By Helen Ang
_____________________________
Marina was the alpha blogger who perhaps inadvertently initiated this laying down of pens by a handful of other bloggers with her post “I Think I’ll Just Go On Strike”. It happens with opinion-shapers and trendsetters … what one says is picked up.
RANTINGS BY MARINA MAHATHIR
http://rantingsbymm.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-think-ill-just-go-on-strike.html
MARINA’S RANT: “… I can’t get any of it straight anymore. Who did what to whom? Who has been plotting to do what to whom? Who hates who, who loves who? Sorry, I don’t know anymore. I’d rather watch CSI frankly …”
THE PLEBLEIANS SAY: Geez, and we were glued to ‘Dynasty M’sia’, one of the world’s longest-running TV series clocking in a record 22 years. In fact, it’s still being re-run and Bolehwood gossip is that the producers want to bring it back … a revamped version.
Hey, when one has got an audience-gripping formula, why change the plot? Like, that cliffhanger storyline 10 years ago can be recycled a decade later. Heck, they can even mosey over to the prop room and dig out that old stained mattress.
We wonder, did the Ranter go on strike too the last round during Reformasi because she couldn’t figure out “Who did what to whom? Who has been plotting to do what to whom?”
MARINA: “While everyone bickers, admits, gossips, analyses, rumourmongers … I have a life to lead. I have a daughter who’s turning 9 tomorrow and who has very set ideas about how she intends to celebrate it.”
PLEBS: Yeah sad, that’s what happens when education standards fall steadily over the past quarter of a century. Pity the Eat Cake masses can’t afford to send their kids to Garden School – this dumbing down of the populace turns out a bunch of bickerers, gossipers and rumourmongers incapable of analyses.
MARINA: “I have columns and papers to write, a conference and a fundraiser to organise, people I need to talk to and decisions to make.”
PLEBS: The not-so-erudite nor highly literate hoi polloi now decide to go say ‘Hi’ to farmer Revert’s buffalo in the boondocks. Who needs to constantly make difficult decisions in life anyway?
MARINA: “At the same time, I have a home to run, kids whose studies I need to keep a watchful eye over, a husband who also needs attention and a small circle of friends I run to for support. I am just busy. With a capital B. So I don’t have time to keep up with all these shenanigans.”
PLEBS: Unlike us factory workers, taxi drivers, hawkers, check-out and service staff, clerks, hospital attendants and menial labour who don’t work all that many hours a day and are on oodles of free time, with a capital F.
MARINA: “The other day I went to fill up my car’s petrol tank and thought there was something wrong with the counter showing the price at the petrol pump because it kept going on and on and didn’t stop until it got to a ridiculous sum. … That is the price of petrol these days.”
PLEBS: Waah, filled full tank ah? But still, the price of petrol sucks, don’t it? Now if only we could auction off Putrajaya, Petronas Twin Towers, the F1 track and all those other edifices, and non-brick and mortar goodwill like MPO, Sauber, and kept the subsidy to keep inflation down, instead of suffering the fuel-hike kick in the behind? Aah, Petronas the goose that lays the golden eggs. Rumour, gossip, uncorroborated stories are asking, what did they do with the eggs?
MARINA: “At home I find myself doling out money more frequently for my cook to buy groceries. Are we eating more or do things just cost more?”
PLEBS: Thought the Dynasty set for seven generations. Since there’s admittedly too much gossip and rumourmongering going around, reality must be just as the Ranter claims. Ouch, shopping for groceries is such a pinch for former First Daughters and Datuk Padukas, we’re sure.
MARINA: “I find myself rushing by the windows of boutiques so that I won’t be tempted to go in and buy anything unnecessary. The only indulgence I allowed myself recently was lip gloss which somehow cheers me up.”
PLEBS: Go shop in Kota Bharu. Lipstick cheaper there due to recently reduced demand.
MARINA: “I have to buy air tickets often because we are a two-country family and I also have to travel for work. These days what you pay for the surcharges and taxes would have bought you a seat on a pretty long flight not too long ago.”
PLEBS: For some, the world is their oyster; for others the world is under a coconut shell. So what does the oyster say to the coconut? ‘Oh, woe is me, such a coarsening of the political discourse that I see. How it offends my fragile sensibilities.
MARINA: “So I think I will just go on strike. From reading the news. From being interested in what politicians are up to. From the so-called analyses of what’s happening by people who don’t really know anything.”
PLEBS: Spot on. People still don’t know anything from the Sodo Mee gravy spill the first time around. And like the proverbial Lady Macbeth’s blood-stained hands, no amount of detergent can wash off them old gravy stains.
MARINA: “The waiter asked me if I was who he thought I was … And he said, “I know you because my cousin has HIV.”
PLEBS: Nobody denies that Marina has done excellent social work in highlighting AIDS issues. Would she care to extend her volunteerism in other areas besetting the country, like corruption, draconian laws in a repressive state, miscarriage of justice, intimidation by instruments of state, the systemic breakdown of institutions of state …?
After all, if there wasn’t the bigger rot — “all these endless statutory declarations, police report after police report, statements hither and thither” — would not have raised such a stink, would they?
Bottomline: Marina blogs that she wants a strike from the unceasing speculation. “I don’t know anything at all and I’m quite happy to admit that. And I don’t care to offer an opinion either.”
Being so close to the epicentre of power, surely she can ask, unlike the plebs who indulge only in unceasing sepculation reading “the so-called analyses of what’s happening by people who don’t really know anything”.
Why be so happy to remain in ignorance when all it takes is some questions to those in the know? Ask daddy lah about the first bowl of Soto mee.
MARINA’S RANT IN CONCLUSION: “I just have more important things to do in my life.”
PLEBS: So has WCW who blogged, “I think the majority of us are pretty sick and tired over the events of the past few days. There is only so much lies one can take. We should not let ourselves to be used, or led to believe to anything, by these power crazy politicians. It doesn’t matter whether they want to grab power or stay in power, the bottom line is that we all have lives to lead. Not lies to lead. There are more urgent matters that require our attention.”
Rather than rant about the strike, and then some, and spinning on the so-called ‘strike’ in his 3-month old blog, he’s got the paper carrying Marina’s column to run, no?
Posted in: Digressions
The People's Parliament 
kluangman
July 7, 2008
Haris manipulasi yang bijak, ada ciri ciri ahli neraka.
su
July 7, 2008
Her strike striked me as somewhat of a non-strike. Because as far as I’m concerned, she hasn’t been writing much on the issue of politics for quite some time now. Not when her dad was in the news, and not when his arch-nemesis was in the news. Which would mean, since GE2008.
She says she has more important things to do, and so do I. Studying full-time and working part-time to pay off my loan is not easy, let no one tell you otherwise. But I always thought the country and society are that much more important too. Or maybe I’m wrong.
Maybe Marina, I’m not so pissed-off about. She has a different kind of life. But WCW’s being fed-up and wanting to go on strike is what I don’t get. He’s the chief editor of a newspaper. How can HE go on strike? That’s his JOB! Or supposed to be anyway. His newspaper is not even doing news justice.
Visvanathan M
July 7, 2008
Marina is a hypocrite! There I said it. The list she had published in the Star the other day confirms it. What was she doing when dear old dad was screwing around in the cookie jar ? To talk only now…Phew..hypocrite… There I said at again!
Cheers bro
ibat
July 7, 2008
If she never rant before, she’s ranting now!
Klaw
July 7, 2008
WCW says:
There is only so much lies one can take. We should not let ourselves to be used, or led to believe to anything, by these power crazy politicians.
I say:
Would be very fitting if he used this in an article before March 8th, when the entire government owned media ALLOWED themselves to be used to paint the opposition as useless, good-for-nothing parties. WCW should re-examine how his paper is constantly being misused by BN politicians, instead of acting like he is powerless to do anything about it, Mr. Editor.
Crankshaft
July 7, 2008
I didn’t know who took Marina Mahathir’s writing so seriously before this. Evidently, it’s a better groupie base than I give her credit for.
Like I said on Zorro’s blog, I’m not blogging because I WANT to, but because I HAVE to.
It’s a message I have to get out to as many people as I can, and as long as I’m getting hits on my blog, I’m going to churn out my opinions and read others’ as well.
rishabh88
July 7, 2008
good work…
Su
July 7, 2008
I always like Marina’s writing. I find that most of the time it echoes my view – one of the Malaysian silence majority. She does not ‘attack’ a person base on who she/he is. I wish more people/blogger will be like her.
We can have different opinion but that does not mean either is wrong.
I like chopin
July 7, 2008
Dear Marina daughter of Mahathir,you can go on a permanent strike for all we care because your rantings does not in any way contribute to a better Malaysia.
