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."
The attack on his father is one of the most disturbing episodes in this account. A man overseeing drainage work on an estate was attacked with changkols and machetes by three men whose anger, according to the narrative, was directed at the estate's white manager.
Swami's father bore the consequences of their fury. His upper arm required twenty-five stitches, while his face required another ten.
For a boy of about five, the sight of his father lying wounded on a blood-covered table was incomprehensible.
The child's description of himself turning to stone captures the helplessness of witnessing something terrible before one is old enough to understand it. His mother's hysteria, his uncle fainting at the sight of blood, and the desperate commotion at the estate hospital bring the scene to life without requiring any embellishment.
Yet the story takes an unexpected turn. The wife of one of the assailants would later come to Swami's mother for rice and other necessities. His mother helped her, even lending saris for her daughter's wedding.
This is perhaps the most revealing detail in the entire episode. A family that had suffered at the hands of one household did not allow that suffering to extinguish its humanity. Swami's mother responded to hardship with compassion rather than vengeance.
The narrative then moves from childhood trauma to a life of adventure and achievement. At fifteen, Swami attended an Outward Bound course that introduced him to sailing, jungle hiking, canoeing, abseiling, rowing, and the less glamorous business of cleaning pit toilets. He later became deputy head prefect, drum major of his school cadet band, and a leading member of the St John's Ambulance Brigade.
These experiences provide a useful backdrop to the young man's character. They suggest a boy who was energetic, competitive, physically adventurous, and attracted to challenges. But the Bidor Waterfall episode reveals the less flattering side of those same qualities.
Determined to camp despite his friends withdrawing, he cycled approximately forty kilometers alone, lied to his parents, and spent nights in the jungle despite warnings about tigers. His courage was mixed with stubbornness and poor judgment. The distinction matters. A candid memoir should not turn every reckless decision into an act of heroism.
The confrontation with the two cyclists brings this youthful defiance to its climax. When threatened over his belongings, Swami drew his machete, stood his ground, and charged at the men after they pelted him with stones. They fled, and he never saw them again.
It is a dramatic ending, but its significance lies beyond the confrontation itself. Here was a teenager who refused to be intimidated, even when he had placed himself in a dangerous situation through his own decisions. That determination could become an asset in later life, but it could also expose him to unnecessary danger.
This is what makes the account worth reading. Swami does not present a flawless childhood hero. He gives us a stubborn boy, a compassionate mother, a resilient family, and a series of formative experiences that help explain the man he would become.
The strongest passages are those in which he allows the contradictions to remain. Courage and recklessness coexist. Anger and compassion emerge from the same family history. A childhood marked by fear can still be a happy one.
Such details give a military memoir its human dimension. Before the soldier comes the child; before the officer comes the young man who is still learning the difference between standing one's ground and taking unnecessary risks.
Chapter 50 Page 248 - Coup in Sabah - Exigent Circumstances: A Soldierās Story It combines a politically charged deployment, personal resentment at being separated from a newborn daughter - Updated With Documentary
This chapter has the makings of a compelling section of Exigent Circumstances: A Soldierās Story. Three elements make this episode particularly effective as memoir writing.
- The conflict between duty and fatherhood. Your anger at being separated from your newborn daughter gives the deployment a personal cost. It makes the political crisis more than a military assignment.
Watch This Documentary To Watch the Shenanigans Of Dirty Politicians
- The contrast between institutional authority and personal loyalty. Resentment over the appointment of an acting OC, your frustration with the standard excuse of having no choice, and your confrontation at the airport reveal a narrator who questions authority but feels responsible for his men.
- The candid, uncomfortable details. The seasickness, poor food, alcohol-free mess, drunken drive through a police roadblock and confrontation with the RMAF personnel give the account its rough-edged character. These details make it read like a soldier recounting events rather than an official after-action report.
The Sabah crisis involved a disputed and highly contentious transfer of political power, and claims about responsibility for bombings, political affiliations and the conduct of particular groups should be distinguished from established facts.
The same applies to the claim that the 132 Rangers restored peace; it is stronger as a personal assessment of your company's contribution than as an independently established conclusion.
It combines a politically charged deployment, personal resentment at being separated from a newborn daughter, the realities of leading soldiers during civil unrest, and the willingness to confront authority when you believe your men are being mistreated. It is also preserved the distinction between what was witnessed and what was understood from the intelligence briefing.
I had already passed my Lieutenant-to-Captain promotion examination. I had been promoted to Lieutenant at the end of 1986, and my eldest daughter had been born on 22 January that year.
The Sabah election riots began in 1986. The ruling state government lost the election, but the political struggle that followed was anything but peaceful. Joseph Pairin Kitingan, a Christian Kadazan leader, had won the election, yet the political manoeuvring that followed was widely perceived by his supporters as an attempt to deny him his mandate. The Federal Government was also seen as biased, particularly because the political contest had acquired an increasingly racial and religious dimension.
Sabah had a substantial population of Filipino Muslim refugees, and the political affiliations of some local leaders with elements of that community became part of the controversy. Bombs were set off as unrest spread, adding to the tension and uncertainty.
