Ms. Williams is a tough cookie, but she met her match on Monday, when Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, the bad girl of “The Apprentice,” went on the show to promote her new book, “The Bitch Switch: Knowing How to Turn It On and Off.”
Omarosa, who goes by one name, like Cher or Stalin, had her switch turned on high. Ms. Williams took her to task. “But, Omarosa, while you and I both have demanding ways, I’ve found that you show the honey, and it works a little better.”
Omarosa retorted, “You didn’t get here by being sweet,” noting that Ms. Williams’s radio career was built on, as she put it, “talking smack” about people.
Ms. Williams, visibly irked, said, “I feel like in many ways you are the stereotype of the angry black woman.”
Omarosa replied, “I’d rather be an A.B.W. than a buffoon.”
The last straw, however, was about bouffants. Ms. Williams slyly worked in a mention of her guest’s recent breast augmentation surgery; Omarosa retaliated by asking Ms. Williams if she had had her nose fixed. Ms. Williams, who said she has only used Botox, suggested that Omarosa plump up her lines with Restylane.
“And I would suggest a wig that doesn’t stuff my head three inches,” Omarosa snapped back.
At long last a breakthrough in daytime programming: the backtalk show.
Today I have a mission which is to get jabbawockeez t-shirt. A few weeks ago my friend told me that there are some jabbawockeez t-shirts at Star Hill area, and I've been dreaming to get my hands on them ever since. I went to KL by commuter train and monorail and went straight for my agenda. Since Sungei Wang Plaza (which literally translated into 'the river of money') is the place in Malaysia to get the best hip-hop and Japanese inspired outfits, I headed there, not really sure on how to get the t-shirts.
So I went into every shop and asked for the shirt to which most of the shopkeepers returned a confused look (obviously Jabbawockkez is still unheard of here, YET!). But I kept on looking until I reached a cool shop selling rhinestone laced shirts. A super cute chick greeted me, and I was instantly captivated by her kawaii-ness. I asked about the shirts, and she said she didn't know, and then she went promoting her stuffs. Later I realized that the store sells ORIGINAL FAKE outfits, a brand I've heard some times ago. At first I was like just checking the stuffs out just to be nice to the hawt chick. I mean, the designs are cool and everything but I didn't planned to buy those shirts because they are too flashy and stuff. There's some bling'd t-shirts, hooded jackets , some nice pants and stuff.
Then my eyes laid on this super awesome jacket. Girls dig shoes, and make-ups, and dresses. And I dig jackets! I never can have enough jackets. The jacket is black and made out of this pin-stripped leathery fabric, so it sparkles when the lights hit it. The same goes with the inside trimming, complete with a pocket at the inner left chest area. In the front, there are four pockets, the upper two pockets are furnished with vertical zips and the lower two pockets are completed with big shining metal buttons.
She told me that the jackets were exclusively sent from Japan, and extremely rare, so rare she can't give discount only on this item. And the price tag? A whopping $228. After much contemplating, and a try-on (to which the jacket fits me purrfectly), I brought the jacket under her spellbinding cuteness.
After that I kept on looking for the JWZ shirts but I couldn't find it. In between that, I tried on many other jackets and sweaters, but most of them came too small for me. I don't understand it because I'm a lean tall man, but when I tried the jackets most of them were tight in the shoulder and chest area, to which the sleeves will always fell shorter than it have to be.
After the disappointing search, I decided to conclude my shopping and before I went off, I hopped into this accessory shop to buy a belt. The shop turned out to sell party stuffs too, like masquerade masks, halloween masks, assortments of weird cool hats and stuff. Then I spotted a full face white mask, the one JWZ use, and I brought it straight away even though it costs me $20.
It was a tiring day. But I'll come back next week to continue the search of Jabbawockeez T-Shirts. And as I'm typing this, I'm wearing the coolest jacket to keep me warm from the chilly air-conditioned room. Don't hate!
Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving presentation, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. For more, visit www.cmu.edu/randyslecture.
I love America's Best Dance Crew show on MTV even though obviously the show still hasn't reached our shores yet. Basically it is a reality show searching for America's best dance crew. This is where I discovered Jabbawockeez crew, and has been their biggest fan ever since.
Picking up momentum from season one, MTV decided to move on to the second season literally right after the first season ended. New faces came up bringing a whole lot of new dramas.
