Rudyard Kipling"
“When 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 soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It 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."
Hassan defends Ramasamy amid calls for sacking over civil service remarks
Monday, February 13, 2023
Malaysiakini : Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim has come to the defence of Penang Deputy
Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, who is facing calls to be sacked for his
recent remarks on the civil service.
The PKR lawmaker said as a
Malay, he does not feel threatened by Ramasamy's call for reforms to the
civil service that is Malay dominated. “It is a fact, not an
accusation, that 90 percent of the 1.2 million civil servants are
Malays. This dominance is quite large. This is what has become an issue
for Ramasamy.
“Ramasamy did not raise a racial issue. He called
for reform, not a revolution, for the public service sector so that it
is seen to be fairer and more balanced for a just and civilised
Malaysia. “It should be respected if Ramasamy wishes to speak out in justice for the non-Malay citizens,” Hassan (above) said in a statement yesterday.
He reminded everybody that Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious country. Ramasamy has also consistently been a supporter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s agenda reform, Hassan added. “Let’s not ask for him to be sacked and be removed from his position simply because he dares to voice his views,” he said. In this regard, Hassan commended Anwar for defending Ramasamy’s right to speak.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar had said that Ramasamy’s remarks on the civil service were his personal opinion and that this view does not represent his party or the government. The prime minister added that the government does not view the Malay domination of the civil service as an issue.
Be patient
Hassan said the prime minister is dealing with too many challenges right now and urged patience from all quarters. “Malaysian
politics is like a battlefield with many landmines. One wrong step
could end in an explosion. Anwar understands this all too well,” he
added.
Anwar’s response towards Ramasamy’s call for reforms is
reasonable, Hassan said, seeing as the prime minister has to maintain
political stability within and outside the government.
Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy
Several days ago, Ramasamy said on Facebook that the civil service is “ossified” and is in need of reforms. The DAP leader said the argument that Malay domination in the civil
service was needed to counterbalance Chinese control of the economy was
no longer valid under the coalition government’s administration.
This,
he said, was among the arguments Dr Mahathir Mohamad used to
institutionalise Malay hegemony in the public sector during his first
stint as prime minister.
Backlash
The
statement courted flak against Ramasamy and DAP from both sides of the
political divide. Ramasamy has since distanced the party from his
remarks, saying they were his personal views. Those attacking him included Penang PKR Youth information chief Abshar Nurasyra and Amanah central committee member Mohd Sany Hamzan, and both of them also urged the state government and DAP to sack Ramasamy.
Bersatu vice-president Mohd Radzi Md Jidin also lambasted Ramasamy, saying the statement was an insult to the Malays and the civil service. He
linked the DAP leader’s remarks to the party and claimed DAP was “well
known to be allergic to whatever that is Malay dominated”.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has since thanked the party’s allies over their calls for action against Ramasamy.
Loke
said the party has its own way of handling issues and hinted that
Ramasamy would be dealt with through the party’s internal channels.