You are just a mouthpiece of your evil old man,nothing more and nothing less.Like you,we too,have a life to lead,albeit with much much less fanfare.So you see,we won’t miss you,Marina.
As for WCW’s strike,it does not matter too,since we are boycotting the MSM anyway.
What I found rather disturbing however,is Rocky Bru’s stand.These days he seems to be on the other side(the dark side?)Hope he will come to his senses soon and do what he has to do.
Thank God we still have bloggers like Haris,Helen,Zorro and Susan to count on.Thanks again for not giving up so easily!!!
kolaar
July 7, 2008
I can see the slant in both Rocky and Marina M.
They did not come out hard when DSAI was fixed up with a
sodomy charge. Only when the cards were turned against DPM Najib, both were prepared to go on strike.
What hypocrisy!!!
Animah
July 7, 2008
This posting seems very personal. Haris, can you focus on the serious issues at stake (which you have done wonderfully well) and don’t descend into backbiting. Please.
HG
July 7, 2008
Helen, that was a good piece. Could’ve been better though, but nevertheless, it’s a beautiful piece of which i think has been LOOOOONG overdued!
I’ve always felt a certain weirdness reading Rantings by MM. And lemme be very honest. Recently i tend to feel the same when reading Rocky’s Bru.
And (for your and Haris’ sake) you know what? Of all political blogs, the Number 1, if u ask me to vote, would certainly goes to RPK’s Malaysia Today. And as sad i am as it’s been down for days, i have come to appreciate The People’s Parliment as a potential blog that worths my Number 1 vote.
And honestly, to Helen, Haris and all the readers of the blog, thanks for being there while Malaysia Today got injured.
As to Rocky’s Bru, bro, if you’re reading this, again i am asking the same question: What’s been the reason behind the change? You have a new strategies to make Malaysia a better place? You’ve grown tired of fighting for what you’ve believed in? Or you’ve simply gotten too busy with all the tasks and responsibilities which’re accompanied by your getting popular and all?
It’s sad.
But again, lemme reiterate my hopes:
Thank god there’s still Haris Ibrahim’s People’s Parliment.
Keep up the good work guys! And as what i’ve always told RPK before, let your favorite music energize your strengths!
Fight on for your loved ones. And i honestly hope all good Malaysians are amongst your loved ones!
HG
Mr Smith
July 7, 2008
One swallow does not make a summer.
Three bloggers (Rocky, Marina and Wong) do not make a “Blogger Strike”.
Grr
July 7, 2008
Dear Sir,
My sentiment too…
She’s on strike?? Dare to boycott daddy first??
He is in the “group” too!
Nope??
frankie
July 7, 2008
Marina and WCW can go on strike forever and I don’t give a damn bout them. Heck, I hope they stop writing altogether because the things they write can sound so hypocrite at times. Somemore these rhino skin fellas have the guts to call for strike. Like the saying goes, can’t stand the heat, get out from the kitchen.
robin hood
July 7, 2008
Of course she can’t be bothered ’bout all this ruckus going on. Not when she’s living the good life and travels around in a steel bird.
She’ll be bothered plenty when she has to take maggi mee every morning for breakfast and travel around on a steel horse sucking in carbon monoxide.
malayamuda
July 7, 2008
If mahathir is Bapa Hipokrit, Marina is Anak Hipokrit !!
She can criticise Nazri, AAB, Zainuddin…..but never her own father who is responsible for the mess we are in now, starting with the resignation of Tunku Abdul Rahman and the appointment of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is all Mahathir’s doing.
Mahathir Bapa Hipokrit, Marina Anak Hipokrit……
And both of them have the audacity to talk about what is right and what is wrong. It’s time both just shut their Gap once and for all
matt
July 7, 2008
Some people are just blessed to have a name as though only she has a family to run,thank your lucky stars mm as you don’t need to struggle like the common Malaysian.
baiti
July 7, 2008
pity the plebs …
Sam Sambal
July 7, 2008
Good response, Helen. Hope it knocks some sense into those touchy-touchy people who are not tough enough to take the good and the bad of the struggle for justice for the Malaysian people.
To me, Marina Mahathir is whining as if she is the only one suffering out there. Come on lah, there are people out there who cannot even afford a “cook” like she has. Still want to complain kah?
The three — Marina, Rocky, and Wong Chun Wai — sounds like lembik spoilt brats who are unable to handle or take in the symptoms of the massive mess and rot of Malaysia’s political system. Either that, or they are unwilling to see that the current system is in a mess and accept that it has been cooking on slow boil towards this point since the Mahathir era. After all, Najib, Muhammad Muhammad Taib, and all these people alleged with corruption were maintained by whom else than Mahathir?
If they are unhappy about the “drama” they see now, I wonder what they will do when the full rot comes out — maybe run away to another country because they are “sick and tired”?
UMNODU
July 7, 2008
Salam and good day,
Well, first of all, we shouldn’t direct this entry to Haris because clearly it says Helen. Sigh.
On another note, it does seem to be a bit personal, and a tad unfair isn’t it? Did she ask others to join her in the strike? In fact, she did nothing but express her true personal feelings, and as readers we can either leave it at that, or just don’t bother reading about her.
Please comment on yesterday’s PROTES and its actual benefit to the rakyat.
Regards
http://www.suaradu.com
art harun
July 7, 2008
She talked about justice, fairness and blah blah blah. Harris, you remember when we were both at the RC hearings? On the day Daddy gave evidence, of course walked in Sweet Daughter and 5 others and parked their big fat arse on the seats reserved for the public and reporters. The only difference is…the public had to come as early as 7 am to line up for passes as they were only like 15 places for them and about 10 for journalists. Even we, the lawyers had to come and collect passes. But of course, Datuk Marina and family could just walk in and sat down la…at least 5 seats were reserved for them VVIP’s daughter and whoever.
Justice and fairness freedom fighter? My bloody foot!
Kerinchi Guy
July 7, 2008
i think it is rather mean of helen ang to dissect marina’s blogpost para by para and comment disparagingly on it.
it is her blog and if she chose not to write for some time, that is her choice. she just chose to explain why, that is all.
why get upset and personal, helen?
i honestly believe she just got fedup about the on again-off agin SDs and decided to stop blogging on that particular issue. that is all. nothing more sinister than that, i am sure.
din
July 7, 2008
Talk is cheap for one who doesnt have to face the hard sturggles in life as the normal rakyat miskin for the past 22-25 years. If Marina anak perumpuan Mahatir is truly honest, she should have criticised her own bapa who during his past caused so much pain to innocent rakyat.
(Quote) MARINA’S RANT: “… I can’t get any of it straight anymore. Who did what to whom? Who has been plotting to do what to whom? Who hates who, who loves who? Sorry, I don’t know anymore. I’d rather watch CSI frankly …”
Cant believe she’s that clueless, could you?
rakyat
July 7, 2008
Just add to what many have voiced out. I don’t believe in rocky’s views as balanced. WCW? Wasn’t he trumpeting for the evil empire before March 8th?
The Ancient Mariner
July 7, 2008
Helen dear,
Well said. You made my day.
Me, on strike? Not on your nelly.
petra
July 7, 2008
Whatever our misgivings are, Marina has done good work by calling attention to gender and HIV issues – what have most of us done? It seems to be implied that because they dislike what Dr M did his daughter is tarred by the same brush. Which is too simplistic a conclusion to be just. If you must criticise her work, keep it useful and constructive.
ajip
July 7, 2008
haiyoo
jangan la marah2 pn marina. takkan la dia nak kutuk bapa sendiri dalam blog. mungkin dia ada tegur bapa dia kat rumah. tapi bapa dia tu memang ketegaq. tak boleh nak buat apa nooo. orang kata kalau umur dah lebih 60 tahun, cakap la macam mana pun tetap tak boleh berubah. aku cuma harap bapa dia boleh insaf la. cukup2 la fitnah anwar tu. ada ke patut dia marah anwar burukkan nama dia kat USA, europe dan middle east. dia lupa ke, yang dia hina anwar tu melampaui batas kemanusiaan. ada sekali tu dalam press conference dia cakap anwar suruh orang masturbate dirinya. jijik betul dengar mahathir cakap macam tu. yang sudah tu sudahlah, lupakan yang lalu. minta maaf kat semua rakyat malaysia. mungkin orang akan lebih menyanjungi mu
farida
July 7, 2008
It’s okay, Marina, don’t blog. What’s the point of blogging when what you post in cyberspace is confined to non-daddy issues? You know and we know he has been the cause of much ruination in this country! When you tar other government leaders but say nothing about your own dad’s misdeeds, that shows selective amnesia and cowardice. Some have called it hypocrisy.
Go enjoy your travels and please, you can well afford those clothes in the boutiques so don’t tell us
otherwise.