Reppin west coast, Supreme Soul started off with a bad reputation when they said that they defeated the America's sweetheart, Jabbawockeez in a battle, to which upset the whole JWZ universe. From thereon, they were categorized as the show 'villains'.
I must say that they killed it in the first week and were dubbed as the shoo in new champ. However in they failed to live up to their first impression where their routine style failed to reach the audience and ultimately the judges. Response had been luke warm, and week to week they slipped until they dropped into the bottom two places. This week, they were in the bottom two with another west coast (and the show) power house, Super Cr3w. And they met their untimely elimination.
It was an emotional moment for the whole show and fans as we were forced to witness the painfull breakdown of Supreme Soul crew. I must say that the whole thing, watching Kool Raul and Frost cried and everyone else trying to pull a brave face is heart breaking.
Other than the mistranslated confidence for being cocky, fans pointing the blame towards Shane Sparks for ousting them as the bad guys. In the first episode, Shane brought up the issue and insisted the real answer, to which team leader Pharcide stepped up and told everyone that they won against JWZ in the battle. Other than that, rumor has it that MTV rigged the voting deal so that no crew from the same area battled each other in the finals, so they can gain more ratings and shit. Honestly I dunno.
I must admit, initially I was a Supreme Soul hater coz of the whole JWZ battle deal. And IMHO, they didn't stand a chance against JWZ. ButI think their routines are interesting and memorable. When I downloaded my favorite performances video clips of the show (illegally of coz), I realized that I downloaded SS the most. And after watching their elimination, I feel bad for them, and changed my mind about them. They're just another crew hustlin to win the whole thing, like everybody else. And circumstances got in the way.
An 8 years old with a terminal leukemia boy married his 8-years old best friend as his last wish. After 4 years battling leukemia, doctors given up hope and send Reece Fleming home, saying that he only got weeks to live. So when asked what's his wish, he said he wanted to marry his best friend, so Reece Fleming proposed to his 'special friend' Elleanor Purgslove at a laser tag party. Thier parents made up a pretend wedding ceremony complete with a fictional certificate, so the wedding is not totally legit. Reece Fleeming died the next day.
I'm not rushing to the cinema to watch The Dark Knight a.k.a the pretentious oh-look-at-me-I'm-so-deep batman movie. But I dunno, maybe when I have some spare time, I'll watch it and perhaps then, I'll like it. But for now, I don't feel like dancing.
He is a man. He is a malay man. He is a malay straight man. He is a malay straight not-too-pious man. He is a malay straight not-too-pious nationalist man. He is a malay straight not-too-pious nationalist single man. He is a malay straight not-too-pious nationalist single sad man.
I was one of a privileged group of people who was given the opportunity to watch Yasmin Ahmad’s latest masterpiece, Muallaf. Since then, I was going back and forth whether to write or not my thoughts about this film. I am afraid that I misinterpret this brilliant masterpiece and totally ruined the whole thing. However, I decided that I have to put it out there once and for all, not that my views matter, mind you.
The locus of this story is Brian, a young teacher and a reserved cold man. He teach at a catholic school where he crossed path with this troubled student, Ana played by a brilliant Sharifah Alesya, who live with her club waitress sister, Ani played by her real life sister Sharifah Amani. Both of them are in hiding from the chokehold of their treacherous father which perfectly portrayed by the superb Rahim Razali. On the surface, they story looks heavy, mainly because of the religions references. Ana was seen quoting a lot of what I assume the Old Testament phrases and Quranic verses. To the people who have never been exposed to comparative religion issues, this may look unacceptable – to see people dwelling into the knowledge of foreign religion. Yasmin Ahmad draws many parallels amongst religions, without saying that every religion is equal.
However when I look beyond the religions issues, Muallaf actually deals with a very light subject, which is forgiveness. The religion stuffs that were weaved into the story merely portrays the way of life of each individual. Almost every main character in this story is wronged, and the film simply tells us their journey to find condonation through compassion and tolerance.
Yasmin Ahmad once again proved that the main ingredient in a good movie is a good storytelling. There are stories in everyday life, it just the matter of how we see it. The movie primeres at Locarno Film Festival, where it’s nominated for Mosaic of contemporary society award under the Ici & Ailleurs category.