At the time, Musa Hitam was the Deputy Prime Minister. The Rangers had not had a battalion stationed in Sabah for quite some time. This followed earlier incidents involving illegal killings of Sabahans, after which the Rangers were expelled and prohibited from returning.
Then, quite suddenly, we of the Seventh Rangers were ordered to Sabah. One company was to be deployed.
I was totally pissed off. My daughter was still a newborn, and I had barely had the opportunity to spoil her rotten. Now I was being sent away from my wife and child to deal with a political crisis that had nothing to do with me personally.
My Officer Commanding was away attending a course. In his absence, another senior Captain was appointed to act as OC of Alpha Company.
Why? Was I not senior enough? Or was there another reason?
I could only speculate. The elections had become racially and religiously toxic, and perhaps the appointment had something to do with the sensitivities surrounding the situation. Whatever the reason, I was not pleased.
I intended to ensure that my company had its combat rations and ammunition properly organised before deployment. Naturally, being the person I was, I protested against being sent to Sabah.
The answer was predictable.
āWe do not have a choice. You are the only one available.ā
Why not another company?
āNo choice.ā
That was the standard excuse whenever they wanted to victimise you. There was always a reason why you had to go, and never a satisfactory explanation for why somebody else could not.
Eventually, you learned that arguing with the system was like banging your head against a wall. You could protest until you were blue in the face, but the orders remained the same.
So off we went.
We boarded a ship belonging to our national petroleum company, loading our equipment and soldiers before setting sail for Sabah. Many of the soldiers became seasick. The food was as screwed up as it had been when I was still in the ranks during the seventies. Apparently, some things never changed, regardless of rank.
After three days at sea, we arrived in Kota Kinabalu.
Given the nature of our mission, we had brought our helmets along. As I looked towards the harbour, I could see trucks waiting to receive us. We disembarked in our berets, complete with our distinctive black hackles.
Once all the soldiers had been accounted for, the convoy moved towards Lok Kawi Camp, where the 5th Infantry Brigade was headquartered. We were accommodated and fed by a Royal Malay Battalion.
We soon settled in, although there was one minor inconvenience. The Royal Malay Officers' Mess was alcohol-free. If we wanted a beer, we had to make our way to the Territorial Army Officers' Mess.
Naturally, we found our way there. We quenched our thirst and made the best of the situation.
The following day, we attended a briefing conducted by the Brigade Intelligence Officer. According to his briefing, the losing political parties were responsible for the unrest and bombings. We were expected to conduct patrols every day, maintaining a constant presence on the ground.
We were in our boots twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There was little opportunity to relax, and the uncertainty surrounding the situation kept us on our toes.
In the evenings, my thoughts often turned to home. I started writing letters to my wife because I missed her terribly. I missed my little daughter even more. She was at an age when every day mattered, and I resented being away from her during those precious early weeks of her life.
Military duty, however, did not care about a father's feelings.
One night, after returning late from our duties, we encountered a Police Field Force roadblock. There were five of us in the car, traveling back to the Royal Malay Officers' Mess. A curfew was in force.
There was just one problem.
All five of us were pissed drunk.
The police ordered us to stop. Our driver, who was every bit as drunk as the rest of us, had other ideas. Instead of stopping, he pressed down on the accelerator and sped away.
I heard shots ring out.
For a moment, I wondered whether our luck had finally run out. Fortunately, neither the car nor the driver was hit. My assumption was that the police had fired warning shots into the air.
God must have been looking after us that night. It is indeed nice to be alive.
We spent a total of forty-two days in Sabah. Wherever troublemakers attempted to create unrest, they were dealt with forcefully. Our company conducted patrols, and we also marched in anti-riot formation during a demonstration in front of the state mosque.
As part of our anti-riot activities, we simulated firing at rioters and recovering their bodies.
The intention was to demonstrate what could happen if the unrest escalated into violence. Whether it was the display, the patrols, or the combined pressure of the security forces, the situation eventually calmed down.
Perhaps those intent on causing trouble realized that there would be serious consequences if they continued.
There were only 132 of us. Yet, in my view, our presence made a significant contribution to restoring peace and calm in the area where we operated. We had done our job, and we were eventually replaced by the entire 10th Rangers Battalion.
We were flown back in two C-130 transport aircraft.
Even our departure was not without drama.
At the airport, we encountered some RMAF airmen whose treatment of my soldiers was, to put it mildly, obnoxious. They were barking orders at my boys and berating them for carrying souvenirs they had bought with their own hard-earned money to take home to their families.
The airmen told them that the souvenirs would not be allowed on the aircraft.
That was enough for me.
I had endured a great deal during those forty-two days, but I was not going to stand there and watch my men being humiliated over a few souvenirs they had purchased for their loved ones.
I told the airmen to shut the fuck up and let my boys carry their belongings.
The Air Force officers looked on. Perhaps they had never encountered a really pissed-off Ranger officer before.
Whatever the reason, the matter was settled. My soldiers were cleared to board with their souvenirs.
We had endured forty-two days of deployment, separation from our families, exhausting patrols and the uncertainties of a politically charged security operation. My men had done their duty. They had earned the right to return home with their belongings intact.
And I was not going to let anyone treat them as though they had no rights.
