So this is what's going on in Malaysia, if you're interested

It seems it's a hard time being a blogger in Malaysia at the moment, cos it's all going a bit mental.
Suffice to say that the current government is in a bit of hot soup at the moment, however they are still trying to deny it and cling on tight to the reigns of power. It's hard to know which way it's all going to go.

Here is a brief rundown of the last few weeks according to the local media.

1) Former DPM (now opposition leader) Anwar Ibrahim announced a return to politics, his wife (who has been holding his parliamentary seat with big majorities for the last few years) stepped down and they called a by-election with Anwar as candidate for the opposition. The ruling government tried to get him arrested for Sodomy (again) and started a massive campaign against him. It didn't work, he got voted in with twice as many votes as the government man.

2) Business bigshot and UMNO government man Ahmad Ismail tried to slur the Chinese, saying they were all immigrant squatters. Motives are unclear, but the PM and DPM apologised for him, then he stood up and said "why should I apologise, I did nothing wrong". So he got a 3 year suspension (which is unprecedented admittedly, but basically a slap on the wrists, when he actually committed Sedition and lots of people who were unseditious get arrested, but they are not bigshots with money and power.

3) Blogger RPK, a journalist (the one who wrote the article about Mr Squatter, and my local MP Teresa Kok all got arrested with ISA in one evening. No real reason is clear, except for RPK because he has a big news portal and is trying to bring down the government by writing about them. The journalist was released after a day - and I think it's probably due to the fact that the national media went to the government and said "you do not arrest reporters, reporters are edited heavily, so if anybody arrest the editor whom the buck stops with, if you arrest reporters don't expect us to be your mouthpieces much longer" or something like that, that's my theory anyway.
The MP Teresa Kok was charged with some trumped up charge about handing in a petition to a mosque, to ask them to turn down the prayer towers for the 5.30am morning prayer, because the area the mosque is in is largely non-muslim. She is the candidate for the region and was just doing what her constituents asked. Strangely both of the mosques and several muftis stood up and said "this is not true, it's nothing to do with her, why is she is prison?". Fortunately she was released today.

4) Opposition leader Anwar announced that he would have a new government on September 16th, as he claims around 31 MPs are willing to defect. This date has gone, but he seems convinced that it will happen. This is what caused the ISA arrests I think as the government is seemingly going a bit barmy, they are pulling all the punches (sodomy charges, arrests, racial tension) but none of it seems to be working. Malaysians aren't protesting or demonstrating, they're just sitting at home and seeing what happens. I think times have changed here, but the government doesn't seem to have noticed that.

5) De-facto Law Minister quit the government because of the ISA arrests, and he has caused a bit if a stir.

6) 2 days ago the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) quit the ruling coalition, they have not defected but gone independant.

7) On the days leading to September 16th all the government Back Benchers got sent to Taiwan, on an "agricultural trip" - but then everybody went "hey, no fair, are these your defectors and you're sending them away??". Then a day or so later the opposition sent a team to Taiwan to visit them, then suddenly the "agricultural trip" finished and they all came home. This chapter was quite hilarious actually, as the statements in the press were amazingly funny, and the image of 30 or so back-benchers involved in some international game of Benny Hill-esque cat and mouse. It was all a bit weird.

8) Yesterday another blogger got arrested - they say it's because he flew the flag upside down (in distress) on his website, but well, read his website and that is the least of their worries. He don't like them, and he does like freedom of expression.

9) PM has taken over Defense ministry, christ and allah only know what happens next. Sit tight, cross fingers.

None of this is dangerous to blog about by the way, it's all in the papers - can read online at www.thestar.com.my and have a good laugh.

love to all