I hate my job. I hate my job. Like a year ago, I kinda promised myself to stay with this company. That I'm going to be patience enough to climb up the ladder until someday I'll reach the top. With my 'alleged' promotion looming, everything kinda look promising. But I love my job no more. I despise waking up every morning for work. Main reason, I hate to see that bitch. I don't care if I'll be a clerk or cleaner or something anywhere but here
Wanted Movie case study: Why Angelina Jolis is THE Perfect Woman.
Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman are the bad guys. And yes they both died in the end.
Oops did I spoiled it up for you. I should've say "Spoiler alert" shouldn't I?
Anyway, Wanted starring James Mc Ahoy there McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman is the bad-ass-est movie of all time. With death toll including a full boarded train, a factoryfull of textile workers, several assassinated bad guys, some unfortunate now wingless flies, and a truckload of suicide-bomber rodents, it's one of the goriest mass murder fest evah. I feel very satisfied.
The story revolves around Wesley Gibson who was stuck with a dead end job, which pretty much describes yours truly. Then he was picked by this group of assassins who collectively called themselves 'The Fraternity'. I know right, so 'creative'. After several periods of 'hazings', pun intended, he transformed into a bumbling killing machine that can 'curve bullet' like *snap* that. He eventually get the chance to kill his father's murderer, only to discover that his father's murderer IS his real father, which make his mentor the real bad guys. So he went on Rambo mode and kill them all.
I must say Angelina Jolie aside, this is a man's movie or as I call it 'the Dick Flick'. Women characters in this film are either morbidly obese or sluts, and Angelina Jolie serves the ideal fantasy of every masochistic tendency in us. Angelina Jolie is almost perfect in this movie. Sexy, thin, hot, beautiful, bad-ass, don't mind being naked, and most importantly, only talk when necessary. However I have to surrender to the fact that there's no chance in hell this breed of woman exist. A man can only dream.
And another cool thing in this movie is Morgan Freeman actually said "Motherfucker" in a gangsta kinda way.
When I watched Troy, I didn't get the fuss about Diane Kruger being 'the face that launched 1000 ships'. I thought she looked way matured for that small-dicked Orlando Bloom. However, after being insisted by my friend HB, I watched Wicker Park which totally change my view on Diane Kruger. My God she's smoking hot!
Wicker Park is actually a relatively old movie, released around 2004. I never really wanted to watch the film just because it starred Josh 'Slimeface' Harnett. I hate Josh Harnett as how girls hate Paris Hilton. It comes natural.
Anyway I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. It is a gripping story with plots intertwined and weaved every so beautifully. Its about this Matt guy who is trying to trace his former flame, Lisa which mysteriously disapears like 2 years ago. There's a new plot in every act which make this film 'utterly' unpredictable.
All in all, as a professional movie reviewer, I'll rate this movie B+.
Fun facts: the movie is a remake of a french film, L' Appartement and the restaurant which Lisa made a phone call is called 'Belluci', as a homage to the original film which stars you guess it, Monica 'overtits' Belluci.
Watchmen is one of the most celebrated comic ever, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. The story is based on 1985's America with superheroes roaming the streets as masked vigilantes, where Richard Nixon is still the prez and America is still in the brink of war with the Soviet.
From the trailer, it looks like it's going to be an awesome film. Slated to be released on 2009, the movie is directed and produced by the makers of the awesome 300. Simply can't wait.
It's the mid month and money has gone low. Inevitably I have to cut the shopping. It's funny when everything run out when you have no/lil money. My shampoo is almost empty (you know how much I love to shampoo), my cigarette's out, so I smoke the one I confiscated from my students. I know it's a douche thing to do, but what the hell, like, I don't care.
I woke up around 5pm and made some quaker-oat. I made half a bowl and then a cup of super sweet coffee, my fave. I didn't finish the quaker oats tho. I never finish them. It tastes great in the first 5 spoons, but then it started to feel like you are eating baby shits.
Sometimes I love to hang out at those pretentious Starbucks/Coffee Bean/San Francisco cafes, watching people walking by hating us. Yeah keep walking teh tarik people. Anyways, I have no clue on what to order... mochachino? Frappuchino? Small, grande, venti? ice blended? Whatever... I mean I have no favorite. I'll drink anything. Luckily they have those picture thingy, so I just pointed to whatever that looks refreshing and foamy and creamy, and then they will ask questions, and I'll just answer them with random answers. One thing I noticed is that them baristas are getting better. I mean they are more polite then baristas from like 5 years ago. They used to be indifference sour faced bitches, who look down on you. I guess they were fired and now working as hookers or whatever. I came across this tumblr written by a barista at a starbuck coffee somewhere. It's an interesting read. You can visit her here (http://147xxxx.tumblr.com/).