For me, that was what being an officer was about. You could be ordered into a difficult situation, and you could be expected to endure hardship without complaint. But when it came to the men under your command, you had a responsibility to stand up for them.
That responsibility did not end when the shooting stopped. Nor did it end at the airport.
āMuslims Will Be OFFENDEDā - Sam Shamoun Reveals Quran
Christian apologist Sam Shamoun joins Patrick Bet-David for a bold talk on faith, courage, and conviction. From debating Islam to defending the Bible, Sam shares his mission, trials, and belief that truth must be spoken no matter the cost. A raw and fearless conversation about faith in action.
I know you probably wonāt see this and you donāt know I exist. But Sam I owe you an apology. I have watched many of Samās videos and I would tell myself, āman heās so wise and full of knowledge but was always aggressive or arrogant.ā I completely misjudged you. The humility you have shown in this interview has humbled me to see my misjudgment. So if by ANY chance you see this comment I ask for your forgiveness for I have sinned against you. Thank you for sharing this side of you and for sharing so much knowledge. I learned a lot in this interview.
All glory be to God! God bless you and your boldness. Also shout out to PBD Podcast for hosting Sam even when many were against it.
Chapter 2 : The Making of an Unconventional Soldier - Exigent Circumstances: A Soldierās Journey Down the Road Less Traveled
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
This passage offers an intriguing glimpse into Major D. Swamiās early life and the circumstances surrounding his decision to join the Malaysian Army. What stands out is the revelation that his decision was not necessarily driven by a romantic vision of military service.
The Malaysian Army of that period did not have body bags, and Swamiās stated reason for mentioning this detail was deeply personal: he did not want to burden his family. It introduces the prospect of death before his military career has even begun.
His family background provides a striking contrast.
He grew up in a large, boisterous household comprising nine siblings, an adopted brother, three uncles and an aunt. This was a crowded family environment, full of human interaction and competing personalities. Yet, despite the closeness implied by this description, nobody in his family supported his decision to enlist.
The reference to attending kindergarten at a convent school, despite it being an all-girls school, adds another unusual detail to the narrative. It suggests that Swamiās early experiences were not entirely conventional, and the anecdote gives the reader a glimpse of the personality behind the soldier.
The strength of this passage lies in its understated candour. Rather than beginning with heroic declarations or patriotic rhetoric, Swami introduces his military journey through family opposition, an uncomfortable fact about the armyās preparedness for death, and an unconventional childhood.
The body-bag detail is particularly powerful because of its bluntness. It brings the realities of military service into the narrative without embellishment. His concern about burdening his family also introduces a tension that could become significant as the story develops: the relationship between personal sacrifice, family ties and the demands of military life.
The central question raised by this chapter is simple: what kind of man chooses a profession in which death is a possibility, even when his own family hopes he will choose another path?
That question gives the passage its narrative pull.
It invites the reader to look beyond rank and military achievements and examine the experiences, attitudes and personal convictions that shaped the officer who would emerge.
Friendship and a Fatherās Courage
Whenever anyone bullied me, I knew exactly whom to call. Ah Toon was my man. During recess, I would point out the fellows who had bullied me. I would position myself at a strategically advantageous spot and identify the targets. Ah Toon and his gang would take care of the rest.
He was the leader of a bunch of small-time thugs. I was his general. I never had to get my hands dirty. It was a rather convenient arrangement, and I enjoyed a peaceful life at school. At least, I did not have to worry too much about those who thought they could push me around.
Ah Toon had several brothers. One was a policeman, another a schoolteacher. Quite a family, considering the company Ah Toon kept.
My kindergarten days were rather different. It was a mixed-gender kindergarten, and I even had the luxury of being chauffeur-driven in a black Vauxhall.
Let me clarify: it was not my father's car. It belonged to the estate manager, a Scotsman named Mr. S. G. Smith. His daughter, Alexandra Smith, a blonde with curly hair, was a student too at the kindergarten. That was how I came to enjoy the ride.
It was not because Mr. Smith was being particularly generous to my father. I simply happened to be in the right place at the right time.
My father was the sole breadwinner for a large family. He fed, sheltered and educated fourteen of us, not counting my mother. Education was particularly important because it meant giving his children a chance to make something of themselves.
My father was an extraordinary man, above all a doer. We bred chickens, ducks, pigeons, goats and cows. My mother churned her own butter. We had a large vegetable garden maintained by a gardener, and even a cowherd to look after the cattle. Ours was a household that produced much of what it needed. My father worked hard to keep the entire family going.
But there was another side to my father's life, one that belonged to a much darker period in Malayan history.
During the Second World War, my father served with the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). He and his close friend, Mr. Pathy, whom he regarded as a bosom buddy, were involved in smuggling medical supplies. It was dangerous work under the Japanese occupation, and eventually both men were caught by the Japanese military police, the dreaded Kempeitai.
What followed was horrific.
My father was subjected to water torture. Water was forced into his stomach, and he was made to gulp until he was close to drowning. Water would come out through his nose. The Japanese then burned his skin with cigarette butts. He remembered their smiles as they inflicted the pain. They seemed to take pleasure in his suffering. They were sadistic bastards.
