Article 42: Constitutional Prerogative or Double Standard?

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said has affirmed that the power to grant pardons is expressly provided for under Article 42 of Malaysia's Federal Constitution and should not be construed as placing anyone above the law. 

I don't believe anybody is questioning it – but critics and legal watchdogs argue that applying such high-level discretion to prominent corruption cases undermines public trust, highlighting a perceived double standard in how justice is served to elites versus ordinary citizens.

Liverpool scraped through 1-0 against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League match yesterday. 

Alexander Isak scored an opportunistic strike in the 57th minute after pouncing on a loose ball in the box that had bobbled into his path following a powerful Cody Gakpo cross and a heavy defensive challenge on Florian Wirtz. He calmly slotted a first-time finish past the Cherries goalkeeper to seal the 1-0 victory.

International Students Contribute RM20B Annually to Malaysia's Economy

The presence of about 167,000 international students in Malaysia currently contributes around RM20 billion annually to the country's economy through spending on tuition fees and living expenses, according to a New Straits Times report published August 23, 2026. 

In fact, Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) chief executive officer Novie Tajuddin (left) had asserted that based on a study conducted by EMGS, each international student spends an average of about RM10,000 a month throughout their stay in the country. 

And the five main countries currently contributing international students to Malaysia are China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

He noted that Malaysia is now recognised as one of the world's 14 leading higher education destinations, demonstrating that the country is increasingly becoming a preferred choice among international students pursuing their studies. 

"This shows that we have become a competitor in global higher education", he trumpeted. 

Novie noted the number of international students in Malaysia had increased by about 23 percent over the past three years, indicating growing interest among foreign students in pursuing their studies in the country. And he affirmed that Malaysia aims to attract 500,000 international students by 2035, as outlined in the 10-year Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint. 

A reminder to self:

"Happiness, homegrown" – Victor Ong.

😇😇😇

What Everyone Gets Wrong About "Money Can't Buy Happiness"

American actor and film producer Samuel L Jackson’s most famous quote about money is: "Those who say that money can't buy happiness never had any". 

Whether you agree or not, it reflects the reality that money eliminates fundamental stressors like penury, debt, and chronic insecurity. Without these burdens, people have the freedom and agency to pursue a higher quality of life. 

Jackson's truism challenges the age-old "wisdom" by pointing out that financial stability provides practical comfort and freedom. It’s a popular sentiment that reminds us that having your basic needs met makes life significantly easier. 

While some may want to insist that money can't buy happiness, the fact remains that it buys the freedom to choose a far better class of problems. Meaning you can finally afford to be absolutely miserable in style. 😝😝😝

Or another way of putting it:

😀😀😀

At the quarter-finals (Round of 8) of the China Open yesterday, Pearly Tan-Thinaah Murlaitharan were eliminated after losing to Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto. 

The Malaysian duo lost in straight games with a score of 16-21, 16-21.

Pearly-Thinaah's head-to-head record against the world's No. 3 pair is now tied at 5-5. Meanwhile, the China Open marked their fourth consecutive defeat to the Japanese duo. 

The Malaysian duo admitted they lost out to Fukushima-Matsumoto in fitness. 

Pearly, whose recurring back injury kept her off the World Tour earlier this year, said she is still lacking in terms of fitness, although there were positives to take from their defeat.

"...One thing I've learned is that even in a difficult situation, we still managed to find a way to compete and put up a fight despite the defeat. We communicated well on court and knew the game we wanted to play".

Thinaah felt that the quarter-final defeat was an indication of the hard work that they need to put in to get back to their best. 

"Overall, there are definitely a lot of things we still need to work on because it's been some time since both of us were back on court", said Thinaah.

Let's see how they fare at the Taiwan Open next week.

If You Kill a Cockroach

A commonly cited, often paraphrased quote attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche regarding moral subjectivity is "If you kill a cockroach, you're a hero; if you kill a butterfly, you are evil. Morals have aesthetic criteria". 

