Small Fry

Wong, a former colleague at my former workplace, is an avid angler with an equally avid taste for all kinds of fish.

No tall tales of fantastic catches from the sometimes cranky photographer (mostly from age and seniority, I think) but Wong has this penchant for vivid descriptions of fish dishes.

Like the fantastical Ikan Belida fishballs served at an outlet somewhere in or near Grik which he swears tastes simply divine like none other.

The Belida is a very bony predatory fish which you often see in homes as ornamental fish, so - to me, at least - it was surprising to hear Wong waxing lyrics on how good it tasted.

Unfortunately, the outlet was closed when we came calling.

As luck would have it, when a few journalist colleagues and I were treated to a sumptuous feast of an expensive variety of the Ikan Bawal by then State Exco and now de facto Perak MB Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Wong was not in the group.

He would have undoubtedly loved the Ikan Bawal steamed simply with ginger.

This is Wong's favorite method of cooking fish as he says it brings out the best taste of fresh fish.

Fish was a staple food for me when I was a student in the UK.

I am not too adventurous with the kinds of fish I buy, sticking with the usual suspects of rainbow trouts, soles, mackerels and – whenever I feel extravagant – salmon.

Most of the time it's the farmed rainbow trout which are conveniently packed whole minus the innards.

Steaming wasn’t part of the menu, though, as I didn’t have a steamer then.

They are however quite bland. The tofu of fishes, you could say. Probably, the wild variety is nicer and richer but I never did get a chance to sample any, fresh or otherwise.

I saw a programme in Astro’s Asian Food Channel recently where river whitebaits (ikan bilis?) caught in nets were immediately pan fried.

No salt, no pepper; just fresh and tasty, judging from the looks on those who took bites of the dish.

My better half said it was the same back home in Kampung Sena, Arau, Perlis when the river and streams were clearer and cleaner, and fishes were in abundance.

You could sauk (Kedah word meaning "scoop") a bountiful of fish fries and plonk them straight into the frying pan for a good side dish.

Not something you want to do these days where even the full flowing rivers all Teh Tarik-ish in shades.

Talking about small fry, a list of politicians and the politically connected were charged for corruption this week.

Pat on the back for the MACC?

Umm, not quite yet.

Just like Citizen Nades, am wondering too if we will ever see any Ikan Belidas in the net.

Maybe we are like an aquarium where the likes of Ikan Belida which cost a bundle in maintenance and feeds on the small fries are kept as ornaments.

For how long, though? Until our pockets are empty and dried up?

Anyone for Belida fishball?

Sigh… C’est La Vie.

From The Star: Our rivers today.

Callous Comics

Are you familiar with the term Adjourned Sine Die?

This usually means the suspension of an assembly with the premise of future – but yet unspecified – dates for congregating again.

Christmas may not come twice in a year (Remember this sexist Bond joke?), but the circus in the form of the Perak State Assembly made its appearance yet again today.

They way things are going, this can be expected a routine event for Malaysians to either look forward to for some good laughs or to retch in great disgust.

When our representatives fail us, what do we do?

We hold them responsible and asked them to take the appropriate measures.

Seek a renewed mandate, for example.

Or accept the current hung status and fight it out in gentlemanly debates and discussions.

No two ways about it: they have failed Perakians.

Yes, the BN State Assemblymen and the trio of BN-friendly independents (only in Malaysia) can say that THEY have the mandate of the Rakyat.

And, yes, the PR ADUNs will say that THEY have been calling for a snap election all the while.

Yes, and Yes, and double Yesses.

BUT have they not even an ounce of shame over the shambolic sittings of the Assembly so far after the reverse takeover of Perak?

Please. We all enjoy a good laugh every now and then, but these are becoming sick and disgustful jokes.

For it to occur the following day after the tragedy in Kuala Dipang involving three schoolchildren makes it even harder to stomach.

Come on, respected YBs and YABs. Takkan tak ada sikit pun rasa malu?

The 1Malaysia unity camp tragedy can be quite symbolic of Perak as it is.

Newly erected - but ultimately rickety - foundations, a youthful generation hopeful that the path would lead them to their destination, a few malcontents rocking the situation (for God knows what reasons), and then, the quite thinkable occurs and lives are lost.

Too distinct a tragedy to draw such symbolism?

Maybe. Perhaps. Most probably.

I know I am grasping at straws and probably life will go on as usual for both camps.

No giving, no taking.

Both adamant they are in the right.

If I were a Perakian, the next elections I'll vote ALL of them OUT.

See how they like a truly hung government.

Adjourned Sine Die, gentlemen.

Past Tense: Pos Dipang - Aug 29, 1996

Beautiful Anonymity

I must admit having to do a double take on my views of Malaysian Premier Najib Tun Razak.

The recently unveiled Budget 2010 is a stroke of brilliance on his (and his team’s part) especially in managing the push-pull factor that is inevitable in ensuring the country has enough in its coffers and at the same time score the all important political brownie points with the Rakyat.

Witness the tax on credit cards.

In one stroke, Najib managed to push the message across that the government cares on the proliferation of credit cards and its burgeoning debt levels and at the same time, get back some of the excess profiteering from the card issuers.

Expect a majority of credit card issuers to offer their clients absorption of this tax .

After all, it is they who would lose out if all of us were to cut our cards ownership to a measly one card per person.

To the credit card issuers, the tax imposed is chicken feed easily recouped from the interest on outstandings without batting an eyelash.

Shrewd move.

When the budget came out, I thought - probably like everyone else – Najib was doing the usual sleight of hand's trick of feeding with the right and taking with the left with all the so-called goodies.

There were the increase in personal as well as EPF and insurance relief, the broadband subscription allowance, the 1% income tax reduction for those earning more than RM100k annually...

Against these were the aforementioned credit card tax, the Real Property Capital Gain Tax imposition and news of an impending cut in fuel subsidies.

Can I say Quid Pro Quo?

Anyway, the latter and the National Automotive Policy would be the most important thing to look out for next.

Dare I make predictions?

Here goes anyway: Fuel subsidies will be no more for everyone at large, and accorded only to the following sectors/segments; public transportation, charitable bodies and senior citizens.

The rest of the population – including the poor and hard core poor – will pay the market rate; thank you very much.

NAP is a much tougher cookie to predict, says this armchair critic/analyst ordinaire.

Unfortunately the country’s far-too-long high excise duty scenario precludes any drastic withdrawal which would have the effect of crippling the second hand car industry as well as the original national car maker, Proton.

Is a consolidation in the offing?

Looks pretty likely, as the advantage is plenty for a single conglomerate as opposed to several (just how many so-called National Car Manufacturers do we have currently?) especially in terms of economies of scale.

Can it be done though?

Heck do I know, but the current scenario in so many pseudo national cars running around is laughable when everyone knows these are rebadged versions.

The benefits for us would be in the medium to long term via the weaning in government subsidies to the National (too big to be allowed to fail) Car Maker – whatever name it would assume.

Back to Budget 2010.

I do wish there were some kind of tax on the foreign-laborer intensive industries/sectors though I suppose such an imposition would rake back whatever gains in growth so sorely needed in these tough conditions.

Next Budget, maybe?

PS: Off the topic, I wonder if there is a Quid Pro Quo somewhere in the recent Ong and Chua peace handshake.

PK(Cough! Ahem!)FZ.

A Quid for anyone's thoughts?