✅ What it’s about:

A raw, honest memoir covering his 30 years of service — from 18-year-old recruit to Major:
 
- ✅ Jungle combat against the Communist Insurgency
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- ✅ UN peacekeeping in Somalia (1993–94) — intense, dangerous operations
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- ✅ The real core story: fighting a second, quieter, crueler war inside the army itself — systemic racial discrimination, bias, and blocked advancement for non-Malay officers. He writes: "Loyal to the flag — betrayed by the fabric." 

Ivan with me

 
⭐ Strengths:
 
1. Extremely rare perspective: One of very few books by an Indian-Malaysian military officer — gives a ground-level view of how race operates in institutions. 

Briefing the boys at Baidoa to move to Xudur, escorting the World Food Program

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2. Credible & well-documented: He was a serving officer, Ranger, mechanized infantry pioneer — his accounts of battles, Somalia, and military life are detailed and firsthand.

With the A Team of the 2nd Bn, 5th Special Forces Group

3. Bold & unflinching: Doesn’t sugarcoat — calls out exactly what he saw and lived through. Often described as "brutal, honest, unforgettable".
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4. Highly relevant: Directly connects to the same themes as The War Against Indians — marginalization, justice, belonging — but from inside the system.

We were the Champions

⚠️ Limitations:
 
1. It is his personal story: These are his experiences and claims — not an objective, researched history. Others may have different views.
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2. Focused & specific: Centered on his journey and his community’s struggles — not a broad survey of all races or all institutions.
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3. Provocative title: "Exigent Circumstances" means extreme situations where rules get bent — here it refers to both war and the unfair conditions he had to survive. 

The War Against Indians 150 Years Of Betrayal, Suppression & Injustice in Malaya & Malaysia By Suthan Mookaiah

📊 Comparison with The War Against Indians:
 
The War Against Indians → Broad, community-wide: looks at laws, policies, history, and society overall. Exigent Circumstances → Deep, personal: one man’s life inside the military — proof from within that systemic bias exists.
 
Together they make a powerful pair: one shows the big picture, the other shows what it feels like to live it.
 
✅ My verdict:
 
Highly recommended — especially if you read The War Against Indians. It’s a brave, important book that forces you to look at uncomfortable truths about Malaysia. Read it as one vital perspective — not the whole truth — and compare with other sources. 

With my snipers as the Sniper Employment Officer

Maj Gen Toh — a highly respected, senior Malaysian military officer — writes from inside the same system, so his words carry immense weight. He doesn’t just praise the book; he validates that what Maj Swami describes is real and matters.
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2. Balanced & dignified
He does not take sides or shout. Instead he frames the story as: “A soldier’s duty vs. the hard realities of the system” — acknowledges the loyalty, courage and sacrifice, while also gently confirming that unfairness and bias did exist. Very much in line with your own views — fair, neutral, yet deeply supportive.
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3. Deep & thoughtful
He connects Swami’s personal struggle to larger questions: What does it mean to serve your country? What happens when the system itself fails the people who defend it. He calls this book “a necessary mirror” — exactly right.
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4. Short but powerful
No fluff. Every paragraph counts. It sets the tone perfectly: honest, brave, and important.
 
⚠️ Minor limitation:
 
As a senior officer, he naturally speaks with care and diplomacy — he confirms the problems exist, but does not name names or go into details. That’s exactly what you’d expect — and it actually makes his endorsement more credible, not less.
 
📊 How it compares:
 
- The Foreword = The stamp of authority — “This is true, this matters, you should read it.”
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- The Book itself = The raw evidence — “Here is exactly what happened to me.”
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- Together = One of the strongest pairings you’ll find in Malaysian writing — a soldier’s story + a General’s confirmation.

 

Yesterday I posted about my book. Major General Datuk Toh Choon Siang responded to my book. 

This was his response." Bro Swami, every memoir deserves to be judged for what it is ie. a personal account of a life lived, not a court judgment. 

Whether one agrees with every conclusion or not, no one can deny that it takes courage to put decades of svc, sacrifice n painful experiences on the record. As fellow soldiers, we know that loyalty doesn't mean silence. 

Sometimes the most loyal act is to speak honestly about what we witnessed so future generations can learn from both our victories n our shortcomings. Your book is more than a war story; it preserves a chapter of Malaysian mil history thru the eyes of someone who served it. 

It invites reflection, not blind agreement. Respect for a memoir lies in engaging its ideas with reason, not dismissing them because they make us uncomfortable. Well done, bro. Nonetheless, there'll always be nay sayers.

