Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Malaysiakini :Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown has confirmed rumours that she received RM1.4 million as part of her out-of-court settlement with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang last month.
She said, however, that the court made no order as to costs because Hadi had already made the payment, which was placed in escrow with Sarawak Reportās Malaysian lawyer Americk Sidhu.
"Sarawak Report agreed to Hadiās condition that both parties keep the payment confidential.
"It is a common provision of such settlements that the out-of-court payments are kept confidential to spare the blushes of the party who paid, in return for saving both parties the further time and expense of further litigation.
"That court order withdrawing the proceedings therefore provided for āno order as to costsā, as Hadiās contribution had already been paid and was in escrow," Rewcastle-Brown said in her blog today.She shared images of several documents, including a confidential agreement, a Bank Islam cheque, and a letter to Maybank confirming that the RM1.4 million had come from Hadi.
The letter to Maybank (below), she said, was the document that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had obtained about the payment.
Rewcastle-Brown also shared a court document noting that there were confidential terms of settlement, and no order of costs from the UK High Court.
'Misleading' claims
Yesterday, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said PAS would reveal documentary evidence that no payment had been made to Rewcastle-Brown.
Rewcastle-Brown, however, said such denials from PAS were misleading, untrue, and a breach of the confidentiality agreement.
"Hadi should not have been discussing details of the settlement payment with a member of PAS at all.
"
Takiyuddinās representations on Hadiās behalf is a flagrant and repudiatory breach of the confidentiality agreement, which is particularly egregious as it is untrue.
"Sarawak Report therefore is entitled to consider itself released from confidentiality also, in order to be able to tell the truth to the Malaysian people who are being misled.
"There are no documents āproving Sarawak Report was not paidā, to the contrary there is copious evidence showing we were paid by agents of Hadi to allow him to withdraw his claim," she said.
She said she was first approached with an offer for an out-of-court settlement late last year through an intermediary of Hadi's.
She said PAS had originally wanted to pay with cash, which she refused, opting for a post-dated cheque instead.
Hadi had sued Rewcastle-Brown in London over a 2016 Sarawak Report article claiming that then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak channelled RM90 million to top PAS leaders in a bid to secure support ahead of the 14th general election.
