TOTAL LOCKDOWN ?

My personal view on this matter is, there are many jobs/businesses/folks that will "die" before this Covid-jerked lockdowns end - if there's a prolonged shutdown.

Where the businesses are "non essential" (and we have to strictly decide based on proper analysis), then perhaps the 2 weeks/or more shutdown is ok. But the problem is, this regime is unable to do this without bias (I have 5 mechanic friends; 1 Malay, 1 Chinese, 3 Indians....the Malay got his "buka" permit on the 2nd day of the FMCO, the Chinese after 10 days but none of the 3 Indians got their's till today....one is paying a daily bribe of RM150 to local enforcers to do work quietly with shutters down). We can say whatever about the application (wrong form/description etc) but this story is consistent across other SMEs too. Mind boggling that some 965,000 businesses are deemed "essential" including money-changers and high-end retailers.

So instead of this haphazard/"discretionary" issuance of permits (and as we all know, corruption is rife here), we probably need honest enforcement (kinda impossible when like it or not, the group most prone to "dedak" is the enforcer) of hygiene/distancing measures. Singapore, Australia and NZ have managed this quite well.

Yes, non essential "crowd attracting" services like prayer houses, pubs, casinos etc can be shut for a while but if they too are willing to implement measures, why not controlled operations? I think most of these places have a higher level of diligence than the "makcik/pakcik gerais" and "pasar malams". I have personally witnessed these gerais openly breaking the law...and u know what, in Hartamas and PJ Old Town, I saw cops eating at these warongs against the law. That's why in Malaysia, we are having a tough time quelling the spread because the lawmakers (including Ministers... like the 800 pax Raya party) are the ones breaking the laws they make for the others. Very hypocritical, while the enforcers look the other way when such transgressions are captured and reported. NFA is almost certain.....the Orwellian truism.

I'm very concerned that the half-baked economic measures are going to wipe out 30% (or more) of businesses (and their dependents) in the country. Like I said, it's a "die-die" for many - they will be "dead" before the Covid gets them. I feel very sad for those in this category, mostly the B40 group. I am personally aware of the catastrophic circumstances because some of the associations I belong to, are busy with many types of assistance for this category. Almost every day, I will get calls from desperate people for help. One single mother called me 3 times in 15mins (while the Grab rider was delivering her the food/groceries that WL had packed - because the temple can only distribute some food on Sunday morning earliest) asking when the rations will reach her as her kids were starving as at lunch on Saturday. Really broke my heart. She then passed our interim gesture to her similarly stricken friends and they started calling me as well. Although I was upset she did that, I can understand the situation...many people have no where else to turn to, even for a simple meal.

And one minister with his head in the skies says we will achieve a 4.5% GROWTH this year, while a few others wearing $200,000 watches post pics of them eating "Maggi mee" so as to show empathy with the Rakyat. And one goon, at first said he was going on a holiday abroad, and then when faced with brickbats, changed tune to say he was going just to enrol his son in an overseas school. Please lah, the son is 5 years old. Enough BULLSHIT - the Rakyat is FED UP of the LIES and propaganda.

But I don't at all feel sorry for the civil (what a misnomer) servants and Ministers...mostly "gaji buta" before and now, even more so. But when the "president's" survival rests on bought loyalties, what else can we expect.

Looks like even the "Gods" are not able to save Malaysia ?

THE US ADMITS IT FUNDED THE WUHAN VIRUS !

 "Dr Anthony Fauci, Biden's chief medical advisor and a current target of Republican fury, has defended investing U.S. funds in the Wuhan lab, insisting that their research into coronaviruses was essential and it would be 'a dereliction of duty' not to support their work."

SO IT IS CONFIRMED LAH, THIS FAUCI FELLOW (an NIH director) DID HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE WUHAN VIRUS. He's now trying to justify his involvement only.

I just love the way this "movie" is progressing. I had long theorized (and written extensively, even yesterday) that the Virus was most likely "man made" in Wuhan with some US agency complicity. Just like in the Cold War days, the CCP now cannot be seen to be in cahoots with the US (thru the covert 3 letter worded spy agencies there). But just like the CIA's complicated and often treacherous relationship was with the KGB in the 50's and 60's, it's happening all over again. At least we learnt something from history: Man does not learn from history.

