PM Tun Mahathir in Okinawa

The newly-minted and champion new PM Tun Mahathir came to Okinawa with his entourage as a panellist in Ministerial Forum to World Peace on 11 Nov. 2003. Amongst other panels of the forum came from the ministerial position of which included the ex-Pm of Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev.

 Date 11 Nov. 2003

They were in the Reception Room after the forum ended. The security personnel allowed me in the room. I was alone. Before entering the room, I thought there should be many political people and their security personnel. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I was alone with the Tun and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah.

They were both staring at me when I entered through the door. So, I panicked. What topic to talk and how to greet them?
The Tun has just retired. I didn't even know who took over his position as PM of Malaysia that time.

So, I just smiled and suddenly became speechless. But Tun Dr Siti Hasmah started first by asking me how long I've stayed in Okinawa, am I a student.
She was soft-spoken and her quiet personality brought calm in me.
I told them many native people of Okinawa live through the ripe old age of 100. The Tun asked what is their magic diet. I told him the island people take lots of goya or bitter gourd.

The Tun asked many things of Okinawa and its people. Easy, I thought.
We went to a garden party after this conversation. The garden party with many politicians and media people were held on the ground of the Emperor of Okinawa. The ground has a summer palace where the once Emperor of Okinawa and his family members escaped the humid summer in town.
That meeting was 15 years ago. I had thought the Tun would retire peacefully into mature old age.

But just 10 days ago, 10 May 2018. He was elected again as the PM of Malaysia at age 92.
I wish him healthy and strong to perform the hopes of his people and success in making his country "clean" again.

*****

Another Tunisia?

Semalam lepas mandi sauna, terlentuk sekejap di ruang rehat sana. Bila terjaga, terasa badan sejuk dan terbersin-bersin sikit. Pagi ini awan mendung, langit suram dan dengan tidak sengaja terbaca laman ini...

http://blog.marhaen.info/index.php/laman-utama/1-artikelmarhaen/773-rosmah-mansor-ada-pejabat-haram-di-putrajaya

Terbahak ketawa sendiri melihat lakunan politikus (atau isteri masing-masing) di Malaysia. Lepas ini untuk melepaskan tension atau untuk hiburan murahan, klik saja mana-mana laman underground yang dah timbul macam cendawan racun di alam siber ini.
Enjoy :]

Sudahlah badan gedebab macam haram, duduk di pejabat secara haram, ada gelaran haram, apa nak jadi dengan isteri Perdana Menteri ini? Pemimpin-pemimpin BN sudah buta ke? Atau sudah gila? Takkanlah seorang politikus BN pun tidak berani menegur tingkah laku songsang mangkuk hayun bernama Imelda Rosmarkus ini?