This quote sums up society perfectly. It's not about the act; it is actually about the victim. 

The rules always bend to beauty, power and perception.

Liverpool gloom deepens! Their Premier League winless streak hit five games – their longest of the season – following an error-filled 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday. 

Cherries pounced to score in the 26th minute after a Virgil van Dijk error, and quickly added a second, seven minutes later. 

Van Dijk redeemed himself when he steered a header into the back of the net from Dominik Szoboszlai's corner in the 45th minute. Then, Rio Ngumoha won a free kick on the edge of the penalty box and Mohamed Salah's planned back-heel opened up the angle for Szoboszlai to curl his effort around the Cherries' wall in the 80th minute. 

But a long throw at the death saw the Reds come unstuck again as a scramble in the six-yard box led to the inevitable, with Bournemouth ending Liverpool's 13-game unbeaten-but-underwhelming run (6 draws and 7 wins). 

You can say they got what they deserved because Bournemouth generated far more xG (2.3 to 0.83), created more big chances (6 to 1) and won more duels (38 to 33) as they dominated proceedings throughout.

And yesterday, Hearts of Midlothian hosted Celtic in top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership clash. 

And the two sides fought out a thrilling 2-2 draw that leaves the table leaders still six points clear of the reigning champions. 

Benjamin Nygren's stunning free-kick gave Celtic the lead on seven minutes. But the Jambos headed a deserved equalizer in the 48th minute. 

New signing Tomas Cvancara's low cross into the six-yard box was tapped home by Yang Hyun-jun in the 62nd minute. But the Jambos fired home inside a crowded goalmouth to level with four minutes of normal time remaining. 

And Celtic find themselves in a rare third place at this stage of the season after Rangers beat Dundee 3-0, also yesterday.

It was a day of twists and turns in what is becoming a fascinating three-way fight for the title.

Transforming a Nation: China's 13 Years Under Xi Jinping

"The superior man does not mind being in office; all he minds about is whether he has qualities that entitle him to office. He does not mind failing to get recognition; he is too busy doing the things that entitle him to recognition". 

This is a quote from Confucius and honestly, I think it describes China's Xi Jinping very well. 

Look at modern China, a nation that is constantly and continuously transforming. Ever since its creation as the People's Republic of China on October 01, 1949. 

Chinese leader after Chinese leader from Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping to Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, and presently, Xi Jinping – all of them have played their part, moulding and making China into the country that it is today. 

But Xi stands out. From the day he was elected as President of the People's Republic of China on March 14, 2013, in a confirmation vote by the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing. [FYI, he received 2,952 for, one vote against, and three abstentions].

And in his 13 years in office, he has accomplished plenty. His results alone speak for themselves! 

How many national leaders anywhere in the world do you know who can reproduce these achievements?

I daresay if you study transformational leadership, Xi Jinping certainly serves as an excellent case study.

Really, Malaysia should look towards China to learn and adopt. You name it, whether it is clean energy, wildlife conservation, education, scientific and technological innovation, cultural preservation, infrastructure development, poverty alleviation,  and many, many more.

And believe me, Malaysia won't go wrong.

Goodbye, Diogo Jota

When. Death. Is. Sudden. And. Unexpected. 

Liverpool FC footballer Diogo Jota has left us. 💔 

The 28-year-old Portuguese forward died in a car accident in the early hours of Thursday morning near Zamora, in northwestern Spain. His brother, Andre Silva, was also killed in the crash on the Rias Bajas Highway (A-52) near Palacios de Sanabria, heading towards Benavente. 

Jota (and Silva) were driving to Santander to catch a ferry back to the UK ahead of the start of Liverpool's pre-season training on Monday, CNN Portugal reports. The news outlet asserts that Jota was advised against flying back to England due to a recent surgery. 

Police said the accident happened at 12.30 AM when the Lamborghini the pair were travelling in veered off the road. "A vehicle left the road and everything indicates a tyre burst while overtaking", the Guardia Civil in Zamora told Sky Sports News in a statement. As a result of the mishap, the car caught fire and both people were killed. 

