It does not look like there is going to be a compromise or a middle ground solution between the organisers of the rally and the police. The organisers want to proceed and have no intention of applying for a permit.

The police, meanwhile, have said there will be no more talk with the organisers and stressed that it is time now for action and the full force of the police would be applied.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar did not rule out the possibility of the police invoking the Internal Security Act to nab participants of the illegal rallies.

What is different from the first Bersih protest held in 2007 and other past massive protests is that this time, two other parties have warned that they would proceed with counter demonstrations if the Bersih 2.0 rally went ahead.

This time, the police fear a clash and their concerns are justified, given the emotions that have built up. From the information the police have gathered, there are good reasons why police are talking about taking tough preventive measures.

In 1997, supporters of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim staged a huge protest after the court sentenced him to six years’ jail for sodomy. A passing TV3 vehicle was attacked in front of Masjid Jamek by an angry mob in full view of the public and many shops were looted. And it was a one-sided affair then.

Anwar’s conviction, the protests and the backdrop of the 1997 financial crisis in Asia certainly had an impact as (then Prime Minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had a tough election in 1999.

In the case of the Bersih protest in 2007, which also called for electoral reforms, about 250 demonstrators were arrested as they clashed with the police. When elections were called the following year, Pakatan Rakyat won five states, despite claiming the electoral rolls were “unclean”, and that cheating and dirty tactics were used. And for the record, PAS has ruled Kelantan for 21 years.

But it’s hard to argue against a case for a clean electoral system. It’s a clever political package. Seriously, who can argue against such a clarion call and who can say “no” to freedom of expression and the right to protest, which are all basic principles of demo­cracy?

It’s understandably attractive for many and, undoubtedly, a matter of choice if people wish to take part in the rally. But again, those who organise the rally and those who wish to take part should also know the legal and political consequences of their decisions.

Any gathering of five, without a permit, is illegal and even if we feel that it is an archaic law, it remains a law until it is changed.

The organisers of Bersih 2.0 should give a convincing answer to whether their campaign is initiated by Paka­tan Rakyat, which has given the whole show a political dimension, or it has been hijacked by them.

It doesn’t help that Anwar has said he could just call organiser Datuk S. Ambiga to call off the rally. Of course, like many politicians, he claimed he was misquoted.

PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu has also said on record that the Bersih 2.0 rally would help Pakatan in the elections.

On the surface, it looks simple but it’s all politics in the end and not quite as innocuous as it seems. The reaction has been political, and likewise the counter protests.

The organisers of Bersih 2.0 cannot expect their rivals to join them on the argument of a clean electoral system when the latter feels that the system is sufficient, admittedly it can still be improved, as the opposition has gained so much.

Against the rising political temperature, the issue has become more explosive when elements of religion and sedition come into play.

Some have said the authorities over-reacted and the communist revival claim is a little scratched, given the fact that almost all the commie icons are long dead. Even China and Vietnam are communist in name only these days.

Still, the July 9 rally won’t be a stroll in the park. It is a political event. So, let’s not bluff ourselves that it is a non-governmental organisation affair as they wouldn’t be able to marshal the numbers, if it is indeed an NGO show. The organisers need PAS particularly to bring in the crowd.

It is essentially a show of strength ahead of the polls. The competing forces too have little choice but to bring in the numbers. Every single one of them will claim to represent and act for us, not because the rallies and counter-rallies will help their political ambitions.

There will be enough people who believe in them. Just as enough people climbed trees to put up PAS flags and quarrelled with their families and friends for Datuk Ibrahim Ali, until he called himself an independent. There will also be people who still believe in him now that he is representing an NGO and he is doing all these for Malay rights.

There will also be people who believe politics can be clean and there are wannabe politicians with noble intentions.

The Datuk Trio, meanwhile, must be upset at the seeming obsession of the authorities over the Bersih 2.0 rally as the sex video issue has been forgotten overnight, which is what Anwar probably wants.

All these groups could hold their gatherings in stadiums, with even a short march thrown in, if they want to. They could shout and make speeches for 24 hours if they want, but as Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was quoted in Sinar Harian as saying, it would have lacked the “oomph”.

Without the chaos, the anger, the water cannon, the arrests, it would not be a success. So it all comes down to that.

The country’s demographic change has many political, economic and social implications and the big boss of the Lion Group conglomerate certainly knows how the trend will affect the community.

Being a businessman, Cheng chose to dwell on the economic aspect. The owner of the Parkson department store chain said the Chinese community would have a chance to play a leading role in the country’s economy even though the population was low.

