The Malaysian Insider

MARCH 2 — So, anyone feel any different? Does the news today seem more dreary? Or your nasi lemak’s sambal less spicy?

No? That’s odd! You would have thought that with the way things were going for Malaysia these first two months of 2010, everything had turned upside-down.

By now, most readers of this website would be well aware of the recent exodus, and as claimed by some, a forthcoming second wave of those “disenchanted” by PKR.

FEB 13 — I had set out quite smugly, thinking that I would be the only one to think of writing such a counter-intuitive article on how football teams can win games after getting a man sent off. This after both Liverpool and Barcelona came up with three points despite a central defender seeing red last weekend and Manchester United unlucky not to join them after Nani had to hit the showers early.

Well, phooey. The brilliant Jonathan Wilson at The Guardian beat me to it, and has done so magnificently.

However, genius as his article is, it misses out on one particular point — not a criticism since there is only so much that one article can do — that of what teams with 10 men should do to maximise their chances of winning matches despite the handicap.

FEB 10 —Oh, how we cling to our comfort zones while at the same time pretending to discard them. Amid our prime minister's continuing calls to accept that economic liberalisation must happen to produce a level playing field, are numerous murmurings that Datuk Seri Najib Razak should concentrate on tackling corruption instead of dismantling subsidies and protectionism.

The recent column by Alex Paul was also met with praise but cynical remarks that the country has already been sold down the river by corrupt politicians.

I don’t mean to say that corruption is not a problem. It is a huge one. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that it is a problem endemic to Malaysia.

JAN 15 — Ah, yes, it was only a fortnight ago that Manchester United, hot on the heels of and narrowing the gap to Chelsea at the summit of English football, were slayed by no more poetic a David than Leeds United. To invert the popular cliché, oh how the fallen have mightied.

Once conquerors of AC Milan and Champions’ League semi-finalists, the past seven years have seen them go from title challengers to being relegated to the third tier of English football. With this stunning win — which was more than just a snatch-and-grab as Man Utd contrived to cede control of possession despite playing at home — might Leeds United have started the new decade by rekindling the romance of the FA Cup before going on to reclaim their former glory?

JAN 9 — Annabelle is a seven-year-old girl. She walks up to the throng of of men in their baju Melayu who are waving their banners and pumping their fists in the air, proclaiming that "God is great."

Cops are crawling all over the place. Several dozen are making sure that the crowd doesn't get out of hand, imploring them to stop stepping on photos of opposition figures and making sure they do not march in the streets. Others are advising onlookers to keep their distance or leave, telling them not to encourage the protest.