Both men were tortured and starved. Mr. Pathy suffered permanent hearing damage. Yet neither man gave the Japanese the information they wanted. Eventually, they were released.
My father had witnessed the brutal consequences of betrayal during the occupation.
He knew what the MPAJA could do to collaborators and informers. Stories circulated of people being subjected to horrific punishments, including being immersed in boiling water. Perhaps those memories, together with the courage he and Mr. Pathy drew from one another, helped them endure their ordeal. Whatever the reason, neither man broke under torture.
When my father finally returned home, he was little more than a skeleton. My mother was terrified by his appearance. The man who had left home was almost unrecognizable.
He was placed in a goat shed. My mother, frightened by the condition he was in, would put food into a coconut shell and push it towards him. That was how he was fed.
Imagine that for a moment. A man who had risked his life to help others, who had endured torture and starvation without betraying his comrades, returned home so physically broken that even his own family was frightened by his appearance.
He had survived, but the scars of that experience would remain.
I grew up knowing my father as a man who provided for a large family and got things done. Only later could I fully appreciate the ordeal he had endured before I was born. His story was not simply one of survival.
In 1966, 108 Australians Were Surrounded By 2,000 Enemy Soldiers At Long Tan. It Was A Massacre
'C' Company of Seventh Rangers was attached to 6 Royal Australian Regiment as 'C' Company 6 RAR for Exercise Southern Tiger in 1993, spent 5 weeks there. Met some of the Vets who were involved in the battle. There is a movie "Danger Close" about the battle.
On 18 August 1966, D Company, 6RAR ā 108 men, many of them National Servicemen barely out of their teens ā walked into a rubber plantation east of Nui Dat and collided with a reinforced Viet Cong regiment.
What followed was three hours of close-range fighting in a monsoon downpour, danger-close artillery, a resupply flight through tracer fire, and an armoured relief force that arrived at the exact moment it was needed. This is the real story of the Battle of Long Tan ā the numbers that get exaggerated, the numbers that are still disputed by historians, and the men whose names rarely make it into the retellings.
21 injuries, swelling of skull area, bleeding in brain and intestines: 'Silence not an option'
Malaysiakini : The family of a man who died in police custody has demanded that the government and the inspector-general of police break their silence, as their lawyers disclosed a horrific catalogue of 21 injuries inflicted on Noorizwan Zulkefly, including bleeding in the brain and intestines and extensive injuries spanning his body from head to feet.
The 42-year-old father died on Oct 1, after being detained at the Cheras district police headquarters lock-up.
In a statement, the familyās lawyers, Rania Aljunied and Wan Nabilah Dina Wan Zamri, said a senior pathologist from Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital (HCTM) had documented the following injuries during the post-mortem examination:
Severe swelling over the entire skull area;
Generalised bleeding in the brain;
Extensive swelling around the eyes (black eyes);
Lacerations around the eyes;
Extensive swelling and lacerations around the ears;
Swelling in the collarbone area;
Swelling in the chest area;
Extensive swelling in the upper right back;
Extensive swelling in the right shoulder;
Extensive swelling in the left shoulder;
Extensive swelling in the right arm;
Lacerations in the wrists;
Internal bleeding in the intestinal area;
Extensive swelling in the hip;
Extensive swelling in the upper thigh;
Extensive swelling and lacerations in both knees;
Extensive swelling in the calves;
Extensive swelling and lacerations in the right foot;
Extensive swelling and lacerations in the left foot;
Extensive swelling in the sole of the right foot; and
Extensive swelling in the sole of the left foot.
The lawyers said the areas of extensive swelling showed subcutaneous bleeding when the skin was peeled back during the autopsy. āThis indicates severe beatings endured by the victim,ā they said.
Remember his performance in the death of Aminulrasyid Amzah, (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar, who was then Selangor chief police officer, said that the schoolboy was a criminal, a thug, because he supposedly had a parang in his car.
This one took the cake, the Kugan case, when a person of his rank, testifying in court attempted to suppress the truth to escape liability. Malaysiakini : In his first statement to the media after Kugan's death, Khalid had said that Kugan collapsed and died after drinking water. In the next media statement, Khalid had said that Kugan died of water in the lungs.
The study that rewrote Indian ancestry was built, in large part, on Telugu DNA. And what it found inside one Telugu community was stronger than anything seen in Ashkenazi Jews or Finns. I am a proud Telugu.
We count down seven discoveries about the Telugu people: the language paradox of the "Italian of the East", the Chenchus of the Nallamala forest, the Satavahanas, Amaravati and the Kakatiya queen Marco Polo wrote about, the three ancient ancestors inside every Telugu genome, Hyderabad's Persian, Arab and African roots and the Koh-i-Noor, the moment mixing in India stopped around 1,900 years ago, and a #1 that has real consequences for health today.
A note on accuracy: the large genetic studies we discuss did not test every Telugu caste, tribe or region, so some findings describe broad patterns. Dates for mixing and endogamy are scientific estimates with ranges.
Author and defence analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra joins us to explore the ideas, institutions and incentives that shape innovation. From investing in people and challenging hierarchy to accepting failure, building technology and rethinking education, we examine why innovation depends on more than money, population or individual talent.
