The different battles in Johor and Ukraine.

 Sun 27.2.2022.

The battle for Johor has officially started. Russian attack on Ukraine has already chalked up the first loss of lives for both aggressor and victim. But Johor and Ukraine are geographically and intrinsically worlds apart. The one aspect they share is the avoidability. The war could have been avoided. The cost of war ? A different class, one might say, and therefore another distinguishing element ? 

Party to a very minor conference on the set-up for the Johor , I'm dismayed by the wastefullness of limited assets available for some of the parties involved. A one-seat advantage was considered ineffectual and caused the fall of the prior state government. I predict no great improvement on this after 12.3.2022. And then what, another call to the polls ?

Putin rightly feels the weight of Western bias against down-sized USSR. His reaction should have been obvious to all of Europe and North America listening to US voice. Ukraine was about to be added to the bloated NATO impingining on the isolated Russia. If Russia was militarily weaker, war would be out of the question. Being no. 2 in the world, you push me too far and you might get a bloody nose ! After all, Ukraine is next door. Washington is half-a-world away. If there's a big brother, a sneaky punch can be thrown and big brother can't protect in time.

There was a time when the major media could parlay accurate analysis on world politics. Not any more. They said Trump couldn't win. He did. They said UMNO couldn't lose. UMNO and the whole BN shebang soundly did. Now they say Putin cannot win; UMNO and BN would rear their heads once more. We have the whole of March to see if both media predictions bear fruit. Remember the USSR lasted 69 years (1922-1991),  comparable to BN's hold of 1959-2018. 

If it were random, unprovoked action by Russia, then the "free world's" angry reaction to Russia's attack is acceptible. In fact very close to the surface was the encroachment on Russia in all aspects of western domination.  It felt the pressure bulding, and sought to produce relief. For Europe and USA to be blissfully ignorant of this is surprising.

UMNO is hard-pressed to fight back for at least a share of power, or risk political oblivion. Certain bye-elections caused it to feel confident that it can win back power if the people are to make their choice again. Notwithstanding the quality of its successes so far, UMNO feels the signs are good for fresh elections.

Really, Johor is a story worth unravelling. For, until GE 14, it had been the bastion of UMNO's domination in Malaysian politics. But in May 2018, it secured only 17 out of 56 State seats (30.3%). It has to win back almost double that figure for all its hue-and-cry to be worth anything. And right now the Malay votes are at its most divisive state.

Unlike Ukraine, Johor is not about life-and-death. It's politics. Covid 19 is life-and-death. The young voters are up to here with the politicking. Political parties will fall. Life goes on.

Ukraine is life-and-death, literally. Figuratively, it's also life-and-death for Russia as a sovereign power. Someone has to fall. There's no life after death. For the defenders of Ukraine. For the Russian State.

The Western  media and those who have followed its tune are having a field day. Malaysians who are quick to join them should remember it was a Ukraine missile that shot the innocent MAS aircraft and killed all its passangers. BBC, CNN, Fox and even Aljazeira have filled up their news with snippets of refugees fleeing Ukraine and the tearful, angry accounts of the horror of armed Russian attack. They forget that this is war they need not fight, and they can demand their government not to fight.

UMNO is unashamedly using convicted Najib to garner sympathy for their cause. Najib, of course, is totally without shame, striding in Johor rounds, and even speaking in Parliament, behaving as if he is a noble being worthy of support. If education and intellect rule the day, Johorians should know what to do when casting their votes. For 60 years UMNO had ruled the state. For 50% of that time, UMNO and BN ruled with zero opposition. But in GE 14 they lost 50% of their seats and lost Johor to PH. Now they think it's ripe to wrest back that lost power. One very old but very experienced man has tottered to the state, calling for wise action. The opposition tries to belittle him, making him the butt of their jokes.

Ukraine and Johor are no jokes, even as they appear to be to detractors. Soon enough we'll see who laughs.

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22.2.22.

This date, involving my .22 rifle, must not pass without a posting on my blog. So I left before 7.30 heading to the Police shooting range in Senaling for part of my gun licence renewal exercise. It's fixed for 8.30 but knowing the normal traffic, my departure time wasn't that early. I was right. I got no. 139 as my turn to shoot.