This recent expose (see below), will have the communist lovers' "panties in a rut" as they say. When the defector reveals the CCP's complicity and cover ups in Wuhan, these sympathisers won't be happy at all because the propaganda that they swallowed hook line and sinker, will be revealed like a baby's bottom: Having their lies publicly exposed will be a "face dropping" event, not easy to swallow. I'm sure they will continue to wag the dog, with more fervour too:)

Let's pop the cork and get some popcorn. The show's getting more interesting indeed.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9699221/Has-Chinese-official-defected-Rumors-swirl-diplomat-told-DC-Wuhan-lab.html?ito=whatsapp_share_article-masthead

ARE ALL VACCINES EQUAL ?

I think everyone who reads my blog knows that I'm very wary of the CCP. In this respect, it's disappointing that my often researched and considered views are sometimes dismissed as a bias against China; purely based on parochial sentiments. Once, a highly educated professional told me that the CCP and Chinese are the same and cannot be distinguished. This is like saying Trump and Americans are the same, or the PAP and Singaporeans are the same, or UMNO and Malaysians are the same...you get the drift. As laughable as it is, I've long given up trying to convince the haters that the CCP is not the same as China/Chinese. I love the Chinese people (as mentioned before, my family is part Chinese/Malay/Indian) and it's culture and food. I once penned a public article on why the Chinese Malaysian is successful (https://r-tickles.blogspot.com/.../10-reasons-why-puak...). But this affinity is not to be mistaken with my steadfast trepidations of the CCP for it's subtle yet hegemonic (economic or otherwise) intentions. Don't get me wrong, I am in awe of China's progress, advancement in technology, and it's ability to bring development to the masses. I'm not too hot though on it's complete media censorship, failure to allow foreigners a level playing field (eg. Ebay is banned in China but Ali Baba is allowed in, say, the US) and the stifling of personal freedoms.

I suppose the CCP, with it's immense propaganda budget (unofficial estimate says about $5 bil annually!), has indeed succeeded in demonizing the West. It's cyber-troopers (including many "white" mouthpieces who spew venom) have penetrated every known socmed and spin stories daily to "wag the dog": If you tell a lie 100 times, it may stick once? It's exactly what Chairman Mao did when he took over. First, kill the opposition and dissent (perhaps arguably, as high as 60mil Chinese were murdered according to some scholars), then unleash the state machinery to brainwash the population - I must admit, he succeeded. In a recent poll on it's popularity, 93% of Chinese in China, approved the CCP's performance. This was shocking to me....I expected 100% (I suppose, this 7% naysayers will soon be "missing", sent to camps, have their assets frozen and maybe...worse?). The CCP cannot afford another Tiannamen incident. Now, all Chinese in China are pliant.....oppose and you may find yourself in jail, or worse. Just ask Jack Ma what happened to him recently for just saying China's banking system was outdated? The truth can only be told by the Chinese who have left China, not by the diaspora that has suddenly found new enthusiasm to support the CCP blindly as it feels empowered by a sense of parochialism...all over the world indeed! Not all but many.

Before anyone accuses this WION report as another round of CCP bashing, I've checked the incidents the reporter quoted and all are accurate based on available public information. You may also do the same if you doubt.

In summary, this is perhaps why the EU and Saudi, do not recognize the Chinese vaccines for entry. Nothing that comes out of the CCP's mouth, can be taken at face value. This is the CCP's version of "socialism" (aka communism). It's a philosophy that seeks to lull it's citizenry into a false sense of comfort. Not quite the Das Kapital version at all.

On the vaccine, not that AZ has a great reputation either....probably explains why it's the easiest to avail in Malaysia. And even Pfizer, may not be 90% effective as (falsely) claimed. Studies are coming out of Israel where people are being infected even after 2 shots of Pfizer.

In my opinion, all these vaccines are simply stopgap/kneejerk measures. Covid is here to stay, just like measles, mumps and chicken pox...or like the common flu. Perhaps it will come to a time when its necessary for an annual jab (that will make Big Pharma richer)?

We just have to take the necessary precautions and go on with life. Life is very resilient...afterall, humans (homo sapiens) have been around for at least 200,000 years. We have survived the ice ages, volcanic eruptions, major earthquakes/tsunamis, wars and yes, several bouts of similar virus-caused plagues etc. So this virus, as deadly as it is (and I'm not downplaying the danger), will also be overcome by our bodies eventually. The babies born now to Covid mothers ALREADY have the antibody (please research this if you are surprised). Mother Nature/God/whatever you believe in, has a wonderful way of balancing the odds in our favour: Humans will alway win. Only we can destroy ourselves.