Speaking at the ACCIM Youth conference, Cheng did not want to ruin the upbeat mood, telling his listeners not to be pessimistic. Being the shrewd businessman that he is, he cleverly stayed away from talking about the political effects.

But he can certainly calculate what is ahead. The continuing drop in the Chinese population would correspond with a drop in political clout.

In a plural society, racial numbers do matter. It is the same in the United States where election candidates play along racial voter numbers to win their votes.

In 2009, journalist researcher Helen Ang highlighted in her report that the country’s Chinese population will decline to a mere 18.6% of the population in 25 years. While the bumiputra population for this decade (2011-2021) will see at least 1.98% annual growth, the Chinese population growth over this period will only be 0.73% annually.

Citing a study by researcher Saw Swee Hock, Ang wrote that by 2035, Malaysia will have 41 million people, with bumiputras making up 72.1% of the population.

Even Penang is now officially a Malay majority state. The latest statistics from the Department of Statistics indicate that Malays are increasing and have now outnumbered the Chinese by 0.7% in the once Chinese dominant state.

In 2009, the Penang Malay population stood at 654,300, just ahead of 651,600 Chinese by 0.1%. Last year, it widened to 0.7%. Of the estimated 1.6 million population in Penang, 670,100 were Malays (41.6%) while 658,700 were Chinese (40.9%). There were 9.7% In­dians (155,600), 7% non-Ma­laysians (112,200), 0.8% others and other bumiputras (13,300).

In Selangor, another state with a big Chinese population, they now make up 29% of the state’s population of over five million.

We all know the reasons for the drop in Chinese population, which range from late marriages, preference for small families to migration. But there is less talk about the political effects, particularly the community’s diminishing political importance.

Chinese voters generally get angry and offended if they hear, even in the most subtle way, that their votes could be foregone. After all, in any election, every vote is crucial.

In a close fight between two Malay candidates, for instance, the minority Chinese voters can be the deciding factor. In fact, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has always reminded his listeners that it was the Chinese voters who saved many Umno candidates in the 1999 general election following the sacking of his deputy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Indeed, the Chinese can be kingmaker by voting strategically. Or they can vote to vent their frustrations and end up outside the government.

The big test will come in the next general election. Of the 222 parliamentary seats, only 40-odd seats are in Chinese majority areas. The others are Malay majority or racially mixed seats. There is no Indian majority parliamentary seat.

It is obvious at this point there is still much resentment in urban Chinese areas, with the voting pattern aligning towards the opposition. There is even a misconception that the Chinese, if they voted for the opposition entirely, would see their position strengthened based on the belief that PKR-PAS can deliver the Malay seats.

But it is a big gamble as the Chinese voters may just find themselves the only one outside the government, as in the case of Sarawak where the community was led by PKR-PAS to believe that the other races would join in to topple Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

In the end, the DAP ended up with 12 state seats while the SUPP was almost wiped out. The urban Malays-Dayaks, it turned out, voted solidly for Barisan Nasional, with PBB winning all 35 seats it contested. The SUPP lost its deputy chief ministership and is left with only two state assemblymen.

The question now is whether the Chinese voters would be happy with the 40-odd parliamentary seats for the DAP come the next election and see the community representation completely out of the government as they increase the number of PAS Members of Parliament.

The Chinese are the ones who will chart their future since Malay and Indian votes have shifted back to Barisan. It is now a choice of whether they want to follow their heart or rule with their head.

We are told that there are only 60 licensed massage centres in the whole of Selangor, which means the thousands of such centres that we see are illegal.

That comes to one point – why are they able to operate openly in so many residential areas without the local councils cracking down on them?

Can the people be blamed for thinking there are elements of corruption involved, and strong suspicions of protection with powerful backing?

Or is it simply that enforcement is so pathetic the officers are fighting a losing battle against the massage parlour operators?

State executive councillor Ronnie Liu can be sure that no one in the state believes his claim that there are only 60 licensed premises and that the licences were issued before 2006.

After Pakatan Rakyat came to power, no new permits were issued, according to him.

One has to be a fanatical loyalist of Liu to believe this. Or, if we accept his claim, it simply means the state has been unable to stop the sprouting of these massage centres.

There’s another factor that makes the situation different from the other states – the political dimension of this multi-million ringgit service industry.

Liu himself has been the target of many allegations, including finger pointing by his own comrades, until DAP chairman Karpal Singh had to issue a directive ordering a halt to more discussions on the issue of support letters and allegations of cronyism.

Liu also got himself some unnecessary publicity in 2008 when he was arrested by the police for allegedly obstructing the Subang Jaya Municipal Council enforcement workers and police personnel who were raiding a suspected vice den in Puchong.