It’s okay, Wong Chun Wai, don’t blog. What’s the point of blogging when what you post in cyberspace is so different from what’s in the paper you lead. You know and we know your paper has been the cause of much ruination in this country because it has lied, concealed, intimidated and propagandised for its masters and spearheaded information designed to cause mistrust among races, fear and yes, hardship to Pakatan state governments. When you tar Pakatan leaders but say nothing about your own masters’ misdeeds, that shows selective amnesia, cowardice, diabolical hypocrisy and probably a very seared conscience.
Go enjoy your strike and do us a favour by making it a permanent one.
It’s okay, Rocky, don’t blog. You’ve taken a detour for reasons of your own. When you come back, may it be to a Rocky we once used to know and who we would want to continue to respect.
din
July 7, 2008
MARINA (said): “While everyone bickers, admits, gossips, analyses, rumourmongers … ”
To be more specific, what has your old man been spouting nowadays?
(Quote again), “I have a life to lead. I have a daughter who’s turning 9 tomorrow and who has very set ideas about how she intends to celebrate it.”
You have a life to lead, while the rakyat miskin tries hard to survive. Difference is your life is so senang with probably a few maids serving you at home, while the rakyat hari-hari menderita thinking how to overcome the high cost of living. You are concerned about your daughter celebrating her birthday,.. whereas there are many ibu-bapa who don’t know know to get the duit today to beli susu and beras.
Paul Warren
July 7, 2008
The PLEBESIANS has been unfair. And to try to expect that Marina should fit into any kind of mould of ones making is not just incredible but totally insane. Yes she is her father’s daughter alright. But that does not mean that she needs to be political or for that matter have the kind of gumption that many of us have to stick around coping with all this mess.
She wants to strike, that is for her to do. Never has she given her blog the kind of political commitment or agenda that, Haris has for his, for instance. Yes, she often highlights sycophants kicking ball in the poltical arena. But it is a perspective that may be really funny to many but not at all to some. Why should Marina have the same level of focus as any one of us.
Marina’s blog is mostly about her and what might have crossed her mind. But she has certain limits of what she can say or cannot say being the daughter of Mahathir. I respect that. Its a minefield that she has walked into unlike for most of us. Just like WCW may have twisted what she posted and trying so hard to interpret what she says to apply to bloggers at large.
She does not owe any of us any explanation as to her own politics. Fact that she may not be an UMNO Wanita says it all for me. And why on earth should we expect her to be inclined towards politically minded NGOs? Isn’t AIDS more than enough for anyone’s lifetime?
I do not expect that the recent political goings on is blinded to her. She has previously not given much attention to politics per se as against politicians making asses of themselves. So she wants to “strike”. But I don’t think she necessarily called for a strike.
In any case, so long as the politicians are going to continue on with their altercations, we, the bloggers cannot let our guard down. We got to “whack” them.
malayamuda
July 7, 2008
well Petra,
if Marina has to “brush” other politicians then she has to be fair and use the same “brush” for Dr Mahathir.
we can ONLY be fair to Marina if she espouses fairness too. Or else it will be meaningless
thor
July 7, 2008
first, i must express my sympathies for marina that she
has to fork out more money to her cook. yes, yes, i
think all of us who have to work hard to put food on
the table knows what she is going through. & yeah, all
that she has to dole out for airfare too.
i personally think that this whole oh-i’m-so-fed-up
-i-must-switch-off business is utterly misguided. it’s
true, things have taken a bewildering turn — a few
bewildering turns, and has become even nauseating. but
let’s be clear that none of this is trivial and none
if this is new.
the very credibility of the public institutions of
this country is on trial here. it affects us is real
way if the police will hide the truth from us and
protect the powerful guilty. it affects us if d
police and A-G see it fit to manipulate, coerce
witness, and set the agenda as to what scope an
investigation into the truth is going to be. it
affects us if people can be murdered and blown to
bits, and the powers-that-be are not interested to
get at the truth.
we have had a taste of such sordid things in
anwar’s first trial in 1998. and the events today
show nothing has changed. the manipulations are still
as crude as crude can. these fundamental wrongs in
our administrative system will not go away just by
ours burying our head in the sand. what we are going
through is a necessity.
it is only until we can clean up the mess and
restore confidence in the police, judiciary, AG’s
office, the ACA and indeed in the PM and especially,
in light of the current personality occupying it, the
DPM’s office that we can begin to put these “dirty
politics” behind us.
people, let’s not get distracted by these so-called
activists who want us to switch off and dumb down. i
like csi as much as marina, i’ll bet, but csi is
something i watch in leisure. our country’s sordid
saga is something i have stake in seeing out as a
concerned citizen of this messed-up country.
marina, pls tune out for good if that pleases you.
it certainly would please me.
mauryaII
July 7, 2008
Marina has done some good work for society, in particular the highlighting of the plight of the HIV afflicted people. No doubt about it.
But for her rantings about the price hike in petrol and diesel and that has caused her to shy away from beauty salons and other ostentatious living, it is a bit difficult to believe that she is feeling the pinch of the ordinary rakyat.
Being the daughter of the corrupted mamak who was the root cause of the present situation when he squandered the billions of the petro ringgit as if it was his personal bank, she would have no monetary troubles at all.
If she really goes on strike, all the better. At least we have one silly blogger less. She writes as if she is the only housewife and mother who has to care for the family.
What about the mothers who make up the majority of the rakyat who find it extremely difficult to make ends meet with their meagre salary and the present inflation?
It is better for her to do a thorough research to find out who raped our country for 22years and caused the miscarriage of justice for the benefit of a select few.
Then by all means, GO ON A STRIKE.
ibat
July 7, 2008
Umnodu & Kerinchi Guy,
Agreed that its MM’s blog and it is up to her whenever and whatever to write. But blogging invites comments and thus her views are open to criticms (and praise). If not, she’ll just ‘close’ it. It is not so much about she wanting to go on strike but the points she put touches our ( – us – the ordinary people made to struggle needlessly ) daily lives. She talks about paying more surcharge for air travel as the pain of residing in 2 countries when we can’t even afford petrol to go to work! She talks about having to fork out more money to her cook to buy groceries when we wonder where to get money to put in our pocket so we can buy our next meal! And she is the daughter of a former PM for over 2 decades when her father in no small ways that he handled petronas money, mega projects etc has now put us in limbo! Only that AAB seemed to have complete the screwing. Najib is screwed. Anwar may (not) be proven to have screwed someone’s backside.
Nothing personal against any of the above God’s creatures.
delCapo
July 7, 2008
find me a perfect blog or a perfect blogger & i’ll subcribe to some of the personal & childish comments here.
Yes Marina has had a good life… her “sufferings” are by no means near some of ours & most of those who can’t afford to go online & read blogs.
Yes she carries the M name, whom itself, has a great divide between the worshippers and haters.
but so f@#ken what??
any of you feel sorry for any of the privileges u have? including the simple fact that u can actually read & can afford to be online???
at least Marina has done some good socially, making use of her position.
she is a writer, blogger…
if u hate her for who she is and therefore is blinded by any issues she writes about… dun f@#ken read her work lah! save your own gases…
if u can be bothered to read, then parise what you agree on & blast what u dun…. no problems!
but all this childish personal attacks on her family & stuffs…. sigh! grow up lah…
Haris, i also dun quite get your rationale of posting this actually…. but it’s your blog, bro… & thats my view =]
delCapo,
I had my say on this issue of the strike in the ‘Blogger strike?’ post.
This post leads with ‘By Helen Ang’.
It’s a point of view that’s strongly presented, yes, harsh perhaps, but a view in respect of MM’s views put into public space and which, like all bloggers know, must be ready to be subjected to criticism.
In turn, Helen, too must be prepared to face the brickbats.
In many of Helen’s previous posts, she has taken a position that I do not necessarily share. I have never censored any. Helen will confirm this.
Siew Eng
July 7, 2008
Yes, the Datin Paduka’s position is dicey. She tries to write from an everyperson’s p.o.v., though she’s obviously not. The other alternative – writing from her obvious position of privilege – would be more challenging but at least honest. Because whatever good she’s done elsewhere, she has ultimately always shown herself to be her father’s daughter. Should we applaud such filial piety?
Here’s a blast from the past – a review of her book, dissecting the person behind it as well. See whether any of it still rings true today.
http://web.archive.org/web/20000309121024/http://www.saksi.com/novdec98/sohsawlee.htm
Helen Ang
July 7, 2008
Paul Warren (July 7 at 5.08pm),
You say the plebs are “totally insane” on expectations of Marina — hey, she’s the one been doing the high-profile posturing as a social reformer under the glare of the widest publicity.
She is one of the Most Admired Women in Malaysia.