And maybe for those who are searching for alternatives to what the mainstream feeds us, Ivermectin (has been around for more than 40 years unlike the Johnnys come lately) is worth a try? Watch the video below.

Do read up and make up your own mind.

Till then, stay safe !

DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE ?

Today, 1 June 2021, 16 communist planes were "chased away" by RMAF from our airspace. I know many people think my "fear" of the CCP's real intentions is unfounded.

Well, why did 16 Chinese air-force planes intrude in our airspace? If just one, maybe it lost it's way but 16....come on folks. You cannot defend the indefensible. And you should not if you are a loyal Malaysian. If you do, then you are a TRAITOR.

The CCP has been slowly flexing it's muscle for some time now. They have engaged in a "tactical" war with the US for some time now. They have the benefit of the diaspora to do this. And, despite what anyone says, the CCP also (accidentally?) unleashed the Wuhan virus onto the world. All the conspiracy theories of it originating in the US is just hogwash. (I accept that the US may have financed some covert experiments in China towards this...afterall, who can manufacture cheaper than China? ).

The CCP's hegemonistic overtures are obvious. Give cheap monies to despots to buy up half of Africa and some South Asian countries like stupid Sri Lanka. All Emperor Xi needs to do is to bribe the corrupt governments of these countries. And they have been successful. Money always talks....just ask our former PM.

Now, why would the CCP send 16 air-force planes into our territorial space? I suppose the ball-carrying traitors (also known as the diaspora) will say it was a social visit..."lawatan sambil belajar." Or maybe, "cuti-cuti Malaysia". Really?

But folks, indeed it was a "lawatan sambil belajar". The CCP deliberately chose these planes. Fighter planes would be too obvious.

Plus these 16 planes can carry substantial number of troops! The CCP was simply testing the response capabilities of RMAF. There is NO OTHER reason for this act.....please do not justify the indefensible. You will look like a jackass.

Interestingly, the entire cheerleading crowd has suddenly gone silent over this "lawatan" in many chat groups as many would have observed.

https://youtu.be/-Cl5kYCy6cA

Fountain of Youth ?

The fragility of life?

About 30 years ago, my brother Suresh and I used to find it a little amusing that my Dad, now 87, started his day by reading theStar's obituary column first. I was then a young 26 year old professional thinking that I was somewhat invincible. I must admit, religion was a low priority then.

As many years passed by, only then did I really understand why Dad did what he did. It was because his friends and family were slowly exiting life. Each time someone he knew died, a piece of his history died with them.

Today, there is hardly a month that passes by when I don't read of the passing away of a friend/ family or simply, an acquaintance. In the past 30 days, 6 of my friends, all but one under 60, have said their final words. The youngest was just 48 and the oldest 67. I would say, for all, just too soon to say goodbye to life. Whatever happened to the dictum that 60 was "young" ?

Man may conquer space and earth's core today but as of now, eternal (or even a 150 yr life span) life is just a dream. Maybe one day in the future, we can, thru the use of cryogenics or a future science, preserve our brains to be reborn into a new body. It would be a real treat to be "alive" in 2121 and see how the world has progressed...if we haven't killed it by then. But then again, Man would have colonized Mars and more. But does the fountain of youth really exist? Fable (or his-story) tells us of great sages living till 200 years.

When we are at our deathbed, does it really matter if you graduated at 17, or won several gold medals in the Olympics, or if you were the best golfer in the country. My grandpa, Arumugam, just before he passed away in 1981, told me, he only remembered the women he loved and his children who hugged and kissed him goodnight daily. Everything else was immaterial when it was time to go.

I can echo his sentiments when I was in prison in late 2019. I didnt think about the many "great" accounts/mergers/public companies etc that I worked on but my children and family, were at the top of my mind. It really brings perspective to life.

Whenever a friend/family member passes away young (as one did today), I question the fragility.....or maybe, the ephemerality of life. Ok, as a Hindu, God allows me to relive life about 900+ times so there's some consolation:). But not everybody is a Hindu.

Someone once said, when it's your time to go, make sure it's really the last thing you have to do. Wise words indeed. I intend to live by it.

Do you?

Philistines......?