He was accused by the police of allegedly trying to stop the police and council workers who were trying to seal a shop lot which was used as an illegal massage centre.

The Pandamaran state assemblyman was arrested on the spot but released on bail. The next day, the police received an order from the Attorney-General’s Office to charge him. The court case is on-going at the PJ Magistrate’s court, with Liu being called to enter his defence already.

The Local Government, Study and Research Committee member has also sued former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Khir Toyo for allegedly accusing him of immoral activities and involvement in vice.

Liu denied that he had obstructed the authorities from carrying out their duties.

Last year, Karpal Singh rescued him after his party leaders accused him of abusing his official state letter heads. A gag order was issued and the matter hushed up. He was let off with a “severe reprimand” from the party.

Liu survived that political storm but his assistant Tee Boon Hock, a Klang municipal councillor, found himself sacked from the party for allegedly misusing the letter heads to secure contracts for his cronies.

But there are more questions than answers to the massage centre issue in Selangor. Klang Municipal Council president Muhd Ikhsan Mukri has said there are 45 licensed massage parlours in Klang.

If there are only 60 licensed massage centres in the whole of Selangor, and out of this Klang has 45, that would make Klang the town with the highest number of licensed massage centres.

How Klang has managed to get all the licences is another question.

Muhd Ikhsan said that since the beginning of this year, 16 operations have been conducted and 81 premises were checked. He did not explain how they checked on 81 premises if there were only 45 legal ones.

Tee, who is now a sworn political enemy of Liu, has claimed there are 60 massage centres in Klang. He did not say whether they are legal or illegal.

In all fairness, there are many legitimate massage centres in Selangor. In fact, the operators of clean ones have to struggle, often on unfair terms and turf, against the illegal ones that offer sex services.

Many decent ones in Selangor offer family packages and have clear signs put up to say they do not tolerate sex services.

Certainly, there is bigger demand for massage services in Selangor because of the stressful lifestyle here. Most Selangor residents work in Kuala Lumpur but reside in the suburbs of Petaling Jaya. And massages have been proven to be able to relax the muscles.

I do not wish to rub it in. There is nothing wrong in issuing more permits for massage centres but to claim that no new permits are being issued and then we see such premises mushrooming, even in residential neighbourhoods, only smacks of poor governance.

Have we become so politically partisan that we have refused to ask how this foundation, which has a horrible reputation for mismanagement, could possibly be able to utilise the land properly and efficiently?

There are now suspicions, rightly or wrongly, that the land currently being used by nursery operators would be passed on to crony developers once it has been acquired by the state.

Yayasan Selangor is not in the business of developing land. It cannot even run itself properly. We are now suddenly being told that the land where the nurseries are located has underground water pipes and that, for security reasons, the nursery operators have to move out.

But Yayasan Selangor will get the land. We should then be demanding to know why Yayasan Selangor would want the land with all these “dangerous” water pipes.

The fact is that these 50 nursery operators are sitting on land that is next to the over 1,300ha of land belonging to the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia which has been earmarked for redevelopment. The development in the area comes under the Greater Kuala Lumpur Strategic Development Project initiative which is under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Of the present total land area, rubber plantations take up about 939ha (2,320 acres) while the remainder includes the nurseries and other buildings. So who can blame them if they are suspicious of the motives of the state government?

Even if we accept the argument that the state has the right to take over this land, we should be looking at the track record, or lack of it, of Yayasan Selangor.

Financial mismanagement has caused Yayasan Selangor to chalk up RM7.41mil in deficit from January till November last year.

In normal circumstances, the financial state of the foundation would have been called a scandal and there would have been a demand for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be set up to investigate it.

But it looks like many of the Barisan Nasional state assemblymen are still not thinking, acting and functioning like aggressive opposition leaders.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim himself has revealed that “expenditure that is not transparent, prudent or reasonable had caused the cost of Yayasan Selangor’s 40th anniversary celebration to reach almost RM1mil”.

The audit on Yayasan Selangor was done from Nov 29 till Dec 1 last year after the Sultan of Selangor snubbed the foundation’s 40th anniversary luncheon, which was scheduled for Nov 15, over its exorbitant cost. The luncheon was subsequently called off.

First, the state government said the luncheon was billed at RM300,000 but Selangor Umno claimed that the event would have cost RM800,000. The audit report showed that the foundation actually spent RM996,472 on the overall celebration.