Proud Tradition

Also my dear friend and warrior Lt Col Idris Hassan : Well done Maj Swami. I agree with every word said by Gen Toh Choong Siang. Unfortunately my lack of writing skills prevents ms from adding on to what the Gen has already said.

From my friend in the US :  Glad it's getting good coverage in the US academic circles. Also wanted to say that your book is also in the Cornell library: Cornell University.

Lt Col Ivan Lee : Well done Swami, a book deserves the recognition and appreciation for the service you have given. This will go down in history for future generations to read and learn from you.

The powers that be in the Military should push their young front line officers and NCO's to read this book. It covers leadership, training, physical hardship, loyalty of a soldiers under adverse conditions, that you must love your soldiers who are under your command. That your boys will fight the way you train them.

Another Pious One Falls On His Sword

“At the time, I took the approach of locking in hotels for a long-term period so that we could secure better rates, or lock in the best prices, to reduce the cost of performing the haj,” he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex after claiming trial to three charges of dishonestly causing Tabung Haji to dispose of RM860.3 million of its funds to a Saudi property management firm.

The charges followed the release of the Tabung Haji royal commission of inquiry report, which listed the dealings with Al-Rawda Investment for Real Estate Development and Projects Management Co Ltd as one of the fund's troubled investments.

Jamil said accommodation was a core component of Tabung Haji’s services to haj pilgrims, as he defended the rationale behind securing hotels over extended periods. He also described the case as the culmination of a long process stemming from issues raised over Tabung Haji since 2018.

“Today, in the end, I have been charged in relation to the rental of hotels by Tabung Haji. “I am also grateful that this matter has received serious attention because one of the core aspects of serving haj pilgrims is accommodation,” he said.

Jamil ready to clear name

He added that he would contest the allegations in court. “I will defend myself in court. So, we will wait and see what developments come after this,” he said. Asked whether the prosecution would allow him to clear his name, Jamil said the court was the best forum for him to do so.

“Yes, to clear my name in court. This is the best place to seek justice. “I believe, God willing, that the court will deliver the best and fairest outcome,” he said.

Asked whether it was now a case of “lawan tetap lawan” (fight on regardless), Jamil laughed and said, “Once you are in court, of course you will respond to the arguments and so on.”

Deal with Al-Rawda

According to the RCI report, Tabung Haji paid Al-Rawda for long-term leases on four hotels in Mecca and Madinah with Al-Rawda, appointing the company as operator under a projected 2.49 million Saudi riyal lease agreement. In March 2019, Al-Rawda defaulted on rental payments, accumulating 560.7 million Saudi riyals in arrears by December 2021.

Consequently, Tabung Haji enforced promissory notes issued by Al-Rawda in Saudi courts, and obtained orders for asset freezes and initiated the liquidation of 20 properties owned by the property firm’s owner.

Later settlement negotiations failed after Al-Rawda proposed a reduced payout and initiated arbitration, claiming syariah non-compliance. The RCI, in its report, recommended a full forensic audit of the dealings.

Jamil was previously detained by the MACC for seven days from Sept 2 to 8 to assist investigations into the leasing of a Tabung Haji-linked hotel in Saudi Arabia, one of the matters highlighted in the RCI report.

BlueParrot8964 : Looks like Mkini trying to kill the community that once help them overcome the rm500k saman by cloud funding/donation. If you treat your readers/subscribers like enemy sooner or later you won't have any left.

1 “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say;

2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.

3 Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.

4 But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

5 May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.

6 May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow;

7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it, nor one who gathers fill his arms.

8 May those who pass by not say to them, “The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.” More here..........

Catholic lawyers to lodge police report over Umno leader's 'priest and nun' joke

- PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, circa 2017

COMMENT | PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s winding-up speech at the recent PAS muktamar was a knicker-twisting statement for some people. Hadi said the same thing nearly a decade ago, as evidenced by the quote that opens this piece.

The PAS information chief at the time, Nasrudin Hassan, said this in defence of his boss’ speech. “He was stressing the importance and need for Malay-Muslims to be the core of Malaysia’s political system and administration.”

It would be extremely easy to write a piece condemning such statements and Hadi (above), but this would ignore the underlying reality faced by non-Muslim Malaysians when it comes to participation in the political process and policymaking. The reality is that from post-69, all cabinet decisions are defined by not spooking the Malays.