Takkanlah semuanya sudah jadi pengecut yang hanya pandai membodek dan menikus sahaja? Mana pendekar keris kontot Hishammuddin Hussein? Mana Ibrahim Katak Pekasam? Takut dengan mak badak ke?

~~~~~

Barking dog!

Hatoyama backpedaled on his promises to Okinawa people. His election pledge of closing the Futenma Military Base and reducing the military functions of the American Bases on Okinawa Island is just like a barking dog. You throw stone the dog barks, you don't throw stone, the dog still barks.

Hatoyama is that barking dog.

The magma of Okinawa people is about to overflow. How long can Okinawa people take this barking dog?

***********

Massive terror tyme USA-style

Back in history 64 years ago. Exactly Aug. 6, 1945.
A visit drop by Little Boy that carried an explosive that yeild 15000 tons of TNT.

After the visit, 90,000 people varnished from the earth's face just by one second. A month later another 145,000 lives gone.

See the video. I only see it once. I cannot see it the second round. I don't dare, too scary for my small heart.

"A bomb can now be manufactured which will be 25000 times as powerful as that which destroyed Hiroshima." - Betrand Russell

Hopefully what Clinton did today, going all the way to N-K, will benefit all mankind.
Hopefully, that communis:t country will stop its nuclear activity.
Hopefully, when we die, we die peacefully...
Hopefully...


*****************

Tatkala komunis bermain...

AFP - Friday, June 19

Japan's defence ministry believes that North Korea might now be planning to launch a two-stage or three-stage Taepodong-2 missile towards either Japan's Okinawa island, Guam or Hawaii, according to the report.

But the ministry said launches toward Okinawa or Guam were "extremely unlikely" because the first-stage booster could drop into waters off China, agitating Beijing, or hit western Japanese territory, the report said.

If the missile were fired in the direction of Hawaii, the booster could drop in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) well before the missile's remaining part flies over northern Japan and towards North America.

This would put "enormous military pressure on the United States," the Yomiuri said, citing the ministry report.

The ministry concluded that it was "most likely" that North Korea's next ballistic missile test would be directed toward Hawaii, the daily said.

WOHO!

SATU PERTANYAAN: Apa pasal tak ada orang berani heret kepala komunis ini ala Saddam Hussein?

******************

Insane in the membrane

Picture from foilhat.com.

There was a false alarm on the national tv station today. At 12.15 in the afternoon, they falsely announced the missile is launched.

"The missile is launched, the missile is launched."

I was sitting alone on the edge of the sofa. My heart was beating painfully irregular.
Then about a half minute later, they announced it was a false alarm.

Look at him, sitting there filling up on his belly.

Do you know that half of his country's people are starving? They scratched the hills and mountains to find roots and grasses and have grass soup for dinner?

Now, with his intelligent know-how equivalent to 1970's era, he is making nuclear weapons, war heads and missiles.
Then, he tries to convince the world it is just some kind of test.
He shoot across routes of land and oceans that commercial flights use. He says he has the rights to do it.

Anyone flying across the Japan Sea from today till April 8th, will be re-routed or better still cancel your flight.

Tell me what rights does he has to cross foreign neighbours with his malfunction weapons?
Look at his belly, know what I feel?
Like crucifying him to a pole on a tip of an erupting volcano!

INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE

Pearls in the ball

Ai Miyazato (Okinawa girl) at 19, she earned US10 million.

Ishikawa Ryo at 17 this year, he earned US10 million.

What do you do when your child earned US$10 million at 17 years old?

Dont't ask me, frankly I don't know what I will do.

Most probably I am still myself and that child will still be himself.

What can he do with all that money?

He still has to finish his schooling, that I insist.

Then, every morning I will still prepare his lunch box to school.

He eats from his lunch box (bentou) everyday that I prepare.

So, what is there with all that money?

Yes, Ishikawa Ryo is still that same boy. He earned US$10 million this year, goes to school every morning on his bike and eat lunch from the box his mother prepared.

Let me tell you, 70% of that winnings goes to the tax ticket, so the balance 30% or what remains at US$3 million is his for the taking.

You may screamed "What? How come the government take 70%? That is so unfair!"

That is how Japan build their system, nobody run away and build big bungalow houses in Australia or keep a secret box in the Swiss bank hide-out.

That 70% of Ryo's winning goes to support the society of Japan. When my Ojii (FIL) lies in the hospital with 24 hours round-the-clock care, he pays only about US250 per month, when actually it might costs about US$3000 a month.

Lets take 1million old people like my Ojii, so is that humongous or what!

Now you know why it is important for the government of Japan to take those money from the rich and serve those poor old people every where in Japan.

Ryo and Ai, keep those yen rolling, you are the best!

Bertemu-mesra dengan Tun.

Suami dan saya ke Dewan Sivik Naha semasa forum sudah bermula dengan ucapan pembukaan. Saya perhatikan auditorium agak penuh.

Ceramah pertama dari Mikhail Gorbachev bekas presiden Soviet Russia. Tema ceramahnya "pessimitic of future political hopes".

Selepas itu, baru lah Tun Dr. Mahathir membentangkan hujahnya yang bertemakan "paranoid". Mengatakan yang dunia politik sekarang sangat "paranoid". Yang diulas juga di akbar ini, The Star.

Penceramah ketiga dari Zbigniew Brzezinski (Former National Security Advisor pada presiden USA). Malangnya beliau tidak dapat hadir dan ceramahnya dilakukan berbentuk video conference.

Pembentang yang ke4 dari Kenneth Quinones (Director for the Korea Peninsula Programe for Asia & the Pacific).
Dia melapurkan yang Bush telah mengambil tindakan keterlaluan dengan memerangi Iraq.

Waktu rehat, pendengar tunggu kesemua tetamu undangan keluar terlebih dahulu, barulah dibenarkan keluar dari auditorium.