I'd had this  rifle since 1995. But I keep it in a leather holster when not in use, and that is not too frequent, too. More than one fellow gun-owners today remarked that my rifle looked new, when all the other guns around looked worn. Even the policeman who was my inspector said the same thing. He was quite taken by the rifle, because I know there are less than 10 of these in KP. He was also impressed that I knocked-off both falling plates, and hit my main marked target with the other 3 shots. This is not a shot-gun. There's one single tiny bullet that you can easily miss at 25 m. So Datok Sulaiman's whatsapp that said my shots would "dobuih" (he also attached the detailed explanation for the Negri term) was the one "dobuih"!

Jimikoling came as I got out of the car on arrival. I'd called him a couple of days ago, thinking we might go somewhere after the shooting range, but at 10.30 when I'd finished he was somewhere in Ulu Bendol, so I told him "next time lah".

Once over Bukit Putus this morning, a heavy mist was over the road and surrounding countryside, right up to Gemetir. There was a heavy rain in Seremban yesterday, and it might have covered KP, too. But when small I remember hilly KP could be cool. I remember cold nights, and waking up in the morning to see the bottom half of the coconut oil bottle a milky colour because of the temprature drop. So I drove with the small lights on and now-and-then turning on the windscreen wiper to clear the fogging windscreen.

I told Jimikoling I stopped for breakfast at our regular kedai makan just outside his housing area. I didn't have time to spare, but knowing how these things can drag on, I thought I might as well "alas perut" (literally, line my stomach, but you know what I mean). So probably I deserved that no. 139.

The RM 30 for this morning was credit the Police Club for "shooting fee", not for the licence, which will come later in June. And this time this would be organized over the several chosen police stations in KP. "No hall to hold the event" was the OCPD's answer to my query as to why KP Police hq is not this time listed as one of the venues. But the RM 30 came with 2 sandwiches and a small bottle of mineral water everybody got. The 2-hour wait meant the pack came in handy. The rubbish strewn over the waiting area was proof of that.  Malaysians !

I decided to visit "mee Ibrahim" after the shooting range. His son greeted me; Ibrahim and wife are long gone. I asked for cendul (from the next stall) and also paid for the homeless lady who managed to force away that talkative old man with her unpleasant odour when I finished. Old KPians don't forget "mee Ibrahim" even when they are settled far and away. I remember one time I stopped on my way from work at one of the Jempol's Felda schemes (I left Felda in 1990, so figure out how long ago that was) for a mee Ibrahim, and who did I bump into, doing the exact same thing ? Raja (now Tun) Alias !

A brief stop at the Melang cemetry was in order. I see that they have cut down that large shady tree over dad's grave. The dead leaves used to collect over his resting place, and it took some doing removing them. So now there's no shade, but also no dead leaves.  That's ok. But where have they dumped the rubbish? Well, at least part of it now fully hides my maternal grandmother's 60-year-old grave from sight. That's not ok. I'll have to come back, better-equipped, and spend at least one whole day to clear that up. 

I was back home before 1. But there'll be no lunch at home today. SAINS already informed us there'll be no water the whole day today 22.2.22.

Sigh !

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Nyaleh III

 Sun 6.2.22

Today I made it to Nyaleh for the third time. This time besides Hank, there was Jimmy Ong, and Tajuddin Yahya. Borkhan had also invited the wives. So Tajuddin came with his wife. I came without mine. Hank's wife has passed away. And Jimmy is still trying to find one.

Borkhan expected us at 11 a.m. In spite of Hank's delayed leave from the house, I was able to pick up Jimmy and reached the farmstead on the dot. Tajuddin came later, from KL.

This time Borkhan gave a tour of his new "kelulut" enclosure and his strawberry greenhouse. He also showed-off his electric fencing, to protect his precious kelulut from marauding monkeys. There was his itek pond, several types of flowering plants for his kelulut, and the chicken yard. The VCO production is still on - all 4 of us bought some. His  agricultural enterprise continues to amaze me. How he can find the time and energy  confounds me. The financial costs must also be very substantial, and it frightens me.