And since the non-Muslim power brokers have been handmaidens to the Malay political establishment, the argument could be made that there is already an unofficial “Malay/Muslim-only” cabinet in substance if not in form.

Multi Racial : The two countries that progress the most in the last 4 decades are the two that segregate religions and race from.politic. the two countries are China and Singapore. This tells us a lot. 

So if political parties continue to use religion and race to rise to power, they will only slow down the progress of the country or worse still bring down the country. Hope Malaysians will learn from this and never vote such parties to power.

FitnessPro : Sometimes I am confused. While Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, does this mean that the so-called defenders of Islam can go around on a rampage to bully others? 

I am referring to the demolishing of century old Hindi temples, restricting the usage of certain words in Christian worship, and now an Islamic-proselyte started attacking the Chinese by questioning why aren't the Chinese using Bahasa Malaysia to celebrate the Hungry Ghost festival, aka, Pesta Hantu Lapar? 

Now, after the UMNO and PAS general assembly, they are firing up the youths to gather for a mega-assembly for the sake of the Malay-Muslim community. If I were to organise a mega-assembly only for the Chinese youth, would the Malays feel threatened? 

Without organising, I know the answer would be a resounding YES!! And then, the lies and accusations would flood the social media atmosphere baselessly. What is the purpose of the mega Malay youth gathering? What is the purpose of re-writing history and to hide certain profound truths about our national identity? 

Are the future generation of Malaysia building their foundation based on lies, half-truths and exaggerated truths? Yes, Hadi spoke the quiet truth loudly, without fear for any repercussion. It is sad, but true. It is depressing, but we need boldness to face the truth. I pray for a peaceful, harmonious and a united Malaysia one day. 

As we celebrate Malaysia Day this Wednesday, may we truly understand what it means to be a Malaysian in the first place. May God put all these politicians who strive for division in cold storage and may God raises up a generation of politicians who are selfless, brave and bold with wisdom and fear of God in their hearts.

BlueCondor7717 : So much honest truth but absolutely bitter to swallow

Robert Spencer : Not anymore.  Here’s a look at what’s been happening in Copenhagen.

There’s the man with an “Arabic-sounding name” who anally raped a 14-year-old girl in wonderful Copenhagen. You can find out more about him here: “14-year-old Danish girl suffered ‘violent anal rape’ from man with ‘Arabic-sounding name’ on Copenhagen park bench,” Remix News, September 11, 2026:

A 32-year-old man with an “Arabic-sounding name” is standing trial in Copenhagen City Court for charges that he subjected a 14-year-old girl to a “violent anal rape” on a park bench in February.

According to the indictment obtained by Presse-Fotos.dk, the brutal rape took place in Lersøparken along Tagensvej in Copenhagen on Feb. 23, 2026, between approximately 8:20 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Prosecutors say the man met the girl there and then used force to rape her, which also includes other sexual acts besides intercourse. Due to the nature of the case, further details from the indictment were not released by the news outlet that broke the story, Presse-Fotos.dk.

The news outlet notes that the accused man has an “Arabic-sounding name.” His first name has not been released to the public. However, the man holds Danish citizenship, which prevents him from being deported.

“The editorial office is familiar with the name of the 32-year-old, but a name ban prevents Press-photos.dk and other media from describing his identity more closely,” wrote Press-Photos….

Another man “with an Arabic-sounding name” has been charged with repeated rape and beatings, over nine years, of one woman, and the rape of a second woman, that included beatings and death threats, in a secluded spot in Copenhagen. More on his crimes can be found here: “Denmark: Man with ‘Arabic-sounding name’ raped mother next to her 4-year-old child,” Remix News, September 11, 2026:

A 40-year-old man with an Arabic-sounding name is on trial this week at Glostrup District Court in Denmark on charges of rape, prolonged physical abuse, and death threats.

According to the indictment, there are two female complainants. One is the defendant’s long-term cohabitant, who says she was raped over the course of nine years, including next to her 4-year-old child while the child was in the bed. The other is a woman he is accused of picking up while working as a taxi driver, driving to a deserted location and raping her despite the victim telling him “no” and telling him repeatedly to stop.

Prosecutors from Copenhagen’s Vestegn Police say the alleged offenses took place on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and around Brøndby Strand between March 2016 and May 2025.

The prosecutors allege the woman who lived with the defendant was subjected to repeated rapes over nine years, accompanied by violence and threats. They say she was told she had to obey him, according to Islam.

