Dennis Hopper, the high-flying Hollywood wild man whose memorable and erratic career included an early turn in “Rebel Without a Cause,” an improbable smash with “Easy Rider” and a classic character role in “Blue Velvet,” has died. He was 74.
Hopper died Saturday at his home in the Los Angeles beach community of Venice, surrounded by family and friends, family friend Alex Hitz said. Hopper’s manager announced in October 2009 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Those were the words of BN’s Hulu Selangor by-election candidate P Kamalanathan when asked for his opinion on whether the well-known Indian rights movement would be able exert its influence among the constituency’s Indian electorate.
“Hindraf? No effect. The people will judge us from our work not by any individual. Most of them have forgotten (Hindraf),” he said, dismissing the movement in having any impact in the upcoming by-election.
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Kamalanathan said there were still some who were keeping the legacy of Hindraf alive “…but the Hindraf by-products themselves are not sure where they are heading”.
“But for me, it’s very simple. As long as the Indian community wants development, they have to work with everybody, even the Malays and the Chinese,” said the buoyant candidate.
In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini late this evening, Kamalanathan claimed that BN was ‘a family’ that worked together to solve problems and did not bully each other to achieve certain means.
The public relations professional and MIC Putera leader admitted that there had been ‘issues’ over the past few days in deciding BN’s candidate for the parliamentary by-election.
“Even within families, brothers and sisters argue and sometimes someone gets angry and walks out of the house (but) at the end of the day, the family comes together.
“Whatever happens within BN, it doesn’t mean we are at the end of everything. it just means that we will discuss and we will be transparent.
“We had a problem, we had discussions and as usual we managed to find a solution,” he said.
‘Umno didn’t bully us’
Kamalanathan, 44, was thrust into the political limelight yesterday after MIC failed in its frantic bid to get its deputy president G Palanivel to stand in Hulu Selangor and win back the seat which he lost by a slim majority of 198 votes in the 2008 general election.
In a last-minute compromise in face of objections to Palanivel’s candidacy by Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin, MIC president S Samy Vellu was forced to put forward Kamalanathan’s name.
The Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency – the biggest of the nine constituencies in Selangor – fell vacant after its Pakatan Rakyat representative from PKR, Zainal Abidin Ahmad, succumbed to brain cancer on March 25.
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The by-election on April 25 is seen as crucial by political observers to gauge the popularity and strength of both BN and Pakatan Rakyat in wake of the landscape-changing March 8, 2008 political tsunami.
For the opposition in particular, it will a referendum of faith of sorts after a recent string of defections rocked anchor partner, PKR.
Kamalanathan brushed off the possibility that ruling party Umno had browbeaten MIC into choosing a different candidate other than Palanivel.
“If Umno was bullying us, they would have taken back Hulu Selangor a long time ago but they did not. I can also say PKR is bullying PAS as a PAS candidate will probably do better here.”
Met at his residence in Taman Garing, Rawang, Kamalanathan said he was ‘just a soldier’ ordered to the battlefield.
“I never lobbied, full stop, promise. If you want me to be honest, I was just working very hard to convince the party and BN leadership to consider me as a candidate for the 13th general election [...] I was preparing for that,” he said.
‘I’m very grateful’
Preparing for that, however, also meant being prepared at all times to face the unexpected, he explained further.
“I am ready, I have the time and I’m mentally and physically prepared. I won’t say I’m reluctant. It’s like 911.
The people in the fire brigade don’t dress up and wait for a call. When there is an emergency notice they suit up and go [...] that’s what I’m going to do,” he said.
Kamalanathan, who has been an MIC member for 25 years before being appointed information chief last year was at pains to stress that he did not wrest the seat from Palanivel.
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“When Samy Vellu told me I had been nominated for Hulu Selangor, I was shocked.
“I asked whether it was a party recommendation but S Murugesan (MIC secretary-general) just told me to get ready and that they will see me at Bukit Sentosa at 3.30pm when the BN candidate was to be announced.”