She has all those columns to write, meaning she has an influential public voice (multiply by the number of ‘columns’) and she’s listened to.
If she’s been preaching so much to the public, then over all these many years past, surely the public would have formed expectations of her, put her in a mould of her own making, no?
She’s photographed almost as much in M’sia as Princess Di was in her Lady Bountiful roles and functions. She wrote that the waiter recognised her, what.
And it’s the plebs who are “insane”, not the price rises that have been “totally insane”? Why do you think all those people turned up at the Kelana Jaya stadium yesterday?
At least her Forbes one-of-richest-men in M’sia, brother Mokhzani spares us the hypocrisy and sanctimony.
But you hit the nail on the head when you say “Marina’s blog is mostly about her”: like, I have to give my cook more money to buy groceries; I went to this restaurant in that mall, but I gave the boutiques a miss (what a sacrifice) … does the name Marie Antoinette ring a bell, Warren?
And you say, “She has previously not given much attention to politics … ”
Really? What did this woman you described as “being the daughter of Mahathir” do during GE12 when brother Mukhriz ran in Jerlun?
What did she do during the Mahathir years when she was First Daughter, when she played chatelaine, when she engaged in myth-building for Daddy & Mummy?
… “previously not given much attention to politics” -puh-leez lah!
Helen Ang
July 7, 2008
Warren,
“She has previously not given much attention to politics per se …” Puh-leez lah! She don’t campaign for the MM family business, ah? Jerlun?
lm
July 7, 2008
while some rakyat don’t even have things to cook, she can afford a cook!!
Is she showing off things that she has to others who have to struggle hard just to make up for a basic life???
The Merchant of Blogging
July 7, 2008
To those who defend Marina Mahathir:
Don’t get so touchy.
If a person decides to blog, and blog about matters that affect the rakyat, then they should be willing to take the praises as well as the censures from the rakyat.
That’s one of the first facts of blogging life.
So deal with it.
Next, if she doesn’t want to deal with questions regarding her father, then don’t talk too much about Malaysian politics, because she risks drawing her dad in (who has his finger in every political pie). If she wants to talk politics, then accept the consequences.
Simple as that.
obamaobummer
July 7, 2008
I second Paul Warren. Helen, I’ve been a good, quiet reader of Haris’ PP since it started. Never been this full of vile and hate, never expected it could be one day.
To character assassinate Marina because she is her father’s daughter is the work of an indecent mind. Totally unbecoming.
I don’t know what you do for a living, Helen, but stop prostituting someone else’s blog.
It’s time you create your own.
Jambu Man
July 7, 2008
To Marina:
All you well-to-do/rich people want to talk so much about suffering lah, got family to take care lah.
Fish price is RM20 – RM40 a kilo. Can you imagine, now basmati rice price is RM8 each kilo. In Australia, basmati rice is AUS1.70 (RM5.10) a kilo! Even in an high-income country like Australia rice price is lower than in Malaysia??
How are all the poor people who earn RM1000 a month with wife and children going to feed themselves lah? All those estate people, all the poor urban people, and all the rural people… have you not any pity for these people, how they must be struggling to give their children proper decent food? They cannot even think about buying a cake for their children’s birthday!
To my dear bro Haris:
What is happening to Malaysia, bro? A country with petroleum and a modern industry sector, and still living quality is so poor? When people earning RM1000 are suffering like people in Indonesia or Thailand?
All these politicians have squirreled away billions upon billions overseas all these years. You just read lah the report about how much money of the nations money has gone “missing” according to an auditing company (was in the news a couple of weeks ago). And this is maybe still an underestimate!
See lah what this Barisan National politicians and the civil servants have been doing to us.
Don’t just blame Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He inherited this corrupted system from Mahathir! For 22 years, all this nonsense has been going on quietly. Just start a Proton car business, bring in foreign investment, stock market was up in 1990s, people cheer you but underneath they were embezzling so much money. What is the point? Back then, cannot voice out also! No blog! Write in paper, get banned or go into ISA! Even if Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took money also like everyone else, at least give him credit for letting people voice out lah. He may not be so good, but at least he is soft a bit. He never say bad things about anyone (yet). This Mahathir fella is now acting like a saint, as if he is blameless for the state of the nation. The best thing is, a lot of the people also believe he is a saint! They think: “wah, back in 1990s, life so good… thanks to Mahathir.” They never think lah. What to do, people were cowed and never let to criticise or think so they fear and cannot analyse properly and unbiasedly!
You know, our country Malaysia could have been SO MUCH better than even in the 1990s if the politicans were clean and not corrupt.
That is all I want to say.
Thank you all for listening.
God bless all you people who are fighting against the odds, from bro Haris, Helen and all you individual Malaysians out there.
The fight for freedom against the corrupt government is at least as difficult as fighting for freedom against the British Empire. May the good people prevail.
Helen Ang
July 7, 2008
Siew Eng,
Thanks.
There was a seminal review I’d been looking for, something like the link you gave
http://web.archive.org/web/20000309121024/http://www.saksi.com/novdec98/sohsawlee.htm
It was published in Seachange and penned by our mutual friend/coursemate & the review meant a lot to that person (or is the above cited one and the same?)
rajraman666
July 7, 2008
Helen u are the real spade.
Like biasa i kacau someone some days and dont know which day i read MARINA talking about the pinch of petrol hike and cost of dapur punya barang mahal.
I posted i dont believed her at all when she feel the pinch.
MArina approved my posting – So my conclusion she accept she lied.
rajraman.MORE CUNNING THEN THE LIVING FOX.(if u dont believe check when she posted about the pinch of petrol and barang dapur naik,this devil rajraman comment is there)
rajraman,
Sorry, I don’t think that’s a fair conclusion.
A fairer one is that MM is prepared to take criticism.
Jeyapalan.T.S.Mahesan
July 7, 2008
Touche’,Helen,Touche’!
Kluangman, its Helen’s posting.
Marina Mahathir, lives a very blinkered,sheltered life{very x10 comfortable}.Has to pay maid to buy groceries{at Supermarket}. What difference does she make if she goes on strike! Childish , Immature & silly!
She does not know who did what to whom!
Ask her father – he wrote the script!
She rubs shoulders with all of The Lords & Ladies!Ask them!
But spare us your childish rantings!
jeyapalantsmahesan.blogspot.com
Odysseus
July 7, 2008
Naughty Penny, you’re being catty!
Paul Warren
July 7, 2008
Helen
Its quite disgusting of me of course when you quote me thus “She has previously not given much attention to politics per se..”
Had you set out the entire statement thus “She has previously not given much attention to politics per se as against politicians making asses of themselves.”, now that is not so disgusting, no?…The key enjoinders here is of course “as against”!!!
rajraman666
July 7, 2008
OK.
will do.
rajraman.
shutting down.
malayamuda
July 7, 2008
when ever i write something to criticise Dr Mahathir or Marina in their blogs it NEVER gets posted
All they wanna hear is
you’re the best Tun, Long Live Tun, Malaysia was so good under you Tun, Thank You Kak, You are great Kak etc etc……….
and they talk about freedom of press….Hipokrit
Hi&Lo
July 7, 2008
We judge from where we stand. On this basis, we agree to disagree but not on snake and racist remarks (punning on the Umno assemblywoman of Perak).
I used to make sure I bought the Star on Wednesdays to make sure I didn’t miss Marina Mahathir’s column during the 90’s. She was like a breath of fresh air, then, from the many issues that failed to make sense to me during the M’s era.
However, during the Guan Eng’s trial over the underaged girl, Marina was called to the witness stand on the basis of her opinion piece on Rahim Tamby Cik. She distanced herself from her own writing. This destroyed all the credibility I held for her.
No doubt she held a high public profile with regards to AIDS. In fact she was synonymous with Malaysian AIDS Foundation. I give her credit up to this point.
But she is not the only one doing the work. The real ones are the nameless heroes who soldier on by being real friends to the friendless. They might be in a better position to tell us more of the real Marina Mahathir.
flex
July 7, 2008
When I read Marina’s article, it was her thoughts in her own blog. She never asked nor called other bloggers to do a strike. It was picked up in the Star and by Rocky bru.
What is this hype all about?
Helen, your article is cheap material to read anyway.
hkengmacao
July 7, 2008
Apparently Marina M has her own thinking, which is quite different from her dad. But I think she need to make her stand known whether she is agreeable to certain issues concerning her dad to make her ‘more credible’.
Otherwise, I feel she should not comment on others but stick to AIDS and social issues.
Michelle Gunaselan
July 7, 2008
This post was a hard read for me, because I admire and respect the type of content People’s Parliament has been pushing. The patriotism of the commenters, the unity, and the rallying against our oppressors in a time when perhaps Malaysia needs it the most, has been great and inspiring to me – especially at a time when we have needed to come together.
