Husni said it is too soon to know how the magazine is selling, though the controversy could increase sales as people rush out to get a "collector's edition."

If nothing else, Walker said the cover underscores the need for a more diverse workplace.

"If more people of color worked for Vogue in positions of editorial authority, perhaps someone in the room might have been able to read the image the way so many of us are reading it now, and had the power to do something about it," she said.

Spiderwick Cronicles

As the title suggested, i went to watch Spiderwick Chronicles today. Psycholinguistic tutorial postponed, and i decided to skip Morphology&Syntax tutorials too coz no point wait so long for it. I might as well go to 1U to watch movie.

i want to thank the others for allowing me to tag along. if it weren't for them, i wouldn't watch that movie at all. The title doesn't appeal to me. Yeah, u can say i judge a book by its cover. :p

The movie was good. I wouldn't call it fantastic but it's good nonetheless. Worth my money watching it. Anyways the price had increased, especially the tax :( thus making "cinema trips" costly. I'll have to plan properly next time. If not $$ fly away.

Sorry ppl, if you were expecting me to spill out what's in the movie. Go watch it for yourself and i promise you that you'll not be disappointed. Just immerse yourself into the fantasy world and enjoy the ride.

Adios.

我爱你

It's a song by S.H.E. Quite old d but still nice. i was browsing thru youtube watching videos bcoz too wuliao d. Came across this song which is one of my favourites. Watching the video my heart was torn apart. So touching. Eternal love. A tear actually formed in my eye lids.

listening to the song itself won't do this to me but the video has a story line and narrative in it. thats what did it for me. to know what i'm sayin, watch the video for yourself. Click here.

there are 3 settings of Shanghai in the video. 70', 90's and the present day Shanghai. their clothes of the 70's and 80's were so nice. the buildings and furniture too. those were the good old days.

Selina was stunning in the video. So pretty. Swoons~~

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560/4

By Matthias Pfannmüller, Photo by John Lamm

Presented in Geneva, the refreshed Gallardo will come with the designation LP560/4, which describes its beefed-up V-10 (now at 5204 cc) that delivers 560 horsepower (an increase of 40) and its all-wheel drive. Lamborghini claims it will run to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, while its top speed will be 6 mph higher, at 202.


The new LP designation, similar to that used on the Murciélago, refers to the engine’s longitudinal and posterior positioning in the car. The engine upgrades, which include direct injection and a flat plane crankshaft, come courtesy of Lamborghini’s parent, Audi AG. Similar technology was employed on the V-10 engine in the Audi RS6 sports sedan.


The revamped Gallardo is also distinguished by styling changes front and rear and new alloy wheels. The front end is more aggressive, with slightly larger intakes. The interior remains virtually unchanged, except for a few new switches on the center console.


The first LP560/4s will arrive in the U.S. in August, alongside the current Superleggera version, which is sold out until spring of 2009. Lambo’s top model—the Murciélago—will remain largely unchanged for the next two years, although a Superveloce version (to be unveiled at the Paris show in October) is expected next year.


More pictures:

Craving for 意難忘

i can't ignore it anymore. my heart and mind aches to watch 意難忘 again. i miss so many episoded already. can't stand it any longer. i need to know what is happening to 佳佳, shan ni, li zhu, tian zhu and all the other characters. its been almost 2 months i nvr go back home d. i miss my bed and my tv. argh !

Empty

Suddenly i felt so empty. i don't know why. i'm just laying down listening to music and suddenly this emptiness engulfs me and i start to think negatively. what is wrong actually? maybe i saw something i don't want to see. i was surfing the net and checking my friendster. i think i started to feel this way after i saw that pic. curse my finger for clicking on friendster.

Well, i can't keep on lying to myself anymore. i guess i have to face the fact that its not meant to be. i don't know la. my heart is tearing apart now. wanting to let go but yet still want to hold on. i really treasure all the memories, and i'm not sure if i can put it behind when i decide to move on.

many say it wont work out. its written in stone the moment we were separated by geography. but i keep telling myself i'll make it work and ignored them. now see what happens?

i'm so lost, don't know what to do. the music i'm listening to are not helping either. all are slow sentimental songs. makes me wanna cry. don't tell me to switch genre, coz it'll make me go mad. i can't take fast paced songs now. haih~~

hopefully by tomorrow morning i'll cheer up like i always do. maybe this is just not like how i think it is. see, lying to myself again. i'm hopeless.