The indictment describes her crying, trying to get away, being held down and repeatedly telling him, “No.” One count concerns the night of Nov. 19-20, 2025, when the alleged rape occurred in the same bed where her 4-year-old child was sleeping. It remains unclear whether the defendant is also the father of the child….

“Wonderful wonderful Copenhagen.” Not so much, anymore. And above are just two of the reasons — there are many other similar sexual assaults in the city that you can find at Remix News — why the anti-Muslim immigrant Danish People’s Party is surging in the polls.

Malaysiakini : COMMENT | Race and religion took a back seat during this year’s Merdeka celebration.

The feel-good speeches, however, overlooked a crucial question: have we truly evolved into an inclusive Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family), an idea introduced by former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in 2021.

The concept faded when the MACC started an investigation into the Malaysian Family campaign funds for its alleged links to Ismail Sabri’s administration. The Malaysian Family concept was replaced by Malaysia Madani after Anwar Ibrahim took office in late 2022.

Different slogans, same spirit: to unite Malaysians in an extended family unit, which by definition comprises several generations living together with shared responsibilities. When one family member falls, another reaches out to pull them up. When one succeeds, the entire household rejoices.

But unlike a biological family, a national family does not grow organically. It requires deliberate scaffolding - a concept in education where teachers support students in their learning and grasping of new content.

As students understand more, and as they begin to take on more content on their own, teachers gradually step aside.

Exile : Malaysia is approaching an unavoidable generational change in political leadership. Anwar Ibrahim, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Abdul Hadi Awang belong to an era that is drawing to a close. 

The real question is not whether change will come, but whether the old guard will allow a new generation to emerge without trying to manage the transition from behind the scenes. Eric Loo is right to identify the cracks appearing in our national family. 

But cracks do not necessarily mean collapse. They can also create openings for renewal. The rakyat is certainly aware of the present uncertainty. What perhaps receives less attention is the opportunity contained within it. Nature abhors a vacuum. New leaders, new alliances and perhaps even new political ideas will emerge. 

They may not come from the personalities or parties we presently expect. The responsibility of today's senior leaders is therefore not to choose their successors or attempt to micromanage politics from retirement. 

It is to leave behind institutions strong enough for the next generation to compete fairly: an independent judiciary and enforcement agencies, stronger Parliament, decentralised government, cleaner political financing and genuinely democratic political parties. 

Malaysia does not need another generation living in the shadows of its political patriarchs. Anwar, Zahid and Hadi can make their final contribution by allowing the transition to happen. The cracks Eric Loo identifies are real. But through those cracks there may also be room for something new to grow.

Yet over the past three decades, the historical narrative promoted by the Education Ministry and other public bodies has become increasingly Malay-centric and Islam-oriented.

The contributions of the Orang Asli, Chinese, Indians and other communities have been reduced, marginalised or omitted, while some long-established accounts have given way to questionable claims.

This is not an argument for diminishing Malay history or the importance of Islam. Both belong at the heart of our national story. The issue is whether they should be elevated by pushing other peoples and civilisations to the margins.

A national history worthy of Malaysia should help every citizen understand how our country was shaped by many communities, influences and struggles. It should educate, not elevate one community’s past at everyone else’s expense.

GalaxyM : The MMs should accept diligence competition and honesty in order to help them to become responsible and accountable people. The country cannot be successful if 3 quarters or more of the population are pampered and adopting the dependency mentality.

KNSamy : Some 'nationalistic Malay political leaders' must have planned to rewrite the history of this nation showing just the Malays were the main players in the making of this nation. 

The gradual changes in the text-books show this clearly. Unfortunately, we have had many history professors, academics, NGOs and individuals who just witnessed the.........

Around the start of the sixteenth century, Muslim pirates from Algiers began to terrorize the Christian Mediterranean. Like their terrestrial counterparts, they too were indoctrinated in and emboldened by Muhammad’s promises: “A campaign by sea is like ten campaigns by land,” the prophet said in a hadith, “and he who loses his bearings at sea is like one who sheds his blood in the path of Allah”—that is, he is rewarded either in the here or hereafter. The piratical lust for booty was, accordingly, heightened by dreams of “martyrdom.”

When Suleiman “the Magnificent”—better known among Muslims as Suleiman “the Ghazi” (jihadi/raider)—became Ottoman sultan in 1520, he instantly took the most notorious of these Barbary pirates, Khair al-Din Barbarossa, into his service and helped him prosecute the sea jihad on Europe.