But, this post leaves a bad taste in my mouth, for if before People’s Parliament had stuck to their guns and focused on the issues, this one not only strays from it, but is vile, and bilious and is disguised as something substantive, when it is a thinly veiled personal attack.
From where she might be sending her child to school, to assumptions about how she is hoi polloi and literate, the use of the word plebeian in itself was downright condescending, and the set-up of the “dialogue” between her original posting vs the lower classes. I mean, what the hell? Does this post have a point besides vilifying Marina, ‘cos it sure as hell seems to do, ONLY that.
Nowhere in the post did I see Marina comparing herself to the “Eat Cake” masses or Malaysians from all walks of life (hospital attendant, etc), however her observation that essentials had increased when she shopped for groceries was mocked because she is a former first daughter and Datuk Paduka, and because she travels – she must not know “true” suffering?
Marina, given her writing as a columnist where their styles are freer (also, this is a blog) posted that entry just like any other Malaysian you see writing into Malaysiakini about how tired they are of these dramas. I myself have found it exhausting to keep up.
I don’t blog anymore, so of course my opinion on the blogosphere doesn’t count, but I do read blogs and try and keep up with as much as I can, but I too, just like the letter writers on Malaysiakini am tired and fed-up. But because she is who she is, she’s not entitled to an opinion? I don’t see blogger’s picking up on the “tired/fed-up” letters sent to Malaysiakini and tearing them down paragraph by paragraph…
On that note, I also see Helen’s point (if a little hidden under the catty little “rant”), about how taking a stand to strike at this point for someone who shapes public opinion, as a cop out. Perhaps it is Helen’s belief that it’s not warranted at a time like this, given the circumstances of the first DSAI allegations. Or is it because Marina is a writer for the Star, and WCW happily used what Rocky and Marina had said to ride on it, and that has pissed off the Hartal MSM writer? Either way, I see the points, I see their faint outline.
If I read between the lines, of course, this posting by Marina and the subsequent attack by Helen is basically all about her father, Tun, which then makes it even less about what People’s Parliament is about, right?
Like Petra says, why is she being painted with the same brush as her father? It wasn’t Marina who tore up the education system, or built all the useless monuments we have, or sent DSAI to jail, or anything else we have landed ourselves in. In this post, she is just a convenient person to snidely lay blame on, simply because she shares her father’s name, and is her father’s daughter.
I’m no daughter of a former premier thought by many to be a dictator who kept this country under authoritarian rule for well over two decades, but I cannot imagine that it is easy. Perhaps it wasn’t hard in terms of bread and butter issues, but we all sitting here have Internet access and a roof over our heads, just as she does, but we know our lives are not without other concerns or difficulties. But, to write up an entire post on her alluding to her father’s crimes or sins, and her “cushy” life are just unreasonable then, isn’t it, when she was merely sharing how she views the situation?
We have come extremely far since March 8 I think. We focused on issues, we pushed race and religion behind and got united behind a common goal. It didn’t matter what your personal choices were, your income, your background, we were all here and we are all still here for a better Malaysia. Some of us do it through People’s Parliament, through pushing for changes, and some people fight to educate those about AIDS. We all have our interests, and we don’t all focus on politics.
But, it was clear that for a long time we made it all about the issues. Can we please continue doing that? Can we continue in our efforts in being law makers, which means sticking to the facts and only the facts, in the pursuit of truth and justice for this country, instead of hateful, immature little posts that hide behind some kind of mangled, misguided meaning?
Helen Ang
July 7, 2008
Warren,
Yes, and it’s still quite disgusting of you at 8.36pm.
I may have truncated your verbosity (a trait which you’ve admitted yourself) but I used three dots or elipsis which indicates to all readers who know any punctuation that some other words follow.
Shanker
July 7, 2008
malayamuda Says:
July 7, 2008 at 8:49 pm
when ever i write something to criticise Dr Mahathir or Marina in their blogs it NEVER gets posted
All they wanna hear is
you’re the best Tun, Long Live Tun, Malaysia was so good under you Tun, Thank You Kak, You are great Kak etc etc……….
and they talk about freedom of press….Hipokrit
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hear! Hear!
Anyway, Miss Mahathir was also present on that day when daddy gave a talk at Singgahsana Hotel – where that poor chap of a youth was thrown out by his neck, for daring to suggest that perhaps UMNO accept DSAI back into the fold.
And what was our dear Kakak doing whilst this act of gangsterism took place? Absolutely nothing. Just watch only. Together with Daddy & bro Mu-keris…
Till today, no mention of disgust or loathing over the act.
And she complains at every opportunity bout Badawi!!
yh
July 7, 2008
i feel sick of the manipulation of judiciary, AG office and police by the honchos to preserve their power. i feel sick of the malignant corruption perpetrated by the powers-that-be and their cronies. And I am very sick of hypocritical mainstream editors who by default become accomplices when they cover up the corrupt acts of the powers-that-be.
sambal muncha
July 7, 2008
Hi all,
Let’s be fair, MM is her own person. I understand blood runs deep, and despite her slant on blogging about social issues, it is us readers who are unnecessarily politicising her rantings. Fair go lah!
and dear Michelle Gunaselan,
Great writing and expression, you should start blooging again…
elviza
July 7, 2008
To Michele Gunaselan,
I hope this country will have more young minds like yours.
hkengmacao
July 7, 2008
Haris,
Maybe you should start a poll on whether Marina M should make her stand known on issues concerning Mahathir.
I think many readers just keep silence on this out of politeness.
ajip
July 7, 2008
shanker
sorry ye bang, saya ada baca marina tulis mengenai pemuda yang dibawa keluar dari majlis umno tu. dia tak bersetuju dengan tindakan tu.
apa pun, mungkin marina tersilap pilih masa untuk strike. bila najib kena tuduh baru nak strike. napa tak masa anwar kena tuduh? itu yang menjadi persoalan. mungkin dia sokong najib macam ayahanda dia kot. mungkin dia rasa najib boleh tolong adiknya mukhriz kemudian hari.
cuma terkilan dengan perangai mukhirz yang benci kat anwar tak tentu pasal. mungkin waris perangai ayahnya.
cukup2 lah fitnah orang. aku harap mahathir berubah. belum terlambat lagi
Farida
July 7, 2008
People , can I offer something sweet where a bad taste has been left in our mouths?
Today I was blessed to meet a teacher, Encik X. I will not disclose how or when or where or why I met him because teachers like him are a treasure and I would not want the education warlords to bear down on him and savage his mind.
Encik X is rare because he does not see his students through the jaundiced eyes of race. He sees them through the eyes of love.
I watched as some students chatted with him and I listened as he dealt with them. My friend who was with me complimented him on his rapport with the youngsters.
Encik X replied very simply, “They are my children.”
And then he said the most beautiful thing I had ever heard a teacher say, “If I cut my hand, the blood that comes out is the same as their blood and your blood. Yes, they are my children.”
alliedmartster
July 7, 2008
Helen,
I am utterly disappointed with your latest piece.
I was just brought back down to earth, when I went on the offensive against ADUN Hamidah and her ‘snake’ question. I now know that in order for us to pull together and move our country ahead, we must first put aside our difference (and whatever hate we gather when the other party mudslings the rest of us)and it took a reminder from an anonymous commentator to remind me!
I can’t say I agree with Dr.M and his past, but attacking Marina? I don’t know her other then the times we meet at MRT, but to attack her personally?
As far as the ‘strike’ is concerned, its entirely up to the blog owners. Susan loone had hers to say, and I say she is one sour puss. (from her denials that she was even nominated during the inaugural ‘allblogs’ meeting to the formation of whatever, but thats her right to say it in her blog. As far as the right to do whatever the blog owner wants, it remains their right.
As for People’s Parliament, I am truly saddened that you have made use of it to relect this kind of opinion and impose on the readers of this blog (and along with that some readers who might take it as the absolute).
But having said this, it is also your right, as is mine with my comment. But a comment it shall remain,
Helen Ang
July 7, 2008
Michelle Gunaselan (July 7 at 9:21pm),
Michelle, you ask rhetorically “she’s not entitled to an opinion?”
Of course she is. And as with other notable opinions in the public domain attached to famous names who are opinion leaders, these opinions are open to scrutiny and criticism, unless criticisms ‘don’t’ appear, like in Chedet and Rantings — as PP readers have many times informed us.
As such, I don’t see Michelle what’s your beef with me expressing MY opinion. Can you pls address the issues instead of describing the bad taste in your mouth (“vile, and bilious and is disguised as something substantive, when it is a thinly veiled personal attack”).
MICHELLE: “I don’t see blogger’s picking up on the “tired/fed-up” letters sent to Malaysiakini and tearing them down paragraph by paragraph…”
HELEN: I don’t see the mKini letters as hypocritical.