A Spanish government source told the PA news agency that police were investigating the crash as "a possible speeding incident". Police added that no other vehicles were involved in the incident. 

Note to self:

UK 100% Helping Ukraine Stage Terrorist Acts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (left) on Monday, pointed his finger at UK, accusing its government for helping Ukraine stage terrorist acts. 

There have been several sabotage incidents on Russian railways since the start of the month. The worst occurred on June 01 when a bridge collapsed in front of a moving passenger train in Bryansk Region, killing seven people and injuring more than 100 others. 

The same day, Ukraine targeted Russian airbases across the country – from Murmansk in the Arctic to Irkutsk in Siberia – in a coordinated assault which involved explosive-laden drones taking off from commercial trucks. According to Moscow, most of the incoming UAVs were shot down, and none of the affected Russian planes were damaged beyond repair.

Lavrov was referring to the fact that the UK remains one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, despite the US changing course under the administration of US President Donald Trump towards trying to restore dialogue with Moscow and to broker a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict. 

“Although who knows, maybe there are still some special services in the US that are participating in such activities by inertia, but the British are 100% involved in them”, he stressed. 

Last week, Moscow’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, similarly accused the UK of participating in Ukrainian drone raids on Russian airbases. 

“This kind of attack involves, of course, provision of very high technology, so-called geo-spatial data, which can only be done by those who have it in possession. And this is London and Washington”, Kelin told Sky News. 

He added that he did not believe that the US was somehow involved due to Trump denying any knowledge of Kiev’s plans. 

Downing Street has neither confirmed nor denied the UK’s participation, with a government spokesperson maintaining: “We never comment on operational matters at home or abroad”.

I say, make London pay and I don't need to spell it out!!

Here's an advice I believe in. After all, the best doctor gives the least medicines!

Musings on Artificial Intelligence

When it comes to the possibilities and possible perils of artificial intelligence (AI), learning and reasoning by machines without the intervention of humans, there are lots of POVs out there. 

Only time will tell which one of these quotes will be the closest to our future reality. 

Until we get there, it’s interesting to contemplate who might be the one who predicts our reality the best. 

Stephen Hawking told the BBC: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race… It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded”. 

Nick Bilton, tech columnist wrote in the New York Times: “The upheavals [of artificial intelligence] can escalate quickly and become scarier and even cataclysmic. Imagine how a medical robot, originally programmed to rid cancer, could conclude that the best way to obliterate cancer is to exterminate humans who are genetically prone to the disease”. 

Ginni Rometty once said: “Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence”. 

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google said the same thing: “The future of AI is not about replacing humans, it's about augmenting human capabilities”.

US and China Roll Back Tariffs for 90 Days

Finally, after a weekend of "robust" trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, the United States and China agreed to drastically roll back tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial 90 days, de-escalating a punishing trade war and buoying global markets. 

By May 14, the US will temporarily lower its overall tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China will cut its levies on American imports from 125% to 10%. Meaning, Trump has screwed himself because Americans will be paying more than the Chinese!

[Note: US President Donald Trump’s 20% fentanyl-related levies on China, imposed in February and March, will stay]. 

This is more a stop-gap arrangement to buy time before a more comprehensive agreement is put in place. At least, that is the hope. And just so you know, this was no "deal" but a retreat by the US! It is clear that Trump's Liberation Day is a big fat zero for the US, insofar as China is concerned!

Of course, even as China has come to the table after US pleas – this fight is not over. There's more to come, that I'm certain.

A post on Facebook on Saturday:

“Absolute certainty will always elude us”, said Carl Sagan, the late astronomer and popularizer of science. Though we might crave certainty, even pretend to have attained it, the most we can hope for, he said, “is successive improvement in our understanding”.

After all, science is a process of investigating. It's posing question after question after question because simply put, science is curiosity. Science, in fact, is the system that asks you not to trust, but to think.