The ensuing reign of terror forced Europeans along the Mediterranean coast to relive the days of their ancestors in the centuries before the Crusades, when the Middle Sea was first inundated with jihad and slave raiding. Over the following two decades, hundreds of thousands of Europeans were enslaved, so that, by 1541, “Algiers teemed with Christian captives, and it became a common saying that a Christian slave was scarce a fair barter for an onion.”

Despite the seaborne jihad’s successes, “You will do no good,” a seasoned corsair counseled Suleiman, “until you have smoked out this nest of vipers.” He was referring to the Knights of the Hospital of St. John—aka the “Hospitallers”—who came into being soon after the First Crusade (c.1099) but were now headquartered in Malta.

Suleiman had evicted them from Rhodes in 1522—whence for two centuries they had frustrated all Ottoman naval attempts—and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had bequeathed the island of Malta to them in 1530. They were the emperor’s response to the sultan’s pirates—and, for more than three decades, a thorn in Suleiman’s side.

In March 1565, after having finally decided to eliminate this “headquarters of infidels,” as it was known among Muslims, Suleiman dispatched one of the largest fleets ever assembled—carrying some forty thousand Ottomans—to take the tiny island, which had a total fighting population of eight thousand.

Pius IV implored the kings of Europe to come to Malta’s aid, to no avail: the king of Spain “has withdrawn into the woods,” complained the pope, “and France, England and Scotland [are] ruled by women and boys.” Only the viceroy of neighboring Sicily responded, but he needed time to raise recruits.

Jean Parisot de Valette, the Master of the Knights—“his disposition is rather sad,” but “for his age [seventy-one], he is very robust” and “very devout”—made preparations for the forthcoming siege, including by explaining to his men what was at stake: “A formidable army composed of audacious barbarians is descending on this island,” he warned; “these persons, my brothers, are the enemies of Jesus Christ. Today it is a question of the defense of our Faith as to whether the book of the Evangelist [the Gospel] is to be superseded by that of the Koran? God on this occasion demands of us our lives, already vowed to His service. Happy will those be who first consummate this sacrifice.”

On May 18, the Ottomans commenced nonstop bombardment, first targeting St. Elmo, one of Malta’s key forts. “With the roar of the artillery and the arquebuses, the hair-raising screams, the smoke and fire and flame,” a contemporary wrote, “it seemed that the whole world was at the point of exploding.” The vastly outnumbered and soon wearied defenders, who were ordered to “fight bravely and sell their lives to the barbarians as dearly as possible,” did just that; and for every Christian killed defending the fort, numerous Muslim besiegers fell.

After withstanding all that the Ottomans could throw against it for more than a month, on June 23, St. Elmo, by now a heap of rubble, was finally stormed and captured.

Virtually all 1,500 defenders were slaughtered. The same grisly fate Salah al-Din (Saladin) had centuries earlier consigned to Islam’s staunchest enemies—the Knights of the Hospital and Temple at the disastrous Battle of Hattin (1187)—was again meted out to them.

Pigging at the Landing Point

All of Captain Ivan Lee's men

More Pics here.......

Darling of the West, Worlds terror epicentre, Pakistan, is used by them as a strategic tool in Asia (especially India) and West Asia by giving them free $Billions every year and state of the art weapons to keep the terror game going. Stupid West has been hit by Pakistan ie 9/11 NY, 7/7 London, Australia- Bondi, France - journalists Charlie Hebdo and many more including Bali, Mumbai, Delhi, Kashmir and many temples but the WEST close their eyes to Pakistan Terror. What a shameless lot.

We can’t undo the past, the wasted years and the lost lives sacrificed on the altar of that manifestly untrue proposition, but Bosch Fawstin, an ex-Muslim cartoonist targeted by ISIS, has made an important point.

Dear President Trump,

For the commemoration of the 25 years since the atrocity 0f 9/11, could you please undo some of the damage that Bush caused with his big lie of ‘Islam is peace’? I’m not asking for much, just a simple acknowledgment that Islam does not mean peace. That islam means submission. Submission to a malevolent god who exhorts Muslims to murder non-Muslims.

Or simply say that ‘Islam does not mean peace’. It would make a difference, as the truth always makes a difference when a president speaks it, especially a truth that not only the Islamic enemy wouldn’t want you to speak, but even your own advisors.

Just having Trump say, “Islam does not mean peace” would be an important admission and a reversal of the lies for which so many Americans died. One of the stand-out things about the original Trump campaign was his willingness to speak the unspeakable. Including the fact that Muslims celebrated in New Jersey on 9/11.