(lost for words)

i don't know what to write anymore. haih~~

this is just another of my emo moments. don't bother me. anggap you all nvr read this k..

Heroism

I just felt the inspiration to write something bout this after reading a blog of my friend's friend. maybe the background music had some influence on me. anyway go have a look at that post.

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost,but the urge to serve others at whatever cost...." -Arthur Ashe.

Frustration beyond comprehension

Today we got back our journalism mid term papers. What a shock it held in store for me. The marks were 44/80. Wtf. How you mark 1? The class also didn't do that well.

Anyways, i will put this aside and do better in the coming assignments and the final. You just wait and see. I will show you that i am not that bad as you think i am in Journalism. I will ace the editorial in the finals for you to see. Just wait.

Frustrations aside, today is the day we hand in our psycholinguistics assignment. A big burden has been lifted off our shoulders. Now left morphology and newpapers to go only. Thanks alot to Michelle, Sue Sin and Sharwin for their time and contribution in doing the assignments. Special thanks to michelle who spent alot of time and effort in this assignment.

I believe we will get the highest mark in class for the research we did in parsing. I think no one attempted parsing, so bravo to us for tackling the tough question.

Oh ya, almost forgot. I saw kwan liang at PB today. He came to help out in the intervarsity bioscience showcase. So long din see that fella d. Glad to know that he's fine. Saw his hui min, his gf also. Always berpasangan oni. Pegi mana pun susah nak separate. Banyak susah oh nanti in the future.

Presence Seen

It's 1.12am now. I just came back from another late night mamak session at Murni. I miss the roti hawaii too much already, so i had to go and get some. Ribena special naik harga d. the medium 1 now cost rm5 which is the price of a large one some err 5 months ago. Damn, thats how long i didn't go to Murni d. Anyway, all that is beside the point.

What i want to blog about today is the presence of police patrols around Section 17. The police force has to be commended for increasing their patrols around this area and make their presence felt. Sect 17 used to be a haven for crimes like snatch theft. Now i seldom hear about students being involved anymore. Bravo to PDRM for finally doing their job.

I hope that they don't slack after i commended them. They should always seek to improve their service. We tax payers deserves the protection that we are paying for. I don't want to keep looking behind me when i am walking to eat my dinner or going to my friend's house.

That is about all for today. Chaoz.

Was Tagged :(

Instructions:Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all.

1. At what age do you wish to marry?
around 27-29

2. Have you given your first kiss away?
yeah..

3. If you were to be stranded on a desert island, who are the 3 blog buddies you would take with you? Why?
Blog buddies? i wont take them ler.

4. Where is the place that you want to go the most?
places with beautiful scenery. if got beautiful ppl, its a bonus lah.

5. If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
owning a Ferrari.

6. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain?
Of course, how dumd is this question.

7. What are you afraid to lose the most now?
i don't really know. my parents kua.

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?
wow, 1 million dollar can do lots of things. i will buy a ferrari lo, then get a house and get married. haha

9. If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Of course.

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
Friendly, helpful and crazy..

11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
Nothing much..actually there are, but secret la.. :p

12. Which type of person do you hate the most?
Back stabbers

13. What is your ambition?
to be a Tan Sri, someone influential in local and world arena.

14. If you have fault, would you rather the people around you point out to you or would you rather they keep quiet?
i'm not sure about this. i think i prefer them to tell me privately.

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Family, my partner, money, internet, friends (it is NOT arranged according to importance)

16. Are you a shopaholic or not?
yes, i am. seriously. thats y i hate goin to shopping coz if i see stuff i like, sure have to fork out money d.

17. Find a word to describe the person who tagged you.
devout lady

18. If you have a chance. Which part of your character you would like to change?
my attitude. have a little arrogance..

19. What makes you different?
i am different bcoz i am who i am la. no one can be the same as me kan?

20. What you do when you're too free?
i watch tv whole for the whole day. i can sit on a couch and stick to the tv without interruption for the whole day. tv addict.

i wont tag anyone.. :) cheers

Now See What Happens When You Play Around With The Keris?

Written by Farish A. Noor
Thursday, 13 March 2008

As the broken remnants of the Barisan Nasional recuperate and recover what is left of their shattered pride, it would be prudent to take a step back and look at some of the factors that have certainly contributed to the dismal showing the BN component parties and the UMNO party in particular.