The luncheon may have been cancelled but Yayasan Selangor still had to pay RM387,232. The other costs included RM225,000 for copies of the Quran, RM206,040 on souvenirs and clothes, and RM178,200 on a fishing competition.

Can someone shed some light over this fishy event involving public funds?

The audit report also stated that Yayasan Selangor could recover an estimated RM148,500 from the company in charge of the luncheon, but it had yet to do so.

The fiasco, however, did not stop the Yayasan Selangor board of trustees from paying themselves bonuses of RM5,000 last year – a violation of the foundation’s memorandum.

Yayasan Selangor’s board of trustees includes Khalid, who is chairman, former state secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud, Selangor executive councillor Dr Halimah Ali, Ilham Marzuki, Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman, Sulaiman Wak and Haji Mohd Adenan Deraman.

The only saving grace is that the Mentri Besar has taken action and revealed the contents of the audit, and a former deputy general manager has been charged in court on three counts of graft involving RM45,000 in connection with the anniversary celebrations.

The nursery operators who have been toiling the land for over 22 years are now being shown a grand plan submitted by Yayasan Selangor. It supposedly involves converting the land into an expo area with plans for flower shows, 24-hour security and proper lighting.

Who are Yayasan Selangor to tell these operators how to run their nurseries when they have no experience whatsoever in this business?

And if they buy the Yayasan Selangor idea, what about the security of the water pipes claim that has been bandied about?

The story doesn’t seem to tally at all. Would the water pipes/security claims suddenly vanish?

It’s just like the pomelo farmers in Tambun, Perak, who have finally been given a 99-year land lease after having to fight their case for years.

Then there are the ornamental fish rearers in Gopeng who are still fighting for their land despite bringing in millions of ringgit for the country.

These people truly deserve our support. They have toiled on their land for decades while contributing to the nation’s economy and no one should grab the land from them.

Certainly, in Sungai Buloh, Yayasan Selangor should learn to run itself first before telling the flower growers how to run their business. It’s really none of Yayasan Selangor’s business.

In the United States and Europe, the price of fuel for cars changes almost every day as it is not subsidised. This is something most Malaysians are unfamiliar with as we are, and have been, living on subsidies for almost every essential item, even sugar which is unheard of elsewhere.

The government’s bill for subsidising petrol, diesel and gas has risen from RM8bil to RM18bil a year. Yes, it’s a staggering figure and certainly we can expect the numbers to keep increasing unless there is a drop in crude oil prices.

The government can take the easy way out by keeping the prices of petrol down to remain popular, especially with a general election looming. But that would be bad governance.

If Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can reduce the price of petrol as he claims, I am sure Obama would be quite keen to hear from him. The Opposition Leader must have a magic wand. He may be able to do it but the long-term effects would be disastrous and could well bleed the nation. To put it bluntly, it could bankrupt Malaysia.

There is a cost to the subsidy – the govern­ment should be channelling the subsidy to the health, education and housing sectors. There are also many infrastructure projects that have already been announced and we wonder how many of these would be affected, even put on hold, if the subsidy bill continues to spiral upwards.

The government could save at least RM103bil over the next five years if it were to slash its subsidy bill now. This, however, can only be done gradually with enough notice served on Malaysians to explain that the govern­ment just cannot continue to bear this burden.

The government has little choice but to explain to the people the rationale behind the subsidy cuts. It’s not an easy task as ordinary Malaysians have bills to pay. And against the backdrop of increasing costs of production, most employers would be hard-pressed to increase the salaries of their workers.

At the same time, we can expect industries to pass their cost to consumers even though the increase in electricity rates is only an average of 7.12%.

The Opposition has been playing the populist card, blaming the government for every price hike and promising to reduce the price of oil, which any rational person would know is not achievable. Surely, every serving government would want to keep prices down to get itself re-elected.

Economists want the government to take a more daring approach to push ahead the subsidy rationalisation exercise. But they are obviously not counting the political costs if this is not done gradually.

Their fear is that if Malaysia continues to bear the high subsidy bill, it would impact on the country’s sovereign ratings as the budget deficit would stand to widen.

In simple language, the country’s debt cannot be allowed to increase if its credit status is to be respected. The bottom line is: provision of subsidies is not a sustainable practice. It has to be removed eventually but at the same time, the government is well aware that any decision should not affect the consumers’ standard of living. Even some government MPs have been cautious about any increase in petrol or food items.

But take the sugar subsidy as an example. When the prices of coarse and fine sugar increased by 20 sen to RM2.30 per kilo, it reduced government subsidy by RM116.6mil from RM400mil per year. The latest increase is the first this year, after last year’s hikes of 20 sen in January, 25 sen in July and 20 sen in December.