Music plays a big role in my life. My dad was in a band, so does my uncles, it just I never see them played together. Unlike me, my dad is a guitar hero. I'm more to a drummer guy coz I don't like attention and I can't play guitar fo shizzle.
Right now I'm listening to 90's rock songs, which most of them I never heard before (yay for my sentence structure... I'm too lazy to fully utilize my brain). Pearl Jam is such an awesome band. Jeremy is a big commercial hit. Black is a classic (and my personal favorite) and Alive is a gem. Eddie Vedder's voice is how every man should sound. I'm digging Nine Inch Nails eventhough I never cared about it before. My fav is We're In This Together which is a bliss. Hurt is heartwrencingly good and Closer is just like weird but in a good way.
Nirvana... last time I check, Kurt Cobain is still dead, and they're still awesome.
Like butter, Radiohead's Police Karma melts in my ears. Not all Radiohead's experimental electronica is listenable (unless you are a hardcore Radiohead's fan), however some gems like Creep, High and Dry and Paranoid Android.
And there's no 90's if there's no Alice In Chains. I personally love Nutshell, Man in The Box and Rooster. And with songs like Loser and Where It's At, Beck is legendary in his genre.
I actually had Third Eyed Blind's first album which is all killer. Semi Charmed Life, How It's Going To Be and Jumper were their monster hits. And when I realized that they wrote all of the songs in it, I somehow felt it was a very personal thing to do, and I thank them for that.
Red Hot Chili Peppers is one of the band that defines 90's music. Songs like Give It Away and Under The Bridge are some of their instant classic. Stone Temple Pilots's Interstate Love Song and Plush are as just classic as RHCP's.
And I have to admit that I listen to 'NSYNC in the late 90's. Shameless...
Lama dah tak tulis dalam BM. Ye la english aku pun berterabur sebenarnya, tapi bak kata orang practice makes perfect kan. Kalo aku tak guna langsung, gerenti hilang segala skil aku dalam english, macam aku hilang skil aku dalam bahasa arab. Dulu tu paham la jugak kalo orang cakap dalam lughah arabiyah kat aku, tapi sekarang bila orang cakap arab, jawabnya menganga je la. Hidup aku kat opis dah jadi macam sial. Rasanya hari-hari macam main mind games ngan boss aku yang laknat tu. Aku rasa dia dah tau yang aku benci kat dia. Jadi sekarang ni, kitorang memang hari hari saje cari pasal antara satu sama lain. Memang la kalah sikit sebab dia orang nombor satu dalam opis dan aku orang nombor dua, tapi lantak ko lah. Walaupun umur dah mencecah separuh abad, perangai perasan macam anak dara muda jelita. Tergedik gedik macam diri tu laku lagi. Padahal dah menopause. Kalau cun tu bole la consider lagi, ini dah la muka tak siap, kerja nak mengutuk orang je (walaupun dia tak megutuk aku depan-depan, tapi hari-hari nak dengar dia mengutuk orang mana bole tahan. Saja nak api-apikan budak-budak opis biar membenci orang tertentu). Patut la tak kawin lagi, perangai sundal mengalahkan... korang pikir la sendiri. Aku malas dah nak cakap. Ntah bila dia nak berambus. Hidup menyusahkan orang.
Hari ni aku baru tau yang member aku dah sebulan kematian emaknya. Aku baca blog dia pun sedih giler. Dah la dia memang kamcing ngan mak dia. Nasib baik ada boyfriend dia tempat dia mengadu kasih. Aku memang tak dapat bayangkan kalau mak aku yang pergi dulu. Pernah gak aku termimpi yang mak aku mati, dan dalam mimpi aku tu aku menangis setiap saat. Memang tak boleh bayang beb... boleh jadi gila. Jadi kepada Yus, aku tak boleh cakap yang aku paham keadaan ko, sebab aku memang tak dapat nak pikir hiba kehilangan orang yang paling kita sayangi dalam dunia ni. Yang aku boleh cakap, tak ada sesiapa yang kekal melainkan-Nya sahaja. Kita buat perancangan dan Tuhan ada rancangan-Nya, dan sesungguhnya rancangan Tuhan lebih hebat. Semoga ko tabah dan redha di atas pemergiannya. Hidup ni pun tak lama, ada rezeki korang akan berjumpa semula di alam yang lain.