It is clear to many that this election was, in some ways, a singularly unique event in the same way that the 2004 elections were special. 2004’s election results could be read as a collective sigh of relief on the part of the Malaysian electorate after twenty years of rule under the Mahathir government, which witnessed a host of controversial incidents ranging from the BMF scandal of the early 1980s all the way up to Ops Lalang in 1987. The enormous mandate given to the Badawi government was a sign that the public was thirsting for change and that they were no longer willing to live with the modes of governance and politics that we have all grown sadly accustomed to for lack of a choice…

This time round, the electorate has once again spoken to signal their utter disillusionment after it became painfully evident that none of the reform policies foregrounded by the Badawi team were ever going to come true. Instead this had been an administration long on gimmicks and novelties, but short on substance and delivery. Was it necessary to send a Malaysian astronaut to space on a Russian craft, to make the vain boast that a Malaysian citizen had been there and done that? If this was meant to assuage the anger and frustration of Malaysians who lived in estates and poorly-run low-cost urban housing, it certainly had the opposite effect of driving home the point that this administration was out of touch with reality and totally disconnected with the needs and wants of the people.

But vain boasts notwithstanding, the Badawi government suffered its long-overdue shock due to the vain boasts of some of its leaders and spokesmen. Here is it worth noting the effect that UMNO’s own overheated pyrotechnics had on the sentiments and sensibilities of a significant section of the Malaysian public; namely the non-Malays and non-Muslims of the country. In particular we are referring to the repeated assertion on the part of some hot-headed UMNO leaders who continued to harp on about the notion of Malay dominance in a racially and religiously diverse and plural society.

The abandonment of the MCA, Gerakan and MIC by the Malaysian electorate would suggest that the non-Malay voters have grown fed up with the toothless apologia of the non-Malay leaders and representatives of the BN when faced with the antics of UMNO demagogues and soap-box orators. In particular we will recall the incidents when the leader of UMNO’s Youth Wing Hishamuddin Onn, brandished the keris in public, on stage, and pontificated at some length about Malay pride and the place of the Malays in Malaysia.

The use of the keris as a symbol of racial unity and identity was and is in itself problematic, considering that the keris in Malaysia today is such a politically loaded symbol that is pregnant with meaning and historical connotations. Hishamuddin’s brandishing of the keris did not take place in a historical vacuum, even if the politician had no sense of history (which is unlikely to be the case.)

As we all know, the keris has been transformed into a marker for a particular sort of right-wing ethno-nationalist ideology that serves the agenda of Malay racial and cultural supremacists since 1969 and all the way up to 1987 and beyond. Need we remind the leaders of UMNO that some of them were also present at the Malay nationalists’ rally in Kampung Baru in 1987, when once again the keris was identified with Malay pride as well as the threat of violence? UMNO leaders like Najib Razak were present when their supporters chanted and carried banners with slogans like ‘This keris will drink Chinese blood’.

It is against that specific historical context – that was fully engineered by UMNO, mind you – that Hishamuddin’s raising of the keris on several occasions aroused both the fear and anger of many non-Malays and Malays as well. Was this not an act of provocation, where once again UMNO was brandishing its muscle in defiance of the other communities in the country?

Compounding the problem was the MCA, Gerakan and MIC’s relative impotence and quietism when Hisham gave us this theatrical display of misplaced ethnic pride and muscular nationalism. Despite the plaintive appeals of the leaders of MCA, Gerakan and MIC to desist from such soapbox pyrotechnics, neither Hisham, nor UMNO Youth, nor the Prime Minister himself altered course: UMNO Youth was allowed a free hand to make such outrageous ethnic-communitarian demands at a time when MCA, Gerakan and MIC wished to assert their identity as equal partners of the BN. It seemed almost as if by raising the keris in the way that he did, Hisham was indicating that UMNO Youth was more important than the other non-Malay component parties, and this repeated act of defiance drove in the nails in the coffins of the MCA, Gerakan and MIC respectively.

Crucially the one person who could have said and done something to stop the erosion of the MCA, Gerakan and MIC’s credibility was Prime Minister Badawi; who could simply have pulled the reins on the hot-heats and chest-thumpers of UMNO Youth. Yet even Badawi stood paralysed, allowing them to raise the ante further. This apparent paralysis on the part of Prime Minister Badawi rendered null and void his now-vacuous claim that he was the ‘Prime Minister of all Malaysians’. If he was indeed such a universal leader-figure, then why did this ‘Prime Minister of all Malaysians’ do nothing and say nothing when the younger leaders of his own party were raising the spectre of racial supremacy before his very eyes?