There's been so much LIES told by media on the situation in Gaza that not many people know what's true anymore. Even "educated" people don't know what's going on. Religion has got everything to do with this confusion. Watch the videos where they are faking the attack's result.

I'm not at all advocating violence but if someone fires 100's of rockets at us from southern Thailand, do we keep quiet in KL? We would expect our army to defend us and indeed, repel that attack. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) did just that.

Our schools do not teach history (nor religion) correctly. Hence our folks do not know the real history behind this 73 year old war: The new religion came about less than 1,500 years ago. So it's not possible that the disputed ancient land (some say 8,000 years old) belonged to those claiming it. In fact, as a country it NEVER existed before 1948, just like it's nemesis didn't. The British via the Balfour Treaty created an area for the Jews to settle. The Romans, who sacked Jerusalem and drove away the residents, renamed it Palestina (to rid the old name) and described this land as a district of Syria around the 5th century BC. Listen to the Arab confirming this in the video.

Take Malaysia lah. Up until about 600 years ago, this was a Hindu land with most rulers being Hindu too, everybody agrees on this part. Then Islam arrived, then Portuguese, then Dutch, then British and finally, in 1957 as agreed under the Reed Commission, a land for all races with a special dispensation for the Malay until economic parity was met. Are we still practising what was agreed by the Founding fathers? So do we fire rockets at each other because we disagree on the original formula now flawed by racist policies?

Even in the holy book, Chapter 26, verse 59, states “We made the Children (of people of the book) the inheritors of the land”. Even more in Chapter 17, verse 104: "God granted the Land to the Children of (the people of the book) and ordered them to settle there. In addition, it is predicted that before the end of days, God will bring the Children of (the people of the book) to retake possession of the Land, gathering them from the different countries and nations"

Seriously, just how long do we need to go back into history to decide who "owns" the land ? Can someone in Rome today claim France because in say 121BC, there was no France but Gaul, a Roman territory ? Or can Malaysia lay claim to Singapore because it was illegally sold to Raffles some 200 years ago by a Temenggong in order to overthrow the real Sultan with the connivance of the Brits?

So even if you dispute what the historical fact is/was, how about what the holy book itself says? Are you now trying to re-write what was sayeth by the lord himself?

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=513727429826356

When it comes to religion, one has to ignore facts, be blind to justice and just take a leap of faith in plain "belief". And of course, most of the holy words were written by man some hundreds of years later, and obviously it's "his"story. For interest, the Bible wasn't written till about a 60+ years after Jesus' death (although Mark's Gospel was about 15 years after His death) and the other holy book wasn't compiled till about 250 years after the prophet's death. Imagine the number of additions/deletions and amendments that would have been made over the 1000 years to now? Even our local language translated holy book has "added" words (see pic below)

to the original one for obvious reasons.

And btw, the IDF can easily take out the terrorists but it will cause a lot of collateral damage as the terrorists are hiding within the civilians and so, the IDF has to go slow.

If You believed, they put a man on the Moon.....

Unless you have been asleep for the past 3 years or completely "off grid", you would have heard about DOGE coin. (Yes, you may Google it in case you have not).

What started of as a "joke" in 2013 (the creators were so put off by BTC's rise, I think, they decided to create a "shit" coin and see where this will lead to) to challenge the dominance of the then handful of crypto currencies. Nobody believed crypto had a "space" (remember this word...) in the fiat (paper) currency world. And back then, a shit coin was a token that had little purpose (called tokenomics) in their jargon....and DOGE was a meme-d (a caricature/corruption of a Japanese dog) shitcoin.

As a lifelong student (and some say the Gemini influence), anything that is "new" (new cars, new wife etc...) excites me - in any field. I am the most "unusual" accountant that I know - and many agree. Having jumped on the notion of the blockchain innovation since early 2016, and after gathering some mileage, I had been teaching classes on crypto since late 2017. I had also offered my advice to educational institutes, financial outfits and indeed, the regulators. Besides my students (perhaps about 1000 pax over the 2 years before Covid forced me to stop), NOBODY in Malaysia believed in the technology called "BLOCKCHAIN". Sometimes in life, the technology "arrives" earlier than when the world is ready to accept: While Henry Ford is credited for bringing cheap/affordable cars to the masses, it was his genius that birthed highways to America. Before cars, there was no "use/need" for proper roads. If in the early 20th century, someone proposed to the US govt the need to build roads/highways costing billions connecting the whole country - he would have been laughed away. With cars, came the highways. With the highways, came rapid growth of townships...and the rest is history. The same with blockchain....time will prove.