IN THIS CONVERSATION:
ā¢ Why Israel's innovation culture attracts attention
ā¢ Human capital and investing in people
ā¢ Military service, technical skills and responsibility
ā¢ Hierarchy, authority and accountability
ā¢ Failure, experimentation and risk capital
ā¢ Jugaad versus ambitious innovation
ā¢ India's education, research and development challenges
ā¢ Manufacturing, technology and why countries cannot simply copy another model
ā¢ What India can learn from Israel and what it cannot simply replicate
The central question goes beyond one country: how do we build a society where people can learn, experiment, challenge ideas and create things that matter?
The September 11 attacks,[c] colloquially known as 9/11,[d] were a coordinated series of suicide attacks perpetrated by the Islamic terrorist organization al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. A total of 19 hijackers commandeered four commercial passenger airliners.
The first two planes were flown into each of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City, while the third plane crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in a rural field in Pennsylvania during a passenger revolt.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop for all traffic in U.S. airspace, requiring all airborne aircraft to return to their point of origin or divert to Canada. The actions undertaken in Canada to support incoming aircraft and their occupants were collectively titled Operation Yellow Ribbon.
āOur Problem in the Middle East is Not Israelā ā Luai Ahmed Delivers Rare Moment of Truth at the UN
Monday, October 12, 2026
Blessings with Gratitude to Luai Ahmed, a courageous Yemenite asking hard questions, seeking truth. Watch the countenances of those Luai questioned.
A brave young man. I never expected a video like this from UN Watch. That was the brutal truth told I support his position on the matter. The best ever speech coming from a young educated man telling these elderly leaders the truth about their own doing to their own countries is phenomenal!!!....... shame on them!!!
You can't stop the truth no matter how hard you try.
Is Bersama the solution Malaysians need but do not want? By Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy
Malaysiakini : āHe didnāt say it in front of me, but behind me, he would say, āIf we follow Rafiziās mind, no one will vote for us, so we cannot do this because the rakyat will be angry.āā
- Former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli
COMMENT | Of course, Bersama wants to make Selangor its home base. Former Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung hopes that Selangor āā¦ voters give us that room to imagine what is possible.ā
This is either inspiring or delusional, considering how entrenched Selangor voters are in their fear of the green wave.
Meanwhile, PAS and the deep Islamic state also have their eyes on Selangor. Not only is it the most economically prosperous state but also one which they believe, like Penang, is a stronghold of non-Muslim political power and an impediment to hegemonic religious rule.
This is why every opportunity is made to introduce religious dogma into the personal and public spaces of Selangorians, and race and religious hustlers have attempted to undermine the unity of the state for decades.
Whatever my criticisms of former economy minister Rafizi Ramli, he has publicly made it clear that when he returned to PKR after his self-imposed exile, he believed that the party should rely on its multiethnic base instead of not spooking the Malays, which he has flirted with before.
He has publicly acknowledged that politicians may need to make tough and unpopular decisions for the rakyatās interest.
darmakochi : Commander, I completely agree with you. Our nation badly needs a political change! MADANI government seems to be reacting to the events happening in our nation instead of introducing a proper political change for our multiracial nation.
AyamKambingBack: IF Bersama has the will and commitment to right the wronged, busturdized, oppressive, discriminative DEB/NDP/Whatever name, where a majority race has total advantage over the other minorities, which is similar to the infamous Apartheid system, then it is a NEED and WANT !!!
mk follower : When will Malaysiakini change its comment column back to its previous format ? Is the present change an improvement? If not , why the change then ?
darmakochi: Dear Malaysiakini, please (a thousand times) revert to the previous format. Do it as fast as possible. We MUST see our earlier comments to be consistent with our stand. A 1000 pleases!
HJ Angus : yes, I prefer the previous format too. If no changes, will not renew in March.
Zaheed : Bersama seem to be the best and viable option for Malaysia. Both the existing government and the opposition have failed and have no clear plans and policies for the future of our children.
Their only forte is to blatantly play up the race and religious cards with no consideration for the social reprecussions of their actions. They are also not there in solving the economic problems faced by the Rakyat. On the other hand, Bersama brings much hope in solving the problems faced by everyday Malaysians.
They bring to light the existence of corrupt and opportunistic political culture practiced by the the present set of politicians and their parties. Way to go Bersama. Thank you for your effort and we are all for you.
This passage captures a defining philosophy in Exigent Circumstances: A Soldierās Journey Down the Road Less Traveled by Major D Swami. It reflects the mindset of a young officer beginning his military career, confronting the reality of death while learning to value the privilege of being alive.
Here is a sharper, more literary interpretation of the passage. If one worries too much about dying, there will be no time for living.ā
These words capture the brutal simplicity of a soldierās life. At the beginning of his career as an officer, D Swami appears to understand something that cannot be taught in a classroom or fully understood through military training:
When death becomes a genuine possibility, fear cannot be allowed to dominate the mind. In situations where survival is far from assured, the instinct is not to dwell on one's own mortality but to concentrate on the task, the threat and the responsibility of coming through alive.
