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"THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY SNAP POLLS IN SELANGOR"

By Shahrum Sayuthi

SHAH ALAM: PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin had insisted that there should not be any snap state elections due to the Selangor leadership crisis.

Zuraida said any decision to initiate such a snap poll will be an act of "nonsense and against the constitution".

Speaking at the PKR's women wing meeting today, she called on party members not to spread rumors that the Sultan of Selangor will dissolve the state assembly for a snap state election to be held.

"Any move to initiate a (state election) will make the people of Selangor angry and this will result in Umno being wiped out in this state. The result will be 56-0," she said, in reference to the number of seats in the Selangor assembly.

The Selangor leadership crisis was triggered by PKR move to replace its menteri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim with party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Khalid was sacked from the party on Aug 9.

Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was expected to decide on the matter upon his return from abroad tomorrow.

"WALKOUT"

By Adrian Lai

SHAH ALAM: Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad’s tenure as the new PKR Youth chief got off to a rocky start today after at least half of his committee members staged a walkout just moments before making his inaugural speech.

Nik Nazmi was about to give his maiden speech as PKR Youth chief at the end of the wing’s annual congress held here, when at least nine out of its 20 newly elected committee members left the hall.

It is understood that the committee members walked out in protest of the election results, which saw Nik Nazmi edging out popular PKR leader Amirudin Shari by a razor-thin majority of 250 votes.

Nik Nazmi, who is also Selangor Deputy Speaker, obtained 4,509 votes, while Amirudin, who was originally touted to win, received 4,259 votes.

One of the committee members, who declined to be named, said he was unhappy with the results, claiming they were flawed and manipulated.

It is understood that the dissenters are aligned aligned with Amirudin.

Nik Nazmi, who is seen to be aligned to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s camp, said he was unfazed by the purported walkout.

“My message to those who left the hall is simple: Let us all get down to business. We have no time for this as this is the nature of politics. In fact, I lost my old position in my own branch,” the seemingly undaunted leader told reporters later.

The Seri Setia assemblyman also shrugged off the walkout, saying he was confident that the current disagreements between him and the opposing camp were “temporary”.

“Our opponents are not in the hall, they are in Barisan Nasional. I am open to talking (to my detractors) but they must also show commitment that they are willing to work with me,” Nik Nazmi stressed.

When asked if Nik Nazmi would offer an olive branch to Amirudin by giving the latter a high-ranking post in PKR Youth, Nik Nazmi said it was too soon to decide on the matter.

Amirudin, who belongs to PKR deputy president Azmin Ali’s camp, was leading the race for the Youth post, but his supporters believe that the "questionable" election results in PKR’s Pensiangan branch recently had tipped the race in Nik Nazmi’s favour.

Using "Cables" To Win

PKR'S Leadership Condemned For Malpractice During Party Election

by Shahrum Sayuthi

SHAH ALAM: A speaker at the PKR Women Congress had lashed out at the party's national leadership for their failure to stop malpractice during the party's recent over three months election process.

Norhanazalmah Mat Yusuf who represents PKR Kelantan Wanita wing alleged that some of those who contested for party posts had used their "cables" to get the backing of national leaders.

"My heart hurts when I see these people using their cables to win in the party elections.

"There were indeed incidences of irregular acts which were supported by some national leaders."

Norhanazalmah warned those involved in corrupt practices during the recent party election that "divine retribution" will be upon them if they fail to repent.

"To all those traitors, don't you all know that your stupid actions will destroy the party," she said.

Daughter Says ...

Wan Azizah is fit to be Selangor MB

by Shahrum Sayuthi

SHAH ALAM: PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar today insisted that her mother, party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is fit to be the menteri besar of Selangor.

Delivering a speech at the PKR Women Congress at Bukit Melawati Stadium here, Nurul Izzah hits out at those who cited religous reasons for opposing the appointment of a woman as a leader.

"We are wondering why there are still many in our society who regarded the appointment of a woman as a leader being taboo.

"This is especially so among those who used religious arguments to hinder women from being leaders."

Later at a press conference, Nurul Izzah said her support for the appointment of her mother as the new Selangor MB was based on the party's endorsement for Dr Wan Azizah to take over the post.

The Pakatan coalition had nominated the PKR president to replace the now independent MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Khalid was sacked from PKR after he refused to step down from his MB post to accomodate the party's so-called Kajang Move.

The move to install Dr Wan Azizah as MB was however made complicated after it met with resistance from especially Pas ulama leaders who among others argued that she was not suitable for the post due to her gender.

PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin supported Nurul Izzah's assertions that Dr Wan Azizah may likely be a better MB than Khalid.

On the apparent low turn out at the congress, Zuraida said it has enough quorum to proceed.

Only about one third of the seats at the space provided for the delegates were filled up at the start of the congress.

All the Best

Right after writing all about giving thanks and being good, a test came along and there goes the "safety pin". No, I didn't reach for the steering lock.

There were parking spaces available but the driver had to park right in front of my car and went off somewhere. People do this all the time without sparing a thought for others.

I couldn't sleep thinking about the incident which occurred at Danga Bay, Johor Bahru.  So when a prominent and well-respected individual sent a message via Telegram Messenger wishing us all the best for the day --- the message came at 1.34am --- I quickly responded with a "Thank You". Not because "nak bodek" but simply because cannot sleep. Now I'm feeling sleepy.

In Buddhism, it is believed that we go to different worlds in a single moment. When we are envious, we go to the realm of the hungry ghost, when angry, sad, happy, we visit different realms.  So keeping our emotions in check is very important. Always remember "This, too, shall pass" whatever your emotions and thoughts are.

Today is a busy day for the media world nation-wide as we await the return of the 20 remains of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 who will later be laid to rest. 

All the best, People. May the operations run smooth, and that all goes well. The one minute of silence for the victims will be anytime between 10.45am and 11.15am.

Give Thanks And Be Good

I was having tea with a friend just now and was telling her about all the things that seemed unfair in life.

The world is filled with braggers, backstabbers, munafiqs, liars, and these people really test your patience, doesn't it? We all have our flaws. But people have their good points, too. If you look hard enough, you will see the good points. And even if you can't see any noble quality in them, there is no need to hate or get even with them because at the end of the day, we are all going to meet our maker.

Let's not taint our own soul.

The goal is not to live in the most luxurious condominium, drive the most expensive car or acquire more properties than you can live in. The goal is to do all the good you can, giving more love than receiving.  Spreading joy instead of misery. Of course, all easier said than done.

I am getting all philosophical because of the chat with my friend, and also because tomorrow (August 22) is the day when the entire nation mourns for the victims of  Malaysia Airlines MH17. A minute of silence will be observed anytime between 10.45am and 11.15am.  The first 20 victims identified by international experts from the 43 Malaysians who were onboard the ill-fated flight, are coming home from the Netherlands.  Another plane is expected to arrive in  Kuala Lumpur on August 24 with eight more remains.

All 298 people aboard were killed on the Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17.

If you lament that life is unfair, be thankful that you are not in a war-torn nation. And give thanks for the time that you have with your good friends and family.

Water 爱人

Just came back from a place that holds fond memories for me.  Saw an amazing sunrise the last time I was there.  Today, it was rather cloudy, so the rising sun was partly hidden.  Nevertheless, it was a beautiful dawn.

My overnight stay at the Lotus Desaru Beach Resort made me want to pay homage to water.

The resort's executive chef Long Thean Liang --- seen here serving the authentic Thai seafood tomyam soup (touted as the best in Desaru)  --- revealed that the water quality can make a difference in cooked food or beverage.

The freshness, texture and flavour of the chef's tomyam dish is exquisite, by the way.

"If you were to make a cup of Nescafe using boiled water sourced from a tap in Johor and a tap in KL, for instance, the two cups of Nescafe will taste different," he said.

He said he didn't realise this until he got together with some chefs from up north one day. They were in Johor trying to cook a dish that they specialise in.  Even after getting all the freshest ingredients and authentic paste, they found that they still couldn't get the flavour of the dish right.  Finally, they concluded that the water was the cause of this.

Dining with Shella at the Rhu Seafood Restaurant, one of the three F&B outlets in the resort.

Water also keeps our spinal cord in tip-top condition.  A traditional massage therapist told me this. 

Ayop, who later joined Chef Long, Shella and I,  told me that one's spinal cord can go out of alignment due to insufficient water consumption.   Drinking too much cold water can also cause an array of health problems.

He said he only needs to concentrate on certain points in the body and not massage the entire body for the treatment of health disorders.  And the massage may take from five minutes to 15 minutes per session.  One will only feel excruciating pain when Ayob presses these points if one has health 

problems.  Dare to try?

Finally, Desaru has a host of water sport activities ranging from jet ski to bungy jumping to parasailing, among others.

I wish I could say that was me up there.  But no, I was on the ground taking the picture.  The girl up there is

21-year-old Wong May Xian from Yong Peng who paid RM100 for the parasailing experience.

For more info, please click  Lotus Desaru Beach Resort