MICHELLE: Perhaps it is Helen’s belief that it’s not warranted at a time like this, given the circumstances of the first DSAI allegations.
HELEN: You’re ‘perhaps’ conjecturing. How do you know what my beliefs are except the ones I’ve put in print? Marina’s words are in print.
MICHELLE: If I read between the lines, of course, this posting by Marina and the subsequent attack by Helen is basically all about her father, Tun, which then makes it even less about what People’s Parliament is about, right?
HELEN: When one reads between lines, one gazes at blank space. I see that the entire post quoted Marina’s own copious words. Do you see any of the Tun’s words quoted?
MICHELLE: Like Petra says, why is she being painted with the same brush as her father?
HELEN: Like Malayamuda says, “if Marina has to “brush” other politicians then she has to be fair and use the same “brush” for Dr Mahathir. We can ONLY be fair to Marina if she espouses fairness too.”
MICHELLE: It wasn’t Marina who tore up the education system, or built all the useless monuments we have, or sent DSAI to jail, or anything else we have landed ourselves in. In this post, she is just a convenient person to snidely lay blame on, simply because she shares her father’s name, and is her father’s daughter.
HELEN: Michelle’s too simplistic in joining the dots.
Isn’t the “useless monuments” about how Petronas money was wastefully spent (and linked to the yanking of oil subsidy & the petrol price Marina complained about) and isn’t DSAI’s jail offence a prelude to the allegations and counter allegations rocking the country that Marina is on strike about?
MICHELLE: We all have our interests, and we don’t all focus on politics.
HELEN: Marina’s prolific writings have appeared in weighty tomes on domestic politics. Michelle should read more widely.
Oneman
July 7, 2008
Eeerrm, Haris, can we have more of you and less/not-at- all of Ms Helen Ang. She is tiresome.
To young Michelle, hi, I miss your blog. Your comment shows a maturity beyond your years and a certain grace. Bless you.
zorro
July 7, 2008
OK people, you have had your say. If you feel justified that you have achieved what you set out to do in this comment box, give yourself a pat on the back. Me, I like to crawl into a persons body and ask what would I say if she was me.Somebody says that is empathy. She did not aske to be Mahatir’s daughter. Throughout her journey thru life she was herself. The only time she was her father’s daughter was the time she blogged about his last operation. Any good daughter would do that. If you feel vindicated that you had your whack, it is your right to say what you feel. But I would rather you empathise. That would be a decent thing to do. We need to respect that little private space we are allowed. Peace to all men of good will and piss to men of other intentions. Lets move on. There more important things to do than go witch-hunting amongst ourselves.
will86aber
July 8, 2008
All going on strike does is silent a voice that could be protesting for the people… or against them; your choice.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
http://will86aber.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/the-disaster-that-is-penndel-borough-officials/
Brent
July 8, 2008
When I see people on strike, I typically laugh at them as I drive to and from work. You know what makes them truly angry? Yell “GET BACK TO WORK!”
Zubli Zainordin
July 8, 2008
Dear Haris Ibrahim, it is wise for bloggers to see the Malaysian political scene with a total view. Ever since, there are only two influential Malaysian leaders deciding who sits on the Prime Minister’s Chair. In the open, the man is Mahathir Mohamad. Some think that he is not or no longer relevant, I prefer to differ, so please try to exclude him, if you can. Others like me, we take the lead from Mahathir Mohamad, for Malaysians and Malaysia. At the back is another, I prefer him to be called the Mystery Man. One of the reasons, he may be working with or for powers outside Malaysia. It is easy to know this Mystery Man, by seeing who enjoys the most power while Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is senior, and the junior one can only be his loud speaker. So the Mystery Man is the other influential leader in the Malaysian political landscape, ranking with Mahathir Mohamad. While Mahathir Mohamad suggests that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi steps down, the Mystery Man ensures Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stays on. Now, Anwar Ibrahim can be the next influential leader to make it three. At this moment Anwar Ibrahim is much more wiser than he was before, but he cannot yet be the third main influential leader, because he has not figured out yet who are his friends and foes. While others such as Mohd Najib Abdul Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin, Rais Yatim, and a few more, are just leaders who have not move up to the level of being the main influential ones. Ranking at the lowest, the worst of them all, in terms of leadership, is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. To please him, Abdullah Ahmad badawi is given much like a steering of a car next to the driver’s seat, that cannot move the wheels even if he swerves it right or left. In this pre-occupation, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi feels he has a lot of work to do, he sense his importance to continue leading, yet he did nothing much but devastation to our economy by rising the price of petrol and diesel, and the chain reactions. So Abdullah Ahmad Badawi seems to be leading Malaysians and Malaysia, but in actual fact he is not. The Mystery Man, has pre-arranged his men (mostly boys), perhaps women too (girls if any), and placing these in Anwar Ibrahim’s camp, and Mohd Najib Abdul Razak’s camp, and other strategic camps. So, what has been happening in the Malaysian political scene, to me is now more interesting. Because the boys who will be men soon, will be the future leaders, who will color Malaysian politics in the future. They are now moving so wild, and thus some of us are made confused. Thus, I agree with Marina Mahathir, that some of us cannot get any of it straight anymore. Who did what to whom? Who has been plotting to do what to whom? Who hates who, who loves who?” However, I sense bloggers can do more in educating the masses, and sharing vital and valuable information amongst us to understand what has happened, what is happening, and what shall happen next. The Mystery Man, is ensuring that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stays on, while some of his boys are raiding the national treasury now. In this move, while some are assigned at work, reorganizing government owned companies and scoring mega projects, others who belong in the same team are simply throwing buums here and there with so much smokes, that we see Anwar Ibrahim and Mohd Najib Abdul Razak jabbing each other. Behind each, are stabbers belonging to the Mystery Man, who will act if and when each proceed to be the Sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia. So please, take a rest a bit, then there are much more bloggers can do, for the goodness of Malaysians and Malaysia, unless we are sure the media other than ours are doing the job right.
Michelle Gunaselan
July 8, 2008
Helen,
I don’t have as much time to deconstruct each choice paragraph right now as you did… so I will offer something else. (lest the pleb get irate again, with this young girl, who should “read widely” tee hee hee, nice one there Helen :)! )
You called me simplistic in arranging the dots and said that I was not addressing the issue. Well, I will explain what I meant again.
As it says on the quote on the banner, we are here in our efforts to become law-makers and that’s how, or rather the point of People’s Parliament, taking back the power from our so-called benefactors and realising that we have a say in this government, as the rakyat.
Since its inception, it has been about solutions, and many successful efforts have followed, the mass boycott against the MSM, forums, protests, solidarity movements, pushing intelligent thought, and debate and discussion over sensitive issues we would have never been discussing before the advent of Blogs and the Internet on such a wide scale.
My issue is – this piece does not do that. It is a personal attack, and it really doesn’t address any issue, which is about the “strike.”
You do not offer anything in return for what she said, no solution, nothing. What little substance in the post is like I said, masked under personal criticisms about your assumed take on what Marina’s life is like. And what she should say to her father, or rather, ask her father. Soto mee gravy, eh? So witty you are 😉
Oh sure, you are entitled to your opinion, but as someone who reads this blog and actively pushes for change and intelligent productive discourse in my own personal capacity, I have a problem with vicious personal attacks that are pointless.
You too are shaping public opinion in your own right Helen, should you forget because you have been given a space on what is now a community platform, so in this comment box based on your piece, what did you hope to acheive from it? From this discussion, from this post? Because as I see it right now, it has turned into a Marina/Tun bashing session, and nothing more has come out of it.
What can we, the members of People’s Parliament, get out of this post? Because, this isn’t a personal blog. It is a community blog, it is run by Haris and moderated by him, but he has always maintained it to be a platform for all.
As far as I’m concerned, reading the People’s Parliament thus far, is about becoming more informed and aware of our choices, in the media, in government and in our lives, and to get and be educated with this information, so we can work towards claiming Malaysia for ourselves again.
I will not take up anymore space, or anymore of the readers’ time on this exercise of watching Helen and I flesh the points out. Let’s have some focus on the matters at hand, which are far more pressing than debating on whether or not Marina is a hypocrite for saying what she did. Thank you for reminding us of this Granpapa Zorro!:)
With that, I take my leave.
Have a great day folks, Majulah Malaysia!
PS:
@Farida- That was indeed the sort of small blessings I look for everyday. Thank you for that. One needs those little stories and anecdotes sometimes, to continue the good fight. It was good meeting you on Saturday! 😀
Putumayam
July 8, 2008
Michelle, please start blogging again…..
Paul Warren
July 8, 2008
Zorro, you’re the man!