Borkhan suggested that we all start our own kelulut farming, with one stump to start on. That'll cost RM 1,600. Borkhan said he has 37 now. I suggested that Borkhan get Hank to start first. "If he's ok, then we can all start with ours." Hank was impassive.

Borkhan had prepared lamb soup for lunch. "I had 41 goats yesterday. I have 40 today." Hank was impassive. 

"Have some mangoes now" he said after the soup was finished. "Hank brought them from his farm." Hank  failed to correct Borkhan that I bought the mangoes. He remained impassive.

Clearly Borkhan has done some "spring cleaning".  There's a new room in front. For religious study, he said. Later we were the first 2 to use the room for prayers, Hank and I. Last visit, with Halim, we prayed inside. Today that space was filled with stuff being sorted out. I noticed that the kitchen floor had been redone nicely.

The visit was still short at about 3 hours, when we had to leave and not stretch our welcome. The hosts remained pleased with the visit, however, and even asked that we come again. He's arranging to invite the others, he said, when we told him that Hamdan Derus had called us in the car when we were on the way here.

There was supposed to be 4 of us budak boys today, but Jimmy said the missing one felt indisposed, although he was the one suggesting today's visit date.

We came via Simpang Ampat, but returned to Seremban via Masjid Tanah, after sending back Jimmy home. I anticipated a big jam on the Plus highway, this being the last day of the extended holidays. Masjid Tanah is a longer route, but going to PD would avoid the nightmare on the highway. We don't know the real situation on the Plus highway, but we reached Hank's car at about 7,  some 11 hours after we had left for Nyaleh at 8.30 a.m.

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2.2.22

 Thurs 3.2.22

We resumed our interrupted weekly S2Walk yesterday, and I told Hank it was an auspicious date - 2.2.22. Deka (Tg. Jati) also sms'd about this date, adding wondering if he'd experience 3.3.33 ! That's a good 11 years, and I'd be 88 !

When we finished our 2-hour walk, we headed for "Urban Affairs" where we had breakfast last, but it was closed. It was still the CNY holiday. But not all joints were closed; we went to that cafe we visited sometime ago, and in the end the fare was ok. In fact the price was surprisingly cheap. Hank even wondered how they make any money at that rate.

Burkhan had sms'd Hank about a Nyaleh visit for "sup kambing" this Sunday, and inviting me and the missus as well. I'd love to go but Bersatu Seremban has earlier requested that I attend a party's conference 4-6/2/22 at Glenmarie Country Club. I'm keen to see the preparations made for GE15 by the party so far. The few bye-elections in the last 3 years have not produced the same kind of successes seen at GE14. If anything, UMNO seems to be making progress at revival. Bersatu has lost steam, and I'm ready to tell my Division that it's preparations lack depth and urgency.

Maybe 2.2.22 was auspicious because Hank's seemingly innocent question spurred me to expound a lengthy answer about 2018 and the inevitable 2023. 2018 saw the 60-year old domination of Malaysian politics by UMNO and BN halted. Following events from the 1MDB debut to the birth of Bersatu, I was sure of the demolition of UMNO and in a meeting of Mubarak NS about 12 days before GE14 had even produced some numbers I'd worked out, based on the trend on the past 13 GE's available on internet, to make a prediction.  It came out pretty close.

Old kampong folks may not want anything different from the "kapal layar" or "dacing", but their children went to universities and know alternative scenarios, here and in other countries. I was with UMNO from 1987 and carried the flag in GE 9 and sat in the state assembly for nearly 5 years. But I was dismayed by 1MDB and angered by Najib's response and behaviour. And there must have been enough people like me to have caused that historic defeat for UMNO in particular. I also believe that UMNO would have survived without Najib. Now UMNO is clawing back, and Najib refuses to be silenced by shame (has he one ?) or sentences (will there be a final one?). 

I asked Hank to say hello to Burkhan. He's wondering what to bring. I said "fruits". He wants something to remember. I said bring some of your cooking. If they're bad enough, Burkhan won't ever forget !

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