FMT - Michelle Yeoh and the new James Bond

Last month, there was a ripple of excitement when rumours of a new Bond spoof surfaced in Malaysia. According to sina.com, the former Bond girl, Michelle Yeoh wants a starring role in GE-13.

Michelle needs no introduction. Her new co-star introduces himself with the quintessential charm of his predecessors, “My name is Bond, Jibby Bond.”

Just like the original Bond movies, Malaysia’s Bond spoof will also be action packed. There will be the thrill of the opposition thwarting the cheating of BN. There will be sabotage and dawn raids of back-door voters replacing legitimate ones.

There will be car chases as election observers follow lorries carrying ballot boxes from rural outposts to the counting stations. And there will be drama when exploding ballot boxes are dumped from helicopters into rivers, as they are flown from the Sarawak longhouses into town.

Extremists will demonstrate to intimidate the peace-loving public and to complete the effect, marauding groups of Rela members will look like private armies on the loose in our towns and cities. Didn’t Prime minister Najib Tun Razak promise “blood, sweat and lives to defend Putrajaya”?

If it is true that Michelle is to participate in GE-13, she need only look as far as Putrajaya for her supporting cast. The whole Cabinet of actors, masquerading as senior politicians, is available. Even Umno diehards realise that politics in Malaysia is a world of make-believe, perhaps a tragicomedy.

read more at FreeMalaysiaToday.com

MC - Will Michelle Yeoh make a difference to the MCA's chances in Perak

If for whatever reason Malaysian-born Hollywood star Michelle Yeoh were to dump the international fast lane for the local political scene, she will be joining BN and the MCA in particular.

"Anyone can join politics if he or she has the commitment to serve the public. But Michelle Yeoh will join MCA if she takes up politics. She is a die-hard BN supporter because her father Yeok Kian Geik was the MCA Perak chairman before. She even posed as the BN's model during the last election urging people to vote BN. I would doubt her credentials as she has never been impartial all this while," Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming told Malaysia Chronicle.

But in real life, Michelle is no freedom fighter

The news may not come as a surprise to those familair with the Ipoh scene, which is where Michelle hails from but it won't stop her fans from being disappointed.

By the same principle it is unlikely to get the Chinese community to vote MCA even if she joins the party or once again takes on the role as their ambassadress in the 13th general election, widely expected to be called within the next few months.

Even so news of Malaysia's homegrown Holllywood star stirred up quite a bit of interest when the MCA-controlled Star newspaper ran a teaser article that pundits say was meant to be a trial balloon for Michelle.

Quoting sina.com. the article said Michelle was "seriously considering making her political debut in Malaysia's next general election". She could not be reached to confirm the news but her parents reacted with thrilled 'surprise' at the news.

"I've heard the news from my friends. I find it funny. I don't know how the story came about. My daughter has never discussed politics with me," Michelle's mum tinkled with laughter.

Now 49, Michelle found fame as an actress in Hong Kong kung-fu flicks before striking it big in Hollywood with a starring role in the internationally acclaimed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Ironically, in her most recent role, she acted as Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyii - a complete contrast to her pro-establishment upbringing and style.

read more at MalaysiaChronicle.com