He revealed it was not a scenario the party was preparing for as the plan was to not field anyone other than Palanivel.
“The next day, I was waiting with Murugesan at the party headquarters (and) there were a lot of meetings held, phone calls from New York to Putrajaya, Putrajaya to Kuala Lumpur and even to Parliament.
“A lot of discussions and after all that, finally I was informed that there was a decision made by the party and prime minister and the deputy prime minister had accepted my name,” he said, looking astonished.
“I’m very grateful for the trust they have in me and it is not going to easy. The defending champions are the opposition and the state is run by the opposition. But I’m going to work very hard like I have never worked before.
“God has given us 24 hours in a day and I will work up to 11.59.59 pm on April 24 and I will try to get as many votes as possible in that time,” he said.
courtesy of Malaysiakini
It is indeed sad that our leaders, instead of trying to win the minds and hearts of the people, have resorted to such a destructive move.
Ichigo: The greatest crime a democratic country can commit is to create chaos and unrest against its own citizens. The rally is just a cover or excuse to incite hatred among the Malay community while cowing the other communities into toeing the line.
It is indeed sad that our leaders, instead of trying to win the minds and hearts of the people, have resorted to such a destructive move. The fact that Dr Mahathir Mohamad – who was once my favourite leader – is involved, further saddens me.
How I wish Dr M acts as a father figure to all Malaysians, regardless of races.
Baiyuensheng: I am beginning to feel sorry for these people. The ghosts of May 13 will never get to rest unless the government acknowledges the crime committed.
Dood: Naturally, such a rally will be approved, and even sanctioned, by Umno/BN/Perkasa and, of course, the police. The usual excuses (which only seem to work when used by their pals) are that the people need to speak and show their support or have some avenue of expressing their concern over the opposition’s lies/manipulation/disrespect/insult to race/insult to religion/insult to the royal institution or what have you.
Never mind that the date is chosen deliberately to be provocative or that the events that will surely go on that night will be highly incendiary, racist and bigoted in nature.
If any non-Umno/BN/Perkasa group were to hold something similar or on that date, you can bet that threats of ISA will be invoked and the cops will all be on standby with their roadblocks and water cannons.
And this Mahathir – even in his retirement years, he is not contented with all the foundations he has set up to create the racist society that is Malaysia today. He still wants to meddle and whip up racist sentiments. He, along with all the other Umno/BN/Perkasa folk, will certainly be reviled by future, enlightened generations of Malaysians.
Mikey: Bring it on, Dr Mahathir. Your slide from ex-premier and statesman to gangster head is complete. We have all learned and move on from May 13. Unfortunately, you and your goons still wallow in it.
It is harder to prove forced sodomy (Anwar is 63 years old, no physical match for Saiful), but the prosecution cannot give themselves an easier job by framing a charge which is not based on reality.
Let see what other people are saying about this issue.
Cala: Whether the sodomy was the result of consensus reached between two adults, and whether it was the first time that happened (I assume it was), Karpal Singh should ask Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan closely and in great detail.
Saiful, if he is honest, would remember every step of Anwar’s purported sexual advances. On the other hand, if Saiful is less than honest, he would contradict himself at every turn.
Md Imraz Ikhbal: The argument put forth by the prosecutor that it is the prosecution’s prerogative to prefer a lesser charge is frivolous and holds no water. You cannot possibly convict a person of a crime he did not commit even though, as the prosecution contends, he is guilty of a more serious crime.
If one was caught red-handed for daylight armed robbery and even if there were incriminating evidence in support thereof, can he, based on such evidence, be legally convicted for fraud or criminal breach of trust (CBT) even though it is less serious than armed robbery?
The glaring contradiction between the charge and the testimony of the prime witness certainly warrants impeachment. But then again, it is plain naive to place much faith in courts privatised to Umno and BN.
Kgen: “It is the prosecution’s prerogative to charge Anwar (under) consensual (sodomy, which) is a lesser offence and (entails lesser) punishment, rather than non-consensual (sodomy), Mohd Yusof argues.”
