[AFTER TUN MAHATHIR, CHEVEV, KHAMEINEI, PUTIN...]...Leaders with guts!
Sunday afternoon, let's talk a little bit about 'guts'.
Some leaders have it, some don't.
I don't want to pick any Malaysian leaders with such 'guts' (do we have any?) but we should take a look at a few cases - one who dares 'insult' US, another telling the whites to stop dictating others and a new leader who stands by his country's law.
CASE 1:
Venezuela issued a travel ban on Saturday for prominent US politicians as it also cracked down on US diplomats in the South American nation that has long had a strained relationship with the United States.
President Nicolas Maduro said the travel ban that included former president George W Bush, former vice president Dick Cheney, former CIA director George Tenet and several congressmen came in response to a US travel ban on Venezuelan officials.
He also said authorities had arrested a US pilot in south-western Venezuela for alleged “covert” activities. He did not provide further details.
Maduro alleged that US officials were involved in a coup attempt.
He also called for a reduction in staff at the US embassy in Caracas from 100 to 17, to mirror staffing levels at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington. He said all US citizens wishing to travel to Venezuela would require visas.
The US targeted several Venezuelan officials with visa bans in early February for human rights abuses and corruption, but did not name those affected.
CASE 2:
WHITE farmers still occupying pieces of land in the country must brace for more farm seizures after President Robert Mugabe revealed Saturday his government was investigating how many of them survived the violent and anti-white land seizures since 2000.
"We don't need a white man to continue to guide us. No. We are now equipped with skills," Mugabe told thousands of guests to the lavish celebrations for his 91st birthday held at Victoria Falls on Saturday.
The veteran leader further said his government may consider reducing the size of some farms owned by black beneficiaries to benefit upcoming generations of youths who need to go into farming.
Mugabe singled out ousted Zanu PF Mashonaland East chair Ray Kaukonde for allegedly harbouring more than 160 white farmers in the agriculturally rich province.
This, he said, was revealed to him by the lands minister last Thursday, adding that the probe was spreading to the entire country.
"In Goromonzi alone there are still 40; from Goromonzi to Mutoko, Murehwa further there; 123 mind you, this is Mashonaland East," President Mugabe in a speech which was televised live on national television.
"Some of our leaders were hiding them in farms and saying the farms had been given, so l said let's stop here, 40 and a hundred and twenty three in just a small district of our country.
"...they (whites) are still in the farms hiding. How many farms are those; a hundred and twenty three farms plus 40 that is a hundred and sixty three farms that were being hidden by the likes of Kaukonde."
CASE 3:
Indonesia's president Joko Widodo has vowed hewill not buckle to foreign pressure on the executions of two Australians, in his first comments since his telephone call with Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday.
According to the business newspaper Kontan, which interviewed Mr Joko on Friday, the Indonesian leader disputed Mr Abbott's observation that he was "carefully considering" his position on the killings of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, members of the so-called Bali nine.
'Our position is clear, our laws can't be interfered with," Kontan quoted Mr Joko in an online excerpt from a lengthier interview that ran in print.
The remark comes after Indonesian parliamentarians and nationalist commentators had urged Mr Joko to clarify what happened when he spoke to Mr Abbott.
Revealing the conversation on Thursday morning, the Australian prime minister cautioned against optimism but appeared to suggest Mr Joko, known as Jokowi, was reviewing his hardline stance.
"The President absolutely understands our position, absolutely understands our position and I think he is carefully considering Indonesia's position," he told reporters at Old Parliament House in Canberra.
Mr Abbott said he did not want to "raise hopes that might turn out to be dashed" and described the President as a "friend".
The Australian government has lobbied hard for Mr Joko to show clemency to the pair. Last week, Mr Abbott caused a firestorm of protest in Indonesia when he linked Australia's mercy plea with the $1 billion in aid provided after the Boxing Day tsunami.
Mr Abbott asked Indonesia to "reciprocate".
