A Real Catch?

"He is what one would call “a real catch” in the game of courtship."

When Ting (the missus) read what Joceline Tan of The Star wrote about her hubby of more than 10 years now, she went laughing her head off. She must know something that Joceline doesn't ;-p. And here I thought she would be flattered, and I could earn some additional brownie points. ;)

And The Star managed to dig up a really old photo, probably 3 pairs of spectacles ago when there was much less white highlights on the hair. :-)

Okay, so The Star wasn't talking so much about the typical boyfriend-girlfriend courtship, but on political courtship. The fact that the Democratic Action Party (DAP) is allegedly seeking to have me as part of their line up. Obviously, I wasn't the only party the DAP is apparently "courting" as per the article.

...over the last year, bloggers – especially those who are politically inclined – have also become a potential source of new talent or even general election candidates.

One of them, said DAP sources, is none other than Jeff Ooi, who is touted as “Malaysia’s most influential blogger” and whose “Screenshots” blog is now in its sixth year. The effervescent Ooi was one of the speakers at a DAP forum dissecting the three-year-old administration of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

But Ooi is not the only blogger being courted by DAP leaders... Pua, 34, whose blog carries intelligent opinions on education issues, is also on their radar screen. On top of that, he is an Oxford graduate and CEO of a public-listed company. He is what one would call “a real catch” in the game of courtship. And he is said to be willing and ready.

Ooi, who is actually a Gerakan member, seems neither as willing nor as ready. He insisted “it’s too premature at this point.”

Other young guns already working within the party includes Liew Chin-Tong, a political science Masters graduate from Australia National University and Anthony Loke Siew Fook, already a state assemblyman for Lobak, Negeri Sembilan.

Joceline has argued that DAP stands to be the main beneficiary from the undercurrents of discontent, particularly in urban constituencies. She cited the Sarawak state elections as an example of "what fresh, new faces could do for the party".

It was evident that given the right ground sentiments, voters were willing to give new blood a chance, and more so if they had respectable educational credentials. Two fresh-faced women lawyers won despite their inexperience.

There has been concern over the way the Government has handled social and political issues, and a great deal of dissatisfaction with cost-of-living issues. The racial rhetoric at the Umno general assembly has not helped. The DAP will be the main beneficiary of the discontent in urban constituencies, hence the effort to headhunt new talent.

As to the fact of whether I'm "willing and ready"? ;-)

Well, it's actually not such a simple question. Firstly and most importantly, I'm responsible for some 60 employees within the company. If I were to go, I have to make sure that their future are not jeopardised and that they will continue to enjoy the growth in their chosen careers.

Secondly, in our current heavily intertwined business and political environment, many clients may not take kindly to the possibility that I take an active political role, particularly if I'm on the wrong side of the fence.

Hence, until the above issues are resolved, there's no way I can take a political role in any capacity. But we'll see. We'll see. ;-p