It is incredulous that we would fork out so much for sugar while we ask for less of it with our teh tarik. Yet some of us will get bitter when there is a cut in subsidy for sugar.

Look at the statistics: there are 1.4 million adults suffering from diabetes as at 2006, according to a national health and morbidity survey. We can assume that the number has gone up since then, at the rate we consume sugar-laden soft drinks.

Now, according to estimates by the Health Ministry’s disease control division, health promotion, management and treatment of diabetic patients take up about 15% to 17% of the ministry’s total budget of RM13.7bil in 2009. That can’t be sweet news to Malaysians, especially taxpayers. Moreover, that figure does not include diabetics who seek treatment in private hospitals.

But at the same time, we, too, want the government to cut down on excessiveness and wastage and review existing projects that are perceived to bring little economic returns.

We can save but the government must also play its part. It’s a shared responsibility.

Malaysians, like everyone else on this planet, cannot live like they used to.

The days of cheap food will be a thing of the past. We cannot depend on fossil fuel forever. We cannot leave the fan, air-conditioner, lights and television on for no reason and, certainly, our children will pay a heavy price if we waste water as we are doing now.

This seems to be the only immediate answer if we want to sustain the planet.

It’s a simple pleasure in life and certainly most Malaysians would describe our traditional breakfast as heavenly.

I am sure it’s a Malaysian creation. I still do not know why Singapore has not staked a claim on this brilliant culinary work.

Maybe Singapore refuses to be associated with anything that’s regarded as half-measured, half-done or half-boiled. But hey, our national tolerance for mediocrity is higher, so if it tastes good, who are others to tell us otherwise.

I do not know whether our penchant for half-boiled eggs has anything to do with the national psyche but let’s not allow jealous foreigners to divide us. We do not want Perkasa to turn this into a nationalist frenzy over half-boiled eggs and we certainly don’t want Ibrahim Ali to issue “ada telur” dares to imagined foes.

Half-boiled eggs would be frowned upon in Western countries, where most hotel kitchens refuse to accept such orders as the eggs would not be cooked according to the stipulated health requirements.

Westerners, who cannot stomach what we eat, feel they could be exposed to salmonella, the bacteria that can lead to food poisoning. So never bother asking for half-boiled eggs during your holidays overseas.

Besides, what’s half-boiled eggs without kicap?

Older Malaysians have been taught from young that to stay healthy, we should have two half-boiled eggs every morning. I really do not know how, when and why some medical experts suddenly concluded that eating eggs, especially with the yolks – the best part of the eggs – can ruin your health.

One large egg is said to have 213mg of cholesterol, all found in the yolk, and eating too much of it can lead to a high cholesterol level. That’s what was said in one story I googled.

But I have also read that former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had a strict diet of 28 eggs a week plus steak, salads and her favourite tipple – whisky – each time she campaigned.

That’s according to personal documents published by the Margaret Thatcher Archive Trust. She is turning 86 this year and we know for sure that this Iron Lady remains one of the best leaders the world has seen so far.

I am pretty sure Tony Blair and Gordon Brown didn’t like eggs. But I am convinced that Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen also eat plenty of eggs. They are sharp and look good. Gutsy, for sure, and they make many men politicians look like wimps.

Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo conti­nues to defy nature. But I’m not sure if it’s half-boiled eggs or tempeh, a popular Javanese soy product.

I do not know why but eggs always seem to fly in the direction of some politicians. Joining the fray over the award of Public Service Depart­ment (PSD) scholarships, maverick minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has finally said the controversy should be discussed by taking into consideration the views of other parties, including the MCA and Gerakan.

He seems to miss the point – no one is saying that all PSD scholars should be sent overseas. What the applicants have complained about is that there have been those with less than 8A+, some allegedly with just 6A+, who have been sent overseas by the Government.

It does not matter what race or religion the applicants are but if you are not a top achiever, what are the possibilities of these scholars entering top schools like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard or Imperial College London?

It does not make sense to use taxpayers’ money to admit them into middle or low-level universities.

Our grading system has already been questioned by top foreign universities. The high string of distinctions mean nothing to them now.

Yes, we are all aware the Prime Minister has promised that students who obtained 8A+ and above are eligible for PSD scholarships to study either locally or abroad. It’s a fantastic decision and everyone should be clear about it.

But procedures on scholarships should be clear and open. It really doesn’t make sense when there are mismatches, bad decisions and even questionable moves. It is precisely this resentment that has led to eggs being thrown at the faces of the PSD officials.