Michelle Gunaselan said it for me. Thanks Michelle.
As for Marina, I hope she remains who she is. I don’t think she is obliged to defend her father or to behave in any particular way that any one of us expect her to. It is not necessary for her to explain every aspect of herself just so to appease anyone who just cannnot accept the fact that we are all cut from different cloth. The minefield that she has to walk isn’t exactly the same one we walk through writing and commenting here. What she says often cuts both ways. Deeper on her side a lot of times. If we cannot see that and appreciate that then that becomes our failing. Sure there is a distance between we ordinary citizens and her. We don’t play the same toys. Indeed many of us cannot even hope to have a glimpse of the fairy land that Marina was born into. And she could have stayed that way. In her fairy land, refusing to look at us peasants.
Helen, there is hardly any compensation that you provide that bears on the the circumstances and constraints under which Marina writes. You have the luxury of little or no constraints. She has. Accept that. And she does not need to go through any cleansing mechanism before she qualifies to write here or anywhere else on any subject before it can be validated. Why is it that your measures alone should reign supreme?
No doubt she benefits from the legacy of her father’s past but she also has used that advantage to push forward an agenda that very few would have been able to do as well as her. Her work on AIDS in Malaysia. Sounds like that is not enough for you and some others here too. How is it her fault that she is her father’s daughter anyway?
lucia
July 8, 2008
i agree with kerinchi guy. it’s not fair (and rather distasteful) to dissect marina’s post para by para… but then it’s a free country so whoever wants to do it, what can we do.
why get so uptight and personal over marina’s personal view of going on strike? i disagree with her view strongly and i think going on strike is very silly but i’m not going to hit out at her by fine combing all she said to shoot her.
oh i also agree with the view of alliermarster, michelle gunaselen and esp. paul warren.
Helen Ang
July 8, 2008
“Helen, there is hardly any compensation that you provide that bears on the circumstances and constraints under which Marina writes. You have the luxury of little or no constraints. She has.”
Paul Warren, DON’T patronize me. You do not know at all what “constraints” I have in writing that you impute Marina has. You do not know me, what I do and how I live, so I’d would be grateful if you do NOT presume.
MW
July 8, 2008
Ouch, ouch and ouch! But the truth does hurt sometimes. Helen’s article may have been pointless but it was witty and humorous. Not every article we read/write has to have a ‘purpose’ – relax people, it was kinda funny. And please, don’t some of you be hypocrites and say it was not fair, blah2. Admit it, have you not had a good laugh at someone’s expense before? I’m sure even Marina is mature even to understand where this came from, rather than some of you guys out there so serious and defensive lah! Having said that, it is kinda difficult for us average public to sympathize with a public figure, especially one who had lived most of her adult life as the First Daughter, and a member of a family who is presumed to be one of the wealthiest in this country. So relax people, have a laugh at yourself sometimes.
shanghaifish
July 8, 2008
Bro,
apologies to you but to put things in perspective, here goes !
So listen up people…read my blog and see the dates of the postings…I don’t write daily and the dates between each postings ARE the days I WENT ON STRIKE !!
Period ! and let’s move on , kapish ?
PuM
July 8, 2008
“Paul Warren, DON’T patronize me. You do not know at all what “constraints” I have in writing that you impute Marina has. You do not know me, what I do and how I live, so I’d would be grateful if you do NOT presume.”
waaah… did someone hit a nerve or what? Don’t you think, Helen, that that’s a little hypocritical since your whole post was doing just that towards Marina? You know Marina so well is it?
thor
July 8, 2008
why is everybody being so defensive anyway? and really, talking about marina and attacking her views and where she is coming from is irrelevant and sidestepping the important issues? come on. the fact is, she is where she is because she is her father’s daughter. do you honestly think anyone — the star, the msm — would be interested in what she has to say and put her prominently in the limelight if she didn’t bear her father’s name?
let’s not kid ourselves. there is a certain kind of feudal mentality, certainly during her father’s time, that has benefitted her. and when she blogs and writes a column and comments about politics too, she opens herself up to comments. much of what is wrong in this country goes back to her father and the way he has undermined the four estates of a democratic system. marina was always coming from a flawed position as a commentator because she cannot and will not judge her old man, certainly not in public. i don’t begrudge her that. what i do begrudge her is the way she can carry on commenting with this huge blind spot in her outlook.
why not just don’t offer her compromised view?
i think she should just butt out of it altogether so as to save us all this rancour that has built up. my real bone of contention with her in relation to this particular post is the way her views about “being fed-up” and switching off on what is currently taking place is being picked up and amplified by the msm.
is that really productive? should we all turn our backs on what is happening now as if none of it concerns us? that all this is is just two politicians and their supporters mud-slinging?
like i said earlier, there is a real crisis of confidence in our public institutions, the police, the judiciary, the AG’s office etc etc. it is all tied up with the acrimony between anwar and najib. and it is all very much a legacy of the old doctor who will not behave like a statesman.
we switch off on all of this — at her & the star’s behest — at our own peril.
Truth
July 8, 2008
Well Helen, you got my support. Don’t worry about meesh, Zorro and others. These people know marina personally (MRt), hence, i don’t believe anything they write regarding about marina .naturally, they will defend her (it’s human nature).Quite sad actually, the blog community justice and honour has decline more and more. Sometimes justice means standing up against friends and family members. Yes, it’s hard but someone has to do it.
Farida
July 8, 2008
Thor, your last line says it all : “We switch off on all of this – at her & the star’s behest – at our own peril.” Thank you.
I think Helen’s main concern (correct me if I’m wrong, Helen) was the snowball effect of what Marina said – other bloggers and commentators wanting to switch off too. Go read Marina’s blog. Some responses rang alarm bells for me.
It seemed like the usual scenario of when the going gets tough, quit.
And truly, the last thing to do right now when the times are so perilous is to shut off and shut out.
It is one thing when someone decides to not write for a while, and there are bloggers who do write sporadically . Nothing wrong with that. I’d rather they say nothing than say something detrimental.
But when public figures make statements that can lull others into a state of ‘give up’ or ‘enough is enough’,or complacency, it leaves the stalwart ones with the added responsibility of being more vigilant watchmen on the towers, without shift duty, so to speak.
These few individuals need all the help they can get to right the wrongs in this country and for some to leave the battlefield at this juncture is, I think, not just premature but prejudicial to the earnest, sacrificial work that has been going on in blogosphere.
If we must exit temporarily, let’s do so with grace and in the beauty of silence.
To pronounce one’s strike and say nothing when other bloggers write in to say “I will do so too” smacks of indifference to the negative consequences such strikes will have on those bloggers who know without a shadow of a doubt that they must soldier on. Some might even call this instigation.
Perhaps a word from Marina in between the responses she got – like “Guys, let’s not all do it at the same time.” – would have helped greatly.
I was once told by someone wise that nothing is finished until it is finished right. And if one who cannot stay the course will not plead that others must try to stay on and not follow suit,he or she has done a great disservice to the community he or she belongs to.
It’s a real battlefield, folks, and our nation is fighting for its survival like never before.
If we haven’t realised by now how close we are to losing it all, and that we need civil society and every blogger worth his and her salt to stay in the arena and on course, then I would have to say with a lot of sadness and heartache – we’ve already lost.
galadriel
July 8, 2008
Wow, I’ve stumbled upon a naughty post and all this ruffled feathers are *cough* kinda obscuring my *sneeze* view.
Strong words Helen! I salute you for your guts, but I wonder if the darts should go Marina’s way. The post is two shakes shy of vituperative.
Not that I don’t identify with your sentiments in some parts. Marina, as we all know, came from a rather privileged background and sometimes her views might reflect that. But I don’t see malice in her writing.
I do not agree with bloggers downing tools. But no one had to follow Marina, or Rocky for that matter. I certainly didn’t.
People who read blogs, just like our MSM should and do, do so with perhaps a handful of salt. That blogs are seen as opinion shapers are actually due to the failure of the MSM.
We can take on a lot of rich and powerful people’s kids and make them the recipient of their parents transgressions, but I can’t say it is entirely justified in this the case of Marina’s post.
The manner in which she wrote may not be my cup of tea, but the message of “fed up-ness” comes across to me. I read her as a blogger. Her elitism is in this instance benign and doesn’t merit this ire.
As to WCW, I think someone who sways lallang-like should not get taken seriously.
ong
July 8, 2008
“So I think I will just go on strike. From reading the news. From being interested in what politicians are up to. From the so-called analyses of what’s happening by people who don’t really know anything.”
Sounds sensible enough -and flow smoothly from the mouth/pen! However if you put a background to what she says then things fall apart!
EG `“So I think I will just go on strike. From reading the news. Does it mean that :
1.our news -mainly from MSM, are a source of irritation nowadays?
