2009 – Annus Horribilus?

Apologies to QEII, I couldn’t resist using her famous quote from her 1992 New Year speech.

My 2009 was both good and bad; life IS a bed of roses, sometimes you bask in the sweet scents, sometimes you get pricked, stabbed even, by the thorns.

1. In 2009, my beloved Malaysia got a new PM, his wife said he was destined to become PM. Wow!
2. 2009 also saw a new tagline for Malaysia, propagated by the new PM - 1Malaysia, now everything starts with “1”,
3. Perak fell to BN via defections in Q1 2009,
4. In 2009 Bursa Malaysia saw the world’s 6th largest IPO for the year (Maxis),
5. Malaysia is poorer by RM31 billion in 2009 because PETRONAS made less money,
6. 2009 was the year of the swine; not in Chinese astrology terms but in the medical context (in case some of you still don’t get it, I’m talking about influenza A/H1N1 aka Swine Flu),
7. Malaysian motorists get a taste (not literally of course) of RON 95 petrol and Euro-2 diesel in 2009,
8. Malaysia’s largest telecommunication company changed its name to Axiata in 2009,
9. Malaysia had 7 by-elections (I’ve lost count, correct me if I’m wrong) in 2009,
10. RPK disappeared (and found in London) in 2009,
11. A witness fell to his death at the MACC office in 2009,
12. 16 September (Malaysia Day) was declared national holiday in 2009 but effective only in 2010,
13. In 2009 Malaysia got another Indian political party (they already have MIC, IPF, MUIP, PRIM, PPP …) and they are already fighting to sack the president …
14. 2 ‘national’ MPVs were introduced in 2009
15. Malaysia won the SEA Games football gold medal in 2009 after a 20 year hiatus,
16. In 2009, it was revealed that Malaysia lost 2 jet engines in 2007 (and found them in Argentina)

What a year it has been eh? Let’s hope 2010 brings more excitement and joy.