This is certainly a perversion of justice. The charge must be based on what really happened and nothing else. It is, of course, harder to prove forced sodomy (Anwar is 63 years old, no physical match for Saiful), but the prosecution cannot give themselves an easier job by framing a charge which is not based on reality.
Forced sodomy is untenable, as Anwar cannot possibly have forced himself on Saiful. Hence, the case will be thrown out. Saiful can change his testimony to say consensual sodomy, but he has already sworn in a mosque that it was against his will. He has trapped himself with his lies.
Multi Racial: When one has told the truth, it will be consistent and nothing can change that. But if one lies, then it is going to be difficult for to be consistent, no matter how thorough you are.
The way I look at it, it is impossible to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Anwar sodomised Saiful, but the government can still go ahead with it because politically, they may have gained some mileage over it. In that sense, it is grossly unfair to Anwar and his family.
As for Saiful, I have no pity for him since he allowed himself to be used in the first place.
Wira: If it was non-consensual, Saiful will have to prove that a well-built 25-year-old man was sodomised by a 60-plus-year-old man because he could not fend off the latter’s advances one-to-one. Any honest court would have impeached the witness and thrown out the case by now.
Keturunan Malaysia: I have on more occasions than I can well remember trying to hold on to men and women, for various reasons, from trying to restrain them for doing something stupid or trying to get away after doing something stupid. Try and you will know how difficult it is – even if you are of the same age, height and build as the next person.
I remember on two occasions in faraway foreign lands that I held onto the pick pockets that almost ran away with my friends’ money (to a tune of as much as US$10,000 cash). In the ensuing struggles, they were fearfully aggressive, as if it were a matter of life and death.
Now try picturing a gone-well-over-the-hill man like Anwar trying to pin down a tall and healthy young man like Saiful against the latter’s will, undressing him and get ‘rewarded’ with the right of way to burrow blissfully into the guy’s asshole without leaving any trace of entry… and then equally blissfully deposit semen.
Of course, it can be imagined. But to do so, one needs to have an extraordinarily weird and distorted mind that can stretch from the northern end of Peninsula Malaysia right up to the very edge where our great doctor (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) wanted to build the crooked bridge and Abdullah Ahmad Badaw had to pay the price for not playing ball.
Patriot: Judicial integrity since 1981 until today has been seen to be compromised in favour of those who hold the reins of power. The current sodomy trial is not expected to fare any better than the previous high-profile cases, unless the learned judge is willing to serve justice at all costs, and that is perhaps, an illusionary thought.
Even hardcore criminals have been known to be set free because the judge felt that there was is a shred of reasonable doubt to the evidence presented by the prosecution. Sadly, we may see some manipulation to strengthen the evidence. One does not have to be a lawyer to recognise the flaws and cover-ups.
Yobama: As as I see it, the BN will not rest until Anwar is sent to jail. They will amend the charge as they did in Sodomy I. In that trial, how many times did they amend the charge? I lost track – I only remember that they amended the dates several times when they realised that Tivoli Villa was not ready yet when the alleged crime was committed.
The case judge in Sodomy II should be more independent and just throw the case out the windows. Allah is great and will not allow injustices be perpetuated on His earth.
Ichigo: Why the need to postpone when the answer is so obvious? Saiful told the court, without referring to his police statement, that Anwar had asked for his consent politely if he could “f…” him (although the choice of word seems very unbecoming coming from Anwar).
Did he willingly oblige? If yes, then that’s consensual. Simple as that.
Exhaust Leaked: The solicitor-general II is making the whole lot of the prosecution look like a bunch of idiotic fools. The people will only accept reasonable and factual arguments which are in accordance with the law and in a court of law.
It has been a hot news this week.The Vide President of America’s son has mild stroke.Beau Biden, 41, had been admitted to Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., on Tuesday morning. Later in the day he was transferred to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, vice presidential spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander said. The White House said earlier that he would undergo further observation and examination there.