2. Our news -mixed in with contestations from Oppositon parties since Mar 8th, is not so `smooth flowing’ -or `hegemonic’ -and the contestations are wrecking the reading `enjoyment’ by readers who are used to the `hegemonic’ type mono-interpretation/spinning?
`From being interested in what politicians are up to.’
Does it mean :
1. Marina quite happy with what BN politicians were up to before-with no one to dispute them?
2. politicians are of many kinds -how come someone can hit them in 1 same stroke? Does she include her father in the same `politicians’ category?
`From the so-called analyses of what’s happening by people who don’t really know anything.’
Same question: what exactly irks Marina, among the `analysis’?
I suspect that there are lots of people -not just Marina, who has a problem (intelellectual/emotional etc) to adjust to a Malaysia post-2/3 majority in Parliament. But for the rest we could welcome the new atmosphere, new ideas, new voices etc. Surely some are not as good, but without the diversity, there is no chance of getting some good ones.
So : get used to the new environment. That is what the change pursued by so many Malaysians, is all about incidentally. The Big Daddy is not the only voice at home now.
Sam Sambal
July 8, 2008
I think all those who know Marina Mahathir personally, out of “kow-tow” or out of “she is my friend must support her” all try to butter her up.
Don’t need la be so ass-kissing. The days of ass-kissing these elites will be over.
I mean, can’t we Malaysians grow out of this ass-kissing culture?
Even the smart ones/well-off ones are ass-kissing.
I think Helen has made a good point, although it may be perceived by some as being quite ascerbic.
So what? Helen has made an interesting point, she has the right to make a point, and she can make a point against any other blogger REGARDLESS of your standing or background or pedigree.
This is what blogging is all about.
It is about the idea and points.
Helen has put forward a very salient point.
We should commend her courage and intelligence for being able to respond. Others would probably go like “Oh Kak Marina, you are correct, correct, correct”, “Marina you are so great, like your dad”. Come on lah, give us a break from all this unreasonable arse-kissing hero-worshipping. I believe this is a sign of a lack of self-confidence in Malaysians. They have been moulded to be uncritical and staid so that the authoritarians can lord over the masses, that even if they have a university degree or are from a fairly well-to-do middle class background, they are pitifully unable to think, dissect, analyse, criticise, make a striking point, without fear or favour. The culture of arse-kissing is very ingrained in Malaysians. Time we snapped out of it.
If Marina and Marina sympathisers don’t like it, leave a concise note of disagreement, preferably on the basis ideas or points — that is, if you are smart enough to think and refute Helen’s ideas and points. This is the gentleman/lady’s way — the smart swashbuckler who challenges you with his sword of ideas.
Jason
July 8, 2008
Not that I know Marina personally nor am I any supporter of hers. But it would be unfair to place the blame of fuckingups of this country on her. I just cant understand why people oftentimes cant see Marina and her father as two completely separate entities.
“Would she care to extend her volunteerism in other areas…?”
Why wouldn’t you?
RM
July 8, 2008
“I think all those who know Marina Mahathir personally, out of “kow-tow” or out of “she is my friend must support her” all try to butter her up.” ~ Sam Sambal
If you knew Marina, then you’d know there was no need to butter her up, and definitely no ass kissing. I don’t think she wrote her post from an ‘elitist’ point of view. It doesn’t matter how high up the ladder you are, how can you not be fed-up with the shit in the papers these days?! Yes of course Marina has benefitted from her name, but the only time she has conciousely used it is to forward a cause she’s passionate about.
Mustafa
July 9, 2008
The way I see it, Marina’s publicised sentiment thru’ her blog that she’s fed up and about to go on strike understandably provoked Helen’s strong criticism and the ensuing debate in this blog.
Sure, Marina is free to feel fed up, like WCW, but to subsequently say that she had other seemingly better things to do (like having to write columns, papers and conference to attend, among other things) is, to say the least, rather disturbing to me.
I am sure other bloggers and concerned Malaysians, too, have other similar commitments in life and perhaps also feel helpless and daunted, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they should turn their backs on the nation’s ills in this hour of need.
Besides, some of the problems that the nation faces today can be attributed to ‘mismanagement’ of the previous administration that was headed by her father. Of course, this does not mean that she should necessarily shoulder her father’s misdeeds, but at the very least we would expect her not to exhibit expressions that can be construed as her not being able to appreciate the bitter outcome of such mismanagement.
mwrmmg
July 9, 2008
Looking at MM’s latest postings on bumping into Nurul Izzah sheds some interesting light. That is something nice to see at the bloggers gathering.
And Mukhriz with RPK…
I do believe that MM doesn’t really knows what’s on TDM’s political mind. And so are the rest of TDM children, often as surprised as many of us on some of TDM’S actions.
Its really unfair to criticize her because of family connections and picking on her being on the silver spoon etc etc.
Just take her as she is.
Its not all easy as one might think being the children of the PM.
What Helen wrote, demonstrates exactly.
Now, Helen, let’s see how you would react next time you bump into MM. Remember to use trees and kids as icebreaker…
ttc
July 11, 2008
(Haris, howdee – am posting this again in case you inadvertently clicked “delete” instead of “approve” when you were moderating this same earlier posting :)…if deliberate deletion, then..oops, sorry!)
ttc,
It was a deliberate deletion.
I wanted to move on and not get stuck on that posting.
Hope you understand.
Omongwaras
August 11, 2008
What a load of HOT AIR, no substance.
Waste of precious time visiting this blog.
Highly emotional rantings – no brain food at all.
Helen Ang
August 11, 2008
Omongwaras,
Exactly what I think about ‘RANTINGS BY MM’. Thank you for stating the obvious.
Odysseus
August 11, 2008
alliedmartster, your sanctimonious “.. but attacking Marina? I don’t know her other then the times we meet at MRT, but to attack her personally?”
was spoilt somewhat by your following
“As far as the ’strike’ is concerned, its entirely up to the blog owners. Susan loone had hers to say, and I say she is one sour puss. (from her denials that she was even nominated during the inaugural ‘allblogs’ meeting to the formation of whatever, but thats her right to say it in her blog.”
Now my dear sir, that ‘historical’ but totally needless catty comment about Susan Loone being a sour puss in her relationship with allblogs has been quite personal, more so when it has buggerall to do with the post about ‘blggers strike’.
Pot calling kettle black?
ttc
August 11, 2008
Haris, howdee 🙂
Understand totally about the deliberate deletion part but am slightly confused on the (about-a-month-now) moving on bit….
WE SAY YEAH! 🙂
Surind
August 11, 2008
Too many ‘sanctimonious, self-righteous sheep & fan boys/gals’ commenting on this post & in every single post about & from Marina (her own blog).
These sheep tend to follow the trend & drift…. oh, let us all comment the same way! & worship with trivial comments as we’ll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_mentality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_behavior
tomatoinc
August 13, 2008
this is no herd mentality…but who would want to believe that the daughter of a 22-yrs elected ‘authorative ruler’ will be objective, particularly towards her own father/party…
hartalMSM
August 13, 2008
Surind was probably referring to Marina’s regulars like sambal muncha and Old Fart aka Paul Warren whose copious comments literally litter her blog, post after post after post.
A rather hilarious example of herd mentality is found in this comment from ‘Salim’ (see link above): “If I know it [Dr M’s birthday] is today I would have taken leave to celebrate the man I admire. Oh god. Please let him know me and my whole family LOVE HIM SOOOOOO MUCH. Malaysia may not get the luck for another man like him for the next hundred years. Love DrM.” — posting in Rantings by MM btw, and not in Che Det.
hartalMSM
August 13, 2008
Surind’s url
http://surind.blogspot.com/2008/08/sumary-in-3-lines-of-marina-mahathirs.html
Crankshaft
August 15, 2008
Of course it’s all about herd mentality. This whole country is in this state because of herd mentality.
I found all that fawning applause for certain verbose commenters more than just a little nauseating.
There were words like ‘maturity’ being thrown around when some of these people wouldn’t even be able to comprehend the true meaning of that word.
All that grandstanding was to massage their own egos and sense of moral superiority. When it comes to stuff like that, I pass.
churchmaus
August 16, 2008
Hmm, Crankshaft … let’s see which commentator used the word ‘maturity’? Could it be Oneman fawning on “young Michelle’s” maturity beyond her years? Shame on Oneman for pursuing his vendetta against Helen Ang from their previous quibble, and throwing objectivity out
LT Lee
August 16, 2008
“Grandstanding to massage their own egos and sense of moral superiority” to come out smelling of roses by defending Marina reminds me of Chandra Muzaffar, but the great man has a promising young understudy here, and as Crankshaft says, plenty of nauseating arse-licking too.