This was interpreted as a "threat" by Indonesia, even though Mr Abbott did not say that the aid would be withdrawn, or future aid cut.
NOTE: Do we have them here?
Some leaders have it, some don't.
I don't want to pick any Malaysian leaders with such 'guts' (do we have any?) but we should take a look at a few cases - one who dares 'insult' US, another telling the whites to stop dictating others and a new leader who stands by his country's law.
CASE 1:
Venezuela issued a travel ban on Saturday for prominent US politicians as it also cracked down on US diplomats in the South American nation that has long had a strained relationship with the United States.
He also said authorities had arrested a US pilot in south-western Venezuela for alleged “covert” activities. He did not provide further details.
Maduro alleged that US officials were involved in a coup attempt.
He also called for a reduction in staff at the US embassy in Caracas from 100 to 17, to mirror staffing levels at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington. He said all US citizens wishing to travel to Venezuela would require visas.
The US targeted several Venezuelan officials with visa bans in early February for human rights abuses and corruption, but did not name those affected.
CASE 2:
WHITE farmers still occupying pieces of land in the country must brace for more farm seizures after President Robert Mugabe revealed Saturday his government was investigating how many of them survived the violent and anti-white land seizures since 2000.
"We don't need a white man to continue to guide us. No. We are now equipped with skills," Mugabe told thousands of guests to the lavish celebrations for his 91st birthday held at Victoria Falls on Saturday.
Mugabe singled out ousted Zanu PF Mashonaland East chair Ray Kaukonde for allegedly harbouring more than 160 white farmers in the agriculturally rich province.
This, he said, was revealed to him by the lands minister last Thursday, adding that the probe was spreading to the entire country.
"In Goromonzi alone there are still 40; from Goromonzi to Mutoko, Murehwa further there; 123 mind you, this is Mashonaland East," President Mugabe in a speech which was televised live on national television.
"Some of our leaders were hiding them in farms and saying the farms had been given, so l said let's stop here, 40 and a hundred and twenty three in just a small district of our country.
"...they (whites) are still in the farms hiding. How many farms are those; a hundred and twenty three farms plus 40 that is a hundred and sixty three farms that were being hidden by the likes of Kaukonde."
CASE 3:
Indonesia's president Joko Widodo has vowed hewill not buckle to foreign pressure on the executions of two Australians, in his first comments since his telephone call with Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday.
According to the business newspaper Kontan, which interviewed Mr Joko on Friday, the Indonesian leader disputed Mr Abbott's observation that he was "carefully considering" his position on the killings of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, members of the so-called Bali nine.
'Our position is clear, our laws can't be interfered with," Kontan quoted Mr Joko in an online excerpt from a lengthier interview that ran in print.
Revealing the conversation on Thursday morning, the Australian prime minister cautioned against optimism but appeared to suggest Mr Joko, known as Jokowi, was reviewing his hardline stance.
"The President absolutely understands our position, absolutely understands our position and I think he is carefully considering Indonesia's position," he told reporters at Old Parliament House in Canberra.
Mr Abbott said he did not want to "raise hopes that might turn out to be dashed" and described the President as a "friend".
The Australian government has lobbied hard for Mr Joko to show clemency to the pair. Last week, Mr Abbott caused a firestorm of protest in Indonesia when he linked Australia's mercy plea with the $1 billion in aid provided after the Boxing Day tsunami.
Mr Abbott asked Indonesia to "reciprocate".
This was interpreted as a "threat" by Indonesia, even though Mr Abbott did not say that the aid would be withdrawn, or future aid cut.
NOTE: Do we have them here?