All the good intentions of the Government are now being affected because of these half-boiled, or rather half-baked, measures.

My cardiologist has given me a clean bill of health. The thick medical report, following a five-hour examination which cost a bomb, has a prediction by the doctors that the chances of me getting a heart attack over the next 10 years would only be 1%. The caveat is that I must continue to visit them regularly. They are a cunning bunch of doctors, for sure.

Yes, everyone tells me that I would need to accept the fact that the grey hairs would appear. They started appearing a few years ago, actually.

My only consolation is that I need to get a haircut every two to three weeks, which means I am not going bald. The secret, I tell my friends, is to eat lots of eggs.

By the way, can we decide whether it’s called white hair, silver strand or grey hair? It’s all so confusing.

The wrinkles haven’t appeared, I think, although I need to do something about the eye bags. I have decided to spend less time looking at myself in the mirror. That way the vain pot in me can avoid being reminded of the ageing process.

I am told that there are really no magic pills that can stop the receding hairline or wrinkles. I just have to accept them, unless Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is ready to share with me the secrets to staying young. If he refuses, I guess I will just have to consult Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.

It has never been easy for Malaysians who have reached the age of 50 and above. It’s bad enough being called uncle by people who are not even related to us but since the sex video appeared, my younger colleagues have been asking me whether it’s true that we develop sagging breasts or need over-sized undies at this age.

These young people really have no manners. Of course not. Only your twin brother, a lookalike or someone in a plastic suit would have that physical problem.

Mentally, I think I am at my peak. The sense of humour is still good. I know my history, unlike Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali who thinks there are still communists in our midst. I am not stuck in the Cold War era and I know the commies are now in Zegna suits and holding Blackberry phones, trying to negotiate their next multi-billion renminbi deals.

In the last news report I read, the Red Cadres were slugging each other at a downtown Beijing shopping mall for an iPad 2, not the Little Red Books.

The only time warp I am stuck in is my addiction to 80s Brit music. I can’t seem to break away from A Flock of Sea Gulls or Tears for Fears. Hey, move on, old man!

I am drinking moderately although I get gout, sometimes, when I take too much wine.

But politically I have remained sober. I support the call for moderation. Politics and religion should never be mixed. Worse still if race is included. It can be highly intoxicating.

Religious leaders, whether Muslims or Christians, should not turn their weekly sermons into political ceramah. Please do not abuse the pulpits. Your congregations comprise people of different political affiliations. They want to share their time with God, not politicians or politician wannabes masquerading as religious leaders.

Pray for the King, our leaders and the nation, not for certain politicians and political parties. Worship God, not the politicians.

When you reach 50, you may still buy a floral shirt. That’s the rage in the spring collection.

But you cannot avoid that creepy feeling that you are half buried. That scares the hell out of me and, certainly, finding more time to talk to my Creator is becoming more relevant.

Okay, the memory department is affected in little ways. There’s that sudden block that hits you occasionally where you just cannot remember what you want to do or want to say to someone. You know what I mean. There are no magic pills for this either and I really think that ginkgo crap is a figment of the imagination or a quick-buck scam by the commies.

But the important thing is that I feel good. I sleep and eat well.

I know the health reporters want me to be a rabbit and eat strange organic stuff and more greens. The environment desk wants me to give up sharks fin soup and eat more tofu (haven’t they heard of uric acid?) while the young entertainment reporters joke about me turning Hawaii 5-0 – and their hero is the present wimpy detective.

Nope, they have not heard of Jack Lord and they think the current series is the hottest thing from Hawaii since President Barack Obama.

I am glad to read that George Clooney has also reached the halfway mark. So have Eddie Murphy and Meg Ryan. They all look fabulous but we can’t say the same about Boy George. But that’s simply because he could never decide which way he wants to go.

The comedy court started off pretty innocently with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng implying that there was an element of sabotage after the state-run funicular train broke down just eight days after it reopened following a RM73mil upgrade and a 14-month hiatus.

The prime suspect was a dog. The train driver swore he saw a dog trying to cross the high-voltage railway track and that there was a collision with an object. It was never stated what the object was, however.

Penang Hill Corporation general manager Datuk Lee Kah Choon was quoted as saying that he has ordered the Penang Municipal Council to round up stray dogs in the area.

Although his boss wasn’t convinced that a dog was responsible, Lee seemed to believe it and we can presume that the council workers have been busy dog hunting since then.

Well, at least Lee was not asked to hunt for stray politicians, bloggers or newsmen.

Lee has also said that “monkeys, wild boars and snakes” may also cause disruption to the service. This must be the most creative excuse Malaysians have heard for a long time. Yes, blame the animals.