Ne Zha 2: My POV

South China Morning Post's James Marsh describes "Ne Zha 2" as "a 144-minute barrage of mythological mayhem" and adding that it is "by turns exhilarating and exhausting". 

Yes, I watched Ne Zha 2 and I for one came away impressed! Very impressed!

Ne Zha 2 showcases the power of storytelling. It tells us that powerful stories can cross cultural boundaries when they tap into something so fundamentally human. 

More importantly, Westerners and Western-influenced audiences grow up with Disney's hero narrative mode of "the chosen one discovering their mission" – but this Chinese behemoth of a blockbuster avoids copying Hollywood's formulaic piffle. Instead, it turns it on its head and brings its own Chinese vision to the table. 

I have to tell you it's kinda weird but "kuih lapis" straightaway pops up in my head. I guess it's because this is a very layered movie and I don't think it's easy to get everything in on the first viewing. That's why a second (or even a third) time may be necessary to fully appreciate Ne Zha 2.

Truly, the best stories are the ones that reveal new layers each time you watch them. That is what makes this movie a real classic!

A point to note is that cinema goers don’t need to see the first movie in order to understand Ne Zha 2. The sequel provides a brief recap that goes over the main characters and necessary plot points from the original film (i.e. "Ne Zha"), setting up the audience with the essential information. 

The film's plot is excellent. Sure, it immediately sets up expectations that Ne Zha and Ao Bing will be on a journey to rebuild their bodies with the seven-colored lotus and keep the bodies alive. However, it’s far from a straight line from Point A to Point B in terms of narrative development. Nothing goes quite as expected, offering emotional twists and turns that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The story uses a great deal of foreshadowing without feeling so heavy-handed that it becomes predictable.

Note that Ne Zha’s relationship with Ao Bing is at the heart of both the first film and the sequel, as the two are literal soul mates made from two halves of the Chaos Pearl. Although they’re supposed to be opposites, Ne Zha and Ao Bing serve as foils for one another. Ne Zha is a human boy rejected because he’s born of the demon orb, while Ao Bing tries to prove himself because he’s a demon dragon born of the spirit pearl.

Ne Zha 2's animation is visually ambitious. Vibrantly stunning. Viscerally spectacular. A lavish cinematic landscape that keeps you glued to the screen as you watch it unfold and then spread out before you. I tell you, this is a must-see for anybody who appreciates the art of animation. And you have to see it on the big screen.   

Nothing captures it better than the film's high-energy action. It is absolutely insane. The scale and scope of the sweeping battle scenes are comparable to LOTR – but massively bigger. And epic in every sense of the word. The fluidity, the flow, the constant state of flux demands your assiduous attention. TBH, this is probably the best action animation I've ever seen.

That's not all. I didn't expect it to pack with so many emotions. They sweep over me in bursts and in waves. Despair. Grief. Hope. Love. Regret. Sadness. Schadenfreude. And more. The movie is an evocative statement on the human condition as it cleverly agitates, arouses and awakens every fiber of your being. And this is an animation movie, not a live-action.

Moreover, its sprawling story arc is loaded with abundant messaging. It centers around familyhood. It highlights friendship. It emphasizes loyalty. It informs you about staying true to yourself. And I could go on and on. 

Delve deeper and the story carries philosophical underpinnings of morality, fate, power, redemption and self-discovery. The most standout lesson I got is this quote from the movie: "If there's no path ahead, I'll carve one; if heaven disapproves, I'll overturn the cosmos". (Meaning, fate is the weak's excuse, the strong's motivation).

Go watch it – not because it's breaking records or it's getting ensnared by the Oscar buzz but because it's part of this amazing awesome moment where you and I discover the stories that move us, lead us to think and make us feel, don't have to come from where we expect them to.

And know this, Ne Zha 2 is proudly, unapologetically Chinese. 100%. 

I'll give this movie full marks. Suck it, Hollywood! I repeat, go watch it!