OK my boss was being her natural self again. The slimy wrinkly ancient old bitchy whore as always. She's the ugliest thing I ever met, even uglier than a wet stray dog. She's ugly inside and outside and nobody genuinely like her (this I know for a fact because my co-workers who are always kissing her ass are actually hated her with passion). If she die today, 15% world peace is achieved, and nobody will even miss her. In fact I will organize a party to celebrate.
To deviate my mind from hating that scumbitch, I watched Kung Fu Panda, which is like, totally awesome. Jack Black lend his awesome voice as Po, the main character which is a slack fat kung-fu enthusiast panda who is helping his father sell chinese noodles. He accidentally chosen as the dragon warrior, to face the wrath of incoming danger. The script is simultaneously mythical (in a very dalai lama way) and funny which is surprisingly entertaining.
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, but today is a gift. That why they call it present." I mean, how awesome is that? Other than the story, the graphic is just awesome. I mean, I visually see Po as Jack Black because Po's every nuance and body language and movement is clearly Jack Black's.
If my boss is a character in this movie, she'll be an ugly half rotting leper dog with only three legs.
Often we afraid to throw away stuff, but some things are meant to be ditched sooner or later.
Graffiti is cool and everything, but where's the fun if nobody tries to paint over it. It's the art of hushed propaganda. Nobody want to look at the same thing forever.
Twenty teenagers have been murdered in London so far this year as the capital remains grimly on track to match 2007's record of 26 shooting or stabbing fatalities among young people.
Below are the details of this year's victims SO FAR:
1. Henry Bolombi, 17, was stabbed once in the chest on New Year's Day as he got off the 279 bus near his home in Edmonton, north London, after seeing in the festivities in central London.
2. Faridon Alizada, 18, from Bexley, southeast London, was stabbed three times in the chest on January 5 during a fight in a tower block on a council estate in nearby Erith.
3. Boduka "Louis" Mudianga, 18, was stabbed to death during a street fight near his home in Edmonton on January 21.
4. Fuad Buraleh, 19, from Hayes, Middlesex, was beaten about the head with a blunt instrument during a row in a West Ealing park following a night out on January 26. He died in hospital less than an hour later.
5. Nigerian-born Sunday Essiet, 15, from Southwark, southeast London was "kicked like a football" and stabbed by a gang of six youths on a nearby Woolwich estate on February 19.
6. Tung Le, 17, from Deptford was stabbed during a fight near Trafalgar Square on February 23 after a night out in the West End. The Vietnamese teenager died in hospital six days later.
7. Ofiyke "Iyke" Nmezu, 16, from Edmonton, died from a fractured skull after being beaten across the head with a brick during an attack in Enfield, north London. He died in hospital a fortnight after the attack on February 1.
8. Michael Jones, 18, was stabbed to death after being attacked by an intruder at his home in on March 13. He died from serious head injuries after he was found by his mother, Kathleen, tied to a chair in his Edmonton home.
9. Nicholas Clarke, 19, from Brixton, south London, was shot dead on a nearby housing estate on March 14.
10. Devoe Roach, 17, from Stoke Newington, north London, was fatally stabbed through the heart during a row on a busy shopping street in Stamford Hill, north London on March 27.
11. Egyptian-born Amro Elbadawi, 14, from West Kilburn in west London, died from a single stab wound to the throat during a knife fight with a 16-year-old on an estate in Queen's Park, West London on March 27.
12. Lyle Tulloch, 15, of Peckham was stabbed to death in a block of flats in Southwark on May 3 -- just hours after Boris Johnson was elected Mayor of the capital. The assault happened less than a mile from where 10 year-old Damilola Taylor was killed with a broken bottle in 2000.
13. Jimmy Mizen, a teenager of "immaculate character", bled to death after a frenzied attack in Lee, southeast London, on May 10 -- the day after his 16th birthday. He died in his older brother's arms, his throat slashed by a shard of glass, after the unprovoked fight with a youth who had smashed his way into a baker's shop near his home.