His reflection that the objective is not to think about one's own death, but about sending the enemy to his, is stark, uncompromising and unmistakably martial. It conveys the mental conditioning required in combat, where hesitation can have consequences far beyond the individual soldier. This is not a romanticized vision of warfare. It is the hard-edged thinking of someone who has confronted danger and learned to function despite it.
Yet the most revealing part of the passage may be its turn away from combat and towards family. To say thank you to the people we love is to recognize that life is not measured solely by survival, achievement or military distinction. Loved ones are, as the passage so poignantly suggests, our hearts walking outside our bodies.
Here lies the deeper significance of Swamiās reflections. Courage is not merely the willingness to face death; it is also the ability to appreciate life, to acknowledge those who give it meaning and to carry on without surrendering to fear.
At the outset of his career as an officer, this philosophy establishes a compelling foundation for the journey ahead. The reader encounters not simply a soldier preparing for the demands of military service, but a man beginning to understand the fragile boundary between life and deathāand the human bonds that make surviving worthwhile.
The critical point: the contrast between the brutal language of combat and the tenderness of the reference to loved ones gives this passage its force. It presents a soldier who can think ruthlessly in a life-threatening situation while remaining conscious of what he is fighting to preserve.
This passage from Exigent Circumstances: A Soldierās Journey Down the Road Less Traveled is revealing because it strips away the conventional image of a military officer. D Swami presents himself not as a universally admired professional soldier, but as a man whose career has stalled, whose personality can be abrasive, and whose confidence in his own regiment borders on arrogance. The result is an unusually candid portrait of military life, friendship, wounded pride and regimental elitism.
Literary analysis: The officer, the outcast and the self-proclaimed elite.
1. A career without patrons
āMy career was going nowhereā¦ I did not have godfathers in high places.ā
The opening establishes a man who feels professionally marginalised. Swami does not portray himself as someone enjoying a smooth ascent through the ranks.
He suggests that talent and dedication alone may not be sufficient to advance in an institution where powerful patrons can matter. There is frustration here, but also a willingness to admit his own lack of influence without disguising it behind military formalities.
2. The affection of his soldiersāand the doubt beneath it
āThe plus points were that my boys loved me, maybe that was an illusion. I will find that out in Somalia.ā
This is arguably the most important line in the passage. Swami believes he has earned the affection of his men, yet immediately questions whether he is deceiving himself. That uncertainty gives the passage psychological depth.
Somalia becomes more than a deployment. It becomes a test of leadership.
Will his soldiers stand by him when danger is real, or has he mistaken routine loyalty for something more profound? The implication is that leadership cannot be conclusively judged in the relative security of the officers' mess. It must be tested under fire, when fear, responsibility and survival become immediate realities.
3. Captain Ivan Lee Synn Leng: friendship without pretence
Swami's description of Captain Ivan Lee Synn Leng is disarmingly unflattering. He admits to verbally abusing a friend who nevertheless tolerates his behaviour and the ābullshitā that comes with it.
The admission reveals a form of masculine military friendship built on familiarity, endurance and shared experience rather than politeness.
It also exposes Swami's own shortcomings. He does not simply celebrate the loyalty of his friend; he acknowledges that the friend has to put up with him.
That detail matters. A memoir that admits to the author's unpleasant behavior offers readers more to examine than one that presents its protagonist as perpetually admirable.
4. Two cans and the mythology of the regiment
The scene in the officers' mess is particularly sharp. Two cans consumed in rapid succession lead to conversations about past glories, real or imagined, criticism of other officers and the conviction that the 7th Rangers are the finest fighting body in the military.
The phrase āreal or imaginedā is a small but telling qualification.
It punctures the group's own mythology even as Swami participates in it. The narrator appears aware that regimental pride can blur the distinction between established achievement and stories repeatedly told until they become accepted truth.
His description of other corps as a heap of bodily discharge is deliberately crude.
It is not polished military prose; it recreates the coarse, exclusionary language of an officers' bar where professional identity becomes a contest of superiority.
The passage therefore works on two levels: it conveys the Rangers' fierce esprit de corps while exposing the contempt and self-importance that can accompany it.
5. The letters on the wall: prestige, pride and resentment
The letters from Lieutenant Colonel Mark Evans, who later became a lieutenant general, and Peter Cosgrove, the former governor-general of Australia, serve as physical symbols of military connections and institutional recognition.
For Swami, these letters appear to validate the standing of the regiment and reinforce its sense of distinction.
He also suggests that they provoke resentment among visiting or attached officers.
That final observation is revealing, although it is important to distinguish the narrator's interpretation of other officers' reactions from independently established fact. The letters may represent genuine professional recognition, but their presence in the bar also becomes part of the regiment's collective identityāa reminder of who belongs, who is admired and who is regarded as an outsider.
The larger significance
What makes this passage compelling is its lack of self-exoneration. Swami presents a complicated combination of professional frustration, confidence in his men, gratitude towards a tolerant friend, abrasive humor, alcohol-fueled camaraderie and intense regimental pride.
He is neither a spotless hero nor a detached observer of military culture. He is inside that culture, participating in its rituals and prejudices while giving the reader enough detail to question them.