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has warned foreign governments not to meddle with the country’s policy of executing death-row drug convicts, which he said, was a necessary move to curb rampant drug abuse in the country.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/25/jokowi-warns-foreign-govts-not-interfere-with-ri-s-execution-plan.html#sthash.zzN0nL6V.dpuf
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/25/jokowi-warns-foreign-govts-not-interfere-with-ri-s-execution-plan.html#sthash.zzN0nL6V.dpuf
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has warned foreign governments not to meddle with the country’s policy of executing death-row drug convicts, which he said, was a necessary move to curb rampant drug abuse in the country.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/25/jokowi-warns-foreign-govts-not-interfere-with-ri-s-execution-plan.html#sthash.zzN0nL6V.dpuf
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/25/jokowi-warns-foreign-govts-not-interfere-with-ri-s-execution-plan.html#sthash.zzN0nL6V.dpuf
JAKARTA - An Australian journalist has been deported from Indonesia for reporting without a proper visa as she covered two Australian drug traffickers on death row, an immigration official said Saturday.
Candace Sutton, a reporter for the Daily Mail, was taken in for questioning by immigration officials on Wednesday as she interviewed a relative of one of the Australian convicts in the coastal town of Cilacap.
The town is close to Nusakambangan prison island where the traffickers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are to be put to death by firing squad, in a ruling that has drawn fierce protest from Canberra.
"We have deported last night the journalist back to Australia with Qantas," immigration official Yan Wely Wiguna told AFP.
The immigration department said earlier that Sutton "failed to show a journalist visa" and had violated immigration laws by working on a tourist visa that she bought on arrival in Indonesia.
The Australians are among a group of foreigners, which also includes a Frenchman and a Brazilian, who Indonesia has said will be executed soon.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/indonesia-deports-australian-journalist-visa-violations#sthash.KlDQWouS.dpuf
Candace Sutton, a reporter for the Daily Mail, was taken in for questioning by immigration officials on Wednesday as she interviewed a relative of one of the Australian convicts in the coastal town of Cilacap.
The town is close to Nusakambangan prison island where the traffickers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are to be put to death by firing squad, in a ruling that has drawn fierce protest from Canberra.
"We have deported last night the journalist back to Australia with Qantas," immigration official Yan Wely Wiguna told AFP.
The immigration department said earlier that Sutton "failed to show a journalist visa" and had violated immigration laws by working on a tourist visa that she bought on arrival in Indonesia.
The Australians are among a group of foreigners, which also includes a Frenchman and a Brazilian, who Indonesia has said will be executed soon.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/indonesia-deports-australian-journalist-visa-violations#sthash.KlDQWouS.dpuf
JAKARTA - An Australian journalist has been deported from Indonesia for reporting without a proper visa as she covered two Australian drug traffickers on death row, an immigration official said Saturday.
Candace Sutton, a reporter for the Daily Mail, was taken in for questioning by immigration officials on Wednesday as she interviewed a relative of one of the Australian convicts in the coastal town of Cilacap.
The town is close to Nusakambangan prison island where the traffickers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are to be put to death by firing squad, in a ruling that has drawn fierce protest from Canberra.
"We have deported last night the journalist back to Australia with Qantas," immigration official Yan Wely Wiguna told AFP.
The immigration department said earlier that Sutton "failed to show a journalist visa" and had violated immigration laws by working on a tourist visa that she bought on arrival in Indonesia.
The Australians are among a group of foreigners, which also includes a Frenchman and a Brazilian, who Indonesia has said will be executed soon.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/indonesia-deports-australian-journalist-visa-violations#sthash.KlDQWouS.dpuf
Candace Sutton, a reporter for the Daily Mail, was taken in for questioning by immigration officials on Wednesday as she interviewed a relative of one of the Australian convicts in the coastal town of Cilacap.
The town is close to Nusakambangan prison island where the traffickers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are to be put to death by firing squad, in a ruling that has drawn fierce protest from Canberra.
"We have deported last night the journalist back to Australia with Qantas," immigration official Yan Wely Wiguna told AFP.
The immigration department said earlier that Sutton "failed to show a journalist visa" and had violated immigration laws by working on a tourist visa that she bought on arrival in Indonesia.
The Australians are among a group of foreigners, which also includes a Frenchman and a Brazilian, who Indonesia has said will be executed soon.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/indonesia-deports-australian-journalist-visa-violations#sthash.KlDQWouS.dpuf
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