14. Actor Rob Knox was stabbed during a fight outside a pub in Sidcup, Kent, on May 24, that left three of his friends with serious knife wounds. The 18-year-old had a small part in the forthcoming film "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince".
15. Sharmaarke Hassan, 17, was shot in the head in a Camden Street on May 24 and died in hospital four days later.
16. Arsema Dawit, 15, was found on June 3 with multiple stab wounds in the lift of the block of flats where she lived near Waterloo Station.
17. Ben Kinsella, 16, was chased down a street in north Islington and stabbed to death by up to four teenagers after a fight at the Shillibeers pub and nightclub early on June 29.
18. Shakilus Townsend, 16, died in hospital on July 4 after being attacked with a baseball bat and stabbed in Thornton Heath, south London.
19. David Idowu, 14, died in hospital on July 7, nearly three weeks after being stabbed in Great Dover Street, Borough, south London.
20. Melvin Bryan, 18, died on July 10 from stab wounds to his neck and chest after a fight in Gloucester Road, Edmonton.
is it because of The Happening? Stop the Violence!
Kanye West will be performing in Democratic National Convention in Denver along with N.E.R.D and Wyclef Jean. Hollywood Dems who plan to attend include Ben Affleck, Barack's 'pen pal' Scarlett Johansson, Madonna's ex Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker, Maggie Gyllenhaal, funny lady Cheryl Hines and Ed Norton, who's been shooting a documentary about Obama's race to the White House.
And you know who's on McCain camp? Heidi Montag. Hahaha.
Today I think I want to talk about education, particularly Malaysian education. I read somewhere that Malaysian education system is one of the best in the world, where children and teenagers are forced to memorize facts and given a written test every 5 seconds. The one who scored straight A's in these papers are the school's heroes even though mostly they are hated outside school compound. Don't mess with the stupid children, they are full of hateration. I bet the same trend goes with schools in other Asian countries, where children are beaten to death by barren teachers and gold digger step mothers if they can't score an A+ in the exams.
Now lets take our view to the American education system, where in movies, you can do pretty much anything (including killing your own friends - ask Buffy), and the only rule you have to follow is to clear the hallway once the bell ring. Sure most of them ended up being pregnant or a drug dealer or something, but hey, most of MIT, Havard and Princeton undergrads are Americans. They are also taught to follow their dreams since they are a lil' kid, the nerds will be NASA scientists, the gun wielding farm boys will turned out to be a high ranking military guy, the jocks will ended up earning multimillion dollar sports contract and the cheerleaders will become an even skankier famous celebrities. Ok a lil' exaggeration but you get what I mean right?
So all I'm saying is that... nothing. We're fucked actually. We asians have to be really intelligent to be successful coz cleverness equals high paying job equals money equals definition of successfullness in major part of Asia. We're fucked coz we're genetically weak (scratch sports superstardomship away), our look can't sell internationally in the entertainment business (read: ugly), we can't afford to go to the moon (hitchhiking russian's shuttle doesn't count), we definitely can't win a modern war (strike global domination) and we envied our own people's happiness and advancement (about 55% of our DNA consisted of jealousy-protein strand). We are monkeys. The happy and contented monkeys.
I think half of the Malaysian watched the petrol debate between disgraced ex vice PM, Anwar 'butt muncher' Ibrahim and the current whatever minister Ahmad Shaberi Cheek. Obviously I didn't watched it coz;
a)I'm too cool for Malaysian politics b)I'm tired of Anwar Ibrahim shits c)Why bother listening when obviously they debate to prove their mass lying public speaking power than to actually help the rakyats.
And from what I heard butt muncher kick ass (oh the irony). Ahmad Shaberi is stupid for not being prepared to face the man with mega word twisting reputation like Anwar Ibrahim. My crystal ball told me that somebody will mysteriously 'resign' from his post in near future.
For latest update click the jump.
Update 16 July 2.30pm: agendadaily.com site crash down
Update 16 July 2.30pm: KUALA LUMPUR: Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tidak mengemukakan formula menurunkan harga bahan api yang meyakinkan dan mapan pada debat khas mengenai "Hari ini membentuk kerajaan, esok turun harga minyak."