Luckily, Lim did not call for a Royal Com­mission of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the fiasco. After all, he is now in government and it is no longer fashionable to issue statements calling for RCI to be set up. That’s the work of opposition politicians.

Still, it may not be as bad as the Malacca monorail episode in October last year.

The RM15.9mil monorail there came to an embarrassing halt just hours after a grand launch by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam to mark Malacca as a developed state, 10 years ahead of the national target of Vision 2020.

A skylift eventually had to be used to rescue 20 passengers stranded in the train. Since then, the monorail has yet to be put back on track but test runs are being conducted.

It was certainly a big blow to the hot air launch, and Malaysians in other states have been trying to figure out what the “developed state status” is about since then.

It was a black eye for Rustam but he did not claim sabotage behind the unfortunate episode. No one blamed a bird or a kancil either.

Back to Penang. We are not sure if Lee did manage to catch any stray dog but prominent blogger Mohamad Zakhir @ BigDog declared war on the Chief Minister and a group of pastors, claiming that they were trying to change the official religion of the federation from Islam to Christianity. The blogger’s post was picked up by Utusan Malaysia and developed as front-page news.

This caused an uproar with police reports being lodged by right-wing Malay groups and counter reports of denials by Christian groups. Leading the herd for the Malay rights’ group was Datuk Ibrahim Ali, whose antics are already well known, while Bigdog doggedly continued to insist that his claim was real.

The conspiracy claim was surely the hottest news last week, so much so that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had to ask everyone to “cool it”.

But just when we thought the dog fight was coming to an end, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim joined towards the tail end of the political silliness by purportedly labelling the Prime Minister a “piglet” in Tamil. Overnight, pandikutti became the most spoken Tamil word in Malaysia.

Anwar has of course denied it despite some pro-Umno bloggers insisting there was video recording to show Anwar uttering the word in connection with Najib.

But we are used to politicians blaming the press for purportedly misquoting them. When confronted with voice or visual recordings, they would then retort that they may have said it but it was not what they meant in the context they had spoken.

Yes, we believe them.

Thank God Parliament is currently not in session, otherwise we can expect our MPs to continue calling each other “animals” during the debates.

It has been a hugely embarrassing week as far as political news is concerned. Malaysians deserve better quality political discourse than the low level of politicking which we have sunk into.

Sadly, we are unable to articulate our political points, even in disagreement, in measured tones. We seem to prefer to shout, threaten, ridicule or run down someone. This, unfortunately, seems to be most prevalent in the social media, especially in comments or twitter postings.

The political divide is so great with supporters adopting almost blind loyalty, ignoring or refusing to believe the weaknesses or shortcomings of their leaders.

The middle-of-the-road political approach seems to be increasingly sidelined. Certainly, this is unhealthy for Malaysia as our political maturity needs to grow. Political ideas are merely state of the mind.

I think it’s fair to say that Malaysians want to look forward to a politically less exciting, or exhaustive, week. The political temperature has to come down.

Most of us have more productive things to do and bigger concerns to worry about. Surely it isn’t too much for us to expect our politicians to do better than to grab newspaper headlines with bird-brained utterances.

Yes, we can blame it on the haze too because some of our politicians seem to have become increasingly hazy in their thoughts and are seemingly unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Let the wind blow it away soon, please.

He delivered 35 out of the 35 seats contested by Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu and convincingly won in his Asajaya stronghold, with his opponents losing their deposits.

The calls for Taib, the longest serving Chief Minister, to step down have since stopped.

Despite the cry for change, nothing has changed. Taib is still the man in charge and he still holds the key to the state’s 29 Barisan Nasional MPs in the safe deposit box.

Painful as it may sound, the reality is that the only change that has occurred is the Chinese voters have committed their representation to the opposition.

The fact is that Taib delivered in the state’s fiercest election, where over 200 candidates contested in 71 seats, and he made sure Barisan won with the two-thirds majority intact by winning 55 seats.

PKR, which contested the largest number of seats for Pakatan Rakyat, was a wash-out, managing to win only three of the 49 seats it went for.

PAS failed so badly, with some of its candidates losing their deposits.

The point is that the bulk of the Malay, Melanau and Dayak seats remained with the Barisan.

PKR generated much hype about capturing the state, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even declaring at mid-point of the campaign that Pakatan was looking beyond denying the Barisan the two-thirds majority.

It was a foregone conclusion even before the nominations that the urban Chinese voters would go to the DAP. And, as predicted, the DAP won 12 seats, almost wiping out SUPP.