The reference to Somalia provides the crucial narrative tension. The officer who boasts about his regiment and wonders whether his men truly love him is about to encounter circumstances that may test both his self-image and his leadership.
The strongest literary feature is the contrast between bravado and uncertainty. In the mess, Swami belongs to an elite fighting brotherhood that considers itself superior to everyone else. Yet beneath the swagger lies a man unsure of his career, conscious of his abrasive personality and uncertain whether his soldiers' loyalty will endure when tested.
That tension is what makes the passage more than a colorful account of officers drinking and trading insults.
It offers a candid starting point for examining how a soldier's identity is formedāand how combat may expose the difference between the reputation a unit claims and the leadership it actually demonstrates.
Al Maunah: The Malaysian Arms Heist And The Real Heroes Left Out Of This Story
Sunday, October 11, 2026
On 2 July 2000, a group of men in military uniform had stolen over a hundred military weapons and thousands of ammunition rounds in a Malaysian Army Reserve camp.
Please take note, that Wikipedia, does not mention these heroes at all.
Lebih kurang jam 0745, malang tidak berbau, sememangnya nasib tidak dapat menyebelahi. Satu das tembakan telah kedengaran dari arah kumpulan perompak itu menuju kearah Ketua Platun dan Platun Sarjan COBRA. Tiba-tiba Sjn Ukoon merasai sesuatu yang tidak kena berlaku ke atas dirinya.
Beliau merasai tangan sebelah kirinya terasa panas dan kebas dan beliau juga mendapati baju celoreng kirinya dibasahi dengan darah. Barulah beliau menyedari bahawa dirinya telah ditembak namun beliau tetap tabahkan hati untuk meneruskan perjuangan yang belum berakhir ini.
Selepas ditembak, langkah perlindungan telah diambil dengan pantas dan mujur tembakan seterusnya tidak mengena dan hanya melintasinya. Beliau terpaksa merapati badan ke tanah dan berundur ke belakang untuk menghilangkan diri daripada kawasan lunyai tembakan.
Sepantas peluru juga Kapt Raja Ahmad memberi bantuan tembak balas kearah perompak bagi membolehkan Sjn Ukoon mengambil perlindungan. Kapt Raja Ahmad telah menghampiri Sjn Ukoon dan telah dimaklumkan akan kecederaannya, Ketua Platun telah mengarahkan beliau berundur. Selepas berundur lebih kurang 10 meter, LKpl Stephen telah datang untuk memberi rawatan awal dan seterusnya mengiringi Sjn Ukoon keluar ke jalanraya.
Special Ops Team Faces Unknown Evil in the Desert - WAR THRILLER
Friday, October 09, 2026
A military special operations team, led by a CIA agent, embarks on a mission in the remote mountains of Afghanistan.
They soon find themselves trapped in a hostile desert region plagued by an ancient, terrifying supernatural force that turns their reconnaissance operation into a battle for survival.Cast: Jonas Ball, Matthew R. Anderson, Jon Huertas. Actually one of the best thrillers I've seen the last many years.
Atmosphere, suspense and a bit of sci-fi as spice.
His Brother Left Him to Dieā¦He Returned with an Orc Army - THE EXILED PRINCE
His brother left him to die. An orc clan gave him a second chance. THE EXILED PRINCE is a full fantasy film about betrayal, unexpected friendship and the courage to return home.
After being framed for his fatherās murder and abandoned beyond the kingdomās borders, a young prince finds refuge among the orcs. But when his brotherās soldiers attack the people who saved him, hiding is no longer an option.
With an orc commander at his side, he sets out to reach the capital and free his imprisoned sister. Standing in their way are a fortified kingdom, a ruthless kingāand a chained dragon.
To save his home, he must decide what kind of leader he wants to become.
Police probe resentment among possible motives in Johor schoolgirl's murder
Malaysiakini : Police believe resentment over rejected romantic advances may have motivated the killing of 16-year-old student Irene Sofiya Khairool Faisal at a secondary school in Yong Peng, Johor, although investigations into the possible motive are ongoing.
The killing comes amid a spate of school violence in Malaysia, raising fresh concerns over student safety.
āPolice believe the murder stemmed from the suspectās resentment towards the victim, including over the rejection of the suspectās romantic advances and the victimās relationship with the suspectās best friend.
āHowever, this will be examined further as investigations are ongoing,ā Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Rahaman said the 16-year-old male suspect, who was detained to assist in the investigation, was Irene Sofiyaās classmate. No other individuals had been identified as being involved in the case so far, he added.
Police have also seized a 96cm-long metal rod believed to have been used to bludgeon the victim to death.
Rahaman said the rod was among several items seized or recovered in Yong Peng during investigations from Oct 4 to 8.
A blue necktie had been wrapped around one end of the rod, possibly serving as a handle when the weapon was used to strike the victim.
āBased on the post-mortem report, we believe the blows struck the head, but there were also injuries to the victimās body, hands, and several other parts of her body,ā he added.
Evidence at the scene also suggested a struggle between Irene Sofiya and the suspect, with tables and chairs overturned and a flower pot broken. Police also found signs that the victim had tried to defend herself.