Walaupun beliau berhujah dengan petah dan menarik hati penonton terutama penyokongnya menerusi retoriknya, formula yang dibentangkan berjaya dipatahkan oleh lawannya Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Menteri Penerangan.
Ahmad Shabery lebih banyak mengemukakan fakta mempertahankan tindakan kerajaan menstruktur semula subsidi minyak berbanding Anwar yang memilih pendekatan populis yang mengambil hati penonton.
Anwar berkata, harga bahan api boleh diturunkan 50 sen seliter sehari selepas sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat memerintah menerusi formula RM5 bilion digunakan bagi menampung penurunan harga minyak. Wang itu dapat diperoleh dengan penjimatan perbelanjaan kerajaan termasuk mengatasi masalah kebocoran dan ketirisan, dan mengurangkan 'standby' kapasiti pengeluaran tenaga daripada 40 peratus kepada 20 peratus oleh pengeluar tenaga bebas (IPP).
"Dengan mengurangkan kapasiti itu saja kita telah mendapat RM2 bilion, jadi RM3 bilion lagi diperoleh melalui penjimatan dan mengatasi kebocoran," katanya.
Mematahkan hujah-hujah Anwar pada debat anjuran Agendadaily.com di Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) malam tadi, Ahmad Shabery berkata cadangan Anwar itu sudah tidak lagi relevan berikutan harga minyak di pasaran dunia sekarang lebih mahal berbanding harga semasa formula itu di warkan-warkan sejak sebelum pilihan raya umum Mac lepas.
Beliau menjelaskan pada masa itu harga bahan api adalah RM1.92 seliter bagi petrol dan RM1.58 seliter diesel.
Berikutan harga setong minyak di pasaran dunia mencecah lebih US$130 setong, kerajaan terpaksa menstruktur semula subsidi bahan api, menjadikan harga di pam petrol RM2.70 seliter dan diesel RM2.58 seliter.
"Kalau kerajaan mengekalkan harga minyak pada kadar yang lama, ini bermakna subsidi yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh kerajaan ialah sebanyak RM50 bilion.
"Ini bermakna banyak program pembangunan, termasuk sekolah, jalan, Felda, soal orang di kampung tidak dapat dijalankan hanya untuk menampung cara hidup yang berterusan yang ada pada hari ini," kata Ahmad Shabery.
Ahmad Shabery berkata kenaikan harga minyak adalah fenomena global yang berlaku di seluruh dunia akibat banyak faktor termasuk perang Iraq, kemungkinan Amerika Syarikat menyerang Iran dan peningkatan permintaan bahan api oleh China serta India.
Beliau berkata penyelesaian kepada masalah ini bukan dengan menambah subsidi secara konvensional tetapi memerlukan satu pendekatan baru menerusi penstrukturan subsidi bagi menjamin ia benar-benar disalur dan dinikmati oleh rakyat berpendapatan rendah.
"Kalau kita terus bagi subsidi, ada syarikat asing seperti Exxon-Mobil, Shell dan sebagainya yang turut mendapat faedah daripada wang rakyat," katanya.
Beliau berkata kebanyakan negara lain turut mengambil pendekatan yang sama seperti Malaysia.
Ahmad Shabery yang turut membidas Anwar kerana mendakwa kenaikan harga minyak kerana pengurusan kerajaan yang tidak cekap, berkata malah Finland, Norway dan juga negara yang dilaporkan kurang mempunyai kes rasuah tidak memberikan subsidi minyak kepada rakyatnya. "Mereka telah menunjukkan prestasi ekonomi yang lebih baik dan Malaysia juga harus menuju ke arah itu," katanya.
"Kalau kita mengajar rakyat kita dengan harga yang murah walaupun pada hakikatnya harga minyak antarabangsa adalah tinggi, tahun 2015 (apakah) kita akan menjadi net importer?
"Mungkin beberapa tahun lagi kita tidak ada minyak lagi. Apakah subsidi begini akan diteruskan atau pada waktu itu baru hendak naik mendadak serta-merta daripada apa yang ada sekarang?" tanya Ahmad Shabery kepada Anwar.
Anwar bagaimanapun mempertikaikan sumber minyak negara akan habis pada 2015 dan mendakwa kemungkinan telaga minyak baru ditemui kerana negara pernah menjangka kehabisan simpanan minyak pada 2005.