Waktu rehat hanya 20 minit sahaja dan penuntun diumumkan supaya masuk sebelum tetamu undangan dijemput duduk.

Persembahan ke5 dari Kim Kyung-Won (Former Ambassador to the USA and the UN of the Republic of Korea). Saya tertidur waktu ceramahnya!

Ceramah dari tetamu undangan ke 6 dari Jian Mingjun (Chairman of the Global Compact Center fo UN Program). Tema ceramahnya membentangkan cara negara-negara maju berdamai dengan semua negara tidak mengambilkira kemajuan negara lain.

Ceramah yang ke7 dibentangkan oleh Keiichi Inamine (Governor of Okinawa Pref.) bertemakan sejarah kepulauan Okinawa yang damai dan usahanya untuk mengkurangkan pengkalan tentera Amerika.

Ceramah yang ke8 dan terakhir dari Tatsuo Arima (mengantikan tempat Ryutaro Hashimoto-Former PM of Japan, yang tidak hadir). Mengharapkan setiap negara mengikut cara demokrasi dalam sistem politik negara masing-masing.

Waktu rehat tengah hari sempat saya mencari sudut yang sunyi dan meminta izin pada pak gaurd situ untuk bersolat dalam 10 minit. Izin di beri dan pak guard menghalang orang lain dari melalui sudut solat itu selama saya bersolat. Disebabkan harus melapurkan diri di pejabat, suami tinggalkan saya sendiri dan balik rumah untuk menyiapkan kerjanya.

Bahagian kedua masuk sessi perbincangan ahli penal yang dipimpin oleh Soichiro Tahara, seorang wartawan di akhbar utama pulau ini.
Banyka juga soalan yang ditujukan dan dibalas sampai masuk waktu asar.

Sessi soal jawab tamat pukul 5.30 petang. Waktu berbuka puasa 5.47 petang, lalu saya mencari air untuk berbuka puasa.

Selepas solat maghrib di sudut yang sama waktu solat zohor, saya termasuk bilik tetamu. Saya tidak tahu itu bilik tetamu, di luar bilik itu terdapat ramai anggota keselamatan dari Malaysia dan Jepun berdiri rapi.
Salah seorang di antara mereka berkata "kalau akak nak jumpa Tun, terus masuk dalam", lalu di tunjukkan ke arah pintu tetamu itu.
Ah, ada peluang bertemu Tun!

Apabila pijak ke bilik tamu, saya lihat hanya Tun dan Tun Sri sahaja berdua sedang berbual. Mereka berhenti berbual dan menoleh ke arah saya, tersipu-sipu, saya memperkenalkan diri.

Ini perbualan kami.
saya: Tun, buat lah rumah sini!
Tun: ah! mahal sangat.
saya: orang sini banyak umur panjang
Tun: oh, iyeke? Apa mereka makan?
saya: mereka selalu makan peria pahit.
Tun: iyeke? Itu saja ke?
Tun Sri: Jepun semua barang mahal. Awak dah lama tinggal sini ke?
saya: adalah dalam 7 tahun, lebih lama di pulau atas.
Tun Sri: Bagus ke sini?
saya: bolehlah tahan, macam Mslaysia juga sikit.
Tun Sri: Tenguk tu, ada orang nak ambikkan gambar! (lalu kami pun berposing).

Esok sambung Garden Party dengan Tun.
Sila lihat foto di link fotopages.

Garden Party with Tun.

After saying my departure to the Tun, I left the room with the rest of the press staff. But unexpectedly, a happy surprised came. I was invited by a personnel from one of the local press clubs to attend the garden party. Happily, I agreed and I was partnered with a lady reporter, Michiyo Yonamine, to join the Tun Entourage Convoy.

A black chauffeur-driven Toyota was awaiting for both of us. Altogether I counted ahead of our car were 6 other cars. There was no special traffic patrol on the road for the invited VIPs eventhough this time it was the rush hour period. We had to stop several times due to the evening traffic congestion.

The Garden Party was held at Shikinaen Garden. Shikinaen was a royal garden villa which was said to have been constructed in 1799. The garden was used by the royal members of the Ryukyu Kingdom not only for recreational purposes during the hot, humid summer months but also for diplomatic affairs such as when they hosted reception parties for investiture envoys from the emperor of China.
The garder was lit by soft light at every tree down the stone-path. It looked really romantic in the soft evening night. I came once before but it was in the day time and I can see the garden was more pictureque by the moonlight.

There was a welcome speech by the press staff and a welcome clap was given to our Tun. His speech was not serious, mostly light-humoured. I remembered he said there was not much difference between Malaysia and Okinawa except for the weather. He continued that it would be nice if the Japanese can transport this beautiful weather to Malaysia, everybody laughed at this! I found this to be quite amusing. He also said that this was his second trip here, the first one was few decades ago and he remembered "the Habu and the mangoose fight" he saw that time. "Anyway, there is no fight now", he joked, everybody laughed again. The Tun made a "kanpai" toast and he went round the crowd chatting away.


(See the Tun & Datok Marzuki-the ambassador to Japan-behind me!).

Then, the Governor of Okinawa made a speech about the history of Shikinaen Garden, followed by The ex-Pm of Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev.
I was with Tun Datin Sri Dr. Hasmah when we were served a plateful of sushi. It seemed quite difficult for her to stand while trying to negotiate the chopsticks on the sushi. I pointed to her some chairs nearby to sit but she rejected this offer, prefering to stand. I brought to her attention that she was eating "belut panggang" or barbecued eel and she said "yes, I like this".
She was eating half way through the sushi and someone informed her to get ready. Immediately she and the rest of the protocol troop put down their plates and rushed to follow Tun Dr. Mahathir. This is really the meaning of loyalty and puntuality.
They made their way gingerly towards the convoy of cars waiting. They have to walk gingerly because the footpath was just lumps of gravel stones and quite hard to manoeuvre with the low glow lightning.

After the last convoy left slowly, other prominent guests made their departures as well. We waited for the closing speech and made our way out. This is what I call a Personal Historical Happening of My Life.

Note: Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah binti Haji Mohamad Ali (born 12 July 1926) is the wife of the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah binti Haji Mohamad Ali is the wife of the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. She served as wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years from 1981–2003. Wikipedia