It would not be wrong to deduce that Taib had gone to the polls knowing that the Chinese voters had abandoned him and SUPP could not deliver but the bumiputra votes would be solid.

Even in the suburbs of Kuching, where bumiputra voters are fully exposed to issues, they strongly backed the Barisan.

For all their euphoria, PKR and PAS could not deliver the bumiputra seats, and that meant capturing the state was impossible.

Essentially, the Chinese is now in the opposition.

The bottom line is that voting was along racial lines, much as some might wish to gloss over it. Even Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian – who was picked to be the new CM should Pakatan win but ended up as not even the state opposition chief – argued on the ethnic factor, snubbing the Pakatan Shadow Cabinet because he felt it did not have enough bumiputra representation.

Similarly, PAS has always consistently said its role is to push for an Islamic representation. It has always been honest about its goal and agenda.

Racial representation certainly does matter in any government, whether Barisan or Pakatan, as Baru Bian himself has acknowledged. And no matter how we argue, the DAP won in the Chinese areas.

The DAP has said that it makes no difference whether SUPP is in the state government or not. But that remains to be seen and evalua­ted in the next five years.

Now comes the question of the Chinese representation at federal level. Anti-establishment sentiments among the Chinese remain strong with their grouses pertaining to economic opportunities, places in public universities, career opportunities in public services, abuse of the affirmative actions and religious concerns.

The Chinese community has always placed strong emphasis on continued progression. Their migratory patterns to seek better lives have long been recorded. Even in countries that are predominantly Chinese – China, Taiwan and Singapore – the community always wants more.

Any politician who asks Chinese voters to be grateful would only commit political suicide, given the fact that the community makes up one of the largest group of personal income tax contributors in Malaysia.

Development is after all the duty of the government. That’s what politicians are supposed to do.

But it has also been frustrating for the MCA, the largest Chinese partner in the Barisan. It has a record in education which no Chinese-based party in Malaysia can match. Hundreds of thousands have graduated from Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman and now Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

It cannot be denied that even critics of the MCA have benefited in some ways from the party. As an example, many are sending their children to KTAR or Utar, which are heavily subsidised by the party and its supporters. It would be more acceptable to suggest that the MCA need to do more.

At the MCA headquarters, every day there is such a long queue of people seeking help from the party’s officials. It resembles a busy hospital scene.

Certainly, it has been dampening and even heart-wrenching for the party to be asked what it has done for the Chinese. It has now come to a head-on: Should the Chinese vote opposition but turn to the MCA for help?

It is clear that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is not accepting such an arrangement. The party has decided that should it fare worse than in the 2008 polls, the MCA would not accept any government position – not even municipal council, district committee or hospital advisory board posts.

The decision should be regarded not as a threat but as a matter of choice. The wishes of the community must be respected as massive defeats for the MCA in the next polls can only be seen as the wish of the voters to reject Chinese representation in government.

No dignified Chinese leader – whether MCA, Gerakan or SUPP – should accept a senator’s post after publicly pledging he would not accept any government post this time. It would be simply demeaning.

The MCA has readily admitted that it would have little legitimacy to be in government if it is rejected by the community. For sure, it would have little bargaining power if it is regarded as non-representative of the Chinese community.

If it does not perform well, then the MCA should pack up, accept the rejection, stay on the sidelines for the next five years and let its political opponent take up the interests of the Chinese community.

In the next general election, the likelihood is that the DAP has a good chance of retaining Penang. But there can never be a Penang factor elsewhere.

In Kedah, PAS is facing a strong challenge while in Perak, the political scenario has changed drastically with the Barisan regaining much ground.

Of the 222 parliamentary seats, only 40-odd seats are Chinese majority with over 65% Chinese votes. There are about 30-odd racially mixed seats. That means the Chinese political clout is restricted, and it has not helped with the population continuing to decline sharply.

In Selangor, the official statistic is that it is only 29% of the five million population, and in Penang with its more than one million population, the Chinese are reportedly no longer the majority.

In 1957, the Chinese made up 45% of the country’s population. But the projection is that by 2035, it will drop to 18.6% if the decline continues.

With the indication now that Malay and Indian votes have returned to the Barisan, the scenario is moving towards an unhealthy situation where Malays are in government and the Chinese are on the opposition.

PKR and PAS are fully aware of the Malay shift, with PKR re-emphasising its commitment to protecting Malay special rights while the Islamist party is expected to do the same at its general meeting next month in a move to regain the Malay votes.

The question is whether the Chinese community wishes to be the king-maker, to be in the government or the opposition, in the next general election.