Kata Anwar lagi Petronas juga giat menjalankan aktiviti mencarigali di luar negara.
Ahmad Shabery berkata Malaysia memang negara pengeksport minyak tetapi bukannya pengeluar besar, oleh itu khazanah negara perlu diuruskan dengan cermat bagi kepentingan generasi akan datang.
"Daripada keuntungan Petronas itu, sebenarnya yang telah diberi pada kerajaan ialah sebanyak 91 peratus, apa lagi yang kita nak ambil dari Petronas," katanya disambut dengan tepukan penonton.
Ahmad Shabery, yang tidak luntur semangat menghadapi kepetahan Anwar berhujah menambah kata "Ingat Petronas kuat dan maju sekarang ini kerana siapa. Tidakkah kerana kerajaan Umno dan Barisan Nasional.
"Kehebatan yang dibuat oleh Petronas selama ini adalah dorongan yang diberikan kerajaan. Kita tidak bebankan Petronas, kita benarkan Petronas untuk menabur kembali (keuntungan)," katanya.
Penonton yang terdiri daripada 50 orang daripada Pakatan Rakyat dan 50 daripada pihak kerajaan mengikuti debat itu dengan tertib tanpa membuat sebarang kekecohan di Balai Budaya Tun Syed Nasir, DBP.
Begitu juga dengan ratusan penyokong kedua-dua belah pihak yang memberi sokongan moral di luar dewan.
Rata-rata penonton yang ditemui berpuas hati dengan perjalanan debat itu yang mereka sifatkan sebagai menyuburkan amalan demokrasi di negara ini.
"Anwar mengambil pendekatan mencuri hati penonton menerusi retorik yang menyentuh emosi penonton tetapi kurang meyakinkan dari segi mengemukakan kaedah sedangkan Ahmad Shabery lebih banyak mengemukakan fakta kukuh dan munasabah," komen seorang penonton yang enggan namanya disebut.
Debat kira-kira sejam itu dikendalikan oleh pengerusi Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Datuk Johan Jafaar. - Bernama via Berita Harian Not in the mood for translating everything
Update 16 july 9am: I looked for the debate analysis and so far no major news network even care to do a coverage. Like OMG, are we not that important?
Update 16 July 2008: KUALA LUMPUR: Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek took on PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a rarely seen debate on live television last night.
The one-hour debate, entitled “Today we form the Government, tomorrow the fuel prices will go down” proceeded smoothly with both speakers backing their points with facts.
The event was organised by online news portal Agenda Daily and was broadcast live over TV9, Astro Awani and Bernama TV.
Invited to be the first speaker, Anwar started off by saying that fuel prices would be reduced by 50 sen a litre to alleviate the economic burden faced by the people if Pakatan Rakyat formed the Government tomorrow.
Anwar said it would only cost the Government RM5bil to bring down fuel prices by 50 sen.
He said RM2bil could be saved by reducing the country’s electricity buffer of 40% to 20%, as the extra capacity only benefited independent power producers (IPP).
Anwar hit out at the recent increase in fuel prices, saying such drastic measures within a short period had pushed inflation up.
“It was said that while prices go drastically up, inflation levels would not rise. Who was the one who taught that economic theory?” he said.
In response to that point, Shabery stressed that the inflation faced now could not be attributed solely to fuel prices.
He said major oil producers such as Venezuela and Iran experienced higher inflation than Malaysia although their fuel prices were much lower.
“In Venezuela, inflation is 30%, while Iran is one of the eight nations worst hit by inflation.
“It is not just oil prices that have gone up, but food as well. Our rice is cheaper than Thailand and that is because of our policies.
“We do not have to demonstrate on the streets or organise improper concerts,” he said.
On claims that as an oil producer, Malaysia stood to profit with from higher crude oil prices, Shabery said Malaysia was only a minor oil producer.
“In 2015, Malaysia will become a net importer of oil. By then, will we be forced to raise the price of fuel drastically?” he said.
Both Shabery and Anwar managed to squeeze in a few pot shots at each other.
Before leaving, Shabery told reporters that he was satisfied with the debate but would leave it to the Government to decide how he had performed.
Shabery had earlier said he would resign as Information Minister if he failed to defend the Government’s fuel policy.
Anwar said he was disappointed that several personal attacks had been made on him. via the star