Thus it can perhaps be said that the election results of 2008 are an indicator of the extent to which MCA, Gerakan and MIC have been seen as the running dogs of UMNO in a BN coalition that has grown more and more unbalanced in the eyes of so many. Playing around with kerises is something you do in old movies about silat warriors, but not in the context of modern-day Malaysian politics where respect for cultural diversity and the equal pride and status of all communities should be paramount. The hot-heads in UMNO Youth may have been playing to the Malay gallery when they pulled the stunt of drawing the keris in public, but the catastrophic damage they did to the image and standing of their component BN partners was beyond calculation. In the end, however, it is not the keris, but rather the clumsy hand that wields it that is to be blamed. UMNO’s two-faced management of race-relations, which was flawed from the outset, has undone itself and the BN. To quote the popular refrain: “Padan Muka”.

***Dr. Farish Ahmad-Noor is a Senior Fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technical University (NTU), Singapore where he is Director of Research for the Research Cluster on Transnational Religion in Southeast Asia. He is also guest affiliated Professor at both Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) and Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University, Jogjakarta. He is the author of 'Writings on the War on Terror' (2006), 'From Majapahit to Putrajaya' (2005) and 'Islam Embedded: The Historical Development of PAS' (2004). He collects antiques for a hobby; travels dangerously to find himself and is taken for walks when he's been a good boy. He lives for the day when he will quit smoking for good.

Concerning 3rd class mentality and issue of sensitivity

sometimes i just dont understand why ppl wan to argue just for the sake of having the fun of making the person presenting look stupid. why can't we just keep our mouths shut even if we know that the presenters did some mistakes on their slides? why must we point out other ppl's mistakes?

personally, i don't think it is fun to make ppl look stupid. that is the main reason i do not bother to argue with ppl in moral class. when you know that you're dealing with ppl that do not think and argue logically, why waste your time and energy. you'll just end up looking stupid. u have to remember, critical and logical thinkers are the minority.

we are the minority here, when we start to pick on the faults of the majority, they are sure to retaliate. even if you dont mind them attacking you, some of our other classmates might mind. not many in our course are good speakers and can defend themselves. we're on the losing end if we were to go against them. why not we take the initiative to stop this tembak-ing and end this cycle of "you tembak me, i tembak you back"...it is so stupid la. reminds me of small kids. "you hit me, i hit you"

if you feel mad about me trying to stop you from arguing with them. fair, thats your right. but for you to take it personal and say it disrupts our friendship, i think thats very childish. you're being too sensitive lah. previously tony said something and u're not happy with it. now when i said something you also get upset with it. why is it that you get upset so easily?

i'm disappointed to say that even though you went through one semester of Critical Thinking class, you've changed not much. my reasoning is, when you argue with ppl like those AV and GD students, you're putting yourself on the same level as they are, which is UN-Critical Thinker. think long and hard about what i said. if you still wan to blame me. fine. i have nothing more to say.

Interesting facts about 2008 General Elections

Barisan Nasional only gained about 51 percent of the popular vote from the 7.9 million ballots cast on Saturday.

However, it took 63 percent of the seats contested - or 140 of 222 seats in Parliament.

Interestingly, its peninsula-wide popular vote was only 49.79 percent, which effectively means that the opposition received the majority vote in this part of the country.

However, when converted to parliamentary seats, BN has 85 of the constituencies in the peninsula, while the opposition bagged 80.

Almost 40 percent of the BN's seats are in Sabah and Sarawak - 55 out of 140.

In 2004, BN won about 64 percent of the popular vote nationwide and 92 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats on offer then.

As the dust settles on the 12th general election, we highlight a number of quirky facts and figures.

Election trivia

The youngest candidate was PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is 26. He defeated Seri Setia incumbent Seripa Noli Syed Hussin.


The oldest candidate was grandma Maimun Yusuf, 89, who contested in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat. She lost her deposit.


56 also-rans from opposition parties and independent candidates lost their deposits after failing to secure one-eighth of the votes cast.


The largest majority was won by DAP’s Teresa Kok against BN’s Carol Chew, by 36,492 votes in the Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.


The smallest majority was just 14 votes for BN’s Hamdi Abu Bakar who beat Abu Bakar Haji Hussain of PAS in the Pengkalan Baharu state seat in Perak.


