theCICAK e-book, Young Malaysians You Need to Know, will be out soon!

Watch this space.

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By KEITH LEONG

The last couple of years have seen an explosion of autobiographical writing in Malaysia. Everyone, from former Communist leaders to presidents of lawn-bowling associations seems to be writing their memoirs these days.

I think this is a wonderful development because, as I have said before, Malaysians need to share their stories with the world and more importantly, each other. The problem with many of these books however is that they often fail … Click here for the full article!

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Literal English Translation:

I am Osama lah.

The U.S. really wants to bomb me, but can’t bomb me. They dropped so many bombs in caves in the Ah-bu-han (Afghan) mountains.

But can’t bomb me. They can’t find me ah. Haha.

They really can’t find me. Because … Click here for the full article!

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It’s time.

The judges have decided. And you have voted.

We now have the results for our second annual writing competition!

So who is the young Malaysian hero? And who will win RM5,000 worth of cash prizes? Stay tuned.

theCICAK is holding a prize-giving ceremony for the winners of Young Malaysians You Need to Know 2007 this Saturday afternoon, 24. Nov., in Kuala Lumpur (Jeff Ooi and theCICAK team will be there!).

We’re inviting three ardent theCICAK fans. If you would like to attend, please send us an email at write4thecicak@gmail.com with your name, contact number and why you would like to attend. Simple as that. We will contact you with a special invite if you are shortlisted. Send us an email by 5 p.m. (Malaysian time) 23 Nov. 2007.

We would like to thank our judges, Marina Mahathir, Jeff Ooi, Poh Si Teng and Nicholas Wong for their time, effort and encouraging response to the Heroes competition.

We would also like to thank The Star, Inkyhands, KOMAS, the Swarthmore Foundation, our editors, our participants and everyone who voted.

The complete ebook of the competition entries will be available on the site soon.

So congratulations to participants and their heroes. Visit theCICAK this Saturday, Nov. 24, for the results and the ebook!

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Photo by CHUA SUE ANN

By VINCENT LAU

Let’s not kid ourselves, OK? The Bersih rally - peaceful or not, was not about a call for real democracy or handing over a memorandum to the king. A rally could have been held in a stadium where like-minded people could have gone and stayed out of everybody else’s way. And if they really wanted to hand over a memorandum to the king, I am sure the opposition leaders could have done it themselves, behind closed doors. They didn’t have to hype up the event.

Quite simply, the protest was nothing more than a demonstration of power. They are telling the present government that they have the support of the people. They are telling the people that the present government is doing something really wrong and that they are our saviours … Click here for the full article!

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz said the use of water cannons and tear gas at the Bersih rally is not considered a use of force.

Khairy Jamaluddin, deputy UMNO Youth leader, said Bersih protesters do not represent the political consciousness of the Malaysian public.

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, human rights lawyer, said the Official Secrets Act and the Internal Security Act prohibits fair distribution of information that will create more informed voters.

What do you think? … Click here for the full article!

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Photo by CHUA SUE ANN

By RASHAAD ALI

This is not some second-hand story. This is an account from the frontline.

This is a frame by frame recollection of the Bersih rally in Masjid Jamek on 10 Nov. and how pandemonium descended into the city centre that afternoon, where my entire view of the present government was shattered the moment I saw those first gas canisters fly.

You can read it in the papers, on websites, in forwarded e-mails, but the magnitude of the brutality will never compare to the panic that infiltrated into my being, and the fear that I now harbour for the government.

You could feel the stillness in the air, the sudden … Click here for the full article!

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By RACHEL LEOW

What follows is a transcript of the telephone interview that Malaysia’s Minister of Information Zainuddin Maidin (ZAM) gave Al-Jazeera yesterday, moments after the Bersih memo was delivered to the Royal Palace at the close of the biggest anti-government protest in Malaysia in ten years.

ZAM: ….I commend your journalists trying to project, to exaggerate more than what actually happened. That, that, that, that’s it. We, we are not, the, the — and I, I congratulate your journalists behaving like an actor, that, that’s —

AJ: As you say that, sir, we’re watching scenes of protesters being sprayed by chemical-filled water … Click here for the full article!

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