However, Rahaman said investigations had not indicated that the flower pot was used as a weapon.
Hmmmmmmmm : Here is my two cents worth. I believe a lot of youngsters now have absolutely no social skills. They spend a lot of their time on their phones, computers, etc playing all kinds of games etc. They have very little actual interaction with real humans .
They are used to getting their way at home. When suddenly faced with a love interest , they do not know the right way to approach. They cannot handle rejection and hence the results that we see here. Something for our government and society to ponder upon.
Only truth: An innocent life lost Where does one get this hatred to hurt another human being Family negligence in monitoring and teaching good morals
The Vanishing Christians of the Middle East - Robert Spencer
Infidel Awareness : This conversation between examines the decline of ancient Christian communities across the Middle East and discusses how religious law, jihad ideology, and Western interpretations may shape that decline.
Richard Landes and Robert Spencer focus on Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Spain, and Nigeria, exploring why religiously driven conflicts are sometimes framed as nationalism or politics.
Robert Spencer shares his perspective on Islam, jihad, and Islamic history, discussing dhimmi restrictions, caliphal ideology, and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The conversation also considers how media, academia, and religious institutions describe persecution and conflict. The views expressed are those of the speakers.
1,300 Years of Jihad Against Hindus, and Why No One in the West Knows - Rajiv Malhotra
Thursday, October 08, 2026
The conversation between Rajiv Malhotra and Richard Landes delves into the historical and ongoing struggles of Hindus in India against Islamic invasions and violence, highlighting the need for awareness and dialogue among non-Muslims.
Rajiv Malhotra shares insights from his extensive research on the topic, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging historical atrocities and fostering understanding among different faiths. The conversation delves into the historical context of violence against Hindus, particularly during the partition of India, and explores the implications of history centrism in understanding religious narratives.
Rajiv Malhotra shares personal anecdotes and broader historical insights, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of these events. The conversation explores the complexities of monotheism, the need for mutual respect among religions, and the historical context of Abrahamic faiths.
It emphasizes the importance of understanding Hindu perspectives, the necessity for reform within Islam, and the potential for alliances against radical ideologies.
Watch up to the end it was one of the bloodiest conquest in history.
True History of the Middle East with Simon Sebag Montefiore
This is what You Tube and social media ought to be: a knowledgeable man conveying knowledge to his audience. Well done. Wow! Simon spoke for over 2 hours without notes. Shows his thorough grasp and understanding of history. Amazing!
I guess the people who need to watch this most, won't.
The Full Confession: How A Terror Plot Took Flight
Fresh details from Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami's alleged confession suggest he joined Flydubai with a deadly plan already in mind.
Investigators say he allegedly intended to kill Captain Smit Machchhar, maintain normal communications with air traffic control, and carry out a final attack near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. The report examines the chilling plot, the preparation behind it, and how a major catastrophe may have been averted.
The world should celebrate the Indian captain for saving lives. Can you imagine somebody axe you from behind and then you still need to control and save the aircraft. Painfull. Iām so thankful that he seems to have survived this crisis situation and is on the way to mending his health.
Iām sure it will be a very long journey, with lots of surgeries and major events that will now impact his entire family and even community. Iām just so, SOOOOOOO glad that he survived what could have and would have been such a major tragedy.
Which thanks to his maaaaaaassive heroic actions, instead became the safety and continuation of life for 173 other people! I KNOW one thing for sure, and that is that he will have a life filled with gratitude, constant gratitude coming right at him from more people than heās ever met in his life, every single day for the rest of his life.
I hope that he gets to enjoy a VERY LONG and healthy and joy-filled and entirely peaceful life ahead of him, with his gorgeous wife and all of his loved ones!!!
Exigent Circumstances: A Soldierās Story - Literary Characterisation
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Briefing my boys before the move to Mogadishu from Baidoa, Lt Hamuddin Tarinchang of Sabah was the platoon commander, of this group, he is beside me.
This is not a routine autobiography dressed up in military uniform. Nor is it the sort of sanitized memoir that carefully trims away anything awkward, contentious or politically inconvenient.
D Swami writes with heatāand, at times, with an almost defiant refusal to soften what he has seen, endured and concluded.
That is both the bookās strength and its provocation. Swami is not interested in presenting a neat career narrative of postings, promotions and ceremonial milestones. His story is about the pressures, contradictions and human costs that lie beneath the official surface of military life. He writes from experience rather than institutional comfort, and his account carries the unmistakable force of someone who has little patience for euphemism.
There is nothing particularly āpolitically correctā about the voice. Swami does not appear intent on making every experience palatable to every reader. He challenges, complains, remembers, interprets and sometimes rages. That rawness gives the narrative its pulse, even when the passion threatens to outrun detached reflection.
And that is precisely why Exigent Circumstances deserves to be read as more than another soldierās autobiography. It is a personal account that refuses to salute the official version of events merely because it is official. Swami writes not to polish the past, but to confront itāpassionately, personally and without much interest in making the reader comfortable.
/file/attachments/orphans/1312412312312_526005.png)
/file/attachments/orphans/test1_716667.png)
/file/attachments/orphans/p5asdas2d_114844.png)