Of course now, everybody has heard of Blockchain and many believe it's the "new" internet. But I can't blame the naysayers. In 1994, when as a young accountant, I advised my boss that he should consider putting the firm's accounting expertise on the internet, he told me that the internet was either for the "techie geeks" or porn purveyors - and asked me in which category that I fit. I replied since I was useless in technology, I suppose he can decide easily:). Later that year, because of my "pornographic" interest, he sent me off to New York to work on the Yahoo IPO (that he opined will bomb miserably) that blew everybody's mind away on the "value" of the Internet - suddenly, it was a $billion industry. For interest, today, the 5 top listed companies in the world - are in the internet/tech related business.

And the 5th largest is - of course, BITCOIN ! This "company" started less than 12 years ago and at the rate it's growing, I dare bet a bottle of Singleton, it will be the largest "institution" in the world by 2030, if not earlier. It's value has beaten the mighty Facebook's and Tesla's, and of course, Berkshire's (Buffet incidentally has changed from a "hater" of BTC to an "undecided" now).

We return to DOGE. You recall the 1968 Bee Gees' hit song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrg1UAixGaMthat) that went like this:

I started a joke

Which started the whole world crying

But I didn't see...

That the joke was on me, oh no

Well, folks, the 2013 joke DOGE is now the world's 4th most valuable crypto with a market cap of almost $70 billion today. As comparison of it's financial might in local terms, DOGE is worth more than the top 5 listed companies in Malaysia (Maybank, TNB, Public Bank, Petronas, and IHH) COMBINED !!! I suppose, for those who didn't believe, Robin's song is a good reminder.....that the joke was on you?

And what happened yesterday, 9 May 2021, was simply incredible. Elon Musk (also known as the DOGEFATHER) while hosting SNL, at about 11.30pm EST (about 11.30am Sunday in KL), "joked" that DOGE was a "hustle". By 12pm KL time, DOGE fell by 30% wiping out a market cap of almost RM 100 bil ! If this happened on the Bursa (KLSE for those off grid), you may well see some stockbrokers jumping off Menara TA and so on.

Now picture this:

When Elon appeared on SNL at 11.30pm Sunday in New York and said DOGE was a "hustle" coin, it was trading at 70c. Immediately after his "joke" it fell to a low of 44c - by a whopping 37% and wiping out $33 bil (RM 130 bil) in global crypto equity value! 3 hours later, Geomatric Energy Corp (supplier of fuel to SpaceX.....a company owned by Elon) announces DOGE as the currency that's "going to the moon" ie being the funding for the payload in Falcon 9, the space rocket. DOGE bounces back by 30% almost within 6 hours. Outside the stock market crashes of 1929 and 2008, have you seen a stock's equity sinking 37% within minutes and only to rise by 30% within hours. In my "accountant/analyst" life of some 40 years, I have never seen this phenomenon! But I was not at all surprised: I had many students privately messaging with panic tones.....I merely said "it may be a good time to buy DOGE". For those who bought at 44c, you just made 22% within hours.

Assuming "someone" keyed in a "buy" at 44c......"he" made $30 bil in about 10 hours on Monday. You doubt this?

DOGE went as low as 43c and within 20 hours, it's back up by 30% from it's lows and now at 56c. "Somebody" just made about $30bil in less than 24 hours. You all can guess who he was. When I wrote to the powers that be on 31 Aug 2018 to lodge a market manipulation complaint against JP Morgan's CEO who caused a panic run on BTC by saying it was worthless....only to buy BTC in the millions when it fell momentarily by 40% on his spew, they threw my complaint in the bin. You see, the regulator doesn't take action against the Big Boys...the same everywhere. Elon has been hyping up BTC and DOGE and they only "rap" his knuckles for market manipulation. Anyone else would be charged and jailed.

DOGE was $0.004 on 1 Jan 2021 and I know someone who owned about 4mil then. If he/she kept all, he/she would be sitting on a fortune of RM 8.5 mil today! And those who don't take the blockchain seriously, better rethink...).

So, will DOGE reach the moon....well, follow this space :)

As a hint, Elon seems to think DOGE may well turn out to be an inter-planetary currency: "If you believed, they put a man on the moon"