Four pivotal players in the Lingam tape scandal also won: Loh Gwo Burne (who recorded the footage), Wee Choo Keong (lawyer who represented VK Lingam’s brother during the inquiry) and R Sivarasa and Sim Tze Tzin (listed as witnesses but eventually not called). All four are from PKR.


There will be two ‘lone rangers’ in Parliament: Zulhasnan Rafique, the sole BN survivor in Kuala Lumpur’s 11 parliamentary seats - he took Setiawangsa; and DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen who won Bandar Kuching in Sarawak - the remaining 30 parliamentary seats went to BN.


The biggest number of candidates was in the Sukau state seat, Sabah, where eight candidates ran, including five Independents.

Debutant politicians

Prominent blogger Jeff Ooi - whose campaign was done online and funds were raised through his website - won the Jelutong parliamentary seat in Penang for DAP.

Other bloggers are Tony Pua (DAP, Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary seat), Elizabeth Wong (PKR, Bukit Lanjan state seat) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR, Seri Setia state seat).

Civil society activists who succeeded were Charles Santiago (DAP, water-privatisation issues), Edward Lee (DAP, local community), Elizabeth Wong and R Sivarasa (PKR, human rights).

Biggest blows

The losses in BN component parties will result in vacancies in various ministries, forcing a cabinet reshuffle.

Ministers

S Samy Vellu (Works Ministry)
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Women, Family and Community Development Ministry)
Zainuddin Maidin (Information Ministry)
Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin (Rural and Territory Development Ministry)

Deputy ministers

Chia Kwang Chye (Information Ministry)
G Palanivel (Women, Family and Community Development)
Tan Chai Ho (Home Ministry)
V Veerasingam (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry)
S Sothinathan (Natural Resources and Environment Ministry)
Donald Lim (Tourism Ministry)
Fu Ah Kiow (Internal Security Ministry)
M Kayveas (Prime Minister’s Department)

Parliamentary secretaries

Chew Mei Fun (Women, Family and Community Development Ministry)
P Komala Devi (Education Ministry)
Lee Kah Choon (Health Ministry)
Ng Lip Yong (Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry)
S Vigneswaran (Youth and Sports Ministry)
Rahman Ibrahim (Home Ministry)
Dr Mohd Ruddin Ab Ghani (Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry)
Yew Teong Look (Federal Territories Ministry)
The full team from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry all lost in the polls.

All top MIC leaders were wiped out - president, deputy presidents, two vice-presidents, women's chief and youth chief (one of the three vice-presidents, KS Nijar, did not contest).

Post-election quotes

Anwar Ibrahim, PKR de facto leader, quoted in Star today

Some mentris besar in the past spent half-a-million ringgit to renovate their offices. Such things cannot be an example in this new administration.

Nurul Izzah Anwar, Lembah Pantai MP at a press conference yesterday

(On whether she will vacate the seat to force a by-election so that her father, Anwar Ibrahim, can re-enter politics after a five-year ban): I have already started working in my constituency. The question does not arise.

PPP president M Kayveas, quoted in Star today

Prior to the elections, Barisan Nasional had kept on telling people to show their dissatisfaction through the ballot box. Now they have really shown it.

Former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin, quoted in Star today

It is not that they love PKR or PAS more that they voted against me.

The Chinese showed their resentment because of the economic backlash they often complained about. So, PAS and PKR should not be overly proud of their win (in Kedah).

The people may have to pay a price for their decision.

What's the point of voting?

it was reported in the star that the indelible ink that SPR bought for RM2 million is not going to be used during the elections.

so what happens now? where our RM2 million went? masuk whose pocket d the commision.
why they nvr do research properly first b4 deciding to buy the ink? why must spend money our money and then decide not to use it. their reasons is the constitution allows us to vote whether our fingers are marked or not. why nvr study this earlier? INCOMPETENT!!

then SPR said they nvr used the mykad feature bcoz a mykad reader costs RM60,000 each. Is not that preposterous. how can a simple machine like that cost the same as a Proton Waja. bloody ridiculous.

In my opinion, SPR are just the dogs of Abdullah and BN. BN say woof they woof. BN say come they come. BN say dont use ink, they dont use ink. now its so much easier for BN to cheat in this GE.

i begin to wonder wats the point of me voting at all this time if the inevitable happens. but i will still vote no matter wat. if everybody thinks the way i do and still vote, i believe we can make a difference. vote BN out!

*For those who dont know
SPR=Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya

PLS WATCH

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-8665011592312376468

watch this with a mind free of prejudice..listen to what he